Tyche Books Halloween Triple Launch

On October 27th, Tyche Books held a combined Halloween and launch party at Owls Nest Books, featuring three of its authors who have appeared on this blog in the past week: Eileen Bell, Kevin Cockle, and Axel Howerton. 

Here are are some quick shots of the doings, courtesy of Kevin Jepson.

THE JOKER wasn't laughing during Axel Howerton's reading

Owls Nest Events Coordinator Sarah was busy as a bee all night.

Me practicing my ferocious glare

Voodoo priest guards Princess Leia from Han Solo, who is babysitting Chewie's youngest but on Endor. I'm not sure whose side the gypsy was on, or the witch.

All the crazies in costume. Thanks, Tyche Books and Owls Nest Books, for a great evening, and good luck to the three featured authors: Axel Howerton, Kevin Cockle, and Eileen Bell.

New Release Nugget: Kevin Cockle's SPAWNING GROUND

A New Release Nugget is a short piece about one new thing an author learned during the process of writing their new book, something they hope will encourage and inspire other writers as they navigate the swirling currents of creation and publication.

Today's new release is a debut novel, Spawning Ground by Kevin Cockle. He's got seventeen short stories out there, a screenplay, and an Aurora nomination. Spawning Ground is his first novel, and here's one thing he learned during the writing:

“Spawning Ground” being my first novel, the list of things I learned in the process of writing it is pretty long.  That I could write long-form narrative at all.  That you need to trust your writing: can’t be second-guessing every sentence and word choice if you’re going to finish.  But technically, if there’s one tangible step I took that I’d do again - and that might be of use to others - it’s the fact that I wrote SG as a screenplay first.

Movies are external and visual - novels are about the interior lives of characters - but still: a screenplay is basically a structured outline.  “Spawning Ground” started out as a short story (very interior; no act structure) which I wound up optioning to a local film company.  Adapting a short story for a feature film was a really useful exercise in terms of structure and narrative, which was important, since I was trying to create a compact genre thriller.  Characters and neat speculative ideas weren’t going to be enough: the thing had to have momentum; readers needed to have reasons to turn pages.  Plus it’s a lot easier to tweak and re-write a screenplay than it is a novel.  The logistics just made sense.

Having the screenplay in front of me made the writing of the novel a matter of disciplined execution.  No staring at a blank page and trying to think of something: the actual creative work had all been done.  I knew where I was going, which made getting there a lot easier.  The whole process made me more professional in approach than I otherwise would have been.  And it worked, which is the main thing.

About Spawning Ground: 

Genetic perfection has a price: a brutal Darwinian contest of strength and cunning to determine which bloodlines will continue, and dominate.

When Sarah Wheeler’s Spawning Contest is rigged, her breeding and training will be put to the ultimate test.

 Find out more about Kevin

Tiara Tuesday: I see STARS!

#1 The Diadem of the Stars (Diadema das Estrelas), in the Portuguese Crown Jewels


Originally commissioned by Queen Consort Maria Pia of Savoy in 1863 from the workshop of  Estêvão de Sousa - and taking a full 3 years to complete - it is made of gold, silver, and colourless and pink diamonds.  

Its companion necklace of stars, seen here, is missing the silver but beautiful nonetheless. 
   














 
#2  A 21st-century Tiara of Stars

This tiara was worn in 2002 by Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti from Argentina, when she married Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. He's now King, as his mother, Queen Beatrice, abdicated in his favour in 2013, making the wearer Queen Maxima.

The tiara is a combination piece: the base belongs to the Netherlands' Pearl Button Tiara, and the diamond stars belonged to Queen Emma, given to her as brooches when she married King Willem III in 1879.


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New Release Nugget: FURR by Axel Howerton

A New Release Nugget is a short piece about one new thing an author learned during the process of writing their new book, something they hope will encourage and inspire other writers as they navigate the swirling currents of creation and publication.

Calgary author Axel Howerton first came to my attention when his gritty PI caper, HOT SINATRA, appeared on the shortlist for the Arthur Ellis Award in the Best First Crime Novel category. 

