Tag Archives: rowankind

Scene Analysis – Winterwood

This was first written for Tiffani Angus’ blog when she was teaching creative writing and publishing. Story interspersed with my comments in bold italic. This first scene pretty much sprang into my mind fully formed. When I started to write … Continue reading

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Corwen Silverwolf Speaks

Corwen Speaks: Denby Hall, September 1803I don’t usually get the opportunity to say much. It’s not that I’m henpecked, you understand, but—well—my author is female and she lets my beloved, Rossalinde, tell the story. So it’s nice, for once, to … Continue reading

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My Debut Novel – What I Know Now That I Wish I’d Known Before Publication

My first book, Empire of Dust, a space opera, came out in October 2014. I was excited, pleased and nervous all at the same time. A week or so before publication my author copies arrived, all packed up is a … Continue reading

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The Magic of Titles

I’m on Karen Traviss’ mailing list and her latest missive dropped today. I like Karen. She’s an ex-journalist, down to earth, prolific, and writes some excellent SF, whether it’s a franchise novel or an original. If you’ve never read any … Continue reading

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Digging Deep into Characters and Viewpoint

I’m currently writing a YA adventure set partly in the real world, present time, and partly in the land of faerie (not a nice place to be unless you happen to rule it or be a favourite of the one … Continue reading

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Viewpoint

I’m in a Facebook writers’ group for writers of all levels. Someone asked what the POV (point of view) limit was on a traditionally published debut novel. The answer, of course is: there isn’t one. Sometimes you find prescriptive pieces … Continue reading

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How to Write a Speculative Fiction Book

I’m not going to be able to teach you how to write a book in the twelve hundred or so words in this blog post – even presuming I have the skills. Yes I’ve written books, seven published so far … Continue reading

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Researching Historical Fantasy

The first scene of Winterwood came to me almost fully formed. I knew there was a young woman paying a deathbed visit to her estranged mother and finding that there was still no forgiveness between them. I knew the young … Continue reading

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The Geography of Words

Writing science fiction and fantasy involves worldbuilding. Sometimes we take a concept, strip it right down to basics and invent a planet where the sea is pink, the sky is upside down and the dominant life form has seven tentacles … Continue reading

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An interview first published in SF Signal

I like doing interviews, especially when the questions are both thoughtful and taxing. Carl Slaughter presented me with an intriguing set of questions way back in 2016. I thought I’d revisit them. CS: Your first series is cyberpunk space opera. … Continue reading

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Reading Writing and Rewriting

I was a voracious reader as a child, working my way steadily through the stock of my local public library children’s department. My literature of choice was anything with horses or ponies in it. Some of the books in my … Continue reading

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Submission, Rejection, and my Coping Strategies

I’ve always written. I started my first novel when I was fifteen. (It was dire, and I never finished, but I loved writing it.) It took me years to actually tell anyone I wrote, and even more years before I … Continue reading

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The Long Haul

Now, here’s the thing… when you write a trilogy you are in it for the long haul. To all those people who write a single book, I salute you. It’s not easy. It takes dedication and effort. Now imagine you … Continue reading

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The Truth in Historical Fantasy

My Rowankind trilogy: Winterwood, Silverwolf and Rowankind (all out now, published by DAW) is a fantasy set (mostly) in Britain in 1800, 1801 and 1802 respectively. It tells the story of Ross (Rossalinde) Tremayne, cross dressing privateer captain and witch, … Continue reading

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Looking Back and Looking Forward: 2018 and 2019

It just so happens that my alternate Tuesday blog falls on 1st January 2019, so it’s a good time to assess 2018 and see if I can peep into the future to 2019. I’m not sure where 2018 went to. … Continue reading

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Happy Book Day to Me

My new book, ROWANKIND, is out today. WHOO-HOO! It’s my sixth published book, and the third in my Rowankind trilogy, so it represents a milestone. It not only completes my second trilogy, but it means that my published words have … Continue reading

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Jacey’s Quick Book Links

With the publication of Rowankind just a few days away (27th November), I thought I’d post links to all my books. Obviously the (not-so-hidden) subtext is, go out and buy them, but seriously folks, those advance orders for a new … Continue reading

