Andy Frankham-Allen's Blog: The Welsh-Londoner, page 16
July 25, 2010
Crazy Mad Week
What a mad week it’s been. Mostly good, with a dark cloud forming. But meh, we’ll just ignore that cloud for now. It will dissipate eventually. They tend to do that. The good news is ‘Off Flesh’ appears to be selling rather well, reaching the top ten Horror Best Sellers lists on a few online shops, which is fantastic. I’ve been the subject of an interview, which will go live within the next two weeks, so I’ll notify you all of that when it happens. Also received some good reviews for my novel, ‘Seeker’, over at GoodReads – one of which I’m especially proud. “An exceptional fantasy novel”, says author Anne Brooke. Ironically these reviews come in only days before I pull the book off the shelf to make room for the official version which is due in a few months.
Been working hard all week on Book Two of the Garden Saga (‘Seeker’ being Part One), and it’s coming together wonderfully well. Been doing some more research; virtually visiting such wonderful cities as Marseille and Rome. Annoyingly, or not, depending on how you look at it, after reading so much about these cities (and looking at some fantastic photos) I’m eager to go and visit. Armchair research is all very well, and I can write scenes from the results of such research, but to actually visit these places, soak up the atmosphere, talk to the locals... Such experiences would enrich Book Two so much. But alas, that won’t be happening just yet. Hopefully in the new year, by which I shall, all things being equal, be a full-time author/editor and I’ll have more time to go and do the whole research thing as it is meant to be done.
Today I picked up a copy of Stephen King’s new novel, ‘Under the Dome’. It sounds like a riff on the old idea seen in many a Hollywood flick, not to mention several novels and TV shows. Survivors, 28 Days Later, Day of the Triffids... all have dealt with the extreme circumstances in which society as we know it is destroyed and we have to start again from scratch. I’m looking forward to seeing the spin King puts on it, and hope it’s better than his ‘Cell’ novel, which was his spin on the zombie genre that’s been sweeping the industry in the last few years. We’ll see. I also picked up a book called ‘Left To Die’ by Lisa Jackson; this author is new to me, but the book sounded interesting so I shall give it a go – plus I got it free as there was a buy-one-get-one-free deal on.
So, other than a new book to read, pulling ‘Seeker’ off the shelves and continuing to work on Garden 2, this next week will see me returning to the novella I’m co-authoring with Noah Bogdonoff, ‘Through a Glass, Darkly We See’, which has been on hold for a month. Be nice to get back into that, and writing with another author is always a different experience, which will nicely balance the solo work I’ve got going on.
Busy busy busy!
Been working hard all week on Book Two of the Garden Saga (‘Seeker’ being Part One), and it’s coming together wonderfully well. Been doing some more research; virtually visiting such wonderful cities as Marseille and Rome. Annoyingly, or not, depending on how you look at it, after reading so much about these cities (and looking at some fantastic photos) I’m eager to go and visit. Armchair research is all very well, and I can write scenes from the results of such research, but to actually visit these places, soak up the atmosphere, talk to the locals... Such experiences would enrich Book Two so much. But alas, that won’t be happening just yet. Hopefully in the new year, by which I shall, all things being equal, be a full-time author/editor and I’ll have more time to go and do the whole research thing as it is meant to be done.
Today I picked up a copy of Stephen King’s new novel, ‘Under the Dome’. It sounds like a riff on the old idea seen in many a Hollywood flick, not to mention several novels and TV shows. Survivors, 28 Days Later, Day of the Triffids... all have dealt with the extreme circumstances in which society as we know it is destroyed and we have to start again from scratch. I’m looking forward to seeing the spin King puts on it, and hope it’s better than his ‘Cell’ novel, which was his spin on the zombie genre that’s been sweeping the industry in the last few years. We’ll see. I also picked up a book called ‘Left To Die’ by Lisa Jackson; this author is new to me, but the book sounded interesting so I shall give it a go – plus I got it free as there was a buy-one-get-one-free deal on.
So, other than a new book to read, pulling ‘Seeker’ off the shelves and continuing to work on Garden 2, this next week will see me returning to the novella I’m co-authoring with Noah Bogdonoff, ‘Through a Glass, Darkly We See’, which has been on hold for a month. Be nice to get back into that, and writing with another author is always a different experience, which will nicely balance the solo work I’ve got going on.
