Tie-in Tuesday: Free Scarlet Traces eBook

If you sign-up to Rebellion Publishing's newsletter you get a free eBook delivered straight to your inbox every month - and December’s free eBook is Scarlet Traces: An Anthology Based on The War of the Worlds, edited by Ian Edginton.

This wonderful anthology includes stories by Stephen Baxter, I. N. J. Culbard, Adam Roberts, Emma Beeby, James Lovegrove, Nathan Duck, Mark Morris, Dan Whitehead, Chris Roberson, Maura McHugh, Andrew Lane, and Yours Truly.

As a special Christmas treat, they even have a beautiful hardcover copy of Scarlet Traces to give away to one lucky winner! So, if you don't already, sign up for the Rebellion Publishing newsletter now to enter the giveaway.

Fighting Fantasy Legends - now funding on Kickstarter!

Not that it needs any help from me, but just in case you weren't already aware, the Fighting Fantasy Legends Kickstarter by Atlantis Miniatures is rapidly approaching the £30,000 mark on, having achieved 243% of its original funding goal!

This means that a host of new miniatures have been unlocked, including a pair of Skeleton Warriors, Klash the Chaos Warrior (from The Port of Peril), and new sculpt of the Quag-Shugguth (from the same book), Baron Sukumvit, Lord Carnuss and Lord Azzur, and two of the assassins from Assassins of Allanisa.

Also, on Sunday 20th October at 2:00pm BST, GeekGirlBookWorm will be hosting a paint-a-long of the new Lord Azzur miniature on Twitch. Not only will she be giving the miniature away, once it's painted, but she will also be giving away a signed copy of Ian Livingstone's newest Fighting Fantasy gamebook, Assassins of Allansia!

The Fighting Fantasy Legends Kickstarter campaign still has the best part of three weeks left to run, but don't delay - pledge today!

Gamebook Friday: Stormslayer, Martin McKenna, and Spellbreaker

A had a surprise on Facebook on Wednesday when I was tagged on Facebook, on a post showing a series of stills from Channel 4's 24 Hours in A&E. Why had I been tagged? Because the photos showing a man in the waiting room playing a Fighting Fantasy gamebook to help pass the time, and the gamebook in question was Stormslayer*.

Was this you? If it was drop me a line!

Talking of my Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, of the seven I have written, one was illustrated by Stephen Player (Stormslayer), one was illustrated by Alan Langford (Spellbreaker), two were illustrated by Tony Hough (Knights of Doom and Bloodbones), and three were illustrated by Martin McKenna (Curse of the Mummy, Howl of the Werewolf, and Night of the Necromancer).

Martin has recently listed a number of his Fighting Fantasy illustrations on ArtPal, including the covers he produced for the Wizard Books' edition of Bloodbones and Spellbreaker. You can marvel at his artistry here and order prints of his illustrations yourself.

While we're on the subject of Spellbreaker, next month marks 25 years since its publication. To commemorate the occasion I will be running a prize draw at the UK Games Expo next weekend. If you buy a book from me over the course of the three days, you will be entered into the prize draw for a chance to win a signed, limited hardback collector's edition of my latest gamebook, NEVERLAND - Here Be Monsters!

* Penned by Yours Truly, in case you didn't already know.

Short Story Saturday: The Sssentence isss Death...

The Judge Dredd Megazine has launched a Dark Judges short story competition*. I've had short stories appear in the Megazine before and recently submitted another one for publication, but I've never written one about Judges Fire, Fear, Mortis and Death.

You can write about any aspect of the foetid four. Your story can be set during Necropolis, the Day of Chaos, or even or Deadworld. It could be told from the point of view of Dredd, Psi-Judge Anderson, or the Dark Judges themselves.

Stories must be no longer than 3,000 words and should be emailed as an rtf file to dreddlines@2000ADonline.com, with your name, address and email address at the top of the document. You are also restricted to just one entry per person.

The winner will receive a stunning replica Judge Death badge, courtesy of of Planet Replicas, while the two runners-up will each get a copy of the Dark Justice hardback collection. All three stories will be published in the Meg in 2016. Deadline for entries is 19 January 2016. Ssso get ssscribbling, sssinnersss!

* The competition is only open to residents of the UK and Ireland.

New Fantasy Fiction on Inkitt.com

I've tried something I've never tried before - I've submitted a short story of mine to a writing competition.

Who Walks With Death* has been entered into the Epic Worlds contest on Inkitt.com, so if you'd like to read one of my fantasy short stories for free, simply follow this link. And if you like it, you can vote for it in the competition.

