RIP Chris Achilleos

I was sad to learn yesterday that the legendary fantasy artist Chris Achilleos passed away suddenly, after a short illness, on Monday afternoon. My thoughts are with his wife Tasha, as well as the rest of his family and his friends at this difficult time.

I first became aware of Chris's work in the 1980s, through his contributions to the Fighting Fantasy series and artbooks such as Sirens.

Many years later, I met Chris when he attended Fighting Fantasy Fest 1 in 2014. I had spoken to him prior to the event and he kindly offered to paint a cover for YOU ARE THE HERO, but I had already commissioned Martin McKenna to do just that. However, when YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2 was scheduled, I took him up on his offer.

This involved two trips to his loft-space studio at his home - which was an experience in itself, seeing where the master worked - and I was made to feel very welcome by Chris and Tasha. On the first trip, we discussed the commission but also ended up talking about his previous work, with Chris getting out pieces of original art from his map chests, including some stuff he had painted for Games Workshop. On my second visit I collected the finished painting, which I have since had framed.

Although Chris couldn't make Fighting Fantasy Fest 2, I am pleased that he was able to attend FFF3, and on that occasion he was interviewed by Martin Noutch about his work.

Chris will be greatly missed, for he was a true master of his art, but the body of work he has left behind is a legacy that will live on for years to come.

Chris Achilleos and his wife Tasha at Fighting Fantasy Fest 3, in 2019.

Gamebook Friday: Gamebook Goals

As it's a New Year*, I thought it timely to review my gamebook goals for the year ahead.

First of all, I intend to continue to grow and develop my ACE Gamebooks series. With that goal in mind, I have launched a Kickstarter to fund production of the fifth title in the series, 'TWAS - The Krampus Night Before Christmas. As of writing, the Kickstarter is already 54% funded after three days, and there are four play-testers slots still available.

I'm also busy giving NEVERLAND - Here Be Monsters! a final proofread, and editing Beowulf Beastslayer. There are more foreign language editions of Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland in the works, and at least one foreign language edition of The Wicked Wizard of Oz on the way. I have more ACE Gamebooks planned after 'TWAS, but one gamebook project** at a time is quite enough.

I now have eight hardbacks of YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2 left to sell, two having been snapped up already, so if you didn't get one for Christmas, or you have some Christmas money burning a hole in your pocket, you know what to do.

I received a lovely Christmas box from my German publisher Mantikore-Verlag, containing chocolates, cakes, apple gin, Alice in Düsterland prosecco, and a signed gamebook by superstar German author Jens Schumacher, whom I had the pleasure of meeting at the Frankfurt Book Fair last year.

Of course, the one piece of interactive fiction that everyone is talking about at the moment is Charlie Brooker's Bandersnatch, but I'm afraid I can't comment on it as I haven't seen it yet. Too busy writing my own gamebooks, you see?

And before I forget, you can read an interview with me here, at the Legacy of Kreya.

* 2019 already?!?

** Or rather three!

Gamebook Friday: Gamebooks, New Year Sale, and the 'TWAS Kickstarter

Thanks to a few Kickstarter rewards arriving before Christmas, and presents received on Christmas Day itself, I have the following new gamebooks to read through in the New Year.

Talking of New Year, I have 10 hardback copies of YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2 remaining, and am offering them for the same discounted price of £30 (including free post and packing within the UK) as I was before Christmas in my new New Year Sale. So if you didn't get the present you really wanted this year, drop me a line via info@jonathangreenauthor.com.

And last of all this Gamebook Friday, there are just four days remaining until 'TWAS - The Krampus Night Before Christmas launches on Kickstarter on Tuesday 1st January 2019.

YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2 - December Sale!

It turns out that following Dragonmeet last Saturday, I have one box of hardback copies of YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2 left.

From now until Friday 14th December 2018, you can pick up a signed copy for just £30 including post and packing within the UK*.

If you would like a signed copy, drop me a line at info@jonathangreenauthor.com.

* Packages going abroad will need a little extra postage paying for.

Gamebook Friday: ACE Gamebooks at Dragonmeet this Saturday!

Tomorrow (Saturday, 1st December 2018), I will be attending Dragonmeet 2018, and I will have copies of both my ACE Gamebooks - Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland and The Wicked Wizard of Oz - for sale, along with some hardbacks of YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2.

You will find me downstairs, in the main trade hall, next to Ian Livingstone's Fighting Fantasy stand. All Rolled Up, who are making the game rolls and dice trays for NEVERLAND - Here Be Monsters! and Beowulf Beastslayer, will also be in attendance. So, if you're attending too, do stop by and say hello.

