C.G. Hatton's Blog, page 4

What’s coming up in 2016?

Hello! I haven’t blogged in an age because I’ve been busy with Kheris, the next book due out in April, and no, it’s not Book Five, it’s a side-step. It’s the Thieves’ Guild universe and it’s the same characters, specifically LC, but ten years ago when he was a thirteen year old kid caught in a warzone on Kheris.
I am writing Book Five, and planning Book Six, but I think after the end of Four, I needed some breathing space. It’s all been quite intense. If I thought the end of Three had left me standing at the edge of an abyss, the end of Four left me reeling. And what’s coming up in Five and Six is tough, for everyone.
The idea to take a step back started when I first started going to comic cons. I’ve had so many people ask if these books are suitable for teens, and my standard answer was yes, why not? There was no such thing as Young Adult fiction (YA) when we were kids. We read science fiction, we read books. My hubs was reading James Herbert and Isaac Asimov when he was eight. My only reservation was that there are some strong words in my stuff. I edit a lot out. And the few that remain are there for a reason. And I am aware that the language gets stronger as the books progress. But it made me think. I looked into what makes a YA book and it was awesome to see everyone say keep the language, keep the realism, keep the action and tension, give the characters a tough time, because that’s what we all want to read about, whatever age we are. Action adventure scifi is escapism. It’s rollercoaster good guys and bad guys, space battles, aliens, pirates, assassins and bounty hunters, heroes running around with guns, cats and dogs living together… If you love that stuff, it doesn’t matter how old you are.
But… the one big thing that everyone seems to agree on is that kids like reading about kids. So it got me thinking about LC. He never talks about what happened on Kheris when he was thirteen. So I just wondered, what if he did…
So that’s what is coming out in April at Sci-Fi Scarbs this year. Before then, I’m venturing out into Stockton for my first proper bookshop book signing, then staying in the north-east I’ll be at the Newcastle Film and Comic Con in March, and then after Sci-Fi Scarborough in April, I’ll be at MCM London in May, back in Stockton for Kapow in June and then down in Kent for Invicta Con in August. After that, who knows! I’d love to go back to NYCC. And once Kheris is finished, I’ll be getting back to big story: Darkest Fears (Thieves’ Guild: Book Five) due out April 2017…


Kheris Burning (Thieves' Guild Origins: LC Book One) is due out April 2016. Sign up for my newsletter at www.cghatton.com to get news on release dates and events.

What’s in a Muppet?!

I know tickets are like gold dust, but if anyone ever asks if you want to go to the New York Comic Con, say yes. Don’t think about it, just say yes. The event at New York’s Javits Center earlier this month was awesome. That’s the only word for it. To go all that way and set up a table as an indie British writer was intimidating to say the least. As it was, the whole weekend of NYCC was amazing. We were made to feel welcome by everyone involved, the atmosphere over all four days was awe inspiring and Manhattan’s attitude to the comic con in its midst was so cool.We met some brilliant people – including a Muppet (!), Bruce Connelly aka Barkley from Sesame Street, who had some amazing stories to tell – and thank you so much to everyone who called by for a chat, to give some new books a chance and to chill out for a few moments in the small press area, a tiny oasis of relative calm in the mega-busy, really well organised awesome chaos of the event. I think the one aspect that made it stand out was that everyone wanted to be there and everyone wanted it to be awesome so it was. The set-up staff at the venue were great. We had great neighbours in our aisle and it was lovely to see Gary Erskine, our neighbor from the first SciFi Scarbs, all the way out there. Going to and from the event out in the streets of Manhattan was fun (walking from our hotel, The New Yorker – which was great, took us past Nero Wolfe’s house! How cool is that?). All weekend, the queues for tickets just to join the queues for the show-exclusive Funco bobbleheads were so bizarre but everyone waited patiently. The cosplay was amazing and the big sign that proclaimed the NYCC philosophy for everyone to “be nice, be cool, and be kind to each other” was respected throughout.Every minute of NYCC was great. It was an incredible event and I feel very privileged to have been a part of it. Thank you to everyone who helped me get there and thank you to everyone there who made the whole week so awesome. More pics at www.facebook.com/cghattonauthor

What’s with the weather?

