This will be just a very quick update to let you know the first draft of ‘A Depraved Indifference’ is now complete. Phew! That was a fun one to work through. You will be in for an adventure in mystery. There’s no angst or love story, and not much personal difficulty in this story, not with my main characters. However, the villain is the one who carries the emotional through line, and that’s about the first time I’ve written that way, so that was interesting.
I am now about to start on my reading back. I should point out that when I say the first draft is finished, I mean I have reached the end of telling myself the story. As I have been doing that, I have also been going back and rereading, making changes, improving, and second-drafting chapters, so really, I am about to embark on my third draft, which is mainly a case of fiddling with, improving, checking, and saying, ‘What on earth did I mean by that?’
Meanwhile, I will send Andjela some ideas for a cover and think about an illustration. Does it need one? I can’t put in an image of the villain because I don’t know what he looks like, and anyone else would seem out of place. We’ll see.
The monthly newsletter should be out this morning with a freebie kind of attached (you find the freebie via a link), and I’ll tell you more about the promos I am in later in the month.
Things are heating up. The crimes are becoming more baffling; someone’s not saying something for some reason (there’s a cover-up), but Jack and Bax are determined to put a stop to someone’s evil game before it’s too late. It’s already too late for some, and the pressure is on from both London police forces. To top it all, I think I have invented Jack’s ultimate sparring partner, the evil genius who will hound him for the rest of his career, and probably afterwards. Someone who may appear in the next story, or who may vanish for a while, only to resurface later…
As you might gather, ‘A Depraved Indifference’ is really taking shape, and I am now into the final reel. There are still roughly 25,000 words to go (at least) to bring the story to whatever conclusion it will have, but I am up to 73,000 words and, at last, Jack and his men finally have some information they can work on. The next big clue will be an invitation, but before I get there, I need to investigate something that has happened at St Dunstan’s Church, Stepney.
‘When will that be? Say the bells of Stepney.’
That will be as soon as I have posted this and made another cup of tea. Then, I will continue with chapter twenty-four. Soon, I’ll have to set about writing the blurb and thinking of a cover. Gosh, this being a full-time author thing makes for a great life!
PROMO
As for a special promo this week, maybe you could throw some attention and love to a set of:
LGBTQIA+ Historical Romance novels from various authors.
The promoters say that the kind of Historical romances that qualify will be: – a book that ends in a HEA or HFN – set before 1950 – main characters are LGBTQIA+
Well, made for Clearwater or what? I’ve entered Deviant Desire and Finding a Way into this one. I couldn’t add the Larkspur Series, because I could only put in two books, but Larkspur runs on from Clearwater, so people will find it on their own – if they make it through the 10 Clearwater stories, which I hope they do.
The work in progress news this week is that I am now up to 63,000 words of the first draft of A Depraved Indifference. The mystery has thickened, and finding a solution has become more urgent because there have now been two major incidents to which Jack and Baxter have been called. So far, they have visited four churches around London, and if you want a clue as to why, then take a scroll down to Saturday’s post. We have also met a couple of new characters from the City of London Police who may survive the story or who may not, and we have also met our villain. Sort of.
We still don’t know who he is, but we know why he is doing what he is doing. I wanted a subplot for this story; otherwise, it’s simply a mystery, and wouldn’t have enough depth, so I thought the subplot could be the villain’s backstory, and the explanation for why he is doing what he is doing. I want the reader to feel sorry for him, yet not. To empathise with him, but wish they didn’t, because of the things he does. That’s the idea I am playing with, yet I still don’t know his name. Maybe we never will. Maybe I will save that for a future story.
That’s the joy of ‘making it up as you go along’ aka writing; you can do what you want because, after all, you are writing a novel, and it is meant to be novel.
So, I shall get back to it and keep you up to date in future posts.
Meanwhile, my Wednesday suggestion for additional reading has to do with stories where characters start off as friends and end up as lovers. Your kind of story or not? Why not check out these:
MM Friends to Lovers. This much-loved and classic MM genre is getting an airing at this promo with 24 cute titles where mates become more than mates. Included in there are my Students and Mentors of Barrenmoor Ridge, one of my best-selling titles (Mentor), and, with Students, I think my only F-to-L book… Then, I just remembered ‘The Blake Inheritance’ and ‘The Stoker Connection,’ which are also F-to-L, so maybe I should consider adding them next time.
