The Watcher – A Jack the Ripper Story – New Release #Horror #Short Stories

Tags

Jack the Ripper, new release, Short story, Victorian History

 

As some of you may know I have always been rather fascinated by the legend of Jack the Ripper. (Don’t look at my browsing history – I’m a writer so it’s a bit weird!). For anyone unfamiliar with him Jack the Ripper stalked the London streets in the Autumn of 1888 and left at least five women dead and mutilated. These poor women were prostitutes of the lowest class; it was a dangerous profession.  In many ways the killings highlighted the plight of the Victorian poor, particularly for females. Who did not have much choice in how they supported themselves if a husband was not around, or the family was very poor.

 

There are hundreds of theories about who he (or she) was – ranging from the grandson of the Queen Victoria (Eddie – Duke of Clarence who might have had some rather dubious doings but was several hundred miles away in Scotland at the time of one of the killings), to a mad doctor, to a Jewish slaughterman, to a midwife, to a wealthy Liverpool businessman (who himself was (possibly murdered by his wife Florence Maybrick ).  

George Chapman, another unpleasant woman-killer of the time was also mentioned, as was the artist Walter Sickert.  Any or none of these could have been the killer.

Who was this person who left London in the grip of terror? This new murderer more wicked than any before him? Who knows? That is part of the enduring legend. Jack the Ripper was never caught and his legacy is such that writers and historians aplenty have fielded proof, disproof, and stories for over a hundred years.

Anyway enough background…. The story is from the point of view of the killer – and recounts his last known murder – that of Mary Jane Kelly.  I am not putting forward names – other than Jack but there is a twist at the end of his identity.

This was previously published as an anthology piece for Tales from Darker Places and Boo Fore! but has been updated and revised for this version.

Welcome to the darkness of Victorian London….

The Watcher – A Jack the Ripper Story

The year is 1888, and the place is Whitechapel, in the very heart of London. But the heart is bleeding. A mysterious killer is stalking women of the streets – his true name is unknown but his legend will go down in history. This is a short tale of Jack the Ripper.

18 rated for scenes of violence.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B074S83GHF

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074S83GHF

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/743134

Bundle Rabbit https://bundlerabbit.com/products/detail/the-watcher

Coming soon to Kobo, Barnes and Noble and Apple.

 

Background reading for those interested.

 

 

 

Jack the Ripper – a rundown

Florence Maybrick – Did she kill him? 

The Florence Maybrick case is fascinating in itself, tragic for all concerned and showed the morals of the time well enough.  Mrs Maybrick was tried more for the fact she’d had affairs (including with her husband’s brother) than anything else. Her husband had a mistress, was a hypochondriac who took arsenic as a tonic, and in more than one case had struck his wife.

Walter Sickert – Casebook review

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New Release – Tears and Crimson Velvet #Phantom #shortstory #horrorfantasy

Tags

Books, Erik, horror, Horror fantasy, new release, Phantom, Phantom of the Opera, tragic romance

Here’s today’s news:) I am delighted to announce the release of my latest short story – Tears and Crimson Velvet – a short story based (loosely) on the characters and events in Phantom of the Opera.

The latest Legacy of the Mask Tale features Madam Giry, a much underrated and misunderstood character.

Giry finds herself embroiled in the tragedy unfolding at the Opera house; mystery and murder stalk the corridors and, it is said, a ghost haunts the place. Giry knows the truth, for she recalls the caged man she met so many years ago. This is her story, their story.

When murder and mystery begin at the Opera House one woman knows who is behind it, and what really lies beneath the mask. Secrets, lies and tragedy sing a powerful song in this ‘might have been’ tale.
A short, tragic tale based on characters from Phantom of the Opera.

Amazon UK

Amazon.com

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B073TMFF9M/

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073TMFF9M/

 

Swift Six Character Interview – Travis

Tags

Character Interviews, Graphic novels, horror, Spec Fic, Swift Six

#Graphicnovel #Horror

Character Name: Travis Malone

Which book/world do you live in?:  Hell Bent

Tell us about yourself:  Well, I’m pretty damn hard to kill, for one thing. Also, I’m part-monkey. Both of those come from some genetic stuff my mom did. Not like that, though! I’m adopted, and she’s a scientist. Also, my hair grows a little every time I come back from the dead.

What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?

Strengths, hm? I’m…uh…well, I guess I’m kinda cute in some way? I know I’m not that smart. Hell, if I were, I might’ve made it through college. I’d say I’m perfectly fine, but the multiple nightmares and shit have made that a complete lie. Uhh…please don’t tell McManus, Jesse, or my dad that one. They’d totally take advantage of that. Plus, my nose is too big, and… Damn. I think I focused on the weaknesses a little too much.

Name three important people/creatures/institutions in your world (such as lovers, pets, government institutions, leaders, gods etc).

Ooh, first up is Spencer. Dude’s my best friend, has been since we were kids, and he married my sister a few years ago. And then there’s the law enforcement around Hell Bent..UGH, they need to fix that. Seriously, homelessness isn’t a reason to experiment on people. Actually, the only good reason to experiment on someone is if it’s to help people, AND if you, y’know, get the test subject’s permission (Thanks for that one, mom!). Oh, wait. I need to pick a third one. That’d probably be my mom, Dr. Serena Taylor. She adopted my sister and me when dad threw us out. And as it turns out, she’s one of the leading scientists working with genetics and cybernetics.

What does ‘heroism’ mean to you?

Heroism, I guess, would be when someone does whatever they can to help someone else, no matter how much it might hurt them.