I have no idea how I'll get on, but it'll be an interesting experiment.

* The story first appeared in Legends: Stories in Honour of David Gemmell, edited by Ian Whates and published by Newcon Press, but I've given it a wash and brush-up for the competition.

YOU ARE THE HERO Selfie Competition Winner

A while ago now, I ran a competition whereby I asked readers of YOU ARE THE HERO to send me their selfies. After much deliberation I am happy to announce that we have a winner!

Jam Hirons as Akharis the Accursed

Jam will be receiving a copy of Christmas Explained: Robins, Kings and Brussel Sprouts through the post as a prize, and an honourable mention must go to Buddy Love.

Lovin' the manicure!

Send me your Selfies!

Want to win a copy of my new Christmas book Christmas Explained: Robins, Kings and Brussel Sprouts? Of course you do! Then read on...

There's a week of shopping left until Christmas and I would like your help in giving sales of YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks a bit of a boost in the run up to the festive feast. What I want you to do is post a selfie of yourself (obviously) holding a copy of YOU ARE THE HERO, along with the following message and link:

YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, a must buy for Christmas! http://www.amazon.co.uk/You-are-Hero-Jonathan-Green/dp/1909679380/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=

If you do so on Facebook please tag the YOU ARE THE HERO Facebook page (and send me a link at info@jonathangreenauthor.com just to be sure) and if you do so on Twitter, make sure you add @You_Are_TheHero at the beginning of your missive (otherwise I may well miss it), like this (only with a better photo attached).

Now when I say 'selfie' feel free to go to town on this. You might want to dress up, choose a suitably atmospheric location for your photo, or Photoshop yourself and a copy of YOU ARE THE HERO into another appropriate picture. This important thing is that you appear in the picture, along with YOU ARE THE HERO, and that the all important Amazon link is attached too.

According to Amazon, if you order by 7.00pm on Tuesday 23rd December 2014, you can have your parcel delivered by 1.00pm on Christmas Eve (if you live in the UK), so the competition is going to stay open until then (so there's no immediate rush if you want to take a bit of trouble over your entry*).

Competition closes 19:00 hrs GMT, Tuesday 23rd December!

I shall look forward to seeing your YOU ARE THE HERO selfies. Choice of winner will be completely arbitrary (and quite possibly based on names out of a hat) and the judge's decision is final.

Good luck!

* Unless you're reading this at 6.55pm on Tuesday 23rd December, of course.

Fighting Fantasy Fest Costume Competition

I know that some of those attending Fighting Fantasy Fest are already preparing what they're going to wear for the day, and I have it on good authority that will we see at least one Zagor the Warlock!

It's not too late to put together your own FF-themed outfit for the day. Indeed, anyone dressing up for FFF 2014 will be able to take part in a costume competition, the winner being decided by the other attendees on the day. The prize? A framed, signed  poster of Ian Livingstone's Blood of the Zombies book cover!

So what are you waiting for? Get out that needle and thread and get sewing! (And buy your ticket here.)

Steampunk Thursday: Lucy Saxon Competition - We have a winner!

Recently I ran a competition offering readers of this blog the chance to win a copy of Lucy Saxon's debut, Steampunk-inspired novel, Take Back the Skies, asking from where did the author take her pen name?

Well the answer is, the name of the Master's wife in the 2007 series of Doctor Who.

Everyone who entered the competition answered the question correctly, but the lucky individual who had their name pulled out of the proverbial hat is...

Amy Cotterill

Congratulations, Amy! Your copy of Take Back the Skies will be winging its way to you from Bloomsbury Books very soon.

To the rest of you who entered, better luck next time, eh?

Take Back the Skies, by Lucy Saxon

Take Back the Skies is the impressive YA debut of 19 year-old novelist Lucy Saxon*.

It tells the story of Catherine Hunter, born into privilege, who to escape her regimented existence as the daughter of a government official in the land of Anglya, cuts her hair, disguises herself as a boy and becomes Cat, escaping her former life by stowing away on board the tyrium-powered skyship Stormdancer. She soon learns that what she has been told about the world beyond the borders of Angyla is a lie, and that she is the one who possesses the knowledge that could bring a crumbling and corrupt empire to its knees, if only she has the courage to initiate such dramatic change.

So far, so familiar, but the plot that develops - whilst being overwhelmed at times by the will-they-won't-they relationship of then two young leads** and lacking tension at others - is something unexpected, rich in world-building detail, politically complex, and full of twists and turns that will keep the reader gripped right up until the story's dark denouement.

