Promotion opportunities

Tomorrow, Thursday 30th August, two months after the launch of my novel The Belgae Torc, I'm being interviewed by the local newspaper.  The idea is to promote me and my book locally and hopefully generate some sales.  The book is available from Amazon.co.uk also at Amazon.com it can also be purchased from Waterstones and W.H.Smith on line and other on-line bookshops across the world.  I am also working with various magazines and adverts will be appearing over the next few months.  My direct sales have been going well and I have ordered more books from my publisher.

The sequel to The Belgae Torc is developing, with 25,000 words written, that equates to thirteen chapters so far.  The storyline is working nicely and the long term plot is in my head, all I have to do is write it all down!  Easier said than done, time being my enemy, work is getting in the way as usual.
The incentive of course is to sell more books and give up the day job, a long way to go yet though but one lives in hope!  Have fun and enjoy yourselves, read a good book, mine hopefully! :-)

Meet Puzzle and Tuppence

This is Puzzle, she is about ten months old.  She loves playing with this toy on a stick, she is adorable but is absolutely mad!

This is Tuppence, she is about eighteen months old.  She deosn't like playing with the toy on a stick so much, she is also adorable but not mad!

They are sisters who have been with us for two and a half weeks.  They get along with each other well, but they have their moments as all young girls do!  Tuppence is the more reserved cat of the pair where Puzzle is too busy to actually stick to anything for long.  Tuppence is getting fat because she eats most of the food and lazes about where Puzzle is far too busy running around to eat.
They met the vet today for their second injections, they know all about vets as they have both been sorted out and jabbed with needles before, but their new vet is great.  He doesn't know it but I call him 'The Wizard'. :-) 
In about ten days time they will be able to go outside, but at the moment we have to keep them in which means doors and windows shut.  In this heat it's not much fun.  We were hoping that 'The Wizard' would say let them out now as they seem ready to venture outdoors, but because of their vaccination it will be another ten days. 
Both cats have come from the Cats Protection, we have rescued cats before but our last cat, Sally, died about eighteen monts ago, she was thirteen years old.  Maria and I both thought it was now time to start again with some new little friends.

Brighton Rock

Just got back from a weekend in Brighton, went to visit our daughter.  Had a great time eating, drinking and being merry, as you do!  This has been the hottest weekend of the year, so drove there and back with the ragtop down, now as brown as a berry!  The car performed perfectly in the heat taking the country roads steadily with loads of go in reserve for the odd overtaking manouvre.
Brighton was heaving with life of every description, it's a vibrant place with loads of things to see and do.  The little shops in the laines, yes it's spelt that way are fantastic, a visit recommended.  Anyway, back now to the real world and preparing for work tomorrow. 

Gordian Knot

The Gordian Knot is a legend of Phrygian Gordium associated with Alexander the Great.  It is often used as a metaphor for an interactable problem solved by a bold stroke.  'Cutting the Gordian Knot.'
I thought this would make a good title for the sequel to The Belgae Torc.  It seems to sum up the plot, but the more I think about it I should probably use this as the title of the third book in the trilogy.  Cutting the Gordian Knot has a satisfying finality about it which lends itself nicely to the last book in the series, so it's back to the drawing board, I need to find a title for the second book in the trilogy.  Any ideas please leave me a message.

A little bit about my novel.

 The Belgae Torc is divided into two parts, part one is set in the Iron Age and what happens here influences  the rest of the novel.  The historical content is based on fact as far as I could go, I have taken what we know about this period in history and added a few of my own ideas that may be worthy of further discussion.  Part two brings us up to date with my main character Orlagh Gairne, an Irish archaeologist, who remains at the centre of much of the action throughout the novel.  Her name came from a Corrs song where the chorus repeats the words 'all again'.  As I listened to the lyrics I thought what fun it would be to use what I heard as the name for my character, so Orlagh Gairne was born.  I'm not going to go into what happens in the novel, you will have to read it for yourself, but those who have already experienced it are already asking me for the sequel.  I see this project as a trilogy, as do my publishers.  Part one began life as the begining for another novel that I'm working on, or was until I had to have a re-think and start the sequel.  Novel number two in the sequence will probably be called The Gordian Knot, more about that in a future blog.  I have a plot forming with strains that will stand me in good stead for the third book, I also have seven chapters roughed out, so it's going well.  There are some old characters from The Belgae Torc, especially of course the main characters, along with some new ones.  A good start me thinks, all I have to do now is get on with it.  More about this in my next blog, have a good evening where ever you are.

Little distractions

Last weekend we, (my wife and I), decided to adopt two little female cats.  Puzzle is about 9 months old , she is a tortoiseshell, her sister Tuppence is a silver tabby who is about 18 months.  They are adorable and are settling in nicely but being so young, Puzzle especially, they like to play during the evening.  That is when I have to write so there I am sitting at the dining room table playing with Puzzle who is on the floor at my feet looking up expectantly.  Her favourite toy is a stick with a little package tied to one end with string, wriggle it about a bit and she grabs at it!  With my other hand I'm typing up another chapter of my new novel, multi-tasking or what? :-)  Tuppence then jumps up onto the table and proceeds to walk over my key board contributing her bit to my new chapter.  Yesterday evening after their supper they were extraordinarily tired, Tuppence went to her bed and Puzzle collapsed on the stairs, they slept for a couple of hours.  It was so nice to throw open the patio doors, sit outside as the sun went down and write my novel in peace.  So many people who have read The Belgae Torc are asking for the sequel, so I have to get it underway, I have six chapters now drafted out and loads of ideas for the plot, all I have to do is find time to get on with it along with all the other things I have to do with the continuing marketing of The Belgae Torc.  Have a nice weekend everyone where ever you may be!

Feedback

Thank you to all who have been kind enough to read my novel, The Belgae Torc, and provide feedback. It seems that the feedback, which is all positive, is following the same course.  You all want to read the sequel.  The good news is that I have ideas and the plot is developing, I also have the first five chapters in draft, but the bad news is of course that it will take me about 12 months or more to write and edit.  I really do need to give up the day job and concentrate on my writing but until I see significant sales that will remain an impossibility. :-(  It would be nice however if my Amazon sales were to improve and sales in the USA get going, then I might stand a chance, but until then its business as usual.  Carry on reading and feeding back, your interaction is much apreciated, thank you all.

The Belgae Torc

  Just a reminder that this is my novel.  It's available on Amazon, so please check it out.  If you have already read it then please leave feedback as I would love to know what you think about it.