2016 Editing Commissions and Client New Releases

It's been a hectic start to 2016. Already in the bag:

Literary (content and copy) edit of The Far Side of Creation (Vanx Malic 7) by M.R. Mathias, and The House by P.M. Prior.

Currently working on a content and copy edit of The Engine Woman's Light by Laurel Anne Hill.


Here's the cover and blurb for The House, which was released today:

AMAZON

It was meant to be a place of safety. Their home. Her sanctuary. 

When Prue Bridgewater first glimpses the abandoned old house, it's love at first sight. Her husband Ray is not so sure. 

The property has been neglected for decades, and Ray can’t help wondering why. But with Prue on the brink of a nervous breakdown, he’ll do whatever it takes to keep her sane, even if it means he has to live there. 

Once ensconced in their new home, Prue begins fixing up the place while Ray is away at work. And then a series of disturbing discoveries makes her fear she's losing her mind. 

She hears things and sees people who couldn’t possibly be there, and she can’t shake the feeling she’s being watched. 

As Prue’s hold on reality begins to disintegrate, along with her marriage, she struggles to tell truth from delusion. But things go from bad to worse, and soon not just her sanity, but her survival hinges upon the long-buried secrets of THE HOUSE. 

Current editing commissions - M.R. Mathias and William Bakke

I'm currently working on The Emerald Rider for M.R. Mathias (a literary edit of the fourth Dragoneers book) as well as beta reading Landfall for William Bakke (science fiction).

The Legend of Vanx Malic

My last editing commission was the start of a fantasy series, The Legend of Vanx Malic, by M.R. Mathias. It's a departure from Mathias's Wardstone trilogy and his Dragoneers books, but retains the depth of world building and complex, flawed characters. Mathias's gift for language makes it a light and enjoyable read, and there's enough engaging action and good-natured humour to keep you fully engaged.

The cover art for this one is by the exceptionally gifted Anton  Kokarev, and shows Vanx on a haulkatten.

Check out Vanx Malic here:

Best Fantasy and Best Novel

Congratulations to Moses Siregar for his novel The Black Gods War which has just won Best Novel and Best Fantasy in the eFestival of Words. I provided both content and copy editing for the novel fairly early on in the process. Moses is an extremely diligent and hardworking author, and he's utterly deserving of the recognition.

Check the book out here

Recent Edits -- David Dalglish; M.R. Mathias

I've just completed a copy edit for David Dalglish's The Broken Pieces, the final book in the Paladins series. I've also just finished a literary edit of M.R. Mathias's Through the Wildwood (The Legend of Vanx Malic).

As always, it's been a pleasure working with these two prolific authors, both of whom are always utterly professional.

Editing Schedule

I'm currently working on a literary edit of The Legend of Vanx Malic (Book 1 -- Through the Wildwood) by M.R. Mathias.

Next up is a copy edit of the fourth Paladins book by David Dalglish, and then I have commissions from Sibel Hodge and Rex Jameson.

Please email me with all your editing, proofing, beta reading queries and I'll do my best to slot you into a date that suits your schedule.

Latest edit -- M.R. Mathias -- The Wizard and the Warlord

I've just finished a massive literary edit on The Wizard and the Warlord by M.R. Mathias. This is the third book in Mathias's Wardstone trilogy and is a truly epic tale.

The twists and turns, characterisation, and sheer breadth of world building in this series are astonishing. Those things, along with literally hundreds of character names, demons, and all manner of strange creatures, make it a potential editing nightmare. Suitably forewarned, though, I compiled a Wardstone dictionary during the first two sweeps of the text and was able to reference that throughout the final edit.

It's not very often I actually enjoy a book I'm editing. Editing, by its nature, is a very exacting process and I tend to hate whatever I am working on at the time. When I look at the finished books again some months later, my outlook has changed and I usually really like them. With this edit, however, I found myself enjoying the story and the humour at each stage.

I've worked on a few Mathias books now, and have read a couple of others. Without a doubt, The Wizard and the Warlord is his best work to date.