Gamebook Friday: Set the Tape

When I published Dracula - Curse of the Vampire, I contacted various review websites asking if they would be interested in having a read and playthrough. One of those sites that responded was Set the Tape.

Since sending them a copy of the sixth ACE Gamebook, Paul Regan, one of their reviewers, has reviewed not only Dracula - Curse of the Vampire but also 'TWAS - The Krampus Night Before Christmas.

You can read the reviews for yourself here.

Happy Thanksgiving!

If you are reading this and you celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you have a great day with your family and friends.

Interestingly, for a UK author, my blog receives far more visits from North America than is it does from the British Isles. Of course, many of my books are available in the US but there is only one that has been directly commissioned by an American publisher.

The title in question is Scottish Miscellany: Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Scotland the Brave, which is being re-released by Skyhorse Publishing with a new cover next January, a week before Burns' Night.

Skyhorse Publishing also released a new edition of Christmas Miscellany a few years ago, so if you're looking for a convenient, informative and fun Christmas stocking filler or Secret Santa, you can pick up a copy here.

'TWAS - The Krampus Night Before Christmas LIVE - Part 1!

This evening, from 7:00pm GMT on Facebook, Ken Boyter of The Bottled Imp Fellowship will be kicking off another live readthrough of one of my ACE Gamebooks, this time, the seasonally appropriate, 'TWAS - The Krampus Night Before Christmas.

Don't worry if you haven't managed to pick up a copy of 'TWAS - The Krampus Night Before Christmas yet - you can do so here.

Gamebook Friday: 'TWAS - The Roleplaying Game Before Christmas

I am pleased to say that 'TWAS - The Roleplaying Game Before Christmas has achieved bestseller status on DriveThruRPG.

’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse...

That is until Krampus the Christmas Devil turns up and abducts Santa Claus, even as he is delivering presents to the sleeping household. But as the old goat is trussing him up in a sack, Saint Nick draws upon the magic of Christmas to bring a group of Toys to life.

Charged with rescuing the jolly old elf, the party sets out to save Santa before Christmas Day dawns and the cruel, birch-wielding demon usurps his position – taking his place forever!

What follows is an epic quest, as the Toys battle their way through first the house, and then a wintry wilderness, before finally facing off against Krampus and his minions at the heart of Father Christmas’s weaponised polar workshop.

He knows if you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness' sake...

*             *             *

’TWAS – The Roleplaying Game Before Christmas is a rules-lite RPG for 2-7 Players, inspired by the legends and literature of Christmas.

Designed to be picked up and played with minimal preparation, it nonetheless includes a well-developed character creation system, as well as rules for combat and magic. It is ideal for a festive gaming session with an established group, or as an alternative to the games usually played on Christmas Day.

Do you have what it takes to save Santa and avert a Christmas catastrophe?

The first ACE Gamebooks Roleplay game was released last December and already has a number of supplements to be used with it. You will find the whole range available at DriveThruRPG.

You can check out Talking About Games' review of 'TWAS - The Roleplaying Game Before Christmas here.

Happy Birthday, Mr Stoker!

Today, Monday 8th November 2021, would have been Bram Stoker's 174th birthday, if he had still been alive - or undead!

You may not realise that Dracula - Curse of the Vampire actually uses elements from three of Stoker's works: his seminal horror novel Dracula; the short story Dracula's Guest, which was published posthumously; and the last novel to be published before his death, The Lair of the White Worm.

If you want to find out more about the source material for the sixth ACE Gamebook, and learn how Bram Stoker set about writing Dracula in the first place, then you want to pick up a hardback copy of Dracula - Curse of the Vampire, which includes a bonus chapter that discusses all of the above.

Many people have been enjoying Dracula - Curse of the Vampire, and here are just some of the reviews that have come in so far.

If you have also read and enjoyed Dracula - Curse of the Vampire, I would ask that you post a review on Amazon, and Goodreads, and anywhere else you can. Quite simply, the more reviews, the greater the exposure. The greater the exposure, the more sales. And considering I spent the best part of two years writing the book, I could really do with some good sales right now.

Gamebook Friday: ACE Gamebooks at Dragonmeet 2021

Thanks to the COVID pandemic, there was no Dragonmeet last year, but London's most vibrant tabletop gaming convention is back with a vengeance for 2021.

Dragonmeet 2021 is taking place at the Novotel Hammersmith on Saturday 4th December 2021. The Gaming Hall will be open from 9:00am - 11:30pm, while the Trade Hall will be open from 10:00am - 6:00pm.

ACE Gamebooks will be there, in the Trade Hall, with copies of 'TWAS - The Roleplaying Game and
Dracula - Curse of the Vampire. So, if you're going to be there, make sure you stop by and say hello.