What would you like to know?

Is there anything about Christmas or the festive season that you would like the answer to? Perhaps it's some tradition that you've always followed or some curious fact you've been told but were never sure about. Well here's your chance to have that question answered.

Simply reply to this post or email me at whatismyrrh@hotmail.co.uk and I'll do my best to answer it for you. I look forward to receiving your questions soon.

Dom and Danny Do Christmas - the morning after

As any regular reader of this blog will know, I was on the radio yesterday along with Dom Joly and Danny Wallace.

Now being busy people on Christmas Day, you quite possibly missed it or - as in the case of the Green family - couldn't hear it over the inordinate amounts of noise produced by over-excited children. Now if that's the case, have no fear for Dom and Danny Do Christmas is available for download via Radio 5 Live's Listen Again facility. Simply follow this link to access the site.

But in the meantime why not enjoy the sight of Dom Joly in an inflatable Santa suit partaking in a not-so Silent Night?

Season's Greetings!

Merry Christmas!

Yes, Christmas Day is here at last, and hopefully some of you are waking up this morning to find that Father Christmas has left you a copy of What is Myrrh Anyway? in your stocking!

I hope you all have a wonderful day and remember you can listen to me, Dom Joly and Danny Wallace deconstructing the midwinter feast on Radio 5 Live from 12 noon.

So we keep the olden greeting
With its meaning deep and true,
And wish a merrie Christmas
And a happy New Year to you.

(Old English saying)

Promoting What is Myrrh Anyway? - or - Musicial Studios

I spent the morning taking part in a number of radio interviews at Western House (the home of Radio 2). This involved me sitting in a small studio by myself, in front of a microphone, with a set of headphones on, waiting for various radio show hosts to talk to me and carry out their interviews. Some were live, some pre-recorded.

Me in Studio GB

However, due to the way in which studios have to be booked by the half hour, and the fact that (at least technically) several slots overlapped, I had to move from one studio to the next and back again. Not that it mattered - I was the only one in!

Me in Studio GC

But I have nonetheless been suitably quizzed and (think) I acquitted myself fairly well. If you heard me on the radio at all - or you have a Christmas question you'd like answered - why not drop me a line?

Oh, and Happy Christmas Eve Eve.

As welcome as a warm glass of mulled wine on a wintry night

This is what December's edition of The Good Book Guide has to say about What is Myrrh Anyway?

'As welcome as a warm glass of mulled wine on a wintry night, Green's guide to Christmas enhances the pleasures of the festive season, offering a witty cornucopia of Christmas facts and folklore.'

What is Myrrh Anyway? on your radio - again!

Just a few more upcoming radio 'appearances' to update you on this evening. In addition to those mentioned in my comprehensive blog of Thursday, you will also be able to hear me in the run up to Christmas on BBC Radio Three Counties, BBC Midwest Radio, BBC Warwickshire & Coventry (that's a definite now), BBC Radio Cumbria, BBC Radio Southern Counties and BBC Radio Stoke.

Don't say I didn't warn you!

Christmas Past

There's more news from Abaddon Books of a vaguely festive nature. However, what's probably of most interest to readers of this blog is that the fourth Pax Britannia novel (and the third featuring dandy adventurer Ulysses Quicksilver) is all ready for a January release. And what's more, Human Nature comes complete with an original novella, especially commissioned for the festive season, entitled Christmas Past.

As if that wasn't enough to to save you from those post-Christmas blues, you can also meet me on 9 January 2009 at the Shaftsbury Avenue Forbidden Planet store in London, where I will be signing copies of Human nature from 6.00pm to 7.00pm. Maybe I'll see you there.

What is Myrrh Anyway? in the Sunday Post

Should a 37 year-old man really be seen by the public looking like this? What was I thinking?

This morning I find myself asking if there's anything I won't do to promote What is Myrrh Anyway? To find out what I was doing, allowing myself to be photographed in this condition, click here.

What is Myrrh Anyway? on your radio

With Christmas Day now only a week away, I've been busy promoting my book What is Myrrh Anyway? hoping to cash in on some of those last minute panic purchases. As well as there being items in the press, I've been interviewed for various radio stations up and down the country.

This morning I was on air live for Graham Torrington's show on BBC Radio Bristol and this afternoon I've already been on Pat Marsh's show for BBC Kent. I should also be on Drivetime on BBC Leeds this evening. (I pre-recorded that interview this morning!)

