Mark Ciccone's Blog

A happy Thanksgiving to all (who celebrate it)!

As mentioned in last month’s post, this is the first year without the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month; 50K words on any writing project in 30 days) challenge to occupy the month of November. For some writers I know, this is a weight off their shoulders, leaving them still free to write as much as they want; for others, it’s a great tragedy, leaving them without much of the community and camaraderie this event brought for them. Feels as if I’ve landed somewhere in the middle: there’s less pressure, but I can keep that going as needed without a word counter, and my community’s largely intact–growing, actually, since before NNWM closed its doors.

The main way NNWM’s absence is manifesting, for me? Instead of one mammoth project, it’s a whole lot of nibbling away on seven, eight or more at once. Main focus at the moment is an Alternate History short story draft (working title: “All Quiet in Calais”), centered on a world in which Germany won WWI–by the narrowest of margins–and is now dealing with the consequences of victory. At nearly the same time, I’m tinkering with the two trilogies (plus prequels/bridging novels) that make up my AH/Fantasy Pangaea series. Maybe the sum of work I expect to have done by end of the month will equal the old Nano goal; more likely not. Either way, the first should be done around that time, or a little after, and several key gaps or glaring issues/errors in the second will be dealt with, too, making for a solid month of writing.

There’ll be a special cap to all of it, too, in the next few days: Somewhat sooner than expected, The Hopkinsville Raid, the first work in an expected Civil War Hist. Fiction short story series, centered on reinstated U.S. Marshal John Lawrence, has passed the final beta/round of editing, and is on track to be released in early December! Not only is this work my first stab at such a genre, but it will be my first work published through Draft2Digital, as a step towards trying for a wider audience than that offered just by Amazon KDP. Check out the cover art here, and stand by for the D2D link!

I’ll have more news yet very soon; meantime, have a great holiday of whichever kind, and see you next month!

Happy Halloween (week), everybody!

This month’s turned out to be a bit more relaxed than expected, in terms of writing, but the work keeps going, nonetheless. My current project, noir/murder mystery “School of Whacks”, has seen a chapter finish and several other hurdles cleared/gaps filled; with any luck, I should have another chapter done by the 31st–if not sooner, presuming the usual (hand)writing sprint during my monthly “No Screens Day” (set for tmrw) works its magic. My Alternate History short work “Kaplan’s Gun” and Hist. Fiction/Civil War “John Lawrence” story are both in beta as mid-month; still no clear date for release on these two, but odds seem good for the latter coming out around Xmas, possibly earlier–anyone in need of a new fix from that genre, or just a gift idea, keep an eye out! For those who can’t wait for either, my very first AH novel Red Delta, is going back on sale this week, in print and ebook; link’s below, as always!

While work on “SoW” may be slowing down, ideas and energy are already perking up for the winter stretch. For the first time in 15 (yes, 15) years, there’s no official NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) challenge to write for; the organization as a whole sadly closed down in March of this year. I’d given up on doing the traditional November challenge after 2024’s, given ever-increasing “Outside World” demands, but the news was still hard to hear, to put it mildly–some of my very first works, up to “SoW”, got their crucial push as part of this yearly effort, and losing it altogether is a hit for everyone who’s even considered trying their hand at writing. I’ve had the good fortune, however, to connect with a writers’ group that counts several NNWM champs/alumni among its members, and who want to keep the challenge alive in any form, so hopefully this coming November won’t be as bleak as feared. I definitely won’t lack for projects, once it starts–along with the planned new work on my AH/fantasy “Pangaea” series (now up to 6 planned books in two series, plus two prequels/bridging novels), I’ll be taking a stab at a (possibly black comedy) AH short work that’s nagged at me for a while (more details in next month’s post!). Whatever else I’ll be in this year’s last months, it shouldn’t be “bored”, LOL.

Enjoy whatever breaks you have coming up, and catch you all again in November!

Greetings, everyone!

Well, it feels safe to say I’ve pulled myself free of the malaise described in last month’s post. The draft of my first “John Lawrence” Civil War-themed Hist. Fiction story reached the finish line around mid-month, further ahead of the rough deadline set when I restarted it in Aug., and is now awaiting beta work, slated to begin around the first full week in Oct. Not only this, but the Alternate History short story draft (working title: “Kaplan’s Gun”) for Sea Lion Press’s “Alternate Monarchs” anthology is also finished as of this past weekend! Only spoilers: it revolves around a still-Tsarist Russia in the early 1940s, a rather different dictator of the same period, and an older Fanny Kaplan–history scholars and nerds (if there’s a difference, LOL) will perhaps know what these mean, especially the last! No idea as of yet when the anthology is coming out, but aiming to tinker with this story through fall, during any lulls with my other work(s), and to have the final draft ready for release before Xmas at the latest. For any who can’t wait that long, or just want to kick off October with some other new reading, my AH anthology In Other Words will be on sale once again this coming week; keep an eye out at the link below, and feel free to pass it along!

