Thursday, July 27, 2006

Sorry for the wait...

Well I must firstly apologise to any and all who are wanting more of Rossamünd and his confrontations with the wider world sooner than the offered release time of mid next year. All I can add to that apology is that the next book will be longer - quite a bit longer. I hope this makes up for the wait in some way... possibly... I hope...

Thank you to all those who have left yet more encouraging remarks. It so very much helps.

As to a larger version of the map - I'll see what I can do about putting up a .pdf of it perhaps, either here or at www.halfcontinent.com - my STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION web page for all things MBT and beyond - or at the official website. I will speak with my publishers about this. The idea has already occurred to me; indeed I am dead keen for people to see it in its right size, being 1 metre x 780 mm. Even at those dimensions it still has 4 & 5 point type on it. So yes, a lot of detail lost in the reduction of it, but we shall see. What do people think?

It has been offered to have MBT put on a uni reading list. There is a use for it I had never considered. It would be interesting to know how it would stand up to such scrutiny.

Oh almost forgot, for breakfast today I had Allbran[TM] and Milo[TM].

And now: Half-Continent synonyms for real-world terms #003

telephone / telegraph = astrapenunticon or transpositional.

Here is a challenge for those who want to take it on: give me a word and I'll attempt to render it into Half-continent speak.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

If I could have anything at all...

... right now it would be time. Time time wonderful time - and the energy to exploit it.

As we can all see, it has been nearly a month since my last post which reflects just how manic life is right now. Yet, with a little gentle prodding from an appropriate quarter, here I am at last. Progress on books 2 & 3 is steadily frenetic or frenetically steady or are these oxymoron. The aim is (Lord willing) to have Book 2 - called Lamplighter - out May next year, that being 2007, and for Book 3 - of a name I shall not at this time disclose - a year later.

Thank you to those who have taken the time to comment here, or email me. Such encouragement - constructive or enthusiastic - is sheer gold and makes this whole writing thing a doubled delight.
(Apologies to Alex for my absence from Redifinition camps - I've taken a hiastus from youth group leading to live other lives.)
(Apologies also for any distractions from study. Ah... procrastination, friend and foe...)

It has been asked if there will be other series after this'un - I sure hope so. Depends on the success of MBT I suppose, but if it were up to me, most certainly. The Half-continent was and is still being made for many many many stories to happen in. It was made first for the stories to come second. Which leads me to a misconception I have encountered regarding "Foundling": that some think I spent 13 years on that one story, which bain't the case. 13 years and counting for the world itself (think of it as researching my subject matter, only I invent as I research. Yeah?) & about 18 months for the 'Foundling' story, from go to whoa, using the setting of the Half-continent that I have been constructing.

Today for breakfast I ate All-Bran [TM] with Milo [TM] liberally sprinkled on top. Mmm.

Half-Continent synonyms for real-world terms #002

car =
pull-caboose or autalentum/lentumauta or necessarium - sometimes abbreviated to necessary, as in "Please, let my man convey you forthwith in my necessary."