Next week you should hear me on TalkSPORT Radio with Adrian Goldberg, BBC Radio Three Counties, BBC West Midlands, BBC Newcastle, Highland Radio, BBC Radio York, BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio Southern Counties, BBC Radio Shropshire, BBC Radio Stoke, BBC Radio Manchester and BBC Radio Warwickshire & Coventry.

It's all a bit manic, and at the moment it rather feels like I'm going to be popping up in almost as many places as Father Christmas this year, so you'll hardly be able to miss me. And then, of course, I'm going to be on air on Christmas Day for Dom and Danny Do Christmas.

And on Boxing Day... I'm going to be putting my feet up!

What is Myrrh Anyway? update

Thought I'd pass on a few links to articles that have appeared recently in the national press regarding What is Myrrh Anyway?

First there was a piece in the Glasgow Daily Record yesterday by Samantha Booth about the book, which you can read here, and in the Daily Star, on the same day, there was this piece by James Moore. (Be warned - this is the Daily Star we're talking about. Apparently, even Danielle Lloyd was impressed. I didn't even know she'd read the book!)

I also got a mention in Dom Joly's column in the Independent on Sunday, as 'man... who'd written a book called What is Myrrh Anyway?' following the recording of Dom and Danny Do Christmas for Radio 5 Live a few weeks ago. For more on that particularly unusual festive experience, follow this link.

Buy now in time for Christmas!

Don't forget, there's still time to buy your own signed copy of What is Myrrh Anyway? through this very website.

These hard-to-come-by signed copies only cost £6.00 each, and post and packing is free!

If you would like to purchase one of these future collector's items, simply email me at whatismyrrh@hotmail.co.uk, and I'll let you know how to proceed.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Get your own signed copy of What is Myrrh Anyway?

What would make the perfect Christmas gift for the man or woman in your life who has everything (or the sibling, parent, family friend... for that matter)? Why a signed copy of What is Myrrh Anyway? of course.

I have a few signed copies of the book available for discerning customers. They cost £6.00 each and post and packing is free.

If you would like to purchase one of these hard to come by collector's items, simply email me at whatismyrrh@hotmail.co.uk, and I'll let you know how to proceed.

A writer writes

That was the simple, straightforward advice given to any would-be writers by Tony Jordan (EastEnders, Hustle) on this week's edition of Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe.

Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe is brilliant. That fact is not up for discussion. Brooker (a screenwriter himself with the recent Dead Set) is rude, downright offensive, acerbic in his comments on television, and painfully funny. This latest edition of Screenwipe was off the scale of brilliant-ness.


Okay, so I'm going a little over the top here, but for a struggling writer it filled me with renewed confidence and enthusiasm. Hearing Graham Linehan (Father Ted, The IT Crowd), Paul Abbott (Shameless, State of Play), Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain (Peep Show), Tony Jordan and the incomparable Russel T Davies (Doctor Who - as if you needed reminding) talk about the process of writing was fascinating and filled me with hope. For one thing, it's always good to know it's not just you who has problem X, Y and Z. Writing is a lonely profession, so it's always good to hear from other writers about how they deal with the day-to-day challenges of the job.


If you have any aspirations to be a writer yourself, you should check the programme out for yourself. It was a fascinating insight into what it means to be a writer and was full to overflowing with good advice. There was (of course) the fact that you have to repeatedly re-write to be a writer, you have to be able to finish something and that the harder it is, the better the outcome - probably.


And it was amazing how many of the writers featured hate the process of actually writing (at least the first draft of something) and will procrastinate like an eight year-old not wanting to do his homework. Tony Jordan put it very well. 'I hate writing. I love having written.'


I particularly liked Graham Linehan's comments about 'feeding the subconscious' and the analogy that 'writing is like having a poo'. So do check it out but this blog's younger viewers should be aware that there is strong language used throughout.


I'll leave you with comment paraphrased by Tony Jordan. 'Writing's easy. All you have to do is stare at a blank piece of paper until your forehead bleeds.'


And on that note, if I want to call myself a writer, I'd better go off and write something. Conqueror Worm awaits.

JG Forbidden Planet Pax Britannia signing

The book's in and edited, it's gone off to the printers and the news has been made public, so I can now tell you that I will be signing copies of my latest Pax Britannia novel from Abaddon Books, Human Nature, at the Forbidden Planet megastore - 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London - on Friday 9 January, from 6.00pm - 7.00pm.

