My Casual Writing Project

Hi all,

This week I'm talking about the newest book that I'm working on, though this one I'm doing a bit differently.

You may remember The Core from a poll that I put up a few year's ago. Street Rats won the poll but The Core came in a close second. I've renamed the book now but it is by no means a final title.

I'm now writing Cloud's Core, which is a standalone book that I've had in my ideas folder for years. Unlike past projects where I try to complete the book as fast as possible, this time I'm taking it slow.

I'm calling it my 'casual' writing project.

That means that I have no deadline to finish and I'm taking it at my own pace. There's no goal to meet day by day or even week by week. I just write whenever I feel like it.

So far, I write early in the morning when I'm getting ready for work and then I don't touch it for the rest of the day. I'm able to write about a thousand words each time doing this.

So far I'm not sure if this is the best method for me as I'm terrible with procrastination. If I don't have to do something, I will just keep putting it off. I think I need goals to motivate me to actually finish a project. NaNoWriMo is great for this as I'm motivated to get the project done every day until the end of the month. At the end of the month I am really tired but the method works.

I don't know if Cloud's Core will continue like this or whether I'll eventually put a goal on myself. But for now I'm happy to test this out and see how it goes. This method might not work for me but it could work for others.

That's it for this week, see you next week! 

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July 2024 Camp NaNoWriMo Wrap-Up

Hi all,

July Camp NaNoWriMo ended two weeks ago and it’s time for the wrap-up! This time I was writing the first draft of Empty Skies #3: Burning Constellations.

My final word count is…

80,082 words!

I wasn’t expecting to go so far over my word count for this book, I was aiming for 75K. But it ended up working out quite well as I could fit in more backstory about The Remnants and how they were treated by the gods.

This book does have a happy ending, which I’d planned from the beginning. When I was writing the first book in the series, the ending was the first thing I came up with. Some might call it bittersweet, but I think it’s the best ending that the characters could hope for.

In this book, Ataraxia discovers more about The Remnants and why they act the way they do. She resolves to try to help them in any way possible when the gods return. She is even willing to sacrifice her own life over it.

Laelaps meanwhile is trying to keep the group together and doesn’t care for the reasons why The Burning has done what she did. He is desperate to get back to his old life and doesn’t want to visit Earth again for a while so he can recover.

NaNoWriMo begins in November and for once I’m not sure what I’m going to write for it. I could do Original Elementals #8: Turf or one of my standalones that have been planned for years. Once I get closer to the time, I’m sure I’ll make a decision.

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

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Willow & Rose

Hi all,

Iron Faerie have published another anthology containing one of my short stories! You can check it out below…

Willow and Rose is a compilation of fantasy, horror and speculative drabbles and flash fiction from authors worldwide.
Within its pages you will find enchanting stories of myth, legends and fairytales woven throughout.
Dive into the magic and wonder of these 50+ tales in Volume Five.

I love submitting to Iron Faerie as the stories contained are always amazing. They always ask for submissions with great themes and prompts so I will continue submitting to them in the future.

This short story follows Sekhmet and her encounter with a man trying to sell Ancient Eygptian artifacts. If you think that this will go down well with the goddess, then you’ll need to read the story to see her reaction…

That’s it for this week, I hope you check out Willow & Rose! See you next week.

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My Writing Playlist Part Three

Hi all,

It's been a while since I've done a writing playlist post so I thought I'd correct that!

Black Mambo - Glass Animals

Gooey - Glass Animals

Wonderful Nothing - Glass Animals

Peregrine - Mako

Maria - Dua Lipa

People I Don't Like - UPSAHL

Mr Fear - Siames

Labour - Paris Paloma

Love You More - Llynks

Honey Lavendar - Iuean

Next Up Forever - AJR

Time Machine - Robyn

Where Have You Been - Rihanna

I think this year's playlist is the most upbeat so far! A lot of these songs I just like to listen to while I'm writing. A few of them have inspired a few short stories that I've written to.

Of course, Glass Animals is on the lost for third time! They're my favourite band and I love listening to their music. They've just released a new album too which I've been listening to. My favourite one so far is Wonderful Nothing. I'm sure their album will inspire some future stories too.

I think most of the songs on this playlist will inspire mythological stories. I'm starting to plan my Norse mythology series and I'm looking into other world mythology too.

That's it for this week! Let me know if you listen to any songs I've mentioned! See you next week. 

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Dragons and Cats

Hi all,

It's been a while since I've written a post about cats so I thought I'd fix that!

In the Elemental Dragons universe, dragons can communicate with cats as they speak the same language. I've mentioned in the past that the two have different dialects but for the most part they can understand each other.

