Hey Everyone, As My Early Adopters Anthology - Early Adopters: Rogue Elements lumbers on, ever closer to publication on Amazon, I'm back again to give you the low down on the cluttered thoughts behind another one of those stories. The second Early Adopters story I wrote was The Dancer. In it, we meet an entirely new member of the Early Adopters crew - Victor Deng, The Dancer. From Vic's involvement in the Early Adopters Project, he acquired super human agility. When the project fell apart, he discovered a love for dancing and is trying to make it big in entertainment, using just enough of his special ability to get noticed, but just not get noticed by the wrong kind of people (MiliTech). It's not a massive spoiler to say things don't go overly well for him in that department - This is Early Adopters after all. I do love Vic as a character though as I'd say he is probably the one character from the crew that has come through the dumpster fire of their collective past (which I might step back in time to write and fill in the blanks one day!) and has remained relatively optimistic. Everyone loves him. The story also acts as a bridge. It's the point at which the crew decide to stop running, hoping the problem will go away and really begin to commit to doing something about MiliTech. Romeo (from Star Crossed) is involved again and I loved writing the first meeting we see between him and Connor. Due to the somewhat muddled order I wrote theses stories in, this was the first time I'd written Conner, but in terms of final story order, he actually appears in the first story, We Are Gargoyle (we'll get on to that in another post). Connor and Romeo have an interesting dynamic which for me cuts to the heart of Early Adopters. Both men have seen too much. They are jaded and tired, but Connor still believes in whatever a 'Hero' is meant to be and wants to try and aspire to that, even if it gets him kicked back on his ass again. Romeo, well he's not so convinced of the merit of it all. He thinks that any attempt to go down that road, to do some good will only put them and everyone else in a worse position in the long run. Their shared history shows that he's probably not wrong, but still, who's side are we on, and can they co-exist? For me, this was the story where this started to be more than just stories happening in the same 'world' - this was where the overarching story arc began to develop and I really decided to push on with this as a full project rather than just a bit of a distraction, so The Dancer is a big step for the characters and for the whole project too. Once it's out there in the world, I hope you guys enjoy it. Just one other really important thing before I go - the project now has a cover! I think it is glorious and I'm forever grateful to the fantastic @EVCComicsBooks for bringing it to life and putting up with all my demands! Maybe sometime soon, as this was my first fully commissioned cover, I might do a blog post on that process. For now here's the cover - hope you all love it as much as I do! Until next time - stay safe everyone!
D.T.
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Hi All,
Been a while since I've updated on here. I've been busy with my Anthology, Early Adopters: Rogue Elements. Now that the manuscript is out to Beta readers though and I've got a little more time on my hands, I thought you might like a bit more insight into where the ideas for the Early Adopters Universe and the individual stories came from. In these instalments, I'll talk about the stories in the order I wrote them, not in order of the in-world chronology. The idea of Early Adopters didn't come to me fully formed. What is now the anthology of stories with shared characters operating in the same universe began as individual little sci-fi story ideas coming to me over time. The first one of these was Star Crossed. I recall trying to write this story in my early twenties, before I started really trying to write seriously. The kernel of the idea was a couple in a bar. The couple were enhanced individuals, with a special forces type team looking to raid the bar and take them in. The story would flip between the couple and the squad. It never came off. After finishing novel Ringer, as a sort of pallet cleanser, I revisited the idea, but with a different spin. It was maybe at the height of Fifty Shades Mania both in a positive and negative way and I thought it might be fun to begin the story like a romance, bordering on erotica. I started it off with what looked like an illicit rendezvous in a hotel bar, the couple worried about being caught out, but unable to fight their desire for each other. Just to be completely goofy, I called the couple Romeo and Juliet! Then I pulled out the rug and went full sci-fi. It wasn't just an stolen tryst. The couple were running from the