Come along and say hello, find out what I've got planned for the future of Pax Britannia, and get your copy of this brand new steampunk thriller signed by yours truly or, if you can't make it, order your signed copy now by following this link.

I look forward to seeing you there.

JG's Top Ten at the Book Depository

If you were asked, 'What are your Top Ten books?' what would your answer be?

Well, you can find out what I said over at The Book Depository, when I was asked, as part of the whole promotional machine for my latest book What is Myrrh Anyway?

Meet Radio 5 Live's Christmologist - at Acton Christmas Fair

I will be at Acton Christmas Fair, this Saturday, 6 December, from 11.00am until 6.00pm, selling and signing copies of my book, What is Myrrh Anyway? Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Christmas.

I will also be happy to (try to) answer your Christmas questions. And you can hear me doing just that on Christmas Day, at midday, on Radio 5 Live's Dom and Danny Do Christmas.

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So, maybe I'll see you there.

Dom and Danny (and me) Do Christmas

I spent a rather surreal afternoon yesterday, enjoying an early Christmas in the company of Dom Joly and Danny Wallace.


I was at BBC Bush House for the recording of Dom and Danny Do Christmas for Radio 5 Live in my capacity as a Christmologist (or expert on Christmas, for the uninitiated) having written What is Myrrh Anyway? Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Christmas.

It was an afternoon of mirth, merriment and mayhem, spent in the company of a couple of comics and included a live phone call from Roy Wood of Wizard fame and the arrival of a proper a capella choir.

Highlights included the call to Major Reddish of NORAD, who is responsible for tracking Santa as he flies around the world on Christmas Eve and the moment when Dom Joly forced me into eating a mince pie, and breaking the law at the same time. (You'll have to listen for yourself to find out what that was all about.)

And then there was the moment when we were told that it was the choir who sang on the Darkness's 'Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)' who were coming into the studio. I said, 'Oh, from Haberdasher Askes' and Dom Joly turned to me, with a look of amazement, and said, 'You really do know everything about Christmas!'

Dom and Danny Do Christmas will be broadcast at 12 noon on Christmas day on Radio 5 Live and will also be available online via the BBC's listen again facility, but in the meantime, here's some music...

The What is Myrrh Anyway? Advent Calendar

As I'm sure you already know, the period of four weeks leading up to Christmas is called Advent and in many households the days left until Christmas are counted down with the aid of an Advent calendar. But how did such a tradition come about?

Well, What is Myrrh Anyway? has all the answers, along with facts about Christmas turkey, Twelfth Night, mince pies and cracker pulling.

And during the month of December, the What is Myrrh Anyway? blog will have an alternative Advent calendar. Rather than opening a door every day to reveal a chocolate, if you log on each day you'll find a new Christmas-related post or festive fact.

So add the blog to your list of favourites and I'll see you there tomorrow...

The Ghost of Christmas Past

Has finally been laid to rest. Confused? Well don't be.

Today I finished writing Christmas Past, the exclusive short story that will appear at the back of Human Nature, my next novel from Abaddon Books. It's a traditional festive tale of murder, mystery and mayhem and features, of course, dandy agent of the Crown, Ulysses Quicksilver.

And what's even more exciting is the fact that Human Nature can now go off to the printers and be out in time for a Pax Britannia book-signing at the Forbidden Planet store in London. I will of course update you regarding this event, via this blog, as and when I details have been finalised.

So, watch this space.

Ealing 135 Group Christmas Fair

Apologies for the late notice on this one, but I shall be appearing at the Ealing 135 Group Christmas Fair this evening.

The event is being held in the Victoria Hall at Ealing Town Hall, Uxbridge Road, London, and runs from 8.00pm - 10.00pm.

As well as me, selling and signing copies of What is Myrrh Anyway?, my brand new book which answers all your questions about the festive season, you will also find a fabulous and unusual range of gifts and products, mostly hand-made. There's jewellery, hand-made baby clothes, toys, bags, ceramics, photo albums, home produce and loads more.

Mince pies and mulled wine will be available and there will also be a raffle, with all proceeds going to charity.

Entry is £1.00.

News from Abaddon

The front page of the Abaddon Books website has been updated and features both Human Nature and Evolution Expects.

There's also exciting news from the Abaddon blog that 12 titles have already been commissioned for release next year, which is four more than this year!

