R.J. Hore's Blog: Fall is Here

Been keeping busy. Just spent last weekend working at my first Medieval Festival with three other authors and my wife selling her handmade gnomes.

Sold a lot of books (for me.) I brought just the ones with a medieval theme somewhere inside.

Handed out a lot of information on my total book list and where to find them if they can't find me.

Had copies of my latest there,

"Summer in Paradise," the paranormal thriller from Champagne Books

and

"Dark Candle," the sex and violence hypnotic regression Arthurian tale from Fossil Cove Press..

Still two books in the works at Champagne ready to go through editing. "The Perils of Paul" a modern fantasy blended with a medieval alternate world, and "Flight of Fancy," my sci fi romance effort. Both should be out in the next few months.

That, plus upcoming sales efforts, should keep me busy.

Well, that manuscript lost for 35 years is finally out and published. "Dark Candle" is now available on Amazon. A period piece about hypnotic regression and what might happen if the past life you went back to, didn't want to leave. Definitely something for the 18+ set with it's load of sex and violence. Published by Fossil Cove Press.

Also just out in the past week or two, is "Summer in Paradise," a paranormal thriller set in a remote east coast village. From Champagne Books.

Still to come: "The Perils of Paul," a modern fantasy of travel between worlds, with its load of adventure and romance. In editing now. Should be available from Champagne later in 2024.

The last one I have in the works is a sci fi Romance, "Flight of Fancy," also through Champagne Books. Expected out late this year or early 2025.

Looking forward to getting caught up with life this summer!

Besides me being an old relic, in 2023 we (my children) found an old manuscript of mine that has been lost for over 30 years. The Dark Candle was written sometime after 1976, ultimately on a Commodore 64 computer and sent to a publisher who liked it enough to sit on it for a couple of years, before sending the box of pages back. Then, due to the complications of life, moving, and a computer that was obsolete, we lost both paper copies of the beast.

One copy was recently discovered hidden away in a cupboard in a box labeled "Lightbulbs."

I've spent the last three months rehabilitating the beast. Hopefully might even get it published.

Before this happened, I had a publisher, eTreasures Publishing, decide to go out of business without telling anyone. As a result it has taken me several months to receive the four books I had there and get them reissued with a new publisher, Fossil Cove Press.

It's been a busy few months!

I have to admit I've not been paying attention to my blog this year, Can't even pretend I've been too busy. Just got sidetracked.

Wrote three novels during the Covid19 shutdown. The first was an epic adventure tale mixing fantasy with a touch of science fiction. The title: "The Perils of Paul."

Then I felt the need for something different, so I wrote a paranormal thriller: (Title not firm) "A Summer in Paradise" or maybe "Paradise Cove." ??

I followed this up with something completely different for me. A sort of mildly Sci Fi love story. The title: "A Flight of Fancy."

Then I sat on them. Finally decided I'd ask my publisher if she had any interest in any of these things. She said to send in all three manuscripts,

So now I'm waiting to hear if any made the cut.

In the meanwhile, have two events booked in November to try and meet a few readers and sell a few books.

Have one other project on the back-burner, a children's story for ages roughly 8-12. Get asked a lot for something to fill in this blank. Have something about 1/3 written. Might even finish it some day.

Think I'm finally slowing down?

What have I been doing in 2022?

Finished the final episode (#12) in the Housetrap Chronicles Series, the novella "The Mid-Winter Cuckoos at Midnight." It is available now as an ebook and we are waiting for the final omnibus collection of the novellas 10, 11, 12 which should be available in print shortly.

Been getting out to crafts sales and shows after the Covid shut-down. Last month attended a Comic Con in Winnipeg, tomorrow I'm at a craft sale, and in May I will be at Key Con 39 in Winnipeg. Have booked myself in for two Farmers Markets out at Shelmerdine's nursery in Headingly for August and September,

Starting to take things a bit easy?

New? I threaten to start another "Covid Time" novel. Two on the back-burner now that may or may not every see the official publishing light of day. Always lots of ideas. Started going back to the local library.

All of my novels and novellas are still available on the usual platforms and from the publishers, although you never know how long some of the older ones will be in print.,

I hear duty calling...until the next time...

This week saw me complete the line edits on Housetrap Chronicles novella #12, "The Mid-Winter Cuckoos at Midnight," written as the final episode of this fantasy detective series that has been running since 2012.

The ebook version should be released around the end of this month, (January 2022) with the print version coming out in the omnibus collection or novellas 10, 11, and 12. probably in the next month or two.

The problem with ending such a long-running series is how do you do it? Do you cut it off completely, or leave the door open? I think I solved the problem fairly well.

This series came about as a stand-alone story I decided to write during a period when I was writing what I call medieval-style fantasy novels. like the "Dark Lady" or "Queen's Pawn" trilogies. I wanted a break and decided to write something completely different, and occasionally silly. I mashed up an existing mystery title and created "Housetrap."

