Monday 24 February 2014

Just Keep Swimming...


So much to do and so little time.
 
I admit, I've been a little (a lot) lax in my postings of late.  Sin has been too.  I'm trying to dedicate some time to writing so blog posts get left behind in the wake, bobbing about on the surface of my musings without being able to put their feet down and gain purchase.
 
There's a number of things I want to blog about.  A fab meal I had at the Spice Hut in Cleethorpes.  My trip to Disneyland Paris last week (great trip apart from a few incidents with the coach).  Watching the excellent Captain Phillips.  More!
 
But, I'm not getting round to it.  I need a PA or something, it seems.  Or a clone.  Maybe I should talk to the producers of Orphan Black (worthy of a blog post in itself - brilliant show) to see if they have a spare.
 
Anywho.  I haven't forgotten you.  I'm just trying, and I mean trying, to write.  I'm working on the sequel to Sin, but he's gone and gotten himself arrested.  I wasn't expecting that, so I'm a bit stumped as to what's going to happen next.  I've got Puddlebrain, my children's book.  I know exactly what's going to happen (a first for me, I think), but I have to get to finishing it.  Perhaps it's because I know it needs a good edit.  I used a few too many 'big' words for the age range, for a start.  But I'll get there.  Puddlebrain is the story I began whilst writing Sin.  I’d written about 40,000 words and forgotten about them.  I do like what I’ve written, I just need to refine it.
 
Then there's my current story, 'Home'.  With inspiration coming from the same place as The Lake and Summer Loving, it's sort of tied me up.  I'm revisiting an alternative version of my youth, and it won't be pretty.  I expected this to be a short story of, perhaps, a couple of thousand words.  I’m at 3,000 already and still scope for more.
 
Excerpt from 'Home'
The trip to school seemed to take all day.  I could imagine getting there just in time to turn around and go back home.  Unfortunately, the minutes were just taking their time, spacing out the seconds in between like a trail of sweets, with me as Hansel following politely and hungrily along.  I arrived at the school gates with just enough time to spare for my friends to semi-playfully make fun of my fainting episode.  I took the brunt of the jibes and jokes with a facade of smiles.  I’d do the same if I were them.  Cracking jokes, poking ribs.  It was part of being at school.
 
Of course, when I saw the blood dripping off my desk in English later that morning, not quite coagulating but thick enough to look like crimson snot dangling off the edge of the desk lid, the teasing ceased.  I didn’t scream.  I didn’t faint.  I simply stopped.  My feet no longer worked.  My eyes no longer blinked.  I suppose my lungs alternatively inflated and deflated and my heart continued to pump, though maybe a little faster, but I couldn’t tell.  I couldn’t hear the teacher or the pupils talking to me nor could I feel them pulling at me to make me move.
 
My world had disappeared and all I could see was the blood.
 
Then, I think, I did faint.
 
At least it would give my friends something more to take the Mickey out of me for.
 
So.  I'll be back.  How many of you just said that in an Arnie-style voice?  I know I did when I wrote it.
 
Bear with me.  Hopefully it'll be worth the wait.  Just keep swimming, as the epic Dory would say, and I will too.

UPDATE:  Home, a 'short story' was finished a couple of days ago, to the tune of a smidgen over 9,500 words.  I quite like it.  You'll, hopefully, see it in Darker Places...

Friday 7 February 2014

A Drop of Scarlett...


Occasionally, Sin meets new friends in his asylum.  I’m sure you’re aware of this.  He hijacks this very blog for that purpose.  Today, however, he’s allowed me to chat to someone all on my very ownsome.  Nice of him.  Well, he’s already met her anyway, it seems, in his Moth to a Flame blog post.

 

The lovely Scarlett Flame is joining me.  She’s currently riding around on a book tour to show us her collection of erotic love stories Bound for Passion.  Today’s stop is right outside my place, so I tempted her in for a look-see at her wares!

 

Here’s the lowdown on her latest novel.

 

“When Vivienne sits inconsolable in the hospital chapel, the last encounter she expects is a fervent entanglement with an otherworldly being. As passions increase she learns, for the first time in her life, the true meaning of ‘out of this world’. In the second story, Sarah meets a new lover after telling him all her intimate fantasies in an internet chat room. And the final entry concerns the journey a young woman takes as a Dominant offers to show her the ropes in exchange for her submission via BDSM.”

 

Individually these stories are hot, but together they are sizzling.



Already the book is heating up readers attention with five five star reviews so far.  Scarlett told me:

 

The cover of the book is from a painting by an artist friend of mine that is based in Cork, Ireland. His name is Alan Hurley. I have had only fabulously positive comments about the cover and hope to use Alan again in future. The picture is also available to buy as a print from his gallery. Alan has some absolutely beautiful paintings please visit his page and choose some for yourself.

 

I have two signed prints gracing my living room walls, an original watercolour taken from my avi photograph on Twitter and this hangs in pride of place on my bedroom wall.

 

Alan also has a Blog here so please visit him here and see how his work progresses from an outline drawing to a full blown picture

 

The graphics were supplied by another good friend of mine who is also an author - Jon Fletcher who I did an interview for last year about my next book and a current WIP. Jon writes Science fiction and I believe I own ALL of his books. Check out Jon's blog and his author page to see more.

 

The debut novel is composed partially of stories that were published initially on my blog over the last six months or so, and a new story created especially for the book.

 

There is a short excerpt from The Stranger which is the first story in the book, read by myself, on audioboo.

 

In celebration and to let the public know about my new book there are a series of blogs being hosted by a number of bloggers across the world.

 

Here they are and the dates they will be hosted.  There may be some additions to the list as time goes on:

 

 

The Book promotion is set to run alongside offers and promotions on Goodreads and Facebook with 4 copies of the book available to win on Goodreads through their giveaway deal.

 

I also have great pleasure in having The Orchard Book Club promoting my book launch, with details to follow.

 

I will be interviewed on air by Casey Ryan of the Cutting Room Floor on the 2nd March.  Please click on the link for details.”

 

You can buy Scarlett’s new book from:

Amazon UK

Amazon.com

Barnes & Noble

 

The book is also available on all the Amazon sites including Canada, Australia etc..

 

Thanks for dropping by Scarlett.  It’s always a pleasure meeting one of Sin’s friends.  I hope the book is a raging success.