Writing updates

Escape Velocity: the anthology is nearing completion. We’ve had the stories, poem, cartoon and editorials done and proofread for a while but two things held things up. 1) a few admin / finance issues but they’re sorted now. 2) the extraordinary success of Into The Blast – the story of DB Cooper, the skyjacker in the 1970s, who was never caught. WordPress won’t let me put a direct link to the Amazon (the dot com as only the first edition is on the UK version at the moment) selling for print or ebook.If you go to Amazon yourself and find Into the Blast revised edition you’ll a very low star rating by one person. Apparently, he is upset that our research came to a different conclusion to him, he’s brought out his own book and probably jealous of ours being the subject of a History Channel decoders programme. Healthy competition is fine in the publishing industry, though in the main I’ve only seen cooperation and friendship. Mean to diss your competition by putting low ratings for their products. Anyway, perhaps that reviewer will like our anthology, and it is due out in March.

I received a lovely rejection letter via my US agent this week. We didn’t realise that the science fiction branch of New Deer Press was headed up by none other than Robert J Sawyer. My agent had sent them a query letter for my Left Luggage science fiction trilogy a long time ago and hadn’t chased them. So she received this from the great man: “Please accept my profound apologies for being so long in replying — 13 months is unconscionable!. I don’t work in the Red Deer Press offices, and they only just forwarded your query to me.  Your project is fascinating, but, alas, my little line of books only publishes Canadian authors, sad to say.  I do wish you the very best of luck elsewhere.
Rob Sawyer”

Wow, that’s a rejection I didn’t mind. Of course it seems odd for that publisher to only want Canadian writers and there’s nothing on their submission guidelines to say so. Perhaps they receive a grant from their government. Anyhow, I mentioned this to some friends. One is Canadian and offered to help. We briefly discussed me marrying her, but that is problematical with both of us being already married. She is the charming Isabelle Prevost. Like me she won an award at Wuacademia. Her’s is for a collection of short stories called L’Objectif – in French as you see. Here at Wuacemia. My Hot Air is there too.

A flash short story of mine is in a charity anthology, The Write to Fight. Supporting young olympic hopefuls it is available here. The story is written from the point of view of a sparrow. It is rare for me to write from an animal viewpoint but it was a way to imbue a lot of irony into how humans live.

I heard that another short story, The Examination, has been picked for the Queensland 100 anthology. All proceeds are going to victims of the floods in Australia this winter. No link yet.

2010 – could do better

Of course I immensely enjoyed this year’s family events – a new granddaughter over in Nottingham and delightful playtimes with grandon in Urmston. Also family hols in the Lake District, and Mallorca. But this blog entry is about scribbling.
2010 – A writer’s mixed fortunes
My initial reactions to this year is that as far as my writing is concerned nothing much has happened. I was paid for editing one person’s novel, and have had a small number of short stories published but my biggies – the SF Left Luggage trilogy and Fantasy Xaghra’s Revenge remain with Rebecca Pratt, my agent in the USA, being sent to publishers, who often take up to a year to respond. Nevertheless, I travelled to two conventions, spent a week at a UK Away writers’ week in Carmarthenshire and enjoyed supporting other writers in various forums and groups. Principle among the latter are the fabulous writerly friends at Café Doom and in the BSFA Orbiters. I thought I’d list the writing related activity I’ve achieved this year. I am surprised how much one can do with so little monetary yet great personal feedback. Above all I am indebted to my diet and writing buddy, Bec Zugor. Bec has a great blog here.

Although Left Luggage is yet to be published, the opening scene won an honourable mention in Gary Ponzo’s Strong Scenes competition, May 2010. More kudos came from the magazine, Fright Site, when it decided my horror story, In Absentia, deserved a best story award in Twice The Terror anthology, edited by Horrorzine’s Jeani Rector.

Fiction publications:
Screaming Dreams’ Christmas special – anthology to publish humour alt history tale, Patent NonScience in Dec 2009 crept into 2010
Horrorzine – Jan 2010 – short story, In Absentia – it’s the Editor’s Pick. Jan 2010 – print antho in 2010
The Write to Fight – anthology to support Kent Karate – Reflective Sparrow – flash story 2010
The Monster Alphabet Book – Ed by John Prescott. Short story Goliath 2010
The Sixty – Fine SFF Art book by Andy Bigwood has accepted my flash story matching one of his pictures – Winter Hunt.
A Monk Punk story, Don’t Bite My Finger, has been accepted for an anthology.
Hot Air – my thriller novel was published by Wuacademia in August 2010.
Auditory Crescendo to be published in Escape Velocity: The Anthology in January 2011
UK Away Chapbook 2010 – a surreal SF story.
Escaping Reality, my humorous thriller, was published in 2005 and is still available. In 2010 it became downloadable at Smashwords for $1.99 – bargain!
Exit, Pursued by a Bee my science fiction novel was published by DDP in 2008 and still available there and as a Kindle download. In 2010 it was serialized for free monthly reads at Kalkion.com

