The Princelings Books: Jemima Pett
All the news of the Princelings of the East books – fantasy for all ages
The Messenger Misadventures: the Dylan, Deirdre and Dougall Collection, is featured on Sally Cronin’s website Smorgasbord Invitation today.
There’s an extract, and some illustrations, as well as my bio etc.
I’ve mentioned before that I have plans to bring out a Dylan and Dougall omnibus. A collection of their stories, that is. I even got the title – The Adventures of Dylan and Dougall.
The other week I was reading a book for middle grade readers that starred some boys. The only women in the book were over forty at the very least. And I found it odd.
Then I realised that I do the same thing. There is mention of a couple of princesses in the first story, and of course Lady Carolyn features large, but she’s an adult. Where are the adventurous girls?
So I’ve decided that Dylan and Dougall are going to find a friend and share their adventures with her. I wanted to review the stories for sentence and word length anyway, but this will involve rewriting all three of the novellas to include Deidre. I think that might be her name. I always liked it, and its vaguely Celtic – I must check for really Scottish names beginning with D.
Does she have to be a D? Does a third D name become confusing? I don’t think it will, as long as its not Dilly, or something really close to theirs.
And I’m also planning a short story for her in the leading role. So that’s four stories in the book. I hope a collection of 20,000 words or so will fit just nicely in the children’s Adventure market.
I have a new beta reader, a ten year old. By the time I’m ready, I might have a nine-year old one, too. And they’re both girls. Anyone got a boy beta reader of the right age? 🙂
But this won’t be out in time for this Christmas now. It’ll be better, though!
I said earlier in the year I’d be putting the three Dylan and Dougall adventures into one book this summer.
That gives me about a month to do so!
Dylan’s Yuletide Journey has been free on Smashwords, iTunes, Nook and Kobo for some time. It will be withdrawn when the new ‘Adventures of Dylan and Dougall’ comes out.
Dougall’s Reindeer Adventure has only ever been available in the BookElves Anthology Vol. 2. It’s still there, and will continue to be there.
Dylan and the Lights of Ulva is now withdrawn from sale at Smashwords and distribution partners. I don’t think anyone will miss it! The story is summarised in the Chronicles of Marsh, as I discovered it completed a loose end that had been left dangling from a couple of the books. I wonder whether I subconsciously realised that when I wrote it?
…
A box set and a collection; those are the two proposals I have in mind at present.
Box Set 2: Books 4-6The second ebook box set would combine the Traveler in Black and White, the Talent Seekers and Bravo Victor in one ebook volume. I played about with a cover layout similar to the first box set a little while ago when I didn’t have much to do and my brain wasn’t feeling up to writing. The cover needs more work.
It’s probably a weekend project: putting the three ebooks together, proofing them once more, adjusting the front and end matter, and publishing it. I make it sound so simple!
I don’t know that many people actually want the box set, but I think it does encourage people to catch up on a long series, and to keep reading it, if they can get several at once. I’ve read several of Lindsay Buroker’s series in this manner, and I think I’d have done the same with M T McGuire’s K’Barthan series too.
Like the first box set, I’m planning to do it on Smashwords (and therefore Nook, iPad and Kobo) and available for Kindle, without publishing it on Amazon. I suspect there will be a single volume for Amazon in the end, although I see they currently advertise ‘buy 8’ for the aggregate individual prices.
With the closure of the appeal for the Ulva Buyout very soon, I’m thinking about the irrepressible pair.
They have three adventures suitable for slightly younger readers (Father Christmas appears in one), and the idea was to make the reading level easier too.
After Princelings of the North they have done a lot of growing up, and Dylan has new responsibilities. I don’t see more young reader adventures featuring them, unfortunately, so if I want any more, they’ll have to be back-story.
Maybe I’ll just put the three together as a collection.