Mettle and Ice
Order
Mettle and Ice
Link to Amazon AU
Link to Amazon USA
Link to Amazon
UK
Link to Booktopia
Australia
Link to Barnes & Noble
USA
Link to AbeBooks
UK
Updates
On November 5th, you are welcomed to the world of Getrantor.​
A place filled with dinosaur-like beasts, magic, and wonder.
Mettle and Ice will introduce you to Barduk, an Iron Chaplain of Kilatha, a member of an ancient order who with the use of runes carved from the iron of a fallen star, protect their tiny island home from all who would threaten it.
Barduk dreams of becoming the hero of a thousand tales. First, he'll need to survive being trapped in the frozen wastes of the south.
​
Monday 10th November
There is a book in the world. I planned it, wrote it, edited it, designed the cover, made the map... I did it basically. It's been an amazing ride, but unfortunately it hasn't all been smooth sailing.
"Expect delays on everything" is my advice for anyone looking to do anything with a third party.
A one month delay with editing kicked things off, it was no fault of anyone's, but it was a pain.
Amazon KDP got the book approved, which was all within the timeframe expected. Author copies though? Yeah, two month wait. I was hoping for around launch date (having read that 2-4 weeks is about how long they take), though I knew I would have a bookless launch party. November launch, books coming in January of next year wasn't what I planned.
​
Ingram Spark... all the feedback online is that things will either go really smoothly, or like Sisyphus you'll be pushing a boulder up a mountain each day you deal with them.
Got the standard "It could take 3-5 business days to process your account". So I waited those days, then I waited a few more. Maybe the difference between timezones had factored in, maybe public holidays, maybe Kaiju attacks? I sent an inquiry about the delay and they asked for government ID. Checked that out, seems legit. Fine.
Nothing... still nothing. I've sent another follow up about account processing and have heard bupkis. They do not have a number to call, the only process I can see is to try and try again with the same shitty system I've already dealt with. If they weren't just about the only game in town, they would not have made it as a game.
​
So for now, my book is only up on Amazon though I really want to have it available widely.
I won't even touch on Audio (I've been sick and that delayed everything) which is still coming.
​
Lesson learned, next book, I will aim to be ready three months in advance. I'd aimed for two on this one and it's been a mildly dumpster fire-ish experience, but at least we can warm ourselves by the dumpster fire, I guess?
Wednesday 16th July
Today I finished my last major edit of Mettle and Ice.
It's been a strange time, the writing, of late. The end of term 2 at school was a wild ride, kids were struggling with the long term, behaviour went out the window, and exams needed marking.
With half of a week left in the break before school goes back, I have made my arbitrary deadline I set for myself.
Next up, it's another proofread and spell-check, then it's on to formatting and recording an audiobook. I am excited to get behind a microphone and record my audio, as for formatting, I am sure it will be a process, and then it will end.
I'm giving myself permission to go slowly between now and school going back on Monday. I have been told I should be looking out for my mental health... by credible sources.
Thursday 5th June
I passed the 75% mark on the final pass of edits yesterday. Today though, the cover reveal.
Friday 4th April
My editorial letter is back from freelance editor extraordinaire Allison Alexander (if you don't like the final product, it's not due to her work) and my word... getting the letter has been a cool experience as a first timer. I'm proud of where Mettle and Ice currently sits as a piece, even after getting the letter, I'm proud of what I had sent out.
"Couldn't see the forest for the trees." Kilatha actually has a tropical climate, so it's actually jungles which Barduk is most used to.
I had pointed out to me, things which I would be able to pick out in any other novel, or any prose I'd have read, would have made me wonder "why didn't the author think of this?" It was a very exciting and grounding experience to read through what a pro thinks about story lines as they are and where they could go to grow. How my characters could become better versions of what they are, and what world building elements could be strengthened.
I'm really excited to begin the process of deciding which notes I take, what areas I can strengthen in my own ways, and where I can combine suggestions and new ideas to create sparks.
My aim now is to spend the next month working on another rewrite/edit of the novel. That will bring me up to six months out from my schedule publish date. I feel that a number of the adjustments will require only minor changes, and where major change is needed, I have good direction and ideas.
​
I have two weeks of school holidays ahead of me, and I hope to spend the bulk of that time working on edits.
Until next time friends.
Thursday 6th March
My draft for Mettle and Ice is in the mystical land of Canada, I hope it likes it up there.
I can't wait to get it back and be able to gain new insights into my work, my writing in general, and be able to use what I learn to improve everything else I do.
For now I am back into A Peace of Violence and am excited to send Barduk off on his next adventure.
The Chronicles of Barduk will be a series of linked but non-contiguous stories. The aim is that you will be able to pick one up and get in on the action anywhere, no matter whether you've read one before (like Discworld but with a grumpy prick as a protagonist (so kind of like some of the Discworld)).
Wednesday 26th February
Last night I finished my read through and touch up of my draft. Draft 5.1 is now ready to be sent off to a developmental editor. I am looking forward to working with Allison Alexander on the project. They have an availability in March and expect to have the book back to me in April. Once that is done, the next thing is to action the changes required and hopefully I will end up with my final piece.
Currently the to do list has moved to A Peace of Violence, and working on the cover for Mettle and Ice.
I, like Homer Simpson, am already tired of the waiting game and would much rather be playing Hungry, Hungry, Hippos.
It's all excitement on my end, as I am eager to keep things rolling.
Monday 10th
February
I have been behind the pace I would like to maintain lately. School is back and I have a new cohort of amazing students to coordinate which means learning names, developing IEPs and all the other tasks needed to allow these amazing young people to have a safe and welcoming place to learn.
As of today, I am currently 20% of the way through one final read through and polish of my draft before I send it off to a developmental editor. Then the real fun begins.
I am also a few thousand words into my next project.
At this point, I might just start a progress bar like Brandy Sandy does.
at
