ANNOUNCEMENT: Final Title of New Book!

As promised, I am excited to finally share with you the actual title of my new book. It was previously titled "M", but the real title will be "Merlin & Arthur: The Awakening".

I began doing research for this book in June of 2016 and started writing it in October, 2016. It's by far the most complex book I've ever written and takes place in Wales, England, and inside Russia. It's been a slow write, but well worth the time and effort.

I'm hoping to complete it and get it published sometime in 2018, but we'll see how that goes.

In my next blog entry, I will include a new summary that will explain in a more concrete way what the book will be about, but for now, I'll just say that it is a fantasy/science fiction book that also includes international intrigue.

It's been a dream of mine for a long time to write a book about Merlin and Arthur, and that dream is finally coming true!

M: Beginning of Chapter 19 & Working in Scotland

I've left the Seattle area for a while and have been in Scotland since the middle of June. I love traveling and writing in the Highlands and will be revisiting several locations that I included in my two fantasy books, Beatrice and Black Grotto. I'll be here for several weeks, and it's not only been great to be here, but it's been a boon to the writing of my new book. I've finished chapter's 17 and 18 and am now at the beginning of chapter 19. I mentioned earlier that the two plot lines of "M" were coming together, and they've definitely melded into one now.

I also mentioned recently that "M" is not going to be the real title of my new scifi book. I will reveal the actual title soon as well as explain more about what the book is about. I'm looking forward to doing that. Up until now I've been keeping it a secret, but it's time to let it out.

M: Beginning of Chapter 16

Below is the first paragraph of Chapter 16 of my latest science fiction/fantasy novel entitled "M". It's going to be an extremely important chapter in the book.

The nervous tapping of the pencil, to anyone other than the man sitting at the massive wooden desk, would have been insignificant and virtually unnoticeable compared to the voluminous size of the opulent room, the wooden inlaid floor of intricate and beautiful design, the elegant Persian rug, the dark glass-fronted cabinets full of legalities and policies of government, the white and gold embellished and vaulted ceiling, and the extravagant crystalline chandelier that hung just above his head. But to him, the sound and sense of the instrument in his hand as it struck the polished surface over and over and over again, gave voice to his fears, doubts, and uncertainties; and he was a man not used to such. He was the leader of a great and powerful nation and had achieved that role through strength, confidence, and an undying belief in his abilities; but here he sat, immovable and completely at odds with himself. He could find no direction, no choice that would satisfy both his needs and the needs of his country. It was an impossible quandary that required a decision that only he could make.

M: Updated Synopsis Of My Latest Novel

Below is the updated synopsis of my latest novel, "M". I also wanted to let you know that the current title will change when the book is actually published. I just completed the fourteenth chapter and am hoping to finish and have it available sometime during 2018.

Synopsis

The year is 2022, and two seemingly unrelated events will set in motion the narrative of this science fiction/fantasy novel. One is an earthquake whose epicentre is located in the Bristol Channel between Wales and England. The other is a huge explosion at what is thought to be an observatory in the Koryak Mountains in eastern Siberia. Because of these events, two of the most legendary, medieval heroes in Britain's history come back to life, and an international incident begins to hit the newsrooms around the globe.

The story incorporates two plot lines. The first contains the awakening of the two legendary Brits who enter this new and strange world confused and unsure. As they struggle with their identity, they come in contact with people who give them aid. There is Nim who has two young boys and runs the family sheep farm near Carmarthen, her husband, Duncan, a history professor and MP in Parliament, a vicar and his wife in Glastonbury, and a woman named Gwawr who works with the homeless. The second includes two MI6 agents that have secretly entered Russian territory on a hazardous mission, twenty-four black ops from four western countries, Abram Zima, the President of Russia, the heads of four of his agencies, and, most importantly, the people who live in the towns and cities across Russia that are caught up in tragic events inside their own country.

What started in Siberia could not only threaten the lives of the Russian people but all life on earth. And with no solution in sight and virtually all hope lost, the world's future could come down to the revival of the old and ancient magic, some dangerous and delicate diplomacy, and an almost impossible quest that has little to no chance of succeeding.

"M": The Convergence Of Two Plot Lines

In my latest fantasy/science fiction/international intrigue novel, "M", I have two significant plot lines that have been unraveling since the beginning of the book. I just completed chapter 12 and have written a little over 50,000 words. The two plot lines will soon begin to converge.

One of them has been the resurrection of two medieval characters in Wales and England. The second, the development of a major international incident, which has taken place in Russian Siberia.

The final steps bringing these together will occur in chapters 13 and 14. I'm really pleased with the story development at this stage and am very much looking forward to melding the two plot lines into one.

There has been a tremendous amount of research involved in "M", and the two stories within the book have been very unique and different in tone as well as substance and setting. I'm looking forward to completing it, especially considering my style of writing. Before I start a book, I generally know the beginning and end and how I'm going to get there. I know some of the characters as well, but as I write, I see the story in my mind, like a movie, and many times the plot will take twists and turns that I never expected. It makes it a lot more fun to write and allows for the book to evolve as I write it. I like not having everything figured out ahead of time.

I know it's going to take at least another year or so before it's released, but I can hardly wait for you to read it!

New Quote From Chapter 12 of "M"

Below, I have included a recent quote from chapter 12 of my latest fantasy/science fiction/international intrigue novel, "M".

Enjoy!

Trembling from the numbing cold and hopeful that there were no longer any Russians nearby, Tristan fumbled with the small pack that he still had cradled to his chest and took out a flashlight. He forced his way up through the layers of snow above him as carefully and inobtrusively as he could, and broke free. Once through, he hesitated a moment before standing and scanned the area to make sure the Russians were gone. It seemed they were. He sighed, feeling some relief, and then glanced up at the clear, black sky overhead. It was covered in stars and on any other night would have left him in awe, but he had no time for that now. Once he was exposed to the elements, it was dramatically colder. He checked his watch. With the wind chill, it was about minus fifty degrees Celsius. He knew that he would have to find shelter again, and soon. He readjusted his coat and hood to help keep out the cold as long as possible, brushed away the ice crystals from his face, and clicked on the flashlight that he held in his hand.
    He was standing waste deep in snow, and before attempting to move to open ground, shined the light around him and was relieved to see movement nearby. Several of his friends were either just breaking out of the snow as he had or crawling on all fours onto the flat ground just beyond the perimeter of the collapsed snow cave.

"M": Chapter 12 Challenge

In chapter 12 of my new science fiction/fantasy book "M", I've had a challenge that I've never confronted before. Two very important characters and the events surrounding them will be introduced at the beginning of the chapter, and what happens to them comes at a very crucial moment within the plot. The characters will need to be found credible by the reader, and they and their predicament must be something that the reader can relate to and empathize with in a significant way. The real challenge is that they will never come up in the book again, and I need to do all this inside two short pieces at the beginning of the chapter. I need to say enough without saying too much or too little, and do it in such a way that the reader "gets" why I've done it and is drawn in by it.

I've finished the writing for the first character and have started the second. I'm having fun with this and really enjoying figuring out how to do it.

I think I'm still about a year away from completing the book but am, even now, looking forward to the reader's responses to what I've done. I love this book!