Review: Mrs Bradshaw’s Handbook by Terry Pratchett

Mrs Bradshaw’s Handbook isn’t a typical novel. In fact, it isn’t a novel at all. Instead, it is a companion book to Terry Pratchett’s extremely rich Discworld universe. Mrs Bradshaw’s Handbook was originally mentioned in Terry Pratchett’s novel, Raising Steam. For the uninitiated, Raising Steam is the book about the invention of the railroad on the Discworld. Mrs Bradshaw is a widowed lady of means who is smitten by rail travel who endeavours to write a traveler’s book for all who wish to follow in her footsteps. That little bit of background out of the way, let me say, if you are not familiar with the Discworld, do NOT pick up this book. In fact, even if you are a […]

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Revision Equals Altering Reality

I’ve been working on revisions for Mik Murdoch: Crisis of Conscience for a few months now and I had an epiphany: revising a book is like altering reality. Let me explain. When the television series, Sliders aired, I watched every episode religiously. It was always fascinating to me how every world was different due to some distant decision that was different from the one made in the Sliders world. Sometimes the resulting outcome was as small as a gate squeaked/didn’t squeak. Other times the Earth was either destroyed (as we know it) or about to be. All because a key decision was different. Part of the lengthy revision process for me has been because of a decision I made when […]

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4 Questions to Help Identify Where Your Story Should Begin

It can be challenging to find the right place to begin your story. Too early and you risk losing your audience because there isn’t enough going on. Too late and your audience is left scratching their heads. So, how do you find the right place to start your story? There are several questions you can ask yourself to pinpoint where and how to start. Remember, if you don’t know all the answers, that’s okay. It just means you might have some homework to do first. “What is my story really about?” For example, you decide you want to write a story about elves stealing babies and replacing them with changelings. You should probably start your story near or at a […]

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The Tank is Empty

I always try to be upbeat but as the year approaches its end, I find myself out-of-gas. Not my car but my ability to stay creative and going at full speed. It has been a great year; Dimensional Abscesses, Scouts of the Apocalypse and Jack Kane and the Statue of Liberty were all released not to mention the start of Evil Alter Ego Press. I can complain. But all those projects (as well as our first new novel, The Fountain by Suzy Vadori) and the preparation for and travel to Japan for the 2015 World Scout Jamboree have left me feeling pretty wrung out. That’s okay. A few days rest and recuperation will do wonders. I have a ten-day break […]

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