This is the last of the Viridian series, and it goes out with a bang and a lot of whimpering.
I enjoyed it, and think it's the best, but then I always This is the last of the Viridian series, and it goes out with a bang and a lot of whimpering.
I enjoyed it, and think it's the best, but then I always think my latest book is the best! It revolves around missing people, in both senses, and the opportunities one has to make for oneself when one's whole world changes.
I'll miss these characters. Enjoy them while you can!
(with special thanks to Cassini for all the knowledge and images of Saturn and its rings)...more
When corralling short stories into some sort of theme, there are those that continue to defy categorisation under neat headings. Then you realise it'sWhen corralling short stories into some sort of theme, there are those that continue to defy categorisation under neat headings. Then you realise it's because they're all a bit weird. Some have a touch of the supernatural, some involve legends and strange happenings.
In saying some of my stories tend towards mild horror, I suspect the majority are in this volume. Some are speculative fiction without the horror element. And some have happy endings, probably.
I enjoy writing them, though. I wonder what I can come up with next?...more
Sir Woebegone first appeared in my short stories as dragon fodder, presumed deceased. He quickly returned, thanks to an interesting mode of time and pSir Woebegone first appeared in my short stories as dragon fodder, presumed deceased. He quickly returned, thanks to an interesting mode of time and place travel, and started having his own adventures, often in weird places, and somewhat comical at times. I'd like to say this is his complete collection, but I've already written two more...
Time travel has always fascinated me (I even run a Reading challenge for myself and other time travel addicts #spacetimereads). So it's not surprising that I have several short stories involving time in some way or other. There are time machines, some that go forward, some back. Others are the most interesting to me - where different entities have lifespans widely different from their erstwhile contemporaries... the Lazarus syndrome and its variants.
If you enjoy time-related stories, you'll enjoy these!...more
Corralling my short stories into themes suitable for collections was rather like that kid's game where you have to rush into a corner to join a group.Corralling my short stories into themes suitable for collections was rather like that kid's game where you have to rush into a corner to join a group. A rather large group gathered in one corner, whispering 'did he do it?' and 'he deserves everything he gets' and 'surely she'll never get away with it?'
These are not so much thrillers, as suspense, because you know, really, that people like Carruthers are going to come to a sticky end. Mild horror, even, as the monster's shadow rises up behind him... And then there are my visions of Hell, which generally require a passing knowing of the political figures of the early 21st century, and abominations of historical figures. And then there are just some unlucky people, who didn't think twice as to why some valuable-looking object might be lying around for any passerby to pick up ...
I don't know why I like writing the animals point of view as much as I do. But please don't get the impression that this is a cute kids book. There's I don't know why I like writing the animals point of view as much as I do. But please don't get the impression that this is a cute kids book. There's the rat's eye view of the Fire of London, some fairly weird aliens masquerading as magpies to interact with robins in my back garden, and a very nasty virus or two that wipe out the whole population... sorry, that was written several years before present.
When I was writing the Introduction, I realised I'd got just about all parts of the animal kingdom covered - except fish. I have now rectified that, so do check out my blog for more flash fiction, usually weekly on Monday or Friday....more
I have a confession to make. I like all my books. But I don't like all the stories I've published on my blog over the last twelve years. Some of them I have a confession to make. I like all my books. But I don't like all the stories I've published on my blog over the last twelve years. Some of them are, well, let's call them experiments that didn't work.
When I first started looking through them, wondering if I had any worth publishing in a collection, I was surprised. Things long forgotten I thought were, well, written by someone else, not little old me! And as I sifted through them, I thought - what about a collection of seasonal stories for the winter?
This is the Christmas selection. It runs from a story written for St Andrew's Day (30th November, patron saint of Scotland), through to new years day. There are some of my more recent short stories here, and some seeing the first light of day, unpublished anywhere else. Whatever you celebrate during the festive season period, I hope these will resonate with you.
And there's a paperback version, too, if you'd like to give it as a gift :) See my blog's bookstore for details....more
When I wrote the first Princelings book, I did an epilogue, showing them arriving in Hattan ready to do business with Mariusz, making good on the promWhen I wrote the first Princelings book, I did an epilogue, showing them arriving in Hattan ready to do business with Mariusz, making good on the promise they'd made him.
So although the later books in the series showed different aspects of the Realms, and introduced new characters, certain threads ran through them. George, developing fuel cells that run on strawberry juice, and how that changed society. Fred, turning from insignificant princeling to King of Castle Marsh. George, inventing flying machines, bigger ones, faster ones, ones that can carry cargo…
And now it’s time to make that trip across the Great Western Sea to Castle Hattan. The planes are nearly ready. Fred has the sway to persuade the other kings to support them.
And then… it all falls apart.
Naturally, I think it’s the best of the lot. There are several cliff-hanging chapters to keep you turning the pages. I think I’ve balanced descriptive place-setting with vibrant personalities. There’s enough action, scheming and plotting to keep most people happy. It’s true to the world of the Princelings Realms, and we see nearly all of our favourite characters in it. And Jasmine, Fred and Kira's daughter, takes centre stage at times.