corporation that enhanced them, MiliTech. One of them was a 'demon' with pyrokinesis and the other was an 'angel' who could bring out the best in those around her just with her voice. Together, their pheromones are poisonous to those around them. The ultimate covert agents. The company wanted them back, but they weren't prepared to go back into storage so easy. Even when Star Crossed was first published, it wasn't under the Early Adopters banner. It lived as its own thing for a good few years on Amazon as some other ideas began to stick to it and coalesce into a sort of overall story. In some ways, Star Crossed was ret-conned later down the line, to use the comic book terminology. Personally, I absolutely love the dynamic between Ro and Jules. They literally, physically can't live without each other. It hurts them to be apart. They have to endure that pain for long periods of time though for fear of what their special bond will do to others. Their love kills people. That's pretty tough. Jules is the heart of the Early Adopters crew - as Robert/MainFrame says - she is the best of us. Romeo on the other hand is a misanthropic cad, but pretty loveable while he's at it. The story also introduces Miles, the MiliTech employee with a withered but still present conscience. Not the best situation to be in. Miles is a character I really enjoy writing too and who we can see will have some big choices to make as Early Adopters develops. Hope you all enjoyed this little insight into Star Crossed. Next time we'll talk about The Dancer. ...And if you fancy checking out Star Crossed before the Early Adopters Anthology comes out - you can find it here - www.amazon.co.uk/Star-Crossed-D-T-Wilby-ebook/dp/B06XJMWH5K/ Or if you're in the US - here www.amazon.com/Star-Crossed-D-T-Wilby-ebook/dp/B06XJMWH5K/ Until next time - look after yourselves! D.T. Hi All So, I'm fast approaching the end of this latest round of edits on my Early Adopters short story anthology now. I can't wait to share these stories with you all. For that reason, I just thought I might share a little section of one of the stories, Blood on The Carpet (with very little context). Hope you enjoy! Blood on the CarpetRolento Derry couldn’t complain too much. His suite of rooms was really very nice. Time was slithering away from him a little without a watch or daylight to go on, but at his best guess, he’d been cooped up for about a month. His attempt to get in and out of The Hole, his little burglary, hadn’t exactly gone off as planned, thanks to a rather nasty bullet wound to the thigh. Still, it was healing pretty well, with his captor’s help. He’d probably always know about it now, especially on cold days, but in that respect, he’d add it to his list with the rest.
Currently, Derry was self-medicating the pain with a good brandy, sat by the roaring fireside. Savouring the taste in his mouth, he shut his eyes and listened to the crackle of the logs. The warmth did wonders for his long-punished bones and it was agreeable enough for now. Mentally he allowed it, but did his best to keep himself sharp and cold, like a well whetted knife. As much as his surroundings tried to fool him, he was still in The Hole after all and in a whole heap of trouble to boot. There were a number of ways that he thought things could play out. Some of them much less pleasant than others. He had spent much of his time here running the possibilities over in his head. Planning how best to react were any of them to occur. He bided his time. Behind him, the main door to his comfortable cell beeped. It was a sturdy. High Tech. Impenetrable with the tools at his disposal, which wasn’t much. He hadn’t had many visitors. He’d enjoyed that. Enjoyed the peace, but in the back of his mind he’d just been waiting for the hammer to cock. Maybe this would be it. Maybe now he’d find out why they had been fattening him up all this time, rather than finishing him off. He closed his eyes tighter, enjoying the final few moments of solitude. As he did so, Derry listened to the faint footfalls on the thick carpet. Closer and closer. From the sound he considered the stride and assessed it against what he knew. The possibilities. Only one he knew would match. He smiled. It gave him a chance at least. Abruptly, the approaching footsteps stopped. Without opening his eyes, Derry spoke, “Director Pitts, how nice of you to drop in. Please, take a seat.” Derry opened his eyes and was satisfied to see that his guess was right, “Thanks Derry, but I think I’ll stand. This will only be a quick visit.” Derry took up his brandy and took a healthy swig, “business then? And here I was thinking you’d dropped in to check up on my recovery.” “Recovery eh?” Pitts smiled mirthlessly. “The damage you’ve helped cause and the problems you’ve made for me, you’re lucky to be alive.” “And