Quarterly is the new monthly!

I'm trying to blog less in 2018 to allow more time for writing fiction, so this is my first quarterly update.

Highlight
I finished my second short story collection, Boomsticks, which contains 14 stories including a 40,000-word novella set within my Nephos world. Boomsticks is written, edited and formatted. Once the front cover is done then I am good to publish.

Lowlight
I was unsuccessful once again in my application for Room 204. Third time unlucky.

I have read...

• Age of Assassins by RJ Barker
• Exile by Rachel McLean
• The Chalk Man by CJ Tudor
• The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
• Blood of Assassins by RJ Barker
• The Hollow Tree by James Brogden
• Terra Draconum (first draft) by Martin Sullivan

I have blogged...

• My Writing New Year's Resolutions 2018
• REVIEW: Exile by Rachel McLean
• Top 10 Emerging Female Authors

I have written...

• 20,000 words towards Nephos 3 and lots of little bits to get Boomsticks ready for release.

Out and about

• I attended the Exile book launch which was a fun house party with great cake.
• I also attended the launch for A Spell In The Country, which was another house party with arts and crafts.
• Most Saturday mornings, I have joined author Rachel McLean for a writing session in our local coffee shop.

Dates to remember
1st March - World Book Day - we dressed my son as Julia Donaldson's Stick Man!
8th March - International Women's Day and the four-year anniversary of my debut novel The Sheriff.
20th March - International Day of Happiness
24th March - Indie Book Day

AOB
I was attempting March Novel Writing Month (MarNoWriMo) which I may have invented, but my efforts were cut short because my baby girl was born on 22nd March. I am now a father of two. LEVEL UP!

In honour of International Women’s Day, here is my Top 10 list of emerging female authors. 

These wordy women cover multiple genres - comedy, crime, fantasy, dystopian thrillers, women’s fiction – and their novels are all kinds of awesome. It’s time you made their acquaintance.

1. Heide Goody
Heide is co-author of two comedy franchises, Clovenhoof and Oddjobs, plus a growing selection of standalone novels, including recent witchcraft novel A Spell In The Country.

2. AA Abbott
Abbott writes pulpy crime thrillers with the action flitting between Birmingham and London. She has two standalone novels, After The Interview and In The Smoke, as well as the ongoing Trail series.

3. Anna Stephens
Anna’s fantasy debut Godblind delivers on its grimdark label, with war, treachery and death in plentiful supply. There is a generous range of character perspectives to enjoy, as well as the most wince-inducing, leg-crossing torture scene since Le Chiffre went to town on Bond’s balls in Casino Royale.

4. Tamara Rogers
Tamara’s impressive debut, Grind Spark, was shortlisted for the Bath Novel Award. It is a futuristic dystopian coming-of-age story told from the perspective of an artificial child. Tamara delivers a pitch-black sense of humour and touches of inspired satire.

5. Rosalyn Kelly
Rosalyn’s epic grimdark fantasy, Melokai, contains a cast and world map worthy of Game of Thrones comparisons. Expect sex, violence and an inevitable Netflix adaptation.

6. Katharine D’Souza
D’Souza is d’queen of Birmingham women’s fiction with three marvellous novels to her name and a loyal fan base. Deeds Not Words is particularly worthy of mention today because it focuses on the Birmingham suffragette movement.

7. Rachel McCollin
Rachel launched her debut thriller Exile just two months ago, yet she is already steaming ahead with her political trilogy, A House Divided. Last week, Rachel wrote 25,000 words in just two days!

8. Natalie Morris
Natalie’s Star-Crossed is a young adult novel about two friends whose relationship begins to strain when one achieves the other’s dream of becoming a famous actor. A fabulous debut.

9. Anna Smith Spark
Anna lives up to her Twitter handle: @queenofgrimdark. The Court of Broken Knives is gruesome, bloody fantasy on a huge scale but not without a dry sense of humour and the odd dragon.

