Donnerstag, 27. Dezember 2012

My next few offerings.


2013's knocking on the door and I have so much to tell you it hurts.
That's not because a lot of things have happened recently; no, it's because I haven't been on here for ages... DOH !!
OK.
Well firstly Paul Rudd, a mate of mine from Essex, (yes, I know people in Essex, don't tell everyone) and I have written an anthology of stories entitled, "The Chronicles of Supernatural Warfare. Volume 1."



I've mentioned it before but for the uninitiated, I'll go quickly through it again.
The idea is a collection of stories cataloguing supernatural incidents in times of war through the ages.

My personal contributions are, "The 300 Vampires", The Wooden Wolf of Troy", The Bloody Ides of March", "The Zombies of Flanders" and "Blood Red Feldgrau". All stories that I'm very proud of and I hope you'll like them too, as long as you scrape the 99 pence together to buy it. :-)
If not, just wait for the free download promotion, which will definitely happen.

I have a second book in the offing, "The House in Wales". This came about from an email from Kathleen, asking if I was up for a challenge. Obviously thinking she meant a drinking competition, I said yes
How wrong can one be?

Anyway, what the publishers want is a story about a haunted house, along the lines of "American Horror Story" and "The Lady in Black". It had to be as creepily bizarre as AHS and as tense and dark as TLIB, so I decided to have a go.

I've finished it now and I'm just waiting on feedback from some friends and a couple of translations from English to Welsh, (yes, Welsh is a different language to English and a lot more than just finishing every sentence with a questioning, "See?")

The story itself is set in North Wales during the Blitz. The hero, a 17 year old orphan from Liverpool, is evacuated to the quiet town of Old Colwyn in North Wales. There, he's taken in by a disgraced vicar and his predatory house keeper. The background of the story is Devil worship and sexual obsession and I sincerely hope my mam doesn't read it... no, seriously, I do.
She will though.
DOH!

It's NOTHING like "Division" or any of the "Chronicles" stories I'm afraid. However, I like to think that the characters strike a chord with the reader, which as anyone who has read my work knows, is what I'm about. Also, I think the story is just as weird and gruesome as American Horror Story, but far, far bloodier.

OK, that's it. I'm translating a book from German to English for the guy who made the cover for "Chronicles" and then I have a couple of ideas that I want to run past Taylor Street to see if they're up for them or not?

OK, take it easy, have a great New Year's party and all the best for 2013.
Reg ;-)

Dienstag, 4. Dezember 2012

Everyone loves the snow, imagine it didn't stop...

Snow.2012


Snow

Dec 23.
Snow! Wonderful snow! This is going to be the best Christmas EVER !!
Dec 25.
My first white Christmas. Dad got drunk and slipped in the back yard and Nan called him a drunken old sot, I was nearly sick from laughing, Gran’s so funny. Loads of pressies but we were out all day, making snowmen. Brilliant.
Dec 31.
New Year’s Eve and it’s still white, if this keeps up we might not have to go back to school next week. First lesson back is English with Miss Grebes, God I hate her.
Jan 2.
Dad read that the school won’t be open next week because the heating’s off. Brilliant. Went sledging down Queen’s hill today on bin lids, was great. The roads are well icy; Mrs. Simons said they’ve run out of salt for the gritters.
Jan 24.
Happy birthday to me!!! 13 today. Snowed all day to day, getting a bit fed up of it now.
Feb 12.
It’s so cold. I asked why can’t we just turn the heating up and Mam said it’s too expensive at the moment. Dad’s angry because his trucking firm are on short time.
Mar 26
God I hate this snow! It’s so cold here now. I slept in my jacket and two pairs of trousers last night.
Mar 27.
Jimmy Preston’s baby brother died yesterday. They found him dead in his cot, he was blue. Poor James.
Apr 17.
Mam came home from shopping with a bloody nose. Someone punched her and stole the shopping. Dad went to the police but they said they’ve got too much on their hands. I watched the news today about food riots in Manchester. Dad said they should call the army in to sort them out. Old Mrs. Jones from number 8 was found dead this morning. She froze to death even though the ambulance man said her fire was on.
Apr 27.
Still snowing!!!! God I HATE IT!!!  The power’s off, Mam said we were lucky it was on for so long at all. Dad’s firm have sent him home, there isn’t enough fuel he said. I saw a map on TV and it showed the whole of the top half of the earth as white.
May 7.
Gran’s dead. I’m so sad. The funeral’s tomorrow but they can’t bury her next to granddad because the ground’s so frozen. Dad’s been crying all day.
May 21. I miss Gran so much. I’m so bored. I’d even go to triple English with old Grebes than stay at home now. We have to melt snow for water, it takes ages finding wood nowadays. At first it was easy but it’s all gone now. Someone broke into number 12 and found the old Polish couple there dead and then everyone ran in and took their furniture to burn. Dad came back with two chairs.
Jun 20.
Mr. Wicky has a wind up radio and we all go to his place to listen to the news twice a day. Mrs. Simons’ nose has fallen off, she got frost bite and it looks terrible. Jimmy Preston and John Yates threw stones at her. Mr. Beaumont was eaten by his dogs. Dad said he should have killed them weeks ago and eaten them himself. I don’t know if he was joking.
Jul 12. 
I can’t believe it’s July and it’s still snowing.  Snow on our summer holidays!
Jul 27.
Food parcels came today, we had sugar and corned beef and spam and tinned carrots and marrowfat peas and chocolate. Dad said we should save it but Mam cooked it all and they had a terrible row. Mam said what’s the point of saving it, the gangs only come around and steal it off us and I think she’s right.
Aug 5.
Dad was killed today.
Oct 28.
Uncle Barry found the man who killed Dad and they beat him to death in the street. I’m glad he’s dead but I don’t know where his body went though.
Dec 21.
Mr Wicky told us that today, December 21st, 2012 is the day the Government has officially declared that we are on our own now.