Gamebook Friday: Halloween Sale Now On!

This Halloween, you can get selected ACE Gamebooks and RPGs for just 99p! 

To find out more, check on the ACE Gamebooks Roleplay page over on DriveThruRPG.

The Howl of the Werewolf heard in Finland

Howl of the Werewolf, my fifth Fighting Fantasy gamebook, is published today for the first time in Finnish, by Epic Ermine. Just in time for Halloween.

Only a fool would willingly enter Lupravia, a bleak realm of hungry predators. But you're on your way there because you have no other choice. 

You have been the target of a giant wolf's rage and now you feel strange powers growing inside you. The werewolf's curse will turn you into a beast among beasts unless you find a cure before the next full moon.

Will you be able to save yourself in a land ruled by darkness, where everyone trembles at the sound of the werewolf's chilling howl?

In this book, YOU are the hero. All you need is a pencil and an eraser - and you're ready for adventure. You decide which route you take, which creatures you fight, and which deadly trials to undertake. This gamified, interactive book will captivate even those who are otherwise not interested in reading. The book has enough alternative storylines for multiple playthroughs. And the book's stunning illustrations are by world-renowned artist Martin McKenna.

With the publication of Ihmissuden Kirous, Howl of the Werewolf is now available in six different languages - English, Portuguese, French, Spanish, Danish, and Finnish.

If you are a Finnish fan of Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, or a hardcore collector, you can pick up a copy of Ihmissuden Kirous here.

Gamebook Friday: Spooky Halloween Reads

It's Halloween on Tuesday, so now seems like the perfect time to remind you of my various horror-related reads that you can enjoy at this time of year.

First of all there is the ultimate horror ACE Gamebook, Dracula: Curse of the Vampire.

1897 ~ In the wolf-haunted Carpathian Mountains, a young solicitor, Jonathan Harker, travels to an isolated castle to assist a mysterious Count with purchasing a number of properties in England. But what he witnesses there drives him to the edge of madness…

Meanwhile, in Whitby, Harker’s fiancée, Mina Murray, visits her dear friend Lucy Westenra. But during her stay, Lucy is attacked and becomes seriously ill…

In London, Lucy’s suitor and physician, Dr John Seward, becomes preoccupied with the case of a certain Mr Renfield, an inmate at his lunatic asylum, who seeks to collect lives for his master, having not long returned from a trip to Transylvania…

And so, the pieces for the game are set. For they are all pawns in a plan devised centuries ago by the Voivode of Wallachia, Vlad Tepes, a cruel tyrant whom history remembers as ‘the Son of the Devil,’ his bloodthirsty deeds having earned him another name…

Dracula.

And then there is my Cthulhu Mythos novella, The Serpent's Egg, and my ghost story, The Doll's House, both of which are available as audiobooks.

Spooky Season Sale Now On!

It's October, which these days also seems to be known as Spooky Season. So, it seemed like a a good time to run a sale of my two RPGs.

HEOROT - Roleplaying in the World of Beowulf Beastslayer is my mythic Viking RPG, inspired by a certain gamebook, while 'TWAS - The Roleplaying Game Before Christmas is the perfect pick-up-and-play RPG for experienced gamers and newbies alike. And I'm pleased to say that they're both DriveThruRPG bestsellers.

The PDFs of both these RPGs are on sale for just £5.00 each, as are these 'TWAS supplements.

Don't delay and grab a bargain today!

Dracula: Klątwa wampira

Today is the Day of the Dead, so it seems rather appropriate that Dracula: Klątwa wampira - which is Polish for Dracula: Curse of the Vampire - is out today from Muduko in Poland.

There is evil lurking in the fear-filled Carpathians...

Take the fight to the legendary Count Dracula, or take on the role of the terrifying Prince of Darkness himself. It's up to you whether the story will follow the tracks of Bram Stoker's novel, or whether the whole world will plunge into darkness under the rule of an accursed ruler.

W przepełnionych grozą Karpatach czai się zło, któremu musisz stawić czoło…

Wraz z Łowcami Wampirów podejmij walkę, by powstrzymać legendarnego Hrabiego Draculę albo wciel się w samego przerażającego Księcia Ciemności. To od Ciebie zależy, czy historia potoczy się torami znanymi z powieści Brama Stokera, czy Anglia, a potem cały świat pogrąży się w mroku pod rządami przeklętego władcy.

If you are a Polish speaker, or a collector of ACE Gamebooks, you can pick up your copy here.

Dracula is back!

When Dracula - Curse of the Vampire was published last year, the response to the sixth ACE Gamebook was massive. So massive, in fact, that it completely sold out of its initial print run.