10. C J Tudor
Tudor's debut thriller The Chalk Man is a ridiculously addictive read about a group of children who discover a murdered girl in the woods and how it effects them in later years. A cross between Stand By Me and the first season of True Detective. Surprisingly funny too.

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Exile is the excellent, exciting and explosive debut novel by author Rachel McCollin.

It is an original smoothie of genres, best described as a revenge thriller set in a post-apocalyptic Britain.

The country has flooded and the survivors are separated into small isolated communities. One such community led by the villainous Robert Cope kidnaps four women from a neighbouring community led by siblings Jess and Ben. What follows is a story of escape, rescue and survival.

McCollin has crafted an addictive page-turner through her use of short, punchy chaptettes, which flit between either side of the rescue mission. Her range is shown through multiple narrative perspectives, including village leader Jess, imprisoned Ruth, reluctant villain Martin, and left-behind Ben.

All the while, the intrigue is maintained by a gripping central mystery: what is driving Robert Cope’s vendetta against Ben?

McCollin has a natural flair for writing action scenes, with an early rescue mission on choppy waves and a later escape attempt, particularly worthy of mention (and open mike performances).

I also get the impression that McCollin has built her world far beyond the borders of the two communities glimpsed in this novel, in which case I am keen to see sequels, threequels and spin-offs.

If you enjoy fast-paced thrillers then Exile is extremely worth your while.

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Last January, I set myself five writing resolutions to keep me focussed in 2017. These were mostly successful, so I'm setting myself another five for 2018.

So, in the next twelve months, I will strive to:

1. Publish Breadcrumbs 2
2. Publish Breadcrumbs 3
3. Publish Nephos 3
4. Enter Room 204
5. Attend a writers' conference

I'm also going to blog less, which controversially goes against the content marketing approach, which we self-published authors depend upon.

However, it has to be said, blogging takes up stacks of time which could be spent writing fiction. Therefore, my monthly writing updates are going to become quarterly and I am dialling back on writing reviews.

I may also read a lot less.

I know all of this is a travesty but Steve Redgrave's famous Olympic strategy boiled down to one question: "Will it make the boat go faster?"

Steve did nothing unless it helped his goal of winning a gold rowing medal. My goal is to publish books, so everything else which is writing-related (blogs, reviews, reading, competitions) can take a backseat until that goal is achieved.

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Now is the time to reflect on my writing resolutions for 2017, which I set at the start of the year.

These were mostly successful...

1. Read and review one self-published book each month - I didn't quite reach the full 12 reviews but 10 is pretty respectable. I hope my reviews will help fellow independent authors find an audience.

2. Read another novel for pleasure each month - again, I didn't quite reach the full 12 books but I made it to 11. Coupled with the above, that is my best annual reading list for a long time. All good inspiration for my own writing.

3. Finish Nephos 3 - this definitely didn't happen! I barely wrote anything towards my third Nephos novel. I still have 100,000 words filed away. This novel has to be finished in 2018 or I'm going to loathe myself. Game face on.

4. Finish Breadcrumbs 2 - well, this almost happened. It is very nearly ready, with just a little editing left on my part, and some artwork tweaks on my illustrator's part. I'm aiming for a January 2018 release date. Most excitingly, I wrote so many short stories and novellas in 2017 that I am halfway towards completing Breadcrumbs 3!

5. Enter Room 204 - I entered Writing West Midlands' writer development programme for the second time and I was rejected for the second time. Still, they say third time's the charm, so I will be entering again in February.

Generally, I feel pretty happy with 2017. I went to some great book launches, discovered plenty of new writers, won a writing competition, and wrote a lot of fiction.

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Writing can be a frustrating, lonely, soul-destroying way of life... so it's important to celebrate the good times!

Here are my Top 5 writing-related highlights of 2017 in no particular order.

