Masks and Mirrors, the sequel to Bones is finally up on amazon!! It should go up on the other ebook platforms in the next week or two.
I know there's been a bit of a gap between the two of them and there's been a long wait for Masks. Thank you for being patient. I promise you will not have to wait as long for book 3.
I am now off to bed, having come off a night shift and then I will start thinking about the next book. Also, it's my birthday and I have a cake to finish!
Wednesday 22 April 2015
Saturday 9 August 2014
Slowly getting there....
It's not quite ready yet, but this is the cover for Masks. I did think about redoing the cover for Bones at the same time, but I don't think I'm going to get round to it. Masks feels like more of a real book now I have a rough cover. There's still lots that needs to be done, but it's slowly getting there (finally!!).
Tuesday 5 August 2014
A little update
Masks is very nearly ready to go up. I'm still working on the cover and then there's the synopsis to sort out and various other things that need to be done. I was hoping it would be up before I go to worldcon (which is somehow next week, when I keep thinking it's still months away), but I would rather wait until it's completely ready instead of just throwing it up because I want to be done with it.
The question now is, what do I work on next? I had something part done which is in a vein similar to the River Maid, but I think I need to carry on with the Bones series and build some momentum. I already have bits and pieces of Book 3 written and a very, very rough plot line which is more a list of stuff that should happen and will probably change by the end of the book. If I don't abandon it completely!
I don't currently have a title for Book 3. At the moment I'm calling it Ghosts and Ghouls, but that will probably change as I'm not sure I really like it. Hopefully, I can come up with something better to call it.
I'm still working nights at the moment. I have no idea how people who have been doing it for 10 or more years cope long term working nights. I'm looking for something else, especially with Winter coming, but there's very little out there if you don't want to work in a shop or do what I'm already doing now. Fingers crossed something else will come up.
In happier news, I am an auntie again!! I have a new little baby nephew who was born a couple of weeks ago and he is utterly adorable.
The question now is, what do I work on next? I had something part done which is in a vein similar to the River Maid, but I think I need to carry on with the Bones series and build some momentum. I already have bits and pieces of Book 3 written and a very, very rough plot line which is more a list of stuff that should happen and will probably change by the end of the book. If I don't abandon it completely!
I don't currently have a title for Book 3. At the moment I'm calling it Ghosts and Ghouls, but that will probably change as I'm not sure I really like it. Hopefully, I can come up with something better to call it.
I'm still working nights at the moment. I have no idea how people who have been doing it for 10 or more years cope long term working nights. I'm looking for something else, especially with Winter coming, but there's very little out there if you don't want to work in a shop or do what I'm already doing now. Fingers crossed something else will come up.
In happier news, I am an auntie again!! I have a new little baby nephew who was born a couple of weeks ago and he is utterly adorable.
Wednesday 16 April 2014
Cake and Masks
I have a few days off work at the moment which is bliss, although I don’t really have any plans other than to take my dog on lots of long walks and catch up on lots of sleep and tv shows I haven’t seen.
I have a cake to bake in the next few days. It’s my birthday next week and I usually make all the cakes in my family when it’s someone’s birthday and then just buy one for myself when it’s my birthday, but I thought I would make one for myself this year. I have a lot of eeyore figurines and mugs which I've collected over the years and so I thought I would make an eeyore cake in the shape of eeyore. I’m not sure how well it’s going to turn out, but if it does go wrong at least it will be my disaster and I won’t have to worry about someone else being disappointed. I will happily eat it however it looks even if it is a complete mess.
I’m currently editing Masks and Mirrors, the sequel to Bones and Ashes. It should be ready to go up soon, although I still haven’t sorted out the cover yet. I will have to start playing around with some ideas. After Masks is up, my plan is to carry on and write the 3rd book in the Bones and Ashes series. I have a lot of it written in rough already, although I don’t have any idea what the title will be yet. It takes place at Christmas, so it would be good if I could have it ready to go up in December. I always think books taking place at Christmas look a bit silly when they’re released in the summer. I like it to be cold and frosty when I'm reading about Christmas and snow.
I have a cake to bake in the next few days. It’s my birthday next week and I usually make all the cakes in my family when it’s someone’s birthday and then just buy one for myself when it’s my birthday, but I thought I would make one for myself this year. I have a lot of eeyore figurines and mugs which I've collected over the years and so I thought I would make an eeyore cake in the shape of eeyore. I’m not sure how well it’s going to turn out, but if it does go wrong at least it will be my disaster and I won’t have to worry about someone else being disappointed. I will happily eat it however it looks even if it is a complete mess.
I’m currently editing Masks and Mirrors, the sequel to Bones and Ashes. It should be ready to go up soon, although I still haven’t sorted out the cover yet. I will have to start playing around with some ideas. After Masks is up, my plan is to carry on and write the 3rd book in the Bones and Ashes series. I have a lot of it written in rough already, although I don’t have any idea what the title will be yet. It takes place at Christmas, so it would be good if I could have it ready to go up in December. I always think books taking place at Christmas look a bit silly when they’re released in the summer. I like it to be cold and frosty when I'm reading about Christmas and snow.
Friday 7 March 2014
Books, books, books
I’m about to go back onto a long run of nights and I’m loading up my kindle in case it’s a quiet night. I’ve bought The Islands of Chaldea by Diana Wynne Jones which came out a few weeks ago.
