Tag Archives: fantasy

October Roundup: New Books! Free Books!

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After far too long, the next 2 books in the Lazarus Hunter series are complete!

To celebrate, there’s a promo offer on all of them right now.

Blood Inheritance – Free until October 29th

Black Market Blood (book 2) and Shadows of Blood (book 3) are both on a limited 0.99 offer until 8th November 2017.

That means you can get all three books for only 1.98 if you buy them before October 29th.*

*price applies to most Amazon marketplaces

 

I absolutely love writing this series, even if it was horribly delayed because there was a sticky plot point in Black Market Blood that has taken two years for me to fix in a way I was happy with. After some much needed rest, I’ll begin the edits to book four in December – I’m already looking forward to it.

I really hope you enjoy them and if you do, then please leave a review. Not only do I appreciate it, Amazon uses it to help other readers find my books.

For those of you who enjoy my C.K. Martin books, never fear! I have a heartwarming Christmas romance coming out at the beginning of December. More details heading your way soon!

 

August Roundup: Free book promotion and other news

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Current Promos (time limited offers)

 

 

Recapture the summer with Tapas and Tangelos –  a romantic beach read set in a sleepy European town. Read for free between September 2-6.

 

 

The second book in the Detective Teddie McKay series, A Taste To Die For is on offer for only 0.99 between September 9 – 16. You can also pick up the first in the series, The Crochet Killer for the same price too.

 

 

 

Don’t forget, if you enjoy them, leave a review! 

In other news…

August 2017 will forever be known as the month of the great edit. Nearly all my time has been focused on The Lazarus Hunter series, which will be republished under a different name a little later in the year. It makes sense to separate this out from my lesbian fiction, even though it won’t be easy. In the long term, it will be better for everyone to keep them separate. Of course, if you are primarily a fan of that series, I’ll be providing ways for you to find it and get your hands on the next books in the series.

Another standalone romance is in the editing queue and my Christmas romance is also coming round for its next stage of edits. So with that many plates spinning, I have been quiet on social media. That looks likely to continue into September (when I throw some travel into the mix as well, just to stay on my toes) but by the time autumn rolls around, I hope to be writing some new things rather than just editing existing manuscripts.

Now, back to work!

Don’t forget, if you want to take advantage of the promos, make sure to click on the links above before they expire!

Dissolving into fanfic

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For the past two weeks, I have mainly been thinking about travel. Not only because I have a big trip coming up, but because it’s been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Between Brexit and Trump, travel now seems to have an added level of stress and considerations. So I am, quite frankly, looking forward to doing it while I can.

Plus donating to civil rights, emailing my MP etc etc. As daily life seems to be all about right now.

Skyline

Creative – new ideas and first drafts

I drafted out something that I thought sounded pretty good. In the cold light of day with a critical eye, I think it was actually Supergirl fan fiction. Which we need more of, by the way. I looked for some on a whim and I think the lesbians can try harder on this one. Of course, if anyone has any recommendations, I’m more than happy to take a look in the name of research.

Editing – the slow, tortuous road to publication

Honestly, the past two weeks have been filled with editing technical papers for a soon-to-be-gone job, so the thought of editing fiction as well has been too much to bear…

Publishing – and all the other bits that go on behind the scenes

I’m in the process of getting my books for print as well as ebook. As an independent author, this is something I can do myself, thanks to my background in previous employment. However, it still takes time. I’ve had a positive test run with one of my other pen names though, so it’s convinced me that I can produce a paperback of sufficient quality to warrant the cost. Which does matter to me.

Planning and dreaming – what’s coming up next week

I’ve booked another flight, semi-sorted out a visa and have a project plan in place for the 2nd quarter writing schedule. That means I can continue researching my summer romance novel next week, ready to hit the keyboard for a few hours whenever I get the chance.

Writing Best Bits

Hell, I might write that Supergirl fanfic anyway…

Weekly success score: 4/10 – Feels a bit too much like real life at the moment.

Dirty Little War Playlist

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I think a lot of writers have a selection of songs they put together when they are beginning to write a novel. I know for me it is one of the key things at the beginning. When I’m actually writing, I don’t really listen to the songs at all. But a playlist gives me instant access to the themes and mood of the story, so when I’m out an about, I can put it on and instantly become immersed on the characters again.Dirty Little War

My latest novel, Dirty Little War, is a standalone lesbian romance, set on the gritty streets of East End London. It dips into organised crime and forbidden love. We all know that forbidden women are exciting and make us lose all rational thoughts about consequences, even when they are dangerous.

