The ARCs for the Bet will be out at some point today, and the Kindle edition is due to go out on the 29th. Reader reviews will be going on Goodreads over the next couple of weeks.
This is the prequel of Charon Unguarded and tells the story of how and why all the trouble starts. This was a great deal of fun to write and I sincerely hope you all have as much fun reading it. It’s fantasy with silly bits, and Mythology lovers should enjoy it. I love mythology, but I had no intention of simply retelling popular myths. Instead, in true Homeric tradition, I had a good play with the characters of popular myths, though I have included a couple of nods toward the Odessy and Ovid.
I’d love to hear what your favourite myths and legends are in the comments.
Acknowledgements
The production of a proffessional quality book is very much a team effort and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in this project. My husband, Sean, read trough many, many drafts (not all of them good), chapter by chapter and encouraged me by chivving for more, and taking the kids to the park so I had peace and quiet to write; Michelle Dunbar and her mighty team of editors, who helped put the final polish on it, and whose input and support has beein invaluable; my poor long suffering early readers who gave me some hugely useful input for the finished draft; Sarah Anderson, my cover artist, who has captured the tone of the book so perfectly; and last but not least, the ARC reveiwers who have volunteered to read my madness and help persuade othrs to read it too.
The Next Project.
Since finishing The Bet, I have been busily outlining Charon Unfinished ready for next month. While I don’t really hold with the idea that the longer the book, the better, and I certainly don’t believe you can have a publishable book at the end of thirty days with no editorial, I have found that NaNoWriMo is the kick up the bum I need to get a really good start on the first draft. If anybody wants to be my writng buddy, you can find me here.
The Bet
Dionysus and Hermes’ ill-fated late-night swim ends in a drunken bet that puts everybody’s future in jeopardy. The outcome hangs on the choices made by one mortal emperor. Charon discovers a sense of independence and, caught in the fallout, attempts to limit the damage. But when the Fae Courts intervene, and Zeus finds his power threatened by a representation from middle management, Yahweh takes advantage of his old adversary’s lack of attention.
Will Hermes and Dionysus make good on any of their promises? Will Zeus finally take his children in hand and stop them before they cost him everything? Most importantly, will anybody stick to the rules of the bet, without trying to twist them to their advantage?
