No, I’m not getting into the connotations of that particular weekend, but I will say we run an Easter egg hunt for the kids in our street and it was such fun this year.

Mind you, the kids are growing up, so there’s not as many in the street as there used to be. That’s okay, situations change.

But can I say it’s nice to have cooler sunny days? Even though our bushfire brigades are doing a lot of hazard reduction burns ready for next summer. That is one of the most important operations to happen here. Because they’re predicting a strong El Nino for the Eastern states this year which means a wet winter for us, so the reduction has to happen before those rains hit.

But I’m not going to talk about the weather, either, ’cause I grew up in Melbourne where you can have four seasons in one day. Moving right along …

Updates

I do have a new update completely unrelated to any of the works I currently have going. I will be entering a short story competition – and I’ve actually paid money to do so. Update on that – I have sent the story in, so let’s see what happens. Fingers crossed!

Clans in Conflict

For those who don’t know much about it, this is a series about a clan that is lost travelling through dimensions due to a scientific experiment gone horribly wrong and about the city-state Part 2 concludes in.

Dark Dimensions Part 1 and 2 is recounting that journey to Torkandisch. Dark Reign is the next book in the series and covers the next 12 months in the city-state.

The Dark Road is back with the beta readers. This story takes place about 16 years later. Lots in Torkandish has changed and there is lots of intrigue and heartache throughout this book. Some funny instances, too.

But Dark Beginnings will take us back to where it all started in Tordun, covering Vlad’s rise to power and, perhaps, that fateful experiment, along with the first 15 years of dimension-hopping. Dark Beginnings is still on the backburner. I have started this and I will return to it.

So, that’s what’s in store for anyone who wishes to immerse themselves in this world.

There are also going to be other stories, along with a special edition of Dark Dimensions where the two parts are combined. That will be in the future.

Speaking of other stories, Deadly Convergence is centred on Torkandisch 5 years before the Clan lands in the city-state and follows a crime that twists into something else. This is available only on Kindle and on Kindle Unlimited.

Okay, the Ryan Locke story is with the editor. Explosive Reality is now with the cover artist. Once I get it back, it will go through to publication as an ebook exclusively to Kindle and Kindle Unlimited. Stay tuned for updates.

I am still considering the following idea, but I have been too busy to do more than consider it. I haven’t done a lot with Alex Travis and his mother Katarina. I feel that their history should be told, but I think that’s going to be in a book between Dark Reign and The Dark Road. So, stay tuned for that.

Consequences

This series follows the rise of Marek from a mastermind thief to the saviour of a nation.

Heart of Deception is now available through Amazon and Draft2Digital. And an update on that is that the 10 copies ordered came through early, so there will be a copy donated to Midland Library, as well.

Legacy of Risks will follow in the next few months, once cover art is finalised for it. The reason why it will take a few months is because I’m applying The Emotion Thesaurus options to it. And, yes, I am still working on it. I want to be absolutely certain it is finished before it’s published.

Dangerous Heart will then go to beta readers.

Watch this space.

There will be some short stories come out and, possibly, a fourth book that covers events much later after Dangerous Heart. Definitely a “watch this space” moment.

Other Universes

Strefinobhan

With Heart of Deception released and my work on the Otherworldly Emergence series coming to a conclusion, I should be able to get back into editing the first book of this series and sending it to beta readers. I am still unable to say when this will happen, but hopefully sooner rather than later. This is still on the backburner, I’m afraid to say.

Paranormal

Again, this will have to wait until work on the Otherworldly Emergence series is completed. One of my paranormal pieces, however, is in the Emergence series, so stay tuned for updates there.

The Gifted

The Gifted is a universe where some people have an extra gene than others. When this gene is activated, usually around the age of fifteen, it unlocks a Gift. Gifts can be specialist, as in one ability, or they might be blended. It just depends on that Gift. I have a few characters in this universe and I have been writing furiously about them. Once Hidden Heritage goes to the editor, I will start to edit the first of these new stories with the hopes that it comes out later this year. It will be after the Otherworldly Emergence series is completed, however.

On an updated to the Gifted Universe, I have been writing other stories to support Not your Normal Heroes. These explore the Gifts a lot more and possible consequences of some of those Gifts. Yes, there is a really exciting yet dangerous Gifted being worked on at the moment.

Bushland Castle Productions

I have finished editing one novella, Not your Normal Heroes. The second story, now titled Hidden Heritage, has gone through a further edit and I will be passing The Emotion Thesaurus through it over the next week or so.

