Author Archives: Roland Clarke

Strategies for Promoting a Book ~ Part 2

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Fellow author and blog-co-ordinator, Louise MacBeath Barbour continues to keep us all informed about the tortuous but fun writing process on the IWSG Anthology blog.

As she says in this week’s post, “Book promotion is a serious topic for all authors, and if it isn’t, it should be!” Last week five of the authors featured in the 2020 Insecure Writer’s Support Group Anthology, Voyagers:  The Third Ghost discussed the challenge of promoting our book in enterprising ways.

Now, check out the promotion strategies the second group of our Voyager authors use – including my own mistakes.

https://iwsganthologies.blogspot.com/2020/06/strategies-for-promoting-book-part-2.html

#WEP/IWSG June Challenge – Urban Nightmare

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Crime never sleeps.

Despite the disturbing world situation, I’ve found bits of time to devise more Sparkle Anwyl mind games as we continue the six-part story called ‘Custody Chain’. Meanwhile, the revision of my first Sparkle Anwyl novel, Fevered Fuse progresses in sporadic spurts too.

I’ve also had a graphic image of Sparkle and Kama created, which I blogged about last month: https://rolandclarke.com/2020/05/31/sparkle-anwyl-comic-book-heroine/ – inspired by  my diligent queer diversity reader.

She said, “Sparkle’s character is so strong and is so appealing, esp. to the younger generation who also love anime and comics, I wondered if you have considered getting an illustrator to have a look at your book and possibly create a comic book character out of her as well?…”

After the feedback on the original image, the illustrator made some changes based on comments. My beta readers should spot the imagined scene from Fevered Fuse – with artistic licence.

Graphics by Jonathan Temples – 
http://jonathantemples.co.uk/

What do you feel about the new image? An improvement? Hooked or confused?

Back though to Custody Chain.

If you missed the first two parts of the story, or would like to refresh your memory, here are the links:

Chapter One – Café Terrace: https://rolandclarke.com/2020/02/19/wep-iwsg-february-challenge-cafe-terrace/

Chapter Two – Masterpiece: https://rolandclarke.com/2020/04/15/wep-iwsg-april-challenge-antique-vase/

Please note there may be minor oversights/errors/omissions which editing of the final story into a novella will address. Writing new chapters throws up new clues to fathom.

On my April Challenge post, some people again commented that Sparkle’s mnemonic usage needed to be explained better – comments echoed by my beta readers for Fevered Few. I have attempted to introduce an explanation in this episode, which I intend to use and evolve elsewhere – if the idea works.

Anyway, enjoy this new chapter, and if you wish, please comment, or suggest what happens next. Many thanks for reading.

Plus, ensure you visit all the other writers in this challenge via: 

https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2020/06/wep-june-challenge-urban-nightmare-sign.html

CUSTODY CHAIN

CHAPTER THREE – CRYPTOGRAPH

2014

Tuesday, March 18th

Kama and I interview Urien Cadwallader in his private hospital room. Will he allay our suspicions?

“I don’t remember much. Didn’t your colleagues discover more?”

“Anything you can add helps. Did you see anything before you were attacked?”

I flip open my notebook as Kama probes. The CSI report and Tesni’s statement pose questions.

Urien shakes his head. “I’m usually alone – since my wife died. I have my art collection. Comfort—”

He falters. Tears streak his cheeks.

Seated beside his bed, Kama pats his arm.

“Take your time, sir. Your wife must have been special.”

“For 35 years – until…” He shudders. “I prayed Csilla would survive the treatment but— too invasive. I could do nothing so lost her—”

As he starts to cough, I reach for his glass of water, passing it when he stops shaking.

“Lungs – damaged from her childhood back in Miskolc.”

“Hungary?” The names slots together – Aranka, Miskolc, Csilla, Szarka.

He stares at me. “You know already? I thought those records lost decades ago.”

“A deduction. Please, apologies if I’m wrong.”

He shakes his head, then leans back, head lolling. “So, nobody told you. How?”

“Sparkle thinks laterally. Give her clues and she finds new angles.”

Urien gestures at me. “Your personal cryptograph?”

I laugh. “Fancy word for my mind games – but worth adopting. I juggle the initial letters of clues to get a mnemonic so I remember them—”

“And the new angle?”

“Triggered by the mnemonic. Like say M for Miskolc, A for Art, G for Generosity, Y for Yearn, A for Analysis, R for Replica, S for Stars. Spelling M A G Y A R S – as in Hungary where Aranka is from. Plus, Csilla sounds Hungarian as does Szarka. Correct?”

