Hello, has anyone else switched the heating on as soon as the first of the month hit? ((No. I thought you Yorkshire folk were supposed to be tough?)) I think suffering all those heat waves have changed our body clocks, although in just a few weeks, it’s gone from about 40 degrees to around 10, so it’s not surprising we had the heating on. Oh, and we had a cracking thunderstorm! ((When did this blog turn into weather watch… get on with it Peache)) It’s currently 6 a.m. as i finish this blog and it’s dark outside and rain is pounding on the roof. Very cosy.
Sorry. Okay. The editing for Killer’s List has worked. My three beta readers have returned their feedback. Two people read the original and it’s the first time for one new victim, a.k.a reader. When I received comments like… ‘OMG’ and ‘very well written’ and ‘I have a twisted mind’ I knew it had worked… phew! ((we all knew you had a twisted mind)) The important thing is that I didn’t make the book worse by deleting 14k words. Hurrah.
The next stage for Killer’s List is to make the minor changes and then one more beta reader will read it before it goes for typesetting in October. I’ve added all the extras to Killer’s List, like the copyright page, acknowledgments, thank yous to the Kickstarter Legends, so it really does feel like a book. I should hopefully have my first paper proof mid-October. Exciting and terrifying in equal measures.
I’ve been busy ((chuckles… busy… )) rewriting book two and the first stage is done! Book two is alive. I now need to read this and tie up some plot points I’ve changed ahead of sending out for editing and beta readers. Then I need to start book three so I can add a sneak preview of book three to book two. I also need to work on the blurb and everything else for the book. I want to focus on publicity in October as I need to try and think of different ways to promote the book without it costing a fortune.
On the boat adventures it was a hard few weeks as we finally managed to tackle the Hatton Flight amidst all the stoppages due to low water and lock gates breaking. The heat ((I think you need to move to Lapland!)) was crazy hot. We painted the bedroom whilst the boat was being blacked, which all went to plan and the boat is protected for another three years and all is well. Anyway, the paint was drying in the tray it was so hot. It must have been 40 degrees in the boat one of the days. I haven’t quite finished all the vlogs but there are a couple already live if you want to watch the adventures which included encounters with a pike and a snake!
In true boat life, as we reached the bottom of the Hatton Flight our alternator decided to break. Then followed days of trying to fix it. An electrical fire in the engine bay which was then followed by the car alternator breaking. On top of the costs of the blacking, it’s been a bloomin’ expensive time. ((You need a best seller, Peachy!)) Why do all these things happen at once!
Is anyone else secretly enjoying the autumnal feel? I am not a fan of the darker nights but the cooler weather is very much welcome. There is something about knuckling down and being cosy under the duvet.
If you follow me on socials you might have seen that i bought a typewriter! I’ve been after one for years but i’ve always put myself off as space is at a premium on a narrowboat but it was only £2! I love it and it’s bringing back so many memories. I don’t think i would like to write a whole novel on it. ((Not with your dodgy spelling and punctuation, Peachy.)) That’s what editors are for and i’m tired and I’ve always said this blog is real and raw! ((Excuses, excuses))
One last thing. I’m going to apply for a stall at the Warwick Christmas event in December. I have quite a few paperbacks to sell and it will be a good way to start to promote Killer’s List. I will keep you updated if I do this and it would be nice for anyone to pop along and say hello. Right, time for breakfast and then my next job is to finish book two and do the beta reader edits on book one and then some freelance work to pay for all the broken vehicles!
Take care.
Clair x
YouTube Channel – Watch our narrowboat adventures here
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Lost the Plot – Story of our canal adventures
C.L. Peache 