Greetings, and happy July! I thought I'd combine my monthly update, with my Camp Nano update this time, so this post might get a little longer than usual. Are we ready for an update? Oh good! Let's dig in... Since my last update...Honestly, this month being a Camp Nano month has been a relief, since my main PC decided to die on me, and the rebuild has been scattered with nothing but problems. The RAM arrived damaged and I had to send it back. Then I discovered my Power Supply was too old, and didn't have the required connectors, so I had to wait on a delivery for that part. Then the build kept flagging up various errors, so the motherboard and cpu had to get sent back to the suppliers, and I'm now waiting on testing of those parts. Being able to sit in my living room on a chromebook and just write to avoid my troubles has been a life saver for my mental state this month. Speaking of sitting in the living room, that's also the only place I've been able to write comfortably since my last update, but that's not just because of my computer problems. The UK has been experiencing a severe heatwave, and while the worst of it is due to strike this coming weekend, this past week has been unbearably hot too. In part due to the heat, and in part due to Camp Nanowrimo, I haven't gotten around to the ARC and the freebie book that I wanted to read and review. 'The Stray Spirit' by R.K. Ashwick and 'Autumn Winters' by J.S Malcom. I suspect I'll be able to settle into them around the last week of July, and get my teeth into them properly. Give them both the attention they deserve. Despite all this, despite the computers and the heatwave and the stress, I still managed to slam out over 30k words in the first week of July's camp nano. It's a crazy, unsustainable, way of writing, but I aways o really hard at the word count on the first week of Nano, because I know week two is hell week. Week two is where I struggle, and most often fail, Nano. And my prediction was right. Week two of Nano say me have two days where I logged zero words writing. But that didn't matter, because I had my nice little buffer. I'm still right on track for finishing Changeling by the end of the month. While my Nano word count is sitting at 44k, the manuscript count it sitting at around 65k. That means, I'm over 2/3rds of the way through the book, and still have two weeks to go... and I'm beginning to feel that second wind, so keep your fingers crossed for me everyone! Plans for the coming month...Complete the draft of Changeling, preferably by the end of July, and jump straight into writing Darkling, book two. I find myself on an annoyingly tight deadline right now, so as soon as Changeling leaves my hands for other professionals, such as designers and editors, I'll have to move onto the next book in the series, sans break. Read those books from last month, 'The Stray Spirit' by R.K. Ashwick and 'Autumn Winters' by J.S Malcom. Really my top priority, since I didn't anticipate not having already completed these. I should be able to get to these during the last week of July, assuming I retain my current 4-7 day lead on my predicted wordcount. Without my main PC I've been unable to work on my newsletter, so set up for that will have to be delayed, but I'm hopeful I can get it finalised during the first few weeks of August, after the Camp Nano rush is over and done with. Support An IndieBack at the beginning on June I picked up an Arc, and completed a review, for Andrew Claydon's debut epic fantasy novel, "The Simple Delivery. If you've read my review, you'll know that I found it a joy and a delight, but now Andrew Claydon is working hard on the sequel, and it's nearly time for editing. Indie authors have a lot of up front costs, and editing is just one of them, so if you're interested in checking out the 'Chronicles of the Dawnblade' series, and want to help an indie author out, then hop on over to Andrew Claydon's Kickstarter. There are various pledge tiers for paperback and ebook, and you can get your hands on book and and two, depending on which pledge level you go for. Personally, I'm taking the opportunity to grab signed paperback copies of both books. I already knew I wanted "The Simple Delivery" to grace my bookshelves, being able to get hold of "Strange Companions" and have them signed is too good an opportunity to pass up. So if you've read my review, or are interested in this series, then go and check out the kickstarter pledge levels. There's even the opportunity for add-ons like an digital map, and exclusive prequel content. And if you're really invested, there's even an pledge opportunity that will allow you to become a named character in the book! Camp Nanowrimo sneak peek...!And finally, here's a little sneak peek at chapter 21 of Changeling, book one of the Fey Touched Trilogy... "Stay right there! Not another step closer, or this discussion is over," the vampire spat, and when Lizzy glanced at her friend, she stumbled slightly, surprised to see sharp teeth bared, and eyes flashing a deep red. When Lizzy glanced back at the kavian, Alex was also studying the irate vampire at her side, before he shrugged and pushed his hands into the pocket of his hoodie. "Have it your way, baby hunter," he said with a shrug, before his attention settled back on Lizzy and her heart thundered in her throat all over again. "Your question, Lizzy Hail." "You said... You said that you could make my cooperation worthwhile," she said, and his lips quirked into a shadow of a smile that, once again, didn't reach his eyes and Lizzy shivered. "I did." "How?" she asked. "I think I know why you are here in the mortal realm, and yet so very far away from any of the vampire council's designated outposts," he said, but there was an edge of taunting to his voice that made Lizzy bristle. "That doesn't tell me how you can—" "You are not the first fey called 'Hail' to have crossed my path." "What?" Lizzy choked out, voice breathless and eyes widening. She stepped forward, only Cara's sharp grasp on her arm halting her, "What did you say?"
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Arista Holmes
I'm a writer in her thirties, who is based in the South East of England. Archives
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