Urien palms his hands and nods. “Impressive.” He closes his eyes. “We met in 1988 when I travelled to Hungary as a mineralogist – my initial career. I was looking for the Herman Ottó Museum and Csilla helped me. A nineteen-year-old engineering student, Csilla captivated me, so I helped her flee the country when it broke from the Soviet bloc.”

M for Minerals, E for Engineer, T for Travel.

M E T

“You married in Hungary?” Kama reaches a shared conclusion. “The missing records. And your child?”

Urien confirms our suspicions. “Born in 1994 – talented and special – our joy in turbulent days. We named her ‘warmth from the sun’ in Welsh. She’s worth everything I spend.”

T for Turbulent Talent. S for Sky Sigil.

METS?

“Does Tesni know she’s your daughter? Or only that her mother was Csilla Szarka?”

Tears return to streak his cheeks. “I’ve failed to confess my relationship, although I’ve always felt she senses all that matters. Her art is everything in her world. Yet Tesni visits often.”

Bluebell Woods in Llanystumdwy https://www.menaiholidays.co.uk/blog/natural-wonders-of-the-llyn-peninsula/

“That’s why her DNA was all over your house. And why she pressed your panic pendant. Did you or Tesni switch off the security you’ve installed? We must identify your attacker.”

“Tesni would never leave me unprotected. The attacker must have disabled the CCTV so he remained invisible. Didn’t Tesni see him before summoning help?”

Kama scrolls on her phone. “Her statement reads, ‘The figure was in black and masked. When I cracked the vase on the masked head, the figure fled…’ Then she helped you and rescued the urn pieces.”

“With her mam’s ashes – Csilla helping still. Did Tesni repair the urn?”

I smile and bow my head. “An invisible repair. The painting is secure too.” U for Urn, P for Protection, I for Invisible. “A mistaken theft that triggered our investigation.”

METSUPI = IMPETUS

“Your case must be closed then. I’m anxious to return home, where my daughter has Csilla and our painting.”

“My cryptograph raises concerns. What compelled your wife to flee Hungary? Her health? Yet she left family behind. Aranka?”

He collapses into the pillows, eyes closed.

“Yes, Csilla was suffering. Her father worked in the steelworks, coming home covered in toxic dust. Love offered a route out of her urban nightmare. Economic recession was sweeping those industrial heartlands behind the Iron Curtain. Her sister, Aranka stayed with her profiteering husband.”

An abandoned factory in Miskolc – one of many https://europebetweeneastandwest.wordpress.com/2014/12/07/the-rise-fall-the-fall-rise-the-history-of-a-city-the-history-of-a-nation-miskolc-hungary/

“Could your attacker have been Hungarian? They didn’t try to take the painting – just attacked you. Why?”

Urien shakes his head, but his glance wavers between us. We sense his fear.

“I made mistakes – and enemies. And my assailant must realise who Tesni is – even living apart. Help me protect my daughter, please?”

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Word Count 998: FCA

Comments are welcome as usual, and the following applies:

Strategies for Promoting a Book ~ Part 1

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Keeping us all informed about the tortuous but fun writing process on the IWSG Anthology blog has encouraged fellow author and blog-co-ordinator, Louise MacBeath Barbour to explore some great topics.

As she says in this week’s post, our 2020 Insecure Writer’s Support Group anthology Voyagers:  The Third Ghost launched in the fraught current environment on May 5, 2020, and we ten authors tackled the challenge of promoting our book in enterprising ways – well, my colleagues did.

Check out the promotion strategies the first group of our Voyager authors have used during this difficult time.

https://iwsganthologies.blogspot.com/2020/06/strategies-for-promoting-book-part-1.html

Insider Writing Tips for the IWSG 2020 Anthology Contest ~ Part 2

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Once again on the IWSG Anthology blog, fellow author and blog-co-ordinator, Louise MacBeath Barbour keeps giving us more insights into this tortuous but fun writing process. And again, she gives us more great links to everything anthology-inspiring.

First, some insider writing tips for the Insecure Writers Support Group’s 2020 Anthology Contest – here are the second group of my fellow 2019 winners, featured in this year’s anthology Voyagers:  The Third Ghost, plus our tireless editor-publisher, L Diane Wolfe of Dancing Lemur Press.

Then, a reminder of the 2020 Contest’s SF theme – Dark Matter.

