A Tale of Necromancy Spanning the Centuries
Posting has been, and will be, a little light for a while whilst I focus on completing an occult mystery that has been a year in development. Although it differs in a number of respects from the tales that I have released to date, it possesses in common with them a pronounced streak of dry humour, and should appeal to readers who have enjoyed what I have published so far.
The germ of the idea for this story arose from stumbling across a report relating to a strange, and markedly disturbing, incident that occurred in Wharfedale during the reign of Henry VIII. As it involved suspicions relating to the local lord at the time, a learned, cruel, and decidedly perverse individual with an interest in necromancy, it struck me as providing apt material for an equally dark tale, albeit one which straddles not only decades, but centuries. It is set, therefore, in Yorkshire, rather than in the West Country, which represents something of an exotic geographic departure for me.
Whereas the intention had been for it to be of a length in line with some of my other stories – perhaps totalling 20,000 words – I found that as time progressed and the plot became more complex, the projected word count grew greater, and the publication date more distant. As it is as yet unfinished, I cannot say for certain what its final length will be, but it is likely to be in the region of 45,000 words. Whether it should be classed as a long novella or a short novel, I’m not sure, perhaps because it will be both. With respect to publication, I anticipate that it will either be a little before, or a little after, Easter. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled, as for the first fortnight I will be discounting it at 99p/99c, with the price increasing to £1.99/$2.99 thereafter.
The germ of the idea for this story arose from stumbling across a report relating to a strange, and markedly disturbing, incident that occurred in Wharfedale during the reign of Henry VIII. As it involved suspicions relating to the local lord at the time, a learned, cruel, and decidedly perverse individual with an interest in necromancy, it struck me as providing apt material for an equally dark tale, albeit one which straddles not only decades, but centuries. It is set, therefore, in Yorkshire, rather than in the West Country, which represents something of an exotic geographic departure for me.
Whereas the intention had been for it to be of a length in line with some of my other stories – perhaps totalling 20,000 words – I found that as time progressed and the plot became more complex, the projected word count grew greater, and the publication date more distant. As it is as yet unfinished, I cannot say for certain what its final length will be, but it is likely to be in the region of 45,000 words. Whether it should be classed as a long novella or a short novel, I’m not sure, perhaps because it will be both. With respect to publication, I anticipate that it will either be a little before, or a little after, Easter. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled, as for the first fortnight I will be discounting it at 99p/99c, with the price increasing to £1.99/$2.99 thereafter.
No comments have been added yet.
