The Belgae Torc book cover image

This is the image of the torc that I used on the cover of my novel The Belgae Torc.  It's the closest picture that I could find based on my description in the book.  I didn't see this torc before I wrote the story, just relied on imagination.  It's pretty close to how I saw it, maybe a bit lighter.  The animal heads in my book are horses and there is a clasp between them, but I won't say too much as readers may want to imagine it as described.
This ancient artefact can be found in the Louvre in Paris.
I particularly like the way the colour on the cover is graded from white to gold and the gold and black lettering looks cool too. 
What do you think?

BBQ in France

I can feel the warmth of the sun and taste the wine, the BBQ smells good and life is easy.  Oh how nice it would be to live like that all of the time!
This picture was taken a couple of summers ago in the Limousin.  Happy memories.

Leaflets and bad weather

Just been out in a howling gale delivering leaflets advertising my novel.  My wife thinks I’m mad but the leg work has to be done.  Writing the novel is the easy bit, letting people know it’s there and getting them to buy it is the hard work. 

Anyway, here is some more of my artwork.  This one is painted using acrylics on a box canvas.  Size: approx 500mm x 500mm.  Its a 'monochrome' using burnt sienna and white.  I wanted to capture the old sepia look as this lady is from the 1920's.

How many legs?

I painted this picture from a photograph.  There is one dancer, the photo was taken using a delayed lense setting or something?  Not really into photography, but I liked the picture.  I found it both interesting and satisfying to paint.  The medium is acrylic on board, size approx 600mm X 450mm

News

Found this the other day and thought it very amusing. I can see some characters here so might have to write a book based on this image!
Update on the sequel to The Belgae Torc; 42000 words in first draft, characters and plot developing.  This novel is just over a third complete and I'm planning the third book in the trilogy as I go by slipping hooks etc into the plot.  I know how book three will start and I also have a dramatic ending planned.  Book two has a working title of The Gordian Knot and book three Cutting the Gordian Knot.  These titles will be backed up by The Torc Trilogy, which will be clearly printed on the cover of each book.
In January I will start the final edit of my second novel The Witness, I'm hoping to have it published by Easter.

This novel is a psychological thriller based in Scotland and London.  Meet Josie MacDonald, my main character.  Painted with acrylics on canvas, this will feature on the cover of the novel.

So as you can see, so much to do with so little time in which to do it!

New Advert

I have just finalised the advert which will go into World Archaeology Magazine next month. This ad is specifically aimed at readers in the USA, but it’s also sold in the UK. It has a readership of 75,000, all of whom love history, so hopefully sales of my novel The Belgae Torc will not only continue on Amazon in the UK but also in America. The Belgae Torc is also available at Barnes and Noble; either order from their web site or go into one of their shops. The sequel continues apace with just over 40,000 words now written. The plot continues to develop in my head and the excitement is building. I’m setting up plots that won’t be revealed until the final book, and I know how it all ends. (If I told you I would have to kill you)!

Small acorns and great oaks.

Commission payment safely in the bank, it won’t go far though but from small acorns do great oaks grow. Well hopefully! Trying to write another chapter of the sequel to The Belgae Torc. Have about 40,000 words that seem to be the right words, have just written 2000 more but they don’t seem to be the right words! Red pen job me thinks. Editing is a wonderful thing, at the stroke of a red pen whole paragraphs can fall by the wayside. Often sections appear written with that same red pen along with directions in the margin indicating to where they should go. What is stronger I ask myself, the sword or the pen? I think better people than I have answered that one. My manuscripts get red penned more than once before I’m satisfied. When I was teaching creative writing I couldn’t stress enough how important editing was, it’s a pain but a necessary one. I must get on as I have another 80,000 words to write.