Gamebook Friday: Black Friday Sale extended to Cyber Monday!

If you would you like to get your hands on a signed copy of the hardback edition of YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2 for only £30, or a signed copy of the paperback edition of Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland or The Wicked Wizard of Oz for only £10, you now have until Monday 26th November to place your order.

And don't forget, post and packing within the UK is FREE!

To buy a signed copy of one of these books simply email info@jonathangreenauthor.com.

Gamebook Friday: Black Friday Sale!

How would you like to get your hands on a signed copy of the hardback edition of YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2 for only £30?

Or how about a signed copy of the paperback edition of Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland or The Wicked Wizard of Oz for only £10?

This offer is on from Friday 16th - Friday 23rd November 2018, and post and packing within the UK is FREE!

To buy a signed copy of one of these books simply email info@jonathangreenauthor.com.

Gamebook Friday: ACE Gamebooks End of Summer Sale!

I was sorting through my garage the other day and came across a box of half a dozen copies of the limited edition hardback of The Wicked Wizard of Oz, featuring designer's notes and artist's sketchbook. If anyone would like one of these, I am selling them for £20 each and will sign them for you as well.

I also have a number of hardbacks of YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2 left and am also selling these off for £20 each, signed.

Post and packing incurs an additional charge, and I send everything tracked and signed for where possible.

If you are interested in buying either of these books from me, email me at info@jonathangreenauthor.com and we'll take it from there.

YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2 - Summer Sale!

I have a few hardback copies of YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2 left. If you would like a signed copy, drop me a line at info@jonathangreenauthor.com.

It costs £40 for a signed hardback, and that includes post and packing within the UK. (Packages going abroad will need a little extra postage paying for.)

Jonathan Green and ACE Gamebooks at the UK Games Expo 2018

Please note that you will now find me on Stand 2-C2, with Ian Livingstone.

I will be at the UK Games Expo all this weekend, from 9.30am on Friday until 4.00pm on Sunday.

I will be selling copies of my ACE Gamebooks, Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland and The Wicked Wizard of Oz, as well as hardback copies of YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2. (I'm afraid that the hardbacks of Part 1 have sold out.)


ACE Gamebooks

If you buy an ACE Gamebook from me, you will also receive a FREE copy of The Ulysses Quicksilver Omnibus Volume 2 - containing the Pax Britannia novels Evolution Expects, Blood Royal, and Dark Side - while stocks last. So that's potentially four books for a tenner!

YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2

As I am sharing a table with Ian Livingstone, you may well get the chance to have your copy of YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2 signed by him as well as me.

Spellbreaker 25th Anniversary Prize Draw

June 2018 marks 25 years since the publication of my first book, the Fighting Fantasy adventure Spellbreaker. If you buy a book from me over the weekend - any book - you will be entered into the Spellbreaker 25th Anniversary Prize Draw for the chance to win a signed, limited hardback collector's edition of my latest gamebook, NEVERLAND - Here Be Monsters!

And the winner is...

Unfortunately, although both The Wicked Wizard of Oz and YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2 were entered into the UK Games Expo Awards, neither of them were shortlisted, but you may well find me in the event programme anyway, so keep your eyes peeled!

I also hope to attend Ian Livingstone's Deathtrap Dungeon Reading, which is taking place on the Friday evening from 5.00pm.

And if you are visiting the UK Games Expo this weekend, do stop by Stand 2-C2 and say hello. Maybe I'll see you there. ;-)

JG at the UK Games Expo

There's an element of doubt regarding where I will be at the UK Games Expo this weekend. I will definitely be there - barring flood, fire or act of God - but I'm not entirely sure whether I'll be on the Mercia Books stand at 2-D4 or sharing a stand with Ian Livingstone at 2-C2.

I suspect it will be the latter, as that's what is printed in the programme, but I won't know for sure until I get to the NEC and set up on Thursday.

So, if you were hoping to stop by this weekend and say hello, it might be best to check both stands in your quest to find the author of YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2 and The Wicked Wizard of Oz.

Gamebook Friday: Forthcoming Events

If you missed me at Bath Comic-Con last weekend, you may be interested to learn that I am taking part in a number of other events over the next couple of months.


Festival of Steam and Transport
Sunday 1st - Monday 2nd April 2018

Over the Easter weekend you will find me at the Chatham Dockyard Festival of Steam and Transport. I will be one of the guest authors lurking within the Steampunk Village, along with m'colleague Mr Kit Cox.

