So what's new?
As of this past week The Road to Frosty Hollow is available in paperback.
Main post to links and stuff here
We've had some great reviews for the story so thank you to every one who has read Frosty Hollow. I'm particularly proud of the story, which was my one and only release in 2016. It was a tough year and some days it was hard to get in Nick and Cameron's heads, so it means a lot, the positive reactions I've seen to the book.
I've been working on various cover art this last week, including pieces for AE Ryecart, RJ Jones, Amber Kell, RJ Scott and KC Wells (phew), but did manage to jot down an outline of my characters and what their story is going to be for the next book in the Knowles Brook series. I made a brief start (before getting distracted by art again) on the first chapter and look forward to finding more time in the coming weeks.
Here is the very short, rough and unedited start of Knowles Brook 2.
****
“Mikey, you’ve ten minutes.”
Mikey glanced at the back of the bathroom door. He parted his lips, but didn’t call back to his brother who he knew would be standing on the other side, waiting, wondering if he was okay. Eventually, there was the dull sound of Jeremy heading downstairs and Mikey released a breath. He glanced at his reflection in the mirror above the sink. Doubt gripped him.
Could he do this? Or the bigger question, would people let him? Coming home had been good for him, Mikey knew that, keeping himself away from the things and people who could set him back. Maybe no one cared about his past, not really. He was sure people had plenty of things going on in their own lives to be concerned with him and his.
He met his eyes in the mirror. Problem was, he couldn’t help but feel judged any time he walked into a room, any time he caught someone’s eye and they’d look away.
It’s in your head. He turned on the tap and held his hands under the cold water. Lifting his head, he pressed his wet palms to his forehead and slowly moved them down his face. Gently he pushed against his eyes, cherishing the sensation of his cool hands. He’d barely slept last night, and his eyes stung as if his lack of sleep had equated to a blow to the face. Apprehension had plagued his night, and he had been unable to switch off his brain, obsessing over how today would go.
Jeremy would be around to hold his hand. Big brother to the rescue again. It was a pattern they had settled into for almost a decade. Mikey messed up, and Jeremy would dig him out of whatever hole he had fallen into.
Mess up this time and there’ll be no one to dig you out. If he screwed this up he didn’t think Jeremy would forgive him.
“Mikey.” Jeremy’s voice was muffled as he shouted up the stairs.
“Coming,” Mikey called back this time. He grabbed the towel off the side of the bath and dried his hands, before exiting the bathroom.
“Everything okay?” Jeremy asked when Mikey reached the bottom of the stairs.
Mikey gave a muted nod. He flinched as Jeremy put his arm around him and gripped his neck.
“You’ll be fine. They’re good lads. They’ll look after you.” Jeremy leaned in close. “I’ll look after you.”
Guilt crept along the length of Mikey’s spine and he moved uneasily under Jeremy’s hold. “Are you sure you’re okay about this? What about Marie and the kids?” He had been sleeping on the sofa bed in his brother’s back room for the past two weeks. As much as he appreciated his brother putting him up, he couldn’t help but feel in the way. Despite the constant reassurance, he was pretty sure Jeremy’s wife wasn’t as okay as Jeremy claimed about him being there, and the sooner he found a place of his own, the happier she would be.
“Hey.” Jeremy scratched a hand through the back of Mikey’s hair. “She’s fine with it. Adrian, too. He loves his uncle Mikey.” He grinned. “Can’t say the same for Grace, but she cries when I hold her too, so don’t go thinking you’re special. You’re just not Mummy.” He pushed Mikey away from him. “Come on. We’re meeting the lads on site.”
Mikey hesitated and looked down at the company logo on the fleece he wore. Don’t screw up. Jeremy had given him somewhere to stay and a job. He owed it to Jeremy to make this work.
“Where’s the job?” he asked, following Jeremy out to the car.
Jeremy stopped. He chewed on his lip. “Knowles Brook.”
****
You can find more about Book 1 Alter Ego here
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