Anyway, you can burrow further at:

https://iwsganthologies.blogspot.com/2020/06/insider-writing-tips-for-iwsg-2020.html

#IWSG – My Buried Secrets

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After a busy month, it’s time for my IWSG monthly blog post. I’ll admit I’m not the usual Insecure though, distracted as I am with all the promotion surrounding the launch of Voyagers: The Third Ghost on May 5th. If you’ve missed that visit my post back on that day:

https://rolandclarke.com/2020/05/05/celebrate-voyagers-release-day/

A huge thank you to the Ninja Captain himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh who created the Insecure Writer’s Support Group as they do such amazing things for writers, from the annual Anthology to friendly advice for all us vacillating writers. Many thanks, Captain Alex, for keeping me inspired to keep scribbling. Even at this difficult time.

Before I forget, I’m staying motivated and attempting to write another short story – an entry for 2020 IWSG Anthology Contest. It’s a challenging theme again – Dark Matter – so my old brain is attempting to re-awaken my SF leanings. More about the contest at:

https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/the-2019-annual-iwsg-anthology-contest.html

Anyway, on to the monthly question which stumped me at first. Then the blocks fell away – or rather the chocks were pulled away.

June 3 question – Writers have secrets! What are one or two of yours, something readers would never know from your work?

Too many to mention. Or am I too overt? If my fiction is taken in isolation then two at least are secrets – and I’m not an alcoholic, even if I was a journalist.

But there’s my Gaming addiction. That’s a secret, invisible in my fiction, yes. As is my disability no thanks to a non-gaming MonSter. However, a sharp reader only has to visit this website and those secrets are trumpeted facts. I never hide those aspects of my life on here – nor my curious approach to writings.

My writing techniques are weird and somewhat capricious, but not secret.

However, a reader would need to dig much deeper for secrets that might contradict my ‘official’ image.

So, who suspects this retired equestrian journalist, whose debut was set against the horse world, is useless on a horse? Unlike my characters who are talented horse people in Spiral of Hooves – well, the main ones. Okay, I’ve ridden and like horses, but as a kid I kept falling off and as I grew up my ability on a horse hardly progressed. I feel safer on the ground.

Is that why I hate flying? Again, I’ve improved with age – although I took a few long-haul flights across the Atlantic when I was at college in Canada. But even though I know what all the scary noises are – like air brakes – I’m still irrational. Is that believable from someone who wrote a short story in the IWSG Anthology featuring one of the brave Soviet airwomen of World War II? Well, those women are one of my research obsessions – like other Women Heroes of that period.

However, there is a clue in Feathered Fire – the MC is afraid of flying.

Stay sensible, safe, and inspired, please

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The awesome co-hosts  for the June 3 posting of the IWSG are Pat Garcia,J.Q. Rose,andNatalie Aguirre!

How can I be repetitive asking you to agree these guys are the best? Especially as they all have concerns, fears, and insecurities. But they struggle on, so ticker-tape applause for all of them – plus toasts with the best brew available.

Purpose of IWSG: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer – aim for a dozen new people each time – and return comments. This group is all about connecting!

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.

Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience, or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.

Sparkle Anwyl: Comic Book Heroine?

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I’m busy revising my WIP, Fevered Fuse – Book 1 in my Snowdon Shadow series – following some invaluable feedback from my three beta readers, which is allowing me to hone the novel some more.

Among the comments was an intriguing one from my diligent queer diversity reader:

Sparkle’s character is so strong and is so appealing, esp. to the younger generation who also love anime and comics, I wondered if you have considered getting an illustrator to have a look at your book and possibly create a comic book character out of her as well? I have a background in merchandising and I just kept thinking how unique and sexy Sparkle is – she could be perfect for merchandising, if you were interested in going that direction.

So, I pursued the idea – well, the first step on an intriguing road. I approached Jonathan Temples – http://jonathantemples.co.uk/ – the illustrator who did the cover for my debut novel, Spiral of Hooves and much more for other clients, and I asked him for a concept image.

What do you think of his image below? What does it say to you? What mood does it evoke? Which character is which? Where are we? Do you want to open the pages and read on? Or is this not how you envisage my characters?

Graphics by Jonathan Temples –
http://jonathantemples.co.uk/

Okay, I’m trying to let you react before I say more.

This echoes a scene in the novel – with a little bit of artistic licence. For me – and my wife – it captures the right mood, the Welsh setting, and the two main characters. Jonathan made some suggested changes, but his initial drawing provided the right starting point.

But where do WE go from here?

Sparkle Anwyl and Kama Pillai need your input, please