What do you think of your ‘creator’?

Do NOT get me started on that psycho! Do you know how many different labs I’ve been taken to against my will because of her?! Oh, and then? Then we have the times I’ve died and come back and then been killed again. And y’know the worst part? She says I’m one of her favorites!

Give us your favourite piece of advice: “Play through pain”, I guess. I dunno. I really can’t remember too many different pieces of advice, and I suck at giving it out. Though I will say to be careful about random strangers offering to help you get some pictures taken. Sometimes they’re friendly and legit. Other times, they turn out to be a serial killer that creates snuff films.

 

Links to book

Visions: http://a.co/7r6yv6d

Retribution: http://a.co/diK2Q6m

Destruction: http://a.co/6FFtSx3

Start of arc 2 (Deception): http://a.co/gVOpegE

Hell Week 2017 – Day 5 – Rob Hinkle/Bartholomew Roberts

Tags

Fantasy, Hell week, Perseid Press, Pirates, Pirates in Hell

 

Welcome to Day 5 – today we welcome Rob Hinkle and Bartholomew Roberts

 

Character Spotlight

About yourself:

*Who are/were you?   Tell us about your life before you came here, and after. My name is Bartholomew Roberts, although in your time you would be more likely to know me as ‘Black Bart’, a name which, I should point out, was attributed to me after my death.  I was third mate on a slaver ship in 1719 when we were captured by pirates while anchored off the Gold Coast.  I and two others were pressed into pirate service, and once the Captain discovered my skill as a navigator I became quite useful to him.  At first I was reluctant to fall in with such a lot, but it took very little time for me to realize the advantages of such a life far outweighed the disadvantages of being a British sailor, and I took to it, deciding that a life of low wages and harsh treatment were far less preferable to a short life and a merry one.

A few weeks later, when our Captain was ambushed and murdered by the governor of the island of Principe, where we were harboured, I found myself in the surprising position of being named new Captain.  My first decree was that we should return to Principe and avenge the death of our former leader, which we did with rousing success.  It turned out to be the beginning of a new life for me, and over the next three years we took more than 400 vessels.

I met my end in 1722 with a blast of grapeshot to the throat by a vessel commanded by Captain Chaloner Olge, who later, I understand, rose to the position of Admiral of the Fleet.  I am given to understand that my demise has been heralded by the scholars of your time as the end of the Golden Age of Piracy, though I would – and have – argued against that term with some of them.  My body was buried at sea before it could be captured, while my soul was deposited here into this Infernal realm.

* Why do YOU think you’re in Hell? So is it written:  Thou Shalt Not Kill.  Thou Shalt Not Steal.  Thou Shalt Not Covet.  I did all, and more besides.  The Divine Hands that made me also made Their desires perfectly clear; that I chose to ignore some of them was my decision, and thus is my presence here the height of justice.

Who are your friends/allies here? Friendship is love, and there is no love in hell.  Leastwise, not that I have seen.  Whatever alliances you may find here shift and roll like desert sands, always changing.  They are temporary arrangements, and the more fool he who believes otherwise and so depends on them.

Do you have any enemies here? This is Hell.  All souls are the enemy, including my own.

Pirate – is that a word you resent? Indeed, no!  Better to be a rascal and pirate and wear it openly than declare yourself an honest man and conceal one’s true face beneath the mask of the hypocrite.

 

Author Spotlight

*Name and bio.

My name is Rob Hinkle, and I was born in a small Indiana town right as the second great age of the horror films began, which probably goes a long way toward explaining my love for that particular genre.  At the age of nine, a local woman who had written a children’s novel came to give a lecture at my school, and as I sat in the front row listening I realized for the first time on a conscious level that stories were crafted things, like houses or furniture.  That was the moment when my wandering compass needle turned toward its own true north, and I discovered that storytelling was my calling.  In the years between then and now, I’ve held a wide variety of jobs – radio newsman, short order cook, legal secretary, film actor, retail clerk, psychiatric hospital attendant, among others – and I’ve found that each in their own way has given me ample opportunity to not only observe people but to mine the world for stories.  I currently live in Henderson, Nevada.

* Tell us about your story for this edition.

Bartholomew Roberts is propositioned by the very man who killed him in life to join him in a strange quest.  Admiral of the Fleet Sir Chaloner Ogle believes that Hell is nothing more than a test of faith, and to prove that he recruits Roberts to help him find something he has seen in his dreams – a mythical bottle of wine placed in Hell by the Creator as a sign that even the damned can be redeemed.  Together they set out to recover this fabulous object … with unexpected results.

What inspired you to use the character(s) you’ve chosen?

Conflict is everything.  If I can find characters who are not only in conflict with each other but also with themselves, then I know I’m onto something.  I was initially intrigued by the idea of Roberts as a man who didn’t want to be a pirate but accepted the role when it was forced upon him, who ran his ship as something of a democracy, who held his crew to a written code of conduct, and who, it is said by some, actually conducted Sunday religious services for his crew.  Atypical  behaviour for a pirate!  It seemed a natural choice, then, to pair Roberts up with the man who had killed him.  What better conflict than that?  As for Chaloner Ogle … when I thought up the idea of a condemned soul holding on to the idea that Hell is nothing more than a final test of faith, I knew that I had the foundation of a good story, though it would take much more thought and work before the final pieces fit.

Writing for a shared world is challenging, how do you meet that challenge?

