trilogy

This has been the first year since 2012 that I haven’t published a new book. I have produced Codename: Foxglove, and Military Matters: An Anthology of Poetry as paperbacks, but both were already available in eBook format.

Did the lack of new titles affect my sales performance?

I would say, no, and without paid promotion, or excessive exposure on social media, my work is still being picked up, mainly digitally, but occasionally, physically.

The five books that make up the series, A Life of Choice show sales almost daily, and without promotion, all five books are creeping up the charts. At first, it was ex-service, and serving personnel who were the main readership, but it seems that the fact-based-fiction series also appeals to those who have never donned a military uniform.

My crime thrillers, and the Light at The End trilogy have continued to achieve regular sales over the past twelve months. Once again, my royalties on sales have been easily surpassed by the royalties from KENP, the Amazon ‘page reads’ system.

Strong female lead characters are popular, and none more so than any story featuring ‘a girl with a gun’. I create such protagonists to satisfy my readership, but also because they are enjoyable to bring to life. This is reflected in reviews, and in the balance of my projects.

Crusader is my main Work in Progress, and is on schedule for publication in March 2023. As I write the story I’ve been fitting in snippets of information which will be ‘removed’ to help create the sequel, Constance.

Did I publish or have success apart from my main brand?

Yes, I did, but under another name. The erotica I write using a female pseudonym has continued to be successful, and this year saw the publication of four novellas and an anthology of six short stories. My ‘secret‘ erotica brand has been in existence for three years, and has demonstrated stamina (appropriately), and achieved a steady growth.

It may seem that there is a continual stream of titles, but that’s because the stories are created piecemeal and it may take many months before an individual title is completed.

Will I continue to work with two brands?

Yes, while my alternative brand has its own Work in Progress, and there is a demand, I’ll happily cater to those readers. Some of the naughty tales may be slightly shorter (novella), but I don’t cut corners with them. They are stories first, and erotica second.

I’d like to wish you all the very best for the upcoming festive season, whatever your religious persuasion.

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*Remember, books are not just for Christmas. 😀

Anyone who reads my work will be acquainted with my continual need to see justice done. It’s usually summary in style. After all, who needs a judge and jury when you know who the bad guys are? I know that there are those who might disagree, but we’re talking fiction here.

The immediacy of that type of justice is more akin to retribution, a demand for an individual or group to pay the price for the wrongdoing.

What other justice is there?

Apart from that which we associate directly with crime, we can also, ‘do justice’ to someone or something. In other words, to represent fairness or appreciation where applicable.

Having completed another edit of my latest crime thriller, Codename: Foxglove, I feel that I’ve encompassed both meanings of justice. Within the story, there are few grey areas for the characters. They are either bad guys doing bad things, or good guys doing bad things to bad guys. In that second category, in mitigation, and using artistic licence, I absolve the good guys.

How have I used the second meaning of justice?

I feel that I’ve done justice to my original idea for Beyond The Law and the creation of the trilogy. From a passing thought (as we creatives tend to have), Phil McKenzie’s plight became a poem. By the end of the poem, I knew there had to be more. It became a thirty-plus poem series; The Hawk.

I followed up on the supportive comments of my fellow poets on the Starlite Cafe website, and prepared notes with a view to using the poetry series as the basis for my first novel. In further preparation, I enrolled for the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in November 2010. I completed the challenge and ended with a rough 65,000 word story. I was in full-time work at that time so it took two years of dedication and multiple drafts before Beyond The Law was published.

I increased my output (work permitting), and apart from other stories over the next few years, I completed my first crime thriller. I later amended the title to Beyond The Law: Formation, because it became the first in a trilogy. Like many of my readers, Rachel was a favourite character of mine, and so she was developed in a spinoff; Codename: Nightshade.

Once again as the story closed I had a nagging doubt about leaving things as they were. Dominique had been introduced in Rachel’s story and at that point I recognised what had to be done. The series needed not only another spinoff, but one which would provide closure.

Codename: Foxglove is now a few weeks away from publication, having been through two full edits already, and more are on the way. I aim to have the manuscript ready for beta readers by November.

If you’d like to be one of my beta readers for this final tale in the series, I’ll be ready to send out the manuscript on Monday 29th November. The deadline I’m setting for returns/critique points is Sunday 5th December. This will afford me two weeks to work through the feedback and amend as necessary.

When I publish in mid-December, Justice will be done … regarding the Beyond The Law series.

Comments and suggestions are welcome as always, and thank you for taking the time to read my blog.

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Category: trilogy

End of My Writing Year – 2022

Justice Will Be Done …

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