ARC-1: Skye

UNISON: ARC: "Oh really? When you find someone as good as me, you let me know"

I'm simply a soldier. My duty is to serve, but past that I'm the boss, I do things the way I want.

To be a special operative in the UNISON military I only needed to do two things, the first was to become the strongest soldier around, the second was to leave my life and family behind. Obviously being the best wasn't a challenge. As for leaving things behind, well, I never had them to begin with.

My parents were never a part of my life past my infant years. The birth of the Human Empire and its many rebellions kept them busy while I was left behind as an orphan. Then came the relocation program and I ended up in a new facility while my parents were moved to a more military-dependant colony.

I didn't care that much, it was a case of what you don't have, you don't miss. Though, when I finally had the opportunity to move and find them it became just another waiting game until they were off active duty. Then came the Hierarchy and the Fallen. By the end, all I had was a copy of the casualty list ironically the 'missing in action' section only had two names; Lieutenant A. Hudson and E. Mcann. No family, no friends, no home.

Being a soldier was all that was left for me and it's all I will ever need. They said I was powerful, fast and fearless. Apparently my only fault was my reluctance to work with anyone, I say its their fault for recruiting fools as my superiors, they were always wrong. I never failed them, they failed me. Eventually they realised that less soldiers would end up with cracked ribs and broken noses if they promoted me to a position of independance. I didn't lead many operations, but I went on many and it only took one look for the commanding officer to leave me to get the job done while the boys squabble over "who's watching who's back". Being out on the field in the heat of battle, if you could call it 'heat', was where I belonged. After a couple of years the little rebellion conflicts had gotten boring and I'd thought that with all the new threats floating around since first contact I might have gotten to taste real war, but no.

Eventually I was offered the position of becoming one of Lord Balson's Marshalls, the highest ranking soldier in the army and better yet, a solo operative. There was one position and 25 soldiers ready to show what they were made of but none of them had what it takes, not even close. After knocking the little boys back down to size the position looked like it was mine, and it would have been if Lord Rider had not been paying a visit to Balson that very day.

The next day my identity had been fully abandoned and I became a member of Lord Rider's Academy on the planet Carax. Now I'm training to become the perfect soldier, with Lord Rider's and the Hierarchy's own powers making me unstoppable. I don't get sent out into the frontlines anymore but the simulation training is the perfect substitute, I've fought everything and anything that could threaten the Empire.

When a real war comes to us, I'll be at the front, winning it.

Year two. Book two.

It's now the second year of my law LLB degree, and with the new work-load comes the added pressure of trying to get a professional summer vacation placement. As much as this academic year is a crucial one in terns of my potential future career, it is also a big year for my planned writing. By early 2013 I hope to finish my book sequel UNISON: ARC and pursue another publishing contract.

Basically I have a year of contract hunting, which I'm actually really looking forward to. 

As for the actual sequel, the writing is very nearly finished, but it's going to take some serious editing before I can start sending out submissions. It's exciting to almost be back in the position again, after all its such a great feeling to finish a story, particularly when this one is so much longer than the first.  Alongside another hopeful book publishing, I am going to be having another marketing push with Waterstones to try and get their support in Lincoln and hopefully Norwich around the Christmas holidays.  If i can't manage to get them to stock my book, which would be understandable, then they have suggested that they would be willing to help set up events for me within their branch. 

I think since that time when I started sending out my submissions for my first book, I have gone throug the steep learning curve from being a naive amateur writer with a painful level of optimism, to becoming more commercially aware in the way of the publishing industry and the steps that are required of me to try and get my book attention and sales. The main thing that has stayed the same for me is my love of writing, and my purpose behind continuing it; it is never a matter of making money that drives me, so much so that no further publications in traditional publishing would not damage my spirits. Instead it is simply a love of writing and a drive to have my stories told that keeps me going, stories that hopefully some people will want to continue reading. 

Thanking ye kindly. 

Much Love,

L.H

Advise from authors, to writers

Hello my children, today I am looking back to when I first started writing and I remembered that I was given advice by two writers who helped to set me on the right direction for getting into my own fiction writing.

Meg Rosoff:

While in my High School I was offered the chance to travel to another school to see a talk from Meg Rosoff about her writing career. She threw in some anecdotes about her life in advertising and even an amusing metaphor about a potato, but for the life of me I can't actually remember what it was about.

Now, at the time I was reading her book, "Just In Case" about a boy who has a bit of a young-life crisis and changes his name to 'Justin Case' and he embarks on a strange journey in his life where he becomes someone new, meets new friends and has unusual experiences. I havn't read the book in many years so its better than I can describe.