1. The Godblind Launch - Attending the launch of Anna Stephen's grimdark debut novel was a fantastic evening. It began with an inspiring Q&A at Waterstones and descended into wine-fuelled gibberish at All Bar One. I rarely drink with my writers' group (because we usually end up bickering about Doctor Who) but this particular night was packed with feel-good vibes and proof that years of hard work at the laptop can pay off in style.

2. Winning the BWG Winter Competition - The theme was Nuns! Nuns! Nuns! It was a bonkers theme for a short story. I almost didn't enter. But inspiration struck five days before the deadline. I wrote, I submitted and (after a very tense judging process) won by a handful of points. I desperately needed this win after not self-publishing in 2017. Look at my happy face.

3. JuNoWriMo - I completed June Novel Writing Month, which means I wrote 50,000 words in June. This resulted in the creation of a new Nephos novella and three long short stories which have been stuck in my head for years.

4. Submission Possible - I topped the submission chart for my writers' group for the first time ever! Our Vice-Chair designed a lovely graph upon which I can lovingly gaze to remind myself that I haven't been procrastinating this year. I now have enough for almost 1.5 new short story collections.

5. Artwork for Breadcrumbs 2 - I received the first draft of the artwork for Breadcrumbs 2, my new short story collection. I didn't manage to click Publish before the end of 2017, but there is no greater feeling than seeing the front cover for the first time. It gives a face to the bundle of Word documents tucked away on my Dropbox. Look out for the collection in late January!

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Time for the obligatory end of year list of favourite books!

Here are my five favourite books which have been published in 2017, in alphabetical order.

Blackwing by Ed McDonald - This debut fantasy was an incredible read, set in a world where evil wizards and "good" wizards live on either side of a warped no-man's land called the Misery. The main character is a captain in the Blackwing mercenary group, who patrols the misery and roots out traitors seduced by evil. The captain reminded me of Vimes in the Discworld novels, only a more messed-up Vimes who never settled down and kept drinking. 

Godblind by Anna Stephens - A grimdark fantasy set for world domination with a vast array of viewpoints, stacks of violences, and one particularly haunting torture scene. It is no understatement to say this has Game of Thrones potential. Read my full review.

Hekla's Children by James Brogden - An expertly-crafted horror fantasy set in my home city of Birmingham, with genuinely big surprises along the way, and a fiendish monster in the afaugh. I still can't get over the twist. Read my full review.

Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames - A fantasy epic where mercenaries are revered like rock stars. One ageing warrior tries to put the band back together for a perilous journey to save his daughter from a horde of monsters. It is an action-packed adventure packed with heart and humour, plus lots of excellent swearing.

La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman - Pullman returned with this first instalment of The Book of Dust, the follow-up trilogy to His Dark Materials. This was a prequel to His Dark Materials with Lyra appearing as a baby. Overall, this was an excellent read and well worth the wait. Pullman's anti-religion stance is strong as ever and he remains the master of delivering adult content for young readers. The sinister villain Bonneville is particularly memorable.

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Happily, I finished the year on a high by winning the BWG Winter Competition for my story Nuns! Nuns! Nuns!

I pocketed the £30 prize money and, best of all, I will now judge the 2018 Summer Competition. I haven't published anything this year, so I was very grateful for this win at the eleventh hour.

I also discovered that I have submitted more stories to my writers' group in 2017 than any other member, as illustrated by this lovely graph drawn by our Vice-Chair Martin. This is the first time I have topped the chart!

This graph is my new best friend. It serves as a reminder that I have written lots of fiction this year, despite none of it reaching the Amazon bookshelves.

On the reading front, I read and reviewed Melokai by self-published debut author Rosalyn Kelly. It is an ambitious, generous grimdark fantasy, with a vast range of characters and kingdoms. It is a masterclass in world-building, so I read it very carefully with my own world in mind. I look forward to the next two instalment's in Kelly's trilogy.

I hope you had a Merry Christmas and look forward to 2018!

