As I mentioned, even though the official challenge is no more, I’m carrying on in the spirit of the idea. I’m busy writing this year’s project, My Place or Yours.
As I won’t necessarily have time to write posts, I’ve put together this series of retrospectives from my past NaNo challenges in advance, so that I can have a clear run at the novel in November.
This week I’m featuring NaNo’s projects from 2014, 2016 and 2017. I was busy in 2015 and didn’t actually take part, although I did write a book that year.
2014 was my first attempt at the challenge. I probably wouldn’t have done it if I hadn’t been off sick from work, with time on my hands.
I wrote Ribbonworld, a Sci-fi adventure with themes of corporate greed and corruption. It was published in September 2015 with this cover, which is now sadly unavailable.
There were only 100 paperbacks produced with this cover and about the same number of eBooks sold before I changed it.
This was the second attempt.
This is the latest version. As you can see, the story has now become part of a series. Click the picture for the book’s Amazon page.
‘Review a hotel for me,’ she said. ‘It’ll be easy,’ she said. I haven’t even got started and there’s a body in the bathroom.
It was only supposed to be a hotel review, all Miles Goram wants to do is finish up and get off Reevis as quickly as he can. It’s an airless planet where everyone lives under a giant dome, not the sort of place he wants to be stuck on. The body in his bath has really fouled his plans up. Then he discovers the dead man’s secret.
Miles gets drawn deeper into life on Reevis, he finds corruption and mistrust everywhere. Balcom Industrial treat the place like their own kingdom and discourage any questioning incomers. As a journalist and ex-convict, Miles is top of their most unwanted list.
If the death threats and the fact that everyone trying to make him leave wasn’t enough, there’s the added distraction of a missing heiress thrown in.
Suddenly his life has got very complicated, Miles wants answers. If only he can live long enough to find them.
Here’s a review for Ribbonworld.
After a break in 2015, 2016 was the year of Andorra Pett. In response to a bet, I wrote Andorra Pett and the Oort Cloud Café for NaNo and just kept writing when I’d finished it, with the story that became Andorra Pett on Mars being completed just after Christmas. Again, here’s the original cover.
And the latest version. Click the picture for the book’s Amazon page.
How far is far enough? Andorra needs to get away from her ex, but is Saturn taking it a step too far?
When Andorra’s life turns upside down, she decides on a career change. Running a diner on a mining station orbiting Saturn. It seemed like a good idea at the time…
With her best friend Cy in tow, Andorra reckons it’s the best thing for them both. A chance to start again where nobody knows them.
Trouble is, there’s a secret hidden in the café. Before they have a chance to get settled, there’s a queue of dubious characters trying to find it.
While learning to bake and get used to life in space, Andorra has a murderer to catch!
Before they strike again…
“Agatha Raisin meets Miss Marple, in Space!”
“a tale that has everything – humour, suspense, a strong but struggling heroine, a fantastic sci-fi setting, and a truly universal story.”
A review,
Incidentally, I’ve just published book seven of Andorra Pett’s adventures.
2017 was the year I wrote Life and Other Dreams, one of my more contentious novels, which seemed to be very much a Marmite story. For some reason, it upset a lot of people when it came out. I had an idea for a sequel, but because of the reception it received, I’ve never got around to writing it. Personally, I think it’s one of the best things I’ve ever written, certainly the one I most enjoyed developing.
The original cover was based on a picture I acquired the rights to use by the simple act of asking the artist.
This is the latest version. I used the head idea and modernised it a little.
Who are you when you dream?
Rick isn’t sure anymore…
Is he Rick, living in the here and now? Working a boring job, married to Cath.
Or is he Dan, living six-hundred years and half a galaxy away? Exploring an alien planet with Vanessa by his side.
Two worlds, one man. While he’s awake in one place, he’s asleep in the other.
Simple enough, until people from Dan’s world start turning up in Rick’s life.
Confusing? But then it gets worse. Dan is accused of a crime he didn’t commit. Ricks wife leaves him and both realities are falling apart.
Which life is real? Will either go back to how it was?
If you had a choice, which would you choose?
“a masterpiece of fiction”
“Fast-paced, edge of your seat stuff!”
Here’s one of the better reviews,
and one of the not so complimentary ones, for the audio version.
I hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane. If you’ve read one of the books mentioned, please let me know what you thought of it.
Next week, I’ll be looking back at 2018 and 2019.
Why not comment below and give me your thoughts?
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