March Update: Writing in the Time of the ‘Rona

Posted byakuivalainenPosted inAncient History, History, Research, The Immortal City, The Magicians of Venice, Uncategorized, Upcoming Projects, Venice

How are you all? Keeping sane as much as possible?

Like many of you, I’m now working from home and trying to keep away from the public in general. I keep seeing all these posts everywhere about what famous writers wrote while they were in quarantine and all I can think is…please fuck off. Chuck Wendig recently did a blog called “It’s Okay that you’re not Okay” and it really hits this COVID19 situation on the head as a creator and discusses the weird drive to create a masterpiece on one hand while completely having a slow moving break down at the same time.

I’m one of the ridiculously lucky ones in that I’m okay being at home and not going out to work everyday. I’m usually stuck in a cubicle so I’m looking on the bright side here of being in my own space and being able to manage my anxiety. I don’t have people on a freak out around me, I can keep updated on the government health websites and not the mainstream media hell loop.

In my writing space, I’m in research and planning and dreaming mode. I’m trying to figure out where I go from “The Magicians of Venice” and my research always dictates my writing and not the other way around. So I’m giving myself permission to not put pressure on myself to write everyday, but to start absorbing non-fiction history and classics and refilling my well. I was really empty at the end of last year after finishing “The King’s Seal” so I feel like I have a lot of well to refill. Maybe there is blessing in having a slower year all round.

Speaking of “The Magicians of Venice”…I have good news. At this stage, “The Sea of the Dead” is still going to be out on the 17th of September. I know a lot of book dates have been changing but so far, mine isn’t. I don’t have cover reveals to do yet (although they won’t be far away) but I do have a description. Beware it contains spoilers for “The Immortal City”:

The battle for Venice might be over but the war is just beginning…Penelope and Alexis’s adventure continues in the second instalment of The Magicians of Venice series. 
Penelope accepted her role as the new Archivist for the magicians, but with war brewing with the priests of Thevetat and the tide of magic on the rise, she’s going to have to learn her way around her new and dangerous world if she has any hope of outsmarting their enemies. 
When her friend and fellow archaeologist Tim uncovers a scroll containing a magical secret, lost in the Dead Sea for two thousand years, Penelope and Alexis will travel to Israel to find him before Abaddon and Kreios do. 
To defeat Thevetat and his followers, they’ll need to find a weapon capable of ending him for good, and as her old life collides with her new, Penelope will pay the ultimate price to keep the secrets of the magicians safe.
Fuck. Yes. Dead Sea Scrolls are where its AT. I will write about inspirations and reference books and all sorts of goodness in the next coming months. I really loved writing this one. It was research heavy, despite doing a unit about the Scrolls at Uni, and was so much fun to write my own spin on them. Also, there is loads of Magicians and Alexis and Penelope.
Speaking of Alexis. I commissioned the AMAZING @SNCINDERART on Instagram do a commission of him in his tower! I was so not ready for the finished product. ARE YOU READY? (you aren’t).
Stay safe everyone…I’m going to go and stare at this until I feel better about life.