I'm a sucker for a caper so there I was, nose-down in the misadventures of Moss Cole, PI. And thus was my admiration for Axel born. Not only is his writing quirky, atmospheric, and subtly hilarious, he's risen from his meek and retiring beginnings to the shady power behind Noir-Bar-YYC. Now that he's the Prairie VP for Crime Writers of Canada, he's also a big step closer to his not-so-secret plan for world domination
 
Here he is reflecting on what he learned while writing his newest, FURR, which bursts snarling onto the world this Thursday, October 27th at Owls Nest Books in Calgary.
 

Research. The bane of a lot of authors, and the downfall of many others. 

 

I tend to do a lot of research, get lost in it even. But sometimes it pays off in ways you can't possibly expect. In starting my new book Furr, I read a lot of werewolf fiction, from Guy Endore's The Werewolf of Paris to short stories by George R.R. Martin and Neil Gaiman. I did research on the Rocky Mountains, the Kootenay Indians, ancient Irish mythology, Chinese symbolism, the American pioneer plains, voodoo, 14th century witchcraft, and the 2014 Dodge Challenger. Usually, I cram all of this stuff into my brain at the beginning of a project, let it stew and simmer for a while, then let it seep into the cracks and corners of the work. Sure, I have to refer back to things, double-check my facts, but once I'm rolling, I'm rolling.

 

This time, having initially written the book in such a short time frame (the first draft was six or seven weeks in the fall of 2015) I had to kind of cram the research in as I went, and I discovered that it helped, rather than hindered, to be doing it while I was writing. Specifically, one little fact about wolves gave me a whole added layer of meaning. There's a repeated phrase: A strong wolf leads from behind. 

 

It's probably obvious what the meaning is, but the genesis of it was something I stumbled on in the 6th or 7th nature documentary I'd watched on wolves, not even really taking in information, so much as trying to saturate myself with the feeling of wolves, how they move, how they look... when something that had never been mentioned in my other research caught my attention.

When we think of the Alpha Wolf, we think of a tough, powerful and vicious animal, stronger than the rest, leading by example at the front of the pack.

What I learned, quite unexpectedly, was that the Alpha rings up the rear of the pack formation, in part to protect the stragglers - the weak and the young - and protect the pack from behind. He doesn't just lead the family into battle or on the hunt, he protects them from the darkness they might not see. That was a profound discovery for me, and fit so perfectly into my narrative that it became the shiny red cherry on top. 

So keep researching, keep immersing yourself in your subject matter. You never know what might find you at just the right time.

 

 

About FURR:  

From the South three sisters fair ran athwart the gloom… Dressed of fur and fierce of tooth, The maidens of the Moon.

Jimmy Finn is having a real bad day. He woke up drunk and on the wrong end of a nightstick. He lost his job, and had to see his shrink. Now the cops are after him, he’s falling apart, and his only friend is a volatile drug lord. How could it get any worse?

As smoke envelopes the city, he finds himself on the run, and out of time. He’s either losing his mind, or becoming a monster. Or maybe it’s both. Jimmy Finn has one last hope. A long-buried family secret, lost above a mysterious town in the mountains, full of bizarre shadows and a strange girl that haunts his memories.

 www.axelhow.com

bit.ly/AxelHowFurr

 

Axel will be celebrating and signing in Calgary on October 27th, at Owls Nest Books (815A 49th Avenue SW) during the Tyche Books Halloween Triple Launch

New Release Nugget: STALKING THE DEAD by E.C. Bell

A New Release Nugget is a short piece about one new thing an author learned during the process of writing their new book, something they hope will encourage and inspire other writers as they navigate the swirling currents of creation and publication.

Today's Nugget comes from E.C. (Eileen) Bell, in celebration of the impending release of her third Marie Jenner mystery, STALKING THE DEAD. 