All writing is a challenge.  For me, the best way to meet it is to remember that a good story comes before everything else.  I try not to get bogged down at the outset wondering how I’m going to make this or that tie in with the larger picture.  Once I have the bones of the monster laid out on the table, so to speak, I’ve found that those larger connections come naturally as I’m laying flesh onto the beast.  Hmmmm.  Maybe I *do* watch too many horror films.

Name the last two books you’ve read – tell us about them.

HORROR FILM OF THE 1980s by John Kenneth Muir.  Muir is a film critic and blogger with a sharp eye and a genuine appreciation for the genre.  The book is essentially an encyclopaedic review of 300+ films released between 1980 and 1989, assessing each on their individual merits or flaws.  Each film is also put into its historical context and features fine analysis of its particular subtext, a quality that is sorely missing from a lot of horror films produced by people who think a few scares and some special effects result in good box office.  Horror films get under your skin not because of what they show, but rather what they represent.  It’s a common belief among genre scholars that if you want to know what anxieties haunted the subconscious of people in a particular time, you don’t have to look any farther than the scary movies which were most popular.  Muir understands this, and gives good analysis as a result.

ROD SERLING’S NIGHT GALLERY: AN AFTER-HOURS TOUR by Scott Skelton and Jim Benson.  Rod Serling has always been one of my genre idols.  My first exposure to him came from TWILIGHT ZONE reruns when I was growing up in the seventies.  I have vague memories of watching NIGHT GALLERY during its initial run, and this book is a detailed account of the history of that ill-fated program.  It examines the genesis of the idea, its troubled production history, and the conflict between creator Serling and producer Jack Laird (who was given run of the program by Universal, much to Serling’s displeasure) over creative control of the show.  The book presents the reader with the big-picture view of a show that was occasionally great but very often hamstrung by two conflicting visions.  It also includes a detailed episode-by-episode review of the program’s forty-three instalments.

*If you could pick any quote about Hell which would be your favourite?

“Hell is empty, and the devils are here.” – William Shakespeare

EXCERPT from your story.

Bartholomew Roberts thought that all you’d ever need to know about Admiral of the Fleet Sir Chaloner Ogle, Knight Companion of the Order of the Bath, you learned when he introduced himself, titles and all. Very few souls consigned to hell troubled to pack their epithets along with them, let alone trot them out at every available opportunity. Even fewer insisted upon your using them. Roberts snorted. The man enfeebled the word ostentation.

“Feeling all right, Roberts?” Ogle called from the prow of Roberts’ sloop, the Damned Fortune, one foot on the rail and right arm draped across his knee, profile jutting forward into the spray as the craft knifed its way through the waves.

“Salt in my throat,” Roberts said, adjusting the wheel to starboard. The sails over their heads snapped in the wind.

“An old pirate like you? Ha! You’ll have to do better than that.” Ogle looked back over his shoulder. His dark eyes gleamed with amusement.

Roberts shrugged. “Please yourself, Admiral.”

“Oh, don’t give me that, Roberts. Don’t you think I know you think I’m as mad as Nero?”

Roberts shrugged again and said nothing.

“Why don’t you admit it? Go on, admit it. Speak the truth and shame the devil.” A crack of indignant thunder rolled across the infernal vault over the heads; combers reared white heads from the sea and slapped at the Damned Fortune’s bowsprit in twenty-foot swells, but Ogle ignored the warning from the Sea of Sighs.

“All right,” said Roberts. “I think maybe you could show old Nero a thing or two about mad. I do think any man who goes around the underverse claiming damnation is just a test of faith has slipped a little rigging upstairs.”

Ogle smiled. “That’s better.”

“You’ve got a damn funny way of looking at things, is all,” said Roberts.

“No offense taken, my boy,” said Ogle, pleasant enough.

“No?”

“Of course not. Humanity’s history books are filled with visionaries surrounded and plagued by doubters.” He turned his back to Roberts again. “I’m in a most excellent company.”

You just couldn’t argue with Ogle. Roberts shook his head. The worst kind of lunatic is the one who’s convinced that he’s right, and infernity was filled to overflowing with them.

 

Links:

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Rob-Hinkle/e/B0106GXPMC/

Hell Week 2017 Day 3 – Andrew Weston/Charles Vane

Tags

anthology., Captain Charles Vane, Fantasy, Hell week, Heroes in Hell, Perseid Press, Pirates

 

And here we are again, today there are ‘marshmallows’ – although don’t ask what they really are as the Undertaker gave me the bag to share….

Today the Infernal Interview Service is pleased to welcome Andrew Weston and his character Captain Charles Vane.

*That is NOT a marshmallow…. passes bag sideways quickly*

Character Spotlight

Who are/were you?   Tell us about your life before you came here, and after.

My name is Captain Charles—Allweather—Vane. Born in 1680, I was a pirate operating out of the notorious base at New Providence in the Bahamas known as the “Pirates’ republic”, after the British abandoned the colony during the War of the Spanish Succession. Originally from England, I preyed mostly on English and French shipping, and was most active between the years 1716 – 1719.

My ship – the Ranger – was one of the fastest brigantines in the water, and I was feared throughout that region as a cutthroat, and torturer – even amongst fellow pirates. (What can I say, I had my bad name to think of).

Sadly, the Ranger was wrecked in a storm in February 1719, and I was washed up on an uninhabited island in the Bay of Honduras – a lovely spot for its scenic beauty, sunbathing, and lack of beach vendors.

