Random Thoughts of the Day

My latest book, Melrose – First Blood, is turning out to be something special. Writing it has taken me to places I didn’t know I would go. I first decided to write the book to try something new and kick-start a different YA series. First Blood is aimed at 16+ YA and is definitely for a slightly more mature audience. It’s also a paranormal story with, I believe, some wonderful twists.

The idea for this book has evolved differently from my other books and at first I wasn’t sure whether it was going to work out or not. But it is. I re-read some the other morning as I wanted to double-check a part of the plot and I surprised myself. That’s always a pleasant thing.

I’m on track to finish the manuscript by the end of July and then it will be a few months to get it cooked and ready. So it’s looking like a fall release for the book. I need to decide whether to launch it before or after my next Xannu book, number three in the series, which is also manuscript ready and awaiting edits and tidy-ups.

Spending a lot more time dedicated to writing this year is proving to be an interesting journey. Seeing what sells and what doesn’t has been a daily surprise. Ultimately it’s the reader who decides what they like and not the author! I just hope First Blood turns out to be the success I believe it will be.

It’s also the first time I’ve written a fiction novel set in contemporary surroundings and not in a fantasy world. I decided to set it in and around the area I live and so it’s been fun using real landmarks for parts of the story. It certainly makes a change from having to make everything up!

So there we go, a few random thoughts for the day from an aspiring author who is determined to succeed. Catch you later.