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...

 

Gamebook Friday: Vampires, Wizards, and RPGs

Another week, another Gamebook Friday. But this one has several choice snippets of news for you. 

First of all, Dracula - Curse of the Vampire was published this week. It is available now from all good bookshops and online retailers.

 

Also released this week, on 14th October in fact, was the Polish language edition of The Wicked Wizard of Oz. Or rather, Zły Czarnoksiężnik z Oz.

Zły Czarnoksiężnik z Oz.

And here it is next to the Polish edition of Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland.

Lastly, but definitely not leastly, tomorrow - Saturday 16th October - is Free RPG Day.

I will be releasing two new supplements for 'TWAS - The Roleplaying Game Before Christmas tomorrow. The Nutcracker and the Mouse King will be completely free to download, but only tomorrow, while The Christmas Owl will be given away free to subscribers to my newsletter.

If you haven't already subscribed, follow this link and do so now!

Gamebook Friday: The Half Century Sale

From Monday 11 - Wednesday 13 October 2021, everything on the ACE Gamebooks Roleplay store on DriveThruRPG will be 50% off, including the PDFs of the ACE Gamebooks series, as well as 'TWAS - The Roleplaying Game Before Christmas and its various supplements.

So you know where you need to be next Tuesday, and please help spread the word!

#SelfPromoSaturday - Free RPG Day Freebies!

Free RPG Day is taking place this year on 16th October 2021. Just like Free Comic Book Day, it is an initiative intended to encourage people to visit their local games store and make a purchase... or three.

However, ACE Gamebooks Roleplay doesn't have a bricks and mortar store, so for Free RPG Day this year, I am going to be giving away two new products.

The Christmas Owl is a supplement for 'TWAS - The Roleplaying Game Before Christmas, which brings a new Player Character into the game along with a new Scene to help introduce him.

Subscribers to my monthly author newsletter will receive The Christmas Owl for free on Free RPG Day.

The Nutcracker and the Mouse King is a new adventure for the 'TWAS RPG and will be available to download from DriveThruRPG on 16th October for free! After that, you will have to pay for it.

So make sure you sign up to my author newsletter here, if you haven't already, and put a reminder in your diary to visit ACE Gamebooks Roleplay on DriveThruRPG on 16th October.

See you in a couple of weeks!