Meg had some good comments on her character creations and when asked why she left the physical description of Justin quite blank in the story she explained that she felt it better to let her readers create the character themselves. It seemed like a good plan. You can't not be interested in the physical appearance of a character if you have made the image yourself. Seeings as fiction is said to be all about the characters, its obviously crucial to give the characters situations and experiences that the reader will enjoy and understand but I think its quite a nice idea for you to leave the characters' appearances to the reader; creating a character who meets someone and falls in love with them would really work well if the reader is picturing their own perceptions of a perfect couple. Its a good point, I think.

I have done this to some extent with my human characters, but seeings as around half of my characters are of different races and species I feel that the limit of character non-description should be drawn to anything human.



Simon Scarrow:

Simon was a tutor at my college in good ol' Narrrfaaaaaak. He came in to talk about his brilliant historical fiction books which portray new perspectives of ancient events through the eyes of different characters as to what is usually seen.

He gave us a brilliant workshop into trends of the literary market, the idea of audience perception of a story and some insights into how to get noticed and published.

His advice was particularly focused on encouraging people to write and try to break into the publishing world as well as giving those valuable tips as to catch an editors eyes. His suggestions really compliment my post about the troubles of trying to be original with your writing, because, in truth, it is a very difficult task or, arguably, an impossible one. Instead, he suggested, take an easier route to start with and take an old story, nursery rhyme, fable or fairytale and twist it, like many authors and TV show producers have done. Red Riding, Grimm, Once Upon A Time, Angels and Demons, Da Vinci Code come to mind as examples of media that have done this, and pulled it off brilliantly. Catching a particular audiences attention is always difficult for a new author, but this burden will be particularly lightened if you start off with a foundation storyline that people can pick up and say 'ah, I know this. But hang on, its changed!' (Yeah that was really cheesey, but whatevs)



Alan G. Brown:

Alan is one of the people I have worked with, but i think he is a bit more camera shy. (All the best people are ;D). He is a self-published writer with quite a repertoire of published and in-progress works in his writing career. Alan has given me some brilliant advice into getting yourself 'out there' once your work is available for sale. He has helped me understand the value of publicity, reviews, websites and also gave me an insider's view into how self-publishing works and its really made me explore the option more for future works.

 Self-publishing for a writer such as Alan is a really powerful tool. It shows his dedication to his work, because obviously many people would use this option to bypass the long, long process of editing and self-evaluation in that editing process, but not a dedicated author like Alan Brown. He does all the work that many authors can effectively leave to a team of people and he writes, edits, promotes and markets his own work and does a pretty good job of it by the sounds of it.




I found it really promising to hear of his great results in his books, both at home and overseas and I hope to have at least a fraction of his success. Its a lot of work to get a book on the market at the right quality, and although I feel my first book may be lacking in that quality, I am going to follow his example and double my efforts now that I am older and have gone through the sharp learning curve of seeing my finished work in publication.






All of the books featured here are available for purchase on Amazon, kindle or print! I highly recommend them all to you guys :)

BBC Radio Norfolk Interview!

Oh today has been an adventure and a half.

It's been a while since I last made a post and I just noticed that I have a draft post just laying around gathering dust, shame on me. My excuse is that I am doing some work experience at England & Co Solicitors who are amaaaaaaazing. Seriously, check 'em out :P.

So... Got the afternoon off today (Thank you Peter Mason) so that I could travel down to my local city of Norwich to have a chat with Stephen Bumfrey live on BBC Radio Norfolk. Needless to say, it was a brilliant experience. I was nervous but I really, really enjoyed it! Stephen and his producer, whose birthday it was, were both dressed up in primark tiger onesies. If i'd have known then I would have been there in mine too.

We chatted about my book and university and what its like to have a book in print that I can actually see and sell. I'm so grateful for the local publicity and I hope to go back some time and update them on my book news.

If anyone wants to listen to my little piece on the radio it is available for the next week here, http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00txjn6

So thank you for that wonderful experience Steven and Thordis and I hope I can come back soon.

In actual book news, my book has been out for a while now, but there has been complications with the printing so none of them have actually gone out yet! Other than my complimentary ones, that is. My publisher has told me though that any orders from amazon should be sent out in the next few days and should be with people next week!

So thats my news, guys!

Much Love
LH

UNISON: Update

Its been a really exciting week since UNISON was available for pre-order, I have had so many people buy the book and my Amazon rating has rocketed upwards! I love everyone who got involved.

