THE FINISHING LINE!

 

THE FINISHING LINE!

I'm almost there. "At last!" I hear you cry. That's how I feel too. After more than two years working on this book it's almost ready to go to the printer. I've no idea why it's taken so long - I have usually managed to produce a book a year. All I can say is, I think it's going to be worth the wait.

This isn't the final cover, just my rough idea of how it could look. I will reveal the brilliant cover that my designer has produced as soon as it's confirmed.

Be ready to immerse yourself in a tale that encompasses questionable dealings in a sanatorium and even dodgier artefacts being palmed off by a dubious Egyptian. All of which taxes DI Sonny Russell to the hilt.

Talking of whom... This is my late uncle - Sonny Russell - who is the inspiration for the detective in my books. He was a lovely man and most aptly named.

EDITOR, EDITOR!

 EDITOR, EDITOR!

As previously announced, I finished book seven in the DI Sonny Russell series of crime mysteries at the end of last year. Now comes necessary but the arduous task of re-reading, editing and generally improving the manuscript.  

I am exceedingly fortunate in having an inhouse editor. My wife, Greer, was a journalist and reporter from when she left college then spent 25 years as a sub-editor on the prestigious Daily Telegraph. She has been going through my book with a fine-tooth comb, picking up on all the mistakes and omissions I've made and making valuable suggestions to further enhance the narrative.

My current job is to input all her hard, detailed work so the story not only flows, but makes sense.

In addition, we've been discussing the final title of the book. While I've been writing it the working title has been BLOOD ON THE NILE, as some of the narrative revolves around stolen Egyptian treasures. However, as much of the book, in line with the previous titles, revolves around Rye and Rye Harbour, we thought it more appropriate to reflect this and it seems probable that it's going to be changed to BLOOD ON THE RIVER BANK, or something similar. Hopefully we will have decided by the end of the editing process. 

 LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

    My poor readers. You've been eagerly awaiting the next book in the DI Sonny Russell series of crime mysteries and I've kept you hanging around for much longer than I usually do between books. I don't know why this one has taken so long - almost two years already. 

    It started well, with a good strong thread revolving around dubious goings on in a sanatorium, then a second thread dealing with Egyptian artefacts someone was trying to sell, which might have been stolen and might or might not be genuine. Somewhere along the line writing slowed to a crawl as I was struggling to find a way forward. It wasn't writers block, as such, but I couldn't even see the tunnel, let alone the light at the end of it. But, at last, the writing has gathered pace.

    In my usual way, I write as a reader - keen to discover what's coming next. Interesting ideas came out of the blue, including a new character, an Assistant Chief Constable, who has requested Russell's help in a sensitive case. This only happened about twenty pages ago and has helped the narrative immensely. 

    I have just passed the magical 75,000 word mark so feel I'm on the home straight. So saying, I'd better get on with writing it!

Puttin' on the Style

PUTTIN' ON THE STYLE

Although 'style' does relate to the way I, and others, write, this may be a slightly misleading title as it's more about accents. 

Dick Strawbridge/Inspecteur Guillaume Bruissement

In my series of crime novels set in the 1950s my detective, DI Sonny Russell, has an opposite number based in Boulogne called Inspecteur Guillaume Bruissement. Throughout the books they becoem firm friends and Bruissment often helps with tricky international cases. Although not slavishly based on him, I have a picture in my mind of the tv personality, Dick Strawbridge, when I portray him. I guess there's a little of Poirot too and I like to mix French with English when I write his dialogue, as if he's thinking in both languages. This brings up its own set of challenges as he frequently drops his aitches and mixes his languages and parts of speech. But he is fun to write him and try to make him sound real.

One of the things I try to get right is the necessary accents when inserting French words. I do hope I succeed and I'm sure my readers will let me know if I get it wrong!

 

EGYPT BECKONS

 

EGYPT BECKONS

In my last blog post I talked about the struggle I've been having with my latest work-in-progress, Blood on the Nile. Well, you'll be pleased to know I'm making steady progress and approaching the half-way mark. Whoopee! Only another 40,000+ words to go. But I've got to the point where I have to decide if DI Sonny Russell will actually have to go to Egypt. If he does travel to the Middle East, I feel it will make for an interesting read but... it will involve me in some serious research.