yet I am. I wonder why?” Derry said with a flourish he didn’t feel. He’d forgotten how draining all of this was. Company. The whole act. “Perceptive as always, Rolento. A man who knows his own worth. I like that about you. Professional too.” “The best.” “Indeed. But why all of that fuss? We’re colleagues. If you needed something from me, why didn’t you just ask?” “A loan? You wouldn’t be loaning me what I needed Pitts. Not for a job for someone else.” “Maybe, maybe not. But humour me, what on earth could you need it for?” Derry shrugged, “Sorry Pitts, no can do. Confidentiality is also one of my strong suits. A trait MiliTech have benefited from in the past.” “Yes, yes, you have a lot of positive qualities. That’s why I’m here. That’s why you’re still breathing. I’ve got a job for you.” “I already have a job. Or at least I did before everything went sideways.” “You miscalculated. The Hole isn’t a joke.” “Not a funny one, I’ll give you that.” “If you don’t want to hear my offer, that’s fine. I don’t fancy your chances with the rest though, if you carry on down this path.” “Not very subtle Pitts. Go on.” “My offer is this. You get to walk out of here, plus if you complete the assignment I’ve got for you, you get a cool one hundred million pounds. Twenty-five upfront, seventy-five on completion. You’ll need what you came here for to complete our job, but then as a little sweetener, I’ll let you use it for whatever else you’re up to. Only condition is, our job comes first. Thoughts?” For once in his life, Derry was taken aback. Pitts had surprised him. This was more than he could have hoped for. In all honesty, he’d have settled for getting out of here alive to lick his wounds in private and plan his next move. Not this red-carpet treatment and the prospect of retirement money, far and away above even his usual rate. Before he snapped the MiliTech suit’s hand off, there was only one question that remained, “well, that sounds like a fantastic offer, Pitts. A little too fantastic, if you don’t mind me saying. Who’s the target? What man do you want dead so much that you’d let me off the hook, with a contract like this to boot. Pitts smiled back like a mean alley cat, “Not a man, Derry. A God.” Hi Everyone,
Sorry, I've been a little quiet lately. The main reason behind my silence has been that I've buried myself in (attempts at) marketing recently, trying to learn the arcane intricacies of selling more books. To that end, I've been checking out a few of Dale L Roberts' books (@selfpubwithdale) and found some really useful insights into keywords, marketing and reviews. I'd definitely recommend checking them out if you're involved in self publishing. I also took the plunge recently and purchased the Publisher Rocket Software (publisherrocket.com). This software is really helping me to discover what people actually search on Amazon and will hopefully help me make my books more discoverable on the big A and lead to more sales in the future. You can also use Publisher Rocket to generate tons of terms for your Amazon Ads, if you're running them. I've already updated my keywords as a result of the info I've gleaned from Publisher Rocket so far and will let you all know how things go! I'm also currently running a Kindle Countdown offer in the UK on my first book, Central Locking (51% Off!) so if the idea of someone's self drive car going haywire and kidnapping them sounds interesting to you, maybe check it out at www.amazon.co.uk/Central-Locking-D-T-Wilby-ebook/dp/B00NYDT7G8/ One thing hasn't changed though, marketing is still a hellish dirge! In other news, edits for my Early Adopters Anthology, Early Adopters: Cycle One are still ongoing, with three stories done and dusted. The collection is meant to be fully drafted, but I may still try and sneak one more story in before publication. My now more realistic predictions for release are 'sometime this year' - we'll see how that goes! I also recently wrote a space based sci-fi story to feature on the sci-fi blog iheartscifi.com. You can read Get Red Zedd's Head over there at iheartscifi.com/get-red-zedds-head-by-d-t-wilby/ and while you're over there, definitely check out Seth's awesome blog for all things sci-fi! Until next time - stay safe everyone D.T. Hey Everyone, Just wanted to jump on and give you all a quick update on where I am with a few things (since i committed to blogging more regularly!) Right, most importantly, the first draft of my latest Early Adopters story is complete (phew). It began life entitled Another Boring Meeting but ended up being called Blood on the Carpet. Coming after the events of all the other stories in Cycle One, emphasis switches to MiliTech (the bad guys) as they lick their wounds and take stock. This is also the final story in this first collection, so hopefully it ties everything together