Thought for the Day

"There is something old and true in fantasy that speaks to something deep within us, to the child who dreamt that one day he would hunt the forests of the night, and feast beneath the hollow hills, and find a love to last forever somewhere south of Oz and north of Shangri-La."

~ George R R Martin

Gamebook Friday: Holding out for a Heroine

In honour of International Women's Day yesterday, today's Gamebook Friday post focuses on my ACE Gamebooks, which all feature strong female protagonists.

In Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland, there is, of course, the indefatigable Alice, who you guide through a warped Wonderland.

The Wicked Wizard of Oz tells the story of stormy Dorothy Gale's return to Oz and the incredible transformation that she undergoes while she is there.

And then there is NEVERLAND - Here Be Monsters!, which I am currently in the process of writing, and which features not one but two heroines, the Lara Croft-esque shipwreck survivor Wendy Darling, and the Sabretooth-riding heroic hunter Tiger Lily.



NEVERLAND - Here Be Monsters! will be published later this year, while Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland and The Wicked Wizard of Oz are both available now.

Thought for the Day

“The best fantasy is written in the language of dreams. It is alive as dreams are alive, more real than real... for a moment at least... that long magic moment before we wake."

~ George R R Martin

March Fourth for GM's Day

Sunday 4th March is GM's Day, an annual event to show your GM (or DM, or Storyteller, or Referee) how much you appreciate them. It was founded in 2002, and 4th March also happens to be the anniversary of the death of Dungeons & Dragons co-creator Gary Gygax.

If you're a fan of multi-player role-playing games, and you're also a fan of adventure gamebooks, why not try playing my ACE Gamebooks with your gaming group? The Wicked Wizard of Oz would work particularly well; indeed, I have been thinking about turning the book into an RPG. Would you be interested in playing a game like that?

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.

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.