Monthly Round-Up: August 2015

Where does the time go? We're at the end of August already.

Summer is nearly over and meteorologically it certainly feels that way. Lots of rain here in London and it's feeling distinctly chilly. I actually put the heating on today.

Anyway, enough about the weather. On with the news.

OUT NOW

I'm very excited to announce that THE WHISPERING DEATH is now available, in both Kindle and paperback formats. The official launch will be at FantasyCon in Nottingham on Saturday 24 October (which also happens to be my birthday) but I have not yet had a time confirmed.

There's also going to be another launch in South London on Wednesday 14 October. If you're not going to FantasyCon but are in the vicinity to make it to this one, let me know and I shall send you an invite.

PUBLICITY

Two appearances to report this month:

18 August - I was on Jami Gray's blog talking about the editing process and how the end is not the end.

24 August - Canadian author Allan J Emerson hosted an interview with me on his blog today.

While we're on the subject of publicity, I want to mention that tomorrow night (Thursday 27th) there will be an online Q&A session to promote THE WHISPERING DEATH. My publisher, Kensington Gore, and I will be online to answer any questions that people might care to ask. This starts at 7pm British Summer Time, and it will be happening on Twitter. Use the hashtag #QAKGPUB (an abbreviation of 'question & answer for Kensington Gore publishing') to join the conversation. I am attaching the invite here. Feel free to spread the word!

WORK IN PROGRESS

Over halfway through the first draft of SPOTLIGHT ON DEATH, the third Shara Summers novel, now. Actually, technically it's Draft 2.5, since I rebooted it twice, but I have now got further than I ever did in any of the earlier versions so I am feeling hopeful that progress is being made.

I've set a goal for myself that I will finish this novel, to final draft stage, by the end of the year. This will mean I've got two WIPs on the go, since I'm also in the (very) early stages of a new horror novel. But hey, sometimes that's a good thing. When I get stuck on one WIP I can go work on the other one.

Lots going on, then. So on that note I'm going to sign off and go back to the writing!

Cover Reveal: The Whispering Death

It's time to unveil the cover for the forthcoming horror novel THE WHISPERING DEATH!

This one is being released by British horror publisher Kensington Gore in Autumn. The e-book version may, in fact, be available in a few weeks. The print version will follow in a couple of months. I am hoping to be able to launch it at FantasyCon in Nottingham in October but I am awaiting confirmation on that.

This is the scariest novel I have written in a while, and it's not for the faint-hearted as it has rather a lot of gruesome scenes. It also has a lot of references to LARP, to D&D, to Resident Evil and is an homage to geekiness in general. Oh, and it has zombies, too.

I am very excited about the release of this book. For those of you in the UK and not going to FantasyCon, I'm endeavouring to arrange another launch, in the South of England, to offer another opportunity to attend. As always, watch this space for further info.

In the meantime, here's a teaser in the form of a blurb for the novel.

Blurb for THE WHISPERING DEATH
 
Death comes to us all; life is the name of the game and everyone has a role to play.

When a group of live action role-players perform a ritual as part of a game, they unwittingly unleash an ancient evil that tears their world apart. The reanimated corpse of a long-dead magic user, corrupted by powerful dark magic, offers a promise of unlimited power, but at a terrible price. Having helped open this Pandora’s box, Mark and Elizabeth must race against time to close it again – before it’s too late.

Monthly Round-Up: July 2015

Generally I do the monthly round-up on the last Wednesday of the month. However, last week I was in Darkest Wales, with no access to wifi and barely any mobile phone signal. It was nice to get away from it all, but a bit of an adjustment to be 'off the radar'.

So, July's round-up is a week late. But there is plenty to report, so on with the news.

OUT NOW

The 'Former Heroes' anthology is now available to buy, in print and e-book format. Featuring seven original stories of SF, fantasy and horror, all of these authors are united by being live action role-players. It's a fairly eclectic mix of stories, but it has already started receiving good reviews. My own story is definitely one of the darker ones.

COMING SOON

THE WHISPERING DEATH is in final proof stage, and now I'm getting excited. It's always a thrill when a book starts to become a reality.
It is hoped that this one will launch at FantasyCon in Nottingham in October, but I'm still waiting for confirmation of a launch slot. More news on this as it happens!

PUBLICITY

I was pleased to feature on the Omnimystery page at the beginning of the month as the author interview.

WORK IN PROGRESS

I've not made much progress on the new horror novel, but the third Shara Summers novel, SPOTLIGHT ON DEATH, continues apace. One of my work colleagues was asking about it the other day, which has given me some motivation to get on with it. I've set myself a goal to have this WIP finished by the end of the year. Not just 'current draft' finished, but at final draft stage. So I'd better apply bum to chair a bit more often and get cracking.

By the time of the next monthly round-up we'll be moving into Autumn, at least here in the Northern hemisphere. Where does the time go? See you then!