Tag Archives: Delamere

Chapter Seven

Posted on by
Reply

In today’s work in progress blog, I am pleased to tell you that I am now working on chapter seven of ‘Holywell Street’, and the story is progressing well. Hopefully, those aren’t famous last words and the story will continue to flow. It should do because I know where I am going (to a certain point) and by the time I get there, I will have discovered where I am to go after that, and so on until the end. I am already 25,000 words through it and that’s only in about a week, because I have little other work to contend with right now. That, in turn, means I’m pretty poor, but I continue to promote indie authors through my promotions (there’s another on to check out at the bottom of the post), and my loyal fans continue to read, while I pick up a few new readers along the way.

So far in ‘Holywell Street’ we have met two unscrupulous characters, and then we have started the story in Delamere House, where there have been some changes, mainly in the layout of rooms and in the staff. There are now five detectives, two of whom are in charge of research and records, and the other three are more out-and-about, Jack and Baxter included, and the boys still haven’t grown up. Soon, I aim to put on the blog a description of how the house is now organised. I wrote this for myself rather than to go into a book, but I will share it with you when I’m sure that’s how things are going to be.

A character in the new book and the cause of the mystery…

While I get back to creating book eight of the series, I’ll leave you with this promo. It’s a new one and only started on 9th April, so it has a while to run. Have a click, have a browse, and you never know, you may find another new and exciting author to follow.

Tales to Devour. Begin Reading This Hour!

April 9th through to May 10th.Genres: General Fiction / Literary Fiction, Mystery & Suspense / Mystery, and Sci-Fi & Fantasy / Science Fiction

https://books.bookfunnel.com/blindsidemysteries/2uwlpo9v4n

Release Day: Acts of Faith

Posted on by
Reply

The Delamere Files book seven is now available on Amazon in Kindle format and in KU. As I write, I am waiting for the paperback version to go live too, but this can take a few days longer than the Kindle version. Here’s the universal link:

https://mybook.to/ActsOfFaith

Click that, and you should reach the Kindle page for your local Amazon online store, though, I believe, you can buy Kindle books from any Amazon site.

What’s Next?

That’s a good question. I have some ideas floating around, but right now, I am finishing a re-edit of an old James Collins horror novel called, Lonely House. I hope that the version I am editing is the original unedited version because it’s riddled with typos – and I also hope I catch them all. This ancient story was written in 2014 and released in 2015, and it’s in a completely alien style. I mean, the style is nowhere near anything I write these days. It’s very ‘filmscript black stuff’, with much being in the present tense, and lots of ‘He sees…’ and ‘He hears…’ Which I hate to do these days. So, I am trying to edit while remaining true to the original and will rerelease it, hopefully, next month. I need to save for a new cover and then attempt to format it myself via Kindle Create, as it’s never going to make its money back otherwise. I’ll let you know when it’s ready, in case you have a taste for twisty, creepy, modern, strangely written horror (with a kind of bromance feel).

What’s Next for Jack Merrit and Co.?

I can’t give too much away about how ‘Acts of Faith’ finishes, and how things develop at Delamere, not until enough time has passed for you to have read the story, but…

I am thinking about hot air ballooning, Holywell Street (home of seditious publications and Victorian porn), while also scouring the newspapers of the time for ideas and thinking about something cosier than the last few mysteries have been.

So far in the Delamere series, we’ve covered:

Criminal gangs and kidnapping (East End gang culture)
Historic murder at a public school (Private school homo-relationships)
Police crime, gangs and assassination (The music halls)
Feuding brothers, wills and murder (Creepy isolated castle and family feuds)
Child kidnapping and murder (Theatre of the Grand Guignol)
Graverobbing (Gay cruising grounds of the late 19th century)

And, in ‘Acts of Faith’ more weird and wonderful ways to kill someone, as you will see, plus, the difficulty of men securing relationships in a time of extreme discrimination.

My Amazon page for all my titles (click the banner)

So, what next…? Ideas on a postcard to jack@jacksonmarsh.com...

Actually, that’s not a bad idea. If there’s a subject you feel might work for a Victorian, gay, mystery series, drop me a line.

Meanwhile, be sure to join my mailing list for monthly news of new books and promotions and ideas for other things to read while you wait for the next Delamere, whatever it turns out to be.