Speaking of said work(s), my (rough) schedule for Fall has taken shape at last! October will be all about new material for my “School of Whacks” murder mystery; the outline needs to be fleshed out some more beforehand, so I’ll be spending today and tmrw on that. Don’t anticipate finishing the story itself this time around, yet the possibility’s there–minimum, I should get well past the halfway mark! November and December are going to focus on the various drafts of my “Pangaea” AH/fantasy series (6 in all); should inspiration flag with one story, I’ll switch to another, and hopefully have sizeable chunks done on each by New Year’s–maybe even at least one finished draft!

Must return to the joyous/torturous writing grind, so I’ll close here! Enjoy the start of (proper) Fall!

A good Sunday evening to all!

Once more, I can only offer apologies for the delay this month. Yet again, it seems, I’ve been given a lesson on how…mercurial inspiration and writing in general can be: Despite high hopes of at least completing a bigger chunk of my Alternate History short story “Hill Country Commune”, if not finishing the draft altogether, a combo of “Inner Editor” nagging (which resulted in a huge section getting removed almost right after it went up on the screen) and realization that I needed far far more research on the story’s key historical figure has resulted in this project getting put aside again as of this past weekend–for who knows how long, this time, with possibly a complete restart needed when/if I find myself in the right spot for the necessary study, let alone the writing. Coupled with the news that “Les Mariannes” ultimately did not win this years Sidewise Award, “down” is the kindest way to put how I was; after the enthusiasm at the start, it almost felt like the drive and effort I’d maintained till then were rendered pointless in one fell swoop, and it’d take quite some time before I felt the same level of both return.

That last, thankfully, hasn’t proven the case, by and large. The very next evening, stalled and in the dumps, I started browsing some of my other AH short drafts and ideas as per the fallback plan mentioned in last month’s post. Not finding any real pull from any of them, I clicked open the “John Lawrence” Hist. Fiction short draft I set aside in June…and found myself slipping back into it a surprising, giddy ease. Inside of a day, the scene where I’d paused was done, and I was setting down more (in handwritten form, per my mandated monthly “No Screens Day) for the next and final chapter at a steady pace; I also restarted outlining for my “Canine Kingdoms” kid’s book idea and put together the first scene for another AH short work intended for Sea Lion Press’s “Alternate Monarchs” collection. Goes without saying that this drove away the “down” quite a bit; I was mired in it deeper than usual, despite clinging to the “self-imposed deadline” mantra, but thankfully not too long, and the work shows no sign of slowing as of tonight. If the Muse’s pity, or generosity, maintains itself, I should have the “Lawrence” draft finished well before the original stopping point I’d set down for “Hill Country Commune”…and maybe, not too long after, have it ready to go out on Kindle!

Speaking of Kindle, for anyone needing a distraction from the end of Summer, my AH novella Obsidian & Steel will be on sale again starting this week! Check out or pass along the link below (or if you’ve already snagged a copy, feel free to leave a review!)

Considering the hideously late (or early) hour, think it’s best to log off now. See you all again this coming month!

Hello again, everybody!

Well, after a month of what turned out to be a more relaxed pace of work than I’d thought/hoped for (not all of it due to Outside World impacts, for this round), it’s time to switch writing project horses again. Only added about a chapter or so to my current effort, the Alternate History novel draft A House United, but it’s one I’d wrestled with for a while, and patched up some other gaps that were driving me nuts (while creating one or two more, as is fairly standard with first drafts, lol), taking me past the one-third mark at least according to plan, so the “downer” effect isn’t too strong.

Having the next work(s) already lined up for August/September is helping a fair bit, too. First up at bat will be my AH short story “Hill Country Commune”, which focuses on a rather different rebellion by German Unionists against Confederate rule in Civil War-era Texas. I’ve gone at this draft in fits and starts, thanks to needed research and new ideas constantly making me pause or double back; if the Muse is kind, there won’t be too much of either happening this time around, and I’ll have it publish-ready before or by the end of Sept. For any “stalled” points, and/or if the finish line’s reached early enough, tinkering on one or two other short drafts from what was originally my planned “AH Civil War Anthology” project is on deck. Should that run a bit dry, I’ll shift to outline/new work on what I’ve decided to call “Bleeding Cuba”, an entirely new short AH idea (prompted by fruitful discussion with fellow AH lovers/writers at Sea Lion Press) set in an alternate 1850s USA, amidst a greatly altered sectional crisis…in which a certain antislavery figure, “El Viejo Brown”, plays a potentially even bigger role than in our world. Quite a full two months, to put it mildly.