 I've been watching a lot of documentaries about Egypt so I feel I'm partway there. It's a fascinating country with an incredible history but what's most amazing is the experts feel they've only just scratched the surface and there are still myriad treasures to be uncovered. In one programme I watched, an American scientist, using thermal imaging drones, uncovered huge areas of urban development buried under the sand. However, this is now, with modern technology, and I'm still in the 1950s, so not very far removed from the explorations of Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon and the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun. So, more research is need but that is something I really enjoy. Now to find out how Russell will travel to Egypt and who he will liaise with when he gets there.

And, as an aside, for my loyal readers, do you have a picture in your mind's eye of the DI? Well, naturally, I do. He's inspired by my late uncle, Sonny Russell, who I remember as a lovely, cheerful man, always with a smile playing about his lips. 

ANYONE AT HOME?

 ANYONE AT HOME?

I haven't written a blog post for a long time - not sure why. In fact I don't seem to be writing anything as intensely as I have in the past. Book seven, provisionally titled BLOOD ON THE NILE, is making much slower progress than the previous six. I guess I've just been concentrating on other projects. But, as my blog seems to be getting quite a number of views lately I thought I'd better write something.

The provisional title of the book may be a little misleading. The reason is that my detective, DI Sonny Russell is tasked with tracking down the origin of some Egyptian artifacts that are thought to have been obtained illegally. His boss, Superintendent Stout, thinks he's the right man as he was out in the East during the war, despite Sonny's protestations that Egypt is a long way from where he was stationed. Now, if I was a full-time writer, with a decent income from writing, I could justify a trip to Egypt for research, but as I'm only a poor part-timer it's unlikely to happen. So It will be the usual Google and Wikipedia searches for information.

As with my other books I try to weave several story threads together and the title of this post is a reference to another of those. Briefly, a man is found dead beneath the cliffs at Pett Level (I'm not giving anything away as this happens early in the book) and a nearby 'sanatorium' comes under suspicion. Strangely though, when the police return, the building is empty and the neighbours can't help. I've just posted on social media, asking where to find information about the ownership of the house and almost immediately a number of people have come back. The Land Registry seems the best port of call. I won't need to actually follow it through - this is fiction, after all - but I now know where the police need to go.

MORE RESEARCH

 MORE RESEARCH

CARAVANSERAI

Now that BLOOD ON THE DUNES is - almost - done and dusted, I've started thinking about the next book. Blood on the Tide was inspired by my narrow gauge railway layout, Compass Point, Blood on the Strand by Castle Quay, my Rock-a-Nore based layout in a winebox. So as I'm currently building Caravanserai, an Egyptian themed layout, my thoughts turned towards North Africa.

SUEZ CANAL

I've mentioned in the previous books that DI Russell spent time in the East when he was in the army during WW2 although I didn't specify where precisely. However, I did say that was where he found an interest in Eastern philosophy and vegetarianism, so I doubt it was Egypt. But, I'm wondering if he might have had a colleague who stayed on and joined the Egyptian police. My thoughts are turning to the possibility that ancient relics are being looted and smuggled into the UK. This would allow the narrative to swing between England and the East.

Obviously he'll need to be able to get there easily so another part of my research involves looking at means of travel and, it seems, British European Airways may well have flown there in the 1950s. The other thing which has piqued my interest is the Suez crisis, which could provide a rich seam of information. Although that was over by 1957, I'm sure I could include some of it on the book.

Anyway, it's early days yet so there's lots of fun ahead.

CHARCOAL & PLAGIARISM.

 CHARCOAL & PLAGIARISM

Burning charcoal

Why the strange dual title you may ask? Let me explain. In my current work in progress, BLOOD ON THE DUNES, the main character, a runaway from a children's home, is hiding in the woods. He has a copy of Baden Powell's Scouting for Boys which he's read from cover to cover and is skilled in woodmanship and all manner of outdoor skills. So he plans to build a shelter, a bivouac, so he can stay concealed. He pushes deeper into the woods and is delighted to discover a readymade shelter. He doesn't realise that's it's an abandoned Charcoal burner's hut.