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/publishing/owe

BCP is planning its next series, which will build on the Otherworldly Emergence but this time will be Otherworldly Origins. Stay tuned for further information regarding that (along with a link).

Coming Soon through BCP Creative

The world we know is about to change forever. Hidden for centuries—or even millennia—otherworldly creatures such as vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, gnomes, and more finally step into the light. Whether by choice, accident, or necessity, their existence can no longer be denied. Otherworldly Emergence explores the emotional, societal, and fantastical consequences of this revelation.

Each novella will tell a unique story set during this critical period of emergence, offering readers different perspectives and settings while connecting to the shared theme.

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. Season 3 has started, so check out BCP’s website for further 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.

Finding Elara is in season break at the moment and coming back soon with Season 3. In the meantime, there are mini episodes with interviews with local writers at a convention in Bunbury last year.

The upshot of being involved in the Otherworldly Emergence is that it has opened up a whole new universe for me which has been expanding exponentially. The possibilities in that world are almost limitless and I have to admit to being distracted by writing in that universe. I have called this universe the Gifted universe.

Having admitted that, I will say that I have completed a story that links both my stories in the Emergence series and starts a whole new series in itself. It’s very, very exciting and a lot of questions raised by the second story are being answered in follow up novels.

Bushland Castle Productions have also created two brand new competitions – the Catalyst Scroll and the Heritage Scroll.

You can find all the details on how to enter these at the website:  www.bushlandcastleproductions.com/competitions

I am toying with the idea of entering the Heritage Scroll, but I’m not sure yet. Still have to work on it.

Otherworldly Origins

Also, keep your eye open on another speculative fiction novella series coming out from BCP. It’s about the first one of any creature. You’ll find more details on their website: www.bushlandcastleproductions.com/publishing/owo

Grow Write

Once every fortnight, Grow Write meets at the Midland Library in Midland, Perth, Western Australia. We are very excited to announce that our very first anthology has been published and is available on Amazon to purchase. It is also available through Midland Library

We are all excited to share this anthology with everyone.

I have suggested to the group that we produce an anthology every second year rather than every year.

Writing Standards

So, you’ve written a book. Absolutely mind blowing! Gobsmacking! Yahoo! (As a friend would say, woot woot!)

And now comes the time to edit. Because we are committed to making our stories the best in the world, aren’t we? Which means writing is about more than just getting the story down.

I remember reading once – can’t remember which author said it, but it’s something I’ve kept in mind.

Draft 1 – or what I call the “raw” writing – is where your characters are telling you the story. Doesn’t matter if you’re a planner, a pantser (or discovery writer as they are sometimes called) or a planster. That first draft is about them telling you the story.

Every other draft after that is about you making sure others can read and enjoy it and that it is put together in a way that makes sense. That means following punctuation and grammar rules.

But whose rules do you follow? Are you going with a traditional or hybrid publisher? Is that publisher in the same country that you are?

The reason I ask these questions is because every country has its own standards for writing. Like, generally, a lot of Americans use the Chicago Style Manual. I am unsure what dictionary they use for spelling, but we all know that they have some different spelling rules that we, in Australia, have.

Speaking of Australia, our official dictionary is the Macquarie Dictionary. We have two writing guides – the Australian Government Style Manual and the Australian Style Guide. These guides are very similar to each other.

I am not sure what other countries use, but the US and Australia have very different standards.

Now, you don’t have to use those standards if you self-publish – that’s entirely up to you. But if you use a traditional or hybrid publisher, they will generally decide which style they will use and it’s fairly standard that your work would be styled using whatever guide or manual they use.

Now, the reason I’m bringing this up is because a lot of the books we (in Australia) read have the US standards. This includes double quotation marks for dialogue and “no one” without a hyphen. The Australian standard is single quotation marks for dialogue and a hyphen “no-one”. Similarly, the difference between “mom” and “mum”. “Mom” is American and “mum” is Australian (also other countries).

Of course, a self-published author doesn’t have to follow these standards, but I do and I do that because I am proud to be an Australian and I want the world to know that I am an Australian author using Australian standards in my writing. (I even have a disclaimer at the front of my books explaining that.)

So, when you go to publish your first – or even your next – book, perhaps ponder on the style you use and whether you wish to use your country’s standard or not. It’s your choice and no-one should take that choice from you.