Not much to share recently: I’ve been doing edits on book 2 (ELUSIVE) or working on the first draft of book 3, or just getting along with life.
However, I’m about to have a few days in Lisbon (in Portugal), so fingers crossed for sunshine and for a nice break from absolutely everything.
(And yes, everything is research. Everything.)
The UK cover of ELUSIVE is now visible (unlike the Pimpernel himself, who still evades the clutches of the Committee of Public Safety). You can see it, together with details, at:
Things have been fairly quiet otherwise – I’ve been getting on with life. Day job, edits on ELUSIVE, first draft for book 3, etcetera. The weather has definitely turned autumnal. I’ve got a few days in Lisbon booked at the end of October, which will be a lovely break.
There has been little to tell, which has contributed to me having little to write here. I have been writing elsewhere – book 3 of the Scarlet Revolution series is ongoing, and I’m waiting for the edits on book 2, which I expect to get in a week or so. But before that, I’m taking a bit of a holiday and going down to visit my parents for a week.
Taking with me chocolate, brandy, a jigsaw, some books and dvds, some salmon I ordered from the Pished Fish website, and, well, let’s say it’s going to be fun trying to close my suitcase.
The weather here is being dismal, wet, and very grey and cool for August. (I do of course remind myself that at least we haven’t got drought and wildfires, like Corfu and too many other countries, but it’s still depressing.) It’s enough to make one believe in the folklore about St Swithin’s (or Swithun’s) Day – that if it rains on that day (the 15th July) then it’ll rain for the next 40 days and nights.
Still, now that I’ve signed off work for the next week, I can almost feel my shoulders rising and relaxing as I take a deep breath of free air. (Well, free in the sense that it’s not facing my work computer and a stack of clinical codes and SNOMED CT concepts – I’m sure there are corporations out there who’d like to charge me for each breath if they only could.) I intend to have a nice relaxing week, sit around, catch up on some reading, watch television in the evenings, etc. We shall see.
Just a quick note that the UK ebooks of the first three books in the Library series are currently up on UK Amazon for a mere 99p each, at:
THE INVISIBLE LIBRARY – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Invisible-Library-Book-ebook/dp/B00M44051E
THE MASKED CITY – https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00ZCCXZNU
THE BURNING PAGE – https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01D0BD0TS
In other news, Cymera was fantastic, but I came back with a sniffly cold which I am currently nursing in an I-hate-the-world style. (Not COVID, I think – or at least, the tests are all negative so far.) The weekend’s sunny weather has descended into gloom, and the weather forecasts are promising (a) increased temperatures and (b) thunderstorms for the coming weekend. So it goes.
Now that the release is out (in both the UK and US) I hope you’re all enjoying Scarlet.
In the meantime, here are a couple of links to essays/questions which I was asked.
Reimagining the Scarlet Pimpernel – a short essay for crimereads.com – https://crimereads.com/reimagining-the-scarlet-pimpernel/
Some questions about the researching, writing and editing process – https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-fiction/genevieve-cogman-on-changes-during-the-editing-process
In the meantime, I’ve turned in the first draft of book two, and am waiting for editing notes on that. I’ve seen the proposed UK cover for book two, and it’s gorgeous. You’ll love it. I’ve also started writing the first draft of book 3, though so far I’m only in the prologue . . .
(No rest for the wicked. Or for authors. Or both.)
SCARLET has now also been released in the UK. Many thanks to everyone who’s picked up a copy.
(In case you haven’t, you can find it at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Scarlet-Genevieve-Cogman/dp/1529083729 …)
Back to work tomorrow, and it’ll be a sad comedown from the US and UK releases, and at least a year to go till the next one. Ah well.
Still, I have the Eurovision Song Contest to console me, with the final on Saturday night. It was the second semifinal tonight, and I particularly enjoyed all three of these songs, all of which got through to the final.
Austria – Teya & Salena – Who The Hell Is Edgar? – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G83_lXkc6nM
Australia – Voyager – Promise – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1ohtx5Ul6I
Poland – Blanka – Solo – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=075F41yFvqU
Take care and stay safe, and happy reading.
Scarlet is now released in the US. Thank you to everyone who’s bought it – I hope you enjoy it!
(link for anyone who hasn’t yet got it and wants to, she says hopefully – https://www.amazon.com/Scarlet-Genevieve-Cogman-ebook/dp/B0BJZ915VX/ )
There’s a very nice review of it here from the Historical Society: https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/scarlet-3/
And a Q&A I did for Nerd Daily: https://thenerddaily.com/genevieve-cogman-author-interview/
2 more days, and it’ll be out in the UK as well!
On a completely different note, I’ve just been watching the first Eurovision Song Contest semifinal (yes, I love Eurovision) and all four of the songs I like got through, so I can look forward to hearing them again at the final. Excellent!
Norway: Alessandra – Queen Of Kings – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMRNUyG86Qs
Portugal: Mimicat – Ai Coração – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NmF5otCtqU
Moldova: Pasha Parfeni – Soarele Si Luna – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZGpbQ83l4s
Czechia: Vesna – My Sister’s Crown – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nuypbLMfNQ
Only a few days to go till the release of Scarlet – 6 days till the US release (on the 9th of May) and 8 days till the UK release (on the 11th of May). Can I say that makes it a week on average?
I’ve just handed in the draft of Book 2 (yes, it has a title, and I’ll share it as soon as I can) to my publishers. Soon enough I’ll get it back with red ink all over it, but for the moment I’m having a few days away from the Scarlet Pimpernel and all his friends. (Unfortunately I don’t get any days off the day job, but that’s life.)
Upcoming coronation in the UK. My feelings about our royalty are – well, rather mixed, and I certainly won’t be swearing allegiance or joining in any great cry of acclamation, but I will be watching it, if only for useful background detail. After all, what if I want to write a future heist set during a coronation, or something similar? Vitally important research. And the coronation music should be good.
And then there’s the Eurovision Song Contest next week, which I will definitely be watching.
I’ll also be attending the Cymera convention in Edinburgh during the first weekend in June. I went last year, and it was excellent.
Finally, if you feel like following me on Bookbub, the link’s here – https://www.bookbub.com/authors/genevieve-cogman – and I’m selfishly motivated to ask you to do it, because I understand that the more followers I have there, the more cool publicity I get.
Just a month and a half (or less) to go until the release of SCARLET, and I’m climbing the walls with nerves – or at least, I would be if I wasn’t preoccupied with trying to write book 2 . . .
In the meantime, if you’d like a chance to win a copy, follow me on BookBub. The winner will be selected at random on April 2 and announced on April 3. Get your name down now for a chance at adventure, excitement, Revolution, and blood!
(US only. Sorry.)
In other news, things are fairly quiet here – the weather’s grey, cool and wet (though I’m assured we need rain, it’s never much fun to get rained on) and the day job is grinding away. From time to time I do think how nice it would be to go over to writing full-time, but then I remember the uncertainty of a writer’s career and money, and how much I like having a regular pay packet and an eventual pension. Life is as it is.
I’ve been enjoying myself watching videos by Overly Sarcastic Productions on youtube – the JOURNEY TO THE WEST ones in particular, but others too. Check them out at https://www.youtube.com/@OverlySarcasticProductions .
There will probably be more frequent posts (apologies for how slack I am!) as we approach Release Dates for SCARLET and I do various publicity things, answer questions, etc. I’ll try to post links to them here. Stay tuned.
I’m extremely proud to have my upcoming book SCARLET included in this sweepstake! (US only, sorry.)