When I found this difficult to sell to magazines due to the length, I decided to write two more and create a book-length package. "Dial M for Mudder," and "House on Hollow Hill" were born. When I found a publisher, she said "keep going" and the Housetrap Chronicles series was born.

All of the existing episodes are available as ebooks, and the first nine have been gathered into three anthologies available either in print or ebook formats, with the fourth to follow shortly..

So is this the last we will see of this world? Maybe.

Finally done a holiday-themed tale, after a lot of bugging from certain people.

Of course, I may have cheated, Housetrap Chronicles novella episode # 11 was published as an ebook in November. "'Twas the Week Before the Night," complete with the usual madness and mayhem, and pirates, and vampires, etc. is now out there for all to see.

The final episode of this series, number 12, "The Mid-Winter Cuckoos at Midnight" has survived the editing process and should be launched sometime in the early part of 2022. Once that is out as an ebook, the next step will be to gather Housetraps 10,11,12 into a print anthology for those of you who enjoy the feel of paper. That would be the fourth of the anthologies.

Wrote two novels during the depths of Covid19. My editor has asked to see one. Will see where that goes. A paranormal thriller...

Of course, as far as the end of the Housetrap series, I did leave myself an out, just in case.

Right now I reading the final book (#9) in the Expanse series and loving it. Also have a book to review for an online magazine if I can tear myself away.

Just finished "By Force Alone" from Lavie Tidhar and loved it too.

Keep on reading and writing in the New Year!

Just finished the edits for Housetrap Chronicles #11 "'Twas the Week Before the Night" which should be out later this year.

Still have to start the process on #12:
"The Mid-Winter Cuck-Coos at Midnight" with a target for release of some time in 2022.

In the meanwhile I'm still mucking about with my "Keep busy during Covid19" project, a paranormal thriller. Still untitled.

I'm at the 73,000 word mark and hoping to hit 80,000 by the time I wrap it up. Something a little different from my usual style. I have no idea what I'm going to do with it once I finish it. Guess I will just have to wait and see.

I never did send out my earlier amusement, "The Perils of Paul" to a publisher. That one I just gave away, chapter by chapter, on my author Facebook page.

Must keep busy and amused.

Don't forget to also look for my on my website at http://www:RonaldHore.com

Here it is June 2021, and the start of year two of a Civid19 lockdown. So what am I doing to stay relatively sane?

I have two Housetrap Chronicles novellas sitting at the publisher.

# One: Working title: "T'was the Week Before the Night," is tentatively scheduled for release this year. It will be novella number 11 in the series. We haven't started the editing process yet so I have that to look forward to.

#Two: Working Title: "The Mid-Winter Cuckoos at Midnight," novella number 12, is probably looking at a 2022 release so the editing on that is still to come.

I have a children's book half finished. One of my daughters regularly read to her two before bed, and asked me to write something for them. So I did. It lasted until the pair were a bit too old to listen to their mother reading. As a result, I have the equivalent of half a book sitting there waiting for me to finish it.

During Covid19, to amuse myself, I started writing a paranormal novel. Probably about half way through and deliberately going slow. It keeps me out of trouble.

If that is not enough, somewhere in this house is a manuscript my three daughters claimed was the best book I'd ever written. I was going to rewrite and send out. I can't find it. Will give me an excuse to do some housecleaning if I ever get bored.

Writer’s find the style of creating a story that suits them the best. The two main methods are known as “Plotter” and “Pantser.” Of course, your style might turn out to be some combination of both

A Plotter is someone who sets out in great detail what they are about to write. They work out the story, chapter by chapter, and know what is going to happen, from beginning all the way through to the end. They set down everything they can think of about their characters, whether or not they may ever use all of this information. For example, who are their parents, what do they like or dislike, school, work, their friends. Maybe even what is favorite flavor of ice cream. Some authors will create charts along their office walls that cover chapters and scenes in great plot detail.

I’m a Pantser. Basically, this means I write by the seat of my pants. I may start my novel knowing how it begins, or ends, and nothing else. My details I have down when I begin are often sketchy. I’ll create the characters backstory as I go along. This means I have to make a lot of notes as I write, so can I remember these details. I may sketch out an idea.

For example, for the novel I’m currently writing I’ve listed a number of phrases or words in chapter order to remind me of what I was thinking for a plot. Something simple like: Goes to the store, Takes a boat ride, Gets lost in the forest. That’s a lot of planning for me.

In another example, when writing a Housetrap Chronicles novella, I often start to write with just the title and nothing more. Examples would Housetrap, Hounds of Basalt Ville, Murder on the Disoriented Express.

One thing I have learned as a Pantser is to make lots of notes as I create!

There is no hard and fast rule on a preferred method for writing fiction. Follow the style that works the best for you.