The Final Edit!
Okay…it’s official. The professional edit of ‘The Blackwater Prince’ is underway, courtesy of Leschenault Press.
I’m eagerly awaiting their feedback, but having a professional examine my prose in detail…scary!
Work on the cover will begin soon as well…exciting times ahead.
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Publishing Announcement
As you all know, the road to publishing my debut novel has been a long one with a few bumps along the way. However, I am now pleased to announce I’ve signed with a new publisher, Leschenault Press to assist me with publishing The Blackwater Prince under their Book Reality imprint.
Watch this space for updates as the publishing process progresses over the next few months and continue to join me on my journey to being a published author.
UPDATE
It’s been a while since my last post, and I apologise for that. There were issues with my publisher (which I won’t go into here) that have caused them to go into liquidation.
Unfortunately, this bad news means I will either have to find a new publisher, which may take some time, or soldier on and self-publish. While self-publishing is not ideal, I have learned quite a bit about it in the past few months, so it's definitely a viable option.
My plan is still to publish The Blackwater Prince in 2025, it’s just the timing may change as I have to decide on the path I'll follow. I sincerely hope you will stick around and continue to follow my journey to becoming a published author.
Onward and upward.
Books I’ve Read so far in 2024
Books I’ve Read so far in 2024
In the first half of 2024 I read 23 books!
I didn’t realise I’d read/listened to so many, though the audiobooks can stack up when you have an hour in the car per day travelling to and from work.
The highlights so far this year:
”Armour of Light” by Ken Follett (of course)
“Tuesdays with Morrie” by Mitch Albom
“Treasure and Dirt” (audio) by Chris Hammer
If you want to see the full list, go to my Reading page.
The Blackwater Prince - The Companion
She is the cousin and constant companion of the King’s only daughter, acting as friend, handmaiden and confidante.
Her position alongside the princess is controversial at best, hated at worst. Many a noble family would move heaven and earth for their daughter to be the lady-in-waiting to the princess, and most cannot understand why a girl of such lowly status holds such a lofty position.
She counts herself fortunate given the scandal surrounding her birth. She may have royal blood, but it counts for little. However, the royal family welcomed her from a young age where she and the princess grew up like sisters, much to the dismay of many members of the court.
Currently being schooled far from the capitol, their safe haven may not be so safe for much longer. She is young, barely fifteen, but she must find the courage to survive and protect the princess as the realm descends into chaos.
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.