SHARKPUNK - Stories with Bite!

Had he still been alive, today would have been Peter Benchley's 81st birthday. (And just in case you're wondering why this is of significance, check out the quote below.) So it seems like the perfect occasion to remind you that a few years ago I edited an anthology of short stories called Sharkpunk.

Sharks - the ultimate predators, masters of their watery domain, a world that is entirely alien and inhospitable to man. So many aspects of the shark are associated with humankind's most primal fears. The tell-tale dorsal fin slicing through the water, the dead eyed-stare, the gaping jaws full to unforgiving teeth, the remorseless drive to kill and feed...Inspired by such classic pulp movies as Jaws and Deep Blue Sea - as well as such ludicrous delights as Sharknado and Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus - the stories contained within are rip-roaring page-turners and slow-build chillers that celebrate all things savage, pulp and selachian. Covering the whole range of speculative fiction genres, from horror and Steampunk, through to SF and WTF, these are stories with bite! Come on in. The water's fine...

You can pick up your copy of Sharkpunk here, and it's also available as an audiobook from Circle of Spears Productions, that you will find on Audible.

"I read very widely, both non-fiction and fiction, so I don't think there's a single writer who influences me." 
~ Peter Benchley, author of Jaws

Short Story Saturday: SHARKPUNK the Audiobook

I've you've not yet picked up the audiobook edition of SHARKPUNK, the first short story anthology I edited, now is the perfect time to grab a digital download of the book from Circle of Spears for £17.99, plus get a 15% discount with checkout code STAYSAFE.

Sharks – the ultimate predators, masters of their watery domain, a world that is entirely alien and inhospitable to man. So many aspects of the shark are associated with humankind’s most primal fears. The tell-tale dorsal fin slicing through the water, the dead eyed-stare, the gaping jaws full to unforgiving teeth, the remorseless drive to kill and feed…

Inspired by such classic pulp movies as Jaws and Deep Blue Sea – as well as such ludicrous delights as Sharknado and Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus – the stories contained within are rip-roaring page-turners and slow-build chillers that celebrate all things savage, pulp and selachian. Covering the whole range of speculative fiction genres, from horror and Steampunk, through to SF and WTF, these are stories with bite! Come on in. The water’s fine…

Pick up your digital download of SHARKPUNK here.

Short Story Saturday: SHARKPUNK on Audible

Sharks - the ultimate predators, masters of their watery domain, a world that is entirely alien and inhospitable to man. So many aspects of the shark are associated with humankind's most primal fears. The tell-tale dorsal fin slicing through the water, the dead eyed-stare, the gaping jaws full to unforgiving teeth, the remorseless drive to kill and feed....

Inspired by such classic pulp movies as Jaws and Deep Blue Sea - as well as such ludicrous delights as Sharknado and Mega Shark Vs Giant Octopus - the stories contained within are rip-roaring thrillers and slow-build chillers that celebrate all things savage, pulp, and selachian. Covering the whole range of speculative fiction genres, from horror and steampunk through to SF and WTF, these are stories with bite!

And now you can listen to the audio book of SHARKPUNK via Audible.

Steampunk Thursday: ArmadaCon 2017

Last weekend I was a guest at the 29th ArmadaCon down in Plymouth. It was a convention I had been invited to in the past but one I had been unable to actually attend until this year.

Raring to go at ArmadaCon 2017.

ArmadaCon is only a small convention, but it is incredibly friendly, and in no time at all I was made to feel very welcome. It was also great to catch up with old friends - like Andrew Lane, Helen Stirling, Frances Hardinge, and David Wake - and to make new ones - like Mark Poles of The Shop on the Borderlands, and RB Watkinson.

Mark Poles stocking up on signed stock for The Shop on the Borderlands.

Over the course of the weekend I gave a talk about writing adventure gamebooks, and another one about my Pax Britannia steampunk novels. I also took part in an author's panel on the Sunday afternoon. But the highlight of the weekend, for me, had to be Circle of Spears' live reading of my Fighting Fantasy gamebook Night of the Necromancer. I will never look at that particular book in quite the same way again.

Mark Norman, Tracey Norman and Sam Burns of Circle of Spears attempt to keep a straight face during the Night of the Necromancer read-through... and fail!

So all that there remains for me to do now is to thank Gary, Julie, Chris, Dave the Tech Gnome, and the rest of the crew, as well as everyone who attended my talks and the Fighting Fantasy read-through. And if you're a author looking for a welcoming audience, I can wholeheartedly recommend ArmadaCon.

My memento from my time at ArmadaCon.

You can see more photographs from the weekend here.

Sharkpunk Saturday: SHARKPUNK Kindle edition just £1.99

If you've not yet read the SHARKPUNK anthology, first off, what have you been doing with your time? And secondly, now is the perfect time to pick it up since the Kindle edition is currently just £1.99 on Amazon.

Don't forget, you can also download the SHARKPUNK Audiobook here.