Eventually, a ship arrived but, unfortunately for me, it was commanded by an old acquaintance and former buccaneer Captain Holford who had turned tail, accepted a pardon, and who now refused to honor the pirates code. Holford actually refused to rescue me from the island, stating:

“Charles, I shan’t trust you aboard my ship, unless I carry you a prisoner; for I shall have you plotting with my men, knock me on the head and run away with my ship a pirating”

Although his statement was spot on, it still stung a bit, and the cheeky swine threatened that he would be back on the island within a month, and if he found me still there, take me back to Jamaica to be hung.

Lucky for me, another ship soon arrived and none of the crew recognized me, so I was allowed on board. Unluckily, that turncoat Holford met with this same ship at sea. The captain of my rescue ship was a friend of Holford’s, and he invited Holford to dine with him. While there, Holford saw me working aboard and informed the captain who I really was. The captain immediately relinquished me to Holford, who locked me in his hold and turned me over to the authorities in Jamaica.

My reputation had earned the disdain of pirates, royal mariners, and the public at large, and they all wanted me to rot in gaol before being executed. At my trial, numerous witnesses testified against me; so I saw little point in trying to argue.

When it was my turn to present my defence, I called no witnesses and asked no questions. I was found guilty on March 22, 1721 and sentenced to death. On March 29, 1721, I was hanged at Gallows Point in Port Royal, and died without expressing remorse for my crimes. After death, my body was hung from a gibbet on Gun Cay, at the mouth of harbor at Port Royal, as a warning against piracy. Bloody cheek…but at least I got a suntan.

 

Why do YOU think you’re in Hell?

I really haven’t a clue as I was such a lovely chap. I’d take my enemies for long walks off a short pier. I treated my acquaintances like the treasures they were…(usually buried under six feet of earth – map not included), and I used to feed their parrots on highly concentrated laxatives.
Who are your friends/allies here?

Apart from my hand-picked crew, I don’t keep close to many. The unlifestyle doesn’t lend to it. I do however, have a few well-connected associates. The best of these is none other than Satan’s Reaper, Daemon Grim. After I volunteered my services during the Doctor Thomas Cream fiasco, he kept me and the Lone Ranger II on a retainer, and has put some good business my way.

Besides the Reaper, the only other acquaintance I bother with is Roger Crossbones – aka, Jolly Roger – one of the craziest mariners undead, and an intelligence representative of The Commodore (Leader of the Pirate Lords)

Pirates – is that a word you resent?

Ha! Here in Hell, it’s a badge of dishonour. You have to be particularly despicable to be part of our ranks.

Hell covers all eras and technologies, there are many hells within Hell. How have you adjusted to this strange world?

By staying up with the times. Most of my compatriots use old style vessels. I mean, what’s the point of that. I received my first commission from the Reaper because I made use of what was available. The Lone Ranger II isn’t a galleon, a brigantine, or any form of sailed vessel come to that. She’s a hermetically sealed, pressurized, Hell-Cat 6000 super cruiser, powered by three Cerberus aqua-jet diesels, giving her a round range of nine hundred and thirty nautical miles, and an average cruising speed of fifty-two knots. Without her, the journey we undertake in the adventure you’ll read in “Pieces of Hate” took hours instead of the usual three weeks.

I don’t even look like a traditional pirate anymore, as I prefer to wear Trident storm fleece coveralls, thermal sailing boots, and my ever present bulletproof and backstabbing resistant lifejacket.

How do you define ‘piracy’?

What life in hell is all about in a nautical setting.

Describe your home/environment in Hell.

I live aboard the Lone Ranger II. It saves on redecorating and having to cut the lawn. My cabin has all the latest mod cons, and whenever I feel like a change of scenery, off we go. Fun point: the ship herself has a specially designed brig we can open to the waves whenever we feel in need of a bit of a spring clean.

What is the WORST thing about being here?

The rum. It tastes like urine distilled through sweaty socks…on a good day. And the grog? I’ve sampled vomit that possesses more body and refinement. I’m sooo pleased to have met the Reaper, as he pays for my services in goods. I get a case of Diabhalvulin 18 every time we complete an assignment.

Erra and his Seven – what’s going on there then?

I stay well away from them. And I’m glad to have had the Reaper with me on the one occasion I have bumped into them. VERY glad. You’ll find out why when you read the story.

What are your best tips for surviving in Hell?

Don’t drink the water. Don’t carry an organ donor card (The Undertaker isn’t exactly choosy about you not needing them). Avoid hellfish and other sea foods. Stay indoors between dusk and dusk. And never, ever, take a taxi. They literally do cost an arm and a leg.

What do you miss most about your old….life?

Women, rum, and clean jackets…In that order. Oh, and watching people die. It really is a pain seeing people you’ve gone to all the trouble of murdering getting reassigned.

 

Author Spotlight

Name and bio.

My name is Andrew P. Weston. I’m a time-travelling author from the future, hiding a dark and mysterious past, who currently finds himself kicking his heels in the present.
I live on a small island in a medium sized house with a large amount of cats.

Tell us about your story for this edition.
For Pirates in Hell, my story is entitled: Pieces of Hate
It follows on from Hell Bound in that Grim is dispatched by HSM to recover something of high value. What that is, you’ll find out, but needless to say Grim has to forge dense, man-eating jungles, icy mountains, death-dealing mazes. And he has a little run-in with the Sibitti too.

What inspired you to use the character(s) you’ve chosen?

As I mentioned, they’re characters I already use within Daemon Grim’s related adventures as Satan’s Reaper. Janet and I thought it would be a novel idea to incorporate each mission he undertakes – get it? – into the shared universe by overlapping them with the anthologies. So far, it’s working like a bad luck charm.

