Author Guest Post with Jordan Harcourt-Hughes – Bitroux: High Country

If Merouac ever thought his life’s work would culminate in leading the metal workshops of the Transcontinental Railroad Project, he was sorely mistaken.

Welcome to one of the January 20th stops on the blog tour for Bitroux: High Country by Jordan Harcourt-Hughes with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, more guest posts, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.

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Author Guest Post

The magic recipe: 5 things to consider when setting out on a creative project

No matter if it’s creating a garden, making a painting, getting through your reading list, writing a novel or learning a new skill, personal creative projects have a lot to offer. They can be wonderful opportunities to experiment, learn about something new and grow your own capabilities. Here are ten things to consider as you set out on your new adventure!

1. Go big if you want – but small is good, too
One of the lovely things about personal creative projects is that you get to decide EVERYTHING! So, think about size and scope. Small projects can be just as successful – possibly even more successful than large, sprawling projects. So, as you set out, think about the size and scope of your ambitions – and remember, projects can grow as you go – so leave a bit of room for the project to change and evolve as you progress.

2. You’re in the driver’s seat – so make it meaningful to you!
We spend a lot of time in life giving our time and energy to our existing obligations, commitments and relationships. Creative projects are different – they are a way to spend blissful moments doing something fun, meaningful and joyful – so make sure you spend a bit of time thinking about why you want to do this thing. Then, if you know what you want to get out of it, you’ll also be more likely to stick to it and see it through to the end.

3. Diarise!
Creative projects need time to happen. And even though we can be generous in our own minds when we think about how much time we’ll be able to give to this thing, the reality of life is that it can be really busy! New things are always coming up, things take longer than planned, and unexpected things happen! So, it can be helpful to make space in your calendar or diary– be intentional about setting time aside during the week to dedicate to your project. It could be half an hour, a few hours – it’s up to you.

4. Claim your space – literally!
Whatever creative project you’ve dreamed up, it’s likely that you need somewhere to do it. If you have a reading list to get through, you’ll want to ensure your cosy corner has everything you need. If it’s a work of fiction, you’ll likely need a writing desk that’s clean and inviting, and if you’re making art, you’ll need a space to spread out and play. Claiming a space to do your creative work in is a really great way to allow your project to be a living, breathing part of your world. And seeing that space looking fresh, inviting and clean will make you even more excited to spend time on it – so get to it!

5. Use what you have
It’s always exciting to go shopping. Of course. And creative supplies are a supremely fun thing to dream about, and plan for, and buy. But they can also set early expectations for your project that might make you feel some pressure to deliver. So, when you are starting out on a new creative project, try and use whatever you have to hand – at least to begin with. This works on a few levels – firstly, you are taking the opportunity to recycle, up-cycle or be inventive with the things you already have, and this can feel good from a sustainability perspective as much as anything.

It also takes the pressure of having to ‘deliver’. In the early stages, what is more useful is for us to use our imaginations, test and experiment with ideas, and just practice getting stuck in. And that can easily be done on the cheap.

About the Book

Bitroux: High Country
by Jordan Harcourt-Hughes

Published 19 January 2025
Digital Jazz Communications

Genre: Science Fiction
Page Count: 269
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

If Merouac ever thought his life’s work would culminate in leading the metal workshops of the Transcontinental Railroad Project, he was sorely mistaken.

Now, his true challenge lies in navigating the other-worldly abilities he’s only beginning to understand—abilities that allow him to tune metal to interdimensional frequencies.

While trying to be a guardian to his niece, Evra, he’s realising she may have more to teach him than he ever expected. At the same time, his decision to help an interdimensional race find refuge underground puts him at the centre of an even deeper mystery.

As reality reshapes itself around him, Merouac faces a growing realisation: the world of Ahm is on the brink of a profound transformation, and everything he thought he knew may soon be shattered.

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Excerpt

The two men were slow moving, graceful, each with a high mohawk of golden straw-like hair, and heavily decorated with neck jewels. The neck-ware was gnarled, twisted, fibrous, fragments of plant stems dried and interwoven with beads and fresh flowers, trussed with other leaves and organic material, and embedded with strange jewels that seemed to glow and fade, changing colours across a spectrum of blues to greens and then back to blues.

Tundra inclined his head, made a small gesture and a bow.   

‘He greets you,’ Kii translated. ‘Tundra does not speak very much, and so I’ll translate for him.’  

‘How do you know what he wants to say, then?’ Merouac asked.  

‘I can see it, or sense it, in the atmosphere,’ Kii explained.  

Merouac watched in surprise as the Tundra gestured again, imparting information through the aether which Kii seemed to easily recieve and decipher. 

Tundra then eased himself into a crouching position and cleared a patch of grass. He shook his head and determined it would not suit, and looked for a sandy patch. He moved over to another, more suitable, patch of ground and beckoned the other two to join him. He went through the same process of clearing the ground, and then used his fingers to trace lines into the sand. He was silent as he did so, but then looked at Kii expectantly, and Kii nodded.  

‘Tundra said you did the right thing with the race that was escaping their imploding planet. They are safe, and they will rest in the core of Ahm now. Tundra was just drawing a map for me, to show me where they are.’  

Merouac felt a shock run through him. ‘How does Tundra know about the Helara?’ he asked Kii.   

‘There are things that can be seen in the energetic environment. He is able to perceive the place where the Helara now rest. It is under the power grid, deep below Suron. There is a cave network, and catacombs with very deep canyons. Below those canyons, this is where you found a place for the Helara to enter the core of the planet. It was the right thing to do,’ Kii said, translating as he watched Tundra’s fingers work in the sand.   

About the Author

Jordan Harcourt-Hughes  is an abstract painter, writer and communications professional. She’s passionate about all aspects of creativity, life-long learning and personal wellbeing.  Over the last fifteen years she’s led, coached and developed creative professionals across the Asia-Pacific region. 

Jordan’s books, studio workshops, courses, coaching and resources are an invitation to explore the rich landscape of creative experiences open to all.

High Country is Jordan’s second novel set in the world of Bitroux.

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