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Winterwood Chapter One – Read it Here

In anticipation of the publication of Rowankind, due on 27th November, the third book in my Rowankind Trilogy, I offer for your delectation, the first chapter of Winterwood. It’s the beginning of the trilogy, Rowankind is the finale – with … Continue reading

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Gentleman Jim Speaks Out

The Rowankind books, Winterwood, Silverwolf and Rowankind (the latter due in December 2018) are narrated by Rossalinde (Ross) Tremayne, but every now and then one of the other characters likes to have his say. You can find Corwen’s piece here. … Continue reading

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Finish What You Start – Or Don’t

Unless you stop faffing about re-writing the beginning of your story/novel, you’ll never finish it. Believe me, I know this. I am an expert in faffing around. I’ve spent untold hours/days/weeks/months getting the start of my novels just right. Sometimes … Continue reading

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Book Covers

The page proofs for Nimbus just landed in my desk, so I’m a bit busy this week, so rather than rushing to write a post I thought you might be interested in my book cover illustrations for the Rowankind trilogy, … Continue reading

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What times we’ve lived through.

My grandma’s house was a miner’s cottage in Mapplewell, probably built in the mid to late Victorian period. It was red brick, two up, two down with a toilet in the yard. There was a cellar with a freshwater spring … Continue reading

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Rowankind Delivered

On Friday night I sent off the final edited version of my upcoming novel ROWANKIND. Let me say that again because it never gets old. On Friday night I sent off the final edited version of my upcoming novel ROWANKIND. … Continue reading

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Cover Reveal Rowankind

Cover reveal: Rowankind, the last book in the Rowankind trilogy is due in November from DAW. Need to read the first two? They are Winterwood and Silverwolf in that order.  The cover illustrates Ross (Rossalinde) with Corwen the wolf shapechanger … Continue reading

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The Gift That Keeps on Giving

My first book, Empire of Dust, launched on 4th November 2014 from DAW and, boy, was I excited. I’d waited a long time for that moment. When I got the first review , from Publishers’ Weekly, no less, I read … Continue reading

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Pleasantly Pleasing Progress

I’m delighted to say that I’ve beaten my February 28th deadline and already delivered a draft of Rowankind to my publisher. OK, only 3 days ahead of schedule, but AHEAD is the important word here. Of course the book isn’t … Continue reading

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Beginning at the Beginning

I’ve always been particularly fascinated by book-beginnings. One of my favourite opening sentences is the one which opens John Wyndham’s The Day of the Triffids: When a day that you happen to know is Wednesday starts out by sounding like … Continue reading

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It’s Official!

With the Psi-Tech Trilogy completed, and Nimbus now in the shops, I’ve signed a contract for the third Rowankind book, called simply: Rowankind, and due for publication in late 2018 from DAW in the USA. It follows on from Winterwood … Continue reading

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IAm/Am Not a Word Machine

A reprint from a blog I did for Emerald Musings back in February 2017 – with updates. Douglas Adams famously said: ‘I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.’ That may have worked for … Continue reading

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Due Process

My publishing process goes like this: The publisher offers a contract (negotiated by my agent) which may be for one, two or three books, and on signing I get half the advance. My agent takes the agreed cut and I … Continue reading

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Committing Trilogy

As I write this blog post I’m editing and polishing my third Psi-Tech book, Nimbus, the last in my trilogy of space operas (though there may be more ahead set in the same universe—it’s too early to tell, yet.) It’s … Continue reading

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Silverwolf Cover Reveal

I’m so excited to be able to reveal the cover of my upcoming book, SILVERWOLF, second book of the Rowankind. Due on 3rd January 2017 from DAW, Silverwolf follows on from WINTERWOOD in which Ross, my cross-dressing privateer captain has … Continue reading

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Winterwood Cover Revealed at Fantasy Book Cafe

I’ll be putting the cover of Winterwood up here in a few days but in the meantime there’s an exclusive cover reveal at Fantasy Book Cafe.

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Winterwood Page Proofs

I’ve been concentrating on the first draft of Silverwolf, the second novel in the Rowankind sequence, which will follow on from Winterwood, due to be published in February 2016. Now I have to break off because my final obligation to … Continue reading

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