Writing for a shared world is challenging, how do you meet that challenge?

There are no short cuts; you have to do your homework. You need to find out what you can and cannot do in a broad sense, (what are the rules by which the universe operates? What are its limits? How far can you stretch the boundaries, and under what circumstances?)
Having done so, I feel it’s important to make an effort to regularly engage with “other” characters. For example, Grim is building quite a rapport with individuals that “belong” to other contributors – The Undertaker and The Sibitti in particular – so it’s essential to know the Modus Operandi of those other damned souls and how they act and react under given situations. Once you’ve done all that, you then have to wear two hats, as it were, and incorporate their style into the thread of your own work. A challenge, but well worth the effort when you see them combining into a greater whole.

What are you currently working on?

I’ve just started the third of the Daemon Grim’s novels, Hell Gate. It will conclude his first set of adventures, and reveal a little bit more about his origins.

If you could pick any quote about Hell which would be your favourite?

The underworld is now your stage, and I am your curtain call: Daemon Grim

Which 10 books would you save to keep you sane after the apocalypse? (Only 10 allowed).

1. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: Lewis Caroll – Wonderfully eccentric characters depicting satire, allegory and parody as seen through the expert eyes of a child.
2. Nineteen Eighty-Four: George Orwell – a dark and gritty tale on morality gone wrong and what lies beneath the surface of society.
3. The Complete Tales & Poems of Edgar Allan Poe: Edgar Allan Poe – a fantastic collection of mystery and the macabre from the pioneer of the short story.
4. Frankenstein: Mary Shelly – One of the most celebrated horror stories of all time. Imitated, but never rivalled in its depiction of true horror and suspense.
5. The Lord of the Rings: J. R. R. Tolkien – what’s to say? A true classic originally written as the first volume of a two-piece epic (The Silmarillion) Truly awesome.
6. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde: Robert Louis Stevenson – An epic tale exploring the struggle between the good and evil that resides inside us all.
7. To Kill a Mockingbird: Harper Lee – A superb insight into dilemmas that still afflict society today. Prejudice, class, equality, courage & compassion. A masterpiece.
8. The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever: Stephen Donaldson – A truly astounding fantasy penned by one of the greatest wordsmiths of our time.
9. The Da Vinci Code: Dan Brown – An excellent escapade. Part mystery & suspense – part thriller & conspiracy exploring alternate religious history. Thought provoking.
10. Dune: Frank Herbert – A landmark SF novel and first true space opera, years ahead of its time. The spice must flow…

What do you think are the top three inventions/discoveries in human history and why?

Earl Grey tea…for the taste. Flatulent free underwear…for the smell. The Spouting Pyramids of Geyser…for the sheer spectacle.

EXCERPT from your story.

 

Sure enough, I stumbled out of the gloom, and was greeted by the repulsive embrace of Paradise. Its vapid rays punctured the thick swathe of clouds above us in multiple places, making it appear as if heaven was casting searchlights down through the veil in an attempt to expose our dark deeds. The temperature dropped considerably, and I noticed we were now on a narrow, frost-encrusted ledge that terminated after a few yards in a sheer drop into an abyss.

I turned a slow three-sixty.

Behind us, the jungle stretched away. Extending off into the distance on either side of us, its fringe followed the curve of a vast, doughnut-shaped plateau that looked as if it might encompass the massive, snow capped cluster of mountains in the middle.

I allowed my far-sight to skim the precipice for a few miles in each direction.

Yup! A perfect circle, exactly as Chopin described it in his note. I must admit, I’m impressed. He’s been unusually candid. Not that it’ll do him any good when I catch up to him.

Far, far, below us, a river of molten metal filled the bottom of the chasm in lurid yellow light. It churned and boiled as it flowed by, and spat vast gouts of magma high into the air. A welcoming stench of brimstone wafted up from the depths.

The relief of a huge, shrouded, profile had been carved into the cliff face opposite us. Something about the way it had been rendered struck a nerve.

I recognize that image from somewhere…

A fragile splinter of ice jutted out from our position to span the intervening gap. Of course, it was inevitable that our path would lead across it. Dripping profusely from the thermodynamic savagery raging below, the bridge stank of sorcery and disappeared into the cavern represented by the wide open jaws of the edifice. I eyed the crossing dubiously, and I was grateful it was out of reach of the eruptions, for it didn’t look sturdy enough to withstand a wet fart, let alone the weight of our entire party all at once.

The breaths of my companions fogged the air, and steam rose in swirls from half a dozen heads as their sweat rapidly cooled. Mumbles of discontent began to percolate from the crew. As usual, Low was complaining loudest of all.

“What in Satan’s…?” He looked around himself in horror. “Where in the blazes are ye’ taking us, Reaper? This place would freeze the balls off a brass monkey. I thought ye’ were chock full o’ tricks that would help us get past stuff like this? Why aren’t ye’ helping?”

“Oh, I am, believe me. As you’ve just witnessed, there are strong enchantments about us, just waiting to go off. You didn’t know they were there, because you’re mundane. But I did. I can smell the theurgy lingering in the air. Taste it in the essence of the rock forming the massif in front of us. You think things have been bad because you’ve had to make a bit of effort? I suspect that the moment I use my abilities, all heaven will break loose. So, if we’re going to fight off badness knows what, I’d rather do so knowing I wasn’t merely exchanging the frying pan for the fire, and that I’d gotten my hands on our prize first.”

“And just what is this prize?” he countered, hands on hips once more. “What’s so precious about it, anyway?”