It was Elmore Leonard who said, “Never open a book with weather.” It’s great advice, as are his other nine rules of writing. You want people shooting at you, not spots of rain. But I do find that weather plays a significant part in my writing, in the process, in setting my scenes and in upsetting my characters.I love being out in all weathers. I love summer days when the sky is blue and the breeze is balmy. I love thunderstorms. I love walking in torrential rain. I don’t like being cold but as the old saying goes, there is no bad weather, only bad clothing (been caught out there a few times). As I’ve said before, I love knowing what my guys like and don’t like. NG hates the cold. LC hates being too hot. Hil just hates being outside. (One thing I love most is knowing all the reasons why…)My universe isn’t all shiny and sparkly clean. My guys get muddy when it rains. Their kit doesn’t work in the dirt. Their fingers get cold. I love throwing them into the extremes of what they have trouble dealing with and seeing how they respond.But, and this is the thing, when the sun is shining, the beer’s cold and the days are long, it can be hard sometimes to get into those really dark places. However, it has been a good summer of amazing weather from one extreme to the other so that’s all been cool as far as the inspiration, the planning and the plotting. As far as the writing goes, it’s all lining up nicely and heading towards the dark times just as the dark nights start to draw back in.

Out and about in 2015/16

It’s a bit of a weird time at the moment. I’m juggling writing and gallivanting, not to mention munchkins, home and work. Apart from normal life (ha, normal!?), I’m caught between wanting to be out and about at comic cons every weekend, talking to people, meeting people and having fun, and needing to sit under a blanket, giving all my little guys a hard time and getting on with book five.I know it was like this last year too and book four didn’t really take off until the autumn so I’m going to go with the flow and enjoy the sunshine. Someone did ask me if book five would be out this summer in time for their hols, but I’m afraid it takes longer than that! I’m aiming for Scifi Scarbs again next year for the next book. I won’t say any more about it as I’ve been accused of giving away spoilers, but as usual there’s lots of rum involved, copious amounts of Haribo and loud Linkin Park.If you’re going to any comic cons this year, here are the ones I’m booked into so far – do come along and say hello!
Manchester Film & Comic Con 
 30th/31st May, Event City
London Film and Comic Con
 17th/18th/19th July, Olympia
Sheffield Film and Comic Con
15th/16th August, Motorpoint Arena
Bolton Comic Con 15th November, Holiday Inn
Scifi Scarborough 9th/10th April 2016, The Spa

#writetip: to dare is to do

An INTP writer and the dilemma of social media
I’m not just an INTP, I’m an INTP Leo indie writer. Argh. I’m not into pigeonholing and labels, but I do like to try to understand how I feel about what I do. And I am not ashamed to say that trying to develop a social media author platform is driving me insane.I write because I love writing, and I publish books because I have dared to admit that I do want to share my writing with people out there who might like and enjoy the stuff I write.I’m an impatient reader and I write the way I like to read. Apart from the fact that I need to write to stay sane, I’ll keep going with the whole publishing and promoting my stuff thing because I have had some awesome feedback from people who have actually asked me to keep writing, people I didn’t know before they took the time and effort to get in touch, people who like to read the way I like to read – and write. It’s an amazing feeling. But I’m a desperately private person. As an indie writer, it’s all up to you. Which is fantastic when you’re writing and editing with a blanket over your head. Not so great when it comes to the marketing and selling. I actually love going to comic cons. That must be the Leo in me. Online social media, though, frightens the life out of me. In case there are any other writers out there facing the same dilemma, here’s a rough guide to how I manage to do at least some of it:
Twitter:I love Twitter! I use it as a snapshot of what’s happening in the world right now. Social media has changed forever the way news is disseminated to the masses. It’s no longer the domain of the established press to tell us what is important. Now, if something’s going on, it will be trending on Twitter. As an INTP writer, I love the instant, said and gone nature of a Tweet. It doesn’t feel as if anyone is watching but if someone is, then they just see what I’ve said right then and it’s gone. Adding a quick favourite is a cool way of giving a nod and a smile. And I use Twitter to keep tabs on stuff I like and access to stuff I might want to go back to investigate further later. It’s very instant and it’s very unintrusive.Here’s me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cghatton – I follow back anyone who follows me and I’m happy to engage in Twitter conversations. It’s kind of like having your back to the corner of the room, a drink in your hand and total control over how much you want to say. I can do that.
Pinterest:I love Pinterest! Pinterest is the place where I hoard all the stuff I like. I use it for inspiration, for gathering all the images and quotes that make me feel. It’s like having access to a mood board you can add to and peruse in the middle of the night. If you want to see what inspires me, check out 6E’s cool stuff board at www.pinterest.com/6ecreative/cool-stuff – that’s me. It’s like having your own personal art gallery. It’s great. Only warning, you can get sucked into Pinterest, especially at three in the morning, and it can devour away the hours.
Facebook:Facebook freaks me out. It’s like the crowded room, full of happy social confident people, that you walk into and want to walk straight back out of. INTP nightmare. I still haven’t figured it out. There are a few people I know and like that I can only contact through Facebook so I pop in regularly. But I still haven’t got the hang of what to say, how to say it, what to like or share without feeling creepy and it’s not somewhere I like to hang out. I have never liked to ask anything of anyone so the idea of asking people to ‘like’ my page or ‘share’ my post makes me incredibly uncomfortable. So I don’t do it. And I think you need to if you want to be part of the whole Facebook thing.
LinkedIn:LinkedIn freaks me out a bit too. I have a profile but I haven’t populated it with all the info I could because I’m not sure I want to post all that stuff so publicly. I’m sure it has potential – some of my most enthusiastic readers are people I know professionally, who found out what I do by accident. So I could probably use LinkedIn more. I mostly use it for the Spurs supporters discussion forums. They’re cool.
Blogspot:Having a blog is a tough one! There’s a really big part of me that wonders why anyone would want to read anything I have to say. I tend not to say a lot out loud. I’m trying to use it for the occasional bits of writing advice for other writers, in case anyone out there is struggling as much as I am, and an odd update for readers if I have anything going on like a new book or photos from a comic con. At the end of the day, writing books is what is keeping me sane. I love my little guys and I love my universe and I love giving them all a hard time and seeing how they deal with it, and I love it when they surprise me. If having a blog helps someone find my stuff that might not have done otherwise, then why not? And if another writer gets a bit of inspiration from reading that it’s not easy, then that’s cool. Life’s hard enough as it is. Living in the future doesn’t have to be impossible for us folk who’d rather hide under a blanket (a blanket with Internet access so we know what’s going on).

