An Introduction of Sorts
Being a writer, I’m naturally introverted, but I do love to put words down on the page, so here are five things that will help you get to know me better.
This is my first book.
I’ve been creating tv shows, books, and movies since I was very young. These aren’t the first characters that I created, but they are, without a doubt, the ones closest to my heart.
I was fascinated by a family tree we had on our wall growing up (and which I still have today). Being a history nut, I couldn’t stop looking at all the names from hundreds of years ago, imagining what sort of lives they led. One person, in particular, stuck out. Her name was Jael, and I thought it was a wonderfully dramatic name. I was 19 when I first came up with her character, and she has been with me ever since.
I had many ideas for the places and periods in time that I would set this story, but in the end, I decided that I could have much more fun and explore the story with greater abandon if I set myself free and created my own unique world. So, Osterland was born.
I’m a series nut.
There’s nothing like being immersed in a good series. You’re seven books in, hanging on for the next part. You know the characters so well by now that like they’re friends. You’ve been left on a cliffhanger, and as desperate as you are to find out what happens next, you have to wait… and you do wait because you’re a fan. And the anticipation builds… and then you see the next part in the series is out and you cannot wait to get your hands on it!
The key, I’ve found, is to juggle multiple series at the same time. So, while I’m waiting on Bernard Cornwell to come up with his next Uhtred instalment, I can start the latest book in Giles Christian’s Viking series. Of course, some authors of the big books can take a while to whip up the next one, so it’s a carefully timed balancing act to always have a new book on the go in your series hoard. But a fun balance to get just right!
I love to read big books.
I like the depth they provide. The ability to delve into a story at a pace that feels natural. There’s no need to rush through to a quick conclusion with these big boys. There’s always time for a pertinent detour, whose relevance will reveal itself at a crucial moment when you’ve all but forgotten it.
The thing I learned about big books – and I’m talking about anything over 300ish pages here – is that publishing houses don’t necessarily want to print them anymore. It’s a risk. Especially for a first time, unproven author (like yours truly!). More and more people are enjoying ebooks now, and the returns for printed books are diminishing. So when I realised I’d written a large, doorstop of a book, I decided that ebooking was my best opportunity to bring Winter’s Fury to an audience.
I’m my biggest fan.
I was tempted to delete that subtitle as it sounds really pretentious, which is challenging stuff for an introvert to put out there! But I realised that it was actually what I thought… regarding this book, at least.
These characters have been with me for 25 years. That’s a long time to be percolating their stories. So for me, this story was an opportunity to finally tell their story after many, many false starts. I decided that my true measure of success would come if I ended up with a book that I loved. And I did.
I read Winter’s Fury countless times while I was writing it, and, during the editing process, and as many times as I read those nearly 240,000 words, I still felt my heart pound as I approached the dramatic conclusion. I still felt tears in my eyes in the same places, and I still felt excited at the end, ready to jump straight into book two…
…which is coming soon by the way!
And boy, do I have so much planned for these characters. There are new people to meet, new kingdoms to explore, and more secrets to be revealed as we head into the shadows to try and discover the truth behind the Darkness and the importance of Jael Furyck to the whole of Osterland.
I’m aiming to have it ready for Christmas 2017.
Fingers crossed!