Sylvia: Beyond the Apocalypse

Next Steps: and other stories, my latest ‘invitation’ anthology of short stories is now available. This is a mixed-genre collection of fifteen stories, (no erotica included). The seven tales written by me are based on ‘dialogue prompts’ from fellow authors. The prompts are provided before each of those stories but they are not spoilers, which reinforces the idea that a snippet of conversation does not tell the whole tale.

What else have I been up to?

I recently created paperback conversions of a few more of my eBooks. I’m pleased to say that I now have four paperback anthologies of short stories. My digital anthologies have twelve tales in them which means they wouldn’t be viable as paperbacks. Instead, I’ve spent time revisiting my short stories and arranging them into four collections, each of twenty tales.

As I’ve done with my other paperbacks, I’ve kept the price as low as possible, meaning next to nothing in royalties, but a reasonable price for the reader. There is no set theme or genre in any of these collections, and there is no erotica. For each of the four books, I’ve created a front cover depicting one of the stories and a rear cover which features a small graphic depicting another.

Sylvia: Beyond the Apocalypse, is a spin-off from my popular Light at The End trilogy. The first full draft of Sylvia is now complete and while the manuscript rests among my files I’ll be working on Codename: Foxglove. I may spend a few hours working with Crusader but the main work with Jason Knight and the other characters will be later in the year.

For those of you who like an insight, there are links to the blurbs and the first chapters of each of my new WIP novels at: https://tombensoncreative.com/work-in-progress/

As always, comments are welcome.

Tom

What could be better than a new year and a new start?

I’m aiming for four new starts and they are on an equal footing as I get underway. Let’s see what the line-up offers. The first is a collection of short stories, for which I have writing prompts as my inspiration. The second is a vigilante who is the new face of summary justice in a world that my readers know well. The third is a spinoff to tell an unusual single character’s story. The fourth may not have any background material, but he’s as real to me as the next person who walks down the street.

Next Steps is an invitation anthology of short stories. For this collection, I requested any authors in the Indie Author Support and Discussion group (IASD) to supply me with a writing prompt. The prompt was to be a dialogue between no more than two characters and to be no more than thirty words. I will write six short stories (attributing the prompts appropriately). The authors themselves will submit one or more short stories, and their website links for inclusion in the anthology.

Codename: Foxglove is a crime thriller sequel to Codename: Nightshade. It means, of course, that Rachel Donoghue will be back on the scene. This story will see the development of Dominique McEwan (Foxglove) who was introduced in Nightshade’s story. Members of the original Beyond The Law team will make appearances, and so too will secondary characters from the Nightshade tale.

Sylvia: Beyond the Apocalypse is a spinoff from Light at The End, my popular, zombie-free, post-apocalypse trilogy. When my foray into a refreshed world captured the imagination of readers and produced good reviews, I knew I’d have to tell this character’s story.

Crusader is a crime thriller. The inspiration for the main character and the story came from one of the tales in my latest anthology, Shadow: and other stories. I like Jason already and I have written the first chapter. The lead character will no doubt have a few ideas too.

Is there anything else on the cards?

I’ll be reading regularly, just as all authors should, and I’ll be reviewing. I expect to be beta reading for members of the IASD.

Does my pseudonym have any new titles being uncovered in 2021?

Yes, a story was started early last year but due to being written piece-meal in the background, it became unwieldy. When the final draft is completed it will be broken at a logical point and published as a two-part tale.

If you’d like to see how my three new novels are shaping up, the first chapter is available for each on the WIP menu.

And now, without further ado, let’s get this literary year underway.

Tom