The Saddling, an update
I rather wore out all of my weekly words and humour allowance on yesterday’s post so I am running on fumes today, Wednesday, as I look out on a grey and wet day. We’ve had thunder since the early hours (I was up at 5.30 wondering if I should unplug everything) and some heavy rain, which is much needed. The air temperature has warmed to the extent that I can take my socks off while watching the box in the evening. The fire is still on, as are the blanket and layers, but at least the feet are warm. My view today (yesterday) was pretty much like this all day:
Despite the weather interrupting plans (this was to be the week I started on daily walks again) I am quite ‘up’ today – the day after Tuesday. And that’s because I have had some more book cover ideas from my designer. I really want to share them with you but will wait for the agreed final before doing that. They won’t mean much without you knowing what the story is and the back cover is not done yet. Mind you, a book cover should make you want to read the book even if you don’t know the author or the title. My designer, who is in Portugal (isn’t the internet a wonderful thing?) has been very quick and patient with me and will probably have another version back at me in a day or so, so you shouldn’t have to wait long.
‘The Saddling’, the next book as I am sure you are bored to distraction by hearing, has been read by only four and a half people so far. The half is because Gwenda is still reading it (hello!) and one of the four is me. So far, and I am not trying to influence Gwenda here, the feedback is that it is the best yet. Mysterious and even creepy in places, dark with a poignant theme, readable, a good handle on dialect, and ultimately makes you think ‘What would I do?’ All of which was good to hear. There were also comments about one particular character with a 50/50 split among the four on the use of said character (again, not wanting to influence Gwenda I won’t say which one) and so I have made some adjustments there as some of the points I did agree with. I’ll leave you today with the current draft of the ‘back blurb’, the text on the back cover of the book, to give you a flavour of how things are coming along.
“Their faith was stronger than his reason.”
Tom Carey will inherit his aunt’s fortune only if he unlocks a one-hundred-year-old family mystery. The solution lies in a village on the Romney Marshes which lives willingly under an ancient Lore.
The village is preparing for its ten-year festival but Tom has no idea how deadly his part in that festival will be. Meeting the ethereal Daniel and the earthy, reliable Barry, a gradual realisation of who he is forces Tom to confront a secret of his own.
The villagers set in motion a string of calculated events that will ensure that this will be the last ever ‘Saddling’ and Tom finds himself the unwitting hero in a struggle between superstition and sense, denial and love, with no escape from either.
“Meticulously imagined in the eerie mists of Romney Marsh. A wonderfully evocative landscape of mystery.” Ann Butler Rowlands (Author of ‘Heaven’)
Praise for James Collins:
“Comparable with the best of Stephen King.” Charles Allenden
“Very gripping, imaginative read.” Amazon
“He has mastered that technique of forcing you to start the next chapter as you really care what happens to these people.” Derek Stephen
“A real page turner and kept me guessing right to the end.” David Hendry
