I’ve finally got to the end of the first draft of Burke and the War of 1812. I usually take the unfashionable approach of editing as I go, so there’s not a huge gap between finishing my first draft and having something that I feel ready to show to people, but this one has been an exception. I think there’s still quite a lot of work to do. For the moment, though, I am revelling in the fact that I don’t have to write the damn thing for a few days, so I can turn my mind to selling the books I’ve written already. This balancing of writing and selling is one I always find tricky. I love getting readers – that’s pretty much the point of writing – but I’m retired and I don’t have to do this for the money so putting in the hours that I need to promote the books is always a low priority. This pause in my writing gives me a good opportunity to do a little bit of selling. And it’s November: the month when book sales traditionally take off as writers all try to persuade you that books make ideal Christmas presents. They do. They really do!
Tales of Empire is just £2.99 in paperback and if you are on Amazon Prime you don’t even need to pay postage. It’s four short stories by four different authors, including me. It’s an ideal stocking filler.
All of my books are available in paperback. E-books have a lot going for them, but I must admit I don’t feel that they work as Christmas gifts. The James Burke series are my bestsellers and cost £9.50 or less. The most popular is Burke in the Peninsula, possibly because it appeals to Sharpe fans, But if you are giving them to somebody who has never read a James Burke book before, I suggest you start with the first one, Burke in the Land of Silver. It’s based quite closely on the life of the real James Burke and the British invasion of Argentina in 1806. Burke spied for the British ahead of the invasion and his story is a thrilling tale of derring-do and gives a fascinating insight into a little known British military adventure.
The White Rajah was my first attempt at historical fiction and (whisper it) still probably my favourite. It was never a great commercial success, though, which is why you can buy it in paperback for just £7.99.
Besides historical fiction, I also write contemporary fantasy books. My comic fantasy, Dark Magic is a novella and the paperback is only £4.99. There’s an audio book too, which I was giving away free for Halloween. If you’re interested, let me know in the comments and I’ll see if I’ve got any left.
As we draw closer to Christmas, I’ll be talking more about my books. If you don’t want to buy any of them, consider buying something by another independent or small press author. Nobody I know has proper marketing budgets and persuading people to buy books in a market dominated by a few very successful writers (or successful celebrities who have people write for them) is an uphill struggle. If you want new books by new authors, supporting their sales efforts really does make a huge difference.
I’m still utterly failing to finish my 1812 Burke book as life seems to be filling up with all sorts of other things. Last Friday I visited Sutton House in Hackney, a National Trust property described as the oldest private house in London. Built in the 16th century by Ralph Sadleir who worked for Thomas Cromwell at Henry VIII’s court, it has undergone many changes over the years. In the 18th century it was divided into two semi-detached houses, one of which became a school. Later the two halves were reunited as it was occupied by a church trust. Abandoned in the 20th century, it was briefly squatted before the National Trust started restoration work. The basic Tudor structure remains unchanged with some elements like the kitchens being taken back to their origins.
From outside, it just looks like an old, vaguely dilapidated house in the centre of Hackney. It’s a wonderful example of how in London we live alongside history without necessarily even being aware of it.
This is one of the original Tudor windows.
The beautiful linenfold panelling is a rare surviving example from the period.
Saturday I was out with fellow skaters celebrating Halloween on the streets of London.
We were out skating again on Sunday, so I got a reasonable number of miles under my belt over the weekend.
Tuesday I was at the Wellington Lecture in Southampton. Not an awful lot about Wellington but a gentle canter through the way that the events of June 1815 still resonated with the British Army in two World Wars. The Navy sometimes remembers his influence too, albeit through gritted teeth.
Thursday was more Halloween celebration, this time at tango.
Perhaps next week will produce some actual writing. I live in hope.