Sharkpunk Shakespeare Short Story Saturday: New reviews!

Two reviews for you today, one for Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu and one for the recently-released audiobook version of SHARKPUNK.

Let's start with the SHARKPUNK audiobook review by Nathan Robinson:

"If you like sharks, you’ll love this. Original tales each as different as the next. If you love short horror stories, especially a themed anthology, then Sharkpunk might be worth you dipping your toe into. Already I’m hoping for volume 2, but this time, they’re gonna need a bigger book...."

And now the review of Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu by SciFi and Fantasy Reviewer:

"This is another anthology on par with Sharkpunk... in terms of collecting together some quality stories. There’s an impressive range of talent on display, and a wide range of material being drawn on – not just 17 versions of Othello and Romeo and Juliet... As with Sharkpunk, there are a few tales that manage to stand out even amongst the general high quality of the anthology... In conclusion, this is another winning anthology from Snowbooks as publisher and Jonathan Green as editor, elevated even further by the inclusion of the incredible Exeunt by John Reppion."


You can buy SHARKPUNK here, and Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu here.

SHARKPUNK - The Audiobook!

Fresh from the minds of twenty-two top writers comes an anthology of killer shark stories to sate all appetites. From SF to WTF, from gritty to whimsical, these stories all have weight and depth as vast as the deep blue ocean. And now you can get it as an audiobook from Circle of Spears Productions!

This is the first release featuring all the members of Circle of Spears, which presents SHARKPUNK in its entirety in both Download and MP3 CD format. Over 13 hours of shark-themed stories available for the first time in audio!

And if you need any more persuading, just check out the reviews the print edition has received.

Even if you've already read the stories contained within the anthology, you owe it to yourself to download and listen to the audio version as well - and it really helps make the time pass while you're preparing supper, or paintings your wargaming miniatures.

So what are you waiting for? Come on in... The water's fine...

You can buy the 2-disc MP3 CD set here, and you can buy the MP3 Digital Download here.

Sharkpunk Saturday: SHARKPUNK - The Audiobook

I found myself down in Poole this week, appropriately enough, there to record my own introduction to the short story anthology SHARKPUNK.

It was a revelation with regards to how much work goes in to recording a segment that's about seven minutes long, and I can't wait to listen to it along with the other stories in the anthology.

The audiobook is being produced by Circle of Spears Productions, led by Helen Stirling, who was the one who had to patiently ask me to re-record names of Hawaiian shark gods and the like.

 The Talking Shed.

Inside the Talking Shed.

Helen Stirling at the recording desk - and who wouldn't want a TARDIS for their recording desk?

Yours Truly, inside the Talking Shed.

Helen working her magic inside the Talking Shed.

Helen also just happens to be married to SHARKPUNK and Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu contributor Andrew Lane, who stopped by to say hello and talk all things sharks, Cthulhu and Sherlock Holmes.

Quiet! Genius at work!

Andrew Lane, and obligatory pet Godzilla.

SHARKPUNK - The Audiobook will be released soon, and I will of course let you know when it's on sale.

Sharkpunk Saturday: Just when you thought it was safe to listen to an audiobook...

COMING SOON FROM CIRCLE OF SPEARS...

SHARKPUNK - Edited by Jonathan Green

The audiobook of the successful anthology, edited by Jonathan Green, of stories with a shark theme. Think Sharknado in written form! You'll be surprised how many twists on a theme you can find in one anthology.

Featuring stories from established authors such as Andrew Lane (Young Sherlock Holmes, Doctor Who, Torchwood) and Jonathan Oliver (The Call of Kerberos) this title has been a lot of fun to voice and will be a lot of fun to listen to!

This audio is in the final stages of post production and will release in early November in both CD and audio download formats. You can register interest in advance and we will let you know when it is available to order - just drop a comment on the post here.

Steampunk Thursday: TivLitFest 2016

Last weekend I was one of the authors invited to take part in the second Tiverton Literacy Festival - a.k.a. TivLitFest.

The event began for me on the Saturday with the Book Fair, during the course of which I ran into the Hatter, which was rather appropriate considering I was selling Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland, as well as my Pax Britannia books.

While at the Book Fair I also met up with the Circle of Spears crew, who will be producing the audiobook version of SHARKPUNK.

In the evening, I attended a talk given by authors Jenny Kane and Laura Wilkinson about the different ways to get published

And then on the Sunday, I gave a talk about my own work, specifically writing tie-in fiction and adventure gamebooks, an event which also closed this year's TivLitFest.

A huge thank you to all of the organisers, specifically Jenny Kane, Kerstin Muggeridge and Sue Griggs, as well as Naomi De Vries, for inviting me, for making me feel so welcome, and for the kind gift as well. And of course an equally huge thank you to everyone who came along to my talk or bought one of my books during the course of the weekend.

Kerstin, Yours Truly, Jenny and Sue.