A Yuletide news round up.

 With Christmas stalking us like a hungry goodwill monster, I thought I’d write a quick catch up on what’s been happening recently.

Firstly, my short for the “Drakon Castle” anthology is in, and the book should be out next week!! Just in time for Chrimbo, I hear you cry joyfully…

Whatever, I’m not sure if it’s going to be in paperback yet, but the ebook version will be out soon. Obviously I’ll be ramming it down your collective Facebook throats when it is released.

The idea behind it is to use the very loose constraint of a place called Castle Drakon as the foundations for a story. For example, my effort is set around a place in north Wales called Gwrych castle, which I’ve cleverly renamed to Drakon castle, in the 1920s. A young reporter from Chester is invited to witness the first attempt at filming Satan being summoned from hell, and obviously it all goes horribly wrong. 

Another author, Bev Allen, has set her story in the kitchen. It deals with a cook, trying to catch his master’s eye and failing dismally, until he buys some addictive mushrooms from a travelling merchant. Bev’s contribution is an EXCELLENT read, by the way. I know it sounds like some seriously thin propaganda, but I’m genuinely looking forward to reading the other stories.

My other news is not so good. My publishers have published the release plan for next year, and I won’t be on it. Actually, I have nothing finished to offer anyway, so it’s not a big surprise. If and when I finish my manuscript, Elaina said I should send it in, but their ISBNs are all used up and it won’t go into paperback until 2016, if at all… which is kinda the sticking point.

Well, we’ll see what happens. It’s not like my sales have been doing much recently, and I do like Thorstruck, so I might just see if they want it, and if they do, just go ebook. Then again, I might not? It’s not like they’re waiting for me to write something so they can survive, is it? Thorstruck will survive with or without me, it’s just that it’s so nice and cozy there.

As for the paperbacks of my books, I can’t see them being out for Christmas, somehow. Thorstruck have other priorities, the antho being the biggy right now. However, my army of loyal readers, put away those nooses, sharp knives and other implements of attention-seeking self harm, they will be out at some time, just not yet.

Right, that’s it for now.

As you were. 

Reggie.

Trailer Sir?

Poppet at Thorstruck has created a very nice trailer for House, far better than anything I could manage. So, seeing as this is a blog about my literary progress, I'd be completely remiss if I didn't slap it up on here.

And so, for the discerning viewer of literary trailers, and with all due gratitude to the artist known as Poppet for its creation, I give you, "The House in Wales" by Richard Rhys Jones...

Post by The Literary Trials of Richard Rhys Jones.

Put it on full screen, it kicks ASS !!

As you were.

Reggie.

Finally! Amazon pull their finger out...

Post by The Literary Trials of Richard Rhys Jones.

So there you have it, all three of my books are now out on Kindle with Thorstruck Press.

Of course, as ever, this final release did not go by the numbers. Amazon decided that despite the fact Thorstruck sent them:

1.) A letter from Taylor Street to say The House in Wales no longer belongs to them.

2.) A letter from me to say Thorstruck Press have the rights to The House in Wales.

3.) A letter from them to say they are going to re-release it.

 That they didn't have enough clarity on who owns what and took the book back down.

I've always said Amazon are brilliant if you're a customer. However, try selling anything on their platform and they make you jump hoops, swallow fire and sign your soul over before they agree to anything. They had all the information already, they just couldn't be bothered looking for it and so demanded we send it all again.

Anyway, drama over, and it's now up. Time for me to get back to writing my WIP...

It's just occurred to me that I don't have a trailer for House.

I think I'll do that today!

Why not, it's the weekend, let's go crazy!

Okay, as you were.

Reggie.

Audio book sample!

Well, it's on the verge of popping up on Amazon, (ooer, sounds a bit rude!), and I don't mind telling you that I'm so excited about it, I'm fit to explode. (OO-ER!!!)

The audio book for The Division of the Damned is now being finished off, (ooer) and packaged into a tight little pressy that'll have your whole family squirming in fear and delight when you give it to them at Christmas. (I hope you noted the omission of any "innuendo-exclamation" there. Even I have some morals, as hard as they may be to discern).

Have a listen here, then mentally make a note to buy it for everyone; because nobody should be starved of the joy of Nazi vampires just because they can't read. 

Right kids?

Right Reg. Now they can listen in to the gore :)

Post by The Literary Trials of Richard Rhys Jones.

Right, as you were.

Reggie.

New trailer, new release!

Post by The Literary Trials of Richard Rhys Jones.

This is what I posted on my Facebook page for my latest release. The Chronicles of Supernatural Warfare, seven years in the making and about seventy years of wear and tear on my nervous system. The original idea came from Teresa Geering, of the Shasta trilogy fame, who liked my short stories and suggested they should be put together in a collection. A couple of years later I mentioned the idea to Paul and that started the ball rolling. 

This is actually the second publication. Paul Rudd, (the other chap who contributed) published it a few months ago, albeit for only a couple of weeks. It sold one or two copies, mainly to friends, and then was taken down when Thorstruck mentioned they might be interested.

My good mate George Winterbottom provided the third eye of editing, Andi Renson made a cover, Paul formatted it and I watched bemusedly on as it was published with as much pomp and ceremony as our meagre wallets could promote, then promptly taken down.

Edited again, with a new cover and publishing house, (Our publishing house was called Rampant Roadkill, we even had a logo and everything), Chronicles is out now, on Amazon and I'm very proud and happy.

Further to this, The House in Wales should be re-released very soon, Amazon and the Gods willing, so that'll be all three of my books out on Thorstruck Press.
I'd better sort my act out and put fingers to keys for my next book, hadn't I?

As you were.

Reggie.