Hello, again!

Given my self-imposed writing break in the wake of Divided Worlds finally going up on Amazon, there isn't too much to report for this update, at least in terms of new projects. I figured a particular kind of song was warranted for this semi-inactivity, so for this week, I share with you Laddie Are Ya Working? by Heather Alexander (now known as Alexander James Adams), from the soundtrack album to the What-If duology Lion's Blood by Steven Barnes. (Usual copyrights apply; I own nothing!)

I came across this two-book series during high school, when my addiction to (sorry, passion for :D ) alternate history was still in the early stages, and I was looking for prime examples of the genre under every rock, even more so than nowadays. How exactly I found the series is still a bit vague (either a search on the AH site Uchronia.net, or noticing it on this or that bookstore shelf), but I've kept it close since that first sighting, and am ecstatic to have finally gotten the outstanding accompanying music that brings it to life in a whole new way. The books (in a nutshell) revolve around a world in which Alexander the Great lived long enough to sire a dual dynasty that eventually came to rule Egypt, Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and much of the Middle East and North Africa, and, after destroying and conquering Rome, effectively colonized much of Europe and then the Americas. The majority of both books is set at the plantation Dar Kush (near our timeline's Galveston Bay), and focuses on the growth and adventures of its Abyssinian lord and his close boyhood friend, a European (Irish) slave, offering an intriguing reversal of such emotively potent historical roles. The attached tune is one of the work songs prominently featured in the story; I've lost count of how many times I've played it, but it never ceases to give me the right encouragement or set the right tone for the project at hand.

Speaking of, all is definitely not quiet on the writing front, despite the (temporary) new work shortage. The paperback cover design for Divided Worlds is nearly finished; I've tentatively set a Createspace release date for this weekend. I've also restarted the Discarded agent hunt, as promised; three new pitches went out Sunday, with more choices already lined up. Next Monday, I expect to begin (or rather, resume) work on the draft intended for my second fiction writing workshop assignment; no details as yet, other than it's (not suprisingly) a What-If. Once it gets close to May, I anticipate more time freeing up for newer or restarted work--particularly Bloody Relations, which I've been champing at the bit to finish for a while now. More news to come, as usual; till the next update, keep on sharing, reviewing and commenting!