and throws in a few cliffhangers (like all endings should). This means I'm now editing (argh!) and should hopefully get the compilation out on Amazon by late March/Early April. I've had so much fun so far writing my Early Adopters stuff and can't wait to show it to everyone. I also now have Cycle Two pretty much planned out, although I'm not sure if I'll do short stories again with what comes next or a straight up novel. Anyway, back to the editing. I've pretty much edited the first story in the collection, We Are Gargoyle. As a little teaser of what to expect, I'm going to release this as a standalone on Amazon too - sort of a lead in to the Early Adopters Universe. Hopefully I should have it ready for the weekend, but until then, here's a peek at the cover, work by the awesome @humblenations over at www.goonwrite.com I'm also really looking forward to reading a couple of new releases soon. The awesome Cyberpunk Anthology Neo Cyberpunk features 15 amazing stories by some fantastic writers - you can learn more on my Book of the Month page on here. COLONY by Benjamin Cross (@BenCross_author) also sounds amazing and is doing fantastically well in the Amazon charts - you can check it out here www.amazon.co.uk/Colony-Benjamin-Cross-ebook/dp/B08SCGDMNM/
I've almost finished Complete Darkness by Matt Alcock (@cleric20) too. So far, its a fantastic book with a touch of Douglas Adams, only much, much darker. The book definitely lives up to its reviews. Once I've finished it, hopefully I can get Matt on here for a Five Question Author Interview. Good luck to everyone participating in #sffpit this week. I contemplated putting Early Adopters: Cycle One up as part of it, but wasn't sure how anthologies would get on and to be honest I think I'm far too committed to seeing these stories out there ASAP now. Once that's done though, I'm thinking of breaking with by own convention and developing two WIPs at once, one for self pub and for the other one at least giving the trad pub roller coaster a try (sounds like fun!). Enjoyed watching Godzilla (2014) this weekend too, ahead of Godzilla vs Kong. It was just as I expected it to be, stupid and awesome. Probably something we could do with a little more of right now. Until next time - stay safe! D.T. Hi Everyone,
Just a few quick updates on what has been a busy week. As more frequent visitors will hopefully notice, I've given the website a bit of a spruce up. I felt the old design was looking a bit dated, so I've had a play around and come up with this, which I'm hoping looks a lot cleaner and more professional. Have a look around and maybe let me know what you think. I've also added in a Book of The Month section to the website, where I'll showcase an indie book each month - either something that I've loved or something that I'm really looking forward to. Our first entry is the forthcoming Cyberpunk Anthology Neo Cyberpunk. There are some fantastic authors involved in this and I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on it on 27th January - if Cyberpunk is your thing or if you just want to try something different, check it out! I've also ran a free promotion on Ringer this weekend which has gone really well for me in terms of sales as well as new interactions on Twitter. Coupled with some fantastic five star reviews from fellow indie authors Tanweer Dar (@Tanweer_Dar) and Frasier Armitage (@FrasierArmitage) it's been a great weekend for Ringer! This week also saw the latest in my series of Five Question Author Interviews, quizzing Elizabeth Eckstein about her writing and her book Quicksilver and Brimstone. If you haven't had chance to read the interview, take a look on the blog and if you haven't had chance to read Elizabeth's book yet, I'd highly recommend it. In the week ahead, I'm hoping to finish drafting the last Early Adopters short story from this first cycle - working title Another Boring Meeting. Once that's done, I'm hoping to still be on track to release the first collection - Early Adopters: Cycle One on Amazon sometime in March (hopefully this March!). I also started watching WandaVision on Disney Plus this week - I think it's fantastic so far. Very unnerving, lurching from 50's sitcom to something seemingly very disturbing that's just out of reach, then back again. One to watch - literally. That's all for now - hope you all have a great week! D.T. For the next of my Five Question Author Interviews, I spoke with Elizabeth Eckstein, another wonderful indie author. I read Elizabeth’s book Quicksilver and Brimstone recently, the first in her Crucible of the Crimson Lion series, and I absolutely loved it. You should definitely go check it out! On top of the fantastic writing, Elizabeth also flavours her fantasy fiction with some amazing illustrations, something I’d love to see more of in books in general.
