Friday, 30 January 2015

Adventures in India - Progress on the Main Characters

Progress is continuing with the cover of the next Charlie Smithers. Here, in this closeup, we see that more work has been done to two of the main characters: our hero, Charlie Smithers, and the beautiful nautch dancer, Charula Khaur.

Man, I'm loving it!


Wednesday, 28 January 2015

Adventures in India - A Small Change

A small change in the cover. In order to conserve space, Charlie has been nudged over a little to the right, and turned sideways - still up front and just as large as ever. The uniform of Ram Singh, the jovial old Sikh, is perfect!


CALL FOR REVIEWS

CALL FOR REVIEWS!! Anyone interested in writing a review for my soon to be released, "Charlie Smithers: Adventures in India," please leave a comment, or send me an email at Clovatt@xplornet.ca with your email address, and the format that you would prefer.

Here's the blurb:

  "Four years after Charlie returns from Africa, having survived a charging rhinoceros, ravenous crocodiles, fierce Maasai warriors, and evil slavers (not to mention inadvertently discovering the source of the Nile,) we find him in India. Yes, that’s right, his master, Lord Brampton, accompanied by his beloved guns, appalling aim, and the ever-faithful Charlie Smithers, has decided to go adventuring again.
Unfortunately not everything goes according to plan and, in an effort to prevent a war, our hero finds himself on a madcap expedition to the reclusive kingdom of Bhutan, saving the life of the ravishing Charula Khaur along the way.
With (amongst other things) ferocious tigers, sweltering jungle, snow-packed mountains, hostile natives, and the undying gratitude of a beautiful woman, Charlie has his work cut out for him this time, as well!"


Sorry, review swappers need not apply.

Monday, 26 January 2015

Adventures in India - Filling in the Background

Today, the work on the cover for the next Charlie Smithers was largely dedicated to filling in the jungle setting of the background, and a lovely job it is too! Ram Singh, the jovial old Sikh, has yet to have the detail done to his tunic. As well, at long last, you can now clearly see the title.


Sunday, 25 January 2015

Adventures in India - Cover - A Better Idea

Here, in this partial photo, we have a much better idea of what the finished result of the cover for Charlie Smithers: Adventures in India will look like. I think we've got ourselves another winner!


Adventures in India - Adding a Bit of Colour

The cover for the next Charlie Smithers (Adventures in India) is making good progress. Here we have a scene from the opening chapter, now with colour. Artist, Peter Fussey, has added Lord Brampton in the howdah taking careful aim. Don't worry, though, he misses (he ALWAYS misses.) Also, it's now possible to make out the ruins of a temple in the background. Lovely stuff, Peter!


Tuesday, 20 January 2015

The Adventures of Charlie Smithers - A Rather Lovely Review

I've read this one so many times I think I can recite it by heart!
Thank you R. Dunbar!
Don't forget, The Adventures of Charlie Smithers is on sale for only 99 cents until the end of the month, so get your copy today! Also, keep an eye on this blog for the release of the second book of the Charlie Smithers collection: "Charlie Smithers: Adventures in India," due out in early February.


5.0 out of 5 stars A Tale of Old Fashioned Roaring Adventure. Fasten Your Seatbelt!, January 19, 2015
Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Adventures of Charlie Smithers (Kindle Edition)
"The Adventures of Charlie Smithers" has often been compared to the Harry Flashman novels, to which it compares quite favorably. It is also reminiscent of such Rider Haggard novels such as "King Solomon's Mines" and "She."
Author C. W. Lovatt has done an admirable job of recreating the atmosphere of 1850s British Colonialism. The narrative voice of Charlie, a Victorian era "gentleman's gentleman," is by turns matter of fact, cynical, and irreverent, just as one might expect from someone who served in his capacity during the era of the Empire.
The book immediately engages the reader's attention through the aforesaid narrative voice, and almost at once launches into a series of hair raising, improbable, and sometimes hilarious misadventures. The action begins with Charlie becoming separated from his "gentleman" by a stampeding rhino. Chased off a cliff by the charging beast, he lands in a river, breaking both ankles and finding himself surrounded by hungry crocodiles. From there, let it just be said that the action and adventure escalate. "The Adventures of Charlie Smithers" is great entertainment, related with great good humor. It will leave you anxious for a sequel.

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Charlie Smithers: Adventures in India - Our Hero

Charlie Smithers is back, and better than ever:


Sunday, 18 January 2015

Adventures in India - More Characters Come to Life

Here we have preliminaries of two more characters taking shape, and from opposite ends of the spectrum, too. First is Charula Khaur, the heroine:
Then we have the evil Jungpen of Poonakha:

 

Sunday, 11 January 2015

Adventures in India - Ram Singh

This is a preliminary drawing by artist, Peter Fussey, of another background character in "Charlie Smithers: Adventures in India," due out next month: Ram Singh, a jovial old Sikh. Just need to tidy up around his collar a bit, and I think we're there.


Here, this is better:







Saturday, 10 January 2015

Charlie Smithers: Adventures in India - A Partial Preliminary Sketch

This is always REALLY exciting! Here we have a preliminary sketch of what is going to be part of the background of the cover for my soon to be released novel, "Charlie Smithers: Adventures in India," and from what artist, Peter Fussey, tells me, it's just a small part. But still, to see an artist's rendering of something I've only been able to see in my imagination up to this point...well, it's difficult to describe.

