Thursday 8 September 2016

Just a small update

I have heard from Ostara that they hope to publish those three Falconer titles in the Autumn.  Then all the Falconer novels will be available in one place - from Ostara Publishing.  I recently had an email from one of my fans (I do have some!) expressing confusion over the arrival of Saphira Le Veske in 'Ritual of Death'.  There is a reference to her meeting Falconer earlier, but the previous novel - 'Great Beast' - does not mention her.  I was glad to clear up the apparent anomoly.
You see, there was a real-time gap between the two novels and in the mean time I was writing stories that appeared in the Medieval Murderers' books.  I always kept chronologically accurate, and in the anthology called 'House of Shadows', published in 2007, there is the story of Saphira's first meeting with William at Bermondsey Abbey.  When I later wrote 'Ritual of Death', Saphira already figured in his life.  I guess I should have made it clearer with a reference to the incident in the MM story!
My time recently has been somewhat preoccupied with my am-dram pursuits.  I was directing the famous farce by Noel Coward, 'Blithe Spirit'.  It was hard work as Coward's dialogue is so precise and wordy - tough for the actors. But we came up with a good production in the end, and had 91% ticket sales.

The seance


Monday 13 June 2016

FALCONER REPRINTS

I have now obtained all the rights for my Falconer books, so Ostara will be publishing the three titles formerly published by Severn House.  They are "Falconer and the Ritual of Death", "Falconer's Trial", and "Falconer and the Death of Kings".  Look out for them.
I am still working on the Malinferno/Pocket novel - whenever am-dram allows it.  I have recently played two small parts in a beautiful play called "A Little Like Drowning", written by Anthony Minghella the renowned film director.  A story of Italian immigrants to the UK in the 1920s, it follows the life of Alfredo through to the 1960s.  I play the part of his father - the patriarch of the Mare family - and also the part later of an Irish priest.  This requires being able to speak English with first an Italian accent (plus some Italian), and then with an Irish accent.  It has been a nice challenge.



Wednesday 10 February 2016

Ashamed!

I can't believe I have left it so long since my last entry.  I can only say that my hobby has completely occupied my time.  Am-dram, you are a hard mistress.  And I have had some time away in Turkey and the Algarve.
Istanbul

Tavira - Algarve

All I can say is a belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Since then I have been busy building a series of sets for The Stables theatre production of Jeeves and Wooster, which is now culminating in full houses of veery happy people.  So it's back to the drawing board for my two writing projects.  I am concentrating on the Regency couple of Joe Malinferno and Doll Pocket and the novel of their exploits that is called "The Hieroglyph Murders".  Some of the characters from my short stories of the pair will reappear and be expanded from their cameo roles in the stories that saw the light of day in the Medieval Murderers books, "King Arthur's Bones" and "Hill of Bones".  French Egyptologist Jean-Claude Casteix and his wooden leg will figure prominently as Joe and Doll figure out why those attempting to decipher hieroglyphics are suddenly dying.  The ill-fated but intriguing Queen Caroline will also put in an appearance or two, along with other real-life people such as Champollion, the eventual decipherer of the Egyptian symbols.  IN this story, he gets considerable assistance in that task from an unexpected source.
Lovers of Falconer should not be disappointed though. I still have another tale in the pipeline, and I will finish it too before long.  If am-dram doesn't get too much in the way.