High speed publishing

The picture is the book cover of the latest book in the Saskia series. If you've read previous posts, you'll know that I've been working to get this ready for the publisher. Wednesday the 14th saw me happy, and the manuscript and the idea for the book cover were duly emailed. Now, our phone line and broadband was down from that Wednesday until the following Sunday. On the Monday I idly looked at my list of books on Kindle - to find Chicago listed! Don't suppose this is actually a record (not phoning the Guiness book quite yet) but you've got to admit it's pretty good. If you live in the US, the book is available on Omnilit as well, but I guess we'll have to wait a while here in the UK. That always seems to be the case.
What that does mean is that I might get a chance to continue with America, Saskia book eight. As far as finished books go, there are two more Saskias, The Race and The Twins, and another one about Rio, one of the characters in the later Saskia books. They'll be along soon enough.
Ian B

To kill a character

Still proof reading 'Chicago'. Got a little more time now I'm back from Oulton Park (motor racing circuit in case you don't know). Actually I'm about to start chapter 16. One of the things I did in 'Chicago' was kill off a character. Not a major one, but Beth Wilson has appeared in every book since 'Saskia'. I found I had a certain amount of difficulty with this, it's the first time I've done it. Not so much the actual death - Beth gets shot - but with the effect it has on the people around her, particularly the two Saskias. The funeral, where both the Saskias and the SuperTwins appear together I found particularly difficult to write. Incidentally, if you want to know how the Saskias and the twins can appear together - considering that the Saskias are the twins - you'll have to read the book. Now going to get the hanky out and continue with chapter 16.
Ian B

Chicago - the book and the city

Writing is only part-time. I have other stuff to do as well. Unfortunately, this 'other stuff' is what pays the wages, so as you can see, I have to set priorities. The 'other stuff' can also get in the way of things like this Blog - hence a certain paucity of entries recently. (Just so you know, 'paucity of entries' means I haven't done one for a while. See how I look after you? That's saved you a trip to Google.)
However, there are the odd few minutes here and there. Now that 'Charity' is out there (STILL not on ebooks.com!) I've decided to begin proof reading 'Chicago'. This is Saskia book five. The title probably tells you that the two Saskias visit Chicago at some point in the story. In one of those coincidences I seem to be surrounded with, the current location of the two Saskias in book eight - which is part way through - is in Vermont, on their way to - yes - Chicago.
I actually went to Chicago some years ago and found it to be a nice place to visit. Perhaps I'll go back one day although I doubt it. I've sent the Saskias on my behalf. So far Chicago seems to have survived - but there's still book eight!
Ian B

Excuses, excuses

Been neglecting blog recently. Got an excuse, been working doing the day job. Two long outside broadcast jobs, both in fields with little or no internet access. Hundreds or thousands of spectators means mobile broadband is usually rubbish. Anyway, that's my excuse - and I'm sticking to it.
Long days means not much time for writing. Done a little bit of work on 'America', Saskia book eight, but currently open on the WP is a new short story for the Lisa website. Called 'One Of Our Tanks Is Missing', it's going to be another adventure for Lisa, Jody, and Holly - not forgetting Louisa, the Associate Angel.
Speaking of Louisa, her story on Kindle will be free to download on Sunday 14th July, as is 'Falling Buildings' in the Saskia series. www.amazon.com/dp/B00DAILFIA and www.amazon.com/dp/B00D7E9RTQ

Lisa's website has been changed slightly. Links to the short stories now appear on the home page. Saskia's website will probably be changed to be the same eventually, but there are rather more stories to deal with there.
The next thing is to proof read Saskia book 5, 'Chicago'. No great rush, 'Charity' isn't available everywhere yet, although KOBO has been sorted out by my publisher and now list all the books - including 'Lisa', which they missed out for some unknown reason. I think Andrews UK sent in the heavy mob.
Ian B

Charity begins in book four

Just as an aside, the fourth book in the Saskia series, called 'Charity' has appeared on Omnilit in the US and on Kindle here in the UK. There are three more completed books in the series, with an fourth in work. There's also 'Rio', that runs alongside Saskia book seven. They'll be along in a while. Meanwhile, Charity

Ian B

The age barrier

Given myself a small problem. Well, not really a problem as such. I've been promoting the two Facebook Pages associated with the two book series, Saskia and Lisa. The original idea was to see who liked the Pages and invite them to be friends. Now comes the problem. Quite a few people like the Pages, but - most of them are young girls! This shouldn't come as a shock really given that the books are aimed at girls aged twelve to seventeen or eighteen. The difficulty comes in that I'm - rather older than that - by quite a long way. In this day and age it's not the done thing, now is it? Truly? So I'll have to content myself with watching the number of Likes increase while my list of friends remains static. Don't want anybody's parents after me with an axe after all.
Ian B

Stranger than fiction

Real life can be stranger than the fiction you write, or at least more full of surprises and coincidences. Take my book series about the two Saskias. As with any book, there are minor characters scattered here and there. Some of them don't remain minor - Rio Ashworth eventually gets her own book - but one who remains in the background, popping up now and then, is Laura, the nurse from the local hospital A&E. The Saskias and the twins meet Laura now and then as they visit the hospital and so on. Now, Laura doesn't actually exist - except she does! The 'real' Laura is a Staff Nurse at Kings Hospital in London. She's even called Laura. I have a quite well defined vision of what each character looks like and does - and that's the real Laura. Staff Nurse Laura appeared in a Channel 4 documentary series last night, and I nearly fell off my chair. Sometimes the coincidences and surprises tend to mount up a bit. Wonder what the next one will be. Oh. The book about Rio Ashworth? It's number seven in the Saskia series so it'll be along eventually.
Ian B