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Melokai is the first book in a new fantasy trilogy titled 'In the Heart of the Mountains' (ITHOTM), which looks set to be a huge success based on the quality of this opening instalment.

Author Rosalyn Kelly tells the story of Ramya, the successful but arrogant ruler of Peqkya, a mountain-dwelling nation of warrior women, where men are kept as servants and pleasure-givers. Ramya's alliances and feuds between neighbouring civilisations fluctuate throughout the novel, and she develops a controversial romance with a cave creature... 

The front cover gave me the impression that Melokai was young adult fantasy, but this is actually grimdark fantasy on a par with Game of Thrones and Godblind. There is violence, rape, torture, and an infant's head gets crushed underfoot, all peppered with superb moments of dark humour. This is perfect for readers with a bloodthirty appetite.

Melokai is deliriously entertaining and wholly immersive. Kelly has an impressive flair for world-building and crafts multiple kingdoms in great detail, each with its own culture and quirks. Her author biography shows that Kelly has travelled the world, which is apparent in the vivid description and variety of the places described. These include the aforementioned, Peqkya; the desert kingdom of Drome; pompous medieval country Fertilian; the rainforest world of Jute, populated by pygmies; and the Zwullfr mountains where the wolves live.

The scale of Kelly's world is supremely vast, with an enormous cast of characters populating each region. A lesser author might have saved something for a later book, or a separate franchise, but Kelly has generously given us a smorgasbord of fantastic cultures to devour all in one novel. The justified glossary of people and places at the back of the book is testament to the size of the ITHOTM  universe.

The characters are a hateful bunch, in a good way, with no obvious categories of good guys and bad guys, although the spoilt Prince of Drome, Ammad, has a nasty case of the Joffreys. You will be dying for someone to give him a slap. Meanwhile, Violya is one of the more likeable heroes - a warrior woman with magical abilities - who happily looks set to have a bigger part in the sequel out next year, which is titled V.

I eagerly await Part Two and discovering more of the ITHOTM world, much of which is teased in this series opener, including the rebellious Thorne Twins, the cave nation of Troglr, and the literal rise of the wolves.

AFAIC, the ITHOTM franchise could be, IMHO, the next GoT. IKR?

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November is the global phenomenon of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), whereby authors undertake the self-imposed challenge of writing 50,000 words in the 30 days of November.

I have much love for NaNoWriMo.

I successfully completed NaNoWriMo 2013 with mere minutes to spare. Those 50,000 words became my first novel, The Sheriff. That was the first and only time I have completed the challenge, although I have completed JuNoWriMo, its summer cousin, on two occasions.

This year, I used NaNoWriMo as motivation to complete my third Nephos novella (Nephella?) which I started writing in October. The Nephella is the final story for my upcoming short story collection - not to mention the titular story - so it had to be finished asap!

Happily, I wrote 'THE END' last Saturday, bowing out of NaNoWriMo with 27,004 words. I considered carrying on, finding anything else to write so I could get closer to 50k, but I was keen to dive into editing.

The editing is ongoing but I'm making progress.

Bizarrely, the total length of the first draft, including the bits written in October, is a whopping 52,600 words! This is roughly the length of my first novel. I'm not sure if I can call it a novella anymore without using inverted commas!

What else have I been up to?

• I completed and submitted my entry for the Birmingham Writer's Group winter competition. The theme was Nuns! Nuns! Nuns! which was funny, tricky and barmy. Judging takes place on Wednesday. Wish me luck, luck, luck!
• The Sheriff was reviewed by fellow independent author Rosalyn Kelly. I will return the favour next month when I finish her debut fantasy novel Melokai.
• I delivered my third annual guest lecture on self-publishing for the Creative Writing students at the University of Birmingham. I love standing at the lectern, kitted out in my pretentious blazer!
• I went to Rome with my wife. It was brilliant. This is what I did in the Vatican.

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