I keep promising to cut back on the amount of time I spend on blogging and other social media and now, with over 56,000 words of my first rough draft of what I’m still calling Burke and the War of 1812, I just want to get that finished, so no proper blog post this week. I’m a bit disenchanted with the blog right now because there really does seem to be very little engagement with it so, honestly, what’s the point? Last week, out of the pure goodness of my heart, I offered a free copy of the audio book of Dark Magic to anybody who wanted it. (Halloween is coming up so it seemed appropriate.) And nobody has asked for a copy. I know I undersold it because it was supposed to be just a bit of fun, but nobody?
And, of course, because I really want to write, now there seem to be loads of other things going on. I’ve been enjoying the last of summer/beginning of autumn at Kew Gardens, volunteering in Marble Hill House and, obviously, getting in the odd bit of tango. Today I’m off to explore a Tudor house in Hackney, tomorrow is the London Halloween skate (pictured) and next week I’m going to Southampton for the Wellington lecture. Something’s got to give and this week it’s the blog. Sorry about that.
During covid (remember that?) one of my lockdown projects was to make an audiobook of my Urban Fantasy novella, Dark Magic. I was encouraged by a friend who is a professional voice actor but it was a very amateur effort, recorded under a desk with a duvet providing some basic soundproofing. The result was quite fun, but not really intended as a commercial exercise. Still, it’s available on Audible and Spotify and elsewhere. Spotify even sent me codes so I could give copies away but, because I wasn’t trying to actively promote it, I never did anything with them. I’ve got a lot left, gathering electronic dust in hyperspace.
But it’s coming up to Halloween and I’d like to give treats to anyone knocking on my virtual door. If you email me at tom (at) tomwilliamsauthor.co.uk, I’ll send you a code (until I run out). There’s no catch and I’ll not add you to a mailing list. (I once tried to run a mailing list but it seemed a lot of work for not much return.) There’s no warranty either. If the codes don’t work, that’s too bad (though I know some people have used them successfully).
If you like what you hear and you think you might enjoy the books, Dark Magic is available on Kindle and in paperback. You might also like to take a look at my Galbraith & Pole stories featuring the vampire detective Chief Inspector Pole.
Happy Halloween!
Header photos are from London’s Halloween skate. This year’s skate starts from Hyde Park Corner at 5.00pm on Saturday October 26th, weather permitting. Come and join the fun!
I’m so jealous of people who can just sit down and write. Back in the day, when I wrote books and reports for business, I could churn out words faster than most, but not a lot of imagination was required. Writing fiction, I find much harder work.
These blog posts fall somewhere between the two. They’re not as mechanical as much business prose but, although I am sometimes reminded that people will judge me on the quality of my writing, I’m not as worried about style as I am in my novels. Even so, they take a little while to write, especially if they have any historical information in them because I’ve learned that over the years that is always best to check details rather than rely on memory.
At the moment, I’m working on the next James Burke book, provisionally, if unimaginatively, called Burke and the War of 1812. I’m finding it more than usually challenging. Whilst by now I know enough about the Napoleonic wars not to have to keep checking every detail, the War of 1812 is new territory to me.
Not that long ago, I had no idea what the War of 1812 was. If that’s you too, it was a silly little scrap between Britain and the young United States of America notable, in this country at least, for the British burning down the White House. Most people in Britain tend to overlook it because there were other things going on in Europe at the time: Napoleon invading Russia for one.
Because it was quite a small war, there were few great strategic clashes of armies. Instead there was a fight here, a clash there, a naval engagement somewhere else. Pulling it all together into something that can be made a coherent adventure for one person has proved a challenge. In fact, it has proved impossible, so for much of the time James Burke and his trusty sidekick William Brown are operating independently from each other. This brings its own problems in writing as keeping track of them and having them meet up at crucial moments is not that straightforward. Which is why this week’s post is a short cri de coeur about the struggles of a historical novelist before I dive back into a world of Shawnee warriors, heroic colonials and (sorry American readers) dreadful Yankees.
At the current rate of progress, Burke and the War of 1812 should see the light of day early in 2025.
Featured photo: The Battle of Queenston Heights, 13 October 1812. Library and Archives Canada, 2895485