I'm delighted to be able to report that, as of today, Dracula - Curse of the Vampire is available once again, now in a print on demand edition from Amazon. And this one has cover quotes!

Over 160,000 words, spread out over 1,000 sections, you can play as the Vampire-Hunters Jonathan Harker, Mina Murray, and Doctor Seward, or you can play as the vampire Count Dracula himself.

To pick up your copy in time for Halloween, click here.

Gamebook Friday: Meet Jack-O'-Lantern

Today, Friday 23rd September, is the Autumn Equinox. Which means that before you know it, it will be Halloween. In anticipation of All Hallow's Eve, a new Playable Character is now available for 'TWAS - The Roleplaying Game Before Christmas, who has a suitably spooky vibe. So, without further delay, meet Jack-O'-Lantern.

A hangover from the Halloween celebrations, Jack-O'-Lantern is a plastic night light that is still on duty in the sleeping child’s bedroom. Due to association with the season of mischief and monsters, he is a capricious sprite who can hinder as much as help, depending on his mischievous mood at the time. However, he also has a deep understanding of demons, knowing how best to counter the schemes of such malign entities.

The Jack-O'-Lantern supplement, which is illustrated by m'colleague Tony Hough, also includes a new Scene that introduces the character to your games of the 'TWAS RPG. You can download it here from DriveThruRPG.com.

Something Wicked This Way Comes...

Having had over 70 books published over the last 28 years, there are a fair few that make particularly suitable Halloween reading. Here are just a few of them...

1897

In the wolf-haunted Carpathian Mountains, a young solicitor, Jonathan Harker, travels to an isolated castle to assist a mysterious Count with purchasing a number of properties in England. But what he witnesses there drives him to the edge of madness…

Meanwhile, in Whitby, Harker’s fiancée, Mina Murray, visits her dear friend Lucy Westenra. But during her stay, Lucy is attacked and becomes seriously ill…

In London, Lucy’s suitor and physician, Dr John Seward, becomes preoccupied with the case of a certain Mr Renfield, an inmate at his lunatic asylum, who seeks to collect lives for his master, having not long returned from a trip to Transylvania…

And so, the pieces for the game are set. For they are all pawns in a plan devised centuries ago by the Voivode of Wallachia, Vlad Tepes, a cruel tyrant whom history remembers as ‘the Son of the Devil’, his bloodthirsty deeds having earned him another name…

Dracula.

*             *             *             *

In Dracula– Curse of the Vampire is an interactive gothic horror novel, in which YOU decide which route to take, which perils to risk, and which of the terrifying creatures you will meet along the way to fight. Play as Jonathan Harker, Mina Murray and Dr John Seward… or even Count Dracula himself. But be warned – whether you succeed in your quest or succumb to the curse of the vampire will be down to the choices YOU make.

But do not tarry, for the dead travel fast.

Dracula– Curse of the Vampire will be the subject of November's Interactive Fiction & Gamebooks Discussion Group (Book Club) . If you would be interesting in finding out more about sixth ACE Gamebook, make sure you join the group now.

An anthologie of fine stories inspir’d by the Bard of Stratford and the Lovecraftian Mythos

Imagine if it had been William Shakespeare, England’s greatest playwright, who had discovered the truth about the Great Old Ones and the cosmic entity we know as Cthulhu, rather than the American horror writer H P Lovecraft.

Imagine if Stratford’s favourite son had been the one to learn of the dangers of seeking after forbidden knowledge and of the war waged between the Elder Gods in the Outer Darkness, and had passed on that message, to those with eyes to see it, through his plays and poetry. Welcome to the world of Shakespearean Cthulhu!

To mark the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare, Snowbooks proudly presents fifteen stories of eldritch horror that blend the Bard’s most famous plays with Lovecraft’s most terrifying creations. But before you dip into this curséd tome, be warned – that way madness lies...

“When oblivion comes, it is forever, as endless as the slumber of those beings that lie buried beneath the roots of the world, dreaming in darkness.”

A writer’s research into the legend of the Lambton Worm takes a horrifying twist when he uncovers the true origin of the story: A legend that stirs, knowing the time for its rebirth is near.

A chilling tale of the Cthulhu mythos, written by award-winning author Jonathan Green.

"What horror dwells behind its peeling paint façade and lifeless windows?"

A young mother, struggling after the birth of her second child, starts to question her sanity when the appearance of an unwanted childhood toy rekindles unwelcome nightmares.

A chilling tale written by award-winning author Jonathan Green.

