Alex Beecroft's LJ

*g*  Also, so many things have happened at once over the past week that I haven't ended up talking about any of them. 

Yesterday was a great day!  I found out that The Witch's Boy had received a fabulous five star review from Teresa at Rainbow reviews :)  Hee!  This is my poor red headed stepchild of a book, so I love the fact that ,when I can persuade people to read it, they seem to enjoy it!

http://rainbow-reviews.com/?p=252

"Ms. Beecroft has fashioned an incredible saga that incorporates action, adventure, and passion with mythical beings in a time where magic still had it’s hold on the world... If you like a book that will hold you spellbound from the start with magical creatures and characters with compelling personalities that ensnare your emotions, then this is the book for you."

And I went on a virtual pub-crawl-come-interview with leebenoit, who is a m/m writer with something of Ursula LeGuin's facility for world building, and a very nice person.  She made me talk and talk!  I ended up going on for hours about Captain's Surrender, The Witch's Boy, 90% Proof, and my new novel, False Colors. Also my silly writing hat and the need to pack underwear if you go time traveling!  That's at Speak Its Name here:

World's Longest Pub Crawl

Sorry I've had my head down and my fingers glued to the keyboard so much to this that I've built up a vast towering backlog of emails and posts to answer.  I'll have a celebratory coffee and then get to that at once.  But woohoo!  I have another book finished (bar a bit of polishing).  I swore I'd get it done by the end of this week, and I did (just!), so I'm feeling accomplished, but on the other hand also a bit rude for ignoring everyone to do it.

Right.  Coffee.  Then re-engaging with society... :)

I had an interesting Bank Holiday weekend :)  Spent Saturday being a Saxon and discovered that I honestly have lost any interest I had in the period.  However, wandering around the multi-period show, we found an outfit called NFOE (New France and Old England).  They reenact mid 18th Century America, when it was still a battle ground between French, English and Native American forces.  Given Josh and Giniw, this struck me as wonderful.  And it was even more wonderful to find out that they belonged to an umbrella organization called 'Lace Wars'  So I contacted them and will be going to my first 18th Century show on the 17th of May, at Wimpole Hall just down the road from where I live :)  Result!

We all spent Sunday with heat stroke from being outside on a field all day long on Saturday without drinking enough.  Then on Monday we saw Iron Man, which is excellent!  I want a suit like that!  And if anyone fancies writing Stark/Jarvis slash through the medium of the suit, put me on the list of readers now :)

False Colors has hit a snag.  Alfie threw a strop, and now Fitzroy's wife wants to talk to him about his relationship with her husband.  Plot wise this is all very necessary in order for him to find out that John saved his life, but suddenly my confident 'oh yes, I'll have it done by the end of the week' is looking dodgy.

However, I did achieve something this week :)  I did a follow on to my blog about research.  Once you've got it, what do you do with it?  How much is too much?  And what do you do when research indicates that history was just plain nasty?  You can find that over here at the Macaronis.

LOL!  I'm just showing off my newest icon, made for me by erastes

For a fuller explanation (and more discussion of realism v. romance), check out this post: How do you solve a problem like smegma?

Secrets - novel - first draft finished, editing:



Done 28th April - added new scene of 1,321 words, which doesn't show up as progress, but it is!

Done 29th April - added mostly complete new scene of 1,069 words - will try to finish the scene tonight.

Done 30th April - finished writing scene between Bentley + John, half way through edit of court martial.

Done 1st May - from court martial to Arctic voyage.  Woo!  Only a new scene with Lady Limerick to go and we're into the happy ending!

Done 2nd May - redid Arctic voyage, Alfie had an unexpected snit, but conversation with Isabella at least set up now.  Still not finished though!

So given that the second draft of this will be finished either tomorrow or early next week (bar illness, accidents and other acts of God) I'm trying to think of a good new title.  'Secrets' doesn't really cut the mustard.  Anyone out there inspired to name a gay Age of Sail novel on the theme of the damage homophobia does to society?  It features one confused evangelical Christian lieutenant who discovers he's gay, one happy go lucky gay lieutenant who learns the need for caution, an unfortunate aristocratic Captain with a sinister doctor, white slavers, pirates, a love triangle and a happy ending.  Any suggestions?

Found some progress meters thanks to Writertopia


Secrets - novel - first draft finished, editing:



Done 28th April - added new scene of 1,321 words, which doesn't show up as progress, but it is!

Done 29th April - added mostly complete new scene of 1,069 words - will try to finish the scene tonight.

