Finally!

Richard Rhys Jones Literary Productions, in association with Ravenous Roadkill Publications, are proud to present our third novel, out now!

Sounds quite official that does, don't it :D

It's only taken nigh on three years to write, suffering more stops and starts than the rise of Western civilisation, and was born of an idea thrown at me while I was signed to Taylor Street, and yet it's finally out.

Here's a quick reminder as to what happened...

The people who ran Taylor Street asked me if I would be interested in writing a story set in a famous hotel and casino on the Las Vegas strip? Their plan was to publish the book, and maybe have the hotel endorse it. They were given the go-ahead from the establishment in question, and so I began to write the book. However, six months into writing it, Taylor Street died a death and I was suddenly without a backer for the project.

However, I was so enamoured with the idea I decided to push on with it anyway. Then came Thorstruck and my new project took a back seat as the books they had so nicely taken on had to be promoted, which was only fair. Thorstruck were so cool and friendly that I could never have lived with myself if I just consigned Division and House to the back shelf after they had been edited, repackaged and rereleased.

Thorstruck were interested in an anthology of stories that Paul Rudd and myself had collected over the years, so we ploughed our energies into releasing Chronicles, and Sisterhood was thus kept on a low flame.

Then the Thorstruck thunderbolt hit, and once again I found myself without a publisher.

Wild Wolf stepped up to the plate and kindly offered to let Division and House take a place on their shelf... which was mega cool of them, truth be told. 

Meanwhile. Paul decided to go ahead with Ravenous Roadkill and we released Chronicles and The Fiddler's Soul.

Suddenly I had space to move on with the novel, and after many stops and starts, it was finished.

Our good friend Poppet, in a flash of kind support, sent us a cover and the whole tome was edited and formatted by our good friend Kris Stone of Blue Hour Books.

I really love the way you guys stepped up to the plate and helped without batting an eyelid or demanding money.

You guys both ROCK!!!

Due to the intricacies of the German tax system, I decided not to be a partner at Ravenous, which would then be a multi national company...! 

However, I will be helping with the running... which basically involves me sending Paul abusive texts and reminders of who the best footy team in the world is, (Liverpool, FYI).

So, there you have it.

Next stop is Gulag, The Division of the Damned part two.

Anyway, here's the blurb, then you may proceed directly to Amazon to purchase your book there, (but not you Poppet and Kris).

The Sisterhood of the Serpent.

The Nagani.

As ancient as death and unspeakably scarred with the marks of Leviathan, they stalk the gates of Hell for the souls promised them by their feeder cult, the Sisterhood of the Serpent.

Bailey's hotel and casino, Las Vegas. 1997.

Jim and Rebecca Gregory were just glad to be in the safe hands of the FBI after the botched attempt on their life by the Mexican mafia. However, that all changed when Jim found out which hotel the Bureau used as a safe house; Bailey's, on the Las Vegas strip.

Bailey's, where Jim's first wife had committed suicide sixteen years before to escape the clutches of an obscure cult in Colorado.

That cult, an all-female sect who believed God and the Devil were dead and salvation lay only in the demon Leviathan, had called themselves the Sisterhood of the Serpent.

Now Jim would be confronted by a past he never knew existed, and find himself fighting for his soul, and the souls of his wife and their unborn baby.

As you were.

Reggie, :) 

Highlight Hollywood

Tommy Garret at the Beverly Hills-based boulevard magazine, Highlight Hollywood has posted a nice write-up about myself, and the prologue of my new book, Sisterhood of the Serpent.
Have a read here: Sisterhood of the Serpent.

Okay, as you were.
Reggie ;)

The Gift.

Family and friends make my world go around.

I was sent an email yesterday from a very good friend. We were together briefly at Night Publishing, and then she was my boss at Thorstruck. With over fifty books to her name and a following larger than the entire Welsh speaking community of Wales, it's fair to say Poppet has a bit of knowledge about the "Industry". She's definitely someone to have in your corner when you're a fledgling publisher.

Which is why I was really happy when she contacted me out of the blue yesterday and wrote:

"I love the idea for your cover, but you can do far better. Here, I made one for you..."

If that doesn't ROCK, then nothing does.

Many thanks, Poppet. 

