Short Story Saturday: One of the Many

Yesterday, news broke on the Barnes & Noble website about a new anthology edited by Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane. And here's the cover...

See that 'and many more...' at the bottom? I'm one of the many, having contributed a story based on one of my favourite parts of the whole Alice mythos*. Wonderland: An Anthology is due to be published later this year, on 17th September 2019.

But twelve days before that, on 5th September, Scarlet Traces: A War of the Worlds Anthology, edited by Ian Edginton, is due to be published, and here's the cover...

See that 'AND MANY OTHERS...' at the bottom? I'm one of the many again, having also contributed a story to this particular anthology.

So if you're a fan of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The War of the Worlds, and my short fiction, then there's plenty to look forward to this September.


* If that's a thing.

Thought for the Day

"Writing is a lonely job. Having someone who believes in you makes a lot of difference."

~ Stephen King

Gamebook Friday: Alice in the Land of Nightmares

Apologies for the lack of blogage in recent weeks. The thing is I've been working on three ACE Gamebooks, one way or another - from prepping for publication, to editing and writing - as well as writing a short story for an anthology that's out this autumn, and organising Fighting Fantasy Fest 3.

In other words, I've been busy.

But I also have some good news.

Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland is coming out in a Spanish language Argentinian edition this May. In Spanish the title of the book has become Alice in the Land of Nightmares, and it is the first gamebook to be published by games company El Dragón Azul, and features awesome artwork by Maria Paolo.

So, if you're a collector, keep your eyes peeled come May!

And here's that glorious cover art in full.

Thought for the Day

"Don’t throw away books. Books aren’t clutter. They add room. They make a small space infinite. They’re not mere objects, they’re portals. You open one up and you enter a different world."

~ Matt Haig, author

Thought for the Day

"The more time you spend outlining and brainstorming before you write, the less time you'll spend rewriting. But each writer excels at different portions of the process. Find the balance of preparation to rewriting that is right for you and don't worry how other writers say to do it."

~ C. Robert Cargill

Gamebook Friday: International Women's Day

This time last year, I posted about the heroines who feature in my ACE Gamebooks, concluding:

"And then there is NEVERLAND - Here Be Monsters!, which I am currently in the process of writing, and which features not one but two heroines, the Lara Croft-esque shipwreck survivor Wendy Darling, and the Sabretooth-riding heroic hunter Tiger Lily."

Well NEVERLAND - Here Be Monsters! has now gone to print, and here's how Wendy and Tiger Lily ended up in the book.

Wendy Darling

Shipwreck Survivor, The Girl Who Lived

Oldest child of George and Mary Darling, Wendy was eighteen years old when she and the rest of her family – including her younger brothers John and Michael, and their pet dog Nana – boarded the RMS Titanic at Southampton on 10^th April 1912, for the passenger liner’s maiden voyage.

She is well-educated, well-mannered, and resourceful. While at finishing school in Switzerland, as well as learning the formal rules of etiquette and improving her French, she also learnt how to fence.

Tiger Lily

Heroic Hunter, Saviour of the Accala

Daughter of Chief Great Panther of the Accala, and therefore technically a princess, Tiger Lily nonetheless dreams of being inducted into the elite warrior brotherhood of the tribe. She is already well on her way, having raised her Sabretooth steed Fang from when he was a cub, after his mother was killed while protecting him from one of the terrible lizards that dwell on the island. She is adept at using not only her flint-headed tomahawk axe but also a spear, whilst hunting with Fang.

Tiger Lily models herself on the great Warrior Queen Lai Tai’Glaa, the legendary ruler of the Accala who supposedly first brought her people to the promontory the tribe now calls home.

NEVERLAND - Here Be Monsters! goes on general release on 1st June.

I'm in an audio drama with Charlie Higson!

The audio drama in question is Deathtrap Dungeon: The Last Champion, and we're even in a scene together!

Okay, so he has a starring role as Baron Sukumvit, and I am merely a reveller, with a blink* and you miss it cameo, but that still counts... right**?

Writer David N. Smith has done a great job of turning everyone's favourite Fighting Fantasy dungeon bash into a cohesive story, and the range of vocal talent involved - not just Charlie and myself - is incredible. I mean David Warner - yes, that David Warner from Time Bandits - plays the part of Yaztromo!

Also, Richard Fox's sound design really puts you in the depths of the labyrinth, with such iconic monsters as the Giant Scorpion and the Pit Fiend, while the opening scene with the Bloodbeast is particularly atmospheric, and sets the tone for the rest of the story.

And if you're interested, Track 14 on the CD is an interview with a certain FF author and historian.

What's even better is that Deathtrap Dungeon: The Last Champion comes as part of a four-story box-set, offering the listener over four hours of Fighting Fantasy-themed entertainment. Perfect for long car journeys! You can order yours here, and remember to tell them the Fang reveller sent you. ;-)

* But for ears.

** Does this mean I can join Equity now?

Thought for the Day