Welcome to the Writing Progress Blog Hop.

Many thanks to Jenny Lloyd for tagging me on this blog hop. Jenny is the author of Leap the Wild Water, a historical novel set in 19th century, rural Wales. Jenny is busy researching for the sequel, The Calling of the Raven which should be released very soon.

To find out more about Jenny you can visit her blog here: http://jennylloydwriter.wordpress.com

I have to admit I enjoy a good blog hop. It’s a kind of game so it’s all about having fun. The aim of the hop is to tag some of our author friends into a written piece of work about yourself. This enables the hop to continue by jumping over to the next person who has volunteered to be part of the blog hop.

I’ve been asked to answer the following four questions for this fun hop.

What am I working on?

For me, the last few months have been extremely fruitful. Firstly, I finished the third and final book of the ‘Magic‘ trilogy as promised. I was so pleased and a little relieved to finally have the actual trilogy complete. I felt as though I had accomplished what I started out to do – write a whole story. I was then lucky enough to be a winner in the 2014 ‘Write On’ competition which will see one of my short stories made into a film. The TV program which will be one of five is due to be broadcasted around the middle of May. I’m so excited! The actress, Julie Peasgood will be narrating the story and I will keep you posted to what channel and when it will be on the small screen as soon as I know myself.

Now that everything is beginning to calm, a little, I am preparing to write my fourth novel which will be about a character from the 2^nd book of the ‘Magic’ trilogy. His name is Clump and he is a Windigo. For those of you who have already read the ‘Magic’ trilogy, I hope I have just trigged a spark of excitement. At the moment I am still researching but I’m pleased to say I have already gone passed the first furlong! The new book will be called, The Tale of Clump a Changeling’s Story and should be available by the end of the year.

How does my work differ from others in this genre?

The ‘Magic’ trilogy is set in another world and although this is not unusual in fantasy I think the way Crystal is introduced to the story is quite unique. I wanted to create a tale where you (the reader) would not only become fascinated by the protagonist but also by the supporting cast too.  In my books you get to delve into the secret lives of witches, wizards, evil mages and even juvenile wood sprites.

In the third book, Defenders of Magic, again the storyline is unique. What other story has a child with two mothers who will do everything in their power to keep their daughter alive?  One mother is immortal the other a simple earthling, but their lives have been bound together by a premeditated twist of fate.

Why do I write what I do?

I think the answer to this question is simple. I write fantasy because I enjoy it. Most writers choose a genre because they are comfortable with it for whatever reason. For me fantasy has always meant I could escape the real world and visit a place where I can make astounding things happen. I think I must have magic fingers because I have created a horse from a bag of gold sand. Lit a candle, murmured a spell and seen the imaginary steps taken by a prisoner.

Writing fantasy means I can let my imagination run riot.

I’m happy doing what I’m doing but in a few more years I might write something a little different. It could be that I try my hand at a full blown romance or maybe some kind of paranormal mishmash. However, right now, I’m happy creating mystical characters which I hear keep my readers enthralled for hours.

How does my writing process work?

The first thing I do when starting a new book is look at new mystical creatures. This always gives me inspiration and a few new ideas. Once I start writing I don’t work to a particular routine or aim for a specific word count. I simple write until I feel satisfied (or exhausted) with what I have achieved. Some day’s it’s just a paragraph I have gone over and over again until I ‘m happy with it or I could simply write a few basic pages with the idea of adding description later.

For me, going back after the first draft is complete and adding more description is what I love the most. This is when the story really comes to life. I add smells, colours and anything that will make the story appear real. Once I’m satisfied with the end result, I re-read the whole book several times whilst editing and proofreading. It’s an exhausting time but one that I adore and I don’t finish editing until the book is actually published!

The Magic Trilogy

So, that’s it from me this week and now it’s time for me to introduce the three talented authors I have tagged to continue the hop.

Shaun Allen has written a gripping paranormal story as well as children’s books and poetry.

A. E. Murphy is our contemporary romance author who has written ‘The Little Bits’ series.

Kimite Cancino is our youngest author at 16 years of age and she has written Toxic Persuaded Love.