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I am writing-Eighteen

You know how most things take a village? Well, that village could be anyone and everyone from anywhere. The world is huge, small at times when considers connections and community. The indie world is huge, but you can find your own corner of it and generally hold that space with lots of people around being that village.

I’ve been lucky in meeting like minded people, supportive, considerate and friendly. With exception of one event, that I really don’t need to name, I’ve been invited to welcoming events with a diverse range of authors. The uncomfortable truth, the one that is starting to ebb and slowly, is that I’ve often been the only brown author.

This is changing, and I have over the last two to three years since a dynamic changer. In previous posts I’ve mentioned the Big Sky Event in Montana, Leek book festival and Tales on trent. More recently, there was the Burton Book bash, I’ve done a few book Bonanzas, and then Jupiter Book Festival was lovely too.

The indie world is, in my experience, more diverse compared to the trad published world. With the stories that are written and the people who write them. When you step into a hall, be it 20 authors or over 60, you see a representation of society and life.

There are still instances where I do feel like I’m on the wrong place. However, I try to remember that I might not be there, the stories I’ve written my not reach anyone. I can attend an event, and increase the chances of someone picking up my book and maybe liking it. it;s not easy though. Going to events, advertising and marketing events and getting reviews too. It’s challenging in getting it right and being successful.

Alas, I shall continue. Writing this blog is part of it. Not yet a tik tok sensation or a New York best seller list author.

Never, say never.

I am writing

I am writing-seventeen

There are a number of book events scheduled this year. All subject to planning and travel arrangements. Each one is an opportunity to meet readers and share my work. Generally, these are really exciting and I have travelled up and down across the country; usually with my mum or a soul sister in tow as they’ve been my glamourous assistant.

I’ve not been doing these events very long, but I’ve certainly learned a lot by going to them. I’ve been to events where there sixty authors and beyond, as well as smaller events, with a third of that number. There are themed ones, and events where I’ve probably not been the best author for the job. There have been events which are genre and multi-genre; these have seen a massive diversity of readers.

I have largely found events to be welcome. There have been events where I might have been the only brown author, but this is changing, albeit slowly. I know that there lots of brown and black authors in the indie universe, it’s a case of where does one find them and are events accessible and open.

I did go to one event, where one reader took one look at me, at my books and walked off. Charming, is what I thought as I watched them walk away. I simply wasn’t their company of tea, and it was barely concealed.

Largely, readers will say hello, how you doing, what do you write. There are warm conversations, I share what I write and readers may take a risk. On the other hand, there are some book events that are huge, feel very closed shop and as though you have to be part of a club to get in. This can be off putting, and feeds the less than, imposter syndrome way of thinking. Events that have been around for years and gave a very specific focus. Not so much a fandom. In my experience fandoms are lovely, welcoming and people connect.

I’m looking forward to this years book events, each one feels like a mini adventure,

I am writing

I am writing-fourteen

Today has been a productive and enjoyable day. Two more chapters have been written and I can see the story moving towards it’s ending. Ending for this book that is. In my mind, Dragon realm, it’s sequel, may have a few more instalments yet to conclude as a universe. Not a bad thing, as that’s future avenues for inspiration.

Dragon Realm was originally written as contribution to an anthology inspired by Birmingham. I think I chose the theme a city of thousand trades. As such, I wrote about lots of different people in Birmingham from a variety of jobs. It is short, compact, but could be the start of something,

This spring, I was really struggling with a WIP that I was thirty thousand words deep into. I was also feeling tired, burned out and perhaps needed to see , do something differently creatively. Dragon Realm was on my mind, and i decided to take a look at the book, the characters and see where The Muse took me.

Was a good move. My creative mojo came back, as did pleasure in writing and using my imagine. I’ve tried to be consistent and committed; to write regularly and write that which makes me happy. It’s very personal to me. To enjoy my writing, be immersed in it and above all, believe in it. I think I had displaced the joy with tiredness, burnout and not letting myself be free with my imagination.

I am enjoying it, I have inky fingers. Alas, I can see the story ending. It will complete as planned. That brings me some sadness. However, after yesterdays marathon planning session, there are two more projects to get into straight after the first draft. The mojo is there, one needs to keep a momentum. I’ve developed a detailed plan and have a strategy in how to break it all down into chunks to write. This will help set targets to maintain focus and motivation. Will have to make sure that i do prioritise time and actually bracket it off to write.

I am writing

I am writing-thirteen

Some where over there, across the pond, a football tournament has kicked off. Might account for the lower number of visitors this week, or perhaps my posts have become less interesting. Who knows! I shall persist in being committed to blogging on a daily basis during the month of June. That was the plan anyway. Let’s see if this continues. So far, I’ve missed one day, and that does bother me somewhat.

