Years Now Available on Amazon

Hi all,

On Tuesday, Years was published on Amazon in ebook, paperback and hardcover! This is the first book launch that I’ve done where all three came out on the same date and I think it went well. If you want to check Years out, you can do so below:

What would you sacrifice to save the world?

In the future one thing keeps the entire planet going, the Gaia Machine. The only problem is that it feeds on the life force of people to run. This has led to certain people being born with the Gaia Gene, the ability to go into the machine for a full fifty-year cycle without fear of aging.

Cheyenne Meekai has the Gaia Gene and whether she wants to or not she’s going to have to save the world, but it might cost her everything in the process. The years served in the machine fly by for the person inside but outside life moves on, meaning when she gets out everyone she knows will either be elderly or dead.

Fifty years is a long time especially when you’re only sixteen, can she save the world and still have some sort of life, or will the demands of the Gaia Machine be more than she can handle?

Find out in this exciting Young Adult Science Fiction novel that will be sure to keep you reading every page until the very end.

That's it for this week, if you read (or have already read) Years then I hope you enjoy it! See you next week.

PS; looking for some new books to read this Easter? Check out the ones in these bundles:

Science Fiction Is For Free

Young Adult Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Taking to the Sky This Easter

The Future of Street Rats

Hi all,

This week I’m going to talk about Street Rats! The book has been on hiatus since October 2021 and I thought I’d make a blog post explaining why.

If you aren’t aware, last August I asked my followers to vote on what standalone book they wanted me to write next. The winner was Street Rats. You can see a basic plot summary and genre here:

I started writing that book soon after. At first writing went well and I was really enjoying the story. I also enjoyed the fact that this book is set in a parallel world with different ideas of technology to ours. Instead of police they instead capture animals and experiment on them. These animals are often given robotic parts and have chips in their brains from which they receive orders. Of course, there’s a cat in in it who helps the main character, Hailey.

However, my mental health started to decline and I started losing passion for the project. I wanted to get it done in time for NaNoWriMo November 2021, where I was planning to start writing the first draft of Original Elementals #1: Frostbite. More and more days were passing by where I would get short bursts of writing done but then write nothing for days. The book was slowly coming together but I found I wasn’t happy with it at all.

November comes around and I’m just over 72K into the first draft. I decided to put it on hold to write Frostbite like I’d originally planned. I managed to finish the first draft of that book in early December.

However, Street Rats is still on hold.

I’m not happy with how the story turned out, but I still want to write the ending. I know it’s going to need some heavy editing which I’m not looking forward to. However, I still love the premise and I am willing to go back and finish it. My mental health has also improved a lot and I am more willing to finish the story than I was before. I think the fact that I was feeling low rubbed off on the story and I started getting frustrated with it.

Will Street Rats be finished?

The first draft - yes. After that I’m going to leave it for a while before attempting to go back to it to edit.

When will it be finished?

I’m not sure, whenever I feel ready. It could be after I’ve finished Camp NaNoWriMo this month, or it could be later on in the year.

Will it be published?

I want it to be. Hopefully one day I’ll be able to change the story enough to where I’m happy with it. I still want to see the story out there.

That’s it for this week! Next week keep an eye out for Years, which will be available on Amazon on Tuesday! See you next week.

PS; looking for some more Kindle Unlimited books to read? Check out the books in these bundles:

The Fantastic Kindle Universe

Taking to the Sky This Easter

Why I'm Writing a Standalone After Every Three Original Elementals Books

Hi all,

If you’re subscribed to my newsletter you might already know the answer to this. But to those who are not, I wanted to let you know what’s going on and why I’m not writing all ten books in the Original Elementals series at once.

First, I’m worried about burnout. Ten books is a lot and it takes a lot of planning just to make sure that all of the books gel together and that there are no inconsistencies between books. The biggest one I’m struggling with right now is what the dragons look like, I find that I keep changing it every few chapters!

I also don’t want to be stuck in the same universe for a long period of time. While I love the Elemental Dragons universe, I have so many other book ideas that I want to get done as well.

