Feels funny to suddenly realize a certain inevitably to something… A “aha” moment, when it clicks one’s no longer considering the “if” any longer, but the “when”, or even the “how”.
Some epiphanies take time, but there’s also only one way to find out where this road is going.
No, I’m not drunk. To be continued.
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!
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)!
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!
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.
The day has come! It’s my great pleasure to announce the launch of “The Kerguelen Cat” today, the second adventure of Yann Vatel.
Set a year after the events of “The Dragon Run”, TKC finds our hero in Bombay, where the Ascalon Circle uncovers a plot that could put the entire Allied forces in peril. Caught between a formidable foe and unlikely alliances, Yann embarks on a series of events that will put him on his most dangerous flight.
Get it now on Amazon (ebook & paperback): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BLKM6K4/
Download the “Planes of Ascalon” companion PDF: http://www.rachelrelat.net/downloads/tkc/poa_vol2.pdf
The “Planes of Ascalon” companion booklet is going well! This PDF features the specs and history of the various aircraft featured in the Ascalon Circle books.
Volume 2 features the PBY Catalina, of course, but also the Lioré-et-Olivier H-198, the Mitsubishi Type 96, the Caudron Simoun, and several others! A must-have for vintage aviation enthusiasts, and completely free!
A quick note to inform you all that I have pushed back the release date of “The Kerguelen Cat” two weeks, from May 1st to May 15th, 2021.
This slight delay is caused by certain marketing requirements. Work on the book is still going fine, I’m currently going through the last rounds of edits before being professionally reviewed. After I pass it on to my editor next month, I will be finalizing the paperback cover design, and begin work on the typesetting for both ebook and paperback format. Then, it will be the final checks and proofreading before release, followed by the elaboration of the Ascalon companion booklet.
With Georges Pernoud I discovered Moitessier, Tabarly, Chichester and Knox-Johnston. I discovered the Golden Globe and the tragedy of Crowhurst, I followed the Route du Rhum races and the wonderful victories of Poupon, Arthaud and Bourgnon. The incredible feats of the Vendée Globe, the other races like the Solitaire du Figaro, the Route du Café, and of course the mythical America’s Cup, and its defenders and challengers.
With Georges Pernoud, I went to the sea every Friday, in wonderful company, for close to twenty years. This weekly appointment was as important as the one with Cousteau on Sundays.
Georges Pernoud brought into our homes his love for everything blue. Bluewater adventures, shindigs in the shallows, life on the shore, everything related to the oceans and the humans who lived in and around it.
With Georges Pernoud, my horizons would maybe not be as wide and full of wonders. Maybe I wouldn’t be thinking about casting off on my own boat, following the footsteps of all these marvelous fools who unfurled their sails to check out what lies beyond the line where the water and the sky meet.
Some departures, alas, have no return. Bernard Moitessier, Eric Tabarly, Gerry Roufs, Florence Arthaud. And today…
Some departures, framed as they are into memories and emotions, stir in us, as Saint-Exupéry said, a newfound, bitter feeling, the secret regret that we are getting older
Oh Captain, bon vent to you for the final time, and thank you, so, so much, for “Thalassa” and the wonderful hours that you gave us for over four decades. You will be very, dearly missed.
Announcement: Building healthier habits is one of my 2021 intentions. As a result, starting immediately I’ll be taking a break from all social media (Twitter, FB & IG) for the next thirty days, to take care of myself and better focus on the new job and the edits.
Follow this space for news and updates!