End of Year Message
Dear readers and friends,
Well, that’s another year and another book. I knew I was taking a chance by writing and publishing a book in a different genre. The world (and many people in it) don’t like change, and I was advised that it might not be a good idea to stray out of my lane. Probably good advice. However, as a creative I’m always keen to challenge myself. When I was lucky enough to get my first publishing deal back in 2007, I certainly never said I was only ever going to write one kind of book. That’s just not me. And, after writing Lancelot and Camelot, two very big, very ‘involved’ novels, I needed a change. Needed a new wind in my sails. I’d always wanted to write a snowy thriller and now was the time. The actual writing of Where Blood Runs Cold was indeed a challenge. For one thing, I’d never written a contemporary story. For another, could I hold the reader’s interest with a tiny cast of characters and very limited location choices? Could I maintain the tension and keep readers turning the pages whilst also allowing for those quiet moments and uncovering the heart and soul of the story? Could I tone down the descriptive, lyrical prose of my Arthurian books because, well, thrillers are meant to come in at around 80,000 words (Lancelot is over 200,000 words), and people just want the pages to fly by. And yet, I love to explore the language, the symbolism, and themes, and I wanted this tale to have layers, like snow falling on snow, so that the reader can dig… if they wish to. Hmm… I guess you’ll have to decide whether I succeeded on those points. I can tell you that I LOVED writing it, and as far as I’m concerned that makes the enterprise worthwhile. Life is too short to sit there day in, day out, struggling through the writing of a novel you don’t really want to write. I’m not that much of a professional yet! For me, writing a novel is excruciatingly hard work, so I don’t undertake it lightly.
When ‘Where Blood Runs Cold’ was published in February, despite copies being hard to get hold of it became THE TIMES’ Thriller of the Month. It was favourably reviewed in the major newspapers, and it won the international Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize. I’m happy with that. I think the gamble paid off. Furthermore, I hope to be able to share news about a screen adaptation soon, so stay tuned for that. If you’ve read Where Blood Runs Cold, or bought a copy for someone, or left a positive review somewhere, thank you very much indeed. Without you, I couldn’t do it. Simple as that.
So, what next? Well, I’m currently writing the third in The Arthurian Series. The book is called Arthur and will be published in 2024. Interestingly, it has a different feel and structure to both Lancelot and Camelot, and I wonder if that’s the influence of Where Blood Runs Cold. It will be a stand-alone novel, whilst of course sitting alongside the other two. It feels strange that I won’t be publishing a book in 2023, and I’m sorry if that’s disappointing. But when I look at the challenges currently facing the publishing industry, I almost feel relieved that I won’t have a book coming out next year. It’s tough out there! Hard to get your book into shops, hard to get people to know you even have a book out, hard to get anyone to buy it! So, a year to build in other areas, I think, whilst working on Arthur of course. And I won’t be sitting around twiddling my thumbs, I can assure you. I’m still busy writing for Norse, a strategy and combat game for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. More about that soon, but I’ve been so impressed by the talent, professionalism, and dedication of the entire team at Arctic Hazard game studio. The effort that goes into creating a game like this is absolutely staggering. No release date yet, but rest assured Norse is going to kick ass like Thor at a giant slaying competition.
As well as working with my creative collaborator Philip Stevens on Norse, he and I are also writing the screenplay of my novella, Hellmouth. We came up with this historical horror story always intending to adapt it for screen, and we hope we’re getting closer to making that a terrifying reality! After many years of writing my novels alone in a room, it’s such fun working with Phil, practicing bawdy Viking game dialogue over Facetime, or coming up with hellish demons and Medieval mayhem for our film. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like work at all, and I’m up for that.
I have several other plates spinning of course, including other screen projects, the Black Floki graphic novel, the TV adaptation of Lancelot, an idea for another psychological action-adventure thriller (I’ll have to speak to my publisher about that!), but more on those as they progress. It really is a marathon, not a sprint. Nobody knocks on your door and says ‘I want to make a film of your book. It’s gonna be great!’ Or, ‘give us your best idea and we’ll publish it and get it in every store.’ At least, that hasn’t been my experience. You must write and pitch and push and push… and push. Nothing good comes easy.
As ever, I’m grateful to my editor and publisher, my literary and screen agents, those producers who’ve snapped up the options to my books, my collaborators, and of course to all of you who’ve picked up my stories and made them your own. It’s a kind of magic, and it’s powerful stuff, but it only works if we all give of ourselves. When we read a book, we must tap into our emotions, our empathy, and our experiences. We must explore ourselves and choose to ‘go there’ if the words on the page are to resonate. You only get out what you put in, as the old saying goes. So, let’s keep putting in.
I guess that’s all for now, folks. I wish you good health, good times, and stories in the coming year. We still have far to go, you and I.
Giles Kristian. December 31, 2022
