It has been an odd few months. I took early retirement at the end of July. Well then, you’re probably thinking, he must have been writing up a storm! No excuses now! Not that simple, I’m afraid! Firstly, we moved house in July and have been busy settling into the new place (while trying to get rid of a lot of stuff – downsizing is difficult!).
Secondly, we have also bought a place in the south of France and have been out here for most of the autumn doing a bit of re-decorating, a lot of furniture-buying and a heck of a lot of gardening. Not that I’m complaining; the weather has held and we’ve had many wonderful days out in Carcassonne (our nearest city), at the Med and in the Black Mountains. But all of that has been very distracting, I’m afraid!
All the same, I’m pleased to announce that the anthology is just about finished. My plan is to let Christmas get out of the way and launch it in January, giving me plenty of time for editing, cover selection etc.
I’m really pleased with how the collection has come together. It will feature 18 stories; 6 have been published elsewhere, either as my reader magnets or in other publications. That leaves 12 that will be seeing the light of day for the very first time. Of these, 5 were written specifically for this collection. Including a new Darkisle short story!
Watch out for news of the title and a cover launch sometime in December.
Bye for now!
Mark N Drake 