This month’s Twitter games were #authorconfession, #WIPRevelations and #writeawayjune. So, as per previous months, here is the round-up of my answers for each.

#AuthorConfession

1. Since I need to get myself organised and moving forward again, I’m going to shoot for 20k words initially.
2. Kind of the reverse. Like most of his family, Ash gets up around sunset & goes to bed at dawn.
3. I’ve said before that it has elements of The Warrior’s Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold & Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko
4. For me, I think the best villains are the one where you can almost see their point of view, even if you don’t agree.
5. Ash is a Cancer sign. No idea how well that fits though.
6. Not sure I can pick a best one so instead I’ll do the one in my current audiobook: The true identity of Shiela in Dead Beat.
7. I’d just started Tales From Ashen Falls by Paul Lavender. And here is my review.
8. I’d say Ash’s best friend is his cousin, Elizabeth. But things are pretty strained between them right now.
9. The majority I get from Amazon, either hardback or e-book. I also go to my local Barnes & Noble every so often.
10. I don’t think Ash is high maintenance.  And with the way things are currently, he couldn’t afford to be, even if he wanted to.
11. There are a lot of things I want to improve about my writing but right now the main one is productivity.
12. Unless we’re counting martial arts training, I don’t think Ash has done much in the way of sports.
13. People who are convinced they’re always in the right and refuse to accept any other point of view.
14. I’d say De Vries is more deadly. And since he has a fortune and his own small army, that’s not good for Ash.
15. I’ll try to answer this one, as soon as I’ve stopped swearing. I may be some time… (approx. 12-24 hrs later) Ok, now that I’ve calmed down… I doubt we’d have made it more than halfway through book 1…
16. That’s what I’m trying to work out…
17. Does trying to live up to his father’s example, and people’s expectations as a result, count as having issues?
18. They’d have to wait until after the sun’s gone down but I can see Quinn manning the grill and MacReady bringing beers.
19. Given the nasty reactions to sunlight, Ash hasn’t been much of a beach person.
20. It’s more sunlight my characters have the issue with. So heat, yes. UV, not so much.
21. For some reason that he can’t explain, Ash has always fancied visiting Iceland.
22. To my MC, Ash? Probably when Carina tortured him with electricity. To another character: Lilith Valerius (Ash’s grandmother) was burned at the stake as a witch.
23. There was mention of Ash (and others) enjoying Kill Bill Vol 1. and looking forward to Vol. 2.
24. Well, aside from reading, I am a big film watcher.
25. He might not agree with me, but I thin Ash’s best quality is his loyalty towards his friends.
26. I’m not sure I have a favourite genre. I love fantasy, crime, science fiction, thriller. Never been a big romance reader, though.
27. I think it’s probably his persuasiveness. ‪He’s managed to talk (or manipulate) a lot of people to get his plans moving.‬
28. You know, I’m not sure I could tell you what Ash’s signature for his real name is actually like. If he was signing something, it would probably be under a fake travelling identity.
29. To be honest, I don’t even know where I am with this one anymore. I’ve still got bits and pieces scattered about and I’ve been writing and re-writing scenes so much, I’m not sure how much is valid….
30. Well, I can be found here, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Google+.

