July has come to a toasty end in London. Records were broken with a brief heat-wave, and Condition Zero finally went live. This is the 6th book in the Earth Saga series (of 9). Sales were grim, again, but I was able to give away over 200 books, so hopefully that results in some reviews and additional sales. My sales to reviews ratio is pretty bad, which could be a result of several factors, none of which I want to guess about now. Onward and upward.
In addition to completing edits on and releasing Condition Zero, work started on Project 9, a stand-alone novella, and Project 10, the 7th Earth Saga book. Project 9 is looking at a late September release, which Project 10 will be released by the end of the year. Standish is still out to agents and publishers. I’m giving someone until the end of the year to pick that up, or I’m releasing it.
On the entertainment front, I watched at least two horrible films in July: Mile 22 and Atomic Blonde. I know people thought AB was stylish and had a great soundtrack, but the plot was dreadful, and all the Charlize driven action couldn’t save it.
One film that blew my hair back was The Night Comes For Us. If you’ve seen the Raid, you’ll recognise some of the cast. This film is fast, beyond brutal, and hugely entertaining Indonesian action at its best.
On the museum front, July was rather sparse. I went to the Wallace Collection for the Manolo Blahnik exhibition that they’re showing. The Wallace Collection is fantastic by itself, add some spectacular footwear, and it’s a lovely way to spend an hour.
August is a month were Project 10 needs to come together. I have a working title, and this novel could be the longest in the Earth Saga series to date. It’s a big one, and I’m not saying that books 8 & 9 are going to be less critical to the story, but I feel that this is going to be the last big action-packed novel. However, before that can happen, Project 9 needs to be edited and put into the hands of the beta-readers. I’ve got two on board for this read, and hopefully, that’ll help develop a better product.
In addition to punching the keys and editing, I think some more submissions of Standish to agents is required. That and a relentless Facebook campaign to get more readers, I’m confident that August should be a good month. Soft plans already exist for a world post-Earth Saga, and I’m pleased with the direction the series is taking, and I think that anyone who has read all the books will find the ending worthy of their time.