Today the book became fully set up with the full information so you can actually read a little on what it's about now, rather than just getting the name of the book and cover. So now you can pre-order it at:

Foyles
Amazon ( just search UNISON)
Austin Macauley (look under Science Fiction)

I have already got a review underway and potential interviews, plus I got an unexpected email from my region's BBC radio station and they want me to go on!

Release date is the 29th and the sequel is almost fully drafted, exciting times! Thanks to everyone for being amazing and supporting my little book adventure, hopefully it won't collapse on itself!

Much Love!

L.H

The Magician's Apprentice, Trudi Canavan: Review

Rightio, so I have finally managed to read a book! After years of just raging at being unable to control other people's stories I managed to actually just enjoy the creative awesomeness of another author. I chose to read The Magician's Apprentice by Trudi Canavan

First of all, bonus points for being Australian. I mean, like, major Loubo brownie points.

Honestly I'm not biased >.>
^.^

She has quite a hefty series of books which are magical fantasy, based in a brand new fictional world.

Its not a Harry Potter style book, before anyone thinks it is! It shares the magical element but this is definately a more adult-orientated fiction. Some of the key themes weaved into her stories include politics, gender views, social class and regional discriminations.

As for the political aspects, the book features a heavy conflict between two of several nations, or maybe more accurately it is one nation against the rest. The two main nations, Kyralia and Sachaka have similar class structures when it comes to magical and non-magical people but when it comes to their authority and rights there is a rift between them. The distinction between Kyralian servants and Sachakan slaves is made apparent from the beginning, and made simple to remember by those titles. Canavan's work gives the reader an insight into the lives of landowners, magicians, country-leaders, servants, slaves and people of all origins which really strengthens the divides that exist between the distinct countries and their views on how a country should function.

The main character from the story's beginning is a young 'healing' (medical) enthusiast called Tessia. She has high ambitions of being what is effectively a doctor in Canavan's world, though named a 'healer'. Of course, she is restricted by gender and the old-fashioned views that women were not to be holding any positions of significance, except those who are magicians, though that is still a status inferior to the male equivalent. Both Tessia and another character in a parallel strand, Stara present the anti-female approach to the world in the book, however Canavan makes sure that these particular women don't just roll over and take it, they stick up for themselves where they can and make massive contributions to the story through their efforts and use of magic. Canavan does not take an anti-male approach to her writing, she writes about a shifitng paradigm where we see more and more women becoming powerful and influential, to the point of striving for equality. I found it very interesting, especially when the book shifts from a female-to-male perspective, to see the female characters show strength and resilience, and then for the male to underestimate them.

The actual magic elements of the story is not quite what I like in stories, though that is mainly just a matter of my preference, not a bad comment on Canavan's ability. In fact, her story is deep and gripping to the point that, perhaps, the magic was not needed, but the fact that she includes it just adds that extra element which adds unique events to her written conflicts and expressions of power between characters and class. If your looking for a highly active and imaginative display of magical feats then this may not be the book for you; most of the magical displays do not go beyond the kind of 'force' abilities like moving things, shielding things, and launching projectiles of heat or force. Like I said though, that is just a matter of my personal preference, though I still really enjoyed the book for what it was, it achieves exactly what it is meant to, I can't talk against it for doing something it wasn't made to do. Canavan's imagery in the magical conflicts in the book are still great, her balance of creative imagery in the magical context is just right as to not overload the reader when she has so many deep and interesting characters and societies to be following.

Her writing is easy to follow and is mature, she has a brilliant way of portraying the intricate struggles of her world's societies and races which keep the story interesting by swapping between different characters, also a good way of building the suspense of characters in dangerous situations.

For a book that is not action-loaded and that focuses on themes that I am not very good at writing, I really enjoyed and would recommend it to all you awesome peeps.

Check her out on twitter or on her website or something. DO IT

UNISON release date!

It's taken almost a year since everything started but now my first book is almost ready for release!

Surprisingly my little story is going for RRP £9.99, and on the 29th of June it will be available for purchase, initially from online sources. Any further retailers will be posted on here too :)

I will love everyone who helps me out by buying (or preordering around the 19th) my book.

UNISON will be available on Amazon, Gardners and Bertrams as well as the Austin Macauley website, though I imagine I will have some copies to hand for convenience :).

I hope people enjoy it, the sequel is already 83k words, a third longer than the original, so hopefully I might have a chance of making a series!

Thanks :)
L.G.H