This local author finished a book of short stories. What Happens Next Will Surprise You.

It's been a little while since I've posted on here, so thought it only right to correct that. Truth is that after quite a drought, I've had an incredibly productive couple of months so wanted to have something to tell you about first!

Firstly, Scenes of Mild Peril - my next short story collection - is very nearly complete. Just working on the final edits and I'll be organising a release date for it. I'm incredibly happy with how it's turned out and I think it contains some of my strongest work - I'm really excited for this one.

Secondly, my first novel - Version Control - is now complete and I'm in the process of trying to find a home for it.. More information to be released if - and when - there is any.

Thirdly, I'm just working on the final chapters of my new science fiction novella "Recreant". I've kept relatively quiet about this one because the aforementioned drought nearly put paid to it, but it's turned out to be something I'm very happy with.  It's also going down very well with the beta readers, which is always reassuring.  I'll do a separate post about this when I've finished the first draft.  40,000 words down with 10,000 to go.!

Last (but most definitely far from least) The Big Comfy Bookshop is having a literature festival on the 9th, 10th and 11th of September. I'm on a panel of local writers with Elizabeth Earle and Kerry Hadley-Pryce on Saturday the 10th, and it'd be great if you could come along. I'll hopefully have some copies of Scenes of Mild Peril to flog to you :) For those of you on the mystical book of faces, here's a handy link.

Next time!

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Are you absolutely positive it isn't a bird?

Three bits of news;

Firstly, I'm pleased to announce that "Caped" (a superhero themed anthology collection from Local Hero Press which contains my story "Sovereign's Last Hurrah") is now available to pre-order.

It'll be officially released on Tuesday November the 24th, and can be ordered from the following links;

Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B017FPYQLQ

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/589582

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1054756193

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/caped-an-anthology-of-superhero-tales

It contains the following eighteen stories;

And Introducing the Scarlet Scrapper by Leonard Apa: A Golden Age tale of an actor who hates playing a superhero on the radio but discovers a new role awaiting him. 
Sovereign’s Last Hurrah by David Court: In a retirement home, elderly supervillains scheme to return an item of power to their greatest enemy. 
RIGHTMAN! Loses the Faith by Gary Cuba: Being a superhero is what you make of it, and what you can make from it. 
Dax and the Red Eyes by Adrienne Dellwo: Dax's disability prevents him from telling anyone about his brother using powers to hurt people. 
Dum Dum by Leod D. Fitz: Some supervillains are geniuses, and others are simply well-trained. 
Light Therapy by Che Gilson: Being a sidekick is a thankless job. 
Pinning Portugal by Elliotte Rusty Harold: A group of supervillains hatches a new scheme that naturally goes awry. 
When Fukayna Danced Her Libraries by Jake Johnson: Eventually even superheroes need to step away from the job. 
Super Frenemies by Stephen Kotowych: A group of super-powered children take on the neighborhood bully with surprising results. 
The Faces of the Wind by Laura Lamoreaux: After World War II, the country no longer needed superheroes, leaving the heroes with difficult decisions. 
Capacity Crowds by Paul McMahon: He wants to be a real superhero, but can't seem to find a villain to match him. 
Heart of the Matter by Robert J. Mendenhall: Cameron's powers are preventing the medical treatment that may save his life. 
Ebony Boneshaft, Secret Superhero by Wendy Qualls: She didn't mean to discover Ebony Boneshaft's secret identity, and when she did, it caused no end of trouble for her. 
Eye of the Beholder by Dave Ring: Being seen as the object of everyone's desire is a poor way to live life. 
I Am Hathor by Aaron Michael Ritchey & Jason Henry Evans: Balancing superheroics and motherhood is a difficult dance for Hathor. 
The Romulus Proposition by Tim Rohr: When the mighty have fallen, it's probably because they were pushed. 
Saul, Again by Eric Rosenfield: A time traveler takes a circuitous, long-term approach to facing a dangerous villain. 
Damn the Dark, Damn the Light by K. H. Vaughan: There's a fine line between heroism and nihilism and sooner or later everyone crosses it.

Secondly, some more details on the Cthulhu Calling day mentioned in the last blog post on here. KnightWatch press are releasing their Cthulhu themed anthology "New Tales of the Old Ones", and a selection of writers and artists will be attending Southcart books on Saturday the 28th of November.  (I don't have a story in the anthology, but will hanging around like a Banquo at the banquet).  A selection of authors (myself included) will be reading from Lovecraftian themed works, whilst artists show off their various squamous tentacled wares. 