So, to try and combat all of the above, I will write three books in the Original Elementals series and then a standalone that I’ve had planned for a while. The only exception to this will be Celestial Plague #4: Hell. I had originally planned for this to be a trilogy, but a final book would tie up some loose ends with one of the characters and would also offer more insight into what happens after the events of Celestial Plague #3: Purgatory. I won’t go into too much detail due to spoilers but I think you’ll enjoy this book as it shows more abut how society rebuilds after the virus.

So, my plan is:

Write Frostbite, Maelstrom and Shadowhunter. Then Hell, from Celestial Plague.

Write Devouring, Tempest and Sunrise. Then The Core, which was the second highest voted from my poll in August about what standalone I should write.

Write Stormburst, Turf, Arcturus and ???. Then an unnamed YA Paranormal Horror.

This will enable to me to get all the books written with a break in between to work on something else. I won’t be writing all of these books in 2022, however, I’m hoping to get the first drafts done for all of the Original Elementals books in 2024.

That’s it for this week! I hope this clears up some confusion as to why I might be hopping from project to project. Next week I’m going to talk about the future of Street Rats, which has been on hiatus since October 2021. See you next week!

PS; looking for some new books to read? Check out the ones in these bundles:

The Fantastic Kindle Universe

Taking to the Sky This Easter

My Outlining Process

Hi all,

I posted a poll on Twitter to help me decide what I should blog about this week. Talking about my outlining process is the winner! Outlining a story means to take your ideas and organise them in some sort of order. For example; plot points, character profiles etc.

Premise.

I start by writing down the barebones of my story. What happens in the book? How will it end? This is usually no more than a few sentences as I go back in and fill in the rest of the details later. Here is very basic the premise of Elemental Dragons #1: Blood and Water:

Main character gets dragon egg at fifteen. Has water element. She gets water markings on her back that only dragons can get. Scientists bring extinct dragon back to life. Extinct dragon goes after the main character using the markings as a beacon.

It's only a few sentences long and let's me get down the basic details of the plot. Adding in other characters, side plots and more details comes later.

Main Character.

When I'm writing the premise I usually come up with a pretty good overview of my main character. I don't have the finer personality details decided yet, but the appearance and name are the first things I decide on. This is how I first described Hazel from Elemental Dragons in my notes:

Hazel Adams (15-18) - Dirty blonde hair, hazel eyes, pale skin, acne, scar from nose to right eyebrow, 5"5 - anxiety. Water. Light blue swirl markings up back and neck.

I have her name, age and appearance done. I've also linked her to the premise by giving her the water element and the markings that will attract the dragon to her. I usually give my characters heights as well just so I can get a general idea of how tall they are compared to other characters. It can be an insignificant detail at first but I find it helps with my writing later. I give all of my characters surnames, even if they aren't mentioned in the book itself.

Main Plot.

Now that I have my main character and the premise, I move onto filling in the main plot details. No matter how much I outline I always end up deviating from what I've planned! So, I try to keep my outlines short and sweet as I know I'll change details later. For Elemental Dragons, the main plot is:

Hazel gets her dragon egg when she moves to Aria, a camp for Elementals. Her egg hatches into a black common dragon, which has never been tamed before. Hazel is looked down upon by others for being a commoner and is often ostracised from certain activities. Hazel starts getting dragon markings on her back and she starts meeting others who also have markings. She joins up with them to find out what's going on. She also has to deal with the Cindaraans, who are recruiting students into their group. The leader wants to know more about the dragon markings and orders Hazel and her friends to report to him. An extinct dragon species is brought back to life by scientists and escapes.

Setting.

Most of my books are set in the UK, so my main location is already decided. Next I decide on where the story will be set and the areas around. For example:

Aria - Elementals camp. Contains cabins, school, shops and hotel.

Arimouth - City near Aria. Mostly an urban area filled with workplaces, shops, housing and government buildings.

Mountains - Area from Draca's memories.

Again, basic descriptions just in case I change my mind!

Other Characters.

