A fact so strange it could only be French
“1,000 grams of sugar and only one litre of water?” I ask my uncle-in-law. “Surely, that will be too sweet?” “No, no!” he said in his Frencher-than-French accent. “I mean, oui oui, yes, but you can add a sherry to counter the sweetness.” (By “sherry,” he means “cherry,” by the way.) “Ah, I see.” I […]
The one thing I hate doing alone
Outside of movies, dinners, and vacations, there isn’t much I don’t enjoy doing alone. I swear, I’m an extrovert…. NOT! 😉 However, there is ONE thing I do hate doing alone, and it has nothing to do with leisurely experiences. That thing? Making decisions. But just so there’s no mistake here: I’m not talking about […]
The Great Betrayal FAQs
As it’s the day after The Great Betrayal’s release, I figured, let’s focus this week’s #AskWatson on addressing some questions you may or may not have about it. If you’re yet to bag yourself a digital copy of Book #5 of The Divided Region, you can make good of that mistake here: 😉 https://djjwatsonstore.com/products/The-Great-Betrayal Question […]
OUT NOW – The Great Betrayal
It’s release day! 🥳 That means no more teasing… No more talking about a book you cannot read… And no more waiting at the edge of your seat for the 31st of May to arrive. This is a day some of you have been waiting for quite a long time, given One True King was […]
Book reveal inside
Only 24 hours. That’s how long we have left until The Great Betrayal, Book #5 of The Divided Region, is sent out into the world. But you know me… I’M A TEASE. So, in the spirit of anticipation, here’s the cover AND blurb for the fifth instalment: https://djjwatsonstore.com/TGB-Book-Reveal See you tomorrow. DJJW
Why you should re-read books
… A good book, that is. There are plenty of duds floating around in the marketplace, which — before the social book warriors pick up their pitchforks — of course, is subjective. There is no shortage of readers who haven’t enjoyed my musings over the years. But for the sake of semantics, let’s just go […]
It’s time I came out of the closet
There's this rumour (I mean, "fact") spreading across social media like wildfire that one of the great telltale signs that something was written by ChatGPT is the utter abuse of emojis and em dashes (—). Of course, I almost spat out my coffee when I read this. Not only am I a self-recovering addict of […]
Will The Great Betrayal launch with audiobook?
A curious reader wrote in to ask if The Great Betrayal will be launching in audiobook as well as e-book. It’s a valid question, and one I am sure others are keen to learn. The short answer is no. The slightly longer answer is: It WILL come not long after its release. Instead of simply […]
Lady Laura is divorcing me
… From the bedroom, that is. (Not that kind of bedroom, you filthy animals.) No, we haven’t had a spat grave enough to warrant actual separation, nor has sleep deprivation completely frayed every thread of our commitment. The simple reason is far more selfless… YOU. With The Great Betrayal nearing its publication (Saturday, my children) […]
A snarker writes in… (#AskWatson)
As I write this email, my lower back is stiffer than Queen Elizabeth II after what has been an intense week of butt-in-chair. I fear that if it wasn’t for my standing desk, I might have stayed there and rotted. Alas, enough gloomspeak. We’ve got an #AskWatson segment to enjoy! 🥳 For new recruits, this […]
My two-part caffeine cocktail
Not even ten years ago, I used to detest coffee and energy drinks. These days, I not only consume them… I DEPEND ON THEM. Master Liam might be one summer old, but even now, he barely sleeps longer than 1-2 hours at a time, which, as you can imagine, has had some pretty crippling effects […]
Ryan Cahill’s reply to his haters
Ryan Cahill, author of the hugely successful fantasy series, The Bound and The Broken, recently put out a tweet about negative reviews. It was in response to a spate of 3-star ratings he supposedly received on his latest monster of a tome, Of Empires and Dust, which currently sits at a staggering 1,500 reviews. Not […]
When your own books throw a curveball
I used to think I was the one in charge when I sat down to write. The grand architect. The puppet master. The Overlord of the entire damn narrative. I’d wrestle with plot points, nudge characters into impossible situations, and dictate the rise and fall of the story arc. And just when I thought I […]
Forbidden Forest readers will love this
As I comb through The Great Betrayal a final time, I am reminded just how much of the story takes place in the Forbidden Forest. For those uninitiated with Estos, this is a vast, wild, and unruly expanse of woodland that not even the sun can penetrate. It also serves as a natural barrier between […]
Debunking the greatest author myth
Ask several people what comes to mind when they think of an author, and most responses will probably fall somewhere like this: “They love to spend all their time reading and writing.” For some authors, this might be true. But to assume all authors are this way is a grossly misconstrued notion romanticised by Hollywood […]
Is Kindle Unlimited killing fiction?
I got done listening to a podcast between two young writers who talked about all things marketing, which happens to be a topic close to my heart. They were exploring the channels available to authors, the formats worth pursuing, pricing, etc., and it wasn’t long before they stumbled upon the dreaded… KINDLE UNLIMITED. I say […]
I scolded a fan, and I liked it
Welcome to yet another segment of #AskWatson. The only time of the week I invite my horde of loyal Legionnaires to share the questions keeping them up at night. It could be about my books… The wicked ways I choose to publish… Questions about my personal life, beliefs, values… or the copious nights I drank […]
My microstory just went viral
Well, sort of. In the first 24 hours alone, it has accrued over 13,000 plays, 1,500 likes, 80 comments, 130 shares, and 125 saves on TikTok. “Look, Mum, I made it,” comes to mind.🤢 Needless to say, hello to all the new Liegelings who have discovered our little conclave because of that video. I’ve since […]
Just heard back from my proofreader 😐
A short one today as I’m knee-deep in audiobook production and have a dirty nappy (diaper, for my American brothers and sisters) to address: I’ve just received word from my proofreader that she intends to get The Great Betrayal back to me by Friday, which will give me the weekend to review the destruction wielded […]
My uncle weighs in on AI writing
"That's cheating," he said to me as the restaurant garden hummed with conversations near and far. I took a swig of my double Jack Daniels, pausing while I digested his statement. Using AI to write the first draft of his book was not up for negotiation. Even though my uncle isn't a writer, and wouldn’t […]