So if you're looking for something different to do on Easter Sunday or Bank Holiday Monday, why not pop along? You can find out more about the event here.


The Publishing Innovation Conference
Thursday 26th April 2018

I have been invited to speak at the 14th Annual Publishing Innovation event at the London College of Communication. This is an annual event that gathers together students and industry professionals to explore emerging issues in publishing across all sectors.

This year, the theme of the event is Redefining Storytelling, and I will be taking part in the second panel, entitled “Beyond Print: Redefining Storytelling.”


UK Games Expo 2018
Friday 1st - Sunday 3rd June 2018

The UK Games Expo has become the biggest event in my con calendar of recent years*. Since it moved venues from central Birmingham to the NEC I have attended each year, for just two days to begin with, but now for the whole weekend.

It is a fantastic family event and this year I will be there with copies of my ACE Gamebooks to sell, specifically The Wicked Wizard of Oz**. But I will also have hardback copies of YOU ARE THE HERO Parts 1 and 2 with me, and seeing as Ian Livingstone is also attending the Expo, you'll even be able to get copies purchased at the event signed by the great man himself.

* Not including Fighting Fantasy Fest, which I organise myself and is not an annual event.

** Which was supposed to launch at the UK Games Expo last year.

Gamebook Friday: Bath Comic-Con

I will be at Bath Comic-Con tomorrow, Saturday 17th March 2018*. The event is being held at the Bath Pavilion, and opens to Early Bird ticket holders at 10:00am, with general entry from 11:00am. Last entries are at 3:00pm and the event will finish at 5:00pm.

I will be bringing along copies of The Wicked Wizard of Oz, and YOU ARE THE HERO Parts 1 & 2 to sell, and will happily regale anyone who asks about my next ACE Gamebook, NEVERLAND - Here Be Monsters!

This will be the first time that I have attended an event in Bath, which is strange when you consider that I attended school there for ten years back in the '80s. It will be great to be back in the Georgian city and hopefully I might meet some of my readers from the West Country.

If you are stopping by to have your photograph taken with Hannah Spearritt and the Raptor, do stop by and sell hello. Even better, stop by, say hello, and buy a book!

Maybe I'll see you there. :-)

* Apologies but in a previous post I said I would also be there on the Sunday, but it turns out the event is only running on the Saturday.

Gamebook Friday: The Wicked Wizard of Oz at Bath Comic-Con

On Saturday 17th March 2018 I will be attending Bath Comic-Con, at the Bath Pavilion*, and I will be bringing along copies of The Wicked Wizard of Oz, and YOU ARE THE HERO Parts 1 & 2 to sell.

So if you live in the West Country and you've not yet had a chance to meet me at a convention and buy my books, now's your chance.

Maybe I'll see you there. :-)

* It's probably almost 28 years since I last visited the Pavilion, but on this occasion I won't have my clarinet with me.

World Book Day 2018

As you no doubt are already aware* today is World Book Day. So, in typical form, I would encourage you to purchase one of my books today, especially...

Ebenezer Scrooge and the ghost of Jacob Marley are back, as they become embroiled in an occult murder mystery. The perfect read for a wintry day!

Become Dorothy Gale, the Scarecrow, Tin Man, or Lion and return to the marvellous Land of Oz to take on the Wicked Wizard of Oz himself! A thrilling adventure gamebook in which YOU decide the course of the story.

The second volume in the history of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks series. A worldwide hit, and you can buy your own signed copy direct from the author here!

But more than that, I would ask you to write a review for a book that you've enjoyed (including any of mine you might have read) as the number of reviews a book receives on Amazon (for example) has a direct impact on that book's future sales.

Thank you and have a great day. I, for one, will be starting Dan Abnett's latest Gaunt's Ghosts novel The Warmaster, and hopefully writing a few more sections of NEVERLAND - Here Be Monsters!

* Especially if you have primary school age children.

Gamebook Friday: The Wicked Wizard of Oz at Forbidden Planet's Small Press Expo

Just a quick reminder that I will be at the Small Press Expo being held at Forbidden Planet in London tomorrow, Saturday 24th February, from 1:00pm - 2:30pm, signing copies of my ACE Gamebook The Wicked Wizard of Oz, YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2, and SHARKPUNK.

Maybe I'll see you there...

Gamebook Friday: Small Press Expo at Forbidden Planet

On Saturday 24th February, the Forbidden Planet London Megastore will be hosting an event with a difference – welcoming a host of authors and editors from four small press publishers into a mini convention in the store, from 1:00-2:30pm!

