Demons: A Clash of Steel Anthology - available now!

After a very long gestation period, the Clash of Steel short story collection Demons is at last available for purchase.

It's over a year since I wrote my contribution to the collection - a fantasy story called The Pact - and it's great to see it in print at last.

This collection also marks the first time in a long time that C L Werner (he of Warhammer fame) and I have both appeared in the same publication. His story - Bodyguard of the Dead - appears earlier in the anthology.

So don't delay - pick up your copy today!

The Abaddon Books podcast Pax Britannia special

The July Abaddon/Solaris podcast is now available on iTunes and much of it is dedicated to the Pax Britannia series. Al Ewing and myself were interviewed by Jon Oliver and we even did a Jackanory-style session. There's also an interview with Scott Andrews and Jenni Hill talks to Rebecca Levene about the Cold Warriors series, so there really is something for everyone this month!

But be warned, for when Al Ewing is allowed to speak.... Well, just be warned.

Blood Royal at Edi's Book Lighthouse

Edi's Book Lighthouse has shone the spotlight on Blood Royal and has some very nice things to say about the book and the Pax Britannia series as a whole. You can read the review for yourself here.

Night of the Necromancer - book review

There's another great review here of Night of the Necromancer. The only downer is that despite having read and enjoyed the book, the reviewer is under the delusion that, "The fertile imaginations of Steve Jackson & Ian Livingstone have come up with yet another complex and demanding gamebook".

Hmmm... I think you'll find it was written by me.

Night of the Necromancer & Howl of the Werewolf - feel the love!

I stumbled across another great review of Night of the Necromancer the other day. You can check it out for yourself here, or order the book from here.

And then there are some great

comments here about one of my other FF adventures, Howl of the Werewolf. Howl of the Werewolf is coming out in a brand new edition this autumn, which you can pre-order here.

I Write Like...

Well, not me, apparently.

I went to this website and entered the text of my latest Pax Britannia novel Blood Royal and was told that...

I write like
Mario Puzo

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

However, when I entered the text of Night of the Necromancer, I received this response...

I write like
James Joyce

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

When I entered the text of my most recent non-fiction book Scottish Miscellany, I got this...

I write like
James Joyce

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

... again, but my short story White Rabbit (which appears in Blood Royal) produced this...

I write like
H. P. Lovecraft

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Now how cool is that?

Bizarrely, the text for my next Black Library Warhammer 40K short story resulted in this...

I write like
P. G. Wodehouse

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Who'd've thought it?

The less said about my last published 40K short The Relic, the better...

I write like
Dan Brown

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Scottish Miscellany - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland the Brave

Watch the new promotional video for Scottish Miscellany - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland the Brave, here at the dedicated Scottish Miscellany blog.

Blood Royal at Falcata Times

The guys over at Falcata Times have been bigging up the Pax Britannia series again, this time with a great review of the latest edition to the series Blood Royal.

Blood Royal is out now and remember, Al

Ewing's superb Gods of Manhattan is coming soon as well!

33 Launch Party

Next Wednesday sees the official launch of 33, a collection of stories all about London from Glasshouse Books - one for each of its 33 boroughs, see? And my story cover the borough of Richmond.

The event is open to all and free to all, so I might just see you there, Wednesday 14 July.

Howl of the Werewolf

Howl of the Werewolf has been reviewed here along with a number of other werewolf stories. And it hasn't fared too badly either, as you can read here for yourself:

This article reviews some of the best werewolf stories in recent years. Top of the pile will have to be Howl of the Werewolf, a fighting fantasy gamebook and adventure by Jonathan Green. Howl of the Werewolf could actually be considered as a collection of short stories in which you control how the story unfolds. Essentially you start off being in this land called Lupravia, where you start off being the target of a pack of wolves.

Lupravia is a land of werebeasts, and full of danger everywhere. You end up killing the Black Wolf that attack you. However, a change starts unfolding in you. An animal rage begins to surface in you. Your knuckles seem to be getting sharper...... your eyebrows become more protrusive and hairy. A kind hearted woodsmith explains the change in you is due to lycanthropy and you are slowly turning into the beast whom you have slayed.

