I’ve certainly cut it fine this month…
I’m hoping you’re all well and enjoying a summer that seems to have come earlier than ever. But if you’re in the UK, I’m assuming you’re sick of the heat already and wondering why you wanted it to be warmer anyway when it was perfectly pleasant without THIS heat.
It’s ridiculously hot in Madrid. Upwards of 32C every day. That’s almost 90F for those in America!
May’s been a MONTH indeed. I’ve got a lot to tell.
Last October, at World Fantasy Con, I signed up for the Milford Writer’s retreat at Gladstone’s Library, in Wales. I’d been counting the days since then and when it finally loomed, I made a deal with myself. I’d use the week to write something new. No edits and no admin. Only creativity.
So I raced to finish everything I had pending and then flew back to London where I packed all I could think of into my car. The recommendations on the Milford group chat were so varied that I wasn’t quite sure what to expect – bring blankets, pillows, extension cords, and SNACKS. I, of course, added books (many, many books, none of which I read) and my trusty Thesaurus, which, to the horror of my editor, I did.
It was incredible. The library is stunning and the group was inspiring, interesting, fun, and above all, such a nice bunch of people. And there’s something quite special about writing in a place filled with books and surrounded by others who are doing the same.
I worked on two novellas and started a third.
A Flaming Rage, is the story of the start of the Hand of Reason. Born of rage, it’s probably logical that the regime turned into something so damaging. The other, A Match Made in Ale, has more light-hearted elements. It’s a momentous day in the life of Golfen, a halfling friend of Peryst de Arranu. I had such fun with them both. The third, Call of the Sands, is in its beginning stages, and will be a tale set in Genai, about the Bussars, the guards of the kingdom. I’m planning to gather all the novellas in a book someday. Maybe a ‘Tales of Ankisua’ will show up at some point…
Days were spent writing, dinners were stupendous (snacks all came back home uneaten), and evenings were either back in the library or in the common room chatting, joining the jigsaw brigade, or listening to readings from the two playwrights amongst us.
On the last day, I joined a group in visiting Ewloe Castle, a stunning ruin in the middle of a forest. Though probably not the best location in terms of defence, it was perfect for scenery, and the walk through the trees in excellent company was the best end to a brilliant week.
From what I’ve heard, of the fifteen who went this year, eight or nine have already signed up again for 2027. That’s how great it was!
On a practical note, after the nightmare I had with the layout of the map for Touched by Light, I asked Stardust Book Services (who do my wonderful maps, covers, and illustrations) to connect me with a cartographer who could digitise my existing map. Fred Kroner did a brilliant job in re-drawing the map digitally for better manipulation. That means that I’ll be able to have excerpts that aren’t blurry in the next books!
I’ve come a long way since the first map I drew myself.
See below the progression.
I even had Fred add a couple more cities that I’ve discovered while writing the novellas! See if you can spot them.
Last weekend I was back in the UK. I took the train to Shrewsbury for the Spotlight Indie Conference.
Shrewsbury surprised me. I knew nothing about it at all and was stunned at how beautiful the old town is. I stayed in a hotel dating to the XIII century and was assured that my room was haunted. I was devastated when I slept through with not even a rattle of a chain overnight. But maybe the ghost had a role in the disaster next morning…
I’d arrived at midnight, shattered, lugging a box of books, and followed a girl to my room through a warren of corridors and stairs. Next morning I was meant to be at the Conference for 9,00. I got up in good time and aimed for coffee. I remembered stairs and that breakfast was in the restaurant. So when I came across stairs leading down, a sign that pointed to “restaurant and bar” and two closed doors that said “fire exit”, I followed the lure of coffee and chose the one by the restaurant sign. I went through and down more stairs to find myself locked in an entry hall with no way out. My only company was a huge statue of a man in a wig. I had, of course, left my phone in my room.
I was found half an hour later, and only because I managed to set off the fire alarm by opening the fire door. Otherwise, I’d probably still be there, cuddled under that frowning statue.
They insisted that something like this had never happened before. Big sigh.
I was so late to the conference. But after that, the day could only get better.
And it did.
Spotlight Indie Con was a lot of fun and I met very interesting people. The panels were great, and as usual with those things, I came away with details that will improve some of my stories. You truly never stop learning as a writer, or at least, you shouldn’t.
I also made new friends and laughed till I cried, which is such a great feeling.
And seeing my own books on display is always a great feeling. Of course I bought more books to bring back. So now, when I started with only the fifteen books I originally brought from London in April, I’ve had to expand my shelf space!
What else?
After the end of our last D&D campaign, the Irregular Friends started a new game. This time with Pathfinder and online. It’s a different beast, but we’ve been playing together for so long that not doing so was getting painful.
We had our first proper session this last Monday. It was great, but very strange not being in person at our regular pub. We’re investigating the ruins of a lighthouse. In theory, Pathfinder has less roleplay than D&D, but we’ve managed to insert roleplay into it anyway.
Our characters are bizarre, but we don’t know that much about them yet. Huske is a tree, or at least a tree-like entity, that wields magic. Reynard is a fox that seems to have a wolf guardian angel. He’s very polite. And I’m playing a scruffy halfling who loves drinks and cards, and genuinely believes that red wine makes him invisible. His name is Greg Barnacle – a HUGE change from the lovely Sacharina. We’ll see where go!
Some exciting news that I’ll break here first. The very talented Fakel has completed the cover for Book 2 – Rule of Reason. We’ve had a lot of back and forth to get it just right.
And now it is!
I’m aiming at letting in out into the wild in the summer, so keep your ear to the ground. I have a great blurb from an incredibly talented author for it, but will keep it as a secret for now…
And following up on the subject of books, to those on my newsletter, keep an eye out for another email from me. When you get it – even if so close to this – DON’T ignore it, as it’ll have the instructions for you to get my gift to you: Farewell to the Hunter, a Hand of Reason novella.
And finally, news from Echo!
She’s not only adapted to Madrid, but ADOPTED Madrid.
Echo is now an urban dog and the mascot of Chamberí. We walk by and people call out to her, come and talk to her, and perhaps, maybe, just maybe, greet me. It’s like being the handler to a local celebrity.
She doesn’t love the heat – summer has come way too early to Madrid and as far as they tell me, it’s here to stay, so we’ve changed our routines and walk early and very late with only brief forays down to the street for bathroom breaks. Unlike mad dogs and Englishmen, we stay well out of the midday sun!
On that note, be safe, stay well, and keep reading!
Oh, and if you’ve read Touched by Light and enjoyed it, please leave a review somewhere. It would make a huge difference to me! Thank you!