There's a tentative schedule for the day, which is as follows:

Date: Sat 28th November
Time: 10:30 - 15:45
Venue: Southcart Books, 20 - 21 Lower Hall Lane, Walsall

10:30 - 11:00 Browse and Buy!
11:00 - 11:05 Scott and Amy: Welcome
11:05 - 11:10 Theresa: Introduction
11:10 - 12:00 Panel, "Cthulhu Forever: why has the Cthulhu Mythos lasted so long?" (moderated by Theresa Derwin, with A Stuart Williams, Jonathan Butcher, Richard Bruce Clay)
12:00 - 12:25 Richard Bruce Clay
12:25 - 12:50 Sam Sketch Paskin: Art work and imagining Lovecraft
12:50 - 13:20 Break (enjoy wine and nibbles)
13:20 - 13:45 A Stuart Williams; Terror Out of Space: H.P. Lovecraft's Astronomical Universe
13:45 - 14:15 Book launch: New Tales of the Old Ones from KnightWatch Press
14:15 - 14:40 Michael R Brush
14:40 - 15:05 Yours truly
15:05 - 15:30 Jonathan Butcher
15:30 - 15:55 Rob Cartwright

A facebook link to the event can be found here, or here for those of you who don't do social networking. Come along and say hello - it promises to be great sanity-wrecking fun. Your Elder Gods command it.  (Mental note: Must finish my Lovecraft themed childrens book The Colouring In Out of Space)

And finally, just a shout out to my fellow author Elizabeth Earle, who I've mentioned before on this blog - We first became friends almost a year ago to the day at a book signing at The Big Comfy Bookshop in Fargo Village, Coventry. She's just released an excellent kids book - "The Adventures of Captain Claw Paw" (the adventures of a Pirate Cat and his motley crew) which was released this weekend.  Profits from it are going to an excellent cause in Charlie's Beach Hut, Elizabeth both wrote and illustrated it, and it's thoroughly charming.  Grab your copy from The Big Comfy Bookshop or online from here.  It's a great kids book, an incredibly worthy cause, and I wish it all the success in the world.  I was lucky enough to see the work in progress as this book was being completed, and the final result is better than I could have imagined.

Independent Bookshop Day - 29th November 2014

"How do you spell David again?"
Photograph by Elizabeth Earle

Anybody who knows me (or knows of me) was probably quiet bored of me telling them about my taking part in Independent Bookshop Day last Saturday (the 29th of November).

For those who don't know - and you're forgiven if you don't as it's relatively new - Independent Bookshop Day was an initiative launched by the author Sherman Alexie back in 2014 as a grass-roots movement that calls upon authors to show their support for independent booksellers.

I turned up with a pile of books quite early at the Big Comfy Bookshop in Fargo Village and was soon joined by Elizabeth Earle, Nuneaton author of the "Adventures of Benedict and Blackwell" series of books. Al and Maggie Davison from the Astral Gypsy Bookshop and Art Studio next door had the writers Neil Gibson (Twisted Dark) and Mike Carey (Marvel, DC, probably one of the best runs of Hellblazer to date, The Girl with all the Gifts) in attendance.

I shouldn't be allowed in bookshops or comic shops even at the best of times and ended up buying something from each of the other writers that took part - I can't resist a signing, despite the fact that my "to read" pile is now almost too tall for my bedside.  (And almost taller than me, but that's not difficult). I picked up The Girl With Nine Lives by Elizabeth, Twisted Dark Volume 1 by Neil and The Girl With All The Gifts by Mike.  It was lovely to meet them all, but I'd especially like to thank Elizabeth for putting me at ease , her great company on the day and some excellent self-publishing advice.

I'm on the wall in excellent company!

There were a great many other events going on at Fargo Village on the same day (a street food and beer fair, and a vintage bazaar, live music and DJs) so there were plenty of people popping into the shop to chat to. I shifted a few copies as well as getting to speak to people who'd already picked up the book before. The evening was topped off by performances from the excellent Speak, Brother and Ranagri in the Big Comfy Bookshop itself. We had the delight of seeing Ranagri perform two songs for the Big Comfy Sessions that the shop posts on their twitter account, one of which was an excellent (and unusual) Nirvana cover.  It was during this time that somebody picked up a copy of my book and was reading it behind me and chuckling away - I had to introduce myself and personalise his book as it's not very often you get the opportunity for a live review!

I left a number of signed copies behind at The Big Comfy Bookshop and I have a limited number of books in my possession . If you want one - perhaps for an easily amused relative for christmas - just pop me an email through the "Contact me" tool over there - gesticulates wildly towards the right hand side of the page - and you can have a discounted signed one for a mere five pounds plus postage.

So all in all, a most excellent (yet tiring) day and kudos to both Michael from The Big Comfy Bookshop and Al and Maggie from Astral Gypsy for organising it all.  

..And in closing, there is another impending very exciting project that I'm going to be involved in but I'm sworn to secrecy - watch this space!