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C.J. Archer's Blog, page 29

April 13, 2016

April 12, 2016

I’ve been getting questions from readers lately about...



I’ve been getting questions from readers lately about story ideas - where do they come from? How do I think up stories? etc. So I decided to tackle it here (very briefly) in regards to the Ministry of Curiosities series.

Sometimes the initial kernel for a story comes to me in the form of a title, a particular scene, conversation, the heroine or hero. The Ministry of Curiosities series began with Lincoln. I’m not sure if you can call him a hero since he doesn’t always show heroic behaviour, but that’s exactly how I wanted him to be. I wanted you to love him sometimes, hate him at others, and occasionally want to throw things at him. I pictured a man who was extremely competent in every way, except the most important one - dealing with other people. He was crystal clear in my head right from the start. I’d even picked an actor who looked like him to help me describe him on the page (hence the image of Aidan Turner as Poldark).

With Lincoln being larger than life, I knew I had to pair him with someone who wouldn’t take his crap, who saw past the cold facade and was capable of knocking him off his solid foundations. She needed to be someone he could respect, because his respect is incredibly difficult to win. Since I love the girl-disguised-as-boy trope, I decided to make her a street-smart, courageous woman fallen on hard times. The word necromancer had been popping into my head a lot too, so I incorporated that into Charlie’s character. It proved to be the key to unlocking the rest of the story. It might surprise you, but I had no idea Charlie’s father would be the infamous character he turned out to be until I was about half way through writing THE LAST NECROMANCER. The man I had created was eerily similar to You Know Who (trying not to spoil it here for anyone who hasn’t read it), and when I realised that, I couldn’t let go of the idea. With that character/book being out of copyright, I decided to incorporate him into the story. This meant going back and changing the ending to STRANGE HORIZONS too so that the clues matched.

So there you go. That’s how the Ministry of Curiosities series evolved, in a nutshell. As a fun aside, does anyone know which of my other books features the heroine disguised as a boy trope? It’s an oldie, and one of my personal favourites. The scene where the hero learns she’s a woman was absolutely fun to write. If you know which book, write it in the comments.

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Published on April 12, 2016 14:48

April 2, 2016

There are over 90 FREE sci-fi and fantasy books on sale from a...



There are over 90 FREE sci-fi and fantasy books on sale from a great bunch of authors. This weekend only. Check them out for something new to read.
http://pattyjansen.com/promo/

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Published on April 02, 2016 15:29

March 29, 2016

PRE-ORDER THE WATCHMAKER’S DAUGHTERThe first book in my new...



PRE-ORDER THE WATCHMAKER’S DAUGHTER

The first book in my new series is now available for pre-order with a release date of June 28th. It will be discounted during the pre-order phase, with the price to rise on release day. So pre-order THE WATCHMAKER’S DAUGHTER now at the lower price from:

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DK93WKW/?tag=cjarcaut-20

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01DK93WKW

iBooks: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/au/book/the-watchmakers-daughter/id1097627055?mt=11&at=10lKjy

B&N Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-watchmakers-daughter-cj-archer/1123600144?ean=2940152945560

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/C_J_Archer_The_Watchmaker_s_Daughter?id=1WnVCwAAQBAJ&hl=en

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-watchmaker-s-daughter-1 

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Published on March 29, 2016 17:15

March 14, 2016

March 8, 2016

March 7, 2016

Now that the first draft of THE WATCHMAKER’S DAUGHTER is...



Now that the first draft of THE WATCHMAKER’S DAUGHTER is almost done, it’s time to reveal its cover. This book is the first in the Glass And Steele series, about an impoverished woman in Victorian England who finds employment with a mysterious gentleman searching for a particular watchmaker to fix his broken watch - a watch that keeps him alive. (I’ll post a more detailed description soon). It’s got magic, intrigue, adventure, romance, and Wild West outlaws!

The cover is different to my others. It was becoming increasingly difficult for my artist to find women dressed in Victorian-era costume, so we decided on a new style for the series. I hope you like it!

THE WATCHMAKER’S DAUGHTER will be out at the end of June.

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Published on March 07, 2016 14:01

February 29, 2016

Interview

I’ve been interviewed over at Shelf Buzz. Find out what inspired me to write The Last Necromancer, as well as other facts about me.

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Published on February 29, 2016 14:38

February 26, 2016

Kobo are having a 30% off sale on selected books, including The...



Kobo are having a 30% off sale on selected books, including The Complete Freak House Series. Use the coupon code 30FEB at checkout.

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Published on February 26, 2016 14:22

February 25, 2016

Ashes To Ashes on Goodreads

If you’re on Goodreads, you can now add ASHES TO ASHES to your bookshelves, recommend to friends, etc.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29331265-ashes-to-ashes

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Published on February 25, 2016 12:32