Gamebook Friday: International Gamebook Day 2023, ACE Gamebooks for £1, and the Moon Knight countdown has begun!

For the past three years, International Gamebook Day has been held on 27th August. However, this year, for various reasons, it is going to be held in October (date to be confirmed) in the lead up to Halloween. So, watch this space for more news.

You have one week left to download the PDF versions of my ACE Gamebooks from DriveThruRPG for the princely sum of £1 each (or 75p in the case of RONIN 47, while the Cosmic Horror sale is on).

There are just 11 days to go until the release of the paperback of Moon Knight: Age of Anubis in the US (5th September) and the global eBook. The paperback will hit the UK on 23rd November*. You can also pre-order the digital version on DriveThruRPG here.

* The day before my mother-in-law's 80th birthday. Do you think she'd like a signed copy as a present?

Gamebook Friday: Moon Knight, ACE Gamebooks for £1, and The Wicked Wizard of Oz USA

Three things for you this Gamebook Friday.

First of all, the reviews for Moon Knight: Age of Anubis are starting to mount up, ahead of the book's release in less than a month's time in the US. Here's what just a few of them have to say...

"I absolutely loved this! A genius way to get those who aren't such keen readers off their screens and into a great book! This will appeal to so many different people, with differing interests and all ages too." ~ 5 stars

"If you loved gamebooks, solo adventures, Moon Knight, ancient Egypt, or just want to kill a bit of time in a fun and engaging way, this is the book for you!" ~ 5 stars

"I am giving this one two thumbs up!" ~ 5 stars

"Overall, it's a positive experience for readers of all ages and I will have to look into more of these Marvel adventure books in the future!" ~ 5 stars

You can preorder Moon Knight: Age of Anubis here.

Secondly, you can now pick up the PDF editions of all the ACE Gamebooks in print so far for just £1 until the end of the month over on DriveThruRPG.

Yes, you read that correctly - £1 each.

And third, The Wicked Wizard of Oz is going to be released in the USA on 26th September 2023, courtesy of Winged Hussar Publishing.

Gamebook Friday: The Darkness Over Arkham

The news is out there. I am writing a new gamebook for Aconyte Books, this time set within the world of Arkham Horror.

In The Darkness Over Arkham, your choices will decide the outcome of a murder mystery and a sinister plot threatening the town of Arkham, Massachusetts.

When a renowned professor is found dead, his body melted, it’s up to the Investigators of Arkham to discover what occult horrors were responsible. Pick your path and collect allies along the way to hunt down his killer before they strike again. However, Arkham is full of mysteries, with many wishing to keep the truth buried, and who are hungry to usher in a new era full of death and darkness to devour the world as you know it. Can you stop it before it is too late?

You will be able to find out next April*.

* If you are in the US, and June if you are in the UK.

Gamebook Friday: The Jolly Roger lands in Poland this autumn

Coming soon from Muduko, the Polish publisher of ACE Gamebooks...

The cover art is by Elwira Pawlikowska and you can see more of her art here.

Gamebook Friday: Les Contes tordus de Green

Which I believe translates as 'Green's Twisted Tales', which is about right.

Last year, Alkonost Editions ran a crowdfunding campaign to produce eleven gamebooks. Three of those were ACE Gamebooks and they were released earlier this year. My author copies arrived last Saturday, and they look great!

I particularly like how the character icons appear on the Adventure Sheets, where appropriate, along with the instructions linked to them. That's an idea I might borrow for future ACE Gamebook releases.

The fourth volume is a translation of the 'Making of' chapters from the hardback editions of the three gamebooks, and features designer's notes and the preliminary sketches by Kev Crossley and Russ Nichoslon.

If you are a French-speaker, a Francophile, or simply a collector of ACE Gamebooks, you can find out more about the French editions here, and pick them up from sites such as Amazon.fr.

The title Alkonost Editions will be translating next is Dracula: Curse of the Vampire, to be released some time in 2024.

Gamebook Friday: Stock Clearance Sale

Due to an imminent house move, I am currently trying to clear as much old stock as possible. Follow this link to pick up a bargain, knockdown price ACE Gamebook hardback while you still can.

You can also pick up the PDF of the Heorot RPG at a discounted price, for the duration of Ormamánuður, Worm's Month, until 14th August 2023, over on DriveThruRPG.

Steampunk Thursday: Jules Verne Lives!

It's been a while since I've written a Steampunk Thursday blog post but I am doing so today because Jules Verne Lives!: Essays of His Works and Legacy, edited by Gary Westfahl, is out now.

Gary approached me in 2021 about being a contributor, providing my thoughts on writing Steampunk stories. And being published alongside James P. Blaylock, one of the Godfathers of Steampunk, is pretty darn cool.