The first in the series, her debut paranormal mystery, SEEING THE LIGHT  (2014),  won the BPAA award for Best Speculative Fiction Book of the Year, and was shortlisted for the Bony Blythe Award for Light Mystery. The second, DROWNING IN AMBER, came out this time last year. Eileen's short fiction includes the Aurora-winning fantasy anthologies WOMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE  and THE PUZZLE BOX. She edits for On Spec, The Canadian Magazine of the Fantastic.

Here's Eileen's Nugget.

While writing this book, I learned just how giving writers are.

Stalking the Dead takes place in my main character’s home town of Fort McMurray, Alberta. I didn’t want to write about  the oil and the money--everything Fort McMurray is famous for. I wanted to write about the small town that lives, uncomfortably sometimes, with the oil and money. That was the life Marie would have lived, after all.

I took a day trip and found great settings, including a cemetery that backs onto an apartment building where much of the action takes place. Took many photographs, then went home and wrote the book.

Then, it was time for the cover. “Send us a photograph of the apartment building where the ghost is,” I was told. Went through my photographs, and only had one. It was really bad. Almost nothing could be seen through the trees.

I didn’t want to take another 5 hour trip, so I contacted Kevin Thornton, a writer from Fort McMurray. I’d only met him once, the year before. I hoped he’d remember me.

“I just need a couple of pictures,” I wrote. “Of the apartment buildings behind the old cemetery.”

“I’m not home yet,” he wrote back. “I’ll be there next week, and will get the pictures for you, then.”

You see, I had gone to Fort McMurray before the forest fire that nearly destroyed that place. I had assumed that everyone had been allowed back, but they hadn’t. Kevin went out and took photos for me, even though he’d just returned to his home after months away.

The outside of the apartment wasn’t creepy enough for the cover, so I ended up with the one posted here. I love it, but... I will never forget the kindness of a writer, up to his hips in his own misery, taking the time to help me out.

Now, about STALKING THE DEAD:

Marie Jenner is going home.

She doesn’t want to. She has to.

When Marie’s slightly-more-than-boss, James Lavall, decides it is vital that he speak to her mother, face to face, about Marie and all her secrets, she follows him to Fort McMurray to make certain that he doesn’t learn everything about her life before Edmonton.

What Marie doesn’t realize is that her stalkery ex-boyfriend, Arnie Stillwell, has gone home, too. And he’s managed to get himself killed, just about the time James rolled into town, making James “a person of interest” in the Stillwell murder investigation.

Marie’s going to have to figure out who really killed Arnie to get James off. She’s also going to have to figure out a safe way to move Arnie’s spirit on to the next plane of existence, because the last thing she needs is for him to go all stalkery on her now that he’s dead.

Murder can really put a kink in a Jenner family reunion.

 Intriguing indeed.

STALKING THE DEAD is available for pre-order online now for October 25th delivery. Amazon page

Eileen will be celebrating and signing in Calgary on October 27th, at Owls Nest Books (815A 49th Avenue SW) during the Tyche Books Halloween Triple Launch

Here Be Dragons - Well, One of Them

Author of 6 books of fantastical fiction, H. Leighton Dickson leaped into publishing with her acclaimed Upper Kingdom trilogy, set in an alternate Imperial Asia. Given her background in zoology, it won’t surprise readers that her characters blend both human and animal traits. She’s dipped into Steampunk and soared with dragons, and written non-fiction as well. 

Her new book is  

Dragon of Ash & Stars: the Autobiography of a Night Dragon

"Stormfall is a dragon born with a coat the colour of a starry night. When a violent storm strikes his island aerie, he is carried on hurricane winds into the complicated and sometimes cruel world of men. There, his journey takes him from fisher dragon to farmer, pit-fighting dragon to warrior, each step leading him closer to a remarkable destiny."

Welcome, Heather.

What was the first complete story you remember ever writing? How much of it do you remember? Does it have anything in common with what you write nowadays?