Non-fiction publications:
Article: Hiding the Truth on UFOs published in Kalkion February 2010
Article: Illusions, Coincidences, and the Moon, Kalkion Spring 2010
Article: The Lure of Bridges published in Kalkion June 2010
Article: When Not To Write Science Fiction – in Kalkion July 2010

Reviews published in 2010
By Professor D. Harlan-Wilson: Collection of amusing bizarre stories entitled: They Had Goat Heads, a novel: Codenamed Prague.
M, John Harrison: Climbers, and The City & The City
Liz Williams: Banner of Souls
Margaret Atwood: The Handmaid’s Tale.
Ira Nayman: Alternate Reality books: Alternate Reality Ain’t What It Used To Be and What Were Once Miracles Are Now Children’s Toys
Martin Amis, Time’s Arrow
Christopher Priest: Inverted Worlds
Mark Haddon: A Spot of Bother
William Gibson: Virtual Light
John Farris: The Ransome Women
Derek Muk: The Occult Files of Albert Taylor
Casting Shadows Joleen Kuyper, E.J. Tett and Jo Robertson: A collection of dark tales and poems
Jeani Rector: And Now The Nightmare Begins
Mitzi Szereto: In Sleeping Beauty’s Bed

Short stories completed looking for publication: Dopplegangster, The Future and Up One, Indefinite Article (revised), several others in progress.
Works I have professionally edited that have been published in 2010 include
Into The Blast: written by Skipp Porteous and Robert Blevins (that was the first edition, the second edition, taking into account the involvement of filming by the History Channel Decoders series is to be published in January 2011)
The Last Olympian by John Goodwin
The Zargothian Tales by Aiden Lucid

In addition to those I have kept up my blog, updated my website and wrote numerous responses in forums, letters and emails. Phew!

My biggest literary let down of the year has been the mixed blessing of having my horror story, Goliath, published in the Monster Alphabet Book published by John Prescott as M is for Monster. Although he loved my story – Goliath’s story from his point of view as a misunderstood youth – John had sent it to Serenity Banks for editing. Without consulting me she changed many British words for inappropriate Americanisms eg jerk instead of jolt and completely changed the ending by deleting a significant few sentences. I feel like disowning it. If anyone wants the original story please contact me.

An exciting writing event was the UKAway week in Carmarthenshire, especially the fun of cycling there and back and meeting such inspiring writers.

All in all a busy even if pecuniary year. As it ends I continue to contribute to new works and today edited with Robert Blevins, the final touches to Escape Velocity: The Anthology due out in January 2011.

Bec pens a review of Hot Air

Writer, Bec Zugar, read the ebook version of Hot Air, and wrote this awesome review.

http://www.beczugor.com/1/post/2010/12/hot-air-by-geoff-nelder-a-review.html

Review of Hot Air

Review begins here : (see article below this one for details)

Hot Air

A Book Review by M. Kenyon Charboneaux

All Erica Steadway wants is her hot-air balloon gift flight with champagne picnic, but from the opening lines to the closing intense and original ending, Erica gets nothing she either expects or wants. Chased by an organization that wants to kill her for something seen while drifting over the English countryside in the balloon, unaware and unsure of who to trust, smart, resilient, beautiful and determined, she fights through every single page of this masterpiece of a modern English thriller to stay alive and sane.

British author, Geoff Nelder, has accomplished the seemingly impossible. This book is really, really good. Suspense is high, the sex scenes are well written and integral to the story, not just thrown in for the titillation factor, and no one among the new authors today has got the delicate touch and the black, twisted humour of Geoff Nelder. He writes the King’s English with grace and precision. And he knows how to construct a thriller, making no mistakes in either pacing or plot. In short he tells a hell of a story in clear and beautiful prose.

I am not normally a fan of thrillers. I much prefer Nelder’s ingeniously crafted ghost stories that have the feel of MR James between their luscious lines, but even I could appreciate Hot Air for what it is …. one heck of a fine thriller and one hell of great rollercoaster ride! It’s a book that’s very hard to put down and one that deserves a sequel.

