The sixth book in the Princelings of the East series will be called Bravo Victor. It stars Victor, the son of the innkeeper at the Inn of the Seventh Happiness, who has been in all the books except Talent Seekers. The only other characters that I think share that distinction are Prince Lupin, Baden and possibly Lord Smallweed, and none of them have ever had a chapter to themselves, let alone a whole book!
Bravo Victor is set a few years after the last story. It is now 2015, and the realms are developing as a result of the introduction of the strawberry juice power plants. Aviation is increasing, the carriages are now propelled by electricity, and a new communication system connects all the population centres. Victor has his own modern project – a velocipede, an early form of bicycle – and he’s looking for a partner to work with. While he’s doing that, he stumbles on odd information, and seeks advice from King Fred at Castle Marsh. Fred has his own problems, since his brother George has not returned from a flying festival. Victor joins Sundance, a secret agent, to help him with his investigation in the Rhinelands and at the same time search for George. What he finds is a web of intrigue, involving numerous versions of a well-known soft drink, two people who profess to own it, and a flying machine that may or may not hold the key to the future. And Victor’s biggest headache comes from meeting an old friend… who is no older than he was when Victor was just a wee lad.
Although you can read Bravo Victor on its own, it does follow on from books 1 to 4, and includes some characters from book 5 in a minor way. It’s intended for children of about 12 and up, especially if they are interested in technology and business!
So what are the plans at present?
My editor is well on the way towards completing the main edit, so I can start to set some dates out. I hope my cover illustrator will be able to finish in time for the cover reveal on 2nd April, as part of my A to Z Challenge for the letter B! I’ll be running a giveaway through April too, with the top prize being a complete set of Princelings of the East ebooks, including Bravo Victor. The official launch will be in early May.
I expect to have advance review copies ready in late March for anyone who knows the stories to date and would like to read and post reviews on Goodreads and Amazon in time for the launch. If you’re interested, complete the form below.
I may well be asking for your input on various issues on design and of course I’ll be revealing the chapter illustrations on here as usual. Sign up to follow by email for all the latest news, hot off the press!