The book's Steampunk influences are clear but, despite all the different interpretations of Steampunk that already exist in literature, they are given a new spin here by Saxon. And to have such a book as your first published piece of work is impressive indeed.

Thanks to those kind people at Bloomsbury Books, I have one copy of Take Back the Skies to give away. To be in with a chance of winning it, simply answer this simple question.

From where did Lucy Saxon take her pen name?

Simply email me at info@jonathangreenauthor.com with your answer, your name and your address and you answer be put into the proverbial hat with all the other hopefuls. The draw will take place two weeks today, on Sunday 20 July 2014 at midday (BST).

Good luck!

Lucy Saxon signing at the London MCM Expo, May 2014.

* Many reviews make much of the fact that Lucy is 19, and was only 16 when she wrote the first draft of Take Back the Skies. I can only put this down to sour grapes. (My own first book, Spellbreaker, was published when I was 21.)

** But then this is a YA novel.

Steampunk Thursday: Win Tickets to the Frome Steampunk Extravaganza!

Fancy coming along to the Frome Steampunk Extravaganza on from Friday 30th - Sunday 1st June but you haven't purchased your tickets yet?

Then you've still got until 11:59pm BST to enter this competition to win a pair.

And who knows, if you win maybe I'll see you there...

JG at the Sci-Fi Weekender

Five weeks today, I shall be appearing at the Sci-Fi Weekender 5 in North Wales. Archimedes the Steampunk Parrot will also be in attendance, as will other authors such as Gareth L. Powell, Sam Stone and Robert Rankin.

I shall be hosting various panels over the course of the weekend as well as selling my writerly wares, not to mention catching up with old friends (and probably making a few news ones, if previous years are anything to go by). I'll even have my young Pax Britannia companions in tow this time.

If you are thinking of attending, but haven't got tickets yet, might I direct you towards Nerd Vs World and the competition they are currently running?

Maybe I'll see you there...

Bloody Parchment - open for submissions

The SA HorrorFest Bloody Parchment short story competition has only recently opened to submissions for the 2013 collection.

To find out more, click this link.

Have you got what it takes to draw Judge Dredd?

It's Dragons' Den meets the Nerve Centre as Tharg the Mighty's minions slide top talent unearthed from the Thought Bubble weekend's portfolio sessions beneath the searing gaze of his top-name art-droids.

Want to be the next great artists to draw Judge Dredd? Then follow this link, and take this opportunity to have your art seen by one of the world's best known publishers by entering the 2000AD portfolio challenge!

1,000... is the Magic Number... Competition Time!

A while ago I threatened to run some sort of competition or other if (or more accurately when) I ended up with both 1,000 followers on Twitter and 1,000 friends on Facebook.

Well that magic number was exceeded a while ago now (as of writing I have 1,018 followers on Twitter and 1,030 Facebook friends) so I thought it was about time I made good on my promise.

Your Part of the Bargain

I want you to do all you can to promote the Kickstarter project I am currently running with the artist Tom Brown and publisher Ian Whates, Clemency Slaughter and the Legacy of D'Eath. I don't care how you do it - blog posts, social media campaigns, YouTube videos, get in mentioned in the press, on the radio, on TV! - just do whatever you can to get word out to the masses about this exciting adventure in publishing!

You have until the end of the month (11:59pm on Sunday 31 March) to enter - in other words ten days - and email me a link to whatever it is you've produced at info@jonathangreenauthor.com.

Be imaginative, be creative, be prolific, be persistent! But whatever you do, to be eligible for the big prize, you must let me know about it.

 

Our Part of the Bargain

The three of us (Jon, Tom and Ian) will decide who has mounted the most effective campaign and, as long as the project funds on 13 April, you will be invited to the grand London launch as our guest, with all that that entails (book, goodie bag, drinks reception, etc.) but without having to stump up £100 for the privilege yourself. (You must arrange and pay for your travel to London.)

And that's it!

So check out the Clemency Slaughter Kickstarter page, Facebook page, and blog, get thinking, and good luck!

We have a winner!

Last Sunday, my sister-in-law ran her first Ultra Marathon. For those of you into the whole statistics thing, she completed the 50km course in just under 5 hours and came 63rd out of 250. (I get out of breath running for a bus, if I could ever be bothered to run for the bus in the first place.)

I don't think my sister-in-law was actually chased by zombies, but this is the only sort of running I can understand and really get behind.

