Writing and Music

Hi Guys,

 

No books out at the moment I'm afraid. But half a dozen all sitting at the finish line just waiting for me to write the last chapter or two to push them over. I only wish I knew what to write! Sigh!

 But I thought I'd turn to another topic that's been on my mind lately - music and writing. No not what I listen to while I write - that's always silence. If I try to listen to music I end up stopping writing and just listening which means that nothing gets done. Rather this is about how  certain songs seem to serve as the inspiration for some of my stories.

 Probably every writer gets asked the obvious question - where do you get your ideas from? And my usual answer is to stare blankly back at people and say something like - all over the place! (I really hate that question!) But music is definitely one of the triggers for my ideas.

 I think I've told you once upon a time that Dragon was written with AC/DC's Thunderstruck constantly in my head. It is the entire theme of the book - hard driving rock building up to one explosive battle after another. Fantastic song by the way!

Thief - actually it was two books I was writing at the same time which somehow merged into one part way through - was inspired by the film Date With An Angel and in particular one song from that movie - Higher Love (the Steve Winwood original not the Kygo / Whitney Houston cover which I also love).

More recently I wrote Prince of Stars, and that's also based on a song - Southern Cross, by Crosby, Stills and Nash. I love that track and again the theme was what inspired the book. My hero was a man, a sailor, driven to set sail by a failed romance that he could never come to terms with. He could neither return to her, nor could he cut her off. In the song he is tied to her - tied with a silver chain. I even named the ship Music as a sort of tribute to the music.

And I also mentioned at one time that Pawn was based on that seventies telly show - The Aphrodite Inheritance (which is a little dated but still an engrossing story - and it's amazing to see seventies fashion!) But what I don't think I mentioned is that while I was writing that book the theme music for that show kept running through my head every time I sat down in front of the computer. It's surprisingly powerful despite being so light and melodic.

So I think looking back on my writing I can clearly say that music is one of my most important inspirations. But it's not the only one by any means.

My point in this post is really just to say for all you budding authors out there, that ideas can come from anywhere. Maybe also to add that while everyone says to write what you know to anyone looking to write a book - I would add a second line - write what you love! I should also mention that currently I've been listening to a bit of Huey Lewis and Heart. Can't wait to find out what they might inspire me to write! (And how the woman in the graphic by Quarkmaster will feature!)

Cheers, Greg.

Progress At Last!

Hi Guys,

 

 

 

Yes, it's happened at last. Gorgon's Run is finished and out. And I'm absolutely thrilled about that! There was a time there that I thought I'd never finish it. That I'd never even be able to get out of bed again!

Thankfully I seem to have started healing - though oddly the nurses who visit me still say there's a gaping golf ball sized hole in my back which is going to take maybe months more before it closes over. (I did get my sister to take some pictures and was going to show you guys, but she says no. It's just too horrible to look at! Even better, the cyborg bandage was removed from my back and I can now walk about freely without tripping over cords and tupes or listening to the non-stop chugging of the pump sucking the endless ooze out of the wound. (Whoever invented that thing is an evil genius - and not in a good way!)

I'm still not a hundred percent yet. Mostly I'm just tired - and my back itches like crazy - probably because it's reacting to the adhesives of the bandages holding everything together. That ironically leaves me back at square one, looking for door posts to rub against like a cat!!! (Which reminds me - must start sterilizing them so I don't end up developing more abscesses  again!)

 

By the way - have to say that the district nurses who visit me every couple of days and all the staff at Rotorua Hospital are absolutely wonderful. We don't give enough praise to our healthcare people.

 

Anyway, Gorgon's Run is out in Kindle, paperback - and for the first time ever - hardback. (Can't wait to see what that looks like!) You'll notice that the covers are different - it's simply because the book sizes are all slightly different. And in case you're wondering what it's all about - here's the blurb:

 

Gorgon's Run

Life as a rural detective in the Waikato wasn't what Clem had always dreamed of. He wanted to investigate homicides not missing farm equipment. And to add to his woes his commander hated him. But he was a gorgon. He might hiss a bit, but he would endure.