“I’ve told you before. I’m not at liberty to discuss details. But rest assured, it is something His Infernal Majesty has craved for a while now. And all those involved in helping him realize its possession will be suitably rewarded. You especially, for he understands we would not have been able to navigate the Flux without the Compass.”

“Reward be damned! Can I rub it between my fingers? Count it? Feel the weight o’ it within my purse? Pay my crew?”

“As I’ve already promised,” I stalked forward, and nodded toward the main peak, “Help to acquire this one thing Satan desires, and all your worries will become a thing of the past. Your entire crew won’t ever need to work again. And remember the bonus. Anything else we find inside is yours.”

 

Links:

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/Andrew-P-Weston-Author-102335216581151/

Blog/Website : http://www.andrewpweston.com/

Twitter : https://twitter.com/WestonAndrew

Amazon : http://www.amazon.com/Andrew-P-Weston/e/B00F3BL6GS

Goodreads : https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5816574.Andrew_P_Weston

 

Author Interview 122 – Em Dehaney

Tags

Author Interview, Author interviews, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, historical fiction, Indie Authors

Welcome to Em Dehaney

Where are you from and where do you live now? I was born in a town on the River Thames called Gravesend, and now live in a village not too far away. Gravesend is ever present in my writing, and my first novel is set there. It has a rich and varied history, and you may know it as the place where Pocahontas died.

Please tell us a little about your writing – for example genre, title, etc? I write mainly fantasy and horror. My novel, The Golden Virginian, is an urban fantasy, but I like to research real historic events and base my writing around that. My writing often links the past and the present. I have been a lifelong horror fan, so my writing also regularly veers towards the supernatural and murderous.

Do you have a favourite character? If so why? One of my favourite characters from The Golden Virginian is Ethel Tilley, a 400 year old riverside prostitute. To quote the description of her from the book

“Ethel was both tired and ancient yet playful and fresh. It was as if her mind was stuck being a teenager, but her body was struggling to keep all its molecules together after four hundred years”.

And she makes exceedingly good cakes!

Do you have a character you dislike? If so why? The taxi-driver John Pete. Everything about this character is vile.

“A spluttering cough announced the entrance of a man whose palette consisted entirely of grey and yellow. His skin was a sallow ash, as though no oxygen had made it to the surface since 1975. The whites of his eyes. were no longer white, but a sickly, pale lemon. His shirt was the colour of used dish-water with yellow stains mushrooming out from under the arms. Wispy grey hair was dotted about the sides of his head, the top of which was shiny-bald. A smile broke out on his face, presenting an array of misshapen, rotted tooth stumps.”

Are your characters based on real people? The main character The Golden Virginian, Tommy Tucker, starts life as a lazy stoner with no girlfriend and no job, and he ends the book as The Searcher of The Thames. This was a real role of royal appointment since the 14^th century, and in was the precursor to Customs & Excise. The Searcher was given permission by The King to check every ship entering Gravesend for contraband, counterfeits, secret letters and any other prohibited or taxable goods. In my novel, the first Searcher of The Thames (a man called John Page) uncovered a world of magical trade happening in secret under the King’s nose, and so becomes the first tax collector of the magical community in Gravesend.

Pocahontas also features as a character in the opening of this novel, although I have taken some artistic licence with her final hours.

Research can be important in world-building, how much do you need to do for your books? Do you enjoy this aspect of creating a novel and what are your favourite resources? As my novels are all based around real historic events, I try and use local resources for my research. Lots of visits to the Gravesend library, plus talking to local historians, is far better than just using the Internet. I like to visit the places I am writing about and feel the atmosphere. The novel I am writing at the moment, The Lady of The Dead, opens with the murder of a Transylvanian Prince, which occurred in nearby Gad’s Hill. This was a real event that took place in 1661, and when I first read the accounts, it was so mysterious and evocative I knew I had to incorporate it into one of my novels.

Is there a message conveyed within your writing? Do you feel this is important in a book? Although on the surface The Golden Virginian is about magic, revenge and the journey of the main character, it is at heart a story about family. I don’t think I set out to write a novel about families, but my family is important to me, so it naturally came out in my writing.

In what formats are your books available? (E-books, print, large print audio) Are you intending to expand these and if not, what is the reason? I am planning to self-publish The Golden Virginian in March 2017 in e-book and print, to coincide with the 400^th Anniversary of Pocahontas’ death.

Do you self-edit? If so why is that the case? Do you believe a book suffers without being professionally edited? I have not employed the services of a professional editor, but I do have a particularly eagle-eyed and pedantic friend who edits and proof reads for me. I also like to get lots of feedback from different beta-readers.

Do you think indie/self-published authors are viewed differently to traditionally published authors? Why do you think this might be? I think the stigma around self-publishing is on the way out. It would be great if people thought about indie-publishing in the same way as indie music – it’s real, authentic and less commercial than traditional publishing and you get full creative control. Yes, its harder work, but you are the one reaping all the rewards. That’s not to say that a book deal with a publishing house isn’t still the end goal, but if I don’t ever get there, I wont feel like a failure as people will still get to read my work.

Do you read work by self-published authors? Yes, all the time. I’ve just read a great supernatural blues odyssey by Richard Wall, and I love the work of horror writers CL Raven and Matthew Cash.

What are your opinions about authors commenting on reviews? How important are reviews? Reviews are vital, especially to indie authors, but NEVER comment on them, whether good or bad.

