November 2024 Project Wrap-Up

Hi all,

The first project that I've done since the last NaNoWriMo is now complete!

The final word count for Game of Air and Lightning is...

76,726 words!

I used TrackBear for the first time with this book, and I couldn't be happier with it. It displays all of my word counts for the day and how much I need to get done to hit my goal. I'm going to use it to track all of my future books.

This project has been sat in my ideas folder for years and I'm so glad that I've finally managed to write it. The characters have finally been brought to life and I'm so glad for it.

The main character, Reema, is dropped onto a new planet with one goal: survive. Her soul has been separated from her in the form of a cat, Smokey. The two of them have to navigate through the planet to the one safe zone, where they meet with others.

The factions of Aerus and Bolt fight against each other to win their god’s favour. But Reema hasn't been brought up with that lifestyle, so she doesn't feel like she fits in with the others.

The story has been written exactly how I planned which makes me so happy! I managed to write everything I wanted to and included a few extras as well. Reema's soul, Smokey, wasn't originally in the plan but I'm so glad that I gave the characters souls. I loved writing about the different animals that people had and how they interacted with each other.

This book is like Hunger Games, so there is a lot of death. I quite liked having so many characters that needed to be killed off in order to propel the story forward. After all, only one faction could survive!

This book probably won't be edited for a while as I have several other projects that I want to edit before that. But when I get to it, I can't wait to get it published! It was an absolute joy to write and a breath of fresh air from the series that I've been working on.

I still haven't decided what I'm going to write next, but I'm not going to worry about that until next year.

That's it for this week! See you next Sunday. 

PS; don’t forget to check out this book bundle before you go!

Winter Nights Fantasy and Sci-Fi

Cat Competition 2024 Winners

Hi all,

The Cat Competition ended on November 1st, and without further ado, here are the winners!

First of all, for Cloud’s Core we have…

Emmylou!

She will be aid Aaliyah as she traverses through the core. She will also have a pair of wings made of electricity which will help her get around.

Next up is Game of Air and Lightning, which is…

Smokey!

He will be helping Reema survive on a completely abandoned planet, only populated with others from a rival faction that want to win a game to please their god. He will have magical wind powers, gifted to him by the god Aerus.

A massive thank you to everyone who entered! All of the cats were adorable and I would love to host another competition like this in the future. Maybe when I need more cat companions for characters, I will!

That’s it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading! See you next week.

PS; before you go, check out this book bundle contaning loads of free books!

A Giveaway For National Author’s Day!

Cat Competition 2024

Hi all,

If you follow my Facebook page or my newsletter, then you’ll be aware that I’m running a competition for two books, Cloud’s Core and Game of Air and Lightning.

I’m looking for a cat character for both books who can help the main characters with their conflicts throughout the books. The winners will be announced on the 1st November!

I was struggling with coming up with cats for the books so I thought I would turn to my readers for help. Why not add in two cute kitties from real life? I’ve already written about Normie and Rocky, two of my cats.

I’ve loved seeing all the cute kitties pour in from everyone and I can’t wait to see who the winners will be. I’ll be picking them from a wheel, the first winner being for Cloud’s Core and the second being for Game of Air and Lightning.

Want to enter your kitty? Or see all the cute kitties who have entered so far? You can find out more details here: Cat Competition

I might do another competition like this in the future if I need more cats as I thought it was a really fun idea! Unfortunately I can’t choose all the kitties but I wish I could. Too many cats could effect the book and detract from the story, which is why I’m only doing one each.

That’s it for this week! If you enter your kitty, good luck! See you next week.

November 2024 Project Announcement

Hi all,

Despite everything that's happened regarding NaNoWriMo, I'm still going to write 50K in November!

My project this time around will be a standalone, Game of Air and Lightning.

This book has been in my ideas folder for about five years. It started out being similar to Hunger Games, until I started adding more details in.

There are two factions, Aerus and Bolt. The two are deities who came to Earth and were worshipped by it's people. Those who didn't believe in either god were quickly wiped out. The main character is Reema, a sixteen year old girl who belongs to the faction of Aerus.

Every five years, both gods choose twenty of their followers and transport them to their homeworld. This is so the two factions can fight and one can be declared an overall winner. For the first time, the two deities pick teenagers and their chosen are taken away before anyone can protest.

Aerus allows their faction to use air magic, while Bolt's faction uses lightning magic. Both can pick a familiar before going into the battlefield, where the fighting will start straight away.

Reema chooses a cat and is thrust onto the gods' homeworld, where the bloodshed is already beginning.

I've had this one on the back burner for years as I didn't want to write a Hunger Games knockoff. I wanted something that was it's own thing. I'm quite happy with the way that I've planned the book now and can't wait to start writing it in November.

I haven't found an alternative to NaNoWriMo that I like yet, but hopefully I'll find one before November. I find that it really helps with my motivation to input the words somewhere and see the total go down as I go through. I'm not sure yet if I'll write again in April and July or if I'll pick a different month, but I've got plenty of time to decide that too.

Even with what NaNoWriMo have done, I'm still going to write. This won't stop me from doing my own challenge and figuring it out along the way.

That's it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading. See you next Sunday! 

PS; don’t forget to check out these book bundles:

Horror Giveaway September!