Right, today there was a plan to continue writing a WIP which is sequel to Dragon Realm. Whoops, I’ve made that public. I won’t give away the title yet. I shall wait til I have the first draft at least. I will feel a little confident about it and be more willing to share.

The plan has gone a little awry today. I’ve been thinking about Christmas. Yes, Christmas in June as we head into a summer. To be fair, a British Summer has the potential to be damp. Yesterday, and the day before were both cold and damp. Anyway, a new addition to the book oydssey 2025 is a book event which is a Christmas event, and this had me worried somewhat. I’m curious as to how many Christmas works an author, writer is supposed to have in their repertoire.

I do have a christmas title. Just the one, but I was worried that this was enough. I do have a couple of Devan Coultrie short stories too.I really enjoyed writing Padmi’s Christmas carol, but it has lingered with quite a bit. The enjoyable process, the characters and their journeys. There is something about a Christmas Carol Inspired Story, not to mention the festive season.

Over the years, I’ve tried and I’ve failed to get into and enjoy Christmas romances. I enjoy them, but I am yet to feel the power and be compelled by The Muse to write one. Until, Padmi’s Christmas carol came along. Not a romance, and there are some gothic elements to it as well.

In the last few weeks, I’ve felt haunted by Padmi’s Christmas carol, and this was also rubbed along with the attendance to the christmas book event. over the last week or so, I’ve been thinking about possible stories. I have come up with two, which have somewhat changed the writing plan for the year. There is a third, but that may be a step too far. Four projects over a summer, with a fifth creative one, might be difficult.

I’m hoping to work on them over the summer. A summer that already proposes to have something of a creative bent to it. I already feel excited to write them, there has been planning and plotting today which for the most part felt exciting. There was and is a little sadness in that those were not the three thousand words I wanted to write today. Alas, I guess this is what the Universe would have me do today.

I am writing, Uncategorized

I am writing-Six

How do you know that I might be writing?

Inky fingers, usually.

Don’t worry, I do wash my hands. I’m not a complete heathen.

Most of my books are handwritten. I have a clutch of ink pens and a box of Diamine Fountain pen inks. Currently, there is magenta, imperial purple and a several shades of blue. I think I finished a bottle of midnight today as I sat down and wrote a few chapters.

Ink has a tendency to stain. Becomes a testament to creativity in covering my fingertips and accenting finger prints. Most of my pens have converters, the rest are filled with a variety of cartridges.

There has been progress today, with a couple of chapters written. Whilst each chapter has a heading that is a vague plan, there is a joy when the ink flows to unexpected quarters and avenues. I’m not entirely a seat of the pants planner, but I do smile at times when The Muse discovers unchartered territory.

I won’t reveal the WIP just yet. I would like to get the first draft complete and knock it into some sort of decent shape before going public. It’s a risk crafting something, putting some part of your soul into it, before releasing it. It’s scary and exciting but can also contain feelings of vulnerability. Especially when you’re not everyone’s favourite cup of tea.

When readers find my work and invest, it’s a joy and I appreciate them all.

Not a big fan club, not yet anyway. I live in hope. Never say never, you know. I shall write what I can and I hope readers will find it. In a world where we are presented with the ‘tik tok sensation’ tags and ‘USA Today bestseller’ captions, it’s difficult being an indie author.

Even the greatest of writers, living and long gone, have once upon time been a writer who has a pen, with a dream that someone, some day they will be asked-may I have your autograph, I loved your book.

Dreams and hopes. The most curious facets of the human condition. The most powerful though. For a dream, a hope, can anything.

I am writing

I am writing-Two

There was some writing yesterday. A well as a bit of organisation of writing projects. There are a number to look at.

It’s not easy to pick up a notebook, pickup where I might have left off and hurtle off at full throttle. Some of these have been sat stacked for nearly a decade, others a few years. I tend to write things down with a full head of steam. The Muse gets titrated and emptied; it all feels very hopeful. Alas, one is human and with that energy depletes.

I also never throw any writing away. I choose to come back to it at another time. This does then lead to an inevitable log jam of books and ideas. However, this does, in my opinion at least, stave off writers block a little. I have had the ideas, these have been decanted. I can go back to them, sometimes with a fresh set of eyes and have another crack.

So I have inventoried and made a vague plan of what to do over time. Each book tends to be written over a year. Typically, I start on the 6th of January, Epiphany. A good a day as any to have a bright idea. To aim for a finish on New Years Eve. Not all projects might take a year. This does depend on how long I would initially like them to be. Padmi’s Christmas Carol took a week to write. Devan Coultrie can take up six weeks. I once wrote a script for a short movie in one morning. I hasten to add, these are only ever the first drafts. I do not profess to be perfect. Not by any length of chalk. All depends on a work/life/creativity balance.