What are your reviews on authors reviewing other authors? Writers are all readers. You can’t be a good writer without reading extensively, and giving reviews to a fellow writer as long as you have read the book is fine.

What three pieces of advice would you give to new writers? Never give up. Finish what you started. You can always edit a bad novel, you can’t edit thin air.

Most authors like to read, what have you recently finished reading? Did you enjoy it? I absolutely loved the Hellraiser/Sherlock Holmes crossover Sherlock Holmes and The Servants of Hell by Paul Kane. As a fan of both the original source materials, I thought it was a well-thought out book and didn’t read like second rate fan-fic.

Can you name your favourite traditionally published author? My two all-time favourite authors are Stephen King and Neil Gaiman. While King is traditionally thought of as horror and Gaiman fantasy, I feel that they both transcend genre. Whatever mood I am in, there is always a King or Gaiman short story to suit, and I never tire of re-reading their novels.

Do you have a favourite movie? Hitchcock’s Vertigo is a classic, stunning in both style and substance. The feeling of impending doom that runs through the whole film, the music and that reverse camera focus-pull that is now standard visual language for fear of heights, but was created by the master.

Can you give us a silly fact about yourself? I used to belly dance.

 

Website https://emdehaney.com/

Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/emdehaney/

Out now: 12Days Anthology featuring my poem ‘Here We Come A-Wassailing’. All proceeds go to The Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

 

On Kindle

In print

 

 

Holiday Gift Guide! Great books for the festive season

Tags

Books, Books on sale, Fantasy, festive books

Great stories from great indie writers!  https://princessofthelight.wordpress.com/holiday-gift-guide/

Boo! Authors – A.L. Butcher #Horror

Tags

Anthologies, Boo!, Boo! Horror, horror author, Horror writers, Indie Promotion, My books

Who are you? I’m A. L. Butcher (Alexandra) but most people call me Alex.

Tell us about your Boo! story: The Watcher is a rewrite of a short story set during the Autumn of Terror –1888’s London and the killer known to history as Jack the Ripper.  He was, and still is, an enigma and has fascinated me for years. I read a lot of true crime and have read most of the theories about his (or her) identity. This is a work of fiction – a might have been. It’s dark, violent and disturbing. But then again it’s meant to be.

What else have your written? Lots. I have a series of dark adult fantasy fiction, which has been called ‘sex and sorcery’. The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles is set in a world where magic is illegal and half the population is enslaved. Please check out my author profile or blog for further details.

I’ve also got several short stories, and short story collections of fantasy tales, a book of poetry and, most recently, a short tragic tale based around the Phantom of the Opera.

 

What frightens you the most? Clowns, enclosed spaces, cancer.

Have you ever seen a ghost? Probably. There was definitely something there. Our old house had some…. strange habits and I worked in a couple of places with ‘documented’ spooks.

What are you reading at the moment? A book about Woodes Rogers (a local privateer turned pirate hunter), a book about the ‘invention’ of murder by the Victorians, and a book about ancient Rome.

If you could meet any living famous person for dinner who would it be and what would you eat?

Sir David Attenborough. Cheese on toast or my late mother’s steak and kidney stewJ

If you could meet any dead famous person who would be and what would you have to eat?

Terry Pratchett, or Leonardo Da Vinci – same as above.

Which book do you see as the most influential in your life?

Many, many, many books. Phantom of the Opera; Count of Monte Christo; Wuthering Heights; Dracula; most of the Discworld series; Lord of the Rings: I, the Sun; Watership Down, and lots more.

In the zombie apocalypse what would be your weapon of choice with which to defend yourself?

Flamethrower with unlimited fuel, failing that a sword probably.

 

 

Social media links etc.

A.L. Butcher is the British author of the Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles fantasy series, and several short stories in the fantasy and fantasy romance genres.  She is an avid reader and creator of worlds, a poet and a dreamer. When she is grounded in the real world she likes science, natural history, history and monkeys. Her work has been described as ‘dark and gritty’ and her poetry as evocative.

 

Blog:                      https://libraryoferana.wordpress.com/

Goodreads:        https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6430414A_L_Butcher

Amazon:              http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alexandra-Butcher/e/B008BQFCC6/

Twitter:                @libraryoferana

Facebook:           https://www.facebook.com/LightBeyondtheStorm

Boo! Authors – Erin McGowan – #Horror

Tags

Anthologies, Author Interview, Boo!, Boo! Horror, horror, Horror writers, modern horror, Supporting Indies

Who are you?

Sure, we can start with the most open-ended question of all time.  My name is Erin, my nickname was Lark once upon a time, but you can call me anything, so long as you don’t call me late to dinner.  I’m an accountant/administrative assistant/whatever-the-hell-my-boss-tells-me-I-am by day and a writer and very occasionally editor by night.  I love to read, travel, read, drink coffee, read, take walks on the bead, and read.

Tell us about your Boo! story:

I have one story about friendship, life, love, and scary shit.  My second story is about brotherhood, friendship, love, bikes, and more scary shit.  Seriously, though, one of my stories is about two best friends who go on an impromptu Halloween road trip and find more than they bargained for.  The other story is about a motorcycle club and the lengths they will go to in order to keep people safe.  I just now realized that both of my stories deal with travel and unbreakable bonds, but that’s not too surprising, because those are both things I value immensely.

What else have your written?

I’ve written short stories in “Music Speaks” and the other three “Boo” books.  I’ve also written two full-length novels.  “Aftermath” is a contemporary fiction novel that I am still half-tempted to entitle “Everybody Dies” just so I don’t have to give a summary of the book.  “The Mage: Awakening” is a young adult urban fantasy book about a young woman who learns how to control her magical powers and tries to fit in in a new school and the mage society.  It’s the first in a series.  I hope the second book will be out soon.

