Some Free Writing for You //

Nov 14, 2020 3:28 pm

Hello from London,

I had an idea about writing a near-future dystopia about a world gone to hell because of the loss of confidence in the US election and the global consequences of a subsequent meltdown in US civil society.

Like most ideas, it can probably be made to work. What makes a project successful is more often execution than the idea itself. Unfortunately, it's just a little too close to the bone, not to mention that I have enough projects on the go already.

The idea was interesting as an exercise in introspection. The things we take for granted, from the stability of the systems that maintain our way of life to the health of our loved ones, are far more precarious than we like to admit. We live with a false sense of stability, and our world, when it changes, often does so suddenly, and by revealing fault lines and vulnerabilities that were always there, but become obvious only with hindsight.

Instead of writing that story, I spent some time with my kids, and resolved to live a little more in the moment. If anything, Covid-19 and the US elections teach us that what we have, precious though it is, is not necessarily permanent.

Coronavirus Thoughts

I truly hope that you have not suffered too much from the coronavirus pandemic.

We have been fortunate so far, but at present two of my extended family are suffering from it, one in intensive care. Two of my friends have recovered from severe Covid, but they are likely to have to endure significant consequences on their overall health for the rest of their lives. While my immediate family have been spared any direct consequences of the virus, I have enough close friends who have suffered, directly and indirectly, to know the damage this disease can do.

In addition, complying with government restrictions in times of Covid has had far-reaching effects on geographically dispersed families like ours. Our family lives across three continents and six countries. We will not be able to get together for Christmas and many of us have not seen each other for over a year. Grandparents have also not seen their grandchildren, and that is pain of a different kind.

We have been careful. In addition, we have been lucky. My family is less impacted than many. I despair at the conspiracy theories that circulate in media claiming this is overblown, but that is a sign of the times.

I'll finish as I started: I truly hope you and your loved ones are well, and that you are taking care, both of yourselves, and of the people around you, by being careful.

Author Spotlight

This week I'm promoting the work of two authors

Under a Hunter's Moon by Timothy Bateson

A 4200-word short story to introduce you to the setting of the book.

Richard Parsons is a maverick wolf-shifter who grew up among the teen gangs of Seattle. His tendency to find trouble has often attracted police attention.

When a traveling exhibition returns to the McCaw Museum Richard finds that he has personal reasons to visit after hours. His audacious plan goes awry when a particular display forces painful memories to the surface.

Can Richard face down the demons of his past before the police become aware of his presence?

Download the Free Preview

Mist at Dawn by Stefan Calin

This is a prequel to Stefan Calin's novel, "And Thus the Light Shone".

A mysterious dark storm has been plaguing the world of Vyszalos for more than two months. It spread from Almotte to Kadrassi, covering both continents in darkness, death, and desolation.

Yessod, a higher-being from another world has arrived, seeking to stop the utter annihilation of the planet. But things are complicated. For one, the shadowy plague seems to have appeared out of the blue since no one can accurately track down a cause for these dark events. Furthermore, Yessod must solve the mystery and somehow save this world without giving away his true nature to any of its inhabitants as that would irreparably alter its history for the worse.

Can Yessod solve the puzzle in time? Will he find a way to undo the evil and bring back life and light into this world? As Yessod rushes to discover what lies behind these ill-fated events, this gripping, fascinating story will take you unto a world like no other...

Click to Download "Mist at Dawn"

As for my own work: If you haven't already, you can download Past Mistakes, the first book in the Emily Voss series, by clicking here. You can also download two side-stories from the same universe. They are A First Time for Everything and Two to Tango.

That's all for this week - as always, don't hesitate to reach out by replying to this email. I read everything I receive, and do my very best to reply to every message I receive..