So, if you're a fan of The Afterblight Chronicles, Tomes of the Dead, Twilight of Kerberos or Pax Britannia, 2009 is the year you've been waiting for!

The perfect Christmas gifts!

Struggling to think of a suitable gift for the armchair genius in your home? Then why not have them testing the little grey cells on Christmas Day with a copy of the ever-popular Match Wits with the Kids?

And then, for the festively-minded there's What is Myrrh Anyway? which answers all the questions you've ever wanted to ask about the Christmas season, and some you haven't.

For the science fiction and fantasy fan in your family, why not try the Pax Britannia steampunk-action-adventure novels Unnatural History and Leviathan Rising?

And if you're looking for stocking fillers for the kids, you could do a lot worse than get them a few gamebooks - The Horror of Howling Hill, Howl of the Werewolf, Bloodbones, Curse of the Mummy, Spellbreaker - which will keep them occupied while you're getting Christmas dinner on the go. Or even Go, Go Crazy For Those Bones, for the younger GoGo's fan.

Close encounters of a Dalek kind

Today - Sunday 23 November 1963 - is the 45th anniversary of the first ever airing of the first ever episode of Doctor Who!

And yesterday I took part in Doctor Who Day at Ealing Library, selling and signing copies of my Doctor Who Decide Your Destiny book The Horror of Howling Hill. Author Nick Griffiths was also there to talk about his book Dalek I Loved You and we were both upstaged by the presence of Dalek Kaan himself!

JG ready and eager to sign!

I had a close encounter with the Gold Dalek from the Cult of Skaro myself. The alien menace approached my table announcing, 'I detect books about the Doctor. The Doctor is the enemy of the Daleks.' And then started trashing my stock with its sink plunger. However, as soon as I turned my digital imaging recorder (my camera) on the monster, it was instantly subdued, screeching, 'Cheeeese!'

Close encounters of a Dalek kind.

(In a rather more surreal moment, later on in the day, I found myself enjoying a hot chocolate in the company of the Doctor's nemesis.)

So, all that remains is for me to say a big THANK YOU to Linda, Jane, Joyce and Christine of Ealing Library for having me along and making me feel so welcome, and of course to Dalek Kaan.

'Cheeeese!'

Doctor Who Day at Ealing Library

Just to remind you... I will be at Ealing Central Library tomorrow, Saturday 22 November, taking part in their Doctor Who Day, selling and signing copies of my Doctor Who Decide Your Destiny book The Horror of Howling Hill.

(Did you know, over 100,000 Doctor Who Decide Your Destiny titles have been sold so far?)

I will also have copies of my new Christmas book What is Myrrh Anyway? available to buy.

You'll be able to meet a Dalek at 10.00am-12.00pm and 2.00pm-4.00pm, and also at 2.00pm author Nick Griffiths will be talking about his book Dalek I Loved You. There will be games, quizzes, and competitions to take part in as well.

So maybe I'll see you there...

Acton Christmas Fair

Just to let you know, I will be taking part in the Acton Christmas Fair, on Saturday 6 December, from 11.00am until 6.00pm, selling and signing copies of my book, What is Myrrh Anyway?

If you happen to be in West London for the day (or don't live too far away) why not pop over to Acton Town Hall and say 'Hi!' or 'Merry Christmas!' or whatever else takes your fancy?

As well as a personal appearance by yours truly, as you browse the many market stalls, looking to make a start on your Christmas shopping with the all the arts, crafts and one-off quirky Christmas gifts (as well as more traditional holiday treats) that are on offer, you will be entertained by various choirs, carol singers, bands and buskers.
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So why not come along? Maybe I'll see you there.

Have you got yours yet?

Just like the perfect Christmas stocking, What is Myrrh Anyway? contains all manner of delightful surprises and delicious morsels of information. It demystifies the origins of Christmas and uncovers the truth behind such familiar festive traditions as carol-singing and cards.


If you've ever wondered how to cook the perfect roast turkey, what mince pies should really taste like, or why you are forced to endure the cross-dressing antics of a traditional pantomime every year, then simply open this Christmas cracker of a book and discover the answers to all those questions you've been too afraid - or embarrassed - to ask.

Zombies, zombies and more zombies... and a little Pax Britannia thrown in there too.

Yes, it's time to update you on all the news from Abaddon Books. Click here to find out more.

Thought for the day...

Anyone who says they have only one life to live must not know how to read a book. ~ Author Unknown

Evolution Expects - the cover revealed

And a nasty piece of work it is too. Here, see for yourself...

