Short Stories

A-Z Cities of Death

It’s only been a few weeks since the publication of Demonologia Biblica but I’ve just been told that the next anthology with my work in it has just been released!

A-Z Cities of Death features 26 stories including my own, L is for Lobo, alongside work from Jonathan Green, Jan Edwards, G R Yeates, Paul Woodward, Jason D Brawn and many more.

You can order a copy here:

I haven’t managed to get a copy of the cover yet, but follow the link and you’ll see it, I think it looks fab!

The first of many…

Well, it’s arrived, the first launch of the anthologies I will be appearing in this year has happened! I’m so excited to announce that Demonologia Biblica, edited by the wonderful Dean M Drinkel, was released on Kindle today at a bargain launch price too!

I’m thrilled to appear alongside some incredible horror writers including Barbie Wilde and Nicholas Burman-Vince, aka Cenobites from the movie Hellraiser.

The UK link is:

The .com link is:

If you do have a read of it, let me know your thoughts, I’m sure all the contributors would love to hear them!

There will be three anthologies in this series, Tres Librorum Prohibitorum and I’m in the second, Bestiarum Vocabulum and will let you know when more details are released on the third in the trilogy, The Grimorium Verum whether I’ll be in it or not.

Meanwhile, I will also be appearing in The Cities of Death and Demonology, details coming soon.

Coming soon…

I have three pieces in horror anthologies coming soon! Watch out for posts on:

The Cities of Death which will feature my story L is for Lobo

Demonology which will feature my story Amber

Demonologia Biblica which will feature my story Y is for Yester ‘Let’s sup before we go’ (see editor Dean M Drinkel’s blog post for details)

Updates as soon as I get publication dates!

Just marking time?

To some it might seem that I’ve gone a bit quiet lately. I’ve posted occasionally on Facebook, even less frequently on twitter. I’ve visited Hertfordshire far less often than I had hoped I would be able to and strangely, I’ve not had a lot of time to write.

So what have I been doing?

In a way even I thought that I wasn’t achieving much in my personal world. I thought that I was just marking time but reality has a wonderful way of giving you a wake up call whether things are going well, or not so well. I’ve just had a lovely little nudge.

You see, I’ve managed to keep writing for Fantasy Faction, something which I do love being a part of and I’ve often said how proud I am to be on the team. I’ve also entered every round of this year’s Whittaker competition – just one round left to go and ideas are already taking shape. The Cities of Death anthology will be out soon, edited by Dean M Drinkel and published by Static Movement and featuring my story ‘L is for Lobo’. I’ve also just had my story ‘Amber’ accepted for a forthcoming anthology, more details on that soon.

I have started the reading for the One Planet MBA and have already learnt a lot just from that. I’ve done all my ‘back to school’ stuff, prepared my stationery, registered on the university site and all those little jobs that seem to take forever.

The sale of the flat finally completed, not without hitches – the solicitor didn’t pay the estate agent and then to rub salt into the wound the mortgage company took the next payment and couldn’t pay it back for ten days – all eye rolling annoyances but the opposite of teething problems. What’s the right name for that? Extracting problems?

Hmm.

Anyway, that’s almost all sorted too. And that’s where the ‘problem’ lies.

After such a prolonged period of extreme over commitment, in the blink of an eye, everything’s done. Well, not quite everything, there’s still a few boxes to sort out but the pressure is off. Well, for a couple of weeks anyway. If I’m honest, I’ve forgotten how to not do much. I have become so used to rushing around that this little break has taken me by surprise.

On Saturday I took time out to go and see the Paralympic flame arrive in Horsham. It was a good turnout despite the weather and I’m pleased I had a chance to see that little moment in history. Then I went shopping and finally invested in an iPad. Yesterday I met up with a friend who happened to be in the area and it was a lovely chance to catch up. Then I spent a couple of hours just playing a game on my new toy.

Today I spent most of the day downloading apps, catching up with installing printer drivers on mum’s computer and then checked my Facebook. And that’s when I realised that none of us are ever just marking time.

The jobs I caught up with now mean that I don’t have to do the printing for mum any more, she can do it all herself now, saving time and frustration all round. Sorting out the apps on the iPad has opened up a whole new world of work and study with anytime access to the files I need, meaning jobs can be finished on the spot, information can be found instantly