CM Simpson: Writer & Gamer

The final week of December also involved very little writing, but a lot of publishing, as I tried to get January’s publishing schedule into line. While I wanted to get the entire schedule done, I didn’t think I’d get past the first fortnight. I was very relieved to get all of January’s releases up and running by New Year’s Eve, even if I hadn’t sorted out what the rest of 2018 would look like. This is what was accomplished in that final week of December 2017.   Overall Progress for December 24-31, 2017 New words produced: 5,556 Outlines and Notes: 627 Works completed: 0 Works edited: 4 ( The Queen’s Game, A Planet’s Ransom, In Full Flight, Welcome to the Fruit Platter for Ellie) Covers created: 0 Works published: 5 ( 366 Days of Flash Fiction , The Queen’s Game , A Planet’s Ransom , In Full Flight , Welcome to the Fruit Platter for Ellie) Works submitted: 0 Competitions Entered: 0 Bloggery: 302

2018's first release is now live. The Queen's Game is now available for order from Smashwords , Amazon, and DrivethruFiction, as well as via Smashwords and Draft2Digital distribution. I'm a little excited, and a little bit nervous about this one as it winds up a couple of years' worth of flash fiction story-line, and looks to be starting a new one. Never get involved with the Otherworld Fey. Take my word for it. I saved the Queen of Summer, and was betrothed to a lord of Winter by way of thanks—and then the human underworld got involved. So what do I do, when every choice is bad? What would you choose: death by troll, or the mercy of an elf?

Well, if I thought the third week of December was busy, I redefined ‘busy’ for the fourth week. Again, not a lot of writing got done, but that’s the nature of being an independent writer. There’s no one else. Also, the editing and formatting of collections of short stories, flash fiction and poetry will take you three or four times as long as the editing and formatting for a novel.   Overall Progress for December 17-23, 2017 New words produced: 532 Outlines and Notes: 4,434 Works completed: 0 Works edited: 1 ( 366 Days of Flash Fiction ) Covers created: 0 Works published: 0 Works submitted: 0 Competitions Entered: 0 Bloggery: 0  

Things went quiet here towards the end of last year—and that’s because things got a little busier than I expected. Here is a very brief look back at what happened in what I was counting as the third week of December.   Overall Progress for December 10-16, 2017 New words produced: 7,748 Outlines and Notes: 121 Works completed: 1 (1 YA chapter book) Works edited: 0 (began the edit on 366 Days of Flash Fiction ) Covers created: 5 ( 366 Days of Flash Fiction , The Queen’s Game , A Planet’s Ransom , In Full Flight , Welcome to the Fruit Platter for Ellie) Works published: 0 Works submitted: 0 Competitions Entered: 0 Bloggery: 5,338

Last year saw me release the first novels of two new series: the Aggie & Tams urban fantasy thriller series, and the Freeman science-fiction and fantasy series. This year, I will try to add to those series, as well as work on the fantasy series started with The Priestess, the Prince, and the Dragon . August 2017 11th Ebook cover for Freeman's Choice Print-on-demand cover for Freeman's Choice               When Lorellan Cartwright finds buying back the woman he loves an impossible task, he promptly steals her away, but escaping from the criminally minded third duke of Aristoc and reaching a place of safety are two very different things. And stealing from the duke embroils Lorellan and Megan in the politics of crime lords, long forgotten races of fantasy, aliens and interstellar law enforcement. Can they escape the tangled webs woven by others and find refuge? Or will they join the ranks of those who tried before and failed? September 2017 2

I didn't release a lot for Carlie last year, but I started a series of science fiction novels for young adults, and added another book to the Wheelchair series. This year, I will be finishing off some of the other series I've started in the chapter books, as well as adding more science fiction titles to this series, and I'm really looking forward to it. October 2017 20th   Ebook cover for Army Boots and Stilettos Print-on-Demand cover for Army Boots and Stilettos Cord thought boarding school was a long way from home—until she was chosen for a traineeship with Bluebirds Mining. After that, who knew where home might be? Or how to get back to it? Or even if she could. With her mind playing tricks on her, and her best friend in the same boat, Cord is in it, but deep. Now, all she has to do is find a way out. November 2017 19th   Ebook cover for Wheelchair Mermaid Print-on-demand cover for Wheelchair Mermaid

2017 was a pretty busy year, as I worked towards scheduling stories twelve months in advance of their release dates. These are the stand-alone titles and collections of short stories and poems I released as C.M. Simpson in 2017. January 2017 6th Ebook cover for Road Trip.   When Melange feels the pull of utter dread emanating from a road train parked at a rest stop near her home, she investigates. She had no intention of being trapped in the cab on the driver’s unexpected return, nor of being stuck in the truck when he is murdered during the first delivery. But she can’t stay there. She’s discovered the prisoners that were the source of the dread, and the trolls are coming to take them away. With time running short, she must find a way to avoid capture, and summon help, and that means getting past the troll and humans standing guard. 20th Ebook cover for Men of Sand and Light It was meant to be a surprise for Allan’s farewell, but the only person who g