Of books: past, present and future

 (but not necessarily in that order)

This is my first post for far too long, (and I feel suitably guilty). Things have been rather full on the writing front, however; in fact I don't think I can remember a busier time..

The Torrid Zone, the next instalment in my Fighting Sail series, was released at the end of May. The story continues the exploits of Banks, King, Caulfield, et al, this time taking them to the magical and mysterious island of St Helena, where they are to deliver the island's new governor. All the action takes place several years before the South Atlantic island was to receive her most famous visitor, but I trust there is still more than enough intrigue and history for most readers.

I'm hoping Torrid Zone will soon be joined by book seven in the Fighting Sail series. I have the synopsis drafted out, as well as the first 10k of text. More news to follow, but expect a new ship as well as a few changes in personal circumstance for my characters. The target date for publication is June 2015.

Before that, another book is closer to completion. This is on similar lines to my stand alone smuggling tale: Turn a Blind Eye, although taken from a very different perspective. Like Blind Eye, the story takes place about the South Coast of England. This has meant many research trips for my family, digging about in old museums and photographing the landscape.

Research at Hastings Fisherman's Museum

We usually end each day with fish and chips on the whatever beach we are near – there are worse ways of spending a summer. The publication date for what I jokingly refer to as Turn Another Blind Eye, is pencilled in for December 2014.

And finally, the past: there have been badgers...

This is nothing to do with ships, history, free trading or the French Wars; badgers have been an interest of mine for all my adult life. About thirty years ago I wrote a short children's story which had a faint allegorical theme. It was illustrated by Jill Chilton and first published in 2008 where it received some very favourable reviews and is now available as an e.book as well as soft cover. (But there ain't no boats...)

Borrel (UK Amazon)  Borrel (US Amazon)