The Blackwater Prince - The Son
He is the heir apparent to the vast estates and riches of one of the realm’s most powerful houses. As such, he had all the advantages expected from a family of such high status.
He never excelled at finance or politics, but he did become an exemplary horseman and quite formidable with the bow, though this did little to impress his father.
Consequently, he was left languishing at home until, in his twenty-first year he was summoned to the capitol to work beside his father, who had become Governor several years before.
He assumed he would finally gain the respect that he deserved. However, he was rarely given tasks of significance with which he could really prove himself and the excitement soon faded. As time passed, his attitude soured and he became more obnoxious, alienating those around him.
Little does he know he will soon be at the centre of the biggest upheaval in the realm for generations. Will he finally gain the approval and respect he has sought for so long, or continue to be a disappointment to his father?
Why this Style?
Before I started writing ‘The Blackwater Prince’, I had recently finished reading the ‘Song of Ice and Fire’ series (yes, all seven books). While I thoroughly enjoyed it, the story moves quite slowly, and there is SO much information to take in.
I had also read a few novels by Matthew Reilly, such as ‘Contest’, ‘Temple’, and the ‘Scarecrow’ and ‘Jack West Jr.’ action thrillers. His novels generally move along at a cracking pace, giving scant time to take a breath between scenes.
I wanted to blend the best of both and create an easy-to-read, engaging story set in a medieval fantasy world. The plot should move along at a decent pace and not burden the reader with too much information. I feel I have achieved that…
…time will tell.
Why this Genre?
I love reading fantasy novels and have done since I was young, with stories that transport you to another world, even if only for a short time. ‘Magician’, 'The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant' and 'Lord of the Rings', to name a few, are on my list of favourite novels.
I also enjoy historical novels, with the amazing ‘Pillars of the Earth’ by Ken Follett, my absolute favourite novel of all time. These types of stories also take you to another world, or at least another version of our world, and most of the time, I learn something as well.
I consider ‘The Blackwater Prince’ a ‘medieval fantasy’, combining my love of historical fiction and fantasy. It should appeal to readers who enjoy both of these genres as well as those not generally into reading fantasy.
Why did I start writing a novel?
I absolutely love reading!
Because of that, I wanted to tell a tale of my own, so my first novel is a story that I would like to read. With ‘The Blackwater Prince’, I really enjoyed developing the plot, creating the world, and populating it with interesting places and characters.
Another reason I started writing was the desire to do something better with my time other than playing video games or watching TV (though I still enjoy both pursuits, just not to the same extent).
Writing a novel was a HUGE challenge, much bigger than I had expected, and I’ll admit I sometimes felt I’d bitten off more than I could chew. However, I persisted, and now I have a complete novel of which I am proud. I sincerely hope people will enjoy reading it.
Despite the challenges, frustrations, and time it took to write ’The Blackwater Prince’, I still enjoy the writing process. I am already working on the next story in ‘The Blackwater Chronicles’ and a novella in a completely different genre…exciting times ahead!
The Blackwater Prince - The Lords
One is the Governor and head of the ruling council, second only to the King in power. He has accomplished nearly everything he has set out to achieve, finishing what his father started many years ago. The other is a confidante and close friend of the King. He is anxiously awaiting his family’s arrival in the capitol for his daughter’s upcoming betrothal.
Aside from the royal family, they head the two most powerful houses in the realm, each gaining immense influence and riches through their far-reaching business empires.
The southern lord wears his heart on his sleeve, leaving little doubt about his feelings. The lord from the north plays his cards close to his chest, revealing little about what he is thinking.
Despite fighting on the same side in the War of Colours, the two lords are far from friends. One could go so far as to say they hate each other. They are heading for a clash that will ultimately decide the fate of the realm, and neither house will escape unscathed.
The Blackwater Prince - The Handmaiden
Although unafraid of hard work, she yearned for more excitement than life on the farm delivered. She loved her family, but at the tender age of sixteen, despite her mother’s objections, she left for the capitol, Twin Falls. She found work in her uncle’s tavern but quickly tired of being groped and propositioned by the men who frequented the establishment.
The gods finally smiled on her when she gained employment in the Governor’s household. Whilst not as glamorous as imagined, it was far better than the farm or the tavern. She worked hard, even garnering praise from the tetchy head cook.
One day, she was plucked from the kitchen to be handmaiden to the Governor’s wife. Her new mistress was a demanding aristocrat, but before long, they became close, much closer than she had ever been to anyone.
Despite her fortunate circumstances, she couldn’t fully enjoy her new life, for she harboured a secret that, if revealed, could have deadly consequences.
Who is the Blackwater Prince?
The prince has barely seen eighteen summers, but he has already experienced more than his share of family tragedy. His older brother and grandmother were missing at sea, presumed dead, and his mother succumbed to a suspicious case of food poisoning. Then, last winter, his uncle was murdered by bandits while returning to the capitol from a wedding in the Greenhavens.
As heir to the throne, he lives a life of privilege. He wants for nothing but resents having his future planned out for him. He rebels, causing strife with members of the court, being in places he shouldn't be, and continually raising the ire of his father, the King.
Little does he know that he will soon be thrust into the centre of an age-old feud that will force him to re-evaluate what is really important in his life.
Do I listen to music while I write?
The answer is a resounding Yes, especially if I’m writing at a cafe or there is other noise around.
I listen to instrumental music. Anything with lyrics is quite distracting, as is music that is too upbeat.
Spotify is my app of choice, and I’ve built up a sizable playlist of suitable instrumental tracks. It consists of both film scores and classical music tracks. At the time of writing, it had 92 tracks and was over 6 hours long.
Some of my favourites include:
Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major - Yo-Yo Ma (Bach)
Concerning Hobbits - Howard Shore - Lord of the Rings soundtrack
Truman Sleeps - Philip Glass - Truman soundtrack
Far Horizons - Skyrim: The Elder Scrolls game
Comptine d’un autre ete, l’apres-midi - Yann Tiersen - Amelie from Montmartre soundtrack
Cosmos Main Title - Alan Silvestri
Princess Leia’s Theme - John Williams - Star Wars soundtrack
When I hear these tracks, I relax and think…time to write.
Let me know if you’re interested in listening, and I’ll share the playlist with you.
What tools do I use to write?
I have various items, devices, software and services in my creative toolbox.
The first draft of ‘The Blackwater Prince’ was written entirely in long-hand using Typo A4 Buffalo Journals, a hardback notebook, and Sharpie fine felt-tip pens.
I find that writing by hand works well for the pace at which the ideas flow out of my brain.
I then transcribed it into Microsoft Word and used the Review/Track Changes feature for editing of subsequent drafts.
However, I have recently begun using several new gadgets and services to make my writing life easier…
- Trello . . . with multiple main characters and intertwining plots, I use Trello for storyboarding the journey of each character and then ensuring the scenes for each are in the correct order when brought together. I also use it to manage and prepare my social media posts.
- MyHeritage . . . an online genealogy platform which I actually use to keep track of all my characters mentioned in the novels.
- Grammarly . . . the most recent addition to my writer's toolkit, this is great for general correction of bad grammar and assisting with rewriting phrases that just don’t seem right. I don’t always agree with its suggestions, but it keeps me honest with what I’m trying to say and educates me at the same time.
- reMarkable2 . . . an electronic paper tablet. I first used it to edit/mark up the most recent draft of The Blackwater Prince. It is now proving invaluable for outlining and writing the first draft of my new book, still all written by hand, without having to cut down a single tree! This is hands-down my favourite piece of technology at the moment.