It’s going to be very hard for me to say farewell to the Realms, and to Castle Marsh in the middle of the Broads area in Norfolk. But as I’ve now left Norfolk, maybe it’s right and fitting that this chapter in my life finally ends.
Well, this is the ninth book in my Princelings series, which finishes with book 10, Princelings Revolution. That is due for publication in 2020. ChroniWell, this is the ninth book in my Princelings series, which finishes with book 10, Princelings Revolution. That is due for publication in 2020. Chronicles of Marsh starts with Fred and Kira celebrating their life together as the new king and queen. Kira encourages Fred to keep a journal for the main events of his reign. It's a selective choice, and one that some may laugh at. Fred's interests show up, as do his brother George's. The focal point for Fred's reign is to deliver the promise he (and others) made to a certain person in Book 1. Other than that, he wants to rule in a fair and just way. Easier said than done, on both counts. I wrote the last two books together, to make sure that everything in book 9 made sense leading into book 10. There are some loose ends in Chronicles of Marsh, but nothing in the sense of a cliff-hanger, which I would hate. I hope you enjoy it....more
I wrote this book at Camp NaNoWriMo in 2015, just after I first published The Perihelix. Then I rewrote the Perihelix, so it took a long time to get aI wrote this book at Camp NaNoWriMo in 2015, just after I first published The Perihelix. Then I rewrote the Perihelix, so it took a long time to get around to finalising its sequel.
It started from a word used in the BBC's Sky at Night astronomy programme - spaghettification. It's the effect of going down a black hole on an object. Say you went feet first. Your head would go down considerably later than your feet, and the acceleration on your feet means they go at a different rate to your head, leading to deformation of your body. Of course, scientists assume that this is impossible to survive in one piece, but then time travel is only possible if you have infinite mass, so let's just cut to fiction and suppose it's possible.
When I rewrote Corsair because of exactly the same comment I had over the Perihelix, I started with the wormhole event and used the spaghettification effect to fill in some back story. After that, it is all perfectly reasonable space adventure. Including harvester machinery that learns to breed, which is a thought developed from a New Scientist webinar on automation...
People are still people, though. Pete is obsessed with the call to save his world using the Perihelix, which means he needs to find a dragon and a cavy, both called George, according to the legend. Lars is feeling a bit sidelined by this, and has his mind on what happened when he was kidnapped (when he's not thinking of sex). Dolores is trying to pass her space pilot's exams, to make a living as a free woman, and Maggie wishes she had firm ground under her feet and a sensible market to go and buy fresh food from.
And there they are, marooned on the other side of the universe. No wonder things get a bit...adult....more
This is the latest book in my Princelings of the East series, and it looks like their world is heading towards civil unrest at the very least.
Dylan anThis is the latest book in my Princelings of the East series, and it looks like their world is heading towards civil unrest at the very least.
Dylan and Dougall rescue Kevin, who has been acting like a spoiled brat since book 5, the Talent Seekers, when we first encountered him. Now he's acting like someone who has been on his own for too long, and while sounding sane in short bursts, has plans that seem unrealistic in the longer term. Dylan just sees the adventure ahead. Dougall would rather watch the stars, since he's an astronomer, something that comes in handy, as it turns out.
I hope this new book is as much enjoyed by the Princelings fans as I enjoyed writing it. The final two books in the series are planned......more
This is the seventh book in the Princelings series, and of course I think it's great.
Willoughby gets stranded in the Realms as a result of the events This is the seventh book in the Princelings series, and of course I think it's great.
Willoughby gets stranded in the Realms as a result of the events of book 1, The Princelings of the East, so you may miss the nuances if you start with this one. He first appears in the series in book 5, The Talent Seekers. Since Willoughby ends up making a living as an itinerant story-teller, it makes sense for him to tell his own tale - which he does, as he changes from lost trainee ninja, to confident teen, to undercover operative and spy. He also tells some of his lovely stories - with his own take on some traditional tales thrown in.
Fitting the real Willoughby into my world was hard at first. He lived with the same family as Mariusz, who tells his own adventure in book 4. Willoughby's personality and antics as he endeavoured to become a ninja suggested that a passing appearance (and disappearance) in Book 5 would not be enough. I was quite pleased when I worked out how he came to be here in the first place.
This may be the end of his story so far, but he'll turn up in the last book, as he still has an important task to achieve.
The Perihelix edition 2 is now available as an ebook on all platforms. It also has a new cover, which I hope will update soon on Goodreads.
In responseThe Perihelix edition 2 is now available as an ebook on all platforms. It also has a new cover, which I hope will update soon on Goodreads.
In response to some of the criticisms in the first reviews, I removed it and rewrote the start, had professional editorial advice and made further changes to the first half. I hope it now flows better. If you downloaded the first version, you should be able to get the new edition from your retailer and no extra cost.
This is a free sampler of stories that led to and give some back story about my new scifi series The Viridian System. The first book in the series, ThThis is a free sampler of stories that led to and give some back story about my new scifi series The Viridian System. The first book in the series, The Perihelix, will be out in January 2016....more
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