Christmas in July sale now on!

DriveThruRPG's Christmas in July sale is still on until the end of the month, and lots of ACE Gamebooks titles are included. Funnily enough, one of those is...

When the north winds blow,
Bringing with them ice and snow,
If Midsummer’s weather’s numbing,
Then know that Fimbulwinter’s coming.

Christmas in July is a self-contained adventure, set at the height of summer. As well as containing material that can be adapted for more conventional games of the ’TWAS RPG, this book also introduces new monsters to the game, and four new Player Characters.

A copy of ’TWAS – The Roleplaying Game Before Christmas is required to use the contents of this book.

The UK Games Exp 2023

A week ago, I was in the thick of things at Day 2 of the UK Games Expo. It's an event that I look forward to all year and now that it's over for another year, I can't believe it's already been a week since I was at the NEC with my ACE Gamebooks.

ACE Gamebooks at the UK Games Expo.

Talking of which, the books were very well received. RONIN 47 proved popular, although some of my regular readers chose not to pick up a copy because it's science fiction rather than fantasy, and Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland did well, as it always does. On top of that, I sold out of NEVERLAND - Here Be Monsters!, Beowulf Beastslayer, and Dracula: Curse of the Vampire (again).

A shield-maiden showing off her 'Hwaet' tattoo.

One of the things I love about the UK Games Expo is the number of friends I catch up with from all over the country, and all areas of my life. A couple of my university friends still live nearby and stopped by my stand to say hello, as did Twitch streamers Ken Boyter and Julian Sparrow. 

Richard, one of my best friends from university and a huge fan of board games.

Ken Boyter (EdraTales) and Julian Sparrow (Babel_17).

And then there are the usual suspects, such as Rene Batsford, Ed Fortune, Kev Abbotts, PJ Montgomery, Neil Roberts, Jamie Fry, George Mann, James Wallis, Justin-Lee Morrison, Jonathan Hicks, and all the Kickstarter backers who stop by and say hello. I also talked business with Holmgard Press and Aconyte Books, which was nice.

Olly Mc, a.k.a. the Storymaster, of The Storymaster's Tales.

Hanging out with a Terminator Space Marine, as you do.

The Aconyte Books stand, promoting the Marvel Multiverse Missions gamebooks.

A very impressive piece of Necron cosplay.

PJ Montgomery with an original copy of Spellbreaker, my first book, published 30 years ago this month.

The Lone Wolf Miniatures Game at the Holmgard Press stand.

Dr Peter Wright and the gang from Edge Hill University, where my ACE Gamebooks are on the game design course reading list.

On the Saturday night I went to the live readthrough of Sir Ian Livingstone's City of Thieves, during which Olly Mc guided John Robertson through Port Blacksand until he met a grisly end at the hands of Zanbar Bone. Wearing bunny ears. Zanbar Bone, not John Robertson.

Olly Mc and John Roberson at the City of Thieves live readthrough.

The victorious Zanbar Bone, plus fluffy, rainbow bunny ears. 

Another highlight was the Heorot RPG photoshoot with the reenactors of The Vikings UK, as was the 'Write Like a Pro' workshop I did with Darren Pearce on the Sunday morning.

Vikings reading a Viking RPG. How very meta...

Darren Pearce and Jonathan Green, your hosts for the 'Write Like a Pro' workshop.

However, a huge thank you must go to Scott Lewis and Claire Byard, who helped out on my stand again this year and kept me entertained on Saturday night, drinking cocktails and playtesting card games.

Scott and Claire.

Playtesting a certain Christmas-themed card game at around midnight.

If you've never been, you should check out the UK Games Expo because there is something there for everyone, no matter their age. And I hope to be there again next year, but I'm going to need to pull my finger out if I want to have another ACE Gamebook for sale at the event.

ACE Gamebooks at the UK Games Expo 2023.

HEOROT - Roleplaying in the World of Beowulf Beastslayer - Late Pledges

If you missed HEOROT - Roleplaying in the World of Beowulf Beastslayer on Kickstarter earlier in the year, you can now place a Late Pledge and still become a backer, with all the perks that such status includes.

Simply check out the rewards below, and click on the PayPal button for the one you would like to select.

GIANTSLAYER

SERPENTSLAYER

MONSTERSLAYER

BEASTSLAYER

TROLLSLAYER

MERCHANT

Please note, all rewards will be delivered via DriveThruRPG when the HEOROT RPG is released in Spring 2022.

Thank you for your support, and don't forget to check out my latest crowdfunding project, RONIN 47.

Gamebook Friday: HEOROT - Role-Playing in the World of Beowulf Beastslayer is now funding on Kickstarter

HEOROT - Role-Playing in the World of Beowulf Beastslayer

is funding on Kickstarter now!

100 days until the UK Games Expo 2020

Unbelievably, there are just 100 days to go until the UK Games Expo 2020. The UK Games Expo is one of only two fixed events in my con-going calendar, along with Dragonmeet, and this year it is taking place from Friday 29th - Sunday 31st May 2020.