A lot of dragons prefer cats to dogs if they have more of a calmer temperament. This is because they tend to prefer relaxing and snoozing in the sunshine. But they sometimes play, though this gets harder as the dragons get bigger!

The dragons would consider the cat a part of their family, though they don't see each other as siblings. But they tend to have strong bonds that struggle to be broken. Cats can be more aloof, but a lot of times they make it clear that they do love any dragons they're close to.

The one thing that cats hate doing is flying on the back of a dragon. Travelling along the ground is fine and usually preferred for lazy felines. But they don't like being taken up into the air. The wind and cold is too much for them so they will react violently if they are made to fly without wanting to. 

In some rare cases dragons and cats don't get on at all. This may be because of a clash of personality or extreme jealousy. But as long as someone gives both equal attention and is patient, these obstacles can be overcome.

If I had a dragon, I'd like to think that it would get along with my cat, Mishka. She likes being the centre of attention but maybe a scaly friend would make her reconsider!

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

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July 2024 Camp NaNoWriMo Project Announcement

Hi all,

Although it feels like no time at all has passed, July is almost here! That means I'll be participating in Camp NaNoWriMo again. This time, my project will be...

Empty Skies #3: Burning Constellations.

The final book in the Empty Skies series is set immediately after book two. In this one, the origins of The Remnants are discovered and the need to bring the gods back is heightened.

Ataraxia and Laelaps have recovered for the most part from their spats in the second book. But both have become a lot more confident as time has gone on. They are more likely to stand up for themselves and push their ideas more. Ataraxia in particular was already pretty headstrong, but she has matured a lot as the series has gone on. Laelaps was the quieter one but even he has had to open up more.

The antagonist for this book is Medusa, who is working with The Burning to get revenge of Poseidon. I always thought that in the myths that Athena turned her into a gorgon to protect her rather than punish her. So, she will not blame Athena for what happened to her. I'm also thinking of introducing the other gorgons too, but I'm not sure how that will go yet. I might change my mind as I'm writing the book.

I've had the ending for this book in my head for a while so I'm actually quite excited to get it onto the page. I'll be sad that the story is over, but the characters will still make cameos in other books! The Damaged Goods series will be a prequel to Empty Skies featuring the Remnants. It will explain how they got to where they are now and what happened along the way to make them so bitter. In fact, the origin story of The Freezing has been in my head since I was fifteen! I'll be so happy to finally write that one out.

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

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Being Nothing in Elemental Dragons

Hi all,

It's been a while since I've written a post about the lore of Elemental Dragons and I don't think I've covered this topic too much before.

First of all, what is a Nothing?

In the Elemental Dragons universe, a person or dragon whose partner dies is considered a Nothing. This is because it is really hard to exist without the other.

There are a few examples of Nothings in the books, but the main one that's shown is Bluey (aka Muddy). When he's introduced in Venom and Earth, he is shown without a human companion. The group takes him in with them and he travels with them. But he can't get too close to the city without a human as otherwise they would target him as a Nothing.

What happens to Nothings?

For humans, they're immediately thrown out of any camp that they're in if they're under nineteen. All of their work towards their education is discarded and they are forced to enter the adult world with nothing but the clothes on their back. They don't get the same job opportunities as everyone else and they are looked down upon for having a dead dragon.

For dragons, they are immediately taken to zoos or farms to perform as entertainment. They can be ridden on and fed but they are not treated well. They are not allowed to exist on their own in the wild as they are considered a drain on the ecosystem. This is best seen with Russet and Moon in the Elemental Dragons Short Story Collection.

Can two Nothings pass as companions?

At the end of Cinder and Fire, it's shown that Marco and Cerberus have joined up and are passing off as each other's companions. This can be common for Nothings but very few get away with this in the longterm. The ones that do get away with it tend to have the same elements. If their elements differ, it's a lot harder to get away with.

One day I'd love to write a book about Nothings in the Elemental Dragons universe. But before I start on that I'm going to finish the Original Elementals series. Maybe after that I can focus on what the next series of the universe will be.

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

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

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Ten Books Published

Hi all,

With the last book of Celestial Plague published, I have now published ten books!

When I first started publishing I never thought I would ever hit this number. I absolutely love writing and this has been an absolute dream. Every single book that I've written has meant a lot to me in some way and I'm so glad that I can get them out into the world. It's the best feeling to see my books available for people to read!

If you had asked me ten years ago if I would have published ten books, I don't think I would have. My mental health had improved so much and writing has been a real outlet for me.

