WIP: 1892 Published in Kindle

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Good morning. The news this Wednesday is quite simple. My recent work in progress, 1892, is now out in Kindle format and on KU. The paperback version will be a little while longer because we needed to adjust the spine and its text (my fault), but hopefully, it will be with us within the week. This means I can get back to my other work in progress, ‘Follow the Van’ which I have started revisiting after a few weeks away.

It’s always a good idea to keep notes as you’re writing a first draft, and I have a book beside me with the notes I make when writing or rereading a chapter. This is particularly important with a mystery or a detective novel because there are so many tiny facts which have to be consistent. I reread my notes, put them in order again, transfer them to the main, larger notebook on my writing table, and then completely forget what I’ve just noted. Each time I go through the draft chapters to refresh myself, I make more notes, until I have all manner of lists and ideas, details and pointers hanging around beside me.

Another thing I’ve started doing with the Delamere series is to make some notes within the manuscript. I use footnotes to remind myself to check I have tied up a thread or answered a question. Put another way, when I write something I know needs explaining later, I put a footnote to remind myself ‘Make sure this is explained later’ kind of thing. Then, when I read the draft back, I check the note, and if I’ve explained later, I delete it. If I haven’t, I leap forward to where it needs to be explained and make the change. While I am doing this, I am also going through my book, crossing out what’s been done, and preparing a separate list of what still needs to be clarified, cut or developed.

For now, I am going to work on ‘Follow the Van’ up until Christmas, and then take two weeks off – we’re all going to Athens for New Year; more about that another time. More about the WIP and other matters in time too. I’ll have my usual Saturday and Wednesday blogs up until 23rd December, and will then be away. So, if you’ve not downloaded your copy of ‘1892’ yet, here’s the Amazon.com link, though the book is available in other Amazon stores.

A Free Copy of the first Clearwater Tales

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Members of my private Facebook group will be able to take their free copy of my cosy Christmas short story collection, ‘1892’ on Monday and Tuesday of next week,

Here’s how you can claim your free copy of ‘1892, The Clearwater Tales, Volume One.’

Head to my private Facebook group, Jackson’s Deviant Desires and if you haven’t already joined the group.

You must do this by Monday when it will be possible to download a free copy of ‘1892’ from a post within the group.

The copy of the book will be in the Files section, found at the top of the group page.

The files will only be available on Monday and Tuesday, 11th and 12th December. I will take the files down on Wednesday morning, European time (GMT + 2).

1892 will also be on sale from early next week, on Amazon, in paperback, Kindle and on Kindle Unlimited.

Queer Reads

While you are waiting for that, don’t forget that three of my books are included in the Queer Reads book promo on BookFunnel. There are lots of titles there, each with a gay lit theme or story of some sort, and some are on offer.

The titles I have on promo there are Deviant Desire, Guardians of the Poor, and Finding a Way, the series starters for all three of my Victorian mystery series.

Welcome to New Readers

Here’s a quick hello to everyone who has joined our group and discovered my titles thanks to a promo in LGBTQ+ M/M Euro Book Banter that I was involved in last week. The group is running an advent calendar all through the month with a new author every day, and each author giving away a copy of one of their books. Fellow author Barbara Alsborg won my giveaway and claimed a copy of Deviant Desire, and there are still plenty more days to go on the advent calendar, so plenty more books to claim.

1892

If you miss the giveaway on Monday/Tuesday, look out for news of where you can pick up a copy of ‘1892’ from Amazon, or head to my author page and check there. I aim to upload the files and release the book on Monday to coincide with my private giveaway, so it should be available in plenty of time for you to curl up with a cosy and sometimes amusing read, as five favourite characters tell their stories.

I’ll be back with an update on Wednesday.

Promos and Giveaways

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I am almost ready to give away a copy of 1892 to every member of my private Facebook group, Jackson’s Deviant Desires. I have the second proof in, though I’ve yet to check them, but once I have, I’ll let you know the days on which you can collect a copy of the first in a new series.

Not to be confused with the Delamere Files which is also my new series. The 1892 collection will be the first in an ongoing set of short stories set in the Clearwater world, and other volumes will be set in other years. There’s no time structure for producing these, I will write and compile them as and when, but I certainly envisage more of them.

If you’ve not started on one of the series before, each of my series starters is being featured on a promo page at Book Funnel right now. That’s Deviant Desire, Guardians of the Poor, and Finding a Way.