ACE Gamebooks will be there, with two titles new to the UK Games Expo - Beowulf Beastslayer and 'TWAS - The Krampus Night Before Christmas.

     

I am writing something for the event programme again this year, and I am hoping I might be able to persuade the Vikings of Ardenweard to stop by my stand for a photo op with Beowulf Beastslayer but I'm also planning on bringing Christmas to summer half term with 'TWAS - The Krampus Night Before Christmas.

One of the things I love about the event is the fact that in the evenings I can socialise with friends in the industry. As well as going for meals and cocktails/beers, this year I am also attending James Wallis's The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen and Olly McNeil's Ian Livingstone’s Deathtrap Dungeon LIVE. If you are attending the UK Games Expo this year, I would recommend that you do the same.

Beowulf Beastslayer - Publication Day!

Hwaet! Beowulf Beastslayer is published today by Snowbooks.

A brand new adventure gamebook by Jonathan Green, based on the ancient epic. A tale of heroes... A tale of monsters... A legend reborn. 

King Hrothgar's great golden mead-hall, Heorot, lies under a curse; after sunset, the mirth-hating night-stalker Grendel comes to the hall to maim and murder! None are capable of killing the monster, though many have tried, until one day Beowulf and his company of Geatish warriors cross the sail-road and land on Danish shores...

The Old English poem Beowulf is a story that has fascinated people throughout the ages inspiring the likes of J. R. R. Tolkien, Seamus Heaney and Neil Gaiman. Beowulf Beastslayer is a brand new take on the Anglo-Saxon epic, re-imagining the events described in the poem as an adventure gamebook.

Will you follow the course of events as laid down by the scops and skalds of old, or will you choose a different path and forge your own legend?

Beowulf Beastslayer is illustrated by none other than Russ Nicholson, who provided the internal artwork for the Fighting Fantasy gamebook The Warlock of Firetop Mountain (among others), which set me on the path to becoming an author, and features a cover quote by none other than BBC Four's Dr Janina Ramirez.

As backers of the original Kickstarter will already know, Paul Muller sculpted Grendel and Beowulf in three dimensions, using Russ Nicholson's interpretations of the characters as his guide, and the miniatures were produced by Otherworld Miniatures. Well, here they are, painted by the very talented Andy Taylor.

Grendel and Beowulf, sculpted by Paul Muller, produced by Otherworld Miniatures, and painted by Andy Taylor.

If you would like to buy a pair of miniatures, simply click the button below, having selected whereabouts in the world you would like them sent.

Beowulf and Grendel miniatures

UK signed for £29.00 GBP Europe signed for £34.00 GBP Rest of World signed for £35.00 GBP

And if you have read the book, please post a review on Amazon.

God Jul!

Gamebook Friday: Beowulf Beastslayer sets sail for the Land of the Danes soon!

On Monday 1st October 2018, the Kickstarter for Beowulf Beastslayer, my latest ACE Gamebooks project will go live. Five years in the making*, here's the video promo for the gamebook...

And if you want to know a little more about the story of Beowulf, here's me from five years ago, to fill you in...

* Or, more precisely, five years since I first announced the project.

Riddle of the Runes Unleashing

I was fortunate to be among the guests who attended the launch of Dr Janina Ramirez's first* children's book, Riddle of the Runes, at Hatchards on Piccadilly last night.

When I arrived, I climbed flight after flight of stairs, following the sound of much merriment and excitement, to the top floor, where I was welcomed by the team from Oxford University Press with a glass of something cold and sparkling, which was nice.**

As well as Dr J, her family, friends and colleagues, others in attendance included Professor Kate Williams, Helen Czerski, Bettany Hughes, and Neil Gaiman, who literally popped in a minute.***

Following speeches by Liz Cross, Head of Children's Publishing at Oxford University Press, and the author herself...

Janina then spent the rest of her time sat behind a desk, signing books...

And patiently posing for photos, like this one...

Achievement unlocked: Dr Janina Ramirez calls you a legend.****

I was interested to learn that writing fiction is what Janina has always wanted to do, and was the reason she studied English Literature at Oxford. Everything else that has happened since, including her medievalist history and art history studies - not to mention her broadcasting career! - were simply a deviation from her original plan. But now she's back on track and celebrating being a bestselling children's author.

Then it was off to the pub for more merriment and lots of chat.

Much as I am enjoying Riddle of the Runes, and as thrilled as my own shield maiden is to have received her own signed copy, those of you who are still patiently awaiting Beowulf Beastslayer will no doubt be as intrigued as I am about Janina's next book, due out next March.

* Of many, I am sure!

** Not to mention most welcome. It was very hot.

*** How rock and roll is that?

**** Which is right up there with the time Charlie Higson publicly called me one of the world's leading experts in the gamebook genre.