Spring is finally here!

Yes, the cold has retreated for now. We have had rain, and we’d like a lot more, but for now we have lovely weather – not too hot and not too cold.

There’s not really a lot to say – lost for words for once – wait, no, I have some ordinary news!

We grew potatoes! Self-seeded ones and apparently we have self-seeded tomatoes, too! Have to keep an eye on them!

And we took public transport into the city a week ago for a meeting. Yes, I have those that are totally unrelated to this, but I have to tell you – I was in a room with a whole heap of professors, doctors and students! It was rather daunting, to say the least. I just have to hope I held my own with them all.

Okay, onto updates

Clans in Conflict

Dark Dimensions (edition 2), Dark Reign and Deadly Convergence are still available through various places. Although Deadly Convergence is only available through Amazon currently.

The Dark Road is still with the beta readers and because of other projects, this is a little on the backburner. It will be exciting when it’s up there, though.

Dark Beginnings is still on the backburner. Hopefully I’ll be able to get to it soon.

The other Kindle Unlimited story is still being edited and we’re nearly at the end of that. This is an informal editing and has yet to go to beta readers and the editor. Also hasn’t got a title, either!

Consequences

Heart of Deception (edition 2) is finally published. It will be released on 28 November 2025.

Join Marek on his first encounter with the royal family of Albermarle.

Legacy of Risks (edition 2) is still with beta readers. Hopefully it won’t be long, now.

Dangerous Heart is on the backburner until I’ve done all this other work. I promise, it will be out.

Other Universes

Strefinobhan

All books in this series are on backburner whilst I work on some urgent manuscripts.

Paranormal

My usual paranormal stories are also on the backburner, but one is being rewritten for the Otherworldly Emergence series.

Speaking of which, you can find the Otherworldly Emergence information at the website below.

Bushland Castle Productions

As mentioned above, I am currently editing both stories for Bushland Castle Production’s Otherworldly Emergence Novella series.

I have finished editing the other one and am about to submit that story. I’ll be trying to lose something like 2800 words, however. As usual, I’ve gone overboard.

Pitches for this novella series has now closed and we are working hard on our manuscripts to bring them to you in a timely manner.

All of the information regarding the novella series is at the website:

https://www.bushlandcastleproductions.com/emergence

While you’re on the website, is information about their nonfiction series Australia: Living in the 70s. If you have a life story about living in the 70s in Australia, check the website for more details on that series. I know if I were to submit, it would all be about CountDown, Sandman vans and learning about Unionism through school (and other things, of course).

Also check out their podcast – Finding Elara. Learn about Mindfulness from other creatives – not just writers, but other creative persons, as well as worldbuilding and other information.

At the end of each segment, there’s a prize drawn. Go in to win books and other goodies!

Not only that, but Finding Elara has just made it onto YouTube. There is a Halloween special up that features one of my short ghost stories being read out live. So, just search for Finding Elara and have a listen. I’m the one in the blue hat.

Writing group

As some of you may be aware, I run a writing group called Grow Write in Midland, Western Australia. I am proud to announce that we are in the process of publishing our very first anthology. I am soooooooo looking forward to that book coming out! Stay tuned for more details.

It’s in the final formatting stages, so should be out soon.

Characters

I’ve often been told by my editor to ‘stop hurting him or I’ll take him away’.

You might think that that’s a fair and reasonable comment.

However, you have to remember that my stories are full of action and dialogue. Often an action character, be they hero or something else, must go through a gamut of emotions to grow into where they must end up.

Like we have to, sometimes.

Let’s not shy away from the fact that trauma is part of everyday life. The secret is to even it out with other emotions.

So, we all have bad days or bad years. It’s part and parcel of life.

Take Macbeth or Julius Caesar (Shakespeare’s version). They’re prime examples of what an author can do to a character to get them where they have to be by the end of the tale.

I will say that having an experimental character where you can do the worst to a character is an eye-opening experience and I do recommend it. I have shared a bit of my experimental character and I’ve been told that I should publish it, but it’s a very controversial work and I’m not sure where I would publish it.

Afterall, it’s my commentary on what’s wrong with humans at the moment. My experimental character touches on human trafficking, addiction, weapons of mass destruction, certain trades that are frowned upon, abduction and betrayal. And that’s all you’re getting. Let me just finish on – it’s a really dark work.

So, don’t be afraid to hurt your characters. Don’t be afraid to take them to the depths of darkness and bring them out into the light again. That can be metaphoric or spiritual or, even, physical. The character you have at the end will be a strong character.