Tides of Time is (almost) here!
I'm delighted to announce that Tides of Time - the third in the Charley Deacon series - is now available for pre-order on Kindle.
Many of you will know I've had a tough time with this one. It wasn't too hard to draft, but pushing through to a finished story came with some blocks - most of them in my brain. So I'm really excited to be moving forward and getting it out to my readers.
Charley's one of my favourite characters to write - she's quite unlike me which means I always have to stay one step ahead and think "would Charley really do this, or just me?" and I love her determination, her low-key sarcasm, and how she's building relationships with the Inver Aora locals.
In the middle of a storm, and half in a trance, Charley Deacon pulls wreckage ashore from the ocean. Then a mysterious ship appears on the horizon - but only some people can see it.
Charley is now a practiced magical user, but she's still unprepared for what she might uncover: a dangerous piece of history, a restless ancestor, and an archeological discovery that isn't quite what it seems.
Faced with an impossible decision, Charley takes action into her own hands, but the results risk alienating her from those she's closest to, and threaten the sense of belonging she's found in the tiny coastal settlement of Inver Aora.
(Tides of Time will be on other platforms such as Kobo, as well as in paperback. For technical reasons I can't put it up for pre-order quite yet, but it will be available widely on or before release day. Links to follow!)
As I hinted last time, I've been on another writing-related trip. Yes, I know, I barely got back from Ages of Pages - I've promised my dayjob boss to stay put for a least a couple of months now.
First up was another drive right up to Auckland with friends, heading for the Auckland Writers' Festival. I'd never been before but I'd heard good things, so when the stars aligned...
The biggest drawcard for me was R.F. Kuang (whose session was excellent), but as usual for festivals I went through and picked up tickets to a heap of events that interested me. My surprise win was Daniel Hahn on translating Shakespeare - so many clever and fun ideas that I just wouldn't have thought about. I also really enjoyed the session with Rachael King and Michael Pederson. They're very different writers with a surprising number of themes and motifs in common - the session came together in a way that was a little different to most, but worked really well. Some of you know that water horses are a recurring feature in my writing, as are rugged, mist-hidden, godforsaken islands, so this one was very thematically suited to me, and had me thinking about what I might be writing in the future...
I also bumped into several of the crew from The D*List (who I've written for before) and saw this cool display they have set up.
It's been a while since I have spent any real time in Auckland, and I didn't really get chance for any organised hanging-out but I still managed to see a few friends at the festival. On the first evening the people I traveled up with introduced me to Malatang and while I was a bit of a coward and chose the mild broth, I think I'm a convert. Any place there's multiple kinds of tofu is good as far as I'm concerned.
I couldn't stay for the whole festival, unfortunately. On Saturday evening I was headed for the bus station. I caught the overnight bus between Auckland and Wellington a lot in my twenties, and returning to it made me feel slightly nostalgic but also very glad I don't have to do that any more. Fortunately I was just on board for the first few hours - next stop was Rotorua, where my friend Mel had organised a writing retreat.
Folks, look at this venue:
We had two and a bit days right on the lake writing, holding discussions and mini workshops (some delivered from hot tubs!), eating pizza, and hanging out. I got to meet new people and catch up with friends I haven't seen in too long. And I came away with a few ideas that I'll be using for my books in future.
Yep, there's a theme here. It was a busy trip and I'm pretty tired now, but I am also noodling some writing plans.
A few links, to finish off:
I was delighted to have been included in this list of books by disabled NZ authors - there's some books I love in there, and some I really need to read. Check it out!
The D*List
My friend and fellow cosy-sapphic-fantasy writer Marie Cardno has a Kickstarter in progress for her latest work, Breadknives & Boomsticks. There's a beautiful collector's edition available - as well as digital options if that's more your thing.
And it must be the season, because Kate Healey (also Karen Healey, a friend and my mentor for my Toi Pōneke residency) also has a Kickstarter in progress for Second Chance Charms, book 2 in the urban fantasy Sparks and Recreation series.
Despite it being a tough time for creators, I'm excited to see them doing well. Do consider backing either or both, giving the authors a boost and yourself some shinies.
I know it's been a long one this time, but thanks for sticking around! It's been great to share with you, and I'll have more updates on Tides of Magic - and other projects - in the near future.
mā te wā
Andi
🦑 Andi C. Buchanan - speculative fiction, creative non-fiction, and the occasional poem
🧙 Andi R. Christopher - sapphic fiction with magic and witchcraft, set mostly in Aotearoa