Book 23: One Minute More is being proofed, and should be out later this month. I don’t have an exact date, as I’m not sure how long it will take to review and tweak after it comes back from the proofer.
Sorry it’s taken so long, but the good news is that it’s by far the longest book I’ve ever written. I probably should have split it into two (and when you read it, you’ll notice the really obvious breakpoint halfway through), but in a slight departure, this book focuses entirely on Maggs Espoir. We met her, through the letters she left for her husband, in Book 22.
This story began as a prologue to a novel that continued directly from Book 22, with Sholto setting out to explore the Pacific Northwest. Maggs’s journey was supposed to be a brief introduction to a few important locations and critical characters where it didn’t seem plausible for Sholto to stop to ask them who they are and why they were… well, doing what they’re doing. When the prologue hit ten thousand words, I decided to make it the first part of the book. When it hit sixty thousand, I realised it had to be a novel in its own right.
We also finally meet Grandpa Jack, the patriarch of the family Kim lodged with during her semester abroad in Oregon. From the moment Kim told Bill about this part of her life, I’d wanted to include Jack and his family in the series. When it became clear they were going to cross the Atlantic, it seemed inevitable that Jack would appear, but it took a few more books than expected for his appearance to become plausible.
At its heart, this story is still a prologue to Sholto’s upcoming journey, featuring the places he will visit, the people he will meet, and those he must overcome. But it is also a story of friendship, a tale of boundless love and petty tyranny, the importance of hope, and the danger of despair.
Synopsis
Were they the last people alive? With each kilometre travelled, Maggs Espoir is increasingly certain the answer is yes. In the aftermath of the outbreak, most people barricaded themselves at home or fled to somewhere remote. Maggs and her husband, Etienne, went to work, ensuring a steady supply of electricity to Quebec and beyond. When the mushroom clouds rose above Montreal, the lights finally went out, and Maggs and Etienne were separated. In the year since, Maggs hasn’t stopped searching for her husband or given up hope that he’s still alive.
Between bandits, plagues, and the ever-present undead, Maggs and her small community are forced to flee one refuge after another. As civilisation fades into memory, the roads become increasingly treacherous. Strangers are more likely to offer a gunshot than a welcome. Medicines run out. Food runs scarce. Only the undead endure.
As the long winter finally comes to an end, her community is forced to accept that they might be among the very last survivors in North America, if not the world. For some, this realisation brings despair. Others see the increasing division as an opportunity for power. With factionalism rising, Maggs is tempted to strike out on her own until the chance sighting of a plane suggests they aren’t alone after all. A plane means more than just survivors. It means a runway, a fuel supply, and enough food security that some people can be spared from farming. And it means that if this fragment of civilisation survived the evacuation, then perhaps her husband survived, too.
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It’s quite a vague synopsis, I know, but I didn’t want to say anything that would spoil the ending of Book 22. Apologies.
Because this was supposed to only be a prologue, I’ve already got an outline for Book 24 (and a solid first three chapters) so I’m hoping for an early autumn release.
Bearing in mind my recent health issues, and annoyingly conscious of my own mortality, I’m aiming to wrap up all the current storylines. This current strand, that includes Maggs and Etienne, will provide something of a conclusion for Bill, Kim, and Sholto. (probably two books.) Chester and Eamonn are then going to visit Australia (probably one book) and then we’re returning to England with Tuck (I’m going to skip to the end of the pilgrimage story, because I’d really like to write something set in the UK). As all of these stories were originally just parts of Books 23 and 24 (a draft of which I wrote last year), I’m confident that I can get them released in a more timely fashion, and will be focusing solely on these.
That’s not to say there won’t be more books after that. Eamonn’s about to become a journalist (well, working in an orphanage never really suited him and Greta, and she would make for a great apocalyptic media baron), we’ve still not met Clemmie, and though Corrie appears in Book 24, I’m next to certain there won’t be space to catch up with Pete and Olivia. However, after Tuck’s adventure, it’ll be easier to write the stories as standalone tales. And for fear of giving away the multi-book planet-crossing plot I’ve worked out, I’ll say no more.
I am working on some other stories, and I may publish those along the way. Annoyingly, my old laptop inflated like a balloon. (Apparently this is a thing that can happen to laptops) I lost everything that hadn’t been published to date, including all my unpublished Strike a Match stories. I thought I’d backed everything up, but I must have been using iCloud wrong. Urgh. So it goes. On which note, I should probably back up everything I was working on this morning. (2 chapters, set in the Tube tunnels beneath the Shard.)
I hope you’re well. Take care, Frank :)