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. The first was a short chapter book I wrote in Grade 2 about a hamster who ‘accidentally’ goes to space and ends up saving a space station. It was read aloud by the principal over the PA system at school! (Naturally, I did the illustrations.) More seriously, when I was 13, I wrote a novel that was a knock off of Call of the Wild, and I actually got an offer of publication. My parents thought I was too young so we declined. There’s definitely a recurring theme of zoology and science running through my books.

You live on the Canadian Shield, a land of granite outcrops, dense forests, and quantities of wild creatures. Yet you set your stories in lands and cultures far away from your own experience. Why there? Why then?

I was penciling for DC Comics when I came up with the idea. The title was set - ‘To Journey in the Year of the Tiger’ right when I started the pencils, so it just couldn’t be a Tolkein/Lewis European high fantasy trope. It had to be different and with that title, it had to be Asian. The land and geography was oddly similar between Canadian Shield and the Himalayas – cold, mountainous and harsh. I could easily put myself there. It was ‘alien’ yet familiar at the same time.

 The Upper Kingdom is populated by sentient felines whose culture blends elements of several Asian cultures. The characters’ personal styles are complex and often beautiful. What took you in this direction?

As I said, I’ve had this concept rattling around in my head for many, many years, so the characters have lived with me for many, many years as well. I know them intimately and have been able to add layer upon layer to their stories. And the polarized culture has always fascinated me – the beauty, the castes, the warfare, the elegance. So different from ours but maybe not so different – that’s the allure for me. Finding the commonalities in seeming opposites. And while the characters aren’t entirely human, they are very human in their thoughts, their motivations, their aspirations and their responses. I think everyone finds something about themselves in each of the characters. Race, culture and even species don’t matter in the grand scheme of things.

Your new book centers not on cats but on dragons. Or a dragon, being The Autobiography of a Night Dragon. Dragons and cats are often portrayed as similar in style and attitude. Is there a continuity of your fascination with large cats in the character of Stormfall, or does he soar above such earthbound creatures?

Ooh, good question. I studied Zoology in the University of Guelph, and then worked in the Edinburgh Zoological Gardens, specializing in the predators physiology and psychology. I ‘get’ the predators – always have – so if you’re a fantasy writer, what is the biggest, baddest predator you can imagine? Naturally, a dragon! But is he bad? I wanted to portray a zoologically accurate  creature. Stormfall is a noble killer but that’s the way life has made him. Nature vs nuture is a very basic premise and I wanted to explore that in a big way. In a big, bold, fire-breathing way…

What’s next for H. Leighton Dickson?

I’ve just signed with Podium Publishing (audiobooks) for DRAGON OF ASH & STARS, and they expect it to be released in Jan. 2017. And for new books? Sequels for the next 6 months! SNOW IN THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON by Christmas (I hope) and COLD STONE & IY 2: The Crown Prince in the spring. After that, another steampunk detective series, LOCKE & KEYES, and a steampunk midgrade series called THE STEAM TEAM. I have a very full slate, as you can see…

DRAGON OF ASH & STARS
TO JOURNEY IN THE YEAR OF THE TIGER
TO WALK IN THE WAY OF LIONS
SONGS IN THE YEAR OF THE CAT
SWALLOWTAIL & SWORD
COLD STONE & IVY: The Ghost Club

The Man With the Boy in his Pen

My guest today is a hard-working, hard-writing educator and author of numerous novels for children and teens. He's also got a line of craft books for writers. Welcome, Simon Rose. 

How long have you been at this writing game? How long professionally? 

I always had lots of ideas for stories but never thought about creating my own novels until I became a parent. Around that time the Harry Potter books appeared, as well as The Golden Compass and its sequels, and these books inspired me to create stories about the topics that interested me. The first novel was The Alchemist’s Portrait, which was published in 2003, followed by other novels and books on a regular basis ever since.

You’ve written fiction and non-fiction, history and fantasy, novels and short stories. Got a passion for any form over the others? Why/not?