Of course, when I say it's a nasty piece of work, I mean it's another fantastic piece of work from esteemed Abaddon artist Mark Harrison, but even I have to admit that the cover image is rather... well... unpleasant.

But that's nothing compared to what Mark's wife thought of it - and then my wife pointed out that I was the one who had come up with the image in the first place!

To find out more about the poor tortured soul who appears on the cover of Evolution Expects, you'll have to wait until April 2009, I'm afraid, when the fifth book in the Pax Britannia series will be released in the UK (the US release date is still to be confirmed).

And for those of you who've been paying attention to earlier posts, here's Mark's concept rough for the final cover design.

Whitby welcomes Gothic guests

If you have a thing for Dracula (or vampires in general), or you're what might be termed as a Goth, or you're even just a fan of the North Yorkshire fishing town of Whitby, you might be interested to know that this weekend is Whitby Gothic Weekend.

Having visited Whitby a couple of times myself, I know how much Dracula-themed stuff is available there on a daily basis and the place is certainly something of a Mecca for fans of Bram Stoker's eponymous blood-sucker, so God-only-knows what it's like at the feast of Halloween.

The reason I mention this event in particular, however, is because two-thirds of Human Nature (my latest Pax Britannia adventure, out in December) is set in and around Whitby. The majority of places mentioned in the book also exist in real life, so if you can't get there this weekend, why not wait until the book's out and then check out the locations mentioned in the novel? And yes, there are a couple of nods to Stoker's Dracula, of course.

Where the magic happens

This week I travelled up to Oxford to meet with the guys at Abaddon Books to talk about all things Pax Britannian. I had a good chat with editor Jon Oliver during which we discussed the next Ulysses Quicksilver novella, and story arcs for the next (censored!) books in the series. We also met with head honcho Jason Kingsley and talked about a possible Pax Britannia (censored!)! It was an inspiring conversation indeed.

Where the magic happens

While I was in Oxford I also took the opportunity to do a little research for the story I'm going to be writing next - yes, I do research my books, you know - which took me to the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. If you've not been, you really should. It's an incredible building with some interesting exhibits, including one all about the Oxford Dodo. And even better than that, it is attached to the Pitt Rivers Museum (although that part closed until 2009 for refurbishment, as I only discovered when I got there on the day).

The main exhibition hall of the OUMNH, with a statue of the Prince Consort in view, along with the skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus Rex

What is Myrrh Anyway? hits the streets

As any regular reader of this blog will know, I have been busy promoting What is Myrrh Anyway? of late, but I'm not the only one.

I have to say a huge thank you to Mat Cooper for doing the same thing in and around Sheffield. On Monday morning he visited bookshops, libraries and art galleries asking staff if they would take some of the Moo MiniCards I have had made up to promote the book.

I hear that the staff of the Orchard Square branch of Waterstone's in Sheffield were particularly helpful. When Mat whipped out a copy of the book the kind gentleman on duty recognised it as recent stock, took a bundle of the cards and went to the actual area where the book was on sale to distribute the cards where readers would be looking.

So, thanks again to Mat and if anyone else would like to do the same thing in and around their area, drop me a line via this blog. And you will receive a gift in kind for your efforts. I am a great believer in the adage 'If you scratch my back...'

Here's Mat holding some of my MiniCards and his signed copy of What is Myrrh Anyway?

Warhammer 40K Giveaway!

Fans of Warhammer 40,000 fiction might be interested to know that the website Fantasy Book Critic is giving away signed copies of Dan Abnett's latest blockbuster Titanicus, and Graham McNeill's The Killing Ground, the fourth novel to feature Ultramarine captain Uriel Ventris.

Titanicus by Dan Abnett

When the vital forge world of Orestes comes under attack by a legion of Chaos Titans, the planet is forced to appeal for help. Titan Legio Invicta, although fresh from combat and in desperate need of refit and repair, responds, committing its own force of war engines to the battle. As the god-machines stride to war, the world trembles, for the devastation they unleash could destroy the very world they have pledged to save.Savage Titan action on an apocalyptic scale and dark political intrigue meet head-on in this Warhammer 40,000 epic…

The Killing Ground by Graham McNeill

Having escaped from the Eye of Terror, Uriel Ventris and Pasanius now face an epic journey through a hostile universe in their quest to get home to Ultramar to safety and redemption. “The Killing Ground” picks up where "Dead Sky, Black Sun" leaves off…

To give yourself a chance of winning these two highly collectible items, click here.

