A Year of Writing

Now that we have what is supposedly the saddest day of the year, Blue Monday, behind us, I suppose I can look forward to 2020 with a happier disposition.  I have many things to do over the coming months, including work on our property once winter fades away, and plan on publishing at least three new novels this year.

Ashes of Empire: Imperial Night is coming along, although not as fast as I’d hoped, but that is often the case when I’m writing the first part of a novel.  My pace tends to pick up along with the action.  I’m nearing the 20% completion mark and still hope for a late April or early May release date.

Once that one’s in my editor’s hands, I’ll start on Deadly Intent – Ghost Squadron No. 2 which I’m slowly outlining during my idle moments.  I’m looking at a mid to late summer release date for that one.

What my third book of 2020 will be is still up in the air.  Perhaps the third Ghost Squadron adventure, perhaps another Ashes of Empire, or perhaps I’ll surprise myself by coming up with something completely unexpected.  It happens.  I wasn’t intending to revisit Decker and Talyn after Hard Strike, which ended the Decker’s War series.  Yet they reappeared in Ghost Squadron, the story of the empire’s creation, because I’d already hinted they would be major players in overthrowing the tottering Commonwealth.

And now back to work.  Imperial Night won’t write itself.

A Happy New Year to All

Mrs Thomson and I just returned from our regular scuba diving trip to an undisclosed location where the temperature was 40 degrees Celsius higher than it is here in our part of the Great White North at the moment.  Needless to say, it was a bit of a shock to the system when we stepped out of the airport.  But we’ve unpacked, our dog is sleeping off two weeks at the boarding kennel beside me, and it’s back to the usual routine.

Tomorrow, I resume work on Ashes of Empire: Imperial Night.  The first two chapters were complete, as were the opening paragraphs to chapter three, before we took the great metal bird to more southerly climes.  I’d like to see it in my editor’s hands by the end of March, which isn’t an unreasonable timeline.  Then, it’ll be on with Deadly Intent, the second of the Ghost Squadron adventures.  If you haven’t read We Dare yet, give it a try.  The story is a fast-moving, hard-hitting military scifi story which sets  the scene for the Commonwealth’s impending demise and the rise of empire.

I wish all my readers a Happy New Year.

“Always remember to forget

The troubles that pass away.

But never forget to remember

The blessings that come each day.”