A Simple Update

Hello! Today’s work-in-progress update will be a simple one. ‘Where There’s a Will’ should be ready for you in a few days. As I write this (yesterday) the guys have it and are doing the internal layout. That usually takes me a day or two to check and approve, and I hope to have it back this week. Andjela is working on the full cover, but I can release the Kindle as soon as I approve the internals. So, watch this space for this:

Click the cover, and you will find the existing Delamere Files series page.

As for the other work in progress, ‘Bobby’, I am about to start on the proofs of that and the final checking process. I’m not able to release this one until July due to funds, but I’ll commission a cover in the next two or three weeks, and keep you informed about progress. It’s not a novel, it’s a true account of my gay godfather’s life as told by him and edited by me, spanning the years 1919 to 2007, and it makes for incredible reading.

More about that soon. Meanwhile, it’s back to editing for me and, I hope, back to reading for you.

Pride Month

Hello, everyone! It’s Pride Month around the world, and there’s much to celebrate.

Find your next LGBTQ + read is a promotion showcasing over 100 books from a wide range of authors, and I’m in it with Deviant Desire, Finding a Way and Guardians of the Poor. You can find the full list of books by clicking this banner image:

Guardians of the Poor

I mention this book in particular because it’s one about which I shall be writing a little more later today. I have an interview to undertake and have been asked about this title in particular, my research methods, and other things, and I’m looking forward to starting on that as soon as I’ve had this cup of tea.

Guardians is the first of the Larkspur Academy series, and if you’re into Academic romance, there’s another promo showcasing the first books in academia-themed series – mixed genre – and you can find that by clicking here.

Once I have done some work on the interview, I shall be returning to Templar Isle and ‘Where There’s a Will.’ It’s back from proofing, so I am giving it my final eye, and the cover is 80% completed. I need to finalise the blurb so we can make up the back cover, and then I can show you what we have. You can see that Andjela has again used the Clearwater font, and the background is going to be in keeping with the others; dark, mysterious, stormy… More cover in future WIP updates.

Once the interview is written and Where There’s a Will is released, I can return to ‘Bobby’, the life story of my godfather which I am also working on. Yesterday, I dug out the original interviews which I recorded on Minidisk years ago. I have the machine I can replay them on, but I want to work out how to get them from the disks to the PC. The idea is to upload some voice clips here, somehow, so when the book is released, interested parties can listen to him talking as well as read the book. Luckily, there are two people living near me who may have the suitable equipment and expertise, so I shall ask if I can hire them when I am ready to proceed.

For now, it’s onwards to the interview and I’ll tell you more about it if they accept it for publication. Watch this space, as they say, and meanwhile, watch the promos because there is some great reading to be had there.

Back on Saturday – see you then.

Where There’s a Finished Will

Well, maybe not exactly finished… It’s still to be proofread, and then I need to have another look and maybe tidy up before I go to layout, but… ‘Where There’s a Will’, the Delamere Files book four, is now drafted and ready to be typo-checked. Hopefully, if all goes well with the cover and any rewrites I might do, I will have it available by the end of the month. Watch this space, and, as usual, my Facebook page.

Meanwhile, I am also closing in on a book I’ve been trying to get out there for about 20 years. I mentioned it before, I think, the biography of my gay godfather. I have now been through the version I compiled several years ago, and while doing that, I had a choice. I could either rewrite the thing as I might write it now, and it’s around 50,000 words, or I could leave it as it was. I decided to leave it, because it is more authentic. Okay, so it’s not brilliantly written, but that’s because all I’ve done is copy my godfather’s words from the tape recordings to the page. I’ve done some tidying up and some fact checking, but otherwise, what you read is more or less how he used to tell his stories to anyone who would listen.

I’ll give you more news on that soon.

Meanwhile, meanwhile, there’s another promo that might interest you if you’re up for books set in an academic setting. They look to be mainly straight romances, but Guardians of the Poor is on the list too, because these books are all book one of a series. So, if you fancy sending the page to anyone you know who might like some suggestions for new reads, then feel free. The three others are also still running, so here’s the full list of this month’s promos for you to choose from. Remember, it costs you nothing to click and browse, and by doing so, you’re helping a lot of indie authors (and me).

