Mirrored Sword

We all like to be liked but not too much - right? A pat on the back, a kiss on the cheek, any kind of compliment requires some kind of positive response in return, if you want more of the same, but take care not to go over the top. Respond with only a subdued… Continue reading Getting Liked

Mirrored Sword (the tragicomic adventure that's as epic as its historic setting, the Wars of the Roses) has been something of an epic adventure even in its production. After ten years of drafting and problem-solving, working out how best to present a large cast of characters in a romantic fiction, with multiple points of view,… Continue reading Life Mirrors Art

Do you ever wonder about the nature of time? Who has time for questions like that! Authors of course. Sometimes we describe events in their correct order, but not always. Events in Mirrored Sword are seen from the viewpoints of different characters: sometimes they relive the past by remembering it, but sometimes they experience things we have… Continue reading Time to Talk Time

Allan Hands has never smiled at a crocodile (you can’t get friendly with a crocodile), but he has got indecently close to snakes. Australia has some of the deadliest specimens in the world, including the homicidal but humbly named Brown Snake, always ready, willing and able to kill anyone that sets foot in its belly-only… Continue reading Tangling with Snakes

… self-published, that is the question:Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to sufferThe slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,Or to take arms against a sea of troublesAnd by opposing end them.  So said Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, with some help from Yours Truly, because a writer’s soul is up for grabs every time he puts… Continue reading To Be Self-Published or Not to Be

Allan has now contracted a graphic artist to come up with cover designs for the two Mirrored Sword Books. His name is Patrick Knowles, based in the U.K., and he is Allan's only known connection with royalty. "How does this connection come about?" I hear you ask. Patrick's work "includes calligraphy for the wedding of… Continue reading My Royal Connection

Yesterday Allan had practice managing this blog, assisted by a Happiness Engineer from WordPress, the outfit that hosts this website. The job title is their choice of jargon, not Allan's, but the engineer was quite a happy chap - a Spaniard working in Japan. Such is today's global community! They used a third site called… Continue reading Practice Makes Perfect