Tag: Werewolf

Iron II: Unknown Place, Unknown Universe

I am hoping to publish Iron II: Unknown Place, Unknown Universe in March/April after an extensive rewrite. I have taken out a Chapter’s equivalent in the middle of the book, added something new to the final battle (which will tie in with Book III) and generally tidied up the dialogue, adding idioms for the three youngsters to make their individual speech-patterns more distinct. It’s the first time I have written a story with three lead characters and it’s quite a challenge making speech clear without writing ‘he said’ and ‘she said’ all over the place.

I am also thinking about the plot for Iron III – which I think will take place predominantly in space, and several other stories which I have in mind.
My review in the Science Fiction and Fantasy South Africa group didn’t materialise (yet?) but I am hoping one will appear For Ordo Lupus and the Temple Gate soon on Big Al’s Blog.
Ordo Lupus and the Temple Gate Paperback is now out as a Second Edition with the same cover as the e-book.

Ordo Lupus 2 update-Engrossed in Writing

It’s been a long time, I know, since the last update. To be honest, I have been heavily engrossed in writing the above manuscript. It’s taken up just about every minute of my spare time. It’s going to be worth it though. I think it’s much more taught than Ordo Lupus I and has a really meaty climax. It still has The Serpent in it but explores the werewolf thing a lot further. The title is a secret: it’s one of those titles that you think, ‘Hey, somebody must have used that before’, and then you realise that they haven’t. So I am not going to tell you in case somebody nicks it.

I also went to the Tower of London last weekend. If you haven’t ever been or haven’t been for a long time (like me) then I thoroughly recommend it. Of course I am fascinated by the 11th, 12th and 13th century anyway but it has a tremendous atmosphere. The White Tower is especially good – with rows of lovely Norman oak beams and huge fireplaces – all original. Big windows too for the day. It’s also surprisingly snug. I think William must have had a great time living there.

They have a few actors dotted about doing their stuff in period costume and I chatted to a lady doing her crocheting. I haven’t a clue what she was talking about! She said something about her husband having been murdered (well, this is the Tower of London!) but the more I tried to talk, the more convoluted her story became. Anyway it was a laugh and the tourists around me seemed quite intrigued.

Contrary to rumour, it’s not to difficult to get in: I went at about 2pm on a Saturday and I queued for about 10 mins for ticket. I didn’t queue at all to get into the Tower. I took hundreds of photos too.

Making Savage Cuts as an Editor

Well, I have had to savage my own book – not by reviews but by cutting. The other night I had had enough of the younger readers complaining that the first 2 chapters were a bit slow so I took an axe to it and cut from 40,000 words down to just 25,000. Gone are some of my beloved sections on Bulgaria and the second world war and the childhood and wartime romances are reduced to just one line. Now the story starts with the murder of the main protagonist’s daughter. It seems a bit weird reading it back, stripped-down as it is but I think once I get used to it, it will probably be better. It certainly has producing some interesting effects. A reverie now lasts more than one chapter – unusual, but I am sure there are precedents.

Ah well, the main problem is the people who have already bought it. I have offered to send manuscripts of the new, shorter chapters to them. I also pointed out that they have read the Extended Version of the first Edition. I am also considering doing a different cover for the Kindle version.