So, without further ado, the playlist for Dirty Little War:

  1. I’m On Fire, Bruce Springsteen
  2. Blank Space, Taylor Swift
  3. It Might As Well Be You, Del Amitri
  4. Take Me To Church, Hozier
  5. Tell Me, Billie Myers
  6. Sunset (Jamie xx Edit), The xx
  7. Casual Sex, My Darkest Days
  8. Spring Released, Grant Lee Philiips
  9. Coming Up From Behind, Marcy Playground
  10. Poison, Alice Cooper
  11. Steer, Missy Higgins
  12. I Drove All Night, Roy Orbison
  13. Point Blank, Bruce Springsteen

I know, it is a somewhat eclectic list in terms of musical genre and artist. But the songs work for the story I wanted to write and when I look back over the finished result, I can see the songs helped me stay true to the characters and what they were going through. Given that my characters were essentially prisoners of their families and the lives they were born into, I’m On Fire started me off in the right place for writing about the insanity of passion.

Each song had a special place too in that they directly tie up to certain key scenes. I always find this most useful when writing dark scenes about real life and the despair of escaping that comes with it. So for me it comes full circle, ending with Springsteen too…

You grew up where young girls they grow up fast
You took what you were handed and left behind what was asked
But what they asked baby wasn’t right
You didn’t have to live that life
And I was gonna be your Romeo, you were gonna be my Juliet
These days you don’t wait on Romeos, you wait on that welfare check
And on all the pretty things that you can’t ever have
And on all the promises
That always end up point blank, Shot between the eyes

 

Fantasy sexy vs real life sexy

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It occurred to me, while I was writing a sexy kick ass scene (of your traditional vampire hunter in leather variety), that there is an innate difference between theoretically sexy and real life sexy. The case in point: scars.

This is something you frequently see in both books and in film. Scars are a mark of strength. Of battles fought and won. Of danger and daring. These are the character elements that scars become a symbol of, yet without compromising in any way the (often stereotypical) ‘attractiveness’ of the character. Male or female, a strategically placed scar is sexy in books and on film.

In real life, that is more often not the case. Few people wear scars with the pride and confidence that fictional media imbues. Scars are more likely to be a trigger of a disturbing event. A memory that is often something better best forgotten. Frequently, scars are things that are covered, replete with a sense of shame. The bearer often feels the exact opposite of ‘sexy’ when considering them. Not in all cases, but in many.

On the opposite side to this self-perception, the response that scars provoke in others is similarly different when considering fantasy versus reality.  Scars usually provoke an instinctive second glance, a double take. The first assumptions are not around the ‘hot or not’ of the person, but a curiosity around the event. What happened, rather than what it made the person become. A significant size scar is likely to be associated with the word ‘disfigured’ rather than ‘sexy’. I am not saying that I personally feel that way, so don’t flame me in the comments. I am merely stating that scars – just one example of many – are portrayed significantly differently in the media to how they are perceived in the daily world we walk through.

So, as I write my character, complete with scar, I know that I am consciously choosing to perpetuate that cycle. With that needs to come an awareness of how the very nature of fiction can bridge or widen a gap.

And which of these options you really want to achieve.

Quiet does not equal ‘not busy’

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Yes, things have once again been quiet on the social media front. To my horror, I didn’t do a single blogpost in July. But quiet certainly doesn’t mean that things have been slow and relaxed around here. Exactly the opposite in fact.

There has been a lot of travel for the non-fiction projects in my life (these, whilst being considerably less enjoyable, do pay the majority of the bills), which means less time for fun things like blogposts and twitter. Isn’t this often the way? Sometimes I think there are a lot of people telling everyone about their life, rather than being in it and being present. However, social time has been something of a luxury, in real life and virtual.

Plus, it’s always harder to work in the summer when it is delightfully warm. Every task then feels like suffering when you cans see the sun outside and the beach is calling. I’m just being honest here.

However, projects have indeed been progressing nicely in the spaces between. I am happy to be writing the fourth book in The Lazarus Hunter series, which is great fun. I love my little foray into the world of urban fantasy and my favourite vampires. I’m also waist deep in the final edits for my new romance novel, which has slipped slightly off track but is still on its way out into the world during the next four weeks. Pesky days, only having twenty-four hours in them.

I hope everyone else is having as productive a time as me! Either way, enjoy the weekend. Friday night and the wine bottle is OPEN.

