Hi

So it’s been a while. Too long. I hope you’re well and safe wherever you are in the world. If you’re new to my newsletter – welcome! It’s lovely to have you here.

My newsletters tend to be an unpredictable mix of writing and personal news, and when I have no interesting writing news, I can sometimes find it hard to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). I know it isn’t much of an excuse for the long silence, but I’m afraid it’s the best I’ve got.

But … for the first time in ages, I do actually have some writing news. A long time ago I drafted a short prequel novel to the Darkness Rising series - you may remember I mentioned it in my last email. It wasn’t a bad first draft, but I never quite got around to editing it. The day job got busy and life just somehow got in the way.

But for some reason, last week I picked it up again, and reading through it has given me the kickstart I needed – it’s way better than I remembered and I’m really excited to work on it again. I’ve already begun the rewrite and it’s absolutely wonderful to be back in Tom and Sarah’s world of dark magic and theatre. I can’t imagine what’s kept me away for so long. 

The book is set a couple of years before Touch of a Witch opens, and follows a young Tom on his quest for arcane knowledge. It's a standalone but it ties in neatly to the other books. I’m planning to call it Blood of a Witch – what do you think?

It’ll be a while until it’s ready to release but when it does launch, I’m planning to update the series' covers. While I absolutely love the current ones, they don’t quite convey the right genre – the Darkness Rising series is more supernatural gothic than witchy fantasy, and it needs darker covers to match. If you have any thoughts about it, I would love to hear from you.

What I’m reading: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. Full disclosure, it’s

the second time I’ve read it. It’s such a strange, beautiful, and compelling

story, but it was a while ago that I read it and I’ve forgotten so much. Recently, I I heard someone say recently that people don’t remember what you said to them but they’ll always remember how you made them feel, which really struck a chord. I believe books are the same. I don’t always remember the details of what happened, but I always remember how they made me feel. And this one definitely touched my heart.

What I’m watching: The Piano UK. Reality TV at its absolute best. Each week piano players perform on a street piano, secretly watched by maestro musicians Mika and Lang Lang. We learn a little about each person’s story and what the piano means to them. I’ve laughed and I’ve cried, and the talent is incredible: I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Here are the links to my books. Have you read them all?

https://books2read.com/Touch-of-a-Witch

https://books2read.com/kiss-of-a-witch

https://books2read.com/caress-of-a-witch

See you next time – until then, happy reading!

Kind regards

S.G. Slade

https://sgslade.com

www.instagram.com/sgsladeauthor

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/s-g-slade