My Myrrh Moo Minicards

Having been hard at work on a novel for the last six weeks, I'm now taking some time to work at the other side of the writing business, as it were - that of self-promotion. Such is the lot of a freelancer; you have to learn to blow your own trumpet pretty fast if you don't want your latest publication to sink without trace among the other 399 new books published in Britain alone every day! Hence the renewed vigorous blogging and the latest promotional item I've had made up - Moo MiniCards, to help promote What is Myrrh Anyway?

Moo MiniCards are great. They come printed with an image on one side and six lines of text on the other. In my case, that's enough space to entice someone to look at the card with an intriguing question on one side along with the details of my latest book on the other. I'm going to make sure I've got a box of my minicards with me everywhere I go, so that I can hassle coffee shops, bookshops, and perhaps even libraries, to see if they wouldn't mind me leaving a handful around the place, on tables, by the till, wherever.

So, keep an eye out and you might just be able to snap one up for yourself.

Ben Crystal and Shakespeare on Toast

Ben Crystal is an actor and a writer with a thing for Shakespeare. Now I know that probably doesn't narrow it down very much, but he's also the author of Shakespeare on Toast, which is published by Icon Books.

His reason for writing it? In his own words: "I wrote Shakespeare on Toast because I became aware of too many people who think Shakespeare is dull, or boring, or inaccessible, and who don’t want to read books that ‘bluff’ your way into the plays. Toast doesn’t do that. It makes Shakespeare's writing accessible, without dumbing it all down."

You can find out more about the book and Ben himself at the book's website. You can also hear (and see) Ben talk about Shakespeare on Toast at Meet the Author. And currently over at The Book Depository you can find out what he rates as his top ten books.

So why not take a look and find out more for yourself?

21 and counting...

Back in 1992 I was commissioned to write my first book, a Fighting Fantasy adventure gamebook entitled Spellbreaker. Last week I finished writing my twenty-first book, a steampunk science fiction horror thriller called Human Nature.

In between I have written everything from Sonic the Hedgehog and Doctor Who books for children to factual books for adults. The entire list reads something like this.

1. Spellbreaker (1993)
2. Knights of Doom (1994)
3. Curse of the Mummy (1995)
4. Theme Park Panic (1995)
5. Stormin' Sonic (1996)
6. Go Gos Are Go Go! (1997)
7. The Dead and the Damned (2002)
8. Crusade for Armageddon (2003)
9. Magestorm (2004)
10. Iron Hands (2004)
11. Necromancer (2005)
12. Conquest of Armageddon (2005)
13. Bloodbones (2006)
14. Unnatural History (2007)
15. Howl of the Werewolf (2007)
16. Leviathan Rising (2008)
17. The Horror of Howling Hill (2008)
18. Match Wits with the Kids: A Little Learning for All the Family (2008)
19. Go, Go Crazy For Those Bones (2008)
20. What is Myrrh Anyway? (2008)
21. Human Nature (2008)

Next up is...

22. Evolution Expects (2009)

... and there are more to come after that.

Expect the unexpected

Having put Human Nature to bed, I'm now preparing to get started on my tenth - yes, tenth! - novel, the fourth of Ulysses Quicksilver's Pax Britannia adventures and the culmination of the first story arc. (Yes, there is a master plan behind the whole thing!)

And it's not only me who's been getting ready for the next alternative history Victorian-esque action thriller; ace Abaddon cover artist Mark Harrison has as well. He's produced four cover roughs for the next book Evolution Expects (out April 2009), featuring three very different characters from the book.

The powers that be at Abaddon Books and myself have mulled over Mark's designs, throwing ideas back and forth, and have settled on one, but I won't say which one just yet. However, I can give you a glimpse of each of the four cover concepts. (Mark's comments spoken by the various characters had me in stitches!)

On top of that, Mark has produced a concept sketch for one of the characters from the book which is phenomenal - good enough to be a cover all by itself, as it stands! And in time I hope to reveal more here, but again, not just yet.

In the meantime, it's certainly going to help me when it comes to having some visual reference when I come to write the relevant sections of the book.

So cheers, Mark!

Important note: Abaddon Books, the Pax Britannia setting, all text and artwork from the novels are © & ™ Rebellion A/S and reproduced here with kind permission.