Genre Switch

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So, I remember saying something last time about showing my softer side in my next novel. That’s almost true. The novel being released later this year is actually going to be… *drumroll* a romance novel.

Don’t worry, it will still be very much in the same vein as the other novels I have written. By that I mean there will be gritty plot lines, tough decisions and kickass heroines at the heart of the story, but with a considerable amount of additional smooching between the leads. And then some.

To break it down, Teddie McKay, my protagonist in The Crochet Killer and A Taste To Die For isn’t a sexless lesbian by any means, but as its a crime novel, the emphasis is on the mystery solving, not the rolling around in the sack.

Elizabeth and Monica, the two main characters of Blood Inheritance have, at this stage, the kind of subtextual connection that I remember so fondly from my Buffy and Xena days. Now, don’t get me wrong, it was as frustrating as hell in the long run. Especially because even though the subtext was fun, you knew nothing would happen. But I’m in control now, so I know the truth *evil laugh*.

In this new novel, it follows all the rules of the romance genre (almost all, it’s more fun when you break a few). Which means that the romance is up a notch, the sex is up a lot and the whole thing is more playful and fun.

I know there are supposed rules about branding and genre, but I don’t really care. I like the book and it is one I think my readers will enjoy, so I am bringing it into the world. If new readers then go back and buy my other books, then I hope that even if it isn’t what they expected, then they enjoy those too. It’s all on Kindle anyway, so sample chapter yourself away!

Structural edits and real life

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Once again I have been a very bad author when it comes to communicating with people. I’m not going to lie; one of my favourite things about writing is that it is a solitary pursuit. I still have to work with a lot of idiots in my day to day non-fiction life, so writing is a little bit of special me time.

Anyway, sharing is caring, so here we go. What have I been up to? I’ve sent the first draft of my next novel to my special bunch of alpha readers and have been patiently listening to their feedback. Luckily, it’s been consistent across the board, which is so much nicer than having to choose between conflicting opinions.

I’ve also begun the structural edits for it and so far it’s not looking too shabby. Of course, there is still always the chance that something will need to change and I’ll have to go back and reorder whole chunks of it (or worse, every writer’s nightmare, delete whole sections and rewrite), but at the moment it still looks promising. Line edits, I know already, will be a different matter. Autocorrect seems to have had a field day with this one.

It’s a bit of a departure from other things you may have read from me, but more about that next time. It’s not fantasy like Blood Inheritance, or crime like The Crochet Killer and A Taste To Die For. Let’s just say, I’ve tried to get in touch with my softer side…

Goodreads: where the brave fear to tread

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Believe it or not, I’ve never been a member of goodreads. Now I’m signing up at last.

So many of my author friends absolutely loathe the site. I mean they hate it so much, they actually rank it lower than going to Amazon to look at your reviews, which for popular authors is a very special kind of torture. That alone was enough to put me off.

Now I’m increasingly hearing that it is the best way for Indie authors to connect with their readers, as well as finding cool people who are writing the same things you are. My reading list is undergoing something of a review at the moment (too many books in the same genre for far too long) so this seems like a pretty good idea.

I guess I’ll find out in the next few weeks whether or not I’ve been missing out by listening to others. Or it could be a damp squib of a place that is on the decline. I’m going to hold out for the best case scenario: it’s full of awesome people to meet who are passionate about books and can teach me a thing or two.

If you see me on there, feel free to say hi and forgive me if I mess things up (I invariably do) whilst working it out.

I might have to use robots

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Why might I have to use them, I hear you ask? I can say you, because stats indicate that you’re probably alone while you’re reading this.

I’ve been trying a little experiment to push the boundaries of my writing. It’s just to keep my mind feeling fresh while other things – more stressful and demanding things – steal much of my creative energy. So, as always, I have a few little side projects going for fun. One of which is to plan a short story, nothing longer than novella in length, and start writing it. I’m a planner by nature, so I’m cruising along in my comfort zone here. Which is where the robots come in.

I don’t write sci-fi. I don’t read sci-fi. So what better way to force myself to be creative than to throw in a problem I not only don’t know how to solve, but also know very little about.

Hence robots.

Don’t worry, I’ve got no intention of AI infiltrating my urban fantasies or crime stories. No-one is going to be killed by the robot. This isn’t an episode of Castle. But hopefully I’ll have a little bit of fun doing it, maybe learn something new, and then come back to those other projects with a different state of mind.

So ask yourself, do you need robots?

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