So I’m working on getting the listings updated and the pictures on the website will reflect that, but at the same time, I will not be deleting or editing past promo pictures here or on IG. They’re also me, if not the whole me, and they’re part of my writing journey. Sone of them also contain some of my earliest reviews, and that’s very dear to me. Long story short, I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t been there first. I just expect y’all to be understanding and respectful, and not use the name on these pictures going forward. Just so we’re clear.
Archive for the ‘update’ Category
Quick note about the past
Friday, November 4th, 2022KDP update
Thursday, November 3rd, 2022As you may have noticed, my books went offline yesterday as I’m the process of republishing them under my real name. This means that the ISBN, listing and URL will be new. This also means, unfortunately, that I am losing the ratings and reviews that I had so far.
The new books have been sent and the links will be updated as soon as the review process clears. For now both TDR and TKC will be only available as ebooks. I need to locate the source files for the paperback covers and this is going to take some additional time. The companion PDFs will be updated accordingly as soon as the books are live at the latest.
The French translation of TDR was scheduled for publication in time for the end-of-year holidays but I am no longer sure I can make the schedule, sorry. There’s been a lot more change behind the scenes than the transition and I barely had time to review it.
That’s all for today. Later folks!
Mini-review: Severance (2022)
Monday, May 9th, 2022These past few weeks haven’t been smooth sailing, but I’m kind of back. I’m extremely behind on my writing, NaNo April was a bust, I just didn’t have any heart for it. I’m planning to slowly get back into it, but I just haven’t yet. After my dad’s passing, I flip-flopped about focusing on my French hist-fic saga project… But I don’t know.
Everything is pretty much on hold on all fronts, except for one thing that I can’t quite get into yet. I’ll probably have an announcement about it later this year, if things go as planned. The release dates for the WIPs are likely going to be pushed back.
In the meantime, I spent the weekend on Severance (on Apple TV+), a dystopian show where a new implant technology allows us to hermetically separate our work life and our personal life. It’s as captivating and horrifying as it sounds, and absolutely riveting.
The show manages to capture the tedium of office environments and make it both gorgeous and ominous, making you wonder what hides behind every turn of the labyrinthine corridors of the “severed” floor, and behind the smiles of its cultish managers… The photography and art style are ultra polished and framed to perfection (the Bell Works building and its atomic age vibes make for a perfect location for a show full of retro-futuristic mid-century-ish elements) and the cast brings everything together incredibly well. The finale also resolves enough of the mysteries to be satisfied, but leaves enough pending that you just can’t wait for Season 2 to drop.
One of the best written shows of the year. Greatly recommended.
end of an era
Monday, December 20th, 2021This weekend, I shut down my historic domain freylia.net.
I first opened this website in August 2003, during an internship at the European Court of Auditors in Luxembourg. I was making progress with HTML/CSS and I had grown tired of the limited confines of Geocities-hosted pages… The site started as a System Shock and Deus Ex fan site; it also exposed many elements of what is now The Uncertain War, the main draft of which (currently undergoing heavy rewrites) I wrote during the 2006 or 2007 edition of NaNoWriMo.
I also hosted several sub-sites for a while, ranging from walkthroughs to fan projects, some of which I participated in. From gaming, it evolved into a file repository, then a portfolio of services, from Translations, to Photography, to Desktop Publishing.
It went through many lives, but even when it was occasionally on hold, there was always a plan to bring it back. This is the first time since 2003 that I take it down indefinitely. My focus, as far as websites are concerned, is now firmly on presenting and promoting my books. This is not the only change I have in mind, as this is part of the process I alluded to in my last post; But this is the first, and its symbolic significance to me is pretty deep.
The simplest thing is, freylia.net was created when I was a different person, and as such it belonged in the past. It is time to close this door now, and look towards the future.
portents
Friday, October 29th, 2021I’m standing at a threshold, and as I prepare to take the next step, the idea of the changes to come scares me to my core. But the idea of leaving things be, and living in the past… It scares me more. This is the right decision, and the only way out is forward.
I don’t know when I’ll be making the relevant changes here on this site, as I will be fairly busy dealing with real life. I have cancelled my plans to do NaNoWriMo and work on TUW for the time being, as this coming month of November mark the beginning of a grander, and more deeply personal journey.
This November, I am turning 42. The Ultimate Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything, according to Douglas Adams… This November, I begin something I never attempted before: to build my own answer.
I’ll be back, with the knowledge that I’m facing forward, and the courage to face these new challenges head-on. This site will change, but for the better. Because behind it, will be a better me than ever existed before.
R.
life is change
Saturday, September 4th, 2021
Taking a break (again)
Monday, July 19th, 2021Starting immediately I’m taking a break from all social media (Twitter, FB & IG) indefinitely to take care of myself and focus on my mental health (and the WIP).
I don’t plan on returning any time soon this time so as before, follow this space for news and updates.
#50K
Tuesday, November 24th, 2020
5,893 words today and wooohoooooooo!!! 4th time I’ve completed the challenge! 🥳💪🤪 The first draft of “The Kerguelen Cat” is almost complete at close to 60K overall!
Blog refresh!
Wednesday, November 18th, 2020Apologies if you’ve seen things moving around lately, I was busy working on refreshing the looks of this journal to better match it to the latest freylia.net / raphaelrelat.net iterations.
The old look served me well but was becoming dated, being the last remnant of what freylia.net looked like back in… 2016 I think! Overall I didn’t change much of the structure though, it is mostly simply a cosmetic refresh with updated links.
I took the opportunity to rename the blog too. Yes, I like puns. :p
Anyway, this is done, for the time being. Back to writing, passed 32K on my 2020 NaNoWriMo effort, bringing “The Kerguelen Cat” along towards what I think will be a very satisfying conclusion. But I can’t say more for now!
Stay shiny!
Flying Wings
Thursday, November 12th, 2020“The Kerguelen Cat” uses a degree of creative license when it comes to some of its featured aircraft. One in particular is inspired by the futuristic Horten designs of the 1930s and 1940s.
Pioneering the “flying wing” concept with both gliders and powered prototypes, the Horten brothers later scaled up their ambition with the massive H.XVIII pictured here but the project never left the drawing board…
The sequel of “The Dragon Run”, available now in paperback and ebook, “The Kerguelen Cat” is scheduled for release May 1st, 2021. Pre-order now!