This week, I’ve also been involved in an advent calendar on the Facebook group page of LGBTQ+ M/M Euro Book Banter. They are running this fun promo all the way until Christmas with a different author every day, and each one giving away a giveaway. I have done my day and will soon be announcing the winner. I mention it, because I thought you might be interested to see the group and find new authors who are, presumably, Europe-based, or who write novels and stories set in Europe.

There will be more news about the 1892 giveaway on Saturday. I will put it on my blog and on my FB group page, so make sure you have joined the private group before then.

December Book Promo

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Queer Reads Book Promo

Hello, everyone

This is just a quick newsletter update to let you know of another book promo I’m taking part in all through December. This time, it’s a ‘Queer Reads’ promo with loads of titles on special offer and up for some attention, and all titles are, in some way, a ‘gay’ story.

I’m more than delighted to be in the company of some author friends, including some who have appeared on my blog. Check out the titles from Rebecca Cohen, Beck Grey, K.C. Carmine, and Glenn Quigley, among others. Head to the Queer Reads Promo page, and you’ll find plenty of titles to choose from, some reduced in price. It looks like there are some Christmas stories, MM Romance, Sci-Fi, thrillers, and general gay lit, as well as some historical mysteries.

Mind you, three of the historical mysteries are from me, with Deviant Desire, Guardians of the Poor, and Finding a Way on the list. These are the series starters for my three series of Victorian mysteries.

And while we’re on that subject, this is your last chance to get a free copy of my Christmas feel-good volume of shorts, ‘1892.’  Join my Facebook Group, Jackson’s Deviant Desires and in the next couple of weeks, everyone there will be able to take a free e-copy of this new set of short stories set in the Clearwater world of 1892.

‘1892’ will be on sale before Christmas and makes for a warm aside from the usual struggles of the Clearwater, Larkspur and Delamere books as five characters from those stories share a train journey from London to Cornwall on Christmas Eve 1892.

What with that, and with the Queer Reads promo taking place, you’re well positioned to stock up on Christmas reading, so I’ll take this opportunity to wish you an early Season’s Greetings, and leave you with the link to the book promo, which you can find here:

https://books.bookfunnel.com/queerreads/a46ac0114v

Jackson Marsh

Work in Progress: 1892

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The latest update is a brief one: I am now working through the last draft to check the proofs, and Andjela has sent me the full cover. Except the link to the file transfer site got lost in my spam folder and now I’ve found the email, it comes without the link, so I am waiting for another. It’ll take me a while to check through the MS and then have the pages set out ready for publication, but you’ll definitely be able to get hold of this feel-good Christmas collection well before Christmas Day.

If you are a member of my private Facebook group, Jackson’s Deviant Desires, you will be able to get a free copy, and I will let you know how in the group pages when the time comes.

Meanwhile, I must now get back to ‘Follow the Van,’ the third Delamere Files instalment. I have put it off for a while to work on ‘1892’ and some other (paid!) writing work I had in. In this case, it was a set of stories for two German magazines. They get translated into German but also appear in the magazines in English. These are twink adults-only magazines published in Germany and on sale throughout Europe. I won’t provide links, but if you want to search them out, one is called PornUp and the other is called DreamBoys. Both are top-shelf magazines, so watch how you investigate!

That aside, I aim to be back following the van by the end of this week when 1892 will be ready for laying out, and I can forget those stories and concentrate on where I was.

Meanwhile, don’t forget the Clearwater Calendar will be on sale only until the end of the year, and don’t forget to join my private FB group so you can claim a free copy of 1892 as soon as it is ready.

1892: Cover Reveal

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The other day, I dropped off the blurb for the new book, and in the meantime, I had a friend read the MS, because she’s a writer of short stories, whereas, I usually prefer to write novels. ‘1892, The Clearwater Tales, Volume One,’ is my first foray into short stories apart from those I have written for adult sites and magazines. As they tend to be 20% story and 80% nookie, I don’t really count them. I don’t talk about them much, other than to say, I do them as a means to a financial end, and would much rather write my historical mysteries and some romance/adventure novels.