M. Kenyon Charboneaux a novelist, tutor and editor living in the USA

Hot Air is published

Years ago I saw a hot air balloon over Bristol and wondered, as you do, what if someone wanted to shoot it down? You’re thinking I don’t know that the balloon is full of hot air and not hydrogen, aren’t you? Wrong. So the scenario is a challenge and is the beginning of a thriller, Hot Air. A feisty young woman celebrates her birthday by taking her boyfriend in a hot air balloon. They witness an unsavoury crime in a Bristol suburb but the gang need to stop them. The action takes the reader to Mallorca, the south of France and London.

On a whim I entered Hot Air for a best unpublished novel competition in which readers voted for their favourite. The competition was organised by a Netherlands Arts foundation called Wuacademia. Perhaps it was because the action was European based, and so was the competition, but Hot Air won a Silver and a Special Award. It even picked an Award d’Or the following year. My daughter came with me to Groningen to receive the award – photos and video here.

There’s a video trailer for Hot Air here

At last you can buy Hot Air. It is only available via the arts academy on their website here. I think it is rather pricey but if you like books that have a hand-made feel to them and know someone who would hug you for a rip-roaring adventure, where our heroine is held captive in Mallorca, where she meets one of Robert Graves’ muses, and escapes to the south of France then go for it!

The heroine is red-headed Erica. This is her photograph – her vivaciousness and determination is written in her face is it not? She’s perfect for the protagonist. Her real name is Karen and this photograph is used by permission of Doug Barber. His website is here. If you know Karen please ask her to get in touch so I can send her a copy of Hot Air.

The true story of the trouble I got into in the research for Hot Air was published here >> http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/muzzle-up-a-writers-nose-by-geoff-nelder#comment-6689

Putting a spoke in

I’ve returned alive from a Welsh hills cycle ride. My Dawes Super Galaxy regales me with an annoying rattle, but only going downhill. Sound location can be deceptive but it seems that the front mudguard would prefer to go its own way, and not mine. I’ve tightened up all the nuts and bolts, bent stays so the guard shouldn’t tough the tyres but the rattle nags at me. Luckily, it only happens while freewheeling downhill. In Wales most slopes are up rather than down. Also luckily, at around 20 mph the rushing air in my eyes mask the rattling. If I can’t hear it, it can’t be there. Right?

Besides the exercise, exhiliration and  views, I cycle to have solo time to reflect on my writing.  A month ago I had the brainwave  of this psychological horror scenario.  An amnesiac realizes he is a little girl’s imaginary friend. An ezine publisher of horror likes and wants it. So I finished the draft a couple of days ago in time for this month’s critiques at Cafe Doom. Damn, one of the guys there tells me my story isn’t original. Well, a good idea like that was sure to have been done before even if I hadn’t encountered it. Apparently the film Drop Dead Fred features Rik Mayall as the friend. I’m not too bothered because he  imbues the part with his great whacky humour while mine is more tense and spooky with different twists.

During my bike ride I addressed the problem highlighted by that critiquer that the friend and the girl sound too alike. Also he didn’t know that Nate is the real name of X-Man. He’d confused it with X-Men. So might other readers so that has to change.

I found an email  from an organiser of FantasyCon. The event is in Nottingham, September 18-20. I’ve been asked to be a panelist on the theme e-books and wizardry in the future of publishing. It should be interesting, especially when I am asked questions from the floor. I’ll have to tell them that I can’t hear very well. However, it doesn’t matter. Ask what you like. I’ll merely answer the questions I think you should have asked!

Apparently my Hot Air thriller is now published by Wuacademia. I’m not giving links until I’ve seen a copy myself. The launch party fizzled into a festival earlier in the summer. I thought the release might have been an excuse for another trip to Groningen. Oh well, maybe when it is made into a film – hah.

Thanks to everyone who has voted for my Exit, Pursued by a Bee science fiction mystery / thriller / adventure at the P&E poll. There is still time to vote until Wednesday 14th January.  http://www.critters.org/predpoll/novelsf.shtml

My friend,Gladys Hobson, has her marvelous Awakening Love up for vote too at the Romance section http://www.critters.org/predpoll/novelr.shtml

If you find Gladys has two Awakening Love there I voted for the first one but the two sets of votes will probably be combined by Dave Kuzminski, who runs the poll at Another Realms, Preditors and Editors. P&E exist to support all writers and gives warning of scams and sharks in the writing business.