I LOVE it.

I just hope the book lives up to its cover...

As you were.

Reggie.

Decisions...

Sisterhood is now finished.
I'll obviously have to go through it again, but first reactions to the initial draft have been better than favorable.
I've made a cover and have decided to release it with Ravenous Roadkill, the publishers set up by myself and my good mate Paul Rudd, (no, not the actor).

The reasoning behind this is:
1.) My initial idea of submitting it to Wild Wolf had too many question marks over it. Firstly, would they even want it, seeing as Division and House have done so spectacularly badly there? They've run their course now, and though I think it's great they kept them on their books, I haven't exactly set the place on fire with my sales. Wild Wolf are a mega cool set up, with some really laid back, yet forward thinking people running it, but it's still a serious business. Do I really want to wait a couple of months for a yay or a nay, which will probably be a "naaaaaaaaaaaaaaay" if I'm honest, when I can decide for myself?

2.) I've decided to make a go of it with Rudders and Ravenous, but not in the Biblical sense I hasten to add. I've been lucky up to now in that I've always landed with great publishers, people who have helped me along the way. Perhaps it's now the right time to step up and "have a go" myself? We're only going to be a small set up, but that's all I want. Rudders is doing his bit, looking into marketing, the best way to use Amazon, (sounds drug related, doesn't it?) etc. etc. so I reckon I should do my bit for the cause. That means releasing my work on the label I helped start. If it fails, then so be it. However, trying and failing is better than to have never tried at all... unless it's bestiality we're talking about. Best to leave that one alone... amongst other practices I'll refrain from listing here.

3.) I want to start on Division of the Damned part 2, and I know that if I'm waiting for a yes or no, I won't be writing anything. The waiting game sort of puts me on hold, so nothing happens. I'll go through Sisterhood again, see where Paul's at with our website, and then start on "Gulag", the proposed name for Division part 2. I think it would only be right and proper to send that to Wild Wolf first as they have the first part on their books, and they might finally make a bit of money on my name... IF they want it, of course. If they don't want it, well I'll cross that bridge when I reach it.

So, anyway, here's the proposed cover for The Sisterhood of the Serpent, (I KNEW that title would stick, they always do with me... sighs).

So now you know, peeps.
Wish us luck.

As you were...
Reg.

Just a quick post-script, here's a link with our books, check it out: Ravenous Roadkill Library.

The Sisterhood of the Serpent

It took me just over two years to write, and it shows!

The Sisterhood of the Serpent was written in stops and starts, between short stories for competitions and anthologies, and so consequently it suffered in continuity... horribly!
Going through the story I'm finding forgotten characters and artifacts that colour the story... and I'm finding them ALL THE TIME!!
It seems that nigh on every chapter has a new weapon, situation, scar or character trait that I've forgotten.

What do we learn from this kids?
If we're going to start a book, stick to the plot and do not deviate until it's finished, or at least note the differences for future reference. It saves an awful lot of cleaning up afterward.

Wild Wolf have been good to their word, House and Division are on their books, but unless they start selling I don't see them being in paper anytime soon. Paper really is where the kudos lies, but the reality is that nobody wants to invest effort in something that isn't bringing in the readies. I recently bought a paperback book of Division, (second hand) and paid €17 for it, and felt mildly ripped off if I'm honest.

Americymru have released Eto 2, which is a collection of short stories by Welsh authors. My short, The Left Eye, is in there too. Americymru have said it'll be put into print as well in the near future.

Ravenous Roadkill is ticking along. The Fiddler's Soul sold a few at the beginning of the month and Chronicles has as well. Nothing breath-taking, but puttering along.

The €17 second-hand book was for a mate of mine. We've decided to have a go at translating Division into German. We regularly meet up in our fave pub, (the Jever Klause in Salzgitter) to drink a few beers and talk rubbish, and on one of these relaxed little sessions he brought the subject of translating one of my books up. It'll be a slow process, but I'm not going anywhere, neither is Sven, and I'm really up for the idea. See what happens, eh?
Instead of beer and talking bollocks, it'll be beer and work... Mmmmm, anyone else feel like they're watching a trainwreck in slow motion here?

And that's it peeps. That's all my book linked news for now.
As you were.
Reggie.