Busy busy busy!
July 23, 2010
And so it begins...
Everyone appears to be blogging nowadays, it's like the national sport. And I've resisted, not being much of a sheep, but as my writing career takes off it occurs to me that maybe poeple will be interested in what I have to say. So, in this blog you'll find my ruminations about life, writing, books, and a wee bit of promotion for my own projects. And it's self-promotion that will kick us off. OFF FLESHWhile away at a hotel for a convention and awayfrom his husband, Mr Jensen finds himselfd...
July 19, 2010
Off Flesh is HERE!
OFFICIAL release day is here; Off Flesh is now available to buy in almost every electronic format at www.Amazon.com , www.OmniLit.com , www.Smashwords.com , www.UntreedReads.com and wherever eBooks are sold! At most places it's only $1.99 (that's £1.32), with a special offer at Smashwords.com until then end of July (just under two weeks away!).
This is a pretty macabre tale, and not for the timid of stomach. Actually, even if you are bit weak in the old guts area, go and buy it anyway, it'd make a great present for a friend!
;)
This is a pretty macabre tale, and not for the timid of stomach. Actually, even if you are bit weak in the old guts area, go and buy it anyway, it'd make a great present for a friend!
;)
July 16, 2010
And here we go...
My new eBook, Off Flesh, is due on Monday 19th. But you guys don't have to wait that long. You can buy it now from Smashwords dot com three days early. Anyone who likes a bit of a macabre mystery is bound to love this...
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/...
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/...
July 9, 2010
Lifts and Flesh
I've been the subject of a quick Drive-Thru Interview at Hello Kruel, Kruel World, where I talk ever-so quickly about my upcoming short novella from Untreed Reads, 'Off Flesh'.
http://oescienne.com/blog/2010/07/09/...
http://oescienne.com/blog/2010/07/09/...
July 3, 2010
GLBT, m/m, erotica And Straight Women.
I've been nosing around the net, since I'm rather new to whole concept of m/m erotica - that's man on man to you and me. And I've come to an curious conclusion; this genre of erotic fiction seems to attract, predominantly, straight women. Now why is this? I didn't see the same ratio with straight men buying and reading w/w erotica.
It makes sense that gay men would buy such books, but I kind of assumed that straight women would be more interested in straight erotica.
Another curious factoid smacked me in the face, too. A fair few of these m/m erotica novels are written by straight women.
Curiouser and curiouser...
It makes sense that gay men would buy such books, but I kind of assumed that straight women would be more interested in straight erotica.
Another curious factoid smacked me in the face, too. A fair few of these m/m erotica novels are written by straight women.
Curiouser and curiouser...
June 28, 2010
Research
There was a time when I *hated* research. Five years ago, when me and my co-writer of the time, Richard Dinnick, were working on developing an idea for Noise Monster's fledgling Space 1889 series I happily passed on the research side of things to Richard. He was happy to accept, since he loved to research. I honestly didn't see the appeal. It was the actual grafting I enjoyed.
And now here I am, five years on, and I *love* all the research. It all changed two years back when I started on the original draft of 'Seeker' (or, as it was called then, 'An English Vampyre in Cardiff' - was never going to be the final title!). Although born in Cardiff I left there when I was three, and barring the occasional visit over the years, I never really considered myself a Cardiffian and so was thus not really knowledgeable on the city of my birth. As such, setting the book in Cardiff meant a mass amount of research, even though I had already spent a couple of years living there. When you live in a place you don't really *know* it, after all you get settled and everything becomes mundane and you stop exploring. Thus research! I discovered an awful lot about Cardiff, way more than most Cardiffians I actually know. And with this new knowledge came a distinct love for learning more.
When it came to the massive rewrite of 'Seeker' a year later, relocating it to Essex (where I was living at the time), I had to go through the whole research process again. Learning all kinds of new things about Southend, Leigh, Westcliff, and, more importantly, Canvey Island. I even ended up researching certain areas of France, Moldavia, Old Prussia; and all kinds of locations and languages!
One of a writer's greatest joys is found in research; at least I've come to believe that. By definition a writer surely must have a thirst for knowledge, to understand the world around them, to discover more. Certainly it is true of me.
