I hadn't realised that it was almost a year since my last post.
Partly, I have to admit, it was that the viewing numbers on my posts seem limited to my own views and the odd misclick. But I wouldn't want anyone to think the site was dead.
I went through all the books recently, adding an afterword that tells about the next book and provides a hyperlink for those reading on devices. I haven't figured out how to make it work for people reading hard copy yet, putting a QR code seems a bit needy.
And I have been producing books. Which I enjoyed doing. Whether anyone will enjoy reading them is yet to be discovered. The last three books of the Far Coast gave me a chance to explore inside a villain. Duchess Alicia is not a nice person and it was interesting to find out how she manged to cope with a male-dominated world. The explicitness of that exploration has already drawn criticism, and indeed got the wrong book downrated. It is impossible to please everyone, and I certainly don't set out to offend. Nor, in my opinion, do I include explicit scenes gratuitously. In my head they are necessary to the plot. There are times when the good old ellipsis (...) just doesn't hack it.
I will return to the world of the Far Coast, but not in the same time-frame. Not yet at any rate. I am very fond of Eldred, Jennifer and Melanie but I'm giving them a little privacy for the foreseeable future.
And, on the bright side, a positive review of the first book in the White Witch's Way series kickstarted me into finishing the second. It had been stuck on a back-burner while I worked on other things. Now it is finished and it is awaiting proofreading.
And if anyone missed seeing me at ComicCon Birmingham, I'm sorry. The space is limited and they curate the exhibitors by readership. Last time (2024) I got in on a bye. I'd like to do the show again. It was good to meet people and talk about the books.
So, the TL/DR I'm still writing, still rambling, still here. I hope you are too.