I’m mostly drawn to science fiction and fantasy, but will most likely always return to historical fiction on occasion or incorporate history into the novels. I have no shortage of ideas in these genres and will hopefully see all of them turned into stories at some point. I’ll probably create some more guides for writers too and have a number of stories for young readers, including picture books, that I hope to publish one day.

Series or Stand-alones?

Until recently all the novels have been stand-alones. Sometimes this

was due to a lack of interest from the publisher in further installments and at other times the story had simply run its course. With some of the novels I considered sequels but was then soon busy on the next project instead. The most recent novels have plenty of potential and these days I tend to plan for at least a trilogy. Flashback will be three books, Future Imperfect may have two sequels, and my recently completed parallel universe saga is a trilogy. The Sphere of Septimus will have at least two sequels but I suspect that may become a longer series, time permitting.

Do you work on one book at a time or multiples? Does the idea for the next book occur in the midst of the current work, or not until after The End?

If it’s a trilogy I try to work on all three books at once, obviously focusing on the first part but keeping in mind how the rest of the story will unfold. If I’ve completed one novel but feel there’s more to the story, I write the next installments at the same time. I’ve sometimes worked on two unrelated stories simultaneously but they’re usually in separate genres and at different stages of completion. 

You do many school visits in person and virtually. What do you find most interesting and challenging about those? What do you hope the students – and teachers - take away from your presentations?

Meeting your readers can be one of the most enjoyable elements of a school visit. Younger students especially are almost always thrilled to meet a published author, especially if they’ve read your books. School and library visits offer an invaluable opportunity to connect with readers on a personal level and in some cases you can make a real difference in children's lives, stimulating their imagination or simply getting them more interested in books and reading. For many of the students an author visit can be inspirational, boosting their creativity and encouraging them in their own writing.

Teachers like to have authors visit the school and share their experiences with the students. They always appreciate any valuable insight into the generation of ideas, the writing process, and the importance of editing and revision. Most of my books can be used as classroom resources and as the basis for workshops and creative writing exercises. Many of these are featured in my book Where Do Ideas Come From.

Awards; you’ve seen a few. Your books have been finalists for noteworthy awards in several provinces, starting with The Alchemist’s Portrait for the 2004 Golden Eagle Book Award and as recently as the 2016 Alberta Book Publishing Awards Book of the Year for Children and Young Adults. In addition, you’ve served on literary juries both provincially and nationally, including for the Governor General’s Award. Talk to me about what awards and shortlistings mean for an author. Is it all about the win or…?

It’s always nice to be nominated for or win an award. The impact this has varies depending on the type of prize or award. Some will make a significant difference in terms of sales, others not so much. The higher profile awards such as the Governor General’s Award obviously make a big difference for the winner, but those on the shortlist might also benefit from the increased visibility for their work.

All authors today have to conduct their own marketing and promotion and even a nomination for an award can be used to raise your profile on social media, generate interest in the nominated book or your other work, get you noticed by the local media, attract interest from organizations or individuals regarding workshops, presentations, or services that you provide for writers, and so on.

However, it’s always wonderful to have your work recognized, either by your peers, people in the publishing industry, teachers or librarians, and of course readers. Some of the awards, such as the Silver Birch Award and the Golden Eagle Award, are selected by school students. If you’re writing for children and young adults you know that you’re doing something right if your readers really liked the book.

Your latest book, Future Imperfect, came out earlier this year. What’s that book about?

Future Imperfect is an exciting adventure featuring technology, teenage geniuses, corporate espionage, and mysterious messages. Most kids these days are very familiar with laptops, tablets, and video games, and don’t go anywhere without their cell phones, so the technology and gadgets that feature in the story make the novel very appealing for young readers. It’s also a very compelling adventure story, with lots of cliffhangers, twists, and turns. 

In the novel we’re introduced to Andrew Mitchell, who was one of the leading experts in highly advanced technology in Silicon Valley, until he vanished following a car accident, which also injured his son, Alex. When a mysterious app later appears on Alex’s phone, he and his friend Stephanie embark on a terrifying journey involving secret technology, corporate espionage, kidnapping, and murder in a desperate bid to save the future from the sinister Veronica Castlewood.