It's safe to tell you that both, the elephant and tiger, survive intact.


Friday, 9 January 2015

THE ADVENTURES OF CHARLIE SMITHERS - Only 99 cents?? I'll be eating nothing but noodles for weeks!!


Yikes!! Only 99 cents until the end of the month! Clearly, my publishers have lost their minds!
http://mybook.to/tacs

THE NUMBER 1 BEST-SELLER!

Harry Flashman, step aside, old son. Make way for Charlie Smithers.

The time is the nineteenth century. The place, the Serengeti Plain, where one Charlie Smithers – faithful manservant to the arrogant bone-head, Lord Brampton (with five lines in Debrett, and a hopeless shot to boot) – becomes separated from his master during an unfortunate episode with an angry rhinoceros, thereby launching Charlie on an odyssey into Deepest Darkest Africa, and subsequently into the arms of the beautiful Loiyan…and that’s where the trouble really begins.

Maasai warriors, xenophobic locals, or evil Arab slavers, the two forbidden lovers encounter everything that the unforgiving jungle can throw at them.

"A truly engaging read that will keep anyone’s attention from the hilarious beginning until the last word. I highly recommend this 5 star novel." ~ Chapters & Chats
http://mybook.to/tacs


Thursday, 8 January 2015

THE ADVENTURES OF CHARLIE SMITHERS - NOW ON SALE

This is a first for me. I've never had one of my books go on sale before, but it seems like a steal of a deal - only 99 cents for the rest of January!




THE NUMBER 1 BEST-SELLER!

Harry Flashman, step aside, old son. Make way for Charlie Smithers.

The time is the nineteenth century. The place, the Serengeti Plain, where one Charlie Smithers – faithful manservant to the arrogant bone-head, Lord Brampton (with five lines in Debrett, and a hopeless shot to boot) – becomes separated from his master during an unfortunate episode with an angry rhinoceros, thereby launching Charlie on an odyssey into Deepest Darkest Africa, and subsequently into the arms of the beautiful Loiyan…and that’s where the trouble really begins.

Maasai warriors, xenophobic locals, or evil Arab slavers, the two forbidden lovers encounter everything that the unforgiving jungle can throw at them.

"A truly engaging read that will keep anyone’s attention from the hilarious beginning until the last word. I highly recommend this 5 star novel." ~ Chapters & Chats

http://mybook.to/tacs

The Adventures of Charlie Smithers - On Sale For the Rest of January

This is a first for me. I've never had one of my books go on sale before, but it seems like a steal of a deal - only 99 cents for the rest of January!




THE NUMBER 1 BEST-SELLER!

Harry Flashman, step aside, old son. Make way for Charlie Smithers.

The time is the nineteenth century. The place, the Serengeti Plain, where one Charlie Smithers – faithful manservant to the arrogant bone-head, Lord Brampton (with five lines in Debrett, and a hopeless shot to boot) – becomes separated from his master during an unfortunate episode with an angry rhinoceros, thereby launching Charlie on an odyssey into Deepest Darkest Africa, and subsequently into the arms of the beautiful Loiyan…and that’s where the trouble really begins.

Maasai warriors, xenophobic locals, or evil Arab slavers, the two forbidden lovers encounter everything that the unforgiving jungle can throw at them.

"A truly engaging read that will keep anyone’s attention from the hilarious beginning until the last word. I highly recommend this 5 star novel." ~ Chapters & Chats

http://mybook.to/tacs


Tuesday, 6 January 2015

Josiah Stubb - "It's never easy balancing romance and war."

Just in today. I love this review, obviously, but not just for the kudos (which have induced a rather wide grin) but also for what the title of this posts suggests. I'd never really thought about it before, but I daresay Amazon Customer is correct.
At any rate, thank you very much for the review. I'm deeply grateful.

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read., January 5, 2015
This review is from: Josiah Stubb: The Siege of Louisbourg (Kindle Edition)
It's never easy balancing romance and war. Yes, it's often tried but one or the other always takes the reins and dominates in the end.
However, this is where Josiah Stubb manages to break the mould.
Amid scenes of incest, bloody fighting, Draconian military discipline and disturbing abuses of power, we see a love story straight out of a Mills and Boon classic; and he pulls it off!
Other people have gone into the plot, but I will put down that Josiah Stubb is a well researched, gritty, hard-edged read, that manages, (as every good book should do) to warm the heart and engage the reader.
I look forward to reading more from Mr. Lovatt
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Monday, 5 January 2015

Coming Out in February - The Second Charlie Smithers

Just received this email from my publisher this morning, with regard to the second book in the Charlie Smithers series, "The Adventures of Charlie Smithers: Adventures in India":


"We're are set to kick off the new year with Charlie Smithers' second outing.  Is the version we have the most up to date or have you made any further changes?  Also, can you send suggestions for the cover and we'll ask Peter to make a start on it?  Also suggestions for updated blurb/photo/dedications etc.

We're hoping for an early Feb release.

Cheers,

Paul"

What makes this even more exciting is that I received notification within hours of finishing the rough draft for the third book in the series, "Adventures Downunder." It never rains, but it pours!

Okay, back to work. There's still loads to be done if we're going to make it by early February!