It has been five months since my last blog-fession. Five. Long. Sunny(ish). Months. I probably deserve a jolly good talking to. Or something similar.
So I'm going to start with a quick update-ry blog, and hopefully stay on top of things a bit better from now on (so to speak).

• Writing-wise, I have finished a second full edit of the Volume 3 of The Automata Wars - but it ain't all over yet. This is a monstrous beast of a book, and could do with some more clipping down to size yet. I am confident that next year will finally see the beast delivered...
• In the meantime, my short story, 'Tommy's Game' - a tale of gambling and vice - was published in the new anthology Airships and Automata.  This is now available from Cogsmith Publishing, via Amazon or via the Publisher's Etsy site.
• In radio news, the #GASP radio show moved to Midlands Metalheads radio station, and now broadcasts every Saturday, 8-11pmUK. You can listen in via the radio station's own webpage, or via tune-in, and don't forget you can interact with us live via the facebook event each week. - This week's event is here.
• Musically, we had the return of Mediaeval Biaetches. Following our first performance at Exeter Phoenix last December, we re-took the stage at the Phoenix Alternative Festival in August. Any rumours that we can only appear if a phoenix is involved are untrue...
• And finally, I launched my first solo musical choon since the demise of Crimson Clocks on Saturday 1 October. Entitled Poor Jenny, the song tells of a legendary ship lost and frozen in the ice... available for free* download from my new bandcamp page now! And if you like the track, please do pop over to my new facebook music page and like the page to be kept up to date with new musical endeavours...

*when it asks you to name a price, say zero!

Phew! Lots more things coming in October which promises to be a folk horror filled month, so I shall try to do better at updating this blog thinger. Time will tell...

That's right, on Saturday I was at the second launch of new steampunk collection Steam Flashes, at Cogs Bar, Birmingham (UK)'s first steampunk bar. Steam Flashes contains one of my flash fiction (ie, short) stories, plus some of my photographs.

As you'll know from previous posts, all profits from Steam Flashes go to the charity New Futures Nepal. Not only did all contributors to the book - authors, photographers, makers - donate their work free of charge, all performers at Saturday's event performed for free, and Cogs Bar generously hosted without charge. Thanks go to everyone involved for their generosity in contributing to this project!

With my own good self as Mistress of Ceremonies, the evening began with an introduction to Steam Flashes and New Futures Nepal from Steven C. Davis, the man behind the entire project. Not only was this Steven's idea, he also managed to convince publishing company Tenebrous Texts to waive any fees in publishing the book beyond their costs. He concluded by reading his flash fiction story from the book.

We then moved onto tea duelling, and on this occasion first-time dueller Craig proved victorious. In another first, we were graced by author C.S. Wright, reading his contribution to Steam Flashes, and making his public reading debut with great aplomb. Craig is also the man behind Cogsmith Publishing, currently running a crowdfunder project for a new work, Airships and Automata.  And I also read my contribution to Steam Flashes, a flash fiction piece entitled Sun, Snow, Steam.

Yet more entertainment came from Jessica Law, playing an acoustic set with a resonator mandolele, from Count Rostov and his amazing puns (not to mention the Beetroot Rap - can you dig it? (then layer it with a little compost?)), and from the excellent Magpie Cafe with their blend of electro-swing. Special mention to Mark Round from the Magpie Cafe, playing the set on his birthday.

Additional thanks must also go to Count Rostov once more for providing commentary on the tea duelling over which I presided; and to Lady M for making some splendid steampunk cupcakes (with cogs on - oh yes), all profits from which she also donated to New Futures Nepal. Thanks also to soundman Andrei who did a great job and also took part in the tea duelling!

Everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves, so I hope that was indeed the case. We made nearly £200 for the charity on the night. You were all marvellous - mwah! 

And what else can I do but leave you with the image of one of Jessica Law's Octokittens - along with the image of the book, of course, which is still available, priced £10, from Tenebrous Texts.  But hurry! A sell-out may soon be on the cards...

Having had its first launch at the annual event for the charity New Futures Nepal, new publication Steam Flashes has got all greedy and thrown in a second event!

Steam Flashes is, of course, the steampunk collection of flash fiction, photographs and articles in aid of New Futures Nepal. It features a flash fiction work from me, as well as some of my photographs from last year's charity event at Southcart Books in Walsall.

