Toiling at the Word Hoard

Once upon a time I used to do one project and finish it before starting on another. Goodness knows exactly how things changed, but those days are now a distant memory. I’ve been tallying up what I have on my plate at the moment, and deciding I’ve maybe gone a little over the top.

(Not a faithful portrait of Alex)

Angels of Istanbul

This is my 18th Century fantasy in which Romanian nobleman Radu invades the Ottoman Empire at the head of an army of strigoi (aka vampires.) Coming out from Riptide’s Anglerfish imprint some time next year, I think.

I’m half way through copy edits on this and have dropped everything else in order to get them done. I’m still in doubt about whether I’ll manage it in the fortnight I’ve been given, but if I do need a bit more time, it’s not likely to be more than another three days or so.

I’ve seen cover art for this book and it’s going to look awesome 🙂 We’ve got Frank, our shy magician, summoning an impervious barrier between the armies of the Turks and the Romanians, with the minarets of Istanbul behind him in the sunset. It’s very cool! I can’t show you yet because it’s not finished, but I think you’ll like it when I do.

Humbling of the High Ones

This is my newsletter novella of which the second episode went out today. It’s very Enya-Celtic at the moment, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s only 500 words a week, so I think I’ll manage to keep producing that indefinitely no matter what else is going on.

Buried With Him

My 10K story set before The Wages of Sin, featuring Jasper and his adventures immediately post pillory. Before the edits on Angels landed, I was about a day away from finishing the final polish on this novelette. It has a cover already and it has been edited. So I think I should still be able to finish and publish it before the end of the month.

Waters of the Deep

This is my Charles and Jasper novella which I am currently writing. Or at least, which I will be writing again after I’ve finished the edits mentioned above. I’m five chapters in to the first draft a sixeen chapter story, so I expect the first draft will be finished this year, but I’ll be pushing it to get it edited and released before Christmas.

Lioness of Cygnus Five

This is released, but I’m now struggling with Createspace to make a paperback version. I’ve had a proof, from which I can tell that the cover looks good, but the inside is mysteriously doublespaced. So when I’ve got time to get back to this, more struggling will ensue.

Heart of Cygnus Five

The first draft of this is complete, but as soon as possible I need to look for someone who will edit this for me. (And I need to complete a couple of edits in return of other people’s books.)

Porthkennack Historical

As soon as I’ve finished writing Waters of the Deep, I mean to get down to plotting and writing this one. I don’t know what it’s going to be about yet, but I imagine I’ll be starting to write it over Christmas.

By which time Foxglove Copse, my Porthkennack Contemporary will probably need editing.

I must also not forget that I have at least five blog posts to write for the release tour of Labyrinth, which is coming up, crikey, very fast indeed!

I never imagined that I would one day be the sort of writer who had so many things going on at once. It’s slightly overwhelming, but I’m so grateful for it 🙂