I start a full-time job on Monday. I'm well aware that many people would see that as a success, and I'm even more aware that what I've accomplished since 2017 - six published novels - is also a big success. And yet. And yet, it hasn't been successful enough to keep my finances stable. In … Continue reading Defining ‘failure’
Author: Anna Stephens
Anna Stephens a UK-based epic, gritty, fantasy author.
Anna is a literature graduate, a karateka, a HEMA practitioner and a dog owner, among other strange and nefarious pursuits and powers.
She's represented by Harry Illingworth of DHH Literary Agency and sub-agented by Cameron McClure of Donald Maass Lit Agency for North America.
The complete Godblind trilogy - Godblind, Darksoul and Bloodchild - is now available in all good book shops and online in the UK and Commonwealth (excluding Canada), with translated versions available - or soon to be available - in French, German, Polish, Dutch and Czech.
The Stone Knife, book one of Songs of the Drowned, is also available, as well as The Serpent and the Dead for Marvel and Gothghul Hollow (February 2022) for Warhammer Horror.
You can follow her on Twitter @AnnaSmithWrites or Goodreads and she has a Patreon for those who'd like to see monthly original fiction and detailed looks at her writing and editing process: https://www.patreon.com/join/annastephenswordseeker?
Yep, I've been busy. From being made redundant in May to turning in two drafted novels within a fortnight of each other in September PLUS a copy edit of another entire book, interspersed with a heatwave that was frankly rude, it's been a mad gallop through 2022. That said, all being well I should have … Continue reading What a Spring, Summer and start of Autumn that was…
Some excellent words from a good and wise friend.
This post contains my own personal opinion (I work in finance and this is neither official advice nor representative of what my employer thinks – caveats done with, let’s talk turkey). There’s been a lot of words spilled in the last few months over inflation and [interest] rates and energy prices.
I’ve become convinced that we’re about to see a change in the shape and nature of British society that we haven’t seen in 50 years. I won’t rehearse the arguments here about how much energy prices are going to rise or what inflation is doing to our paychecks.
I also don’t want to make this a doomsday post. What I want to do here is spell some things out clearly and then offer some help (mostly by signposting you to others who are much better at this than me). If you want to skip my longer discussion about what…
View original post 1,805 more words
Hi all! I've been doing a lot of research over the last few days into the quality and type of online writing courses available in the UK (so far; other regions do exist, I know, I just haven't got to them yet). What I've discovered is pretty depressing from a speculative writing perspective: You can … Continue reading SFF-specific writing courses – you in?
There are times when having things like a strict moral code or professionalism is a hindrance. Take me, for example. I've been working for a small start up company for the last 7 months, slowly building up an audience etc etc, doing everything I can to make it a success while reminding the business owner, … Continue reading Me and my big mouth
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Scholar. Sorceress. Killer. Priest. Four people divided by their secrets and lies, bound together by horror, must unite their strengths to unpick a diabolical mystery to which they have but one incomprehensible clue – a single word: Mhurghast.
The Serpent and the Dead, my first prose novel for Marvel Comics/Aconyte Books, is now published in paperback in the US (28 September 2021). It's already available in ebook worldwide (maybe you want to buy it?) but for me there's still something a little bit magical about knowing my book exists in a physical format. … Continue reading The Legend of Asgard
Hi! I haven't quite kept up a regular blog lately, but I do actually have at least four (4) good reasons for that: BookAnother bookYet another bookDog Between roughly September 2020 and the end of May, I drafted, edited, formally edited and handed in three separate novels for three separate publishers. And we adopted a … Continue reading Is this thing on?
Anna Stephens, word seeker 