The Spy Prince Of Basadesh
The Jali Throne Book 1
by H.M. Heath

The world is at war, and Arjun’s country is falling. As the prince of Bashadesh he must risk everything to protect his people-no matter how dangerous. The plan is simple, if perilous; go undercover, infiltrate the enemy’s castle, and bring them down from within. If he’s caught, death is certain, both for himself and for his countrymen.

He soon meets the high wizard responsible for his country’s rapid decline, and everything changes. Taken into the man’s service and working undercover as his servant, Arjun is determined to do whatever it takes to win the war. But hatred battles with admiration as he slowly begins to see a different side of his enemy.

Eldrin ‘Frostfire’ Glaser is capable, driven and devilishly handsome. He’s undoubtedly at the pinnacle of his power and prestige. But he’s never met anyone like Arjun. Even in disguise, the spy prince is dazzling, an irresistible spark of light in the frigid castle he calls home.

When the two meet, sparks fly and both must question everything they thought they knew.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Writing Flow

Many authors are familiar with the idea of ‘flow’, or being ‘in the zone’, the magical, almost hypnotic feeling where the words simply come. It’s freeing, sometimes overwhelming, like turning on a tap. But it’s often a mystery how this actually happens. We seem to stumble upon it randomly, something entirely out of our control. 

However, over my nearly twenty years of writing, I have come to an understanding of flow which has been very useful for me, and I hope for you too. With the following steps, I can typically expect to write about five thousand to eight thousand words a day, without worrying about burn out. Here’s how I do it:

I have started to think of it as a spark of something divine.  

To me, it feels like being in tune with both myself and the universe. Like I can reach into a deep, hidden part of myself, pulling out the right words instinctively. The faster I can get to that feeling, the happier I am- and the better my writing is!

The first way I get there is by being grateful. I start my daily writing sessions by lighting a candle, and saying thank you to the Olympians for whatever I write that day. It doesn’t have to be perfect- there is an editing stage, but that will come later, it just has to be something. Because creativity (even if your writing is ‘bad’)  is a gift. It’s a gift to be able to have the time, the spark, and the resources to simply sit down and write. It’s important to realize this, because it makes it so much easier to just go for it, dive right in and trust your instincts. I believe that honoring that means letting go of self doubt. Of accepting where you are, and being proud of it. 

This is the second way I connect with the flow; pride. Pride, in this case, is not a sin! It’s patting your muse on the back and saying; ‘hey, good job, same time tomorrow?’ This is very difficult to balance, because ego has to be shed completely in the editing stage, still, for the flow, it’s vital. Flow is a muscle you can develop, but you can’t do that if you’re constantly lost in self doubt. That’s like kicking the flow and saying ‘you did a terrible job! Never show your face around here again’.  Instead, embrace it!

Thirdly, I have fun. That sounds very simple, but it’s not. Often we pressure ourselves into writing, feeling guilty when we don’t have enough hours in the day, or ashamed when we need a break. It’s so hard to be creative when you’re fighting that. For me, the flow is a playful being. It likes to try things, experiment, take risks, go in wild and wacky directions. That’s hard when we’re weighed down by the serious and mundane. But  by listening to that impulse, we strengthen it. Plus, it’s just fun! If you’ve enjoyed yourself in that writing session,  you haven’t wasted anything, no matter how ‘bad’ your inner editor might find it, which considerably lessens the pressure. 

Finally, I take breaks. Be gentle with yourself. Getting into flow can become easier and easier, but sometimes it just won’t happen. Sometimes we have to take a step back and breathe, trusting the flow will be back soon. 

So those are my steps to consistently finding and sustaining flow. I hope that this article was useful to you. Be grateful, be proud, have fun and be kind to yourself. Good luck! 

H. M. Heath has lived all over the world, although she hails from the UK and lives with her wife. When she’s not writing, she’s usually embroidering, gardening or playing with her cats. She studied writing at Aberystwyth university, and writes under various pseudonyms, including poetry, short stories and choose your own adventure books.

Although The Spy Prince Of Basadesh is the first book under this pen name, it’s not her first book overall. She recently received a lovely review from Review Tales for her horror book ‘Strange and Twisted Things’, praising her ability to create a forbidding atmosphere and build tension, drawing readers into a twisted world. The review called her work “both evocative and chilling,” deeming it a standout piece of literature in its genre. Her sci-fi book was also selected as a recommended read by Women Writers, Women’s Books, in December 2023. Heath has had over 100 poems published by 52 different literary groups, including Door Is a Jar Magazine, Barbar (who shortlisted her for an award), and Quail Bell Magazine.