Hi there. Yes, it’s been ages since I updated you on my current and future projects but, inevitably, I’ve run into some delays. I can only work as fast as my team—referring to my editor, cover artist and typesetter. They’re amazing, so I’m not really complaining.
So . . . finally we’re
getting closer to completion.
Mosaic has a cover, and
you will find the blurb and some information here. You can also read Chapter One here.
I received one third of
the manuscript from my editor last week. Since then, I’ve been working on final
fixes. This novel took me four years to complete. Usually I don’t share much of
the process of writing a novel, but I grew so frustrated with this one, and
rewrote it so many times, I thought you might be interested in the ugly truth of revision. So I’m baring my soul—revealing the earliest drafts and taking you
through the stages of transformation.
Before I even wrote this
novel I was captivated by the setting—islands called Sanibel and Captiva in
Florida. When a setting intrigues me, I usually begin digging into the history
of that region. Since pirates actively employed these islands as bases for
their operations, the pirate stories interested me the most. But pirate tales
are rarely as romantic as those in the swashbuckling Pirates of the Caribbean
series, so my story is a little more truthful.
This brings me to the
Parental Advisory. This book is a teen novel, but it has some mature content
and language that would not be appropriate for younger children or even young
teenagers—13 to 15. In my attempt to be more realistic, my main character, who
is a hockey player, uses language that fits her personality but may be
offensive to some readers. Also, to truly expose the shattered lives in this
book and understand the nature of piracy, I opted for a heavier situation with
the associated mature content. It is not explicit, but it is not intended for
younger readers.
Mosaic is also an
experiment in structuring a book to match its theme. You’ll find it very
unusual. Since that is the case, I’ve been working with my editor and artist to develop icons that will cue the reader to the abrupt transitions.
You may wonder why I
decided to structure the book in this way. Let’s just say I was growing tired
of the standard structure and I wanted to do something different. I’ve always
wanted to add a visual component to writing, and I do love a good puzzle, so
here is my attempt at a little artistry. The structural elements may be
refreshing to some and annoying to others, but I hope you will appreciate the
time and thought involved, if not the final product.
Mosaic is not the only
project I’m working on. Over the past eight months I’ve been writing the first draft
of another science fiction/near future speculation novel that involves archaeology and also some space exploration. This novel requires extensive research
and it is taking me some time to complete. At the moment I’m two-thirds through
the first draft, but I’m taking a break (if it can be called that) to explore
new scientific research that will impact the story. This will be the longest
book I’ve ever written with a number of complex characters and a mystery, like
in Ice Tomb, that has global implications—if not universal.
So there you have it: the
reason I’ve been semi-silent for so long. I have been making an appearance on
Twitter and Google, but mainly to share photos—a hobby that helps clear my mind
after a heavy session of writing or research. If you have any questions about
Mosaic or my other project (although most of it I’ll be keeping under wraps for
now), please feel free to contact me or add a comment below.
