So, as you all know, I’m participating in a competition at the moment. We had all of January to write 50,000 and now we have two months to polish the manuscript and get it ready to submit.

So, far, I’m about half-way through my first real edit. Once I’ve finished that, I will give it a few days before I do the next edit. I don’t know how many I’ll have to do. The weird part is, I think there’s at least 2 or 3 books that could follow on from it.

I’m also about to get back into the rewrite of Heart of Deception. I had to leave it for a while, not only because of the above competition, but when I went to rewrite the last bit, I ended up getting sucked back into the story. Oh, dear, I told myself.

Also, I will be editing the second part of Dark Dimensions so that when I get the last of the feedback back from the beta readers, I’ll be able to complete that polishing and get that cover art done, also, in anticipation of uploading both parts.

And with all of the above, from Tuesday we are heading back into high 30s, low 40s. Poor kids, it’s the first week back for them and they have to put up with that kind of weather. I remember those days. At least I have a spa, now.

That’s about it from this end. Will update in a couple of weeks!

Hello, all! Thank you for following my humble ruminating.

Dark Dimension’s cover art is still being done, while Part 2 is still with the beta readers.

I have written the story basics for iFlow Creative and am currently tidying that up for the rest of the competition. The twist I put in it, the sci fi twist, has run its course, my protagonist has faced the antagonist, but there was another twist. The girl he fell for at the start of the story did not return to his home with him. Instead, she’s demanded a proper courtship with him. So, not quite a “no”, but not a definite “yes”. Watch this space.

Yes, I am starting to get itchy fingers about Heart of Deception, but I’m sticking with my guns on that. Still a few weeks to go.

Perth’s heatwave had a little bit of an ease, lower temps this week coming, but by next weekend, it should be back to the high thirties.

For those who may know about Milo, another character that I’ve started working with, he’s on hold until I finish this competition.

And for those in the area, Grow Write started up again last Thursday. Visit the Grow Write group on Facebook for prompts and round-robins.

And that’s it! I am forced to admit that I’m watching The Curse of Oak Island today. Don’t judge! I’m in it for the archaeological processes!

Well, my cover artist is working on Part 1 of Dark Dimensions, my beta readers are working on Part 2 and I’ve got it fairly ready to go. I am doing this one step at a time, though, because this is my first time.

I have another few weeks to go before I go back to Heart of Deception and I’m doing that on purpose. The one problem I have with self-editing is that I get sucked back into the story and forget I’m supposed to be critiquing my own work. Thus, I’ll give it another once over in a few weeks.

I am participating in a Nano-like event run by iFlow Creative over January. There are stricter rules with this – it has to be one story and a brand new story. Oh, shikes, I wonder what I’ll do? Hehe, just kidding.

Funny enough, I actually went through my notebooks and found a dream I had. It’s a crime story about a courier that works for crime bosses. It had enough guts in it, so I thought, so I started it. It was supposed to be a crime story only, nothing different, no sci fi or anything.

Yeah, that’s what I told myself. Of course, me being a pantser, this has gone in a completely different direction. I’ve now got 2 main characters, both of which are in hiding from another world or dimension (don’t go there) and trying to stop a political enemy from finding a member of a royal family that is even more hidden than they are. So, their personas are courier and fixer but they’re really a royal scout and guard. With exceptional capabilities and higher tech than the city they’re in.

I’ll let you know when I figure out where it’s going! If you’re a member of my Weird Wurdz group on Facebook, you can follow the story there!

I’ll go back to melting in Perth’s outrageous heat now – I know, there are hotter places. Don’t rub it in!

It’s that time of the year again! And my sincere apologies for being late! I blame it on the heat!

And we’ve had such weather to go with it! Average high 30s (celsius) for about 3 weeks, I think? Yesterday was nice but it was cooler and it was good to see the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race off to such an exciting start. Pity Scallywag had to retire, but there’s still Wild Oats, Commanche and Law Connect in the race.

Today is the last of the cooler weather for a week – heading back into the high 30s from tomorrow.

I have been rewriting Heart of Deception as well as working on a couple of newish projects. I hope to get Heart out of the way soon so that I can rewrite Legacy of Risks.

Still waiting on feedback from one proof reader on Dark Dimensions Part 2, but I will be checking in with my cover artist after New year to see what’s happening on that front.

