The days are getting shorter and British Summer Time has come to an end – we are firmly in the grey part of the year.

What I’ve been working on

I finished off a couple of projects from September: the developmental edit of a high-fantasy epic and the copy-edit of a YA urban fantasy. Then I took on my first proofread for a few months – this was a poetry and prose collection inspired by the American Old West – and the copy-edit of a dystopian British fantasy novel. I will have two projects to take me into November: the copy-edit of a Scottish historical novel and the developmental edit of the second book in an epic fantasy series.

What I read for fun

This month’s book club pick was You Killed Me First by John Marrs. It’s certainly a wild ride, and Margot is one of the most outrageous characters I’ve ever encountered. I have some reservations about using mental health conditions as ‘twists’ in thrillers, and without wishing to divulge a major spoiler here, I do wonder whether one particular disorder is used too often.

Looking ahead

Oscar (the Black Cat HQ resident cat) will be having some medical investigations in November, so I may have a few half days to attend appointments, etc.