What’s next for you?

My paranormal novel, Flashback, was published in 2015 and two sequels are coming out next year, one in the spring and the other in August. I also hope to start work on two sequels to Future Imperfect. The novel has proved quite popular so far so I want to explore the possibilities of further adventures for Alex, Stephanie, and the other characters that appear in the novel.

I completed a science fiction trilogy about a parallel universe earlier this year that will be published soon. I’ve had the concept for quite a while, but it’s one of those stories that continually improved as it was being written. I’m currently working on a historical fiction adventure set in seventeenth century England. I’m also considering at least two potential sequels to my fantasy novel, The Sphere of Septimus, which was published in 2014. In addition, I’m continuing to work with other writers in all genres, not just those writing for children and young adults, as an editor and writing coach.

You can visit Simon’s website at www.simon-rose.com or subscribe to his newsletter, which goes out once a month and has details of his current projects and upcoming events.

Social Media links

Facebook 

Twitter 

LinkedIn 

YouTube 

Google + 

Pinterest

My guest today is a hard-working, hard-writing educator and author of numerous novels for children and teens. He's also got a line of craft books for writers. Welcome, Simon Rose. 

How long have you been at this writing game? How long professionally? 

I always had lots of ideas for stories but never thought about creating my own novels until I became a parent. Around that time the Harry Potter books appeared, as well as The Golden Compass and its sequels, and these books inspired me to create stories about the topics that interested me. The first novel was The Alchemist’s Portrait, which was published in 2003, followed by other novels and books on a regular basis ever since. 

You’ve written fiction and non-fiction, history and fantasy, novels and short stories. Got a passion for any form over the others? Why/not? 

I’m mostly drawn to science fiction and fantasy, but will most likely always return to historical fiction on occasion or incorporate history into the novels. I have no shortage of ideas in these genres and will hopefully see all of them turned into stories at some point. I’ll probably create some more guides for writers too and have a number of stories for young readers, including picture books, that I hope to publish one day. 

Series or Stand-alones? 

Until recently all the novels have been stand-alones. Sometimes this was due to a lack of interest from the publisher in further installments and at other times the story had simply run its course. With some of the novels I considered sequels but was then soon busy on the next project instead. The most recent novels have plenty of potential and these days I tend to plan for at least a trilogy. Flashback will be three books, Future Imperfect may have two sequels, and my recently completed parallel universe saga is a trilogy. The Sphere of Septimus will have at least two sequels but I suspect that may become a longer series, time permitting. 

Do you work on one book at a time or multiples? Does the idea for the next book occur in the midst of the current work, or not until after The End? 

If it’s a trilogy I try to work on all three books at once, obviously focusing on the first part but keeping in mind how the rest of the story will unfold. If I’ve completed one novel but feel there’s more to the story, I write the next installments at the same time. I’ve sometimes worked on two unrelated stories simultaneously but they’re usually in separate genres and at different stages of completion. 

You do many school visits in person and virtually. What do you find most interesting and challenging about those? What do you hope the students – and teachers - take away from your presentations? 

Meeting your readers can be one of the most enjoyable elements of a school visit. Younger students especially are almost always thrilled to meet a published author, especially if they’ve read your books. School and library visits offer an invaluable opportunity to connect with readers on a personal level and in some cases you can make a real difference in children's lives, stimulating their imagination or simply getting them more interested in books and reading. For many of the students an author visit can be inspirational, boosting their creativity and encouraging them in their own writing.

Teachers like to have authors visit the school and share their experiences with the students. They always appreciate any valuable insight into the generation of ideas, the writing process, and the importance of editing and revision. Most of my books can be used as classroom resources and as the basis for workshops and creative writing exercises. Many of these are featured in my book Where Do Ideas Come From. 

