First things first: I have a new review of ‘Captain’s Surrender’ from Christina at Romance Junkies.
“CAPTAIN’S SURRENDER by Alex Beecroft is a breathtaking and expertly written historical m/m romance. The author does a wonderful job of recreating the world of 1779 for the reader. I truly felt like I was transported back in time.”
Read the whole review HERE
Secondly, I’ve discovered a new blog which bears watching:
http://gayfictionexcerpts.wordpress.com/
I must go and put it in the blogroll 🙂
So today I sent the revised revised version of 90% Proof back to the editor. Annoyingly enough, I can’t help but feel that it is in fact better for all the editing. It made me tear my hair out, but I think I’ve managed to take out ‘was’ but retain at least some period feel, and to re-introduce some of the humour. So I should be pleased.
Unfortunately, I went straight on to editing ‘Secrets’, which is in a much earlier, first draft state. The result being that I was disgusted by the state of it, and I’m now sure I can’t write at all. Oh, God, I do hate having an artistic temperament! If only I could be one of those happy people who think their writing is wonderful all the time.
What to do to retain some sanity in the face of editing a 70,000 word book which is going to take forever to beat into shape? Maybe I should start writing something else at the same time, so that I have the excitement of writing something new to turn to when editing makes me want to give up forever and go into investment banking?
In other news, I’ve been taking an online course on ‘Plotting using the Tarot’, which I also seem to be having minimal success with 🙂
January 15th,2008
Life,
writing |
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Having seen a few pictures of authors’ workplaces, I thought I’d post a picture of the (messy and cheerless) workstation where I do my writing. One of these days it would be nice to move it into a room of its own, with all my books around and some ornaments/nice pictures or something, rather than wedging it in the corner of the dining room. But for now it’s like this:
90% Proof continues its nauseating see-saw between being ‘yay! I love it!’ and ‘OMG I never want to see it again.’
Today I discovered that I could not edit. According to the guidelines, I’m supposed to take all variants of the verb ‘to be’ out of the manuscript. I’m also supposed to strictly limit character thought, which provides ‘an insulating cushion between the reader and the story’.
It was dark. Darkness coiled about the house. The author was ready to tear out her hair… Frustration welled up within the author, threatening to make her tear out her hair as she wondered how to ‘Damn it’ she thought ‘I’m only managing to do this by introducing the anthropomorphic fallacy all over the place.’ She gnawed on the end of her pen. This was so damn difficult. The impossibility of the task stared her in the face. It was only possible to The elimination of ‘was’ and its other forms was making it… made it… distorted the writing to the point where it was… became prevented certain actions or thoughts from being described at all.
January 11th,2008
Life,
writing |
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Five cups from Coffee Time Romance Reviews
“Even if you have never read a gay romance before, you simply must read Captain’s Surrender!”
Read the whole review HERE
~*~*~*~
Recommended Read by ‘Joyfully Reviewed’
“In Captain’s Surrender,
the bounds of honor, loyalty, fidelity and love are all tested
and divergent paths and possibilities are explored for both
Joshua and Peter. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look
forward to more from Alex Beecroft.”
Read the whole review HERE
In unrelated news, I’ve started the first edit on ‘Secrets’ in which I’ve practically re-written the first chapter. In obedience to various editors’ advice, I’ve carefully taken out occurances of ‘to be’ in all its forms, and strictly limited character thinking/brooding. Admiral Saunders no longer appears in flashback. John writes in his diary instead of brooding. In addition he has a new life-threatening problem to take his mind off his pushy over-amorous lieutenant, and hopefully things are a little more dramatic now. I like it better, at least!
To the newbie in the world of m/m ebooks, there is a bewildering amount of choice, and to be very frank – rather like fanfiction – about 90% of what’s out there is awful. It makes wading into it in search of the gems a risky and expensive business. But every so often you come across a book which makes it all worth while, and ‘Roses in December’ is one of those for me.
