The rumour is that my editor has been reading my edits on WE ARE THE DEAD this weekend. I'm really nervous about what he thinks. I'm keeping my fingers crossed he likes it. Apparently I'll be getting the cover brief this week too. Crazy stuff.

Someone wonderful might also be drawing a map of the world for me. I've always been a bit hot and cold about maps. I know people love them but I've never done more than glance at one myself and I don't think you need one necessarily in a book for it to make sense. I did however draw one for myself just to help me in the writing. I needed to know roughly where places were and how long it would take characters to get from A to B.

This is my version. I'm super excited to see what comes back...

Done. Finished for now. No more red lines. No more questioning every little word. Only new stuff now. Hurrah.

The other great news is the debate over book titles is over. The book is officially called WE ARE THE DEAD (The Last War Book 1) and will be out in May 2019. I am so so happy about that.

The title actually came from a poem from World War I called In Flanders Fields by John McCrae.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

There's lots of themes in the book but this poem captures the spirit of it all.