I often post to my Facebook author page updating my followers on my writing progress and publication schedule. Those posts get quite long as there is always a lot to explain when it comes to my writing! With that in mind, I decided to write a blog post instead. Here you will find a full update on books updated/revamped, books waiting to be published, books waiting for further drafts, and books in progress/early stages, plus my writing on Medium!

I have to say that for the first time in my life I feel like a real writer. Probably because I write so much. But that’s nothing new – it’s just that finally I feel like my writing is getting noticed. Not in any huge, life-changing way, but in a way that makes me feel secure in my skills and abilities and in a way that is having a positive effect on my finances.

A lot of this is down to Medium, but I don’t want to too get sidetracked from my topic. However, the money I am making on Medium is a huge boost to my confidence, my exposure and my financial situation, so right now, I couldn’t be happier. For example, I have noticed an increase in sales of my books since Medium took off for me, and aside from April being a poor month, Medium still proves to be the perfect home for me and my style of writing. In May I got boosted four times and this has happened again for June. Now, it does vary – boosted articles themselves vary greatly in reads and in earnings, but I cannot deny it makes a huge difference and it’s exciting too. Being boosted means far more people read your writing and I am sure this must be contributing to better sales of my books. I hope so anyway! And finally, I just feel alive with confidence! Sales and reviews are hard to come by as an indie author on a low budget, but with Medium, I am getting regular reviews in the form of comments on my posts and it has made me feel vindicated, I guess. Like I was right all along to pursue writing and stick at it!

Anyway, enough of gushing about Medium for now. Back to the books.

As you already know all four books in The Day The Earth Turned series are now available in ebook and paperback on multiple platforms and due to so many readers claiming they wanted more, I got ideas about carrying on the series. I will see how it goes but I have enough ideas for four more books and have tentatively started what will probably be called, The Day The Earth Turned Book Five: Conquest. The first four books were named after the seasons and the next four will be named after the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse! Make of that what you will. So far I have reached Chapter 11 with the new book but it is not my priority and I am only writing it if I get the urge to.

Meanwhile, At Night We Played In The Road is ready and waiting for a release date. This is the spin-off book from The Boy With The Thorn In His Side series and the only thing holding it up is the front cover. My son and I worked on a few designs and thought we were happy but then I changed my mind again. I am now waiting for him to see if he can make my latest idea work! I am still hoping for an August release date for this. Here is the blurb:

When Tom Lane was born, he accidentally killed his mother and, in the process, his father’s love.

In order to protect Tom from their father’s criminal business, older brother Alfie becomes Tom’s father, mother and protector. It’s the two of them against the world until the day Tom chooses a life of crime over Alfie’s dream of a normal life.

Ten years later the estranged brothers are reunited when a violent gang bring Tom to Alfie’s door with a gun to his head.

Tom’s partners in crime have turned on him and he needs his brother to save him one more time…

Following this book, I will release The Mess Of Us (long awaited sequel to my debut novel, The Mess Of Me) in the autumn, possibly October/November time. This book is totally ready to go and does have a front cover! I just need to write the blurb.

The Mess Of Us sets up part of the storyline for my crossover book, The Dark Finds You. This is the book I am currently working on! After revamping the entire The Boy With The Thorn In His Side series and The Mess Of Me, I had to adjust the timeline in the upcoming books that are part of this universe. I am now doing this for The Dark Finds You. After that, it will go to beta readers for the first time and then to my editor, and I hope to release it by early 2025. This crossover book brings characters from the Holds End Series, The Mess Of Me, Elliot Pie’s Guide To Human Nature and The Boy With The Thorn In His Side together in one storyline and it effectively ties up all their stories. It is probably my favourite book I’ve written – I absolutely love it! Editing it at the moment is pure pleasure.

Once this edit is done and the book is either with beta readers or my editor, I will be going back to Black Hare Valley. This book was quickly written two years ago into notebooks and recently typed up on the laptop. It still needs a lot of work and since I finished the first draft, I have had lots of new ideas to develop it further. I think it will almost feel like a first draft once I get back to it and I can’t wait! I could be tackling this very soon – probably in the next week or so! Exciting!!

That will keep me busy for a while but at some point next year it will be ready for beta readers to assess and what will I write then? The above books will all be published. I may still be writing The Day The Earth Turned Book 5, but there are six other books waiting their turn and at the moment I am not sure which one I will focus on after Black Hare Valley.

They are:

The 7th Child – a family crime/mystery – mostly plotted, characters created, first few chapters written. It will be a dark exploration of family dysfunction and secrets around the death of a child.

Diary of The Dead – a diary form story written by a young boy surviving a zombie apocalypse – first draft almost finished but I haven’t touched it in a while. I think it will be a series.

We Hate The Cool Kids – a YA psychological drama/thriller – first draft done, but no ending! Have not touched it in years but it would be an easy one to pick and finish.

Anya and Cody Start The Apocalpyse – characters created, first few chapters written, but needs a lot more plotting and research. It’s a sort of modern day Bonnie and Clyde story where two misfits plot to bring on the apocalypse.

The Few – YA dystopian – characters created, mostly plotted, first chapter written.

Untitled collaborative story – characters created, plot in progress for a serial killer/crime/psychological thriller I’m going to write with my daughter!

We will just have to see which one calls to me the most! Which would you be most excited to read?