Friday 27 May 2016

Marked By Scorn Crowdfunding Update



Marked By Scorn from Solarwyrm Press is currently crowdfunding. The volume features stories about non-traditional relationships, the sort you don’t so often see in the mainstream, and features stories from around the world.

A review of the anthology can be found here.

At the time of posting this, they have raised $500 dollars, a fifth of the hoped-for goal, but if they reach the $2,500 goal, everyone who contributed to the campaign will get a free ebook of Solarwyrm's first anthology, Fae Fatales: A Fantasy Noir Anthology, which includes stories by 3 of the Marked by Scorn writers, and artwork by the cover artist for Marked by Scorn

The anthology contains both a poem and a Yellow Mythos story by me. The crowdfunding page can be found here and an article about the anthology can be found at here.

Monday 23 May 2016

Once Upon A Scream: Gollewon Ellee



Gollewon Ellee. Fairy lights. Mysterious lanterns seen in the woods, luring the unwary to their doom...

Gollewon Ellee is my contribution to the anthology Once Upon A Scream, an anthology of horror-tinged fairy stories and stories about fairies from Horror Addicts.net Press. Gollewon Ellee is set in around 1910 in a remote corner of Essex on Harley’s Mount and features two young girls who follow the titular fairy lights that haunt the hill.

Harley’s Mount and its environs have been the setting for a number of my stories and poems and first came into existence around twenty years ago, although I have refined and expanded upon the detail of the region over time, even releasing a booklet detailing some of its history and folklore. Along with the ghostly Harley himself, the fairy lights are one of the earliest elements of the extensive folk lore I’ve developed for the Mount (although the name only came later), featuring in the as-yet-unpublished novel that was the second piece of fiction set on the Mount and initially written twenty years ago (although substantially rewritten more than once since). Interestingly, following the fairy lights twice plays an important role in the novel.

The fairy lights themselves and their use in both stories derives from folk lore, where such lights were thought to be carried by fairies or to be the souls of the dead, and that to follow them was not a sensible thing to do. There is also a hint of UFOlogy in there, if you know where to look (deriving from the idea that fairies and aliens are different interpretations of the same motif or phenomenon through different cultural lenses).


While horror fiction, especially that of Lovecraft, has had some influence upon my creation of the Mount region, it is folk lore, rural culture and history that have most influenced its creation, along with one novel, The Snow Spider by Jenny Nimmo, which played a key role in catalysing that novel so long ago and very faint hints of which can be seen in Gollewon Ellee. (The Snow Spider really resonates with me and has had a more overt influence on at least one other of my recently-published stories.)

Finally, it can be said that the fictional Mount was inspired by a very real hill in Essex where my grandparents lived for a time. While not quite as imposing nor as haunted, it was still a fascinating place that gripped my imagination and provided a template in which to set stories that had been brewing for a time beforehand and a place for which I retain fond memories.

Friday 13 May 2016

Do you like silly B-movie-style horror?

If the answer is 'yes', then you might want to take a look at Strangely Funny III, which features my Attack of the Rad-Zombies. The fourth volume in the Strangely Funny anthology series from Mystery and Horror LLC (there was a volume 2.5, you see) is not available to order from Amazon at Amazon.com (Kindle)/ Amazon.com (pb) and Amazon.co.uk (Kindle)/ Amazon.co.uk (pb).
story

The earlier volumes (volume two of which also featured one of my stories) are also available to order from Amazon.

Marked By Scorn Crowdfunder

Marked By Scorn, an anthology of non-traditional relationships, is currently seeking crowdfunding support. The anthology contains both a poem and a Yellow Mythos story by me. The crowdfunding page can be found here and an article about the anthology can be found here.

Monday 9 May 2016

Interview

To celebrate the release of the anthology Once Upon A Scream, which contains my story Gollewon Ellee, you can find an interview with me here.

Pulpcore

Pulpcore is a German-language ebook which features my story Rot und Schwarz (Red and Black). - just hit the red button.
Download it for free

Saturday 7 May 2016

Spawn of the Ripper...

...is now available on the Kindle as well as in paperback!

Spawn of the Ripper, the fourth volume of Short Sharp Shocks from April Moon Books is a Hammer Horror homage and contains my story The Brain of Evil.

Order if from Amazon.com (Kindle)/Amazon.com (pb) and Amazon.co.uk (Kindle)/Amazon.co.uk (pb).

Friday 6 May 2016

The 2016 Rhysling Anthology

...is now available in paperback from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com and features my poem A Butterfly In Carcosa, alongside many other excellent poems, including one by the master, Steve Sneyd.

A definite must-have for fans of speculative poetry!

Wednesday 4 May 2016

Five poems online at...

Makata Volume 15 Issue 2 (May2016) [Philippines/webzine]

  • Adventure of Love
  • Fade Into The Future
  • Her Pain
  • Retreat Sea, Away!
  • The Loving Breeze

Lake Manor Sale















For the next week, The Haunting of Lake Manor Hotel is discounted to .99 on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk! If you haven't tried it, now is the right time!

Unlocking The Truth...

...is my title in the new anthology, The Key, from Zimbell House Publishing. The collection is available to order in paperback and on the Kindle from Amazon at from Amazon.com (Kindle)/ Amazon.com (pb) and Amazon.co.uk (Kindle)/ Amazon.co.uk (pb).

The Thing in the Mirror

You can find my story "The Thing in the Mirror" online here. Enjoy.