In the meantime I have heard that my HOT AIR thrilller is to be published on 7th May in Groningen, Netherlands. Hot Air sprang from the absurdity of me lying on a hill in Somerset and watching a hot air balloon. I thought: “How would you go about shooting one of those things down! The novel won a silver award for the best unpublished novel in 2007 by World and Universal Academia in Groningen, so save your pennies.

More of my time each day is spent on promo than in writing. This isn’t good. To be fair much of the promo is in email and forum chatting to efriends and real friends so it isn’t unpleasant but still reduces the progress in the writing of Xaghra’s Revenge. I spent a couple of hours travelling out to the nearest Borders with a copy of Exit, Pursued by a Bee. They have copies of my Escaping Reality on sale or return so I hoped to persuade the buyer to order Exit. Really I needed them to place the order with their wholesalers because otherwise the price would have to be too high. The buyer was in but too busy so I have to make an appointment tomorrow. I’ve packaged a copy of Exit, press cuttings to show I can do promo and a sheet of information such as ISBN and contact information.

The promo workload is going to worsen. I was sent a copy of the contract for my Hot Air thriller last night. Wuacademia, an arts academy in the Netherlands, are publishing it with a launch date in December.  Excellent. I recall with exhiliration the party in Groningen when I accepted the Silver award for best unpublished novel, and my daughter came along to make sure at least one person was there in the audience to applause. There will be a launch party not just for my book but for other writers, artists, poets, singers, drummers and dancers.

Another blogger popped into the Escape Velocity forum today. Seaserpent otherwise known as Kate – or is it the other way around? Congratulations, Kate, on having your story accepted for publication in issue #4 of Escape Velocity. Kate’s bright and cheerful blog is http://www.scribblingseaserpent.blogspot.com/

My breathing is under control, slowly. It has to be, because it appears a respected literary agent in the US likes my Left Luggage sci fi trilogy and wants to represent it. He asked me two questions.

 1) why did I want a US agent rather than a UK one?

So, I explained: I’ve been represented by three UK agents over the last 6 years. One was frankly useless, I should have checked him out first. The second disappeared. When I contacted her home, the current householder told me that when he moved in there were over 200 parcels, probably manuscripts, all the way up the stairs. She (where are you Elizabeth Jones, formerly of Kinross?) remains missing but she probably returned to Spain where she previously was a publisher’s editor. The third was Christopher Hill. If you google him you’ll see that his agency collapsed when it was discovered he concocted publishers’ reports for his clients. In fact I ‘look after’ 46 of his former clients: I run a support and advice Yahoo group for them, and through editing advice and through network contacts have helped some to be published. Of course some of them easily ‘look after’ themselves. Hello Gladys, Brian and Gary, Silky, Barbara, Sheila – hey they can ALL look after themselves! Probably better than I look after me. With three UK agents letting me down and under advisement from friends, I’ve aimed for a US agent. This is reinforced by the knowledge that there is more lively science fiction and fantasy readership and publication base in the US than in the UK. There are US main characters in Left Luggage and some of the action takes place there. Lastly, I’ve had a positive experience working as co-editor with US Robert Blevins, owner of small press Adventure Books of Seattle

2) was I prepared to work hard on the manuscript?

I recall showing my synopsis and chapter one to the Scottish sci fi writer, Charles Stross. He said have you written book two of Left Luggage? I confirmed I had and that it was being critiqued by the Orbiters group at the British Science Fiction Association. Charlie sucked in – the air whistling through his teeth. ‘Never write the second book of a trilogy until the first one is sold.’ Oh well, at least I haven’t written the third one! Of course having an agent is only one hurdle. The agency still has to persuade publishers how wise they would be to take out a contract on Left Luggage.

Meanwhile, Double Dragon Publishing have appointed an editor for my Exit, Pursued by a Bee, and I continue to work on Xaghra’s Revenge.  My thriller, Hot Air, is being published by Wuacademia in the Netherlands this year. It all sounds so busy and yet I make more money – and yet not much at that – from editing other folk’s novels than my own. Such is a writer’s life.

In spite of almost continual rain this winter, I did try out my new Dawes Super Galaxy bicycle even if only on local roads. On Wednesday on my return home, I saw a white lorry leaving my drive. It had a stack of fridges, washing machines, freezers on board and YES, my dishwasher! It was an old broken one I had at the top of the drive waiting for me to order a skip to throw in other rubbish. If the driver had stopped, I would have said: Cheeky but thanks. My neighbours saw him and said he’d knocked on the door. They assumed I’d arranged the collection. Suppose my old dishwasher was to be repaired by a friend or I wanted to spray it silver and enter it for an art competition? The man was a thief, though I’m grateful.