Awards: you’ve seen a few. Your books have been finalists for

noteworthy awards in several provinces, starting with The Alchemist’s Portrait for the 2004 Golden Eagle Book Award and as recently as the 2016 Alberta Book Publishing Awards Book of the Year for Children and Young Adults. In addition, you’ve served on literary juries both provincially and nationally, including for the Governor General’s Award. Talk to me about what awards and shortlistings mean for an author. Is it all about the win or…? 

It’s always nice to be nominated for or win an award. The impact this has varies depending on the type of prize or award. Some will make a significant difference in terms of sales, others not so much. The higher profile awards such as the Governor General’s Award obviously make a big difference for the winner, but those on the shortlist might also benefit from the increased visibility for their work.

All authors today have to conduct their own marketing and promotion and even a nomination for an award can be used to raise your profile on social media, generate interest in the nominated book or your other work, get you noticed by the local media, attract interest from organizations or individuals regarding workshops, presentations, or services that you provide for writers, and so on.

However, it’s always wonderful to have your work recognized, either by your peers, people in the publishing industry, teachers or librarians, and of course readers. Some of the awards, such as the Silver Birch Award and the Golden Eagle Award, are selected by school students. If you’re writing for children and young adults you know that you’re doing something right if your readers really liked the book. 

Your latest book, Future Imperfect, came out earlier this year. What’s that book about? 

Future Imperfect is an exciting adventure featuring technology, teenage geniuses, corporate espionage, and mysterious messages. Most kids these days are very familiar with laptops, tablets, and video games, and don’t go anywhere without their cell phones, so the technology and gadgets that feature in the story make the novel very appealing for young readers. It's also a very compelling adventure story, with lots of cliffhangers, twists, and turns.

In the novel we're introduced to Andrew Mitchell, who was one of the leading experts in highly advanced technology in Silicon Valley, until he vanished following a car accident, which also injured his son, Alex. When a mysterious app later appears on Alex's phone, he and his friend Stephanie embark on a terrifying journey involving secret technology, corporate espionage, kidnapping, and murder in a desperate bid to save the future from the sinister Veronica Castlewood. 

What’s next for you? 

My paranormal novel, Flashback, was published in 2015 and two sequels are coming out next year, one in the spring and the other in August. I also hope to start work on two sequels to Future Imperfect. The novel has proved quite popular so far so I want to explore the possibilities of further adventures for Alex, Stephanie, and the other characters that appear in the novel.

I completed a science fiction trilogy about a parallel universe earlier this year that will be published soon. I've had the concept for quite a while, but it's one of those stories that continually improved as it was being written. I'm currently working on a historical fiction adventure set in seventeenth century England. I'm also considering at least two potential sequels to my fantasy novel, The Sphere of Septimus, which was published in 2014.

In addition, I'm continuing to work with other writers in all genres, not just those writing for children and young adults, as an editor and writing coach. 


Simon is a very busy fellow. You can visit his website at www.simon-rose.com or subscribe to his newsletter, which goes out once a month and has details of his current projects and upcoming events.

Social Media links

Facebook 

Twitter 

LinkedIn 

YouTube 

Google + 

Pinterest

Happy First Birthday to DEADLY DIAMOND

 A year ago today, this photo and the one below

- of me and my dear airship captain - 

were taken at the official launch party for 

Maddie Hatter and the Deadly Diamond. 


Thanks again, Owls Nest Books, for hosting our horde of Steampunks and Maddie fans!

We've had a fabulous and fun year dressing up,  meeting fans, and playing Steampunk games. 

 
It was impossible then to predict how well Maddie Hatter and the Deadly Diamond would be received, or that it would acquire 3 award nominations, including for the Prix Aurora Awards.


Watch for Book 2, Maddie Hatter and the Gilded Gauge, coming out from Tyche Books in Spring 2017.  Check our our teaser photos and keep your eyes peeled for a chance to win an Advance Reading Copy!

I'm already busy on Book 3 in the Maddie Hatter series. No leaks, no spoilers for at least 6 months. Think I can keep my word even though I'm so excited about this story?

For up-to-the-minute news about Maddie and my other writings, find me on Facebook or Twitter