The Book with no Title (as yet)

Posted on by
Reply

As usual, I am still unsure about the title of the next Delamere story which is now up to 27,000 words – so just over a quarter of the way through, if it is to be a standard length. The characters are all in place, and the mystery has been set, though it is soon to lead to another, and then another until someone realises what’s going on and that someone may well be me.

I have been looking through old newspapers trying to discover if there were still any paddle steamers working on the Thames in 1893, but I haven’t had any luck so far. (Anyone? Any idea?) I discovered there were still paddle steamers for sale, but I think these were probably for scrap or refurbishing. I’ve not delved into this in much detail as yet, but here’s a piece I pulled from a London newspaper of March 1893:

Click to enlarge

The things aren’t integral to the story, but I wanted to use one for… some reason, so I went off on the distraction tour and spent a happy hour reading all kinds of advertisements and snippets. Also, in the process of writing a character’s backstory the other day, I mentioned the dance card, and went off to see if I could find an image of one to share.

Here’s a potted history of the dance card from the Newberry Library:

Popularized in Vienna in the nineteenth century, dance cards continued to be used throughout the early twentieth century. Names could be filled in just after a dance to keep as a memento, or early in the evening to ensure one had a partner planned for each dance, thus eliminating the risk of being labelled a wallflower.

Which of the characters used a dance card, you may wonder, and you will, one day, find out. I have a piece of work to do for someone else today, and then, I shall be continuing with chapter 10. Meanwhile, if you are looking for some new romance reads to start the year, I have several promos to share with you. Let’s start with this one, LGBTQIA+ Romance = the January Bookfair. Simply click the banner to check out over 45 MM romance titles.

Grave Developments

Posted on by
Reply

After what seems like months, Grave Development will be off to the proofreader this weekend. I have a little tidying up to do here and there, but yesterday, I started really thinking about the blurb, which is a sign I am nearly at the end of this particular path.

If you signed up for the newsletter, you would have received a link to the cover. I sent this out on Monday and will reveal the cover to everyone else on Saturday, here and on my Facebook page.

Also in the newsletter was news of this month’s promos. These are where you can find new authors and titles in my chosen genres, and all you need to do is click and take a look. Doesn’t cost a thing to browse. Many of the titles are on offer, or reduced in price, or simply craving a little attention.

Here’s one to highlight this month, Kindle Unlimited Mystery Novels. If you’ve already signed up for KU, you can add any of these to your reading list. If you’re not in KU, you can buy them for as little as $2.99.

While you’re doing that, I will set about fixing a couple of minor things in Grave Developments, have another bash at finalising the blurb, and check through my author’s notes. This time, they include a couple of personal anecdotes which concern a couple of the places mentioned in the story.

Don’t forget to be here on Saturday for the cover reveal.

A Question of a Title

Posted on by
Reply

Sorry I missed the blog last Saturday, I am still trying to rest my arm as much as possible, though I am still writing. It’s a little frustrating, only putting in half a chapter a day or around 2,500 words when I am used to writing 4,000 or so, but it has to be done. Anyway, I am not complaining!

Newsletter & Promos

If you want to check out loads of new titles and authors across various genres, then sign up to my newsletter. I have got into the habit of joining three or four free promos per month, and sharing the details with newsletter followers, pointing them towards a whole series of mystery, thriller, MM Romance, and LGBT stories, novels and collections. These are all free to browse, and I’ve picked up some great new reading from them. Each month, I send out a newsletter to announce that month’s promos, so if you want to be in on it, simply sign using the two boxes over there on the top right. >>

Here, for example, is a promo that covers: General Fiction / Contemporary Women, General Fiction / Historical Fiction, and Non-Fiction / Biography & Memoir.

Click the banner

A Question of a Title

While that is happening in the background, I am still working on Delamere Six. I am at around 60,000 words, and the story is coming together nicely. It’s one of these where I know the climax and outcome, and am working towards it along planned lines, when one of the characters throws me a bombshell twist and I have to get myself out of his predicament. At least, that’s how it feels. This book’s subject started off as being about photography, and although that is involved, it’s now more about graverobbing and gay cruising grounds of the late 19th century.