Previously, I mentioned that I would be attending book events later this year. I did post those, for information.

Book events are a really interesting part of being an indie, self published author. I get to meet new readers, readers who have decided to invest in my books; I also get to adventure across the country. Mama F or a soul sister usually accompany me and act as my glamourous assistant. I’ve been very lucky to have gone to events in Montana, USA and then across all corners of the United Kingdom. Should we get to Cardiff, then yes, I will have covered the whole of the sceptred isle.

It’s not easy reaching readers, promoting work and hoping that there will be positive reviews. In fact, I have had my fair share of one and two star reviews. These can be soul-destroying and horribly demotivating. This has been on my mind quite a bit over the last year, it’s very difficult to shake off the feeling of being diminutised. Alas, I’m trying to reconcile myself to the fact that I won’t be everyone’s cuppa tea. My books will find people, and there are readers who invest and take things from the Figments of my Imagination; reading that, is always lovely.

This year, there is a full ticket of events. Only a couple pencilled in for 2027. Nothing yet, for 2028. The future is yet to be determined.

Books, ebook, indie author

Padmi’s Christmas Carol 28/02/2026

Pre order now!

28th February 2026

https://amzn.to/49mr9ak

(this is an associate link)

Advent has been a turbulent time in Birmingham. With the Carnage at Coppice Mayhew, Gorbind Phalla has left the mortal plane. His family are devastated. None more so than his loving wife Padmi.

Christmas approaches and Padmi is struggling to process her grief. She would like nothing more than to be left alone. Difficult as what could be a special time of year.

However, The Universe has other ideas. Sending Padmi on a journey with a number of interesting visitors to walk alongside her. One of them just so happens to be Hades, Lord of the Underworld and a loving family friend.

Books, writing

ten years…this year

Ten years ago, I decided to write a book. A book based upon this blog. I even took all the pictures on my phone. My first book, the yellow one, was an interesting entry into the world of self publishing. The Yellow One and the Green one, remain two of the most popular books. (all right, the reviews for the green one, say otherwise.)

That was how my writing journey started. I was new, naive to the whole world of writing and especially that of being a self-published Indie Author. A lot has changed since then. There are certainly more books, there have been lots of book-related adventures too. Writing books set in Montana, has led to adventures there. There lots of book adventures scheduled for this year. I am going to reflect as these will continue in the future, and what other avenues I might need to consider about making sure my stories are out there for readers to find.

I’ve learned a lot of the self-publishing indie universe, about books and the challenges that come with writing and marketing. The market is huge, diverse and there stories for everyone about anything. There’s a lot to reflect upon in approaching ten years this summer.

I don’t profess to be perfect, or a rock star, for that matter. I am eternally grateful whenever a reader chooses to pick up a book and invest in it. I’ve lots of notebooks, lots of stories; all waiting for me to attend to them.

Let’s see if these actually happen.

Books, writing

Have you seen the dragons?

Have you met the dragons of Birmingham?

A collection of stories that document what might happen if Birmingham played home to dragons. Everyday people find themselves trusted with eggs that help keep the skies of Birmingham safe. There are familiar landmarks, familiar settings that the winged creatures find being their home.

The dragons don’t just stay in this book. They also appear in other parts of my writing universe. If you take a look, you may find them in Chandni rises.

Dragon Realm was a really fun book to write. I was encouraged to write something different, and why not dragons? Why shouldn’t dragons also land in Birmingham. I see no reason why Birmingham should miss out on such fantasy.

The whole book universe is interconnected, so see if you spot all the links!

Books, writing

19th January Devan Coultrie Day

It feels like a life time since I released Retreating to Peace. The book was released on the 19th January 2018, which means we’re celebrating 7 years of Devan Raaj Coultrie.

For me this a big deal, a lot has happened since that release. Two more books followed, adventures to the US as well. Not to mention the writing, directing and release of a short indie film.

Writing Devan was a risk, and he brings with them adventure, courage and ambition. I think he’s contributed to my growth personally as a human, as a writer. I still have to make sure I count director as well. I worked with an amazing crew in writing him, then making the film. Lots of lessons were learned, there was a lot of development that might not have happened.

The 19th of January will always be special. I mean, Devan does have a birthday; some time in march. But this was the day his Universe was unleashed.

Keep an eye out next week. The Devan Coultrie Saga will be on offer on kindle.

#vivelehoochbaron