Warhammer Wednesday: Black Library Celebration

It's rather appropriate, seeing as how today on the blog it's Warhammer Wednesday, that I should have been working on some new proposals for the Black Library this morning.

But the reason for today's post is to remind you that this Saturday, 24th February 2018, is Black Library Celebration day.

As well as being a celebration of 20+ years of fantastic adrenaline-fuelled fiction from the worlds of Warhammer, the brand new Inquisitor Eisenhorn novel, The Magos is being released on Saturday, along with Josh Reynolds’ new Warhammer 40,000 novel Lukas the Trickster.

There will be all sorts of other goodies up for grabs, including an exclusive resin Citadel miniature of Inquisitor Eisenhorn, a Lukas the Trickster model (which is usually exclusive to the GW Webstore), a commemorative collection of Black Library Postcards (featuring 100 pieces of cover art from across the history of Black Library novels), and a themed Warhammer 40,000 journal. Not only that, but every purchase made on the day will be rewarded with a free gift of a Black Library Celebration paperback containing six short stories - two each from Warhammer Age of Sigmar, Warhammer 40,000 and The Horus Heresy.

I will be stopping by the Warhammer store on Tottenham Court Road on Saturday (hopefully in time to pick up some goodies myself) but I won't be hanging around too long as I have another commitment on the 24th February.

And as to those proposals? You can be sure that I will let you know if anything comes of them...

Dr John Dee, Queen Elizabeth I's pet sorcerer

Did you know that today is the birthday of Dr John Dee - alchemist, cosmologist, mathematician, occult philosopher, and occasional adviser to Queen Elizabeth I?

John Dee's life reads like a work of the most incredible fiction, and it has certainly inspired many authors over the years. Only last year I read Phil Rickman's The Bones of Avalon, which casts Dee in the role of sleuth, sent to solve a mysterious murder in the town of Glastonbury.

Dee also appears in John Reynolds' A Tiger's Heart, A Player's Hide, which will be published in about a month's time in my new short story anthology Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu.

And Dee will also be making an appearance in a story of my own, hopefully within the next year...

Why Steampunks should back the Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu Kickstarter

There are just three days left to run for the Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu Kickstarter, but why should fans of Steampunk stories (such as my Pax Britannia novels) back the project?

Well, how about because the anthology will feature brand new short stories by SHARKPUNK contributors, Royal Occultist writer Josh Reynolds and Young Sherlock Holmes scribe Andrew Lane?

And don't forget, everyone who backers the Kickstarter will receive a bonus short story digital download.

So don't delay, and back the Kickstarter today!

The Sharkpunk Interview - Josh Reynolds

Josh Reynolds will be a familiar name to Black Library readers and fans of the Charles St. Cyprian Occult Detective stories. After all, as Josh puts it himself, he's a freelance writer, and good at it. Fortunately for SHARKPUNK, Josh has penned a brand new Occult Detective story for the anthology, entitled Deep Red Bells. Here are his thoughts on all things SHARKPUNK...


Sharkpunk: What, do you think, is the reason for people's enduring fascination with sharks? 
Josh Reynolds: Can I say pants-wetting terror? No, but seriously, I'd guess its for the same reason that people are fascinated by wolves, bears, and any other animal big enough to eat us. There's a thin line between fear and fascination.

SP: What was the inspiration behind your story, Deep Red Bells? 
JR: Mostly, I just really, really wanted to write about a ghost-shark... I'm a simple man, really.

SP: What challenges, or surprises, did you encounter in writing your story? 
JR: The same as always, really. I know the beginning, I know the ending, but that bit in the middle? That bit's the annoying part of the whole deal.

SP: If you had to pick a favourite shark, which would it be? 
JR: I like hammerheads. They're just so freaky looking. Like, you know, one of those things... its a tool?... you use it to hammer things?...a wrench, that's it! They look like wrenches. Freaky.

SP: Do you have a favourite fictional shark (in books, comics, films, or video games)? 
JR: Hookjaw. Hookjaw is the best.

SP: What's coming next from Josh Reynolds? 
JR: The third Royal Occultist novel, The Infernal Express, will be out later this year. It finds St. Cyprian and Gallowglass (the protagonists from Deep Red Bells) aboard the Orient Express, fighting to keep the skull of the world's most infamous sanguinary aristocrat out of the hands of vampires, secret agents and a Satanic cult. If readers want to catch up on all of the occult action before then, they should feel free to check out the first two books in the series, The Whitechapel Demon and The Jade Suit of Death, both available on Amazon.com or from the online retailer of your choice!


Josh Reynolds is a freelance writer of moderate skill and exceptional confidence. He has written a bit, and some of it was even published. His work has appeared in anthologies such as Miskatonic River Press’ Horror for the Holidays, and in periodicals such as Innsmouth Magazine and Lovecraft eZine. In addition to his own work, a full list of which can be found at http://joshuamreynolds.wordpress.com/, Josh has written for several tie-in franchises, including Gold Eagle’s Executioner line as well as Black Library’s Warhammer Fantasy line. 

And if, after finishing Deep Red Bells, you’re interested in reading more about Charles St. Cyprian and the Royal Occultist, make sure to check out http://royaloccultist.wordpress.com/.