Now that I've outlined everything else, I can move onto the other characters in the book! I found the most fun ones to do were the dragons. I had a lot more fun with their designs and their personalities started coming through as I wrote them. Here is the outline profile for Aqueous, Hazel's dragon:

Aqueous Adams - Common Western black, turquoise eyes, markings to face and front feet. Hazel = Water.

Again, short and sweet as I like to develop their personalities while writing.

Write!

Now that I have my outline done, the only thing left to do is start writing! I haven't outlined many of the side plots as I find I change this while writing. So I try to stick to the main plot, though this often goes off course as well.

That's it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading! See you next week!

PS; looking for some new books to read? Check out the ones in this bundle:

The Fantastic Kindle Universe

Something for my Newsletter Subscribers

Hi all,

Those who are already subscribed to my mailing list will know what this post is about. The prequel enovella to Years is now available to download! Solar Child will not be sold anywhere and it is exclusive to subscribers of my mailing list.

Not only will you get Solar Child if you sign up, but you can also read the Elemental Dragons Short Story Collection and Famished!

Nova and her friends didn't expect a fiery lioness to ask them for help in the woods. They just wanted to bring their supplies back to the orphanage.

However, if they help her, the lioness offers them a gift. A gift that has dire consequences once it is given.

Will they help the lioness? What will she offer them in return to help them survive? And most importantly, how will humanity react to the gift?

This eNovella also contains the first chapter of Years.

When you sign up to my mailing list, you get a monthly newsletter filled with:

• Monthly News.

• Character Polls.

• Writing Excerpts.

• Cover Reveals.

• Free/Discounted Books and Book Bundles.

• Merch Giveaways.

That’s it for this week. If you sign up, I hope you enjoy the stories. With each new standalone/series I release there will be a free enovella that corresponds with it. So, you can expect many more books from me! See you next week!

PS; looking for something new download with Kindle Unlimited? Check out this bundle:

The Fantastic Kindle Universe

Owning Pets When You Have a Dragon

Hi all,

It's been a while since I blogged about the Elemental Dragons universe so I'm doing it this week! This blog post will centre around people owning pets, and how they get along with their dragon companions. There have been some characters who have had pets alongside their dragons in the series; the most notable being Hazel and Wes taking care of Normie, a cat. The dragons all get along fine with him and there are no signs that they are territorial around him. However, most dragons aren't comfortable with all pets.

Cats and Dogs.

In nine out of ten cases it's fine for someone to own one, or several, cats and dogs with their dragon companions. Dragons share a language with both cats and dogs so they are able to communicate fine and play together quite happily. Some dragons prefer not to be around the furry animals but most are happy to live with them. In Elemental Dragons, Normie grows up alongside Aqueous and Asteroid. Even though the dragons outgrow him pretty quickly, he's still happy to be around them and helps them out in the second book when dragons start to go missing.

Rabbits and Guinea Pigs.

A lot of dragons are not suitable to live with a pet rabbit or guinea pig. This isn't because the species can't get along, but because most dragons view the fluffy pets as food. It's common in the Elemental Dragons universe for people to bring home cute bunnies to keep as pets, only for them to disappear a few days later. It's not recommended to keep rabbits and guinea pigs with dragons, unless they have been trained not to eat their furry friend.

Rodents.

As these animals are kept in cages in most cases, they are usually fine to keep around dragons. People do need to be careful when they take them out of their cages as dragons may accidentally crush them while playing. If tiny animals are to be kept with dragons, it's best to supervise them at all times.

Reptiles.

Dragons aren't a huge fan of other reptiles and will usually go out of their way to avoid them. They aren't afraid of them, they're just not that bothered about them. They can't communicate although they share a lot of characteristics, but they don't usually interact. The best people hope for is a mutual indifference to each other. Fire dragons typically get along better with them than other dragons.

Fish.

Dragons are more careful around fish as they realise how delicate the tanks are. They will spend hours watching them swim around in tanks or ponds. Water dragons have also been known to refresh the tanks or even create bubbles for the fish to play in.