What frightens you the most?

Being alone, or letting the people I love down.  And clowns.

Have you ever seen a ghost?

I have.  It was in an apartment, and it was massively angry.

What are you reading at the moment?

I’m just about to start “Dead Zone” by Stephen King.  I thought, given the election, it was fitting.

If you could meet any living famous person for dinner who would it be and what would you eat?

I would love to meet Jimmy Buffet.  I don’t think I could bring myself to say anything, but I’d be in Heaven.  We’d eat some sort of fish, I’m sure.  I’d let him choose.

If you could meet any dead famous person who would be and what would you have to eat?

I have to pick one?  Did you ever see the Gilmore Girls episode where they had all their friends come eat a fancy dinner at the Inn?  I want to do that with dead people.  Shakespeare and Byron and Amelia Earhart and Dorothy Parker and Sid Vicious and David Bowe and Rich Meyer and Cina Clark and Brian Wilson and so many more that I can’t even keep them straight.  People I love, people I admire, and people I aspire to be like would all be there.

Which book do you see as the most influential in your life?

Too many to choose from.  I would say Jim Butcher and all of his books changed my life in a major way, though.

In the zombie apocalypse what would be your weapon of choice with which to defend yourself?

I want Harley’s mallet and giant thews.

 

Social media links etc.

Aftermath: https://www.amazon.com/Aftermath-ebook/dp/B00DPYX64A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374341129&sr=8-1&keywords=Erin+McGowan

The Mage: Awakening: https://www.amazon.com/Mage-Awakening-Erin-McGowan-ebook/dp/B01BIR0AJO/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Music Speaks: https://www.amazon.com/Music-Speaks-LB-Clark-ebook/dp/B008C88QTE/ref=la_B008CBE1H2_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1478144407&sr=1-6

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ErinMWrites/?ref=br_rs

Lonestar Book Works: http://www.lonestarbookworks.info/

 

Boo! Authors – Ann Cathey #Horror

Tags

anthology author, Anthology Authors, Boo! Horror, Halloween, horror

Who are you?

I write under the name Ann Cathey, and have been doing so since my teens.

 

Tell us about your Boo! story:

Which one? I have two, this time around. One is a completely silly bit of fluff about a spooky jello mold that spawned out of nowhere. The other is a little ghost story that belongs to my Hidden Souls tales that is loosely based on personal experience.

 

What else have your written?

In the past few years I’ve been features in all the Boo! anthologies, Music Speaks, and have one short novel currently available, “Wolf in the Fold”, that’s part of the aforementioned Hidden Souls universe. All of those projects are from Lone Star Book Works. I’ve also got a few short stories coming out in anthologies from Fantom Press in the near future.
In the far past, I’ve had poetry and short stories published in a variety of small press publications, though there’s been very little fan-fic. I’ve scripted for comic books and cartoon scripts, written training and technical manuals, played at journalism, helped write a couple of RPGs, and have articles all over the internet through a couple of content websites.

 

What frightens you the most?

Nothing, really. Oh, I get startled in haunted houses, and I don’t care for contemplating death outside of a story, but I’ve worked long and hard to let go of fear in my life. It’s counterproductive in most circumstances in today’s society.

 

Have you ever seen a ghost?

Yes.

 

What are you reading at the moment?

The Vampirates series by Justin Somper. It’s not really my preferred flavor, but the approach to the subject matter has my attention. And as it’s title implies, the story arch is about vampires and pirates in a young adult setting.

 

If you could meet any living famous person for dinner who would it be and what would you eat?

I think I would pass that along to a friend, actually. I’ve been fortunate to meet a LOT of writers, actors, comedians, bands, and artists, and hang out with them, through various conventions and other gatherings. The places I have worked have also given me great opportunity to meet and interact with numerous people that are considered famous in their fields.

 

If you could meet any dead famous person who would be and what would you have to eat?

I honestly don’t know. There are many I admire, but i’m not sure I would want my vision of them shattered by the reality of them. Besides, who would believe me?

 

Which book do you see as the most influential in your life?

Cat’s Cradle by Vonnegut – It came to me at an early and easily influenced age, making me see the world around me with a very different view. It warped me and I’ve been a little off ever since.

 

In the zombie apocalypse what would be your weapon of choice with which to defend yourself?

My absence. If the zombies can’t find me, they can’t eat me.  Seriously, though, being able to physically defend myself is not one of my current strengths. My accumulated knowledge and my ability to think outside the box would stand me in good stead, however, bringing protectors to me. My knowledge can keep them fed, clothed, armed, etc. and I’m not afraid to be cut loose if I’m determined to be dead weight. I’ve already been scouted by a couple of survivalist groups if the world goes to pot.

 

Social media links etc.

I’m only available on Facebook and Amazon.com at this time, both under Ann Cathey.  I’m also part of a blog on travel and cooking (who isn’t these days?) that I share with a few other folks.
https://www.facebook.com/AnnCatheyAuthor

https://www.amazon.com/Ann-Cathey/e/B00KIZHSE8

 

I’m also part of a blog on travel and cooking (who isn’t these days?) that I share with a few other folks.

https://thewanderingtexans.wordpress.com/

 

My freelance online articles are available for pay-per-use currently via Constant Content.

https://www.constant-content.com/Author/718-Ann_Cathey-details-0.htm