Friday 27 June 2014

My Writing Process.

                                              My writing process
                                        The Blog Tour

Thanks to my friend and fellow author Lynn Hooghiemstra for inviting me to participate in this new blog tour. Its like a virtual studio open house tour. Ive not yet met Lynn in person, but we exchange emails and experiences and have read and reviewed each others work. Favourably I would add! Please visit Lynn's blog to view her writing process at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6426879.E_Lynn_Hooghiemstra/blog

This is my contribution to the tour.


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WHAT AM I CURRENTLY WORKING ON?

Im currently writing the third in the Temporal Detective Agency series, which takes the Agency to America. Though having said that Im still promoting the first book (Leap of Faith)
with signings and library visits, and have just finished edit approval and artwork sign-ff for the second book (Trouble With Swords) which comes out on 9th August. Im also working on ideas for the fourth and fifth book, which is scheduled to be a celebrity cook book. Youll have to read the other books in the series to find out why that is!




HOW DOES MY WORK DIFFER FROM OTHERS OF ITS GENRE?

The easy answer would be that there are no vampires, werewolves, or zombies in my YA adventure books. The Temporal Detective Agency series is a set of pure fantasy detective adventures told with humour by Tertia, one of the Agencys main people. Many YA books try to follow the major success stories, such as the Harry Potter books and The Hunger Games series. Im not trying to cash in on a tried and tested formula, but rather create something new that people of all ages will enjoy.



HOW DOES MY WRITING PROCESS WORK?

I only wish I had a process. I get sidetracked easily because I actually enjoy those aspects that most authors hate. I love talking to independent bookshops and arranging signings and stock holdings. I love signing sessions, even though not as many people turn up as you hope (often the case!).
I have to admit that I may go for three months or so without doing anything to my Work In Progress, but after that Ill put in four to five hours a day until its finished.
I always write in my study, a surprisingly large room with a sofa, desk and swivel chair, stereo system and wide screen TV. I sit on the sofa and tap away on my laptop, a Dell Studio 13 XPS. Its a lovely compact keyboard and the whole machine is small enough to be handy for train journeys and flights.
I work out plots and free up idea logjams usually when Im out walking with my cocker spaniel. We used to walk for miles along the Gower Peninsular, but hes too old to go too far now, so we walk round the garden and make things happen in a civilized way.


Leap of Faith is available in most good bookshops and on Amazon as both an eBook and paperback on:-

Trouble With Swords will be released by Crooked Cat Publishing on 9th August.



UP NEXT:  
And now I hand you off to another one of my writing friends, Richard Frankland, author of the Ian Vaughan thriller adventure series. Please visit him on 
http://richardvfrankland.wordpress.com/blog/

Friday 6 June 2014

A BIT MORE SERIOUS TONIGHT


A few weeks ago I posted a blog about the persuit of celebrities by the police on the Yewtree squad.

At that time Jim Davidson was told there would be no charges. However no account was taken that he had lost a considerable amount of income due to cancelled engagements. 

Other celebrities were belatedly told their cases were being dropped due to lack of evidence. Doubtless their careers also suffered, as their reputations must also have done.

Since then, the odious Max Clifford, and the equally obnoxious Stuart Hall have both been correctly prosecuted and found guilty. Both are now in prison and will be for some time, and further prosecutions may follow.

Now Gary Glitter has been rearrested and faces more charges.

However, one thing struck me during all of this was that I can't recollect any other celebrities coming to the fore to back their charged colleagues and swear to their innocense..... until now.

Yesterday my FB friend Sue Cook went to court to back Rolf Harris. One point from the prosecution was that Rolf had lied about not having been to Cambridge until only a few years ago, when they stated that he was on film many years agon on an episode of Celebrity It's a Knockout. In his defence Rolf said that in those days the BBC just put you on a bus, you did your bit and you went home and that he had absolutely no idea he'd been in Cambridge. The prosecution scoffed and called him a liar. Sue Cook went to court yesterday to back him and say she had actually been to the same show and it had been exactly as Rolf had desribed. She also said that she'd recently seen a DVD of her compering a show that she can't remember at all. Sue came forward and was counted. That takes guts.

I don't think anyone will come forward on behalf of Gary Glitter though.

Blog on, Dudes!