Now several of you thoroughly decent people sponsored her, hoping to have your name immortalised in print. Well, the names of those who entered our little competition were put into the proverbial hat and one was pulled out. So congratulations to

Philip Thorogood!

Phil's name will be appearing in one of my stories in due course. Commiserations to those who didn't win, but thank you very much for your support and (more importantly) charitable donations. It meant that, in total, my sister-in-law made her target of £750, which after Gift Aid actually raised a whopping £882!

Have your name immortalised in print!

On Sunday my sister-in-law, Katie Riseley, is undertaking her first Ultra Marathon, running 50km to raise money for Scope and the Royal Parks Foundation. As of this morning, she is £120 shy of her target of £750.

On average, 130 of you visit my blog every day (although yesterday that number was nearer 300). I have 695 followers on Twitter and 866 friends on Facebook. That means that if every one of you sponsored Katie £1 she would easily reach her target and in all likelihood exceed it.

Now I know there's no such thing as a free lunch, so anyone who sponsors Katie here, via her Virgin Money Giving page, citing the phrase 'Jon Green sent me' will have their name put into a hat. (An actual hat, mind; not a metaphorical one.)

After the marathon on Sunday I will ask Katie to draw a name from said hat, and that person will then be immortalised in one of my stories. I can't promise which story that will be at the moment, nor the role you will play, but it will happen. (After all, it's happened before. Twice.)

So go here and pledge your support. And I'll see you again after the weekend. Good luck!

Write a Judge Dredd short story and win a Lawgiver

I know, I know... It's not Short Story Saturday, but I needed to pass this news on sooner rather than later...

The guys over at 2000AD are inviting writers to send in their short stories (no longer than 2,000 words each) about Judge Dredd. The winner will be published in the Judge Dredd Megazine and will also win a Mark II Lawgiver.

To find out more about this awesome competition, follow this link.

World Book Night - A Dilemma

So, ages ago now (well April 23) I ran a competition on this blog connected to World Book Night.

I invited readers of this blog to write a limerick about one of my books, or a character from one of my books, and the best would receive a World Book Night book as a prize.

And I'm pleased to say... we have a winner! Congratulations Chelley Cartwright!

Now here comes the dilemma. Chelley's limerick actually gives away the twist in the tale for the story she took as her inspiration. This was always a possibility I suppose and it's met I've had a tough decision to make. The upshot is that Chelley is the winner but I won't be posting her poem here.

Sorry, Chelley. Hopefully a free copy of Harlequin will help to sugar this bitter pill.

World Book Night 2012

Today is World Book Night (if that's not a contradiction in terms), during which one million books will be given away by thousands volunteers - and I'm one of them.

The book I wanted to give away was Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, but I'm imagining that was a very popular choice and so I got my second choice instead, Harlequin by Bernard Cornwell.

Here's what the World Book Night site has to say about the book:

It was a time when the English went across the Channel and took the war to the French. The English had a secret weapon. The army may have been lead by the King, the great lords and the knights, but it was the bowmen, the common men, who would achieve remarkable success.

Thomas of Hookton was one of those archers. But he also had a mission. He made a promise - a vow to God - to retrieve a relic stolen from his family home by the same French raiders who killed his father.

The search leads him into a world where lovers become enemies, enemies become friends and always, somewhere beyond the horizon that is smeared with the smoke of fires set by the rampaging English army, a terrible enemy awaits him.

Thomas of Hookton has to prevent that enemy from harnessing the power of Christendom's greatest relic - the grail itself. And so begins the quest that will lead him through the fields of France, until at last the two armies face each other on a hillside near the village of Crecy. And Thomas is put to his greatest test.

Harlequin combines a wonderful cast of kings and knights, mercenaries and monks, superb scenes and wonderful set pieces, all led by one of Cornwell's strongest characters and the haunting mystery of the Grail.

Apparently Bernard Cornwell is one of the most borrowed authors in the UK, most famous for his Sharpe books. Harlequin is the first book in his Grail Quest trilogy. Rich with detail, it leads the reader into an extraordinary world.

Preparing the books I'm going to be giving away...

I'll be giving my books away in and around Ealing tomorrow, and I want to give you the opportunity to receive a copy of Harlequin too. All you have to do is write a limerick about one of my books, or a character from one of my books, and the best will receive a World Book Night book as a prize.

So what are you waiting for? You have until 23:59 BST Friday to get your entries in (and yes, you may enter more than once), posting your poem(s) in the comments section after this blog post.

So good luck, and enjoy World Book Night!