There’s other big news for this month, which could perhaps mean far better for the next: My short story “Les Mariannes” has been nominated for this year’s (Short Form) Sidewise Award for Alternate History! The official press release is attached below, along with the story’s KDP link. As with my SLP work “Toe-to-Toe”, last year, I was not expecting this honor, but am ecstatic nonetheless, and can’t wait to see who will receive the award itself on August 15!

Well, sleep is calling (the bane and bliss of all writers, after long hours at the keyboard or pen & notebook), so I must close here. See you all in August (hopefully with grander news yet)!

Good evening, everyone!

If any out there are miffed at the lateness of this month’s post, I promise it’s for a good reason–the best of all, in fact, for any writer! As of this afternoon, my latest Alternate History short story, “The Ussuri Incident”, is available on Amazon Kindle! Like “One Giant Leap” (published last month), this story is set in the world of my previous AH novella Divided Worlds: An Alternate Space Race, and revolves around a different (but no less dangerous) standoff during the 1950s between China and the Soviet Union (ruled by Leon Trotsky in this timeline) as both powers edge towards rivalry above “socialist fraternity.” Amidst this jockeying, Soviet pilot Pyotr Ivanov (father of Dmitri Ivanov from Divided Worlds) is reassigned to a mission that could well tip the scales in favor of one nation or the other–or of one of the many factions contesting for power within them.

This release brings my work on short works set in the DWAASR timeline to an end for the year, but more ideas remain on the backburner. If all goes well, one or more will be ready to publish in 2026!

My other writing (the “John Lawrence” Civil War Hist. Fiction described in June’s post) has slowed of late, but by no means stopped. When I started the current project stretch back in May, I was just hoping to set down a sizable portion of the draft; having reached roughly the two-thirds mark, I’d say that goal’s been met, if not the finish line that, as of a couple weeks ago, I thought was within reach. Like I’ve said before, the beauty of self-imposed deadlines is how elastic they can be; the key is to avoid getting too mired in the depression that often hits when that’s needed. I’ll be finishing up the end scenes tonight, at least, which leaves just one sizeable gap to bridge when I return to this draft–and start the next in the series I have planned!

Will probably take a short break ahead of the Fourth (might sound strange to some, but holidays of any kind are prime time for writers!), then turn to the project on deck for all July: further work on the draft for A House United, the sequel to my AH novel Dixie Curtain. Reached between the one-third and halfway marks during the last round; should be able to get past the latter, this time. For anyone new to this series, Dixie Curtain and its prequel Dillinger in Charleston will be on sale starting 7/4; grab copies of both at the links below!

Must get back to the month’s final work, so I’ll sign off here. Stay cool, friends!

Happy (post-)Memorial Day holiday, everyone!

It’s definitely happy on this end, as you can probably tell from the post title: This afternoon, my latest Alternate History short story, “One Giant Leap”, was released as a Kindle ebook! Set in the timeline of my previous novella Divided Worlds: An Alternate Space Race, this work revolves around a much accelerated “Race to the Moon”, with Soviet and U.S. spacecraft literally racing each other to land (look up Luna 15 to see an example of this in real history!). With this story truly “lifting off”, the pad’s now cleared for setting up my next publish-worthy draft: “The Ussuri Incident” (considering a possibly less-obscure title, lol), set in the same world. No confirmed release date as yet, but it should be out before the end of June, latest!

Current writing’s making good strides, too. AH has been my staple field for so long, there were some worries going into the current straight-out Hist. Fiction project that I might end up skewing back towards it, consciously or not. So far, thankfully, that hasn’t been the case; we’ll see if this holds for the rest of the time marked off for the draft. Figure I’m about a third of the way through as of right now, not counting an intro chapter I set aside when the pace and dialogue started to go awry, to me; if all goes well, I should be done by start of July, or sooner!

To top off the good news for this month, I’m pleased to report that I’ve nailed down the date for my first author event: June 16th, at 3pm! The venue will be announced shortly (still need to confirm they’ve got all details straight), and I’ll have everything published on my Bluesky and FB author pages! Some of my works will be available to buy that day as well; if you can’t wait that long, Divided Worlds is going back on sale as of this Fri (see the link below–or on the page for “OGL” above! )

That’s everything I’ve got for May! See you all next month!

Hello, all!