Construction of a charcoal burner's hut

Charcoal burning is an ancient tradition going back over 3,000 years. It was discovered that charcoal provided sufficient heat for iron-smelting, glass-making and working with precious metals. It was the discovery that charcoal could be used to smelt tin and copper together, hence the Bronze Age, which lasted from c3,500-800 BC. It continued to be used into the Iron Age although as this required much higher temperatures, coal and coke rapidly replaced it from about 1700 onwards. The production of charcoal then went into decline and almost died out until a revival during WW1 when it was used extensively as a filter in gas masks. Again, the craft faded away until a brief revival for the same purpose in WW2. Nowadays production is limited to the use on barbecues and in some incenses.

A charcoal burner's hut

So much for the history lesson, now to plagiarism. I wrote about a couple of  felons who took shelter in a charcoal burner's hut after a train robbery in BLOOD ON THE SHRINE, but didn't go into much detail. But, I went back to that book and 'borrowed' some of what I'd written for inclusion in the new book. I must stress that I haven't copied it verbatim, just used some of the ideas I'd written down. It also sent me down a research rabbit hole looking into the ancient craft. Here's a link if you'd like to know more. 

New Forest Charcoal Burners - Real New Forest Guide

WRITER'S RESEARCH

 WRITER'S RESEARCH

As a writer I think it's really important to get all the details in a book right, even if it's a work of fiction. Subsequently I spend a lot of time researching all sorts of odd and esoteric things, many of which never get used. But, it's something I really enjoy doing. In the past I would have had to spend a lot of my time in the library doing this research but, now we're in the 21st century, most of it can be done online. As they say, 'Google is your friend.' Also, Wikipedia is a resource I turn to frequently.

Canadian Club

In the book I'm currently writing the skeleton of a Canadian soldier is revealed in the dunes after a violent storm. Later a bottle is found nearby and Lewis, the forensics man, is tasked with identifying it. Turning to Wikipedia I was able to discover the distinctive shape of a Canadian Club bottle, which Lewis was able to establish as being the one found in the dunes.

Stonepit Lane.

Later in the book, Detective Inspector Sonny Russell and WPC Nettie Sharpe are travelling in a police Wolseley. They are trying to track down a boy missing from a children's home and are looking for a farm where a woman who had visited him at the home is said to live. I decided that this is located in a little hamlet near Benenden called Standen Street. Before we moved to the coast we lived there for 10 so I decided that's where the fictitious farm would be located. We been here, in Pett Level, for nearly 11 years, so in order to remind myself of the lie of the land I've been looking at the surrounding fields and woods on Google Earth. This will allow me to accurately describe the journey through the lanes to the farm and landscape they travel through.

It might sound like a chore but I see it as part of the privilege of being an author. 

SLOUGH OF DESPOND

 SLOUGH OF DESPOND

or why can't I be arsed?

Maybe it's because of the never-ending pandemic. Maybe it's because of the fallout from the stupid Brexit. Maybe it's because of the crap, unsettled weather. Maybe the planets are misaligned. Maybe it's all or none of these. Whatever it is, I just can't raise enthusiasm for tasks that I normally find challenging and usually enjoy. 

Generally, Aggie and I go for a trot to the beach and I find a suitable location and take a photo of her posing somewhere interesting, then post it on social media later. But even those photo shoots are now few and far between. I still try to walk a couple of miles a day and odd things still lift my spirits. Yesterday, it was the sight of a schooner in full sail in the bay which got me excited, but it hasn't lasted. Even railway modelling, where I can usually lose myself and lose track of time, holds no attraction.

I'm not suffering from writers block, either. In fact I've put down over a thousand words of the new book - number six in the Inspector Sonny Russell series - and I know where the plot is going - vaguely, so it's not that. Also, I've got a new laptop so writing is physically much easier. But, I'm finding it increasingly difficult to actually get down to it.

I've been trying to get the latest book, Blood in the Garden, formatted for kindle. Even that is proving to be a trial and I'm wondering if it's worth it. 

Could it be my age? I know we're supposed to slow down as we get older but it ain't no fun. I guess I'll just have to weather it and hope my normal enthusiasm returns soon. Otherwise...

A NEW BABY!

 A NEW BABY!

Well - new book anyway.