This time we'll be in Cogs bar in Birmingham with what promises to be a splendiferous evening on 23rd April - well, with me as MC, what else could it be? (ahem) The evening's entertainment will include:

•  An introduction from Steven C. Davis, author, GASP radio host and the man who conceived of Steam Flashes and convinced his publishers to publish on a costs-only basis.  That's right, folks, ALL profits will go to New Futures Nepal, to help them carry out their work with disadvantaged people in Nepal.
• Readings from various contributors to the book, including Steven C. Davis
•  Music from Jessica Law, formerly of The Mechanisms, and an author in her own right
• More music from The Magpie Cafe, local electro-swing heroes
• Entertainment from the legend that is Count Rostov (yes, that's 'Count')
• Tea-duelling - your chance to take part in a game of skill, nerve and biscuits

And of course, you get the opportunity to purchase the tome as well - £10, with all profits to charity as previously mentioned.

The event is FREE entry, and starts from 6pm (Cogs open from 4pm).  We hope to see you there!
​(But if you can't make it, you can now obtain the book from Tenebrous Texts - £10 plus postage)

I'm very pleased to be able to let you know that Steam Flashes, a new publication from Tenebrous Texts, will launch next week.  Steam Flashes, which is a collection of steampunk flash fiction stories and articles, features one of my flash fiction stories and also some photographs by me (a few of me, too!).  All profits from sales of the book will go to the charity New Futures Nepal (NFN), supporting disadvantaged children and adults in Nepal.

The book is the brainchild of Steven C. Davis, long-time supporter of NFN.  Steven has visited Nepal with the group, and has raised funds for them with various long distance walking treks as well as through the musical compilation Raising Steam (Raising Steam II is also on the horizon).

Last year's earthquakes in Nepal inspired Steven, who is a writer and host of the GASP radio show, to take action again.  This time he was able to persuade his publisher Tenebrous Texts to produce the book - and to agree to donate all profits to NFN.  A number of writers, photographers and steampunks generously offered to contribute their work free of charge. Scott and Amy from the bookshop Southcart Books in Walsall kindly hosted a steampunk event to tie-in with the book - and the rest is history, all neatly compiled within the pages of Steam Flashes!

Steam Flashes will be priced at £10 (plus postage if applicable).  It launches officially at the New Futures Nepal annual event over the weekend of 1-3 April 2016, and thereafter will be available from Tenebrous Texts and other sources.  An easy way for anyone to get involved in both good reads and good causes!

Now that the studying is out of the way, I'm turning my attention to other things.... like the third and final volume of The Automata Wars, a new musical collaboration, a new literary collaboration, and a host of other ideas.  Of course, it isn't always easy switching from a particular style of painstakingly researched writing to something that demands completely different styles of productivity.  I thought I'd share my top tips on how to make it all work.

1. Try writing individual ideas on post-it notes.  You can either stick them on a large piece of paper to see where they might fall in the grand scheme of your idea; or preferably stick them to the cat and treat the order in which they fall off as the intervention of fate.
2. Ensure cats are well-fed before you start, ten minutes after you start, and then at 30 minute intervals.  Either that or don't feed them, and treat the results of them rolling on the keyboard as the intervention of fate.
3. Do not be tempted to open the windows.  This will only admit insects for cats to chase.  Either that, or do open the windows, and treat the results of cats charging backwards and forwards over the keyboard as the intervention of fate.
4. Make sure your working environment is comfortable.  Sitting on a cat's tail can be detrimental to your comfort.
5. Do not forget to check social media sites regularly.  It is very important to keep in touch with your friends, colleagues, potential readers, and their pictures of cats.
6. If your creative endeavour includes any artistic medium, ensure that the design calls for cat fur in both strategic and non-strategic places, because you know it will end up there anyway.
7. Ensure all electronics you are using, including surge protectors, are protected from surges of cat vomit.
8. Do not pause to stroke cats even if they look cute.  It is difficult to create with a stone of cat hanging from your finger by its teeth.
9. You may wish to consider shutting cats out to ensure you remain undisturbed.  If so, ensure your timetable allows for refitting carpets/ repainting doors/ making good external woodwork that has been damaged by cats attempting to regain entry.
10. If you are getting stressed about your project, remember that cats are excellent for helping reduce stress (it says here).  Why not take a break from your project to feed your cat?  Just don't leave anything drying, unless you're happy for it to have footprints in it...

Well, there you have it.  I hope you can make good use of these tips in your future projects.

Just before signing off for this week, I wanted to say a big thank you to A. Stuart Williams and to Amy and Scott of Southcart Books, Walsall, for hosting and coordinating another fantastic writers event last weekend, and to all the wonderful writers for their various talks and readings.  I hope everyone else enjoyed it as much as I did!

