My second self-published book came out eighteen months ago. What’s been happening since then? Well not much in the way of sales. I’ve given a way 2-3 times as many copies to friends, neighbours and charity shops. It’s difficult to get sales but I can try to get readers. But that’s not all I’ve been doing.
A new book in progress
Ever since my last book went to press I’ve been working on a sequel. The first draft was finished last year and I’ve been editing it since.
As a self-publishing author I don’t get the editorial backing a traditionally published author gets so I used resources like beta-readers and manuscript assessment services.
I intend to use them again but I’ve also used a mentoring service, provided by Strathclyde University who also run writing courses which I’ve found very helpful. My mentor has pointed out a couple of bad writing habits I didn’t realise I had and has generally helped improve my book.
Since the editing is almost completed now, I shall send it to the excellent publisher (Troubador) who helped me self-publish my first two books.
Plot resumé
The story is provisionally titled Mirror Gates II: A Dying World.
Part I. A group of children, led by Bryan, Gwen and Tommy, are struggling to survive while looking after younger kids in a land where a magical Blight is killing adults. They meet a girl, Aina, from Ynis Mawr, the Isle of Mages who is on a mission that may save them. They join forces, using Aina’s boat to reach land the Blight hasn’t reached and Gwen and the younger kids find safety. However, Bryan and Tommy decide to help Aina in her quest.
Pursued by agents from Ynis Mawr (who wish to stop Aina – the Blight comes from a Mystical Darkstone which gives their leader, Meltith, power) they reach St Michael’s Mount and find Olwyn, a wizard trapped in a maze of mirrors.
He tells them of a great force of magic in between worlds and twin children who can use that power to destroy the Darkstone. Just as Meltith’s agents break into the mirror maze, Aina and the others are sent through a mirror-gate to the world where the magical children live. (end of part I).
Part II. We are introduced to Charley and her brother Charles in another world. Their link to a powerful magical source has been discovered and a magical society wants to use them to access this source. An agent of Meltith has come to their world in pursuit of Aina and joined with the society. An attempt is made to kidnap the children and they flee.
Bryan, Aina and Tommy arrive in this world, seeking the twins. They encounter the woman barge-captain Eddie who offers them work and shelter. Soon after they see a mansion ablaze and come across men with women prisoners. One is Amrita who is connected to the twins they seek. They help rescue her.
A psychic warning of danger sends Amrita northwards and she arrives in time to save the twins. They know now that the other-world agent has a strange and dangerous metal creature with her. The enemy attacks again when the twins join up with the otherworld children. The enemy is defeated – but a terrible secret is revealed about the metal creatures the enemy used. When the adults are distracted the twins agree to return to Aina’s world. Amrita discovers them gone and she hasn’t the power to go after them. (end of pat II).
Part III.
The children find themselves on an island north of Ynis Mawr. A plan to smuggle them onto the Isle of Mages goes awry and it seems the mission has failed. But Tommy has a plan. He discovered that renegades had captured children and were selling them to the mages for experiments. They are to pretend to be prisoners and be sneaked onto the island this way.
They reach Ynis Mawr and are imprisoned in the dungeons. Here they meet up with a lost friend of Bryan and Tommy – Jenny. The twins use their magic to free the child’s spirit from a guarding metal creature. Jenny volunteers to have her spirit take over the creature – as the twins do this she is free from control by Meltith – and with her help they break out. One group attack the enemy headquarter as a distraction while the twins head for the tower where the Darkstone is held.
In a final battle, all is seemed to be lost as the Darkstone goes out of control. Jenny sacrifices her metal creature body to gain precious moments and with the aid of the magic matrix which contains stolen magic power the twins hurl the Darkstone (and Meltith) into the emptiness between worlds. It seems Jenny is dead, but as Bryan goes to cover her true body, she comes to life. They have succeeded in saving their world.
My Tales for Kids 