Cover Reveal: The Apprentice In The Master’s Shadow

 

To say that the writing of my second novel has been a slow and painstaking endeavour would be an understatement; my word count got way out of hand, and nailing how the story should end was a dilemma that took an age to resolve. That being said, it hasn’t been nearly as stressful an experience as writing my debut novel, The Exercise Of Vital Powers. Nonetheless, the time and effort I’ve had to put into finishing my manuscript has meant that I’ve been quieter than I would have liked about my progress, and the status of the book. Today I’m coming out of hibernation to present you with the cover reveal for The Apprentice In The Master’s Shadow.

The Disappearing Act Is Finally Over

 

Hey people! I realise it has been a long time since my last blog post, and longer still since I was last able to post updates on a regular basis, but I want to assure you that I haven’t abandoned my blog. I hope it goes without saying that the lack of activity is not the result of laziness on my part. On the contrary, this year I’ve been so busy with other matters I haven’t even had time to keep up with the blogs I follow never mind keep my own updated regularly. But the time has finally come to rectify that state of affairs.

#IndieApril: “The Exercise Of Vital Powers” Is On Sale For £0.99/$0.99/€0.99

 

Hey peeps. If you are active on social media you are probably already aware of the #IndieApril hashtag which is being used to promote independent and self-published books and authors this month. We are now more than halfway through the month, and to mark the occasion, the ebook edition of my first novel, The Exercise Of Vital Powers, is on sale for just £0.99/$0.99/€0.99 all this week.

When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade

 

One of the inescapable truths about literature is that there is no such thing as a universally loved book. Even the most lauded work you have ever read has its detractors. In other words, one person’s masterpiece is another person’s trash. This being the case, every author knows that sooner rather than later their books will receive bad reviews, and yesterday I received my first ever 1 star review on Goodreads for The Exercise Of Vital Powers. I have since been inspired to write how I’ve chosen to deal with this unwelcome development.

Guess Who’s Back (Though I Never Really Left)?

 

Greetings people. To say that I have been neglectful of my blogging duties this year would be something of an understatement. Regrettably, as much as I would like to be posting new updates on a regular basis (I certainly have plenty of unwritten posts I want to share), all my free time at present is being spent on writing my second novel while continuing to promote my first. In other words, I’m not likely to be in a position to start frequently updating the blog again before the end of May, at the earliest. Until then, this is a quick post to let you know I’m still breathing, and inform you of the most significant developments in my writing life since the turn of the year.

Trivia: The Genesis Of The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe

 

You are no doubt aware that C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe is one of the most beloved and successful children’s fantasy books in history. But have you ever wondered what inspired Lewis to write the story? Well it’s a question that has been answered in the book, Of Other Worlds: Essays And Stories, a posthumously published anthology of essays and unpublished stories by Lewis.

     

Book Review: King Maker By Maurice Broaddus

Hello people! Please check out my review of the urban fantasy novel, King Maker, by Maurice Broaddus. The review originally appeared on my soon-to-be defunct book blog, Another World, but I’ve given it another lease of life at its new home on my official website.

Ian Gregoire | Official Website

King Maker
(The Knights Of Breton Court, Book 1)

Maurice Broaddus

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Angry Robot
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
Date: 4th March 2010

ISBN-10: 0007343310
ISBN-13: 978-0007343317

Recent years have brought about a growing trend which has seen the publication of numerous re-tellings/re-imaginings of classic works of fiction. Whether it be the reworking of popular children’s fairy tales into more “grown up” paranormal tales, or unconventional “mash-ups” blending horror with Victorian literature in the vein of Austen and the Bronte sisters, there has been several interesting, albeit not particularly good books written.

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My Favourite Reads Of The Year

 

The end of the year is upon us, and it’s time to take a look back at what turned out to be my most productive reading year for over a decade. Having set myself a modest target of ten books to read in 2018, I surpassed that goal by reading a total of twenty-seven books. To mark that achievement I am hereby going to share with you the best of these books that I read because, much to my surprise, I had the pleasure of reading five novels that I awarded 5 star ratings to. That many 5 star reads in a single year is unheard of for me.

Attention: Reviewers Wanted!

 

So, we are into the penultimate month of the year, and I am in need of some assistance to achieve an end of year target. Calling all book bloggers and booktubers: Do you like reading fantasy? Do you appreciate a character driven narrative? If the answer to both questions is yes, you might be able to help me break the 100 ratings and 50 reviews barrier for my book, The Exercise Of Vital Powers, on Goodreads.

Yes, I’m Still Alive And Kicking

 

As you may have noticed, it’s been a while since my last blog post. There are reasons for this, the principal one being that I’ve been focussed on my fiction writing for the past several weeks. After being sidetracked by a couple of novellas (that I’m still not sure I’m actually going to publish), I finally resumed work on the second draft of the sequel to The Exercise Of Vital Powers, that some of you are eagerly awaiting. With any luck you’ll get your hands on it no later than summer 2019; I’ve been making good progress on it over the last couple of weeks.