Over the last and next few weeks, lots of people have been taking part in the blog chain, ‘My Next Big Thing’.  Last week was the lovely Rae Gee’s turn –  Rae, if you don’t already know her, is the lovely, talented and very friendly author of ‘The Veetu Industries’ series.  Books one and two, Mars on the Rise, and Selling Mars, are currently available from Torquere Press – and Crimson Clocks are honoured to be performing at the Selling Mars launch celebration in Leicester next year.  It’s always worth popping over to Rae’s website to check out what she does, and what she’s blogging about -  www.raegee.co.uk

So now it’s my turn to become part of the chain…

What is the working title of your book?
It’s called ‘The Front Line – Volume two of the Automata Wars’.  The first volume is ‘The Home Front’ – see what I did there? (rumours that volume three will be called ‘Blimey, You’ve Got Some Front!’ are unfounded)

Where did the idea come from for the book?
The Automata Wars as a whole has undergone a bit of a strange metamorphic curve… when I initially dreamed up ‘The Home Front’ I was inspired by the idea that there is more to a war than just the military.  My Grandad, for instance, didn’t serve in the war because as a gravel pit superintendent, his role was considered too important to the war effort at home.  And even when the war is raging, life goes on at home… but of course, you can’t have a war without fighters; so Volume Two focuses on where the battle is really raging.  There will be twists.  There will be turns.  There will almost certainly be violence and bloodshed, and a large helping of automata…

What genre does your book fall under?
For me, that’s a difficult question!  I like a range of different genres, and I don’t see a need to be pigeon-holed into one thing or another – I just like what I like!  The same goes for my music – Crimson Clocks plays a range of different styles, and we’re quite difficult to define too.

However – people also need to know what they might be getting into.  So I would say this is primarily science fiction/ fantasy, with a smorgasbord of elements of steampunk, horror, war, and historical fiction.  With any luck, it overlaps so many genres, it becomes an anti-genre.

Oh dear, I hope I haven’t just invented another genre…

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
The first draft was effectively vomited onto the pages in about two months.  That was basically me writing at least 1000 words per day to get the story down before I forgot where it was going.  Following that, I can review at a more leisurely place, pick up the areas where I know I need more information to make believable, make sure any plot points that don’t work are ironed out… In this book, for example, I needed a military force that reads believably, although I didn’t need 100% historical accuracy.  Having worked out what my force needed to do, I then consulted with Mr I Hannigan Esq, who is acting as my military adviser for this book!  Which meant I could refine all my military groups and divisions into a logical, coherent order…

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Hmm, that’s a bit difficult to say.  I’m hoping it’s not too much like anything else!  But probably anything with sentient robots would qualify at least in part.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Well, the steampunk vibe was a big inspiration – although as mentioned, steampunk is only an element of the book.  Also my historical readings – I can recommend a very interesting book on London’s history of vice and prostitutes, called ‘London, The Wicked City’ (by Fergus Linnane) if anyone wants a fascinating insight into how ladies of the night might market their commodities…

What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?
Prostitutes!  Nurses!  Blood and guts, plague and monsters.  And big guns.  Do you need more?

Well, that was more waffle than I expected!  Thanks for reading – now it’s time to pass the baton on to the next links in the chain…

May I present for your entertainment and edification:
- Mr Steve Cotterill.  Steve is an author and a reviewer.  He has recently had a short story published in the most recent ‘Asylum Chronicles’ volume, ‘Lost Souls of the Asylum’; and you can also read his elegant and erudite prose regularly in Cogzine, the steampunk fanzine (also available through The Last Line).

- Mr Steven C Davis  - Author of 'Cornix Sinistra' and 'Armageddon Angel'. Co-author of 'The Heart's Cog Imperative'; Creative Director of Tenebrous Texts; Empire builder of the Science Fiction Department at the Oxfam Bookshop in Reading (the only Oxfam bookshop with a dedicated science fiction section AND a resident SF author) – and if that wasn’t enough he also hosts a radio show at Reading4U.  Blimey!

- Ms EA Stokes,  another writer from the Last Line stable, Ms Stokes’ first novel will be published next year – a brilliant achievement when taking into account that she is also dyslexic!  She has Harris hawks, an impala (the car, that is), and also makes intricate and lovely bits and pieces – you may have already met her out and about on The Last Line stalls…

Watch for their blog chain posts next Tuesday and enjoy…