Anyway, my friend used to work as a reader for a large London publishing house. One of those poor souls who have to deal with manuscripts from hopeful authors looking for publication. She has told me about the job, and what it entailed, and it’s not all about reading a few chapters and saying yes or no, she also worked in editing and entertaining potential authors, and she did the job for long enough to know good writing from bad. So, I was cheered to receive her thoughts on ‘1892.’ Her message included this:

Have read the short stories. A nice warm Christmas read, particularly for your loyal readers but you have managed to make it perfectly understandable for anyone new. It’s a lovely picture of that luxurious but cosy first-class carriage puffing down to snowy Cornwall with all mod cons and lashings of food.

That was good to read from a professional reader, and she summed up the overarching story of the book perfectly. Seven characters on a train heading for Cornwall for Christmas Eve. Within that are six stories, five told by the characters you see on the cover, and the other being the wrap-around story from the point of view of the stranger who is travelling with them.

To view the cover, click on the picture below and it should open separately. You will see who the cast is. From left to right you have: Joe Tanner, the antiquarian, Mrs Norwood, the housekeeper (here modelled by my friend, Jenine), Professor Fleet (as depicted by my husband, Neil), Andrej (Fecker), the baron, and Will Merrit, the detective.

I’ll have more news about the release and how you can get a free e-copy in a future post and on my Facebook page and group. The freebie is for group members only, so check out and join Jackson’s Deviant Desires to know when and how you can have a free e-copy. Meanwhile, here’s the full cover. Click the pic.

Work in Progress: 1892

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Again, it has been a quiet week with not much to report other than this:

‘1892’ is going off to be proofread later this week, and I am waiting for the full cover from Andjela, but that should be with me soon too. Then, I will have one last read and contact the layout guys about setting out the pages.

1892 will be free for a limited time to members of my Facebook group, Jackson’s Deviant Desires. Soi, if you are not a member of that group yet, now’s the time to join. Any members of the group will be able to get a free digital copy, as long as it’s within the advertised time frame (I’ll let you know nearer that time), and after that, it will be on sale in the usual way.

I’ll release the full cover before long, so if you haven’t seen it yet, you don’t have too long to wait.

Here’s the blurb for ‘1892’ to keep you hanging on the edge of your (railway carriage) seats.

1892

The Clearwater Tales

Volume One

Five characters from the Clearwater, Larkspur and Delamere Mysteries find themselves taking the train to Cornwall for the 1892 Larkspur Hall Christmas Eve ball. To pass the time, they each tell a story from their past.

Sitting in their carriage is a stranger who listens to their stories of detection, mystery and prophesy, and recognises some of the people involved. As they near their destination, the stranger realises he is more involved with his fellow passengers than they know, but who is he? Where is he going, and why?

(1892 can be read as a short, standalone novella, and there’s no need to have read the Clearwater, Larkspur or Delamere series to enjoy the story. However, you might gain more from reading 1892 if you already know the characters and their histories.)

1892, Follow the Van, and an Update

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Hi folks.

I usually do a work-in-progress update on a Wednesday, but today, I thought I would update you on the current WIPS and other matters. Let’s start but going back to the future, and 1892.

1892

This will be my next release. A set of short stories that currently has this draft blurb:

Five characters from the Clearwater, Larkspur and Delamere Mysteries find themselves taking the train to Cornwall for the 1892 Larkspur Hall Christmas Eve ball. To pass the time, they each tell a story from their past.

Sitting in their carriage is a stranger who listens to their stories of detection, mystery and prophesy, and recognises some of the people involved. As they near their destination, the stranger realises he is more involved with his fellow passengers than they know, but who is he? Where is he going, and why?

Here’s a snippet of the excellent cover as designed, as always, but the marvellous Andjela V.

You can just see the top of the head of the five characters, so you may be able to guess who appears in this collection if you don’t already know. There are two characters from Clearwater, two from Larkspur and one from Delamere, plus two other characters. One is the railway steward who caters for his passengers in the private-hire saloon, and the other is the mystery man who appears in one book attached to the Clearwater series and is mentioned a couple of times in others, but he’s from a long way back, so hopefully, you’ve forgotten about him and will get a nice surprise at the end of the book when his story becomes the sixth. Actually, his story is the whole journey, but… Well, you’ll see in time.

Follow the Van

Meanwhile, I am beavering away in the same year but on a different book, the Delamere Files Book Three, ‘Follow the Van.’ I’ve been doing some research into Victorian music halls and theatre for this one, and one day, I’ll do a blog post about that research. I’ve almost finished reading about the Gaiety Theatre (now gone), and am about to start on another which, although a novel, is written by a historian, and it’s about the music hall artist, Dan Leno (1860 to 1904), real name George Wild Galvin. That’ll be interesting background.

