THE CLEANER, THE CAT & THE SPACE STATION: the self-publishing journey continues…

Last time I talked about the non-fiction books providing inspiration for my novel. But what about fiction? Well, here are some much-loved volumes from the bookshelf in my living room. All of these have played their part in shaping The Cleaner, the Cat & the Space Station. One of the most entertaining bits of research was tracing back the old Welsh stories. Nennius’ History of the Britons first appeared around 833!

I made good progress on the self-publishing front last week. I received my ISBN numbers (more exciting than you’d think), set up my accounts for the new business venture (even less exciting than you’d think) – and, after a conveniently timed ‘Writing Your Own Blurb Workshop’ from the most excellent Jericho Writers, I put together my Amazon book description.

I’ve been promising to tell you what the book's about, so here you are:

The Cleaner, the Cat & the Space Station

A heart-warming adventure featuring a sparklingly diverse cast and some shape-shifting space demons.

Nineteen-year-old orphan Hanna has survived the five years since she left Ethiopia for London by working illegally as a cleaner. But when tragedy strikes, her life almost comes to an abrupt end. Help arrives in a surprising form and Hanna is warmly welcomed into an unconventional new family: a school for human recruits to the Shantivira, the alien space station which secretly protects the Earth from extra-terrestrial invasion.

Lucy, an automotive engineer from Shrewsbury, is riding on Dartmoor when a strange being appears out of the mist and offers her the chance to train as a pilot on the Shantivira. Unnerved, Lucy’s instinct is to refuse. But then she’s approached by representatives of an organisation claiming the Shantivira’s motives are more sinister, and they persuade her to become their spy.

As Hanna and Lucy each discover more about the Shantivira and the aliens behind it, they must examine their loyalties and make the right decisions to protect their respective loved ones – and the Earth.

This imaginative blend of fantasy and science fiction explores the gap between our society in the twenty-first century and what it needs to become – if we want to still be here in the thirty-first century. A must-read for fans of Celtic folklore, Tolkien, Ursula Le Guin, Nnedi Okorafor, Douglas Adams and Doctor Who.

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There is an additional sub-plot which introduces the storyline for the sequel. I’ve left it out of the Amazon book description to avoid confusion, but here’s a little taster, just for you:

Joe is bored. Being the captain of the Shantivira isn’t the challenge he’d hoped it would be. And although he believes his fellow humans ought to be informed about the existence of aliens, he can’t see how to do this without causing global mayhem. Then one day, a stray asteroid takes the decision out of his hands…

Joe, my Welsh action hero, is a favourite of everyone who has read the book so far. Along with Hanna, he’s the classic example of a strong character taking on a life of their own and not behaving as the author expects. Part of the reason I write is to find out what he’ll get up to next. It’s his fault I’m learning Welsh – I want to know what he actually says in his telepathic conversations with his shape-shifting alien wife, and not just make do with the English translation. I’m nosy like that.

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Next time: I’ll be revealing the awesome cover Patrick Knowles came up with. It’s so beautiful, I pull it up on my screen several times a day, just for the joy it brings me.

I’ll also tell you how to get your hands on an advance copy of The Cleaner, the Cat & the Space Station – for FREE!