There is a possibility of a new book after Dark Reign (sequel to Dark Dimensions) but that is taking a bit longer to put together. it’ll get there, though.

Other than that, I hope everyone stays safe this New Year and I hope your holidays have been great and continue to be so!

Okay, I have both Dark Dimensions Part 1 back from both beta readers, so now it’s a matter of editing. I have only done a small amount given that it is NaNoWriMo and my other job has had me quite busy. I will get stuck into it from this week.

I have also been working on the tweaking of Heart of Deception so that that and Legacy of Risks will also be a second edition.

Once these three books are done and dusted, I will be able to get working on tweaking The Dark Road and Dangerous Heart to match the changes in the earlier books.

Then, once those are done, I will either write a compilation of short stories about Marek before he works for the Crown or I might work on Dark Beginnings which is a prequel and tells the story of Vlad leading up to the launch into transdimensional travel.

Or, there’s a paranormal story, an enhanced soldier story, a space-going Titanic-type, a paranormal, a fantasy quest, a wizard warrior and a timetravelling search for the cure for a pandemic that started from an ice core. Or a different type of core.

These are some of the projects I have been toying with. And, no, to all those who know I have been messing around with smut, I will not be looking at tweaking any of Brad’s stories. Not yet, anyway.

But that’s it for now!

Finally! I have an update!

Dark Dimensions Part 1 Edition 2 has been returned and I am about to go through the suggestions made by the beta reader. She enjoyed the story so far and is now going through Dark Dimensions Part 2.

Once I have updated these changes, the book will be one step closer to getting its cover art which means it will be that much closer to being published again.

Both parts will make this Dark Dimensions Edition 2.

Next will be to have the beta reader go through Dark Reign. Once that’s done, I’ll be able to put that through more quickly because it already has its cover art.

Is it right to be excited and scared at the same time?

My, last week went quick! Well, it was partly me not paying attention to how long a workshop was going to go for!

But, I do have some news. Dark Dimensions Part 1 is still with a proof reader who is an ex-English teacher, so I’ve asked her to pick it apart for me.

I have started rewriting and tweaking Heart of Deceptions, making it more exciting and less detailed – except for in conversations, of course.

And I have decided to go back to uni. I am doing a 13-week editing course which includes structural editing, so the amount of time at an editor should be cut down with those new skills. There are others, of course, but that’s the main aim for me at the moment.

Nanowrimo is about to start and I have a story I’m writing for a friend, which may only take up part of the 50,000 then I have other things I can play around with.

Also, I am oscillating between Scrivener and yWriter. They are both my favourite writing programs and I find the new yWriter quite an update on the old one.

But that’s it for now. Hopefully soon, I’ll be able to say that Dark Dimensions Part 1 is up and ready!

Okay, I have a new beta reader for Dark Dimensions and Part 1 is currently being scrutinised.

On other news, I finally saw the Egyptian exhibition and was challenged to take a photo of 5 items and curse them. Marek has a new story in the days before the Heart of Radiance!

And on further news, I haven’t done much more than that because I have been ill with a virus. That is now in the past, but somehow it sapped my stamina and I have to go back to square one. This week didn’t help with all the hazard reduction burns that are happening in the approach to summer. Our firefighters are trying desperately to make sure we don’t have the same issue the eastern states had in the summer of 2019/20.

So, that’s all the news I have for now. Hopefully the next post will be more interesting!

I am sorry it’s been such a long time! We had a great time on our trip, got a lot of writing done and saw a lot of things.

Southern Cross Townsite – mining town – Paddy Hannan’s gold fossicking licence came from here

Kalgoorlie approach – coming into the main street

Hannan’s North Mine – Paddy Hannan is famous in Kalgoorlie

Esperance – beautiful beachside town

There are a lot more photos, but they will probably bore people!

News

Dark Dimensions has come back from the editor and is now with beta readers. I will be meeting with my cover artist soon to discuss how that’s coming along.

With the large gap in the time between Dark Reign and The Dark Road, I’ve decided to put an interim book in. Not sure how it will work, whether it’s a group of stories in one book or an overall book, but I have already started working on that.

The Consequences series still on hold with that, but it will get to work.

I’m back on track now, so news in another 2 weeks!