Done 30th April - finished writing scene between Bentley + John, half way through edit of court martial.

Done 1st May - from court martial to Arctic voyage.  Woo!  Only a new scene with Lady Limerick to go and we're into the happy ending!

Away with the Faeries - short - written:



Boys of Summer - novel - written:



Angelic Conversations - novel - written:



Plans for this year: finish 'Secrets' by beginning of August.  Finish 'Away with the Faeries' by end September.  Finish first draft of 'Boys of Summer' by end of November.  Maybe I'm not doing as little as I thought!

Oh, squee!  valkovalin has reviewed my short story 'Insubordination' on her wonderful review site 'Obsidian Bookshelf'.  It's always a total delight when you read a review from someone who really gets under the skin of what you were trying to do with a book or story, and Val really has the gift for that.  Not to mention that her reviews are like hearing a well informed and interesting member of the slash community deconstruct a book in that kind of meta-y way that makes you want to start a conversation. 

If anyone's thinking of venturing into buying m/m books for the first time, I recommend her reviews (and not just because she likes my stuff!)  because they really do give you an excellent flavor of the book before you buy it, and also because they're so interesting in themselves.

Val on LiveJournal

Val on Obsidian Bookshelf

Passed on with thanks from eldritchhobbit. Help! I can't stop laughing!

I blogged in a serious sort of way over on The Macaronis, on the topic of research for writing historical fiction. The whys, whens and hows of research, along with a list of the wheres :) So if you're thinking your next/first book might be a historical, or if you're just interested in what goes into a historical novel - (or if, like fiona_glass's friend, you don't believe writing is hard work!) - check this out:

The perils of a historical novelist - research

I have to say that this is worryingly accurate!

Leaving some space so my neuroticism doesn't obscure Ivanova's face :)



My Personality

Neuroticism	87
Extraversion	1
Openness to Experience	44
Agreeableness	37
Conscientiousness	12

You often resist any cravings or urges that you have, but sometimes you give in, however you tend to lack energy and have difficult initiating activities. People generally perceive you as distant and reserved, and you do not usually reach out to others. You tend not to express your emotions openly and are sometimes not even aware of your own feelings. You see no need for pretense or manipulation when dealing with others and are therefore candid, frank and sincere. People find it relatively easy to relate to you, however you do not particularly like helping other people. Requests for help feel like an imposition on your time. You are not an overly cautious person. You will think about alternatives and consequences but make up your mind fairly quickly.

Take a Personality Test now or view the full Personality Report. The best Buying Pet Gifts.

I was reading a thread on Making Light this morning which was, as usual, intimidatingly erudite and much too clever for me, in which people were translating poems into LOL! and Txt! speak.  But I was too embarrassed to try it myself among so many works of genius.   (Also I'd gone to make a coffee and lost the bookmark by then).  So I thought I'd try it here instead.  See if you can guess the book of which this is a summary:

GnlEI: oh hai
Strvn: hai
We can has golden ballz.  Mad king is mad. 
Strvn: *is Nigm4tik*
GnlEI: u suxxors

End (I hope) of a two day migraine and I am shattered.  I managed to write 300 words today, but have now decided that they were rubbish and I'll be starting the story (a faerie tale, I hope) again from scratch next week.  Another wasted week!  This is beginning to get ridiculous.

If I owe anyone a reply to an email, I'm sorry.  I'll get onto it as soon as I'm not falling asleep/feeling sick/finding it hard to focus :)

Note to self.  OK, the holidays are over.  No more writing Torchwood fic - back to the day job! :)

Two Torchwood posts in one day?  Yes but that finale was GOOD.  Ooh, I love this show!  Sometimes they really do it better than you feared :)

Caution, almost certainly spoilers in comments!

As tonight is the finale of season 2, I thought I’d better attempt to write something about Fragments before tonight’s episode swept all that away. But despite enjoying Fragments best of all the episodes this season, I don’t seem to have coherent thoughts about it. In fact I have - appropriately enough - just fragments of reaction.

After what's seemed like an interminable slump, I have news again, and lo! it is good :)  The Witch's Boy is finally up on Amazon.com HERE
currently with no blurb and no cover picture, but I'm pretty sure that will come once they get their act together.
It's also had a lovely review from reader Christian Otto and, call me sentimental, but there's something really special about getting a review from someone who doesn't know you, who you haven't asked for a review, but who has just done it because they liked the book.  It makes me get all teary eyed and proud :)

Christian says: I just loved this book. I would have read it in one session, if there weren't those stupid needs like eating and sleeping. This book definitely is a must-read.