Then he was handed the worst murder possible. One he couldn't solve because it had been committed by magic. The Council could never allow the existence of magic and magical creatures to be revealed to the world.

A thief's life was a better one, and Acadia was pleased with what she did. Until the night the FBI rang her up to tell her her baby sister had been killed. Then she was plunged into a world of grief and pain. Worse, she found herself immersed in a world of the supernatural as she investigated the murder. Of wizards and gods and ancient Greek myths. A world she'd never even imagined.

And somewhere in the middle of it all were the revenants.

As always, best of luck to you all, and be good or don't get caught!

Cheers, Greg.

Here's Hoping For A Better New Year

Hi Guys,

Running a little behind schedule with my writing at the moment - as usual! But once again I have an excuse!!!

 

In my case it began with a boil or a pimple on my back, somewhere about the middle of December. No big deal you'd think - except that it itched abominably and was right between my shoulder blades which drove me a little crazy. So for the next week or so I was imitating my cats, and rubbing myself like crazy against door posts.  But I live alone and the cats didn't say anything, so so what?!

Then whatever it was on my back became infected. So I trundled off to the Doc's and got some antibiotics as you do and for a time I thought everything was coming right. Until it wasn't Somewhere around the start of the New Year the antibiotics ran out and I just started getting sicker and sicker. We're talking major fever and incredible pain as if someone had a fist full of broken glass in my back and was squeezing. Which finally resulted in my calling for an ambulance in the middle of the night.

Roll on from there and I got to spend a few nights in the ED while they cut out a couple of absesses out of my back, one of which was the size of a golf ball, and then got to enjoy uncomfortable hospital beds for the rest of the week - though the food was fantastic!

 

After that they sent me home with a cyborg bandage - I'm not kidding! The damned thing is a bandage that the district nurses keep applying to my back every few days and which comes with its own suction pump that I have to carry everywhere. And every few days they cart away another cup full of ooze from my back. They tell me they'll be doing this for the next two months! Meanwhile I'm utterly exhausted, my back both itches and aches constantly, and it has become very hard to think about anything for more than a couple of seconds. Hence the reason I'm so far behind in my writing. And the nurses keep taking photos of my back! They say it looks a little like a bullet wound!

All because of a boil!

I"m not sure what the lesson here is. Don't scratch? Always keep your door posts nice and sterile? Maybe just that I'm getting older and more prone to these sorts of things? And it's more dangerous in the height of summer when you're sweating constantly? Or perhaps that I'm just a natural living pus factory!

Anyway, the upshot is that I haven't done any writing or editing for about a month. But the good news is that Gorgon's Run has still been through three complete edits, and I'm hoping as I start to find a little more energy, that I'll be able to do the final pass through before the end of the month and publish it. There's always hope!

So that's been the end of 2021 and the start 0f 2022 for me. Not the best of times really. But I suppose I've lost a little weight which is always good. I hope all of you have had better starts to the year and with a little luck, my next post will be to tell you that Gorgon's Run is out and Farry is nearly ready to start going through editing.

So cheers and a Happy new year to you all.

Cheers, Greg.

Gorgon's Run

Hi Guys,

Thought I'd just drop you a note to let you know that the next book is in process. The first draft is done and currently I'm busy revising it. The books called Gorgon's Run, and it's an urban fantasy, a little like the Wizard at Law series. (But possibly a bit darker in tone)) Hope fully it should be out in December, well before Christmas! It's also a little different in that the main hero is actually a gorgon! (And a police officer) The artwork for the cover camer from 123RF as a lot of my stuff does these days. But just to show you how I modified it, here's the original image I purchased.

And by the way - the monster may not actually be the villain of the piece. He may just be a lonely old sea monster looking for love!!! Aren't we all?!


Cheers, Greg