December 2: The Revenge

December 2: The Revenge

December 31, 2021

Hello Everyone, and welcome to the end of 2021!

As is tradition, this newsletter will be a shambolic roundup of major changes and notable events over the past year, and considering what a dumpster fire of a year it has been, there has been more to celebrate than I was expecting.

So, without further ado, I give you...

Things Wot Happened To Me in 2021

Glossing over the first three months, in April 2021 I got my first full-time job in a loooong time, a welcome turn of events considering how all of my freelance work dried up due to the pandemic.

The new job required moving to Leeds, which was challenging considering I wasn't allowed to travel to look at houses etcetera, but by the start of April I was embedded in my new place ready to start my new job.

I haven't had much of a chance to see what Leeds has to offer since moving here, as the pandemic is still very much ongoing, but there have been a couple of things I've been able to get to in The Outside this year. First up, I went to

The Town That Never Was

steampunk festival in August, which I wrote about in detail

.

And secondly I organised the first ever

celebrations at the British Library

It was a modest celebration, to say the least, but I have high hopes for next year. Fingers crossed we will be plague-free by then, and so able to get a few more people out to join us.

News from the Steam Factory

Work-wise 2021 saw the completion of the sequel to Dexter & Sinister: Detecting Agents, The Dragonfly Delivery Company, which I am very proud of, and which I hope to bring it out at the start of next year. There's still a lot to do on it, but if all goes well we should be looking at publication in about April time. I'll let you know when it's going to happen.

In the meantime the re-edit and redesign of Dexter & Sinister is almost complete! And, because it's Christmas, and because I like you, here is a sneak peak at what will be the final design (pretty much).

The text is a bit rough and ready as it was taken from the old design, but this is what the new cover is going to be. Neat, eh!

I have commissioned a designer to do the complete design, front and back, so hopefully by the middle of January we should be good to go. I intend to bring it out at the start of February, for my birthday, with a special bargain relaunch price TBD. Details will be in the next newsletter.

If you're a fan of the old cover better

whilst you still can! Also, this new edition will be an abridged version of the story, with 10,000 words cut out, and will be replacing the old version now and forever, so if you want to get yourself a real collector's item, better get the old one whilst you still have the chance. Anyone turning up to signings with an old copy in hand will get special attention from me, I guarantee it.

When I'm Not Writing

Arcane

on Netfilx is, by far, one of the best animated series I've seen in a long time!

Based on the game League of Legends, which I have yet to play, its a tale of the haves and the have nots, the city above versus the city below, and quite frankly it is brilliant. The animation is gorgeous, the music is great (you will end up singing the theme tune by the end of it), and the characters and storylines, whilst a little standard in places, are still well realised and engaging.

I enjoyed each episode very much, thanks in no small part to its extremely steampunk stylings, and I can't wait for the second season, which I hear is already in development.

And there you have it, a brief summary of my 2021. Looking forward to 2022 which, as well as having the two Hammersmyth novels mentioned above coming out, will also see my 'Letter to my 16-year-old self' published in

, a book being made to raise money for The Prince's Trust. It's only a little thing, one of 101 letters, but it's nice to have something else out in the world. It's always good when you can end your year by adding to your body of work.

My best to you all, and the highest of hopes to you and yours for the coming year and beyond!

Toodle-pip for now.

Keith

ps. Expect these newsletters to arrive at the end of the month from now on, like this one, instead of at the start. Not only did I find it weird discussing November's goings on in December's newsletter, but I hope to beat the rush of newsletters that appear in people's inboxes on the first of the month. Why get lost in the rush when you can be at the head of the pack. lol.