Academy Series Starters

LGBT Reading Party (only until 8th June)

Mayhem and Motives

Pride Month

Mildly Excited

I’m mildly excited for two reasons. Firstly, I have almost finished editing ‘Where There’s a Will’ and aim to send it off to be proofread next week. That leaves me now having to work out the blurb, author’s notes and front cover over the weekend. The story has appeared more smoothly than I imagined, and I am rather pleased with it. It’s quite funny in places, because of Will’s character, and my only concern (as I rework the climax slightly) is that there’s not enough tension, and the climax almost comes out of nowhere. I’ll have to let the reader be the judge in due course. Maybe in another couple of weeks, and it’ll be on the shelves.

The other reason I’m excited because I am only a few Euros off having my best sales month ever. I am happy to say sales and KU reads have gone up over the last few months, and I think that’s mainly to do with joining the author cross-promos on Book Funnel. I am still in this one for a few more days:

Click through, and check out some of the books – all available on KU

I have three promos lined up for June, and news of them will be in a newsletter at the start of the month. If you’ve not yet joined my occasional newsletter group, then here’s the newsletter Page.

Closing in on the Last Chapters

Just a quick update. I am now at 85,000 words of the first draft of ‘Where There’s a Will,’ and it’s all starting to kick off. We’ve had a long trail of seemingly random clues, and now, they’ve all got to tie up and tie in, so I can tie up the draft and get to the really fun stuff, the editing and rewriting.

The other day, someone said something which warmed me old cockles. It was either in a review or in a group, but they were saying how much they like my transformation scenes, as I call them. I also rather like them because they are good for the passing of time and place, and they are relatively easy to write. I just picture it in my head and out it comes. What am I talking about?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RPCKF4L

One of the times that stands out for me happens in ‘The Clearwater Inheritance’, and it’s more or less the beginning of the climax. Jasper and Fecker are on the Orient Express, and Jasper has something of a crisis, but we leave his scene in their compartment and see them through the window. Then the ‘camera’ takes us along the train, through the steam and smoke, over the snowy fields lit by moonlight, across France, over the Channel, across London and down to Larkspur in one take, as it were. I’ve used the technique in other novels. In ‘The Larkspur Legacy’ I do it on the back of a storm in one place, and another train in another case, and there is often an owl at Larkspur that sees things while moving us around the Hall and grounds.

As Jack Merrit would say, ‘Anyways…’ I’ve just done a similar transition scene in ‘Where There’s a Will.’ Just thought I’d let you know.

Don’t forget to click over and have a browse through the historical novels and academia-based romances in the KU promotions.

Delamere Book 4 Update

‘Where There’s a Will’ the fourth book in the new Delamere series, is now at 75,000 words of the first draft and we’re entering the final reel. The writing is going smoothly, though will need some editing because of my ‘condition of repeatedness’, as Will might say. My habit of putting in notes to myself as I go to ensure the reader has got the point. Later, I take these out. They are tricky enough not to write in a standard mystery, but this one has so many details, I find myself doing a whole paragraph of reminding the reader of what we already know. So, I’ll have to make sure and look out for those as I go through the MS for draft two.

Still, we’re getting to see the world from Will’s point of view, starting to understand some of his ‘condition of preciseness’ a little more, and he is growing as a person, detective and character generally. It’s also interesting to see his view of his brother as we’ve not had much of that, and to learn some of their history that we may not know already.

Soon, I shall have to start thinking of the blurb and the cover design, but I will save that until I am into the second draft and sure of the story. I usually commission a drawing for the inside, but I have done the three main characters from the Delamere series (Jack, Larkin and Will) and most of the characters in Where There’s a Will are only going to appear in this book, though there is one I may reuse, he’s not a vital player in this story. There might, instead, be a map of Templar Island, where the story is set. I’ll think about it.

