Happy (soon-to-be) Halloween, everybody!

It’s been a fairly quiet month all around, but by no means an unproductive one. The main focus–prep work on School of Whacks, my noir-style draft for NaNoWriMo–is effectively done, with all characters outlined, the setting and other core story elements in place, and (hopefully) enough room for changes as needed. The idea for this work has been forming and changing for a while, but only in the last year or thereabouts have I found the urge to try it; verdicts are still pending on how well I can write outside my preferred Alternate History and Hist. Fiction fields, and I’ve never attempted noir before, so I’ve kept it on the (digital) backburner…until now. More details will soon be shared here, and on my NNWM profile once the competition kicks off!

AH work hasn’t stopped this month, either, I’m happy to say. After outlining for my “Alien Ark” (working title) wrapped up near the end of September, I was briefly at loose ends about what else to tinker with when School of Whacks ran dry or otherwise hit a roadblock. Right around the same time, however, I noticed word on Sea Lion Press that submissions were still open for a planned “Alternate Monarchies” anthology, encouraging me to dig up a couple of ideas I’d pondered earlier for this collection: one set in a world where Princess Margaret became Queen rather than Elizabeth II; and another in which Napoleon, after a narrow victory at Waterloo and subsequent stalemate, is able to cement the Bonaparte dynasty in France. As of right now, only the first sections are done for both stories, but it’s mainly about staying fresh ahead of NNWM rather than major progress. The Bonaparte story (working title: “Vive L’Empereur!”) has a bit more impetus/inspiration at this point, holding out hope that it may be finished by year’s end at the latest; certainly it and the “Queen Margaret” draft ought to be welcome distraction(s) after hitting my daily NNWM quota, or much-needed boost(s) if that quota proves elusive.

No other significant news to report, so I’ll sign off here! My AH works Red Delta, Obsidian & Steel and Divided Worlds are back on sale thru Halloween, so feel free to grab a copy or pass along the links below; otherwise, enjoy the holiday and I’ll see you all again in November!