Newsletter · December 2025
Mark J Carter — December Newsletter
A quick update from my writing desk.
Update from the writing desk
Acapulco Gold is deep in revision now, and I’m in that oddly satisfying stage where the book is structurally sound — but every scene still needs tightening, sharpening, and a final polish before it’s ready to be let loose.
I’ve just had the manuscript back from my development editor, with some really encouraging feedback overall, alongside a handful of thoughtful suggestions around pacing, logistics, and a few character reveals. Nothing fundamental — but exactly the sort of notes that make the book stronger if you take the time to do them properly. So that’s what I’m doing.
If all goes to plan, I’m hoping to share a cover reveal next month, which I’m very excited about. After that, the focus will turn to a pre-launch in February, with more details to follow once the dust settles.
More soon — and thank you, as ever, for reading and sticking with me while the book takes shape.
Recommended Read — Shadows and Secrets
Where Do I Get My Inspiration?
December is great for inspiration, because it forces everyone into a quiet reckoning.
You can feel it everywhere — people taking stock, mentally re-auditing their lives, deciding what they’ll carry into the next year and what they’ll quietly pretend never happened. Old emails resurface. Loose ends itch. Things you thought were dealt with suddenly aren’t.
That moment of mental accounting — what we keep, what we bury, what we swear we’ll sort out after Christmas — sits right at the heart of Acapulco Gold. It’s a story about the cost of unfinished business, and what happens when the past stops staying put.
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P.S. I read every message — and sometimes your replies end up sparking new stories.