At long last, I’m pleased to report that my current two-draft stretch of writing labor has come to an end: the drafts of both “One Giant Leap” and “The Ussuri Incident” (looking at different title choices for that one) are done! It’s all about relaxing for the next couple days, but after that it’ll be edits and beta-reads galore, with the aim of having both short stories out on Kindle by the start of June, or a little after. There’ll be plenty of new work along with this, of course: May 1st will see the start of the first short story in my planned “John Lawrence” Civil War Hist. Fiction series. No certainty as yet of a finish by the end of the two months I’ve set aside for this project, but the energy and momentum I managed to pull together in the effort just done (esp. over the past few days) gives me no small hope.

Nor is it just new work that’ll be happening in the next little while. Like every author, published in any form, I’ve found the greatest struggle is simply getting my works noticed: online or in person, through an agent or my own promos. Often depressed at the slowness or dead-ends this involves, I’ve found the best remedy is talking and sharing about the travails and joys of writing with other writers, or just literary-minded people; certainly it’s given more than a few boosts to whichever project’s at hand. This, in turn, led me to wonder about trying my hand at a full-on author event, discussing my genre of choice (Alternate History) as well as the perils and boons of self-publishing from my perspective–and I believe I’ve found the perfect venue for just such an event, to be held in mid June at the latest. Part of me wonders if I’m nuts to try this, or why I’d think it’d draw any attention…but it hasn’t swayed me from trying (not yet, anyway ). I’ll be sorting out the details for this event over the next two weeks or so, and will obviously be posting updates here and on my FB author page–along with the final event link(s), before too much past then!

Well, it’s gotten late (or early) on this end, so I must log off! Enjoy the weekend, and the dawn of (proper) spring in May!

A good weekend to everybody!

Guess spring really is showing itself, not just returning on a calendar, because along with the snows being gone and actual green appearing again, the “shoots” (i.e. drafts) of my current Divided Worlds short story work are rising up fast. The first, “One Giant Leap,” is actually done, well ahead of schedule; with any luck, beta reading(s) will be done by the end of next week, and I can begin the cover design effort around that time, with release on KDP by no later than end of April. The second short work, “The Ussuri Incident”, is moving along more slowly, yet I’m still a ways past the point I expected to be by now; if the current pace holds, I should be done somewhere just past mid-next month, with beta work done soon after and official release to follow some time in May. Might even try my hand at some other ideas set in the same D.W. world, if there’re any free stretches left before then!

There may also be hope in the most arduous and frustrating part of the writer’s life: Getting noticed. After much on-and-off searching, I’ve pinpointed a bookstore in my area that seems ideal for a local author event! The focus of any such event right now is my scifi novel Discarded, which I’ve wanted to get back out there since the rights reversion from Unbound last year, but each and every one of my stories (18 in all, by now) would be promoted, too–even if it’s just from a table and chair with a placard by the door. Date and details still being plotted at this point, but I should have both set down before next month’s post. Meantime, for any who can’t wait till then, there’s a sale for my Alternate History anthology In Other Words kicking off on Kindle this coming Monday; check it out at and share the link below!

That’s all for this month! See you again in (hopefuly much greener) April!

Happy end of February, everyone!

Along with (ideally) the giving way of winter to spring, this point in time brings a shift from one writing project to another. Work on my Civil War-themed Alternate History draft A More Perfect Union has reached a good stopping point (helped in no small part by new writing software, letting me better sort out notes, outline and draft), so I’m currently taking a day or so off in preparation for what will be the final round of work on two short stories set in the universe of my “Divided Worlds” AH novella. The first, “On Giant Leap” (revolving around a much earlier and potentially perilous Moon landing) is closest to being done; main hurdle, as before, is writing in the flight-log/transcript style I chose at the start for certain sections, alternating with journal-type entries. The second “The Ussuri Incident” (set during earlier tensions between China and the USSR along the river of the same name) has a good chunk set down as well; with any luck, it should be done by end of April, and soon to join “OGL” (est. finish: end of March) on Kindle! To give both works a proper kickoff, the original “Divided Worlds” story will be going back on sale starting March 3rd; check out and pass along the link below when the day arrives!

I’m also pleased to report that “Vive L’Empereur!”, my Napoleon Bonaparte-centered AH draft, has been submitted to Sea Lion Press for its “Alternate Monarchies” anthology. Nothing yet on whether the collection’s reached its desired number of stories, or when the formal editing/publishing process will begin, but hope remains strong that it’ll see the light of day before year’s end!

Not a great deal else to share at this moment, so it’s off to relax some more–as much as any writer can, in the vaguely uncomfortable realm between projects, LOL. Catch you all again next month!

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