Gamebook Friday: Dracula - Curse of the Vampire

Dracula - Curse of the Vampire has been out for a few weeks now, and more and more people are discovering the latest ACE Gamebook. Some reviews have even started to come in.

Dracula - Curse of the Vampire is going to be November's book of the month over on the Interactive Fiction & Gamebooks Discussion Group (Book Club) on Facebook. But before then it's Halloween, and what could be a better Halloween read than Dracula - Curse of the Vampire?

Talking of Halloween, if you have any Photoshop skills whatsoever, I would like to set you a challenge. I might be okay at writing adventure gamebooks, but my Photoshop skills are zero. What I would really love are some images of your favourite screen Dracula holding a copy of Dracula - Curse of the Vampire that I can then use to help promote the book this 31st October.

It could be Bela Lugosi coming down the stairs of Castle Dracula, it could be Gary Oldman about to bite the neck of Mina Murray, or maybe Christopher Lee in one of his many Hammer Horror appearances. I really don't mind. So let's see what you've got...

 

Thought for the Day

“There are some temptations that cannot be resisted, some lessons we never learn.”

~ Susan Hill, author of The Woman in Black

Happy Halloween!

Tonight, people up and down the country will be donning their Halloween costumes - turning themselves into witches, vampires, werewolves, mummies, demons, and zombies - for the duration of the dark celebrations.

If you're planning on staying in tonight, hopefully avoiding the trick or treaters, and you're looking for a creepy story to curl up with before the witching hour, you might want to try one of these...

Spellbreaker (1993)

Witches and demons abound in my first published Fighting Fantasy adventure.

Curse of the Mummy (1995)

My third FF adventure, heavily-inspired by Mummy movies from right across the cinematic era.

The Dead and the Damned (2002)

My first Warhammer novel, which features all manner of daemons, not to mention the shambling ranks of the undead.

Necromancer (2005)

The tale of one man's fall from grace and the corrupting power of necromancy.

Bloodbones (2006)

More zombie pirates and voodoo curses than you can shake a cutlass at.

Howl of the Werewolf (2007)

In my fifth FF adventure, you must stopped yourself turning into a werewolf before the next full moon by hunting down and killing the Arch-Lycanthrope.

Human Nature (2008) and Evolution Expects (2009)

A couple of body horror classics from my Pax Britannia steampunk series of novels.

Night of the Necromancer (2010)

Death is not the end... Murdered on your way home, you rise from the dead to avenge your own murder.

Blood Royal (2010) and Anno Frankenstein (2011)

Two more Pax Britannia novels, inspired by classic horror movies of yesteryear.

Shadows Over Sylvania (2013)

YOU are a vampire in my one and only Warhammer gamebook, which remains one of the best I have ever written, and probably the hardest to get hold of too.

Game Over (2015)

A collection of techno-chillers, ghost stories inspired by classic video games, edited by Yours Truly.

The Serpent's Egg (2017)

A dark tale of the Cthulhu Mythos, inspired by the legend of the Lambton Worm.

And coming in 2020...

Join the ACE Gamebooks Facebook group to be kept up to date with developments...

Thought for the Day

“Books help to form us. If you cut me open, you will find volume after volume, page after page, the contents of every one I have ever read, somehow transmuted and transformed into me. Alice in Wonderland. The Magic Faraway Tree. The Hound of the Baskervilles. The Book of Job. Bleak House. Wuthering Heights. The Complete Poems of W H Auden. The Tale of Mr Tod. Howard''s End. What a strange person I must be. But if the books I have read have helped to form me, then probably nobody else who ever lived has read exactly the same books, all the same books and only the same books as me. So just as my genes and the soul within me make me uniquely me, so I am the unique sum of the books I have read. I am my literary DNA.”

~ Susan Hill, author of The Woman in Black

Haunting Reads for Hallowe'en

Seeing as it's Hallowe'en today, you might want to check out some of my more obviously horror-themed books.

If you're a fan of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, why not try the following?
Spellbreaker
Curse of the Mummy
Bloodbones
Howl of the Werewolf
Night of the Necromancer

Other gamebooks I've written that have a nightmarish element to them are:
Temple of the Spider God
Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland

If you like short story anthologies, why not check out one of these titles?
SHARKPUNK
GAME OVER
Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu

If Steampunk is your thing, all of these books have horror overtones:
Human Nature
Evolution Expects
Blood Royal
Anno Frankenstein

For Doctor Who fans there are these two horror-themed titles:
The Horror of Howling Hill
Night of the Kraken

Readers who remember Warhammer should definitely check out:
The Dead and the Damned
Necromancer