You can learn more about Elizabeth and her book on her author bio here www.amazon.co.uk/Elizabeth-Eckstein/e/B089G6PQ32/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1 and follow her on twitter - @RedElixer You can also visit Elizabeth's website here - crimsonlion.wixsite.com/home 1 - What would you say draws you to writing fantasy? I think they way it really allows one to be creative. Both in environment and plot, there is just so much more that is possible and lends itself to exploration. I love the world-building, defining the scope and limits of every element. 2 - Any clues on what we can expect in book two of your Crucible of the Crimson Lion saga? Things are going to get quite a bit more serious and daunting for the Crimson Lion and our band of friends. They are about to discover that Pantomeus was just one piece in a much larger puzzle that jeopardise not only the Order, but the world as we know it. 3 - If you were a trained member of the Order, what alchemic feat would you want to be able to achieve? I think I would love to be a Master in Consumable Constructs – the art of creating foods and beverages with remarkable qualities, like Levitation Cakes and Invisibility Cordials. 4 - Are there any other genres you’d like to try your hand at? I have an idea for a Sci-fi story and also Historical Fantasy, but I’ll only really consider them after I finish the Crucible of the Crimson Lion. 5 - If Quicksilver and Brimstone were to be adapted for the big or small screen, do you have any ideal picks for the people involved? Oh, I would love Hugh Laurie for Master Ragnardt and Brian Cox for Grand Master Thorbrand. Christopher Lee would have made the perfect Pantomeus. He will always hold that part in my heart. Thanks for the Chat Elizabeth - I'm really looking forward to the next installment! You can find Quicksilver and Brimstone here www.amazon.co.uk/Quicksilver-Brimstone-Crucible-Crimson-Lion/dp/B08CPLF56Y/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=quicksilver+and+brimstone&qid=1611248955&sr=8-1 - It’s a great read - a fantastic tale of adventure and fantasy for all ages. D.T. Morning All!