#WIPRevelations

1. I can remember writing stuff around 8-9 but that was mainly school suggested projects. Writing for myself, about 17.
2. The first one I can remember was a mystery of sorts with me and a friend foiling some diamond smugglers.
3. I guess I’ve just always liked exploring other places, other worlds. Creating my own seemed like the next logical step.
4. I’d probably read and sleep more. I don’t think it would be worth it though.
5. 2 or 5 depending on your point of view. 1 book and 1 short story collection / 4 short stories.
6. I think I would probably opt for a crime thriller or something along those lines.
7. The first thing that comes to mind is looking up what’s involved in transporting a corpse overseas.
8. Probably not as frequently as I should, but I do have back-ups in place.
9. I don’t think so. Although I have used times when I’ve been off sick to do some additional writing.
10. Probably Discount Tire while waiting to have one of my tires replaced.
11. If I’m being honest, the deeper(?) meaning is that I named him Ash because I love the Evil Dead movies with Bruce Campbell. 
12. If I did kill off Ash, I’m not sure who would take over..Elizabeth maybe. Or Quinn. Those would probably be my 1st picks
13. Some of the story beats might change but I don’t think making Ash female would change the overall plot.
14. That’s a bit of a tricky one since there’s a lot of similarities between me and Ash. But I will admit that there are other characters who are more fun to write…
15. As of current writing, the majority of the Ceteri Cabal. Ash is #1 on their most wanted list.
16. Erm… He’s the heir to the oldest Ceteri (genetic vampires) House and has to fight off attacks against his people.
17. I don’t think Ash would handle it very well. He’s the type to blame himself, regardless of the circumstance.
18. It’s set in this world. Or one very close to it, at least.
19. It’s set in the recent past, specifically 2003-2004.
20. You mean besides the whole genetic vampire civilisation? Well, I think I’ve changed a couple of small historical details.
21. There aren’t really any supernatural creatures although the Ceteri are how those myths got started in the first place.
22. There are the usual superstitions: walking under ladders, breaking mirrors, black cats, Stevie Wonder…
23. It’s things like the witch trials that keeps the Ceteri in hiding from the rest of humanity. They have no desire to suddenly become objects of scientific curiosity or religious persecution.
24. I’m not sure what the Ceteri would do in that situation. They’d want to keep normal humans from dying off but they wouldn’t want to draw attention to themselves. I suspect they’d probably gather as many normal humans allied to their respective Houses and keep them isolated until the disease burned itself out.
25. The Sims itself, never played it. I did have Sim City for a while, which I suspect played into my love of world-building.
26. I like to think there’s a bit of ebb and flow there.  I don’t mind letting the characters guide me on occasion.
27. I can’t think of an occasion where I’ve had to put my foot down with characters. ‪Although maybe I’m too indulgent…‬
28. I’ve done a couple of killing sprees of sorts. I don’t recall what kind of day I was having when I wrote them though…
29. We’ve argued a few times but I wouldn’t say we’ve ever got into a fight as such…
30. If I’ve re-started (or even abandoned) a work, I don’t think it’s ever been the fault of the main character. So far, anyway.

#WriteAwayJune

1. The crew of the HMS Charon encounter a storm on their way around the Cape of Good Hope. Once the storm passes, the find they’re in a place no one has ever found before and some are intent that they never find their way home…
2. Quinn is probably the most fun of all my characters to write about, regardless of whether it’s old West or modern day…
3. @LexiIsAWriter already suggested Whispers in the Alders by @HA_Callum so I’m going to say the Rhenwars saga by @MLSpencer1.
4. I don’t really have a fixed writing space. Other than the inside of my head, of course.
5. His Grace, His Excellency, The Duke of Ankh; Commander Sir Samuel Vimes. Art by Paul Kidby.
6. My frequent inspiration…
7. There are so many authors I enjoy I couldn’t list them all. So instead I’m going to post some pictures of our shelves.
8. It was a combination escape / coping method…
9. I really should read ahead so I don’t end up repeating myself… See above.
10. Strictly speaking, this is more a notebook cover than a notebook itself, but still…
11. Not sure if this is considered a cliche exactly but I do enjoy trying to spot when Chekov’s Gun is being used.
12. I’m going to say urban fantasy since it’s the one I write most but I like working in other genres as well.
13. Favourite quote…
14. Is there any really some other beverage?
15. This is how I brainstorm, more often than not…
16. Evenings, weekends and lunch breaks at work..,
17. I was watching the 1st Underworld & it just popped into my head, “What would it be like growing up in a place like this?”
18. That’s probably too far beyond me for me to even be thinking about.
19. Favourite villain? How can you choose just one?
20. I haven’t been in the habit of giving myself rewards. Other than knowing I made it, anyway…
21. Britt bought me the Windows version of Scrivener for my birthday. I’m still getting to grips with all of it but I like it
22. I’m sure someone out there is going to call me a godless heathen for this one but… I don’t really have a favourite pen.
23. Not sure I can answer this one. It tends to show up at the most random times.
24. The main one motivating me to write is me. That might be the problem, of course…
25. Again, I can’t pick just one…
26. Overall or of my own? Of mine, I’m inclined to say Byron. Overall, I’d say either Frederick Chilton or Cersei Lannister.
27. Current casting choice is Iwan Rheon, from Misfits, Game of Thrones & soon, Inhumans.
28. Without spoilers: someone Ash thinks is dead will be found alive near the end of the book.
29. I’ve never been very good at pitching my stories but here goes… 
30. I’ll let you know when I get there….