Blood in the Garden - trial cover

Well, book five is finished. It's been read and given a 'light editing' by John Nutting, who edits a specialist magazine for the canning industry, write articles for motorcycle magazines and was the one-time editor of the 009 News, a dedicated narrow gauge railway magazine. 

Then it was given a more thorough edit by my better half, who was a sub-editor on a national newspaper for 25 years. Not only does she spot my grammatical mistakes but is very good at suggesting how pedestrian passages can be improved and made much more interesting. 

I've been through the manuscript thoroughly four times - checking all 82,000 words, so, hopefully, we've corrected all the mistakes I made originally. I say, hopefully, because I bet one or two may have been missed. But I'm not too bothered, because even books by well-known authors, who have the services of professionals to read and check their work, have mistakes in them. As Esther Rantzen famously said, 'That's Life'.

Blood in the Garden - trial cover

When I was happy with it I sent it to Eddie, who works at the printers I use, who I trust to format it so it's ready for printing. I've now got the proof back to check. I've also got to insert a suitable dedication and make sure the detail of the other books at the back are up to date. But I still haven't finished. 

I had to write a 1,000 word synopsis to send to Paul, who does a fantastic job of designing my covers. He spent his working life as a graphic designer working on magazines, so knows his way around cover design. I'm now eagerly waiting for him to send me his ideas then we can decide what we're going to use. (The trial covers in this blog are my attempt but I know that Paul will come up with something much better.) So you can see, an independent author has a lot more to do than just write the book.

I feel that Blood in the Garden is a little different than the other titles in the series. It still has the same main characters, is still set in the 1950s and the actions still happens around this corner of the country. But, whereas the other books tended to be plot driven, I think this one is more about the dialogue and the interaction of the characters. It remains to be seen if it's as well received as the others. I do hope so.

Blood in the Garden - trial cover

Strangely, this book has taken a lot longer from inception to now than the other four. I can only think that the pandemic has had something to do with it. Now, I'm wondering what to write next. It will be another crime book and I've started on an idea for more contemporary story but I'm wondering if I should stick to DI Russell and the 50s. What do you think?

CHANNELING ROWLAND EMETT - a change of direction

CHANNELING ROWLAND EMETT 

a change of direction

Lockdown makes you do strange things. The inspiration for my DI Sonny Russell series of crime novels initially came from a narrow gauge railway layout I built called Compass Point. This was  loosely based on Rye Harbour, the major setting for the first book and subsequently playing a part in the others. I was astonished to find that the layout was started in 2014 and I began writing Blood on the Tide in 2016. How time flies when you're having fun. 

Three books later, I'm struggling with book five, provisionally titled Blood in the Garden. so, by way of a diversion, I've been modelling a new railway, inspired by the drawings and works of Rowland Emett. He produced the Far Tottering and Oyster Creek Railway that was featured in the 1951 Festival of Britain where it carried over 2 million passengers. My interpretation is not a slavish copy as you can see if you look at http://www.rowlandemett.com/. It's more an homage or tribute to the man.

I know it looks a bit mad but it's been great fun, working to my normal modelling standards, but producing something whimsical. You never know, it might inspire me to start writing - but what?!

SPRING SUMMER AUTUMN WINTER

SPRING SUMMER AUTUMN WINTER

As a writer it's important to get the seasons right. If you don't, or get them out of sequence, the reader will notice and it will spoil the story. Daffodils and lambs in spring, warm sun and trees in full leaf in summer, ripened corn and morning mists in autumn, snow, frost and leafless trees in winter. Those are the archetypal indicators. But it's much more satisfying if you can give an indication of the time of year more subtly.

In Blood on the Shrine, the narrative starts with snow falling heavily. I had a strong sense of that wonderful stillness that descends when snow covers everything. I pictured a bird, landing on a branch and a fine curtain of snow falling off the limb. Then, after a few days the temperature rises and a thaw sets in which makes driving treacherous.  

In Blood on the Strand there is a terrific summer storm and heavy rain that lasts for days on end. I felt the frustration of my detective, Sonny Russell, being cooped up and running out of things to occupy his time.

I've just started on book five, working title, Blood in the Garden, and hadn't decided on a time frame. Then I corresponded with a good friend, who has an allotment and, because of the plants I talk about, the scene is now firmly set in late summer/autumn.