Sci-Fi Scarbs

I’m really pleased to be able to say that Sci-Fi Scarborough was as good this year as it was last year! A few people warned me last year that events can change from year to year, giving the invaluable advice that sometimes you have to just take each event as they come. But seriously, Sci-Fi Scarbs was great, just as welcoming and just as much fun as the first one.What was really cool was that we met back up with some old friends for a lovely weekend and made some new ones as more people came up for a chat.The orchestra was great, the live bands were cool, the cosplay was awesome, the quiz was tough and the atmosphere all weekend was buzzing.The munchkins loved it too and worked as hard as they did last year, handing out bookmarks and discount codes for me and stalking the daleks. The little one was especially taken by the R2D2s who were the stars of the show. It was fantastic talking to Virginia Hey, Pam Rose, Terry Malloy and David Hine who all gave us lots of their time and advice, and it was a real opportunity for the munchkins to meet real people who dress up, act, draw and write for a living! It was a great weekend all round.Writing is such a solitary affair, and there are times when I need nothing more than to throw a blanket over my head, sit under a tree and write, but having the chance to talk to people who know my books and like my stuff is amazing. I know I’ve said this before, but I still can’t explain how much it means to meet people who want to chat about my universe and all its goings on. I’m becoming more and more aware that I need to be careful what I say, having been accused of giving away spoilers for the first time!Many thanks once again to my hubs and Andy and Steve for getting me out there into the world, to everyone who came along for a chat and some books, and special thanks to Lynn and family for looking after us last weekend. See you at the next one!
More photos on Facebook!

In between books…

Being a reader and a writer is very peculiar. I know exactly what it’s like to be waiting for the next book in a series to come out, the anticipation of wondering what happens next, wanting it to be in your hands so you can jump back into the adventure with your favourite characters, knowing you have all those hours ahead of you to spend with them…Thing is, as a writer, that exact same time is suddenly the time when you’re done and finished and missing those same characters, the guys you’ve just spent every moment of the past year with, inside their heads, feeling every hurt and drama, every twist and turn as it surprises you as much as it surprises them.It’s a strange, in between, in limbo kind of time. You have all the plans and thoughts for the next book swishing about, but you’ve not jumped fully into it yet, not quite ready to leave the last one, even though what’s done is done. There’s definitely a touch of the expedition blues about it.So here I am, looking forward to Sci-Fi Scarborough and getting book four out there, and really appreciating the messages from all the people who have said they’re coming and can’t wait for it, to find out what happens to NG and LC and Hil… But I’m already missing them. I need to get on with five and get back to giving them all a hard time!
See you at Scifi Scarbs!
Wilful Defiance (Thieves’ Guild: Book Four) is due out on Monday 16thMarch. Paperback copies can be pre-ordered at www.6epublishing.net