NewCon Press (with whom I have a new short story coming out this summer), Fox Spirit Books, Kristell Ink Books and Snowbooks will be there, and I'll be there as part of the Snowbooks contingent, pushing the SHARKPUNK anthology, my The Wicked Wizard of Oz ACE Gamebook, and YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2.

So, if you're in town that day, why not come along, buy a book, and get it signed? Maybe I'll see you there.

     

Gamebook Friday: Onward Adventurer

The latest episode of Starburst Magazine's podcast Brave New Words - #2.27 Onward Adventurer - is available to download for free from iTunes. The reason I mention this today is because not one, not two, but four of my books get a mention. I say a mention, but they are actually discussed for a good 40 minutes or more, which is nice.

The books in question are YOU ARE THE HERO Parts 1 and 2, Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland and The Wicked Wizard of Oz. Fighting Fantasy Fest 1 and Fighting Fantasy Fest 2 also get a mention. (And when I say a mention...)

There is an interesting discussion concerning how well, or not, the artwork of the Fighting Fantasy books has dated, although I completely disagree with one of the panel who thinks that there were some poor artistic decisions made in the YATH books and who argues that if you are writing a history of something you should consider reworking iconic images associated with it. (And we all know how well that's gone down with some FF fans with regards to Scholastic re-imagining classic images from the FF gamebooks.)

I'm pleased to say that the panel are suitably wowed by the look of the special edition of The Wicked Wizard of Oz, and are especially impressed by Kev Crossley's designs for the playable characters, although the same panellist misunderstands that the Scarecrow isn't The Grim Reaper but A Grim Reaper, and it would have been nice if somebody had actually read/played through the book before reviewing it.

You can listen to the podcast for yourself here.

         

Review of the Year - 2017

It's that time of year again when I like to look back over the achievements of the last twelve months, before looking forward to what the next year has in store writing-wise.

I only had four books come out in 2016*, but I made up for that this year, with a grand total of fourteen titles that I was associated with in some way being released throughout 2017. (And that doesn't include the three German Edition Pax Britannia eBooks released in May**.)

They include one re-issue, three short story anthologies that I have short stories in, Hacking the Curriculum, to which I contributed a chapter about using interactive fiction in the classroom, two colouring books based on my ACE Gamebooks, one new gamebook, the second volume in my history of Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, a Doctor Who tie-in title, a Minecraft tie-in title, a graphic novel that compiles the four-part comic mini-series I edited, and two titles I have self-published.

At the start of the year I launched the SHARKPUNK 2 Kickstarter, which unfortunately gained no traction at all. However, the next two Kickstarters - YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2 and NEVERLAND - did fund, fortunately! YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2 funded on 1st April and the finished book was delivered to me on 1st September, just in time for Fighting Fantasy Fest 2!

As well as organising Fighting Fantasy Fest 2, and the world's first Fighting Fantasy pub quiz, I attended far more events than last year, including the Steampunk Author Showcase at the Essex Book Festival, the Freeway Fighter signing at Forbidden Planet, the UK Games Expo 2017, the Steampunk Essextraordianaire III, Dragondaze, GamesFest, ArmadaCon, and Dragonmeet. (I also received a very warm welcome when I visited the Barnes and Noble store in New York back in April, but that's another story!)

There are a number of projects I've worked on this year that won't see print until 2018. One of those jobs was working on a brand-new Fighting Fantasy gamebook with Charlie Higson, of all people, which was nice.

Another highlight of the year was meeting Iain McCaig at FFF2, who greeted me like an old friend, even thought it was the first time we had even spoken!

As one year comes to an end, I already have plenty of work lined up for 2018, including a couple of short stories, NEVERLAND - Here Be Monsters!, and hopefully some more Scrooge and Marley (Deceased).

But of all the amazing memories I have from this year, what will I remember most from 2017? 2013 was the Year of Moshi Monsters, 2014 was the Year of YOU ARE THE HERO, 2015 was the Year of Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland, and 2016 was the Year of  Robin of Sherwood. However, I think I will always remember 2017 as the Year of The Wicked Wizard of Oz.

Thank you for reading my books and supporting my Kickstarters in 2017, and here's to 2018. And talking of 2018, German gamebook fans have this to look forward to...

* And one of them was a re-issue.

** Or the new edition of YOU ARE THE HERO Part 1 that was released to accompany the YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2 Kickstarter, or the Print on Demand reprint of Status: Deadzone available now from Black Library.