Happy New Year!

Yes, I know we're five days in, but I thought I'd leave it a few days before emailing you. No doubt you've been inundated with emails wishing you the very same.

I've a busy year ahead of me, re-launching all of my back catalogue after a spruce up, edit, and new covers but I'm looking forward to the tasks at hand, publishing 16 books under two pen names, as well as launching a podcast and writing more books.

Speaking of new books, I'm in the middle of writing the first book in a new series. For years I've always wanted to try my hand at writing a retelling of fairy tales. Beauty and the Beast is one of my favourites, as is Peter Pan, but I I'd want to do it differently. I'd want to go dark.

Which book to choose to have a go at first?

After mulling over maybe Little Red Riding Hood, and then playing around with the idea of Little Mermaid, I chose Peter Pan to kick this new world off. I've so far written around 30,000 words of the tale of a boy who finds himself in a world he doesn't understand...Lost, if you like (see what I did there? Lost Boy?). I'm having loads of fun with this story and building this new world, Athea, in which the series will be set, and I've just finalised the cover which I'll reveal soon. I know...aren't I a tease.

The Lost Boy will be published under author name R.J Radcliffe, the same as my Divine Series and I hope to have that ready for spring.

Continuing with the theme of books that are ready, today Escorting Eric is re-released. Book 2 in my Lad-Lit series and the direct sequel to my debut Meat Market, is now live on Amazon and available in Kindle Unlimited. The story of Stu, stepping in to help his mate get over heartbreak in a rather unorthodox way, was always a risk when I originally wrote it as it tells the story of Meat Market from another point of view. Would readers think it a cop out?

Thankfully they didn't, and I've had plenty of emails from readers saying how much they enjoyed the book, which is always my aim...to entertain.

You Can Check Out Escorting Eric Here!

With books, 3, 4 and 5 now written and in various stages of production I will soon be releasing the audiobooks...after practising on my blog post anthology, Unleashed.

I decided to record these books myself, using my own voice, because I think having the author read their own work to you is always better than a narrator...unless it is Stephen Fry or Morgan Freeman.

The audio versions will begin to trickle out once I've mastered my own voice and don't feel sick listening back to myself speaking.

The joys.

And that's it for now. I'm in the middle of rejigging my website and with it a brand new shop where signed copies of all my books will be available to buy, and I'll report back on that once I've banged my head against the wall long enough for everything to actually work the way I want it on my site.

Have a great day and I'll speak to you soon!

Best wishes,

Rob x