This year, for the month of April, I will be taking part in the A to Z Challenge for bloggers. The challenge is to post a blog everyday through April on a particular theme.
This year my theme will be an A to Z guide to my trilogy of novels, ‘The State Trilogy’, covering topics including the main characters, settings, themes and plotlines, as well as looking at the writing and publishing inspirations and challenges I encountered while working on them.
An overview: ‘The State Trilogy’ consists of three novels – ‘A Justified State’, ‘State Of Denial’ and ‘State Of War’ – set in an unnamed island country known only as ‘The State’, in the imagined near future. It follows the intertwining story of a number of characters, principally a State police detective named Danny Samson and an assassin, Gabriella Marino, over a period of six years. Their story begins with the assassination of an elected official and spirals into revolution and civil war. Part political thriller, action story, war story and dystopian science fiction, the trilogy took three years to complete and the books are available to read now – you can find links to purchase them HERE.
I hope you will enjoy learning a bit about them, the background to them, and my journey towards creating them. And perhaps be inspired to give them a read!
First up on Thursday April 1st will be: A is for: Assassin, Amazon, Appalachia, Archie Cancio, African Union, Architecture and Advertising
91 responses to “A- Z CHALLENGE 2021 – THEME REVEAL”
Good luck with the challenge!
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Thanks Emine, hope you are able to stop by and read some of the posts 🙂
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Congratulations on publishing your books!
I remember your A-Z short stories a few years ago, they all took place in a different European city!
Read you soon!
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Well remembered! So nice to know someone was reading and enjoying. I’ve missed A to Z since then, busy writing these books, good to be joining in again this year 🙂
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I look forward to reading about your trilogy, behind the scenes so to speak.
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Thanks so much, that’s the idea, a little guide and a bit of the writing and publishing process 🙂
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Hi Ian!
Thanks for joining my Linkup Party!
Can’t wait until April…
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Thanks Anne, me too! 🙂
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Love this idea, Iain! Looking forward to reading all about The State.
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Thanks Janet. Good to be back involved in A – Z, looking forward to reading what others are up to as well 🙂
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Oh – looking forward to it!!
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Thanks so much! 🙂
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Hari OM
Seeing it through the author’s eyes is always a good trip! YAM xx
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Thank you, hope you will be back to enjoy some of it! 🙂
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Returning to the Challenge should be sheer fun after having completed an entire trilogy! Congratulations! I look forward to visiting over the course of the month and learning more about it.
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Thanks so much, I hope you will enjoy it 🙂
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Oh wow! Your story souds great! Can’t wait to learn more about it 🙂
@JazzFeathers
The Old Shelter – Theme Reveal – The Great War
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Thanks so much – hope you will find it informative and entertaining!
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Iain, that’s a fabulous idea for a theme. Look forward to learning about your process and books.
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Thank you so much, hope you will enjoy the posts 🙂
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A look at your journey to these books sound interesting, I’ll be popping in to visit along the way. Good luck with the challenge and congrats on getting the books published!
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Thanks so much Martha, look forward to it 🙂
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It will be fun to learn more about your trilogy and the process you went through to create them.
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Thanks so much, hope you find it entertaining and informative 🙂
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Great idea Iain. Having read 1 and 2 (3 is on my must-read list!) I’m sure I’ll find this very interesting.
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Ah great, I knew you had read the first one, thanks for sticking with it! Hopefully you will enjoy reading a little bit extra about it!
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What a creative take! It’ll be interesting to learn more about your books.
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Thanks Anne, hope you will enjoy it!
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I’ll definitely be reading your posts Iain, and I’m happy to report I’ve just purchased your trilogy. Sounds great and I look forward to digging in.
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That’s fantastic Deborah, thank you so much, it’s really appreciated and do let me know what you think of the books as you read them! 🙂
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Very cool theme! I’d love if all writers did this so you’d get bonus materials and a behind-the-scenes approach to their books.
– Allison (https://lightningflashx.blogspot.com/)
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Iain,
Your book trilogy sounds like it would make an exciting movie series. The best of luck to you in April. It’s going to be a wild ride…well, it will be for me. I feel so disorganized going into the challenge this year. Thanks for dropping by learn about my theme for next month. Have an awesome day!
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Great theme and I can’t wait to follow along. Given my writing goal this year I am excited to learn about the novels themselves as well as the background and journey. As a side note, great cover images for all three novels!
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Thank you, hope you will enjoy the posts and they might provide a few hints and tips as well as interest you in the books 🙂
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Oh, and thanks – I design the covers myself too – it’s as much fun – if not more fun – than the actual writing 🙂
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Good luck, and thank you for your the efforts! Will try to stop by every day, Iain! Have a nice day! Michael
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Thanks so much Michael, always appreciate your support 🙂
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You as well, Sally! 🙂
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Iain,
I just want you to know I came by on Tuesday or Wednesday for a visit and left a comment but I’m not seeing it. You may need to check your spam folder. Sometimes WordPress does strange things like that. I remember commenting that your book trilogy sounds like it would make an exciting movie series. Best of luck to your next month in the A2Z Challenge and thanks for the visits!