Birds.

Again, dragons love birds. If the birds are allowed to fly around then the dragon will try to fly alongside them, which will often cause a lot of damage to property. It's best to let dragons fly around outside and then play on the ground with their feathered friends. Wind dragons typically get along best with flying pets.

Horses.

Dragons and horses love to race each other. They will often spend hours galloping around fields and playing in the grass. Horse riders often taken their dragons with them to blow off some steam and get some exercise. There are some dragons who don't get along with horses however and will steer clear of them. It depends on the temperaments of both the dragon and the horse.

Insects.

No matter how many times it is explained to them, a lot of dragons don't understand that insects have been kept as pets. They will often free the little critters inside their companion's homes or squash them. Earth dragons have been noted as the least likely to do this, however.

That's it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading! See you next week!

PS; this bundle is about to end, if you want these books you need to hurry!

Young Adult Sci-Fi and Fantasy

How to Find Anthologies to Submit to

Hi all!

This week's blog post will hopefully help other writers to find homes for some of their stories! I specifically chose anthologies as they are the ones I submit to most; and I think it can be harder to find ones willing to publish new authors.

Facebook.

There are loads of Facebook groups out there dedicated to submitting to anthologies. They are filled with authors looking for, and posting about, anthologies that are looking for submissions. This is also a great way of seeing which anthologies are worth submitting to, and which ones don't hold up their end of the bargain. Other authors won't recommend anthologies that are looking to scam them. One group that I'm a part of is Anthologies Seeking Submissions. They're great because they don't allow posts from 'pay-to-play' anthologies, where authors have to pay a fee to submit their stories without guarantee that they'll be published.

Christopher Fielden.

Although there are plenty of websites out there dedicated to showcasing places for authors to submit their stories, Christopher Fielden's website is the best. Not only does he regularly update his website with writing opportunities but he also hosts writing challenges. Once he has enough stories, they're all gathered together and made into an anthology! I've been published in several of his anthologies and attended one of the book launches. Proceeds from each book sale is donated to various charities, so you add the book to your publishing portfolio and help charity at the same time. He also hosts his own writing competition, which you should also check out!

The Submission Grinder.

This one I discovered thanks to a post by Christopher Fielden. It's an easy to navigate website where you can filter by genre, word count and type of submission. I have used this website and managed to get three stories accepted because of it! If I had never heard about this website I never would have found those anthologies, and the others that I also plan to submit to. In my opinion this is the best way to find new anthologies with various themes and word counts. By searching through their filters you may even find homes for stories that you wrote a while ago but never got published. That was the case for me with a few of the stories I have submitted.

Word of Mouth.

See what other authors are published in. Are there more anthologies from the same publisher accepting submissions? Will they publish more in the future? It's also a lot better knowing that other authors have submitted to these anthologies and are happy with the results. If you don't want to ask the author directly, check out their websites or Amazon author page. Usually all of the books, and anthologies, that they've been published in will be listed there.

That's it for this week! I hope this has helped someone who is looking to add more publications to their portfolio. See you next week!

PS; looking for some new YA books to read? Check out the ones in this bundle:

Young Adult Sci-Fi and Fantasy

Years Pre-Order Live

Hi all!

This week I have an announcement - Years is now available to pre-order on Amazon! At the moment only the ebook version is available, with the paperback and hardcover versions being released the day of publication. It’s also my first YA Sci-Fi book!

I can confirm that it will be published on the 12th April 2022.

You can pre-order it here:

While you’re waiting for it to come out, why not sign up to my mailing list?

You get:

• Two FREE enovellas. (soon to be three!).

• Cover reveals before anyone else.

• First chapter reads before anyone else.

• Monthly news.

• Character design polls.

• Merch giveaways.

• Free and discounted book deals.

• Exclusive short stories.

What are you waiting for? Sign up below:

That’s it for this week! I hope you check Years out! See you next week.

