(2008)
JOURNAL
21st December 2008
Latest news on what will hopefully be my second novel "Faith in Chrome" - Libros International have accepted it for publication and will be assigning an editor to work with me on it in the new year. Hopefully, with internal problems behind them, the delays with Libros will ease off and once we get rolling, "Faith in Chrome" will be completed and ready for print a little quicker.
7th December 2008
So what's going on? A lot, and then not much. With "Half Discovered Wings" we are still at an impasse, waiting in the queue for a cover designer. I've been assured that this will happen shortly, and an explanation for delays has been issued to the authors - changes in company structure, but primarily issues with the printing house are apparently to blame. The good news is, those changes are now made. Libros are using a new printing house and things should be getting back on track. So - we'll just have to see!
However, things progress like a steam train on other fronts. I've been told that my fantasy/horror story "The Dry Air" will be printed in Aphelion this month. There's also been a promising reaction, but no final word, on "Tulpa", the culmination of the Gas Giant short story sequence that began with "Krill" and continued with "Split" and "Tranquil Sea". "Tulpa" will possibly be in Pantechnicon's December issue, which has been delayed due to malicious virus hacks on the website.
Those same attacks has led the chief editor, the illustrious Trudi Topham, to allow a few trusted individuals to handle new submissions for her. Without advertising her own problems, Trudi feels that it might be time to step down as editor of Pantechnicon, and while the decision is being made, I and a few others are keeping things afloat.
Whilst this means something cool to stick on my literary CV, it also means time away from my other projects. Thankfully I just this month finished my seventh novel, "Ardour Malign". I'm giving "Faith in Chrome" a final edit in preparation for an editor being assigned to it by Libros - If accepted, "Faith in Chrome" will be my second published novel.
This also means that there are a lot of writers out there who either like me, or hate me. I've been accepting and rejecting stories, fairly and time-consumingly, and this has meant that I now feel like a bastard for turning writers away - something that, I know first hand, makes them feel like rubbish, untalented and unappreciated. I would hope that my rejections are fair, and I've been sure to include a healthy critique for the story with reasons for my turning it down. Is there anyone out there who's had a rejection from me who feels I've been unfair? I'd love to hear about it on the forum.
Meanwhile, life for most goes on. I have a new job outside of writing in the insurance risk management industry. I have a new flat with my beautiful girlfriend of four years, Debbie. And together we have adopted Douglas, possibly the cutest bundle of feline fun to have ever existed. Along with the novels, the writing, the editing of Pantechnicon submissions and the final month of my Masters Writing degree, I've been pretty short on time - so please forgive the neglected journal and forum, people!
31st October 2008
Happy Hallowe'en! I'm not much of a supporter of the "holiday" so much as I'm a grumpy Hallow's Eve Humbugger (so to speak), and preparing some custard bombs to hurl at trick-or-treaters as type this.
It's not all "scarily" decorated gift shops and the cold dread before Christmas though: Brew City Magazine is still highlighting "Crust", a companion to my earlier piece "Chipwrecked", which will appear in the "Pantechnicon Book of Lies" some time in the coming months. It does stand alone though, as is relatively short, so go ahead and get a chill this Hallowe'en with my mildly creepy tale of things that go bump in the night!
Yet even as by catalogue of short fiction grows, further delays hinder the release of "Half Discovered Wings", with ever-stretching silence concerning the production of the final piece of the puzzle, the front cover...
10th October 2008
There's been a while between updates, but I'm back with big news: the new-look SpinningLizard.co.uk is now up and running! Please put all thoughts and opinions on the forum so I can find out what does and doesn't work for you...
In other news, Ardour Malign is well into its second half, meaning that the first draft will hopefully be completed before New Year. And as yet, no further work on "Half Discovered Wings", which is still waiting for a cover before publication...
24th August 2008
The first draft of my second sci-fi novel Substantial has now
been completed, written in a personal record of about 8 weeks!
A fortnight's holiday abroad helped, with nothing to distract from
writing and no "proper" work to worry about. Substantial will
be published between Ifrit Town and Spinning Lizard.
As such, work has begun on my third sci-fi novel, an idea which
I've been developing since Half Discovered Wings. It's a very
special project that will hopefully develop into a very special novel:
"Ardour Malign", to be published after "Spinning Lizard".
11th May 2008
Editing for Half Discovered Wings has now been completed!
With only a final quality check and a cover design to go, the book
will be released soon this year! The second novel, Faith
in Chrome, has also been submitted to Libros this month,
hopefully to be released next year.
In other news, a sci-fi short story entitled "Chipwrecked"
has also been accepted for the Pantechnicon anthology, to
be released in just a few short months' time. The e-zine
has also accepted me as a staffed reviewer, with hopefully
two or three reviews a month. There are a few on there
already, so check them out and see if there's anything
you like!
1st March 08
A brand new month sees the printing of two more short stories
on a pair of the most comprehensive sci-fi/fantasy e-zines
available: "Split", a semi-sequel to "Krill", is now available in
issue six of Pantechnicon--
--and there's a short slice of sci-fi humour with "Space Castaway"
featured in this quarter's Aphelion. Enjoy at your leisure!
Meanwhile the editing side of Half Discovered Wings is coming
along nicely, with some star tips provided by my editor at
Libros, Eleanor. Together we're making HDW into the best it
can be. Although it will be many weeks yet before the book is
available for purchase, things are still on track and there may
even be an official cover image available soon.
13th January 08
Editing begins in earnest for Half Discovered Wings, with
the March deadline holding fast. With this latest draft
slowly developing - becoming clearer, brighter, more polished -
it's not hard to see this now as a true novel. Coming soon!
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