Lego Monster Hunters / PB Lego Sets

Coming soon from Lego, the Pax Britannia range... No, sorry, that should read Monster Fighters, not Pax Britannia. (What was I thinking?)

A Touch of Horror

Somebody's been saying nice things about my horror output again. This time the somebody in question is South African writer, fantasy novelist, coffee lover and avid reader Craig Smith.

Here's what he has to say about my short story Incubus, which appears in the Dark Continents anthology M is for Monster:

This story was unexpectedly hot and steamy and I have to say Jonathan did a great job of writing from the female POV, although the ladies out there might disagree. A story that explores forbidden desires that most would steer clear of.

And here's what he has to say about The Doll's House, which appears in Jonathan Oliver's House of Fear:

Having just finished reading the story it is the freshest in the my mind. The story builds up the tension quite nicely, maybe a little too dragged out, but a bit a shorter and it might have not worked as well. You could really feel the frustration of the main character as she goes through the day to day life of being a stay at home mum. It even made me feel anxious about my own washing and ironing.

You can buy M is for Monster here, and House of Fear here.

H is for Halloween

There's just over a week to go until Halloween, and if you're looking for some scares for 31 October you could do a lot worse than look at these two...

M is for Monster - a collection of 26 stories by 26 authors bringing 26 unique monsters to life - is available now in its Kindle edition for only 86p. '86p?' I hear you cry.

That's right, 86p. You can't even buy a bottle of what for 86p.

And while you're over at Amazon's Kindle store, why not check out

Jonathan Oliver's haunted house anthology House of Fear.

And of course both the collections include stories by Yours Truly.

Happy reading and... don't have nightmares!

M is for Monster but H is for House of Fear

When I was a young, aspiring writer, I never seriously considered becoming a horror writer. And yet, last week I sent my story for the House of Fear anthology to Jon Oliver at Solaris and am this week writing another horror story for a new short story collection about phobias. And then, of course, last year my explicit tale of horror Incubus appeared in M is for Monster.

Well, M is for Monster is available for sale again here and I'll sign every copy purchased. And if you need persuading, here's a review of my short story that appears in the collection:

Erotic with a seductively blasphemous undertone from the very outset, Green's sexually charged short throbs with a thick and somewhat unsettling tone of darkness... What gradually transpires is a powerfully unnerving tale of horror, with many unspoken questions left unanswered, creating an altogether more powerful tale. Certainly one of the most atmospheric and unsettling tales in the anthology - and for that, possibly one of the best additions.

But back to the subject of my short story for House of Fear (released in the UK and US this October by Solaris Books). It's called The Doll's House and is my take on the traditional haunted house tale. In it I set out to make a story set in a nondescript Edwardian terrace on a bright sunny day as unsettling as anything set at the witching hour on Halloween. My editor made very few changes and the only alteration I had to make was to add one word. This is almost unheard of, and I like to think it bodes well for how the story's going to be received elsewhere.

That said, it's not a nice story. Not at all. Here's what my editor wrote in his email after reading the story for himself for the first time. "Ooh, that's a right nasty little shocker." And from an editor inured to the ways of horror, that's got to be recommendation enough.

M is for Monster

Monsters and creatures and horrors, oh my...

With each letter of the alphabet comes a different monster, and with each turn of the page comes a new foray into another author's sinister imaginings. From new twists on traditional favourites to modern glimpses into lesser-known mythology, from time-honoured staples of the horror genre to never-before-seen-beasts of the authors' design, these twenty-six tales take you on a wild roller-coaster tour of wicked conjuration.

A shrieking banshee of the High Moor... a seductive (and deadly) incubus spirit... a ghastly lot of blood-frenzied hogs... a biblical giant whose side of the story has never been told... the sword-slinging God of War himself... a vampire, a demon, a jabberwock, and a whole hellish host of other creatures and fiends known only by a few...

It's all jam-packed inside M IS FOR MONSTER: An Alphabetical Anthology of Abominations. Twenty-six international authors, twenty-six diverse tales. Legend and lore the world 'round have come together to bring this collection to chilling, spine-tingling life.

And the alphabet has never been so frightening.

Here's what people have been saying about the collection already:

I highly recommend buying this book, there is enough monsters within these pages to satisfy even the most jaded horror fan. However you may never want to go out for a curry or stop off at a noodle bar again.

All in all this book is a worthy purchase for anyone who likes short stories. There is a lot to love about this book...

If you'd like to purchase a copy of M is the Monster, signed by yours truly, email me direct at:

info@jonathangreenauthor.com

H is for Horror

Somewhere, in one of the many boxes that are gradually suffering the effects of damp out in our garage, I think I still have the jotters I filled with page after page of lurid horror stories when I was about fourteen or fifteen. Most of them - such as The Reef - are very short but others - like Phantom Pregnancy - were considerably longer.