What’s missing still is the title, and I have a few to consider. As it’s me, I like a play on words and thus, am thinking go ‘Grave Developments’, as that brings in both photography and the other theme of the novel. Actually, having spoken to you aloud about that possibility, I think I will stick with it! I also had in mind, ‘A Grave Affair’, but that sounded like ‘The Eyre Affair’ by Jasper Fforde (which I couldn’t get through, sorry), and I also thought of ‘A Very Grave Shock’, which is a line from the story, but which sounds too twee.

So, Grave Developments it is – it kind of fits with the early Clearwater in that it’s two words summing up the novel’s theme; ‘Deviant Desire’, ‘Fallen Splendour’, etc.

And the images today are relevant in that they are parts of what I have been researching recently. The Invalid Asylum for Respectable Women in Stoke Newington, and more photographic background.

A service that might put Dalston Blaze out of work.

A Snapshot of Snapshot

Posted on by
Reply

Here’s where I am with Delamere six, which currently has the working title of ‘Snapshot.’ I am approaching 30,000 words of draft one and, although I am enjoying the ride, I may have given myself a case that’s far too complicated for one book, or which may be all mystery and no emotion. So, yesterday afternoon, I sat down to list what should happen next in logical order and was surprised at the results.

This is me working out my action plot, the mystery, the clues, and within that, the ‘Why’ of the matter. The ‘Who’ came pretty easily – who is the villain, and who is the hero (the Delamere boys collectively for this one), then there’s the ‘What’ does the hero want? To crack the case, and the ‘How’, by proving the Who did the other What (the crime), and there we have a complicated but perfectly explainable action plot.

Next is to weave in the emotional who, why, what and how throughline, and, in this case, there isn’t one. There’s no falling in love, friendship breakup or anything like that, yet there should be, otherwise, all we have is he did this then he did that. So, I need to consider what emotional issue my main hero, Jack, should deal with. It may be the temptation for more adventurous sex with Larkin Chase, because of something Jack sees while breaking into a mausoleum in Abney Park Cemetery late at night with Jimmy Wright in order to view a…

But that’s the story so I won’t give too much away.

Usually, when I get to around 30K words, I go back to the beginning to reread from chapter one. This reminds me where I am and how I got there, brings up anything that might need changing – because I often start with one idea and then change to another and there are subtleties to bring out or get rid of. That should take me today and tomorrow, and then, I can press on with the rest of chapter eight. I have passed the quarter mark, the end of act one, where everything is set out, and I am into the friends, adversaries, twists and obstacles section heading towards a twist/change around 50K words – but with no idea yet what that will be,

This is called being a ‘panster’ and flying by the seat of your pants and it’s how the last new novels have come about, so I’m not worried. What I am, is late for work, so I’ll leave you with a reminder that the current promos are running until the end of the month, and here’s the link to September’s LGBT Romance and Fiction promo with loads of new authors and titles for you to browse.

Nearly There

Posted on by
Reply

Once again, I find myself typing ‘Nearly There’ as a title, because ‘A Case of Make Believe’ is nearly ready to be released. It’s currently with the guys at Other Worlds  Ink who do the layout for me, and I hope to have it back for checking in a couple of days. Meanwhile, I’ve started the next one, and have drafted the first chapter and a half. As per usual, I have an idea for a scene and have started with that with no idea where I am going or how this one will end. Sometimes I know the whole story, other times, I know how it will end. In this case, I know it will have something to do with early photography and murder, but apart from that…

Here’s the current opening line:

Of all the things Will Merrit imagined he would do as an investigator, locking himself in a pitch-black bathroom with two other men was not one of them.

If you were wondering about the opening of ‘A Case of Maker Believe’, then here’s the opening line of that one (which follows the date, January 5th, 1893)

She stood beneath the stage petting a rat and wallowing in the gasps and groans from the audience above, while through the dust-shedding boards came the sound of her lover’s footsteps as the story neared its climax.

And, to tease you further, the final line of the story:

The box of gifts still to be distributed, he watched, smiling, and could think of nowhere else he would rather be than home.

So, all I need to do now on the Delamere Files Book Six is to find a story and write it into 100,000 words. Meanwhile, as soon as book five is published, you will be able to find it here:

Click to find the series page on Amazon

A Simple Update

Posted on by
Reply

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.

Delamere Book 4 Update

Posted on by
Reply

‘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.

Nearly Halfway

Posted on by
Reply

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.