OK, so Truth Sister isn’t out yet; but it nearly is (1 July). One of the themes it explores (besides the increasing effects of disease, the energy crunch, and what a predominantly female society might look like) is climate change. For that, I looked at what might happen with 2-3 degrees warming in a century or so. But, according to a BBC news item today, maybe that was too optimistic. We might be heading for that amount of warming a lot sooner – unless the international community can find a way of working together . . .

An absorbing, intriguing mystery set in early-twentieth century Morocco. At a time when the country is falling under the influence of imperial Europe, a series of disappearances brings Farook al-Alami, a detective from Tangier, to the distant town of Marrakesh. The story not only tells of the solving of the mystery, but also of the petty politics and rising tensions in a society in flux. Saeida Rouass paints a vivid picture that captures the essence of that place and time, yet the pace never slackens and the twists and turns keep the reader hooked until the very end. Recommended.

I gave this four stars on Goodreads.

Excellent workshop on Saturday with Richard Skinner of the Faber Academy, held at Swindon’s Richard Jefferies Museum. The subject was characterisation, and amongst other things we explored the effectiveness of character names. I was still thinking about this on Sunday as I tried to rescue some of my panel-fencing, and indeed my apple tree, from some marauding ivy (Latin name: hedera helix). It was well and truly taking over, having curled itself around the trellis top and forced its way between the boards, even causing the wood itself to flake away in places. Clearly the only things that mattered to the ivy were (a) surviving and (b) getting to the top; and it didn’t matter what it destroyed on the way. Funnily enough, one of the characters in Truth Sister (out in July) is called Mater Hedera . . .

Yay. The cover for Truth Sister has been launched by Impress Books. Looks rather good . . . Meanwhile I’m trying to get the hang of social media. Closely studying Trump to see exactly how not to do it.

Cover design done. Watch out for announcements from Impress Books in the new year . . .

La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

PP does it again! This time, with the world of His Dark Materials as a starting point, La Belle Sauvage gives us a great page-turner as well as a deeper exploration of aforesaid world (e.g. the human-daemon relationship). The great character development is there, of course; and there are some surprises as the story reaches its climax. Bring on Book 2!

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He’s Gone by Alex Clare

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Great stuff. Alex Clare has crafted a novel that, while addressing transgender issues in an authentic way, also manages to be a gripping police procedural. Believable characters and intricate plotting keep the reader turning the pages right to the end. Recommended.

Just agreed “final” version of the text after the structural edit with Impress Books. (Thanks to them for many excellent suggestions.) I’ve read, re-read, tweaked, re-read again and tweaked some more. And now I have to stop tweaking (at least until the copy-editing’s done). The story is, more or less, set in stone.

This is a bit scary, although I do take comfort from the adage that a story is never finished, only abandoned. Then I began to wonder who said it . . .

Apparently Paul Valéry (1871-1945) said: “A work is never completed except by some accident such as weariness, satisfaction, the need to deliver, or death: for, in relation to who or what is making it, it can only be one stage in a series of inner transformations.” But no less a cultural icon than Leonardo da Vinci is also supposed to have said: “Art is never finished, only abandoned.” (Not sure about the provenance of this one.)