First among thirds

Just prior to Christmas, I wrote a short story following same storyline as the Lisa, Jody, and Holly trilogy. For reasons I can't now bring to mind, I wrote it in third person, past tense. All the other books have been in first person, Lisa, then Jody, then Holly, and then there's Saskia Chandler. Amazingly, I found it quite difficult. It makes an interesting change, and hopefully for an interesting story. As to whether I'll do a full novel like that I don't know. The next short story will probably be from the point of view of Louisa, the Angel's Girl Friday. Now all I need is a plot.....
Ian B 

Time travel and all that

Can people travel in time - apart from moving into the future second by second I mean. If people from the future are standing among us now, we certainly don't know about it - at least at the moment. Be that as it may, that doesn't stop authors writing about it as if it does actually exist - and that includes me.
But what would happen if you went back in time, a few minutes or a few years? There's the old paradox of what would happen if you killed your grandparents before you were born. Many writers have played around with this concept over the years. Theoretically (the whole thing is theoretical at this point) you would cease to exist, never having been born. But if you'd never been born, how could you go back in time to do anything. See the paradox?
What I decided when I made the Saskias able to move in time was that past events are fixed, they can't be changed, you can't bump off grandad because you didn't, and if you were there at that time, it was because you'd always been there.
That would seem to make any story including time travel a bit - well - boring. But what if you had to go back in time to make an event happen as reported by history happen properly, the way it was supposed to. And what if it only happened that way because you were there and made it so? The trick comes in the fact that the girls from 2012 or whatever can't be told what they have to do in 1757 or whatever to make the event 'correct', so to speak - and what if they have just enough lee-way in the way they do whatever is required to get it wrong ....
Naturally, you'll need to read the books to see if they get it right - or is it Whoops Apocalypse?
Ian B

The Magic date number

Today's date is generating a bit of interest. The 12-12-12 thing appears to fascinate people. There is much talk about how we'll never see that particular line-up again in our lifetimes. That's true - as far as it goes. For the majority of us it IS true, but consider; if you have a child under the age of 12 months or so (and a couple of people I know actually have), then if they live to be 101, they will see the 12-12-12 again in 2112. Considering the increase in life-span over the last hundred years, that last is a distinct possibility.
Of course, for the Saskias, the 12-12-12 thing will happen many times. To find out why that is, you'll have to read the books.
IB

End of an era, beginning of another

So there we are. All three of the 'Lisa' trilogy in the hands of the publisher. It's strange to think that that set of books is actually finished. It began over ten years ago in an hotel room in Amsterdam on a day off from working. Then there was the episode of the original publisher. That took almost two years to sort out. Hopefully, 'Holly' will follow 'Lisa' and 'Jody' into the Ebook shops before long.
All is not ended, the 'Saskia' series will be out before too long. There are seven books in that series, with an eight being written, only now and then at the moment, but we'll get there.
IB

A book in the hand ....

Interesting weekend. On the one hand, 'Saskia' has had to be revised again. My fault, didn't listen to words of wisdom. Result - two days of square eyes. On the other hand, 'Lisa' is now out on Amazon as a  paperback - an actual book. There's something about holding an actual book, it feels more real somehow. On the other other hand (that's three hands, Berry!), although 'Jody', 'Lisa' book two, is out in the states and is on Kindle, it isn't currently available to download in the UK in E-book or PDF yet. Apparently it can take up to three months to be available everywhere. Watch this space.
IWB

Formatting and the straitjacket

I've now managed to finish the formatting run of 'Holly'. Why don't you just write the thing in the correct format to start with I hear you say. The answer is to do with the format required to turn the Word file into an Ebook. That is single line spacing without paragraph indents. I'm used to writing for submissions to publishers who insist on 2 line spacing and stuff, and the reason for that, among other things, is because it's easier to read. I have difficulty with the single-line-no-indent, probably my age, can't help that.
Anyway, the format run is useful as it acts as a proof reading and spell checking and so on pass. We'll get there one day.
I've taken to letting the girls write their own comments on their Facebook pages, so now I suppose it's me for the schizophrenia then. Oh well, perhaps I'll look good in a straitjacket, who knows, might start a whole new fashion.
IB

A Trilogy means 3 - doesn't it?

Well, 'Holly' is finished - at least in the sense that the creative writing is done. Now comes the formatting and several runs of proof reading. Then maybe it'll be suitable to join 'Lisa' and 'Jody' to make up the last book of the trilogy.A little sad really, I never actually expected to get to the end. Might not be all over, though. Got an idea for a fourth book in the series. Hm. A four book trilogy. Now there's a thing! Still, as a friend of mine reminded me, remember the Star Wars 'trilogy'? The one that's now six films long, with a possible further three in the pipeline? There's hope for me yet perhaps.

Tunneling

Happily sitting here writing what ought to be the last section of 'Holly'. Currently, the three girls are venturing into the Channel Tunnel to rescue hostages and prevent the tunnel being blown up (if you want details - you'll have to read the book when it's out). I've just remembered another time the tunnel appeared in an adventure story. Remember Mission Impossible? The film, not the TV series. The train goes into what has to be the worst representation of the Channel Tunnel ever. The entrance is so unremarkable, it even has to have a sign saying 'Channel Tunnel' over it. I'm not a tunnel expert but I hope what I write will be a bit more believable than that. Anyway, it's back to the keyboard for me.
Ian B

Strange to see something you've written available for reading by others, makes you wonder just what you think you're doing! Still, no point doing it otherwise. I originally wrote stuff for myself, because I could, I found it interesting. What I hope is that others find it interesting as well. I guess I'll only know when I look at the number of sales.
Trouble with electronic books is that you can't go to your local book shop, pick up a book and say to yourself 'I wrote that'. I think that that's why 'Lisa' will appear as an actual book, on actual paper, as well as for download, I want to hold it in my hand. Sad, but what can you do?

And so it begins. We begin to join the electronic community. Who'd have thought that simply writing a book and getting it published (finally - thank you AUK) would make so much work.
Writing the books is definitely the easy bit, it's all the rest of the stuff that's taking the time at the moment.
'Lisa' has finally been released (or should that be escaped). That should be followed by 'Jody', and then eventually by 'Holly' (when I get it finished!). These three make up a trilogy.
Then there's Saskia. Also in the pipeline, two books at the moment, eight (seven and a half at the moment) so far. They'll be along in a bit.