I don't know what produced this sudden rush of horror-themed creativity at that time. I think a friend had introduced me to the books of James Herbert and in that rebellious teenage way, knowing - or rather, believing - that my parents wouldn't approve, I got sucked in to reading The Dark.

Anyway, this phase passed (like so many do at that age) and when I eventually tried getting something published it was within my favoured fantasy milieu. But, horror has never really gone away.

In 2009 Evolution Expects, my fourth Ulysses Quicksilver adventure, was published. I remember my editor Jon Oliver telling me at the time 'This is definitely your horror title' (or something along those lines). But, as far as I was aware, I hadn't set out to write a horror story - that was supposed to have been Human Nature (UQ3). Certainly there are horrific elements to the story and horrific things happen to a horrific number of people in the book, but at the start of the project I didn't think I was setting out to write Horror with a capital H.

Since then, however, I'm decided that I would like to try my hand at writing horror properly. There's always been a dark side to my work, something that people still regularly comment on, and I suppose my third Warhammer novel Necromancer is pretty horrific in places, but again, as far as I was concerned this was supposed to be a fantasy adventure, dressed up in a Halloween costume, as it were.

Last year M is for Monster was published, featuring my short story Incubus. Now this was always intended to be a horror story and I wrote something unlike anything I had attempted before and that took me out of my comfort zone. (If I was worried my parents wouldn't approve of The Dark, they certainly wouldn't approve of Incubus.)

However, since then I've been invited to write stories for other collections. This year I have a story appearing in the Solaris anthology House of Fear and there's another story I should be writing at the moment for a collection about phobias. And what I'm finding now is that these stories are less 'horrific' - in terms of blood and guts being chucked about all over the place - than, say, The Dead and the Damned or Anno Frankenstein.

Blood and guts don't horrify me in fiction; it's surgical or anatomical in nature and something that, thankfully, I am highly unlikely to encounter in the real world. What scares me is the subtle implication that something isn't quite right with the everyday, that the familiar has been perverted in some indefinable way. The classic fear of the unknown and the fear born of being a parent.

I remember when my son was only days old, my wife and I would lie awake at night listening to him breathing when we were all supposed to be asleep. My wife suffered the worst. Either the sound of his baby snores kept her awake or, worse then that, if she couldn't hear him breathing she began to worry that... something wasn't quite right.

So why not pick up a copy of House of Fear when it's published later this year and see for yourself if I've managed to achieve a feeling of unease permeating my story? And, as they say, don't have nightmares...

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Monsters and Scotland the Brave

Vlog 2 is up...

M is for Monster, but I is for Incubus

The reviews for the horror short story anthology M is for Monster are starting to trickle in now, and you'll find a very comprehensive one here, on Amazon.

This is the first time I have read a review of the book that specifically mentions my short story Incubus in any detail.

This being a welcome-all-ages kinda blog, I'm a like embarrassed to post the whole review here. If you're over 18 you can read it for yourself here, but I did appreciate this bit in particular:

What gradually transpires is a powerfully unnerving tale of horror, with many unspoken questions left unanswered, creating an altogether more powerful tale. Certainly one of the most atmospheric and unsettling tales in the anthology - and for that, possibly one of the best additions.

You can buy M is for Monster direct from Yours Truly. Just drop me a line at info@jonathangreenauthor.com and we'll take it from there.

Until next time...

M is for Monster!

Monsters and creatures and horrors, oh my...

With each letter of the alphabet comes a different monster, and with each turn of the page comes a new foray into another author's sinister imaginings. From new twists on traditional favourites to modern glimpses into lesser-known mythology, from time-honoured staples of the horror genre to never-before-seen-beasts of the authors' design, these twenty-six tales take you on a wild roller-coaster tour of wicked conjuration.

A shrieking banshee of the High Moor... a seductive (and deadly) incubus spirit... a ghastly lot of blood-frenzied hogs... a biblical giant whose side of the story has never been told... the sword-slinging God of War himself... a vampire, a demon, a jabberwock, and a whole hellish host of other creatures and fiends known only by a few...

It's all jam-packed inside M IS FOR MONSTER: An Alphabetical Anthology of Abominations. Twenty-six international authors, twenty-six diverse tales. Legend and lore the world 'round have come together to bring this collection to chilling, spine-tingling life.

And the alphabet has never been so frightening.

Here's what people have been saying about the collection already:

I highly recommend buying this book, there is enough monsters within these pages to satisfy even the most jaded horror fan. However you may never want to go out for a curry or stop off at a noodle bar again.

All in all this book is a worthy purchase for anyone who likes short stories. There is a lot to love about this book...

If you'd like to purchase a copy of M is the Monster, signed by yours truly, email me direct at:

info@jonathangreenauthor.com

M is for Monster - buy your signed copy today!