Just wanted to hop on with a quick update on where I am with a few things. I've been putting a lot of work into my Early Adopters Shared Universe of short stories lately. The universe is really growing now, so much so that i'm having to keep a bit of a character map of who goes where and how the stories interconnect with each other (i definitely think this helps!). The stories in this first Cycle are:
After Early Adopters: Cycle One is published, I'll be moving on to my next full novel. I've got a bunch of ideas what the next one may be and I've maybe narrowed it down to two possibilities now. More about that in a future update though. One thing at a time. I've also been reading some great books by more Indie authors lately. There really are some great writers out there (check out reviews and interviews in the blog posts below!). More recently I've read Quicksilver and Brimstone by Elizabeth Eckstein, a fantastic fantasy tale for all ages, the first in her Crucible of the Crimson Lion series. D.L Schleicher's Then Came Darkness is a dark, brooding, amazing piece of historical fiction set in dust bowl america that I would definitely recommend too, while Tanweer Dar's first trip into fantasy via his new novella Kingdom of Blood was also wonderful, keeping me turning the pages. Currently I'm reading Complete Darkness by Matt Adcock, which is amazing so far! If you want to follow these great authors on Twitter, here's where you'll find them: @RedElixer @schleicherspin @Tanweer_Dar @Cleric20 Finally, I just wanted to give a shout out to the Cyberpunk Alliance, a great bunch of Cyberpunk authors who work to promote all things Cyberpunk. You may have seen elements of their fantastic Twitter efforts on Cyberpunk Day back in October and plans are already afoot for next year's event (check out @CyberpunkDay on Twitter for more info). Next up on their schedule is Neo Cyberpunk, an anthology of great Cyberpunk short stories by some fantastic authors, set for release on 27th January 2021. To keep up to date on what these guys are up to, follow them on twitter or check out www.cyberpunkday.com/ and maybe join the mailing list. Much more reliable than a certain game we won't mention! That's it for now guys, check back for regular updates! D.T. For the next of my Five Question Author Interviews, I spoke with Tanweer Dar, another indie author whose work I love. I recently read Tan’s fantastic Cyberpunk Vigilante novel The Demon and it more than deserves all the praise it has received so far. I can’t wait for the sequel! You can learn more about Tan and his other great books on his author bio here www.amazon.co.uk/Tanweer-Dar/e/B00EZW10HQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1 and find him on twitter on @TanweerDar
1. I loved The Demon and can’t wait to read the sequel – any clues on what to expect? The sequel to The Demon, which does have a name and a cover that I'm not quite ready to reveal yet, picks up not long after The Demon finishes off. Charlie plays an even more prominent role from the get-go, and lots of characters from the first book get involved pretty quickly in the sequel. There are also some new characters who mix things up a bit. It's a very different world, though. After the closing events of The Demon, things have become decidedly post-apocalyptic... Expect plenty of action, drama and some surprises! 2. Aside from your sequel to The Demon, what else do you have coming up? So I'm also working on a dark fantasy novella, Kingdom of Blood. This will definitely be out before the sequel to The Demon. It is a standalone project which just came to me one day and I really felt inspired to write. It features a dark tower, an ancient vampire, a power-drunk king and a princess with something to prove! 3. Anyone who follows you on Twitter will know you love to sketch – will we see any of your illustrations making their way into your Novels in future? So, I've published a children's book (The Elephant and The Ballerina) which I've illustrated as well as written. I've also provided illustrations for a book a friend of mine made for her daughter. I'm not sure whether I would illustrate my novels or novellas, but I am seriously considering creating a poetry collection with an illustration to accompany each poem. So, watch out for that at some point in the future! 4. You seem to have a great writing habit – any advice to other writers? Oh, thank you! I'm always looking at writers who write thousands of words in one sitting/day with a certain degree of envy. I think I very much work on the 'slow and steady wins the race' principle. A few hundred words a day, regularly, builds up very nicely. It also doesn't cause the kind of writing fatigue or writer's block that some authors seem to get. I have also found that working on two projects simultaneously is actually really productive. You don't get too bogged down or stressed with one. I think, for me, it's also been important to have other, regular creative outlets (my sketching you've already mentioned, but I also assemble and paint miniatures). 5. The Demon vs The Dark Knight - Who wins? Well, now, there's a question! There's no doubt that The Dark Knight (Batman) was one of the two big inspirations for Michael 'The Demon' Donovan (the other being Angel from the Buffy-verse). As vigilantes go, I'd say The Demon has the edge in terms of sheer grit. His past actions also make him less reluctant to do things I think Batman might balk at. Having said that, Batman's athleticism, fitness and vast array of gadgetry would probably eek him out in front. Thanks for the chat Tan! You can find The Demon on Amazon Here www.amazon.co.uk/Demon-Tanweer-Dar-ebook/dp/B08GSS4752 and look out for more exciting work from Tan soon! Hi Everyone,
Just wanted to share this short story on here - I wrote it a while ago now and forgot about it! D.T. |
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May 2022
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