Blutmunth

Translated into English, it literally means “blood month” or, in the context of the book, “the month of blood”. The saga, which has ten parts (cut down from the original twelve) centres on ten years in the life of Ceaucescu Turner, a magic user, serving in his country's militia. The series is to be called “The Mageslayer Saga”, seeing Ceau ends up killing a few of them during the series.

Blutmunth is an ancient curse, which periodically resurfaces in the form of some malevolency and generally results in a large loss of life. In the opening part of the saga, it has manifested itself into a local rebellion, where a motley collection of criminals, thugs and discontented youth, led by a rich spoilt brat, and aided by armies from two of the continents' disenfranchised elder race, attacks Unsworth (town flag pictured left, with the motto "strength through unity"), a large country city in the North West of the Shaunovan empire. Ceau, naturally, is caught up right in the middle of it, whilst coming to terms with the break-up from his first girlfriend, Jayne. However, unbeknownst to him, not only is he a key part of the curse, but he's also an important part in Shaunovan's future as well.

This book has been through the process of two (costly) edits, and has already been rejected by a number of literary agents and publishers in Australia. The general feedback has basically been that they didn't think the book would sell in the Australian market. (Which is why I sent my last submission overseas, but without a better result.) My editor absolutely loved it, calling it “a fully realised and executed novel, with an extensive, clear and comprehensive world within a number of characters pursue their objectives” and in some e-mails favourably compared it to Lord of the Rings. (Well, when she saw the second part of the trilogy she immediately thought of my book, seeing I tend to go into quite some detail for my battle scenes.)

Have I given up on it? Nope. It is just on hold for the time being, whilst I'm focusing on uni, that and I'm hoping that once my current collaborative project (tentatively entitled “Feudball”) takes off, I'll have a better chance of getting this one off the ground. Besides, I have spent way too much time and effort in completing Blutmunth. It would be shame not to carry it through and get it published, seeing I've already started the second and sixth instalments, and have the entire series mapped out with some extensive background notes for the world and some of the main characters as well.

Regardless of whatever project of mine takes off first, this book will be dedicated to my mother and father, both of them having passed away during the tweleve years it took for me to finish it.