I don't want to stop writing or publishing and I can't wait to get my next one out. I'm so glad that people are enjoying my work and want to read more of it.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me along this journey and I'm going to keep going!

To recap, the ten books that I've currently published are:

Elemental Dragons #1: Blood and Water

Elemental Dragons #2: Venom and Earth

Elemental Dragons #3: Glass and Ice

Elemental Dragons #4: Cinder and Fire

Years

Mute

Celestial Plague #1: Nirvana

Celestial Plague #2: Heaven

Celestial Plague #3: Purgatory

Celestial Plague #4: Hell

The next series that I'll be publishing is Curse of Anubis, which will be four books. After that, I think that I'll be publishing the Empty Skies series and hopefully some of the Original Elementals series too. I still have loads of great ideas for books that I want to write so I don't think I'll run out of publishing material any time soon.

That's it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading. Another thank you to everyone who has supported me so far and I hope you'll stay with me as I continue to publish books. See you next week. 

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April 2024 Camp NaNoWriMo Wrap-Up

Hi all!

We're now into May which means that Camp NaNoWriMo is done for the month! Empty Skies #2: Freezing Constellations was my project for the month. My final total is...

73,337 words!

I managed to finish the first draft on the second of May so the story is now complete at over 77K words.

In this book, the relationship between Laelaps and Ataraxia is put to the test. They start arguing a lot and going off on their own. The events of this book takes more of a toll on their mental health and the outlook is a lot bleaker at first.

A lot more constellations get introduced this book too! We get Scorpinus, Calliope and Pegasus makes an appearance too. This book is the one that will have the most Constellations in it. The next one will just have the ones that have already been introduced.

The dog pack is more prevalent in this book and Ataraxia is put to the test when leading them. This is one part of what puts a strain on her relationship with Laelaps. But I think the dogs are really cute and I love writing them! I found myself looking forward to writing parts they were in and wanting to add them in more. I'm hoping that in the next book they can really shine.

Yellow, the goddess who won't reveal her identity, is an even bigger presence in this book. But maybe not for the best. She is not keen on helping any of the characters in this book.

That's it for this week! I hope you enjoyed reading. Next Camp NaNoWriMo I'll be writing the last book in the Empty Skies series. 

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The Protagonists of Curse of Anubis

Hi all,

Over a year ago I wrote a blog post about the antagonists in the Curse of Anubis series. It's been a long time but with book one coming out in October I thought now would be a good time as any to post about the protagonists! They are my favourite characters (mostly because three of them are big cats).

Tahira

Tahira is Ra's chosen one who is being watched over by Bastet. She was a mummy (zombie) for the first year of the apocalypse before being 'cured'. At first she's desperate for human interaction and is used by survivors to get past mummies. She is sort of adopted by Bastet and the two have a mother-daughter relationship which grows as the series goes on.

Bastet

Ra's protector who is tasked with looking after Tahira. She is also the goddess that is represented by cats. She is the reason that Tahira is cured and is very proud of her role to Ra. Being his protector gives her a tiny portion of his power that she can use in battle. As his daughter, she's always considered it her birthright to become his protector. She has a rocky relationship with Sekhmet as she defeated her to become the new protector. But as they get closer they find that they develop feelings for each other, though neither of them wants to admit it to the other. She slowly warms to Mafdet, who at first she considers a buffoon.

Sekhmet

Ra's former protector and the goddess represented by lions. Looking strong is her major worry, which is one of the reasons why she has a mane. She considers it a show of power and command, which is why she had another God kill her over and over until she got her desired form. At first she's resentful of Bastet as she is Ra's new protector, but a few decades of having time to think it over has given her a new outlook. However, she still has her famous fiery temper and is prone to running into battle headfirst. Her and Mafdet start off on the wrong paw as Sekhmet doesn't like the fact that the cheetah goddess was always treated kindly by Ra. She is the one who spread the rumour about her being 'Ra's whore'.

Mafdet

The cheetah goddess who is an expert on poisons. Ra considered her a favourite of his and spent centuries trying to court her with no success. Despite this, Sekhmet's jealousy lead to her spreading a rumour about Mafdet whispering in Ra's ear and influencing his decisions. Mafdet is kind and caring but has no interest in interacting with the other gods because of their treatment of her. Instead she's happy enough living in solitude and finding new cures for poisons. This changes when she stumbles across Tahira and helps guide her as well. She acts like an aunt to Tahira and is loyal to her. Eventually she comes round to Bastet and Sekhmet and they are able to strike up a friendship of sorts.

That's it for this week! I hope you're looking forward to seeing these characters more in the Curse of Anubis series. See you next week. 

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