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Thanks Cathy, if you know anyone who wants to buy the movie rights from me, I am willing to sell! 😉 Hope my posts will be of interest to you and maybe persuade you to give the books a read.
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I like your idea, and I’m sure it will be a good marketing tool. I know I’ll have to buy and read the books as well as your A to Z posts.
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Thanks Shirley, that’s the idea to try and drum a some interest, but also by the end it will sit on my blog as a handy guide. Hope you find it interesting 🙂
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I like your idea, and I’m sure it will be a good marketing tool. I know I’ll have to buy and read the books as well as your A to Z posts.
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Very interesting theme! I’m looking forward to learning more about your book series!
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Thanks so much 🙂
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So great that you’re back again this year Iain – looking forward to seeing what you share with us, especially having read all three.
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Thanks Debs 🙂
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This sounds like an interesting topic. I look forward to your posts and then reading your novels! 🙂
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Thanks Sascha, I know you’re an avid reader, would be very flattered if you gave my books a look 🙂
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Will do! 🙂
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Sounds like a very interesting theme, even if I’m not a writer, I will love to read your posts!
My 2021 AtoZ Reveal
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Thanks so much, I hope they will be of interest to you 🙂
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Sounds like a great way to keep your regular fans interested AND maybe pick up some new fans. I’m challenging myself to microblog about books on our Instagram channel
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Thank you, that was my thought. I enjoy doing it and would be great if I could pick up even a couple of new readers along the way 🙂
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Great theme. I look forward to getting to know your books. Thanks for visiting my theme reveal.
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Thank you, hope they will be of interest to you 🙂
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Good luck with the challenge. I’m looking forward to hearing about the experience of writing your books.
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Thanks Pamela, hope the posts will be of interest to you 🙂
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Hey Iain
This sounds great. I love behinds scenes works of art.
Looking forward to reading
Stu
Tale Spinning
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Thanks Stu, hopefully it will be of interest to you!
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Great idea for a theme and to promote your series, Iain. Looking forward to learning more about it.
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Thank you, hope it will be of some interest 🙂
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You’re welcome 🙂
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It’s always fun to learn about the story behind the story. Good luck with the Challenge.
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Thanks Carrie-Anne 🙂
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Thanks for stopping by my blog the other day. Good luck on the A to Z.
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Thanks Jamie
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Wow! Your trilogy seems quite amazing :D. And that’s quite an interesting theme for the challenge. All the best :).
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Thanks Aseem
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Good luck! Thanks for stopping by my blog.
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I see that I’ll be learning a lot of new things over here in April – looking forward! Good luck!
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Thank you 🙂
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I’m looking forward to your posts on your books.
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Thanks so much Regina
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[…] next. As we plan at least 26 stories, it’s great to know this! For the A to Z challenge Iain will write about ‘The State Trilogy’, of uprising, civil war in a dystopian political […]
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What a great opportunity to reflect on your own work everyday for 30 days! Good luck Iain, we’ll catch up in April 🙂
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Thanks so much, hope it will be of some interest to you 🙂
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Best of luck with the challenge, Iain.
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Thank you Dara 🙂
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This is such an interesting topic! I can’t wait to learn more about your books!
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Thank you, hope it will be of interest to you 🙂
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I’ll be checking you out in April
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Thanks, hope it interests you!
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Hi Iain — Interesting theme for the Challenge. I will be looking forward to it, to know more about the Trilogy.
Do drop by on my blog as well. Thanks.
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Thank you, look forward to April 🙂
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I am attempting to use the 2021 challenge to complete a novel and will be looking to your blog for inspiration in the writing craft…
https://how-would-you-know.blogspot.com/2021/03/the-big-reveal.html
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Thank you, I hope my posts will help in some small way. Good luck.
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[…] For the month of April (starting tomorrow) I will be taking part in the A-Z blogging challenge, and will be posting about my State Trilogy novels each day, including plots, themes, characters and the writing and publishing process. So if you’ve read the books, or haven’t but might be interested in them, I hope it will be of interest to some of you. My Theme Reveal post can be read HERE. […]
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I really enjoyed “A Justified State” and look forward to reading the other two books, Iain. Good idea for the Challenge!
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Thanks Brenda, hope you get the chance to enjoy them, and the posts might help to pique your interest!
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Good luck to you too. Thank you for your visit!
Deepa / HuesnShades
https://deepazworld.blogspot.com/
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