Symi, Greece

Meanwhile, here in the real world, we’re approaching the winter months, but so far, have been very lucky with the weather and temperature. The island is quieter now there are very few tourists about, and many businesses have closed for the winter, but enough remain open for us locals to carry on regardless. We’re now discussing bringing the duvet out of summer hibernation, and dusting off the heaters, though I’d rather keep them unplugged for as long as possible. Fuel costs and all that. (We don’t have central heating or gas, so everything is electric.)

View from the balcony on Thursday.

In a week or so, Neil’s off to visit his brother in Vienna, leaving me home alone with two books to work on plus my daily freelance work, and we’re both off to Athens for New Year with our best friend and our godsons. There will no doubt be more about that adventure when we get back, and in the meantime, if you’re interested to read more about where we are, and what we do here all year round, you can check out my five-day-a-week blog, Symi Dream. Just click that link and you’ll be in my madcap, sometimes lively, sometimes rather mundane, life here on a small Greek island.

And now… Back to the future (publications) and more work on Follow the Van. Everyone sing along: My old man said follow the van, and don’t dilly dally on the way…

Works in Progress X 2

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This week’s update concerns two works in progress.

1892

It’s rather a dramatic title for a short collection of short stories, but I rather like it. I’m mad about the cover Andjela has done, and I’ll be revealing that in a few days. Meanwhile, Neil and Jenine have been beta reading and checking over the MS, and the feedback so far is positive. Once they’ve finished, I’ll get back to a final draft, which means we’re on target of a release before Christmas as promised, with members of my private Facebook group being able to receive a free digital copy before it goes on sale.

Follow the Van

While 1892 is, for me, on pause, I’ve returned to the third of the Delamere novels, ‘Follow the Van.’ This story sees the continuation of Jack and Will Merrit’s change in fortune, and when the story starts, they are happily ensconced in their new home and jobs as private investigators.

This book takes the world of the music halls as its backdrop and gives me a chance to expand Jack and Will’s past a little more by having them learn some home truths about their father. You might remember that Samson Merrit died a couple of years before ‘Finding a Way’ started. Samson was a music hall artist who died on stage while performing with Marie Lloyd. He is invented, but I am reading about characters of the music halls (later termed variety here and in the USA) and the world of the London theatre at the turn of the century. Fascinating for someone like me who’s always been interested in the theatre.

Follow the Van is still in its early days, but I am on chapter seven, first draft, and have brought in Ben Baxter the sex-mad, ex-renter, stable boy and groom, to help jolly the story along, and give Jack another diversion. My planned writing today includes getting ‘Bax’ from Knightsbridge to a compromising position in a Limehouse stable. Not sure how I’m going to do that, but it’s going to be fun working it out.

I’m back on Saturday with more news and chat. Don’t forget to scroll down and check out ‘On Wings of Song’ by Anne Barwell, as featured last week, and, if you’ve not yet found them, you can start the new Delamere Files series right here. (Click the pic.)

On Wings of Song

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Today, I’m giving the blog over to a fellow author of historical gay romance, Anne Barwell, and her novel, ‘On Wings of Song.’ The book is currently on sale for $2.99 in Kindle and has been picking up some great reviews. I’ll be here on Wednesday with news about ‘1892’, the Clearwater Tales Volume One, and possibly even a cover. Meanwhile here’s some more info about ‘On Wings of Song’ and all the links you need.

On Wings of Song

“A beautifully written historical romance.”

“A sweet, and angsty, slow burn romance.”

A chance meeting they never forgot.

Six years after meeting British soldier Aiden Foster during the Christmas Truce of 1914, Jochen Weber still finds himself thinking about Aiden, their shared conversation about literature, and Aiden’s beautiful singing voice. A visit to London gives Jochen the opportunity to search for Aiden, but he’s shocked at what he finds.

The uniform button Jochen gave him is the only thing Aiden has left of the past he’s lost. The war and its aftermath ripped everything away from him, including his family and his music. When Jochen reappears in his life, Aiden enjoys their growing friendship but knows he has nothing to offer. Not anymore.

Author’s note: This story was originally released by another publisher. This edition has some added content, and uses UK spelling to reflect its setting.

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2WWpT8Q
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3NVtfjm
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/OnWingsofSongAB
Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Wings-Song-Anne-Barwell/dp/0473516233/