Meanwhile, this series, and the others are doing very well thanks to the two promos I am taking part in this month. First there’s:

Academia Romance of all genres as long as academia is involved.

Then, there’s:

Historical fiction, all periods pre-1950 and all available on Kindle Unlimited.

Click the pics to find the offers and titles.

Where There’s an Update

The news today is that I am now 61,000 words into Delamere four, ‘Where There’s a Will.’

We have just had Easter here in Greece, so my writing regime was interrupted, what with family dinners, returning visitors wanting to see us, and all those festivities, but I am back to normal now and beavering on with the first draft of this more classic mystery.

What I mean by ‘more classic’ is that this is a simple mystery set in an isolated location where the reading of a will calls for the presence of at least one independent investigator. When I first outlined the idea to a writer friend of mine, her first question was the same as mine; why an investigator? Exactly! Why would anyone stipulate they wanted/needed a detective at the reading of a will? I wasn’t sure myself when I started, and I am still not too sure, but that’s the joy of writing mysteries. I often leave it up to the story and characters to work out what’s going on, because I don’t have a clear idea when I start. (I can also go back and change/clarify or exclude things later.)

My artist’s drawing of Will Merrit.

In this case, I had a rough idea, and so far, it is working. I have been dropping clues like breadcrumbs, so I might need to highlight or discard some of them, otherwise when it’s all worked out at the end, the list of pointers and clues will be too long.

That’s all technical. What is more fun with this one is that Will Merrit is the main POV character, so I am writing from his point of view. There is a secondary character whose point of view we also get, and he is the love story (gay love story of course). This isn’t just because my readers like a gay love connection and sometimes nookie in the books, his storyline is vital to the solution of the riddle at the heart of the story—why call a detective to the reading of a will.

When I started, I envisioned the classic ‘Cat and the Canary’ scenario, and apart from the murders, I have it, so far. I have my cast cut off during a storm on a private island in the Bristol Chanel, with one of them going mad, one already mad, a love story unfolding, and only 48 hours to solve the puzzle, or else everything, including the island, goes to the Church. Fun stuff, and I’m well on my way to the final act.

More news soon.

Jack and Will (behind)

Will it Work?

This week’s update: I am now at 55,000 words of ‘Where There’s a Will’ and the story is progressing. For the last three days I have been rereading what I have written so far, and today, I’ll be moving forward again, having checked up on myself. This is one of those mysteries with lots of detail, some of which isn’t relevant (to the mystery) but which act as red herrings, and I need to be sure that a) there aren’t too many, and b) those that are genuine clues are pointed enough to remain in the memory without overpowering it.

What I mean: When laying down a clue for the detective to pick up on later, like when laying down the foundations of what will become the smoking gun, it’s important to ensure the evidence has been presented in a plausible but not over-obvious way.

There is an old thriller writing saying which goes something like: Don’t mention a revolver unless you intend to use it. In other words, if you introduce something big, make sure there’s a reason for it. So, in ‘Where There’s a Will’, I have several incidents from the characters’ pasts which either have to be relevant to the plot generally or important to the mystery specifically. Some of these ideas pop into my head as I am writing, and thus, get added into the story. Later, I might discover that they didn’t run, or they led nowhere, and interesting as they are, and relevant though they seemed at the time, they are now just clutter and have to go.

Which is what I have been doing these past few days. Now, I am about to leap back into chapter 18, which is a little over halfway, when the mystery has just kicked up a gear. I need to devise my next cryptic clue, put in some more backstory to deepen suspicion and have my cast prepare for a storm, both meteorological and metaphoric.

Red Herring. According to Study.com, The term ”red herring” comes from an article written by a journalist in 1807. He described a likely fictional story in which he used a red herring (a smoked herring) to distract a dog from a hare. The term caught on from there.

The smoking gun. The phrase originally came from the idea that finding a very recently fired (hence smoking) gun on the person of a suspect wanted for shooting someone would in that situation be nearly unshakable proof of having committed the crime. (Wiki.)