It’s the last book Diana wrote before she died and I almost don’t want to read it, knowing it will be the last book of hers I will ever have. Howl’s Moving Castle was one of my favourite books growing up and I love her Chrestomanci series. There weren’t that many YA books when I was in my teens, especially by fantasy authors. The Young Adult reading section was mainly filled with hundreds of Sweet Valley High books.
I was so sad when Diana died, especially as I live just outside of Bristol, but I never got the chance to meet her and tell her how wonderful she was.
I’ve also bought The Paradise by Emile Zola. I’ve just finished watching the first series of The Paradise on dvd. I always like to compare the original book to a tv series and see what was left out and what was changed. The Paradise is based on a department store in the late 1800s and is centred on the transition from independent shops to larger stores with mass produced goods. There’s also a love story woven through it. It’s a very gentle series, with no violence or swearing or explicit sex scenes, which makes a nice change from everything else on tv at the moment.
It’s the last book Diana wrote before she died and I almost don’t want to read it, knowing it will be the last book of hers I will ever have. Howl’s Moving Castle was one of my favourite books growing up and I love her Chrestomanci series. There weren’t that many YA books when I was in my teens, especially by fantasy authors. The Young Adult reading section was mainly filled with hundreds of Sweet Valley High books.
I was so sad when Diana died, especially as I live just outside of Bristol, but I never got the chance to meet her and tell her how wonderful she was.
I’ve also bought The Paradise by Emile Zola. I’ve just finished watching the first series of The Paradise on dvd. I always like to compare the original book to a tv series and see what was left out and what was changed. The Paradise is based on a department store in the late 1800s and is centred on the transition from independent shops to larger stores with mass produced goods. There’s also a love story woven through it. It’s a very gentle series, with no violence or swearing or explicit sex scenes, which makes a nice change from everything else on tv at the moment.
Wednesday 5 March 2014
Some background to The River Maid
I’ve been meaning to talk a bit about The River Maid and the background behind it. Although The River Maid is fiction, there are some historical elements to the story which are true. Some people who are not familiar with the Rhineland may be surprised to know that there is actually a castle called Katz Castle in the hills above St Goarshausen.
It was seized by the French Revolutionary army in 1805 and the castle was destroyed in 1806 by Napoleon - just like in the book. However, it was probably due to its position on the Rhine, rather than because of a mermaid.
The Counts of Katzenelnbogen built Katz Castle in the 1300’s, but the family line died out, and the castle then passed through various hands. After being destroyed in 1806, the castle was rebuilt in the late 1800’s and it’s still there today, although as far as I’m aware it’s privately owned and unfortunately not open to visitors.
Near St Goarshausen is a rock called the Lorelei. There’s a German legend of a siren associated with the rock who lures sailors to their deaths and it was this story along with Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid that The River Maid is based on.
Although some things might actually have happened, I have taken huge liberties with history. I wanted to tell a story, not write a historically accurate novel, but I think all good stories need to have some truth to them at their heart.
I like to think that had there been a mermaid called Lorelei, then the events of the story could have happened just as they did in the book.
It was seized by the French Revolutionary army in 1805 and the castle was destroyed in 1806 by Napoleon - just like in the book. However, it was probably due to its position on the Rhine, rather than because of a mermaid.
The Counts of Katzenelnbogen built Katz Castle in the 1300’s, but the family line died out, and the castle then passed through various hands. After being destroyed in 1806, the castle was rebuilt in the late 1800’s and it’s still there today, although as far as I’m aware it’s privately owned and unfortunately not open to visitors.
Near St Goarshausen is a rock called the Lorelei. There’s a German legend of a siren associated with the rock who lures sailors to their deaths and it was this story along with Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid that The River Maid is based on.
Although some things might actually have happened, I have taken huge liberties with history. I wanted to tell a story, not write a historically accurate novel, but I think all good stories need to have some truth to them at their heart.
I like to think that had there been a mermaid called Lorelei, then the events of the story could have happened just as they did in the book.
Thursday 6 February 2014
The River Maid
The River Maid has been up now for a few days. I’ve enrolled it in amazon’s kdp select and it's currently free to download on amazon until Friday. I’m really happy with how the cover looks. I did it myself and it really wasn’t easy to do. I don’t think it’s too obvious that it wasn’t professionally done. Maybe other people will disagree though.
I’ve deleted a lot of the old posts on my blog. It had been ages since I had updated it and I thought I would start afresh with The River Maid.
I'm back on nights at the moment, but as soon as I get a day off I will find time to talk a bit about the background of The River Maid. I meant to add an author's note at the back of the book, but I never got round to it. Some people might find it interesting to know why I chose that particular period of history to set a retelling of The Little Mermaid.
If you have read The River Maid, I would be incredibly grateful if you would consider reviewing it - good or bad. I'm always hesitant to buy a book that doesn't have any reviews for it.
I’ve deleted a lot of the old posts on my blog. It had been ages since I had updated it and I thought I would start afresh with The River Maid.
I'm back on nights at the moment, but as soon as I get a day off I will find time to talk a bit about the background of The River Maid. I meant to add an author's note at the back of the book, but I never got round to it. Some people might find it interesting to know why I chose that particular period of history to set a retelling of The Little Mermaid.
If you have read The River Maid, I would be incredibly grateful if you would consider reviewing it - good or bad. I'm always hesitant to buy a book that doesn't have any reviews for it.
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