The only solution is to travel across Lupravia to the source of the curse, the Arch-Lycanthrope, the werewolf who started it all. Can you survive the journey across to the castle and overcome this arch enemy? Or will you succumb to the perils of the land of Lupravia? Will you surrender your will to the werewolf that is attempting to take over your body?

Blood Royal - the first review

Blood Royal's been out for a couple of weeks now and today I came across a review of the book for the first time - and very pleasing it was too.

As a huge fan of Jonathan's Pax Britannia series (although I missed the last outing) I really can't wait to get my teeth into a modern Victoriana Steampunk world where anything can happen. There's tons of action, a wonderful turn of phrase and a principle protagonist that is technically a modern Flashheart to the masses. Great fun and backed up with a cracking overall story arc that really does make this series my favourite from Abaddon.

I've you've not yet read Blood Royal for yourself, you can pick up a copy here.

Night of the Necromancer - some kind words

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, this year I attended the UK Games Expo in Birmingham as part of the Fighting Fantasy crew. I was there mainly to promote Night of the Necromancer and Bloodbones. The stand next to the FF one had been taken by the guys from Warrior Elite, creators of War Unleashed.

Well the other day Ash (from Warrior Elite) dropped me a line with some kind words about Night of the Necromancer which he picked up whilst at the event, which I'd like to share with you now.

I just wanted to say that I recently played through Night of the Necromancer and enjoyed it thoroughly. I thought it was written in a style very evocative of the Fighting Fantasy range, and I particularly liked that on 'dying' you get a chance to continue the adventure.

I know that one doesn't always get much feedback so I thought I'd let you know.

So my thanks to Ash, and to all of you, I say, check out Warrior Elite's website here.

Scottish Miscellany on Facebook

My new non-fiction book, Scottish Miscellany - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland the Brave, now has its own Facebook page.

Follow this link to find it and then why not become a fan?

Happy Independence Day!

Happy 4th July!

But did you know that nine governors of the original 13 American states were Scots?

Senate Resolution 155, passed on 20 March 1998, referred to the predominance of Scots among the Founding Fathers and claimed that the American Declaration of Independence was modelled on the Declaration of Arbroath, an eloquent appeal for the recognition of Scottish independence

and sovereignty, signed on 6 April 1320.

Scottish Miscellany has gone off to the printers now, so for a wealth of fascinating facts, like the one above, pre-order your copy now!

Visit to Four Marks School, Alton

A couple of weeks ago I was invited to talk about Fighting Fantasy gamebooks at Four Marks School in Alton, Hampshire. I duly went along on a Friday morning for meet with Years 4-6 and lead them through the process of creating a Fighting Fantasy adventure.

The children's role was crucial in this. They ended up not only deciding what the adventure was called but created the monsters that appeared within it as well. They then each generated a character and went on the adventure.

The children at Four Marks taking part in my Fighting Fantasy writing workshop

It was great spending time talking to the children at Four Marks and their enthusiasm inspired me. They came up with some great monster names too! And then last week I received an email with thank you letters attached from some of the children.

So it just remains for me to say a big thank you to all those children who attended, and wrote thanks you letters, as well as the staff - especially Mrs Hammond, the school's literacy coordinator - and Claire of the Little Green Dragon Bookshop who provided numerous copies of Bloodbones and Night of the Necromancer for the children to buy.

Hopefully I'll be going back to the school for another visit in the future and, after the warm welcome I received last time, it's certainly one I'll look forward to.

If you would like me to visit your school, to talk about Fighting Fantasy or any of my other writing work, please don't hesitate in dropping me a line, via a comment on this post.

Fragments - The Art of Tony Hough

Artist Tony Hough (who illustrated two of my Fighting Fantasy gamebooks - Knights of Doom and Bloodbones) has a book of his work coming out. The Knights of Doom cover is in there along with numerous illustrations from Bloodbones.

If you're a fan of Tony's work (and let's face it, if you've read Bloodbones then you surely must be) follow this link to order yourself a copy of Fragments - The Fantasy Art of Tony Hough.