Today I've started researching the sequel to 'Seeker' in earnest; hours and hours of time sitting on the floor in a lotus position in the library, books scattered around me, photocopying pages from historical books, and then returning home for further research via the world wide webster. And it's been an amazingly fun time; already, just from today's small amount of research, I've come up with the very first scene of book two, set in modern day Egypt, at the remains of the temples in Luxor (Ancient Thebes). Just the start of the 66,000-words segment of the book; barely a third of its entirity.
Just a start. So much more research to come. Ah, pure joy!
And now here I am, five years on, and I *love* all the research. It all changed two years back when I started on the original draft of 'Seeker' (or, as it was called then, 'An English Vampyre in Cardiff' - was never going to be the final title!). Although born in Cardiff I left there when I was three, and barring the occasional visit over the years, I never really considered myself a Cardiffian and so was thus not really knowledgeable on the city of my birth. As such, setting the book in Cardiff meant a mass amount of research, even though I had already spent a couple of years living there. When you live in a place you don't really *know* it, after all you get settled and everything becomes mundane and you stop exploring. Thus research! I discovered an awful lot about Cardiff, way more than most Cardiffians I actually know. And with this new knowledge came a distinct love for learning more.
When it came to the massive rewrite of 'Seeker' a year later, relocating it to Essex (where I was living at the time), I had to go through the whole research process again. Learning all kinds of new things about Southend, Leigh, Westcliff, and, more importantly, Canvey Island. I even ended up researching certain areas of France, Moldavia, Old Prussia; and all kinds of locations and languages!
One of a writer's greatest joys is found in research; at least I've come to believe that. By definition a writer surely must have a thirst for knowledge, to understand the world around them, to discover more. Certainly it is true of me.
Today I've started researching the sequel to 'Seeker' in earnest; hours and hours of time sitting on the floor in a lotus position in the library, books scattered around me, photocopying pages from historical books, and then returning home for further research via the world wide webster. And it's been an amazingly fun time; already, just from today's small amount of research, I've come up with the very first scene of book two, set in modern day Egypt, at the remains of the temples in Luxor (Ancient Thebes). Just the start of the 66,000-words segment of the book; barely a third of its entirity.
Just a start. So much more research to come. Ah, pure joy!
June 24, 2010
Twilight
You know, everyone's STILL talking about this saga. It's captured the imagination like Harry Potter, although unlike Harry Potter, Twilight has only become so renowned due to the films. Potter at least spread wild and fast with the books alone - although, it can't be denied that the films helped to spread the Potter bug across the globe. And now it's Twilight's turn. You can't look up without seeing something about Twilight, thanks to the soon-to-be-released Eclipse, and the recently released Eclipse-side-step-novella. And so, not wishing to follow the hype and the tide I've held off reading the books. Until now.
Yes, finally Frankham gives in. Was I impressed? Amazed like so many others have been? In a word, no. A good easy ready, for sure, but one has to wonder how many times one can read about how wonderful and stunning Edward is before one wishes the book will move along to the actual plot. That only comes along with a quarter of the book left, when a new vampire coven pops into Forkes. Then we get some actual story, and quite good it is, too. Albeit somewhat too late to save the book from being just ok.
My friend, upon learning I'd finished the book asked me if I wished to borrow Full Moon. 'No, no,' I told her, 'I'll get to it when I do. Plenty more books to read before.' And I have. Good books, interesting books...
So, there you go, I stepped on the Twilight bandwaggon. But soon stepped off again. An easy read, yes, with some really fun moments, but nothing to go crazy over.
Yes, finally Frankham gives in. Was I impressed? Amazed like so many others have been? In a word, no. A good easy ready, for sure, but one has to wonder how many times one can read about how wonderful and stunning Edward is before one wishes the book will move along to the actual plot. That only comes along with a quarter of the book left, when a new vampire coven pops into Forkes. Then we get some actual story, and quite good it is, too. Albeit somewhat too late to save the book from being just ok.
My friend, upon learning I'd finished the book asked me if I wished to borrow Full Moon. 'No, no,' I told her, 'I'll get to it when I do. Plenty more books to read before.' And I have. Good books, interesting books...
So, there you go, I stepped on the Twilight bandwaggon. But soon stepped off again. An easy read, yes, with some really fun moments, but nothing to go crazy over.
The Welsh-Londoner
Books, films, TV... A look into the darker, twisted world of genre fiction.
- Andy Frankham-Allen's profile
- 46 followers