Book Four due out March 2015

A year ago at Scifi Scarbs, Andy and Steve (almost jokingly) said, “Hey, see you here next year with book four?” I’m a sucker for a challenge so here we are and yes, book four is due out in March 2015, only a few weeks away!It’s been great to have a deadline and I’m already planning books five and six. I’ve had some really cool reviews and feedback over the winter and I’m really grateful to everyone who has been in touch to say they’re enjoying my stuff.I’m still planning to jump back into the graphic novel once book four is wrapped up and out there, and I’m still writing a lot of short back story stuff that may at some point see the light of day.For now, here’s the cover of book four. I’ll be posting a first chapter in a week or two so keep a look out.Once again, many thanks to everyone who has been so supportive! See you at Scifi Scarbs or Stoke Con Trent. Hoping to make it down to London this year too.

A festive free gift…

It’s hard to believe that the first SciFi Scarbs was only this year – so much has happened since then that it feels like eons ago!Since plucking up the courage to go to Scarborough (with a lot of arm-twisting and all that great support from my other half as well as Andy and Steve) for the launch of book three, I’ve been to loads of scifi and comic cons this year and I feel very privileged to have met so many lovely people who have given me so much encouragement. So thank you very much to everyone who came along for a chat!I made the decision in November to spend the winter writing. Book four is coming together and taking on a life of its own… and, as most people saw this year when we released some preview art, I’ve started on the script and begun to pull a team together to work on the Thieves’ Guild graphic novel.I didn’t want to disappear completely though, so as a teaser, I've released a peak behind the scenes at the Thieves’ Guild. It’s not a short story, it’s one of the conversations that I write between my characters. Most times they are arguments, often fights, and sometimes it’s a scene just turned around and seen from the other character’s point of view. These will never make it into any of the books but they’re great to delve a little deeper. My characters tend not to talk about themselves much. They don’t like to. So it’s amazing to see what comes out when they are forced to. If you’d like a copy, please sign up for my mailing list - there's a link right here.As a festive thank you, here are also some eBook discount codes for books two and three (one is still free in eBook format!) so if you know anyone who also might enjoy the Thieves’ Guild stories, please pass them on.It’s been a great year and I’d like to wish everyone the very best for 2015. See you all at Scarborough or a convention somewhere along the way!Cheers,CGH
50% off Blatant Disregard (Thieves' Guild: Book Two) at Smashwords with code CW55U

50% off Harsh Realities (Thieves' Guild: Book Three) at Smashwords with code HP43U

(Codes valid until 31st January 2015)

eBook pricing: why my first book is free…

It’s simple. I’ve always borrowed books from libraries. From being a child to a cash-stricken student to becoming a fussy adult reader, I have always raided my local library. If I find a book or an author I love, I troop straight off to the nearest bookshop and buy a copy for my bookshelf, and probably everything else they’ve written too. The fact that I borrowed it for free first doesn’t devalue it in the slightest. When I impulse buy a book at full price, usually at the airport five minutes before take off, and it turns out to be not my thing, either in writing style or characters or dialogue or whatever, that’s when I get a tad ticked off.My first book is listed as an eBook for free so that you can give it a go. Read it with no other investment than a liking for the cover and the blurb, an appreciation for what other people have written about it, maybe a recommendation from a friend and some time. Then if you like it, great, buy the others knowing pretty much what you’re going to get more of.I talk to business owners, artists and writers included, about how to value your product and work out pricing structures. Creative work is not like any other service or product-based business. If you calculate in the time it takes you to produce your work and then try to bill it per hour, you’ll go potty. It doesn’t add up. Create for the love of it and then find an audience that loves your work – they’ll decide how much they’re prepared to pay for it.I don’t want to throw my first book into the slush pile of free books on the Internet, but at the same time, it’s great being able to say to people, “It’s free – try it! If you like it, there are two more and a fourth due out next year.” The way I see it is that it’s no different than borrowing a book from the library, or giving someone your copy to try. Some of the best feedback I’ve had has been from people who tried the first one then decided to buy the others because they’ve enjoyed it so much. So I’ll see what happens next year, but for the moment I’m going to be keeping book one free.
Residual Belligerence (Thieves’ Guild: Book One) is available free in all eBook formats at Smashwords, iBooks, Amazon Kindle, Nookand Kobo.