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 đ 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 âïž!!
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 voilĂ , 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 VendĂ©e Globe, the other races like the Solitaire du Figaro, the Route du CafĂ©, 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 Iâll 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!
It feels funny to be talking about plans for 2021 after the chaos that was 2020, but to be honest things are looking great.
The 2020 retrospective
1. Well, the obvious big news of 2020 was undoubtedly the release of “The Dragon Run”! I’m very happy that I was finally able to finish, edit and deliver this on time for the release date that I had set, and I’m looking forward to the next one! Speaking of which…
2. The first draft of “The Kerguelen Cat” is DONE.
3. The pandemic lockdown caused a certain number of things to be delayed, chief among them the boat project, of course. However, I have good hopes of putting it back on track soon, because..
4. I got a new job! The offer came just before the Christmas break and I will be starting in January. I won’t go into specifics here, but the details will be in my LinkedIn bio when that happens if anyone’s interested in checking it out.
And coming in 2021…
1. Well, the new job is an awesome opportunity so I’ll definitely be looking forward to that.
2. “The Kerguelen Cat” is scheduled to come out on May 1st. I will be starting the editing process when I’m back from the holiday break, and it will then go to my editor in February. While it’s there, I’ll finalize the design of the cover, before putting the final touches.
3. The next WIP will not be an Ascalon Circle book! I will be working on the rewrites, edits and completion of my science fiction epic “The Uncertain War”, a work that’s been in progress since 1994 in various forms. It started off as a time travel thing inspired by Jurassic Park, and evolved into something completely different. If anything I’ve done so far can be called a magnum opus, it’s this bad boy. I don’t have a release date yet, but I’m aiming roughly at a rolling 2022 release schedule for the three volumes. Yeah, it’s a big one!
4. I will also order and supervise the translation of TDR to French for a release in Q4 2021.
5. Lastly, conditional on favorable post-covid conditions… I will finally get my hands on my dream boat, if it’s still waiting for me where I left it last March.
I might have other news, but these are things I’m not ready to share on this platform quite yet.
I feel fortunate and grateful that 2020 was not a bad for me as it was for others, and I realize how privileged I am to be able to say this, and that 2021 is looking brighter as the last days of the year pass by us. I am also grateful to everyone who bought my book or downloaded some of my free material, your support means a lot. A heartfelt thank you to all of you! I wish everyone a happy new year celebration, and a magnificent 2021!
The future is ours to take!