Read the rest of this entry »
So Emma Collingwood and I were having a discussion about officer’s cabins. (Well, we both have amorous Lieutenants, who wanted to know why they got so little action on board ship.) And it occurred to me to dig out the pictures my husband took while we were going round HMS Victory in the summer. Unfortunately I don’t seem to have one of an officer’s cabin, to prove the fact that they were about one pace deep, but I do have one of Admiral Nelson’s sleeping cabin:
His bed is a canvas hammock with a board at the bottom, covered by a thin mattress. The curtains were embroidered by Emma Hamilton 🙂 And he has a reasonably large space in which to move because he’s sharing it with two cannons.
We took too many pictures to make a picspam at all reasonable, so Andrew has put them on his Flickr account, and you can see them all here:
All aboard for a tour of the Victory
But as it’s very cold here again, and the Victory is entirely without central heating, I suggest you warm yourself on the galley before you go 😉
Well, Captain’s Surrender was released on the 1st of January. At the time I was too busy throwing up to notice. (Food poisoning, I hasten to add, not over celebration). But now it’s out, and I find myself getting ready to edit 90% Proof with Freya’s Bower in January, followed with the prospect of finishing ‘Secrets’ and trying to sell that somewhere. Somehow the dream of publishing a book has turned into the dream of a writing career. After all, I’ve done it once. Why shouldn’t I do it again, and again?
After so many years of being a housewife, it’s odd to suddenly think of myself as having a job again. A full time job at that. At least, I’m spending 3-5 hours a day writing, and up to 12 hours a day promoting, networking, researching and reviewing. So it can’t get much more full time!
I should probably make some resolutions. I’ll start with these:
a. Get enough exercise to keep me reasonably functional (the dodgy back needs regular swimming.)
b. First drafts don’t have to be perfect, they just have to be written. I will write at least one new book this year.
c. I will give the editing process as much time as it needs. (If my first drafts are rough, I must let myself be relaxed about taking time to edit.) I will finish editing ‘Secrets’ before I start anything new.
d. I will not be afraid to aim high. There *is* a mainstream book in me somewhere, and I will start working towards it.
e. I will allow myself time off to have fun at least once a week. I want to watch more films at the cinema and go out occasionally.
That should do for a start 🙂
January 5th,2008
Life |
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Captain’s Surrender
By: Alex Beecroft
Published By: Linden Bay Romance, LLC
ISBN # 978-1-60202-088-7
Word Count: 60229
Available in: Microsoft Reader, Mobipocket, Adobe Acrobat, HTML
About the book
Ambitious and handsome, Joshua Andrews had always valued his life too much to take unnecessary risks. Then he laid eyes on the elegant picture of perfection that is Peter Kenyon.
Soon to be promoted to captain, Peter Kenyon is the darling of the Bermuda garrison. With a string of successes behind him and a suitable bride lined up to share his future, Peter seems completely out of reach to Joshua.
But when the two men are thrown together to serve during a long voyage under a sadistic commander with a mutinous crew, they discover unexpected friendship. As the tension on board their vessel heats up, the closeness they feel for one another intensifies and both officers find themselves unable to rein in their passion.
Let yourself be transported back to a time when love between two men in the British Navy was punishable by death, and to a story about love, about honor, but most of all, about a Captain’s Surrender.
After the toil and less than overwhelming success of the chat, I was ready to feel sorry for myself at the weekend. However, today makes for a great end to a year in which I had my first book accepted for publication.
Why? (I don’t hear you say 😉 )
Because today I got a fabulous review of Captain’s Surrender from Val Kovalin at Obsidian Bookshelf:
When you finish this succinct book (which is slightly under 200 pages) you will be amazed at the range of emotional and physical territory covered by Captain’s Surrender… which is the best gay novel I’ve read this year.
Read the whole review HERE
And because 90% Proof – the story whose saga begins with ‘sweet rejection’ and continues with ‘LOL!Editing’ – has been accepted for the Freya’s Bower anthology. So the year ends with a contract for a short story, and next year begins with the release of ‘Captain’s Surrender’.
It isn’t the impressive multiple publishing list of some writers, but it’s a landmark year for me!
Happy New Year to everyone!
