Shadows of the Apt

So the tigers and the wolves have been let out of the cage and rushed off into the world. I don't know how this sort of thing affects most authors. For myself, I hit an absolute high buzz when I get to do something properly Authorial — a convention, say, or especially a launch, and then there's a crash twice as big on the other side. I definitely have one of those subconsciousnesses which really, really disagrees with my having a good time. But! Initial reviews have all been good — 4 stars in SFX and the headline review, no less, in the current issue out right now, which is nothing to complain about. Geek Syndicate likes it, as does Strange Alliances and several other sites have also had nice things to say about it. If you've read and enjoyed, please do review on Goodreads, Amazon, wherever you can, really. It all helps, believe me.

I am currently looking forward to Super Relaxed Fantasy Club 24 on the 23^rd February, where I'll be reading a little excerpt and answering questions if anybody has them. It's 18.30 at The Grange Holborn Hotel in Central London. On the evening of Thursday the 25^th my host, Jen Williams, will be launching her 3^rd novel The Silver Tide at Forbidden Planet and I hope to be there too. In the interim I will be cracking on with the north face of the projects I'm working on, in particular finishing off the submission-grade draft of The Serpent and the Bear, sequel to the aforementioned tiger, and then looking at a piece of near-future SF I've been kicking about, codename Special Forces.

Because I can't leave stuff alone, I have various internet alerts set up. One thing that is particularly gratifying is the way the Shadows of the Apt one has kept springing up new results even though the series itself finished up a year and a half ago. People are still recommending the books on forums, reviewing them and generally talking about them. The insect-kinden are close to my heart, still (and there are those short story collections coming out this year, with further adventures in the Lowlands and beyond) and it's grand that, though Seal of the Worm has been and gone, the books remain a going concern.The one thing I'd really like to see would be a tabletop RPG of the series, and every so often I get together with someone and talk about the logistics of it. If there is a games publisher out there that is looking for a rather different fantasy setting, by all means give me a call…