writing « Chel's Corner

KDP update

2022.11.03

As 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!

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New toy came back from the shop good as new!

2022.05.20

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Promotion time!

2022.05.15

May 15th marks the first anniversary of THE KERGUELEN CAT. To celebrate, both ebooks in the Ascalon Circle series will be priced 0.99 until June 30th. 😁

Are you ready to fly in legendary planes, navigate webs of spies and dubious characters, and travel all over the world, from busy Cairo to rural Hampshire, from the jungles of French Indochina to islands at the end of the ocean? If the answer is YES, join the Ascalon Circle! Books I & II are now priced at only 0.99 in ebook format!

Get it now! Books also available in paperback. Offer applies to ebooks, only until June 30th!

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Mini-review: Severance (2022)

2022.05.09

These 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.

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writing status

2021.12.20

While my current focus is chiefly The Uncertain War, I’m happy to say I’ve also completed the basic outline for The Commodore’s Gold, the third installment of the Ascalon Circle series. I’m not quite sure when I’ll start on the first draft, but that’s neat. Also defined a few of the planes that will make an appearance alongside the titular Commodore…

As things stand right now, I’m looking at a late 2023 release for TCG. (I’m writing the TUW trilogy as a single unit, and I anticipate coordinating everything will take most of my time in 2022).

But hey, progress is progress, right?

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Au revoir, Monsieur Henri

2021.07.27

I often cite Bob Morane as a major inspiration behind Yann Vatel and the Ascalon Circle series. You may remember I did a short post about it a while ago, and I also talked about it in my guest post for Susan Shiney’s blog. Indeed, I’d go as far as to say that my Ascalon series would not exist without Bob Morane.

Today we heard the sad news that Charles-Henri Dewisme, a.k.a. Henri Vernes passed away at the not too shabby age of 102.

He leaves us literally hundreds of wonderful (if slightly dated) adventures starring Commander Robert Morane, Bill Ballantine and Professor Clairembart, going against the maleficent Mister Ming and countless other enemies, from Borneo to Kenya to the jungles of South America… Flights and chases all over the world, a James Bond with a French touch, and a great deal of affection and gratefulness for this world he gifted us.

Au revoir, Monsieur Henri, et merci.

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Coming (not quite) soon: “The Uncertain War”

2021.06.08

Since I’m in it for the long haul with the current WIP, a sci-fi / space opera trilogy called “The Uncertain War”, I’ve got some milestones planned out. First one will be the cover reveal! With a planned release around November/December 2022 for book one, I’ve decided that I’ll give you this little teaser a year ahead, on my birthday no less 😉 Stay tuned!

Now back to work!

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Let’s get to it

2021.05.29

1,015 words to kick-off the rewrite of the sci-fi WIP, starting over from page one. Current wordcount (stalled since about 2013) stands at approx. 78K across the three parts, with extensive revision needed, so this will take a while… And longer to write the missing parts!

It’s only the beginning. Small steps are good steps! I’m very happy to be revisiting this universe, and I hope to give more news about it soon(-ish)!

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Praise for “The Kerguelen Cat”

2021.05.18

Praise for “The Kerguelen Cat” – 5 ⭐️!!

Thank you so much! The second installment in the Ascalon Circle series is now out on Amazon in Ebook and paperback! Hop aboard for a flight fraught with dangers amidst spies and conspiracies!

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What a journey!

2021.05.16

Ten years separate the first sentence of “The Dragon Run” from the “The End” in “The Kerguelen Cat”! I wrote this first page in 2011 as a prompt, not knowing where it would take me. I later learned about the raider Atlantis and its 1940 stop at Kerguelen, with a casualty that ended up being the southernmost German war grave in the world. I wondered what other motives could have caused it to make that stop, looked up the distances… And voilà, a story was born!

Join Yann Vatel in his first two Ascalon assignments! Fly across 1938 Europe in a DH.89 Dragon Rapide, get ready for frantic car chases and close calls, immerse yourself in the atmosphere of colonial Saigon, caught between gun runners of dubious allegiance and powerful enemies lurking in the shadows… And hop aboard the mighty PBY Catalina for a flight you’ll never forget!

The Ascalon Circle I & II, available now on Amazon for Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and on paperback! And get the Companion PDFs Planes of Ascalon, volume 1 & 2, for free here on my website.

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