Starting 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.
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!
Apologies 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 / rachelrelat.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!
“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!
Calling all passengers for boarding, your flight to the 1930s is ready for take off!
“The Dragon Run” is now LIVE on Amazon, for Kindle, on Kindle Unlimited, and on paperback. Grab it while it’s hot: https://amzn.to/34Ko42l!
There’s more! If you want to know more about the Dragon Rapide and other featured planes, TDR comes with “Planes of Ascalon”, a free companion booklet to satisfy your curiosity. Download it here!
Today’s other goodie is the unveiling of the cover for “The Kerguelen Cat”, scheduled for release on May 1st, 2021. Part II of the Ascalon Circle series is bound to amp up the stakes so keep your seatbelts on!
Happy reading! 💜
Last finishing touches on the website updates, ahead of “The Dragon Run” launch and “The Kerguelen Cat” reveal… One day to go!
“The Dragon Run” is a love letter to aviation, but it also has a few easter eggs & nods to other works, from “Out of Africa” to “Pulp Fiction”. Among these, one stands out. More than a nod, it’s a tribute to Joseph Kessel’s “Vent de Sable”, published in 1929.
In 1925, Kessel was the first passenger on the Toulouse-Saint-Louis line, traveling among bags of letters (there was no seat!) with only an interpreter (in case they crashed in Tuareg territory) and the pilot, Émile Lécrivain. “Vent de Sable” is a glimpse into the lives of these early mail pilots, their trials and their joys, their pioneering efforts, their tragedies…
A conversation with the pilots one night alludes to a colleague whose legend is only beginning. His name is Jean Mermoz. The mythology of the “Line” is in its infancy, but the players are in place.
My scene is an overt tribute to a passage that I actually heard on the radio, in Kessel’s own voice, before I read it in the book, of a particularly difficult episode of this extraordinary journey. It is a hauntingly emotional tale and I can only hope my feeble efforts gave it justice.
“The Dragon Run” is out November 1st in ebook and paperback. Preorders are open now on Amazon! Download a free sample here.
It’s D-30 before the big day! But what if you just CAN’T wait to take a look? Well, worry not, I got you covered!
Click the image above to download an exclusive preview of the first pages of my historical fiction debut novel, “The Dragon Run”. Simply save it and send it to the e-reader of your choice!
And of course, you can still pre-order “The Dragon Run” on Amazon! Links below:
Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BLHDJQV/
Amazon.co.uk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08BLHDJQV/
Amazon.fr: https://www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B08BLHDJQV/
Amazon.es: https://www.amazon.es/gp/product/B08BLHDJQV/
Gearing up for the launch of my debut novel “The Dragon Run” on November 1st!
I had the privilege to be invited to write a guest post for the blog of fellow author Susan Shiney. You should check out her website, it’s full of wonderful stories as well as helpful tips and techniques about writing and promoting your work. Thank you Susan for having me on your platform!
Link: https://bit.ly/35EJEqc
