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25.01.2022 Well, I've just hit 32000 words on The Jezebel Game. Another 50000 or more to go. It's been a hard eight hours for our heroine: Abigail Sahran (working name), full of heartbreak, farewells and yes, even a little fear. Time to cut her a break. Which brings me to the part of the story that, if thriller writers such as Lee Child and Kathy Reichs are to be believed, I should fear the most: the sex scene. Or, if we're trying to be tasteful about it: the romantic interlude. I'd lik...e to think that with every new story, I challenge myself to write outside my comfort zone. So, with The Jezebel Game, my main protagonist is the teenage daughter of a North African Sheikh at the head of a trillion dollar energy consortium. My discomfort at writing a love scene for Abigail exists on several levels, not the least of which is the ominous warnings of the two aforementioned distinguished thriller authors. But now that I'm in the middle of it, well, there is really no way to prepare for it. The sex scene is a tightrope you walk between Mills&Boone and Fifty Shades with the hard unyielding surface of outright porn a hundred feet below. You've got to be 'tasteful' balancing poetry on one hand and titillation on the other...and all the while trying not to giggle like an embarrassed schoolboy walking into the girls locker room by mistake. All this before you even put pen to paper. Where to start? Okay, ground rules: 1. Avoid phrases like 'Heaving Bosoms', 'Quivering Loins' or similar derivations thereoff. 2. No 'Tits', 'Ass', 'Penis', 'Nipples', 'Vagina' or variations thereoff. 3. Thesaurus is cheating and in this case of no real use whatsoever. 4. Grow up. So, to formulate my approach; I shall reshape the words between my fingers, massaging them into the flowery language of passion, inserting pseudo French words interspersed back and forth, back and forth with the language of passion until a thing of beauty comes squirting outwards in a fountain of literature. In all these contortions of prose, I hope I don't hurt myself. Okay, here goes... Buttocks. Heeheehee! Now, that's out of my system... Trying not to picture my intended audience, the soccer mom or the professional office worker reading this part of the book and laughing their asses off. Ah, screw it! I'll just write: 'They made love. It was good. The end.'

19.01.2022 All of you who have read Apex Predator, tell me this: Is it too long? I went to Thrillerfest in New York, twice. Went to a local Melbourne writers' convention and on every occasion, the agents and publishers I spoke to said that at north of 190,000 words, 650 odd pages in the trade paperback was just too much. Eh? Their magic number was 90,000 words, one in Melbourne said 80,000 words. The reason they gave was that the 'industry' did not have any faith your attention spans, d...ear reader. You know, 190 K words is just about the average size of a Tom Clancy, Clive Cussler or Matthew Riley novel. But just a few pages under the average for Bryce Courtney, 'You know why they read those guys at that size?' said one publisher (Miss 80 thousand words), 'Because their writing is tight.' 'Oh, how would you know?' I reply in my mind, 'Have you read Apex Predator?' No. As it turns out, she had not. Okay, I'll bite. I was there to pitch my new manuscript that was (drum roll) 92,000 words. Nope, cut 12,000 words out, sir. You can do it. Sigh. Let's look at this from a different perspective...assuming my writing does pass muster. A bigger book means more bang for the reader's buck, that's what I'm going for here. More story, more intrigue, suspense and action. A certain kind of reader browses the shelves with money in his pocket and a serious hankering for a story they can get lost in for as many hours as possible. Then they come across this good sized tome. It's about a submarine, a SEAL Team and a sea monster. It promises action, adventure, suspense and even a little bit of horror. And the size promises it won't be over too soon. And for those living in the age of eBooks, is the cost of manufacture to the publisher, or the space it takes up on a bookshelf even an issue? So...in case I'm completely out of touch with reality (which is a distinct possibility), I ask the question, is Apex Predator's size a liability for the average reader on the street? I need just...one. One publisher, one agent to believe in me enough to read the whole manuscript. Think I need more seasoning? Think the novel needs more editing? Then work with me but show me the faith. Sign me up.

18.01.2022 So, I went to Thrillerfest 2017 in Manhattan NYC a few weeks ago and it was great! Crazy, but great. I met many interesting people, a few legends, writers who I grew up reading and reading about. Attended a class on FBI forensics at the Manhattan HQ (I'm no prude but anybody else fell strange writing the word 'semen' in their notebook?). Anyhow, Also caught up with some special forces operators (SEAL, Delta, Green Beret) one hour with these guys and I learned more than a life...time's worth playing Call of Duty. Met Lee Child, Steve Berry, Kathy Reichs (she does not look like Temperance Brennan), RL Stein (He does not look like Jack Black) and the Father of Rambo himself: David Morrell. They are all very approachable and friendly. Great people to talk to and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the experience to anyone. More posts about this later but here are a few pictures from my trip. See more

18.01.2022 A great interview. Here's the link: http://authorsarafhathaway.blogspot.com.au//healing-power-

18.01.2022 These are just some of the things I do for research on my next book, some of the places I go. Ghost Lighting (working title).

18.01.2022 Merry Christmas Everyone! At this festive time, one's thoughts turn to...what Santa has in his bag of goodies for us. Well, I for one have a 'directors cut' of Apex Predator in the works. "Oh,no!" you say, "Not that old horse. It's been 4 years. When's this guy going to give us something new?" Don't worry. A new story is done. A new hero, a new concept is coming at you. Just a few tweaks and the world will be ready to meet Aliyah Sahran in: The Jezebel Game.

16.01.2022 Maybe it's just me but doing research for a book can be a dangerous thing. Those of you who know me know that aside from the novels and comic books I read, the movies and TV that I watch or the video games I've played, my only other sources of information come from the internet. I recently experienced a slight hesitation before typing in words like 'Koran, ISIS, Terrorist Groups, Sharia...etc' well, you get the picture, into my Google search field. Why? Because either I'm get...ting paranoid in my old age or I don't want any misunderstandings with federal authorities when my name comes up as a person of interest on an Echelon sweep. So, to anybody watching out there: I'm doing research for a thriller fiction novel. Don't put me under surveillance or on a no-fly list, okay? Now, excuse me while I go put on my tin-foil hat...

16.01.2022 Kelvin has finished his second book! He submitted to agencies and editors. Pls help to attract attention for his book and talents!Kelvin has finished his second book! He submitted to agencies and editors. Pls help to attract attention for his book and talents!

09.01.2022 So, it is to be a Trump Presidency. I am reminded of two particular lines from a poem by Yeats; The best lack all conviction while the worst are full of passionate intensity.... And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, slouches toward Bethlehem to be born?

07.01.2022 Did you listen to this?

06.01.2022 I recently did a quick mental analysis and came up with this description of how a man over 50 runs: High speed, butt clenched, low center-of-gravity waddle. And what goes through ones mind when you're running like that? Well, a small part of me believes that if I use a high loping gait like normal people, some internal organ might dislodge from it's appointed place and fall, SPLAT!...on the floor in front of everybody. Then I have to stop and wait around for medical help before continuing on my way. Like a car, waiting for roadside assistance. Embarrassing, inconvenient, time consuming. Stick with the waddle.

06.01.2022 Procrastination: This is the terrible tangled loop that I am trapped in right now. I've got to finish a new novel of between 70 to 90 thousand words before July. I've done 3000 words, so far. So many distractions, so many reasons and they're all good reasons. Often, the devil you face is dressed like an angel. My new book is more of a thriller than anything else. It's an origin story for a new kind of hero. Or anti-hero. She will spend half the story deciding whether she is the protagonist or the antagonist and at one or more points, goes full evil villain. Sound interesting if a little cryptic? I don't want to spoil it for you. Well, I guess I better get to it then.