This afternoon I had my ordered copies of M is for Monster delivered, courtesy of fellow contributor Adrian Chamberlain. Thanks again, Ade.

This means that M is the Monster is now available to buy, direct, from me. And, of course, any copy purchased will be signed by yours truly and may even include one or two other freebies.

You can purchase your copy here.

In the meantime, if you need a little more persuading, here's the blurb from the back of the book.

Monsters and creatures and horrors, oh my...

With each letter of the alphabet comes a different monster, and with each turn of the page comes a new foray into another author's sinister imaginings. From new twists on traditional favourites to modern glimpses into lesser-known mythology, from time-honoured staples of the horror genre to never-before-seen-beasts of the authors' design, these twenty-six tales take you on a wild roller-coaster tour of wicked conjuration.

A shrieking banshee of the High Moor... a seductive (and deadly) incubus spirit... a ghastly lot of blood-frenzied hogs... a biblical giant whose side of the story has never been told... the sword-slinging God of War himself... a vampire, a demon, a jabberwock, and a whole hellish host of other creatures and fiends known only by a few...

It's all jam-packed inside M IS FOR MONSTER: An Alphabetical Anthology of Abominations. Twenty-six international authors, twenty-six diverse tales. Legend and lore the world 'round have come together to bring this collection to chilling, spine-tingling life.

And the alphabet has never been so frightening.

M is for Monster! reviewed

It's only been out five minutes, but M is for Monster (which features my short story Incubus) has already received its first glowing review here.

As soon as I've got hold of my own copies, you'll be able to buy the book direct through this website - so watch this space!

Out in October... and next in November

It's the end of the month so time for a quick summary of new books, and stories, out this month from yours truly...

Pax Britannia: Dark Side

Scottish Miscellany: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland the Brave

I is for Incubus in M is for Monster


And coming next month, there's this...

Pax Britannia: The First Ulysses Quicksilver Omnibus

Happy Halloween!

From ghoulies and ghosties

And long-leggedy beasties

And things that go bump in the night,

Good Lord, deliver us!

Traditional Scottish saying

M is for Monster - featuring I is for Incubus, by yours truly - is available now from Amazon, in both a traditional processed tree carcass format and a creepy Kindle edition.

M is for Monster!

M is for Monster is a new horror anthology coming this Halloween, but it's a publication with a difference. I'll let compiler John Prescott (no, not that John Prescott) explain...

What you hold in your hands is a culmination of desire, talent, and a collective love of the macabre, mixed with a little luck and a big leap of faith. This is the product of a group of authors who came together to produce something unique - something that speaks of us all and unites us on a worldwide scale. With the book you're holding right now, we invite you to share the journey.

Inside, you will find twenty-six varied tales of monsters old and new, some dredged from the die-hard legends of old and some assembled from the innovative demands of creative necessity. These monstrosities span the lengths of the English alphabet, and with them, we authors bring to you a taste of our own flavors and haunts from around the globe.

At the outset, it seemed an intimidating challenge, this rallying of so many authors from so many locations and walks of life. But times are changing. Creative collaboration no longer knows any geographical bounds. The world is a much smaller place these days, and we twenty-six came together, bound by a common vision, to bridge what gaps remain.

I'm glad we took the plunge, and I'm honored to know twenty-five other authors willing to dive on in with me. Now it's on to you. Take a swim with us. Turn the page and ride the wave.

But beware... monsters lurk in these waters.

John Prescott

It's also quite a departure for me, as my story - I for Incubus - is about the most explicit, unpleasant and distasteful thing I've ever written, to the extent that I'm wondering if I should start an 18-rated blog to promote it, and any others stories like it that I might write.

But if all this has piqued your interest, then watch this space...

To the Moon and back

Well, it's been a while but I'm back online. (To be honest I've never really been off-line, it's just that I've been a tad busy and my form of internet access didn't lend itself to regular blog-updatage.)

So, here are a few updates for you...


First of all, as of 12.30am Pax Britannia: Dark Side is finished! My editor likes what he's seen so far (which is always a good sign) so I'm hoping he'll like the rest of it too. I now just need to write the accompanying short story - in three days!

Secondly, Howl of the Werewolf's been out for about a week in the new Wizard edition. This contains the Fighting Fantasy adventure you know and love along with three pre-generated playable characters (Johann Ironarm, Wolfrick of Pritzbad and Sabine Greypelt) and a preview of Trial of Champions.







Thirdly, a new horror short story anthology is coming out this Halloween and I've got a little something in it. It's unlike anything I've ever written before and I should warn those blog-followers of a sensitive disposition (and the more youthful among you) that it should definitely come with an 18 rating. You have been warned.





Lastly, I stumbled across this website the other day. And something tells me the guys in charge quite like my Pax Britannia books...

Until next time (which won't be as long as last time)...