In about six weeks’ time, all being well, I would have finished writing the first draft of Blood Deep. That then grants me about two months for my own self-edited rewrites before it’s due on my editor’s desk for the first time.

In the weeks that follow, the editing team will help me get the book to where it needs to be. Then comes the cover design, typesetting the book ready for publication, press releases and the invitations/requests to review. (Not that I’m giving you any furtive clues as to timescales or anything… 😉 ) And, when the time comes, I promise I’ll be working on persuading my publisher to give one reader an early copy of Blood Deep too, just as we did with Blood Torn. You’ll hear it here first!

So, what can you expect when Blood Deep does land in your hands?

The final couple

Blood Deep is about Blackthorn’s fourth and final core couple – Eden (hero) and Jessie (heroine). For those who are speculating, no, that doesn’t mean the series ends there – far from it. I can’t specify how many books will follow until they’re agreed and signed, but we’ve got a hell of a battle to come and these budding relationships aren’t going to be without their challenges as a part of that. Yes, every couple you have come to know will certainly be back – I promise!

For those of you who like Blackthorn trivia, you might be interested to know that Blood Deep was plotted around the same time as Blood Shadows. Like Blood Shadows (and all the other Blackthorn books), Blood Deep started as a short story when I was exploring the various fractions and inhabitants of this world I was creating (seventeen years ago now!). But like Kane and Caitlin, as well as Caleb and Leila, Eden and Jessie’s romance not only blossomed into the potential for a full-length book but they quickly revealed themselves as playing an intricate and fundamental role in the future of their world. (Incidentally, I always thought Jask would end up killing Phia before any romance had a chance to develop, so I’m glad those two proved me wrong! We most definitely need Phia alive and well!)

Where we’re going

So far, we’ve been inside the Third Species Control Division, vampire territory and the lycan compound. Next, in Blood Deep, we’re venturing deeper into the darkness – because it’s time to get up close and personal with the cons.

The cons are human convicts who cannot be contained by their penitentiaries, either due to their lack of co-operation or having committed crimes so heinous they’re deemed unfit for rehabilitation. On both counts, they’re abandoned to their respective locale’s impoverished core to survive for themselves. Microchipped so they can’t cross any borders beyond the core, they’re even more trapped than the third species.

If you’ve read Blood Torn, you would have already been introduced to their world. And if you’ve read chapter one of Blood Deep at the end of Blood Torn, you’ll know Eden has just arrived in the “con capital” of our locale – the south side of Blackthorn.

Unwanted residents

Unfortunately for all concerned, having cons reside in Blackthorn (or any other core) wasn’t part of the promise the third species were given back when the regulations were first set up some eighty years before. The third species were promised a district of their own whilst the Global Council deduced whether they were safe to mingle with humans. But instead of sticking to that, less than two decades later, Blackthorn became an overflow for the penitentiary across the border in Lowtown. With cons loathing the third species and the third species loathing them, the former resolved to keep as much distance as possible, taking the unclaimed south side and developing a culture all of their own.

The scariest place in Blackthorn?

Vampires and lycans are scary, but so are humans. To be honest, I’d opt for Caleb’s dungeon any day over stepping into con territory! Caleb is often deemed our darkest hero to date but at least he has a moral code (albeit concealed at times). As you would have seen from the opening chapter of Blood Deep, many of the cons have none. You may be wondering how I’m creating a hero out of that. As with all my heroes, it’s probably best to keep an open mind.

So, with me deeming the south side the scariest place in Blackthorn, expect your latest instalment to be rooted in the dark, dark side of romance. But I promise, it will be a romance all the same! I can also assure you that, as with Blood Torn, more loose ends will be tied up as the overall picture – currently spread all over my study floor – continues to fall into place.

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I’ll have more Blood Deep news in a while. Until then, I’ll be sharing some personal insights into creating the previous three couples. In the meantime, if you have any questions, especially if you’re new to the series, or would like to see a particular blog post, please always feel free to ask! A lot of these blog posts come out of reader queries – that’s what they’re here for.

Have a great week!