Building Empires In The Sky

And like that – [clicks fingers] – March was gone. Time flies when you’re busy, regardless of whether you’re having fun. But busy can be fun, too. It makes you feel like you’re heading in the right direction.

Since I last updated these pages a few things have been going on. Man O'War has smashed through, er, the top quarter-of-a-million rankings on Amazon. With the hardcover version scheduled to be available just after Easter, I expect to break through into the top two-hundred-and-thirty-five-thousand within weeks. Upwards to the sky!

One of the absolute bestest things about writing books is that occasionally people will ask you for an interview about it. This is even more betterer when the interviewer has actually read the book, which is a fantastic rub-down for the old ego. So it was that I was given a proper third degree and no mistake by Pete Long, who hosts an excellent SFF blog way down in them thar web parts. We covered the themes of Man O’War, my literary influences, and did some extra thinking about writing in general. The interview is available to read here.

A couple of Saturdays ago I took part in the annual Essex Authors Day in Chelmsford. I did a reading of Man O’War (chapters Dhiraj I and Nita IV), which you can see above. I also ran a workshop on subbing and pitching, which was very well received by the audience (one woman called it “inspirational”!); alas I wasn’t permitted to film the workshop, so no video. Next year I shall have to secretly film it a la the Fake Sheikh.

In other news, which my frequent visitor may have noticed, I’ve added a new section to the website for my brother Darryl’s band Sky Empire, who have just released their debut album , the title track of which is loosely based upon the Robert Browning poem , and even more loosely upon the Stephen King epic. I wrote lyrics for three of the album’s five tracks, which I’ve helpfully posted up here. If you like your music epic, and proggy, and hard, then Sky Empire is definitely up your Imperial, like.

With the craziness of the March launch out of the way, April beckons. I shall make my way to the annual jaunt that is the London Book Fair, and anticipate the hardcover launch. I’ll also be looking forward to, at last, restarting .