The most important event of 2019, is happening in the next few weeks. My wife is expecting our second child. She and I have been preparing for this event and very much looking forward to it.
But as well as this, 2019 has also been an extensive writing year.
At more or less the start of the year I found myself working hard on the latest re-write of my first book ‘Alyssa’. From January until May I worked on the re-write, refining the story elements and applying Brad’s excellent suggestions to the character, structure and direction. The result, as I’ve said before, was the same story just better told. I once again acknowledge Brad’s excellent help in this; he really took hold of the detail of the story and made it considerably better. I hope once it’s released, you’ll think the same!
A few months later in July Brad sent through the second edit. This was a more minor review, with small details picked out here and there. This was a further refinement what had already been changed. I duly replied again at the end of August with my modifications.
This final edit was then officially submitted to the copy editors of Boyle and Dalton themselves.
Whilst waiting for Boyle and Dalton to get back to me, I took part in 3 separate writing competitions. 2 of them were ‘Kings of War’ related; a wargame system developed by Mantic games that I have an extensive interest in. The other was for Black Library, a Sci-fi publisher run by Games Workshop, another wargames company.
I immensely enjoyed writing these pieces, one of which is included below.
Sadly none of these applications were successful, but It was good to have something to write in between waiting on edits.
At the end of November, I was contacted by Boyle and Dalton with the final copy-edit, that included minor modifications to the book before the transcript is officially sent for formatting. As of last week, I completed my review of the manuscript and sent it back to Boyle and Dalton.
With Christmas just around the corner, now I play the waiting game for the next stage of this journey.
2020 is going to be an interesting year. Not only because I will be a father for a second time but also that Alyssa will be re-released, fully rewritten. Juggling commitments will be hard, but to have both these wonderful events in the same year will be a truly marvellous experience.
I leave you now with my fiction submission for the Kings of War competition. I hope you enjoy.
A very happy Christmas to you all, and to all a Happy New Year.
Till next time.
Charge of the Fire Elite
“With flaming hearts!” Dorack bellowed, kicking his spurs into the flank of his charger.
“And burning blades!” came the reply as he and his Rhinosaur borne brethren descended on their enemies.
They struck with the force worthy of their ancestors; the charge’s effect on their target was nothing short of devastating. Skulls were shattered and bones ground to powder as the horns and pounding feet of the Elite Salamander cavalry impacted. The deathly constructs seemed to simply fall apart, one moment whole the next blasted to oblivion by the monstrous reptiles; Dorack hardly had to swing his sword.
On they rolled, carried by their fearsome momentum through the skeletons. They might not be the quickest, Dorack thought to himself in those fleeting moments, but they could not be stopped! The second rank of undead fared no better, and neither did the third, crushed to pieces by the thundering mega-lizards. Before he knew it Dorack’s cavalry had smashed clean through the undead cohort and was out the other side, trailing dust, shattered bone and broken blades.
Before them, a Balefire catapult lay exposed.
If the undead crew were aware of their peril, they gave no outward sign. Almost leisurely the dead men were reloading their weapon, dead eyes not even looking in the direction of their coming doom.
On Dorack drove his comrades, his warriors keeping pace and forming a phalanx of vengeance, trailing dust as they rumbled onwards. At this rate they would roll up the whole of the enemies flank!
“Death and doom to the living!”
The challenge did not come from his comrades; it was not the second verse of their War Song. Dorack had to steady himself in the saddle as the booming bow wave of the voice struck him, as if a physical blow.
There, upon his exposed flank, a troop of Soul Reaver Calvary bore down upon him, seeking to blunt his charge.
Bearing his teeth, Dorack roared, and pulled the reins of his mount with all his might. He hissed burning smoke as his steed fought him, caught by its own momentum, bellowing it’s anger at being denied the opportunity for more destruction.
But by a supreme battle of wills, impossibly, Dorack the Ancient of Clan Fire Peak, turned it. His muscles straining and eyes blazing white fire, he pulled the mass of enraged Rhinosaur round toward its new enemy. Those warriors on his left and right did likewise, seeing their pack leader twist toward the danger. There’s was the easier task now that their leader had shown the way.
Dorack took up the second verse as the two forces rocketed toward contact with each other.
“Winter’s woe!”
“Her doom in fire!” came the reply.
With a thunderclap, the two forces met.
To his right one of his brethren’s steeds reared up, the Rhinosaur kicking it’s legs before crushing down on a Reaver steed and rider, obliterating both in a burst of smashed bone and hissing vampire dust. On his left a Salamander ancient took a lance to the heart as his opponent avoided the horns of the Rhinosaur and struck the killing blow with frightening speed. Dorack’s mount rammed a skeletal horse casually out of the way, and they both came face to face with the vampire leader. Helmetless, the war leaders pale features regarded Dorack with cold fury from atop his undead mount.
“Some sport at last!” He hissed, dropping a broken lance and drawing his sword, a heavy steel blade that trailed icy blue mist as it left it’s sheath.
Dorack willed his inner-flames into his axe blade. The flame sparked from within the blade, crackling with power and burning white hot for a moment before cooling to a hissing orange glow. Dorack rolled his shoulders before allowing his eyes to blaze.
He spat a globule of fiery flame in contempt.
“You are wrong.” Dorack said.
He smiled, showing sharp teeth.
“I shall prove myself more than mire sport!”
Both rider and mount leapt forward, and the blades of the Salamander and the undead met in a shower of sparks.
