The week before Christmas, and I'm about to wrap up On Jacaranda Street - the second novel in my Jack & Bea mystery trilogy (more about that soon). It has taken me seven months to write it, and it's been written in bursts because I have been doing so much editing.
I thought it would be interesting to have a look at the novels and non-fiction pieces I've edited throughout 2021, as well as manuscript evaluations. I've enjoyed them all for various reasons, even the raunchy romance novels (not a genre I typically read). There are some wonderful writers out there. So, let's have a sneak peek.
- I edited two YA novels in a series - an action/adventure centred around the quest to find the nails used in Jesus's crucifixion. Full of demons and wizardry.
- a Canadian novel about an ordinary man who works with horses, but struggles as the world changes around him and the horse is no longer a mode of transport. The narrative spans the 1920s to the 1990s.
- a heart-warming magical realism novel about an 82-year-old man who finds himself drawn to a magical character. A story of discovery and enlightenment.
- a YA fantasy novel about four noble families who find themselves in an empire without an heir to the throne. Battle and intrigue!
- an Aussie crime novel set in Sydney, 1920s.
- two romance novels: one was raunchy and somewhat reminiscent of 50 Shades of Grey, and the other involved a fledgling romance between a doctor and nurse.
- a sci-fi novel set in the year 2739 amid a global calamity; and a YA zombie novel.
- a novel about one man's fight to exonerate a woman wrongfully accused of murder. Set against the backdrop of political and judicial corruption.
- 8 poetry collections.
- 15 children's books - everything from elves at the North Pole to enchanted cats and treasure hunts.
- non-fiction - a procurement manual; a memoir that looks at one woman's experience with native Australian plants over thirty years; and an Aussie's thrilling adventures in the Pacific as a pilot.
- and in manuscript evaluations the standout was a thriller about a young police detective in Boston and his older (and cranky) partner who investigate who (or what) is behind a string of gruesome murders.
Thankfully, I like editing a lot because the above is not the complete list, and I've had to edit using British, Australian, Canadian, and American English. Not to mention using style manuals ranging from the Chicago Manual of Style to the Australian Government Style Manual.
I've enjoyed the range of genres and at least three books I'll be buying for my personal library because I loved them so much. Each author broke The Rules - some writers were 'telling' and not 'showing'; some didn't have command of the point of view, so were 'head-hopping'; or there were writers whose book was too dialogue-heavy or went off on tangents that didn't help move the story forward.
Yet, it showed me what a tremendous amount of writing talent is out there, and I hope I helped the authors achieve the book of their dreams. Everyone has a book in them, right?! Maybe you do, too.