Or, as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle put it in ‘The Adventure of the Gloria Scott’: We rushed on into the captain’s cabin, but as we pushed open the door there was an explosion from within, and there he lay wit’ his brains smeared over the chart of the Atlantic which was pinned upon the table, while the chaplain stood with a smoking pistol in his hand at his elbow.

A selection of Historical Fiction on Kindle Unlimited – the promo runs all month

Nearly Halfway

This week’s work-in-progress blog is about Where There’s a Will, the 4th book in the new Delamere Files series of detective novels. I’m very pleased that the series is going so well so far. The current promo…

… has given the series a boost, and the first three books are currently top of my sales chart, with Deviant Desire not far behind. It’s always good to have popular series starters because they can lead to more sales. Numbers do drop off though, so out of every 100 Deviants I sell, I probably only sell 80 Twisteds, and then 70 Unspeakables, and so on. What I also find, though, is that people will read the first one or two books and either not bother because it wasn’t what they were after, or, will carry on all the way through and buy who whole rest of the series in one go.

But, anyway, where was I… oh yes, I was meant to be telling you about Where There’s a Will. Someone wrote in a review that they hoped Will got his own book as the main character because we’ve had three of his brother Jack. Well, good news. Where There’s a Will is about Will (Merrit) being sent to attend the opening of a will (legal document), with his brother, Jack (now finally settled with his sexuality and his new job).

Lundy, in the Bristol Channel. Inspiration for my Templar Isle.

The reading takes place at a castle on a private island, in the presence of twin brothers (the heirs), the dead father’s ancient nanny and her brother, the mute boatman, a couple of the servants, and a friend of the youngest twin. Charles de Marisco (the youngest twin) fancies his friend, Barrett Newton, but Barrett takes a shine to Jack. That’s the human underscore for the investigation which is a mystery in itself. Why have private detectives to the reading of a will? The reason becomes apparent when the solicitor reads the legally binding will and presents the character with a race against time.

I’ll say no more for now, except that I am 45,000 words into the first draft, so just about halfway, and things are looking good. Will is the main character, but we also have Charles de Marisco’s point of view. More news in future blogs.

Willing

Just a quick hello today, as I have got behind on jobs and chapters this week. I did manage to get some research done, though, and did a lot of reading which, in the end, wasn’t that helpful. I was trying to find out about wills and bequeathments, so I turned to a friend who is a genealogist for advice. My imaginary will was written in about 1862, and I was trying to find an example of a will from that time so I could copy the wording. I have seen some from my family of the past, but they were 18th-century ones, and I thought there would be a difference. Turned out, I was right. Here’s what my friend wrote back:

The key thing is that in 1858 everything changed. Up until then, wills were written for and proved in the various church courts, so they were both kind of religious documents (the testament) and a disposal of worldly goods (the will). So they were a mix of the religious and the legal, and proved in the court of the Archbishop, or bishop, Dean and chapter, or archdeacon, as appropriate.

In 1858, all that changed and the wills were written for, and proved in, the High Court of Justice, in the newly established probate division. So they ceased to be religious documents and became purely legal ones. You no longer get all that stuff about believing in the merits of Christ as Saviour and believing in the Resurrection. And usually, out goes all the stuff about being decently buried in a good Christian manner. Although you still often get some instructions to executors about the burial where the will-maker had some definite preferences. Extravagant brick-lined graves, for example.

I don’t think I have any from around the 1880s, though I will have a look. The only way to get wills from the post-1858 period is to apply to the High Court Probate Division with the index details and pay a fee. They are not available on Ancestry unless an Ancestry member has gone through the application process then scanned the document and kindly made it available, although there are copyright issues when people do that, and it’s not really allowed.

Later, he sent me a link to a PDF file online. It’s a collection of Wills from the 19th century. Although I only found one dated after 1858, it was enough. I have now written my late character’s will-reading scene, and it will make for fun reading, I assure you. I’ll be back on Wednesday with another update on ‘Where There’s a Will.’

Meanwhile, don’t forget this promo is still running until the end of the month.