I am now at chapter 15 of the first draft of ‘A Depraved Indifference.’ Chapter 15 is usually what I consider the halfway mark. Roughly. As I’ve said before, I aim to make each of my mysteries around 100,000 words in length, and it just so happens that, at the end of chapter 14, I am up to 47,000 words, so another three thousand through chapter 15, and I will be stepping over the threshold into Act Three. Or that may happen in chapter 16, depending on how Jack’s meeting goes with Inspector Smith of the City of London Police, which is about to happen.
The Four Acts
If you were wondering about the four acts, it’s a very common film structure, particularly for action/adventure films.
Act One, there’s no problem, everything’s as it should be, and then there’s a call to adventure, and the hero takes it, or deliberates, then must take the adventure.
Act Two, he’s now got a problem to deal with, so the question is, what is this problem?
Act Three, after a halfway twist or turning point, he now knows what the problem is, but not how to deal with it, so Act Three is about ‘How do I solve this?’ This can involve gaining emotional as well as physical strength.
Act Four begins around the crisis of the story, when the final obstacles are in his way and he must overcome them in order to succeed. He must go ‘underground’ as it were in a ritualistic rite of passage to he can emerge victorious at the climax. There’s then a denouement or rounding off of leftover themes, and that’/s about it.
So, my Chapter 15 is happening around the time of the end of Act Two, and we’re just about to have a twist. Kind of. Anyway, that’s where I am with ‘A Depraved Indifference.’ And now…
Promos
Aug to Sept SPY Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense Sales Promotion
This one runs until the 20th September. There are 46 titles covering all aspects of mystery and thriller, and my three series starters are in the list.
Monthly Menagerie of Menage
This promo is open to steamy books with two or more love interests. As you might tell from the title, there’s a heat element to this collection. That’s why I put in my only really ‘hot’ title, ‘The Mentor of Wildhill Farm,’ which, tbh, is often more heat than anything else! There are 17 books here, but they include str8 novels, box sets and collections.
That should take you to your appropriate Amazon site, and all will be well. The paperback version should be out next week. We’re just organising the full cover, which is something we can’t do until we know the page count, which we now know. So… In case you have missed it, here’s the blurb.
Albert Arbon collapses at Delamere House after a three-day trek. His only son, Robert, has vanished after seeing a strange light in the Suffolk sky, and Arbon is desperate to find him.
Detectives Jack and Baxter, with young Simeon, accompany Arbon back to his remote Suffolk farmhouse, only to find themselves faced with a combination of rural legends seemingly tied to a series of unsettling events. A body lies inexplicably in the middle of an untouched wheat field. Other children have gone missing. There is talk of a ‘fire snake’, and no-one dare share the secrets of what can be seen from Snake Hill.
As the investigation deepens, Jack must navigate more than the mystery. He must also face the burdens of responsibility — not only for uncovering the truth and doing the right thing, but also for guiding Simeon, a boy on the cusp of manhood, who’s willing to risk everything to prove himself.
What Next? Delamere Ten.
You might not be surprised to know I am already working on Delamere 10, and it has the title of ‘A Depraved Indifference.’ I am working with the idea that will combine:
Murders past and future.
A nursery rhyme.
Several London churches.
A Church organ.
So far, it starts on Simeon’s 17th birthday, so it’s set in August 1893.
My original idea for Delamere was to see where Jimmy Wright had come to, following his entry into the Clearwater world back in ‘Twisted Tracks’ in 1888 (although his first appearance is in Deviant Desire, but it’s very brief). I soon discovered that Jack and Will Merrit were to be my leads, and so, the series has become their story, and I, for one, am enjoying exploring their lives. I was going to write one book for each of 12 months of their lives, but that’s kind of gone by the by. Having said that, we’re on book ten (almost) and the series started in June 1892 and we’re only now in August 1893, so I haven’t done too badly. A lot has happened in that time.
I often wonder if it’s too much and how long a series should run for. I think, as long as I am writing a good, entertaining read, and as long as people are still enjoying the stories, i.e. buying them, then I’ll carry on until it feels right to finish. If you have any other ideas, let me know.
Meanwhile… It will soon be September promo time, so get ready for a new list, but in the meantime, there’s a new one just started up a few days ago, and we’re in it, so if you want to boost my kudos, hit the banner. This is a collection so thriller and mystery reads that are available on a variety of platforms.
Hi all, A quick thing before we get to news of ‘Snake Hill.’
Newsletter
If you are subscribed to my newsletter, you should have received one yesterday with news on Snake Hill, and news of a few more interesting promos to check out.
If you haven’t subscribed to my newsletter, you can do it now on this page. Just check out the top right of the column or go to the newsletter page.
If you do sign up, and you have any problems, will you let me know? I’ve not had many new joiners for a while now, and I wonder if it is something to do with the process. Looking forward to having you on board. Thank you.
Snake Hill Update
The news on Delamere Nine is that it will be going off to the proofreader in a day or so. Meanwhile, I have commissioned a cover from Andjela, and I will show you that when I have it. I have also commissioned a drawing of one of the characters, the protagonist in this case, as it is he who sets off the chain of events that lead to all kinds of madness and mayhem, thrills (I hope) and adventure. I have drafted a vague blurb, and here it is:
When Albert Arbon arrives on Delamere’s doorstep after a three-day trek, his desperation is unmistakable — his son Robert has vanished following a night of strange lights in the Suffolk sky.
Detectives Jack and Baxter, with young Simeon, accompany Arbon back to his remote farmhouse, only to find themselves facing a tangle of rural legends and unsettling events. A body lies inexplicably in the middle of an untouched wheat field. Other children have gone missing, and no-one dare speak of the Fire Snake or share the secrets of Snake Hill.
As the investigation deepens, Jack must navigate more than a mystery. He must face the burdens of responsibility — not only for uncovering the truth, but for guiding Simeon, a boy on the cusp of manhood, who’s willing to risk everything to prove himself.
As I may have mentioned, there’s a background theme of growing up, coming of age, rites of passage, paternal responsibility, father and son… that kind of thing. Also, this is the first book in the series that (apart from a couple of chapters) takes place outside of London, putting Jack and Bax in a brand new environment.
Some of the dialogue and some of the stories told within the story make use of the East Anglian dialect. On Saturday, I will start to introduce you to some of the wonderful words and their meanings in this dialect. So, tune back in on Saturday…
And remember about the newsletter… And, take a look at this promo in the meantime:
MAYHEM & MOTIVES: Mystery, Thriller, & Suspense Reads – August Edition Here’s my usual entry with Book-Mojo’s monthly collection of thrillers. This month, there’s a whopping 144 titles to browse, including, for the first time, my Holywell Street. I wonder if a topless Baxter will be enough to draw in some new readers?
Hi folks. I didn’t post a Saturday blog as I was up to my eyes in other work, and today, I have only a quick update on Delamere nine and life in general.
First of all, I am at 82,000 words of the first draft and nearing the climax. When I work on a first draft, it’s not simply a case of blasting through and reaching the end. If I did that, I’d have a first draft finished in roughly a month, whereas it takes me about two. The main reason is that I am constantly going back and reading earlier chapters, and as I read them, I alter them. Some days I will sit here and write 4,000 words and say, ‘That’s chapter ten done,’ or whatever. Other days, I will say, ‘The head isn’t in the right place today,’ and then I will go back and edit, improve and change earlier chapters. It’s a question of mood. Today, for example, I have to do some other work first, then I have some non-writing jobs to se to, so any time I have, I will probably use it to make notes, or go back and do come checking. If the creative head isn’t in the right place (or the write place, you might say), then there’s no point in pushing it.
I thought this chap reminded me of a young Ronny.
It’s also very warm here right now, with temperatures up to 40° in the daytime and around 30° at night. There are still the household chores to see to, though Neil is usually the poor old thing who sees to them while I am working. He’s out this morning, so I have to water the plants, make sure the water barrel fills, do some washing while doing other things, because it’s a day when the water comes in. We only have one barrel, and once the water stops coming in, whatever is in the barrel must last us until the next fill up two, sometimes three or four, days later.
And talking of water, I must research a place on the River Orwell in Suffolk, which is where I left Jack and Baxter yesterday, in a pub, surrounded by a gang of evil smugglers. Must get on!
Here’s a MM Romance collection you might like to browse:
Hi folks, just a quick update on Delamere Nine (untitled).
I am now up to 60,000 words of the first draft, and the story is chugging along. I am at that point of thinking, ‘Is this going in the right direction?’, but I never let that worry me for long. If it’s going in some direction, at least it hasn’t run out of fuel, so let’s see where we end up. It is, after all, only a first draft. I have a climax to head to, and I have no idea how I’m going to get my heroes into that tricky situation without it reading as contrived, but I will manage something. The joy then comes in the editing and rewriting in draft two onwards. All the hard work will have been done (the blasting out of the words), and I can then play around with the details and descriptions.
If you like, the first draft is like building a house on your own by hand. Once you’ve done the hard graft of putting it together, though, you can then decorate and furnish it, and finally, when yore happy with it, live in it.
So, right now I have got foundations and a ground floor, but have two more floors to build. So, I’ll get on and leave you with another promo idea. Click the banner for more details of these historical mystery and romance novels.
Hello! The world is full of mystery and always has been, and that’s what makes the mystery genre so exciting. It offers so many possibilities to escape from the real world and dive into all manner of thrilling situations. And some that are calmer. Cosy mysteries such as ‘Home from Nowhere’, for example, where there’s no race to the finish line, or a slow-build mystery of self-discovery as found in ‘Guardians of the Poor.’ That book is currently in a collection called July Kindle Unlimited Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, & Crime Reads. It’s a bit of a title, but it leads you to 95 titles all available on KU.
The Witchling
I am two people in that collection, Jackson and James, and you’ll find my ‘The Witchling’ is in there. This is the second book in the Saddling trilogy, and part of the blurb reads: Six months after the life-changing events of The Saddling, Tom Carey must solve the witchling mystery and risk his life to save his lover.
I guess it was while writing this one, and the one that came after, that I started to realise it wasn’t exactly what I wanted to write. Maybe that’s why I never finished the quartet. Each of the Saddling books takes place in a season at the time of an equinox or festival and has an elemental theme. So, the Witchling, for example, is set in summer, the climax is at the solstice, and the element is fire. The Saddling (book one) is winter solstice and water, and the third, the Eastling, is autumn equinox and wind. The Needling was to be number four, set at the spring equinox with earth as the element, and was to lead to rebirth for the troubled village.
While writing what I did write of The Needling, I realised that what I wanted to do was write stories with central gay characters, and hence, Jackson Marsh was born.
A quick stop to admire the view from my office window this morning…
Honestly, it’s Free!
Before then, though, came ‘Remotely’, a straight/gay body-swap comedy, with a mysterious, timeless kind of enchantress as the protagonist, known only as Miss P. People liked Miss P and wanted more of her, so I started on another story called ‘Unforgivable,’ which was about Miss P saving the West End musical, but soon put that away in favour of a short novella, called ‘Honestly.’ There are now eight chapters of this here on my sit,e and the final four should be up within the week. You can read it all for free here, or splash out $0.99 and buy the eBook, or read it on KU. It won’t take long. Basically, it’s about what happens when people are made to be honest with each other, and it takes the form of a kind of Tom Sharpe style farce… almost.
Honestly – it’s free!
Meanwhile…
… back in mystery-land, I am doing well with Delamere Nine, which, for some ungodly reason, I have mainly set in a Suffolk village. Jack, Bax and Simeon have gone to the aid of a farmer whose son went missing not long after seeing strange lights in the sky. The first half sets us up nicely for a dangerous second half (I hope, I’ve not written it yet), the villains are the protagonists as well as the antagonists, but apart from that complication, it’s all coming along nicely in first draft form.
Newsletter
If you are on the mailing list, you should receive a newsletter later today listing all the promos and other news. You can, as always, help us all along by having a click and browse of these promos, and here, as a reminder, is the link to the July Kindle Unlimited Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, & Crime Reads. Have a good weekend, stay safe, and I’ll be back on Wednesday.
Good morning! Nearly the end of June already, it’s hard to believe, but there it is. I have three things for you today. Firstly…
Honestly
The serialisation continues, and there are now four short chapters up on the list. Check the page from the menu, and you will see a drop-down list of the chapter links. (You may need to refresh the page to see all four.) Each chapter has a link to the next, and there are another seven chapters still to be posted, which I will do in time.
Delamere Nine
So, what’s happening in the Jack Merrit world? Well, without giving too much away, Jack, Baxter and Simeon are currently in Suffolk investigating a case in the countryside. We’re getting rural for this one, which is a challenge for me, who has read mostly about Victorian city life. I’m doing my research, though, and delving into the world of the dairy farmer and village pub. Luckily, where I was brought up was still pretty 19th century in terms of farming, remoteness, villages and pubs, so I can draw on some of that.
I am up to 32,000 words already, the mystery is growing but now the investigation has started. Simeon is coming of age, kind of, there’s a these of father’s and sons which is giving Jack some pause for thought, and Baxter is, of course, being inappropriate as often as possible.
Promos
I will soon have another collection of promos to share with you. These are free-to-view collections of books on specific topics and from indie authors selling on Amazon and elsewhere. As from next month, though, I will add them not only to the newsletter, but also to their own page on the site here, so you never lose out.
Newsletter
You can subscribe to the newsletter from the top of this page, or from the newsletter page itself, where the privacy policy is also set out. I’ll be back on Wednesday with a proper update about Delamere Nine (still untitled), and any other news I have for you. Have a great weekend!