PS; looking for some new books to read while waiting for Years? Check out the ones in these bundles:

Mid-Winter Urban Fantasy Magic Sales Spectacular

Young Adult Sci-Fi and Fantasy

Powers in Celestial Plague

Hi all,

Following on from last week's blog post I want to talk more about the powers the characters have in Celestial Plague. Everyone in the Celestial Plague universe has some sort of power; but they can only have one. Usually the powers are determined by what powers their parents have. Shannon's parents both have wings so she is born with wings. Raya's mother is a shapeshifter, though a wolf one, but she still passes this gene down to her daughter. Jenna's biological parents have fins, which explains their daughter having gills. Ashleigh is the only one who doesn't follow this pattern as both of her parents have offensive powers while she has a passive one. There are two types: passive and offensive.

Offensive.

These are powers that can be used to inflict damage or violence on other people. Take Raya, for example, she can shapeshift into a panther, which can be used to hurt others. Most shapeshifters are in this category as most animal forms can be used to hurt others. They are not discriminated against for this, in fact they are encouraged to join the police or military so their powers can be used freely. Other types of offensive powers include:

Telekinesis.

Claws.

Elemental control.

Passive.

These powers are considered to be harmless and are mostly for aesthetic purposes. More people tend to have passive powers than offensive powers. The other three main characters in Celestial Plague have passive powers - Jenna, Shannon and Ashleigh. They have a wider array of jobs that they can take which is different for each individual power. Shannon can become a pilot, for example. Other types of passive powers include:

Healing.

Telepathy.

Camouflage.

In the books themselves a wide array of different powers are shown with different characters. Due to the virus that the characters come up against a lot of these powers have been weakened or taken away altogether. The Sarj virus slowly drains the host of their power with the more people they infect, until they pass on to Nirvana or Heaven. The four girls use their powers a lot throughout the books and come across powers that used to make their lives more convenient. For example, Shannon used to hang out at a coffee shop where one of the baristas could mix coffee with an emotion that the buyer wants to feel for the day. So, when the virus starts draining people of their powers, a lot of people start to panic. But some don't mind that they'll lose their power. Not everyone likes the one they were born with.

That's it for this week! Keep an eye out next week as Years will be going up for pre-order. See you next week!

PS; looking for some new books to read this Spring? Check out the ones in this bundle:

Mid-Winter Urban Fantasy Magic Sales Spectacular

Young Adult Sci-Fi & Fantasy

The Panther Shapeshifter in Celestial Plague

Hi all!

I realised that I haven't told you much about the Celestial Plague trilogy. Book one is set to be released in October, so I thought that should change before the book comes out!

The books are in the point of view of four characters, this blog post will focus on Raya. She is a panther shapeshifter.

I chose the panther because I don't see them getting much love in books. I think they are beautiful animals and would love to read about them more in fiction. In the books she doesn't like shifting to start with, but warms up to it as time goes on. Her panther side is conscious as well, and comforts her when needed. She can still control her body and her emotions in her panther form, the consciousness is just there for support when needed. She names the consciousness Damisa, which makes it feel more connected to her.

Damisa can't speak, but it can make itself more known in Raya's mind, and the two develop a communication system through brain signals. They can feel each others emotions as well which aids communication. Raya's friends are aware of Damisa, but can't communicate with it directly. Damisa will however help Raya protect her friends when necessary and shows distress along with her when they are in trouble. The two of them have been together since birth and cannot be broken apart. Well, apart from a virus that the characters have to contend with in the books.

With Raya's shape-shifting power, I thought choosing a cat would be too easy. I've written about cats since I was young and I wasn't sure how useful a cat shapeshifter would be. A panther on the other hand is a much bigger cat with the ability to hunt bigger prey and terrify anyone who comes across it. I saw a panther as being more fun to write and it will create some unique situations that a cat shifter wouldn't be able to help in. It was also a lot of fun to write about a big cat. This is the first book I wrote that was in the point of view of a big cat and it was definitely a learning curve!

That's it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading. See you next week!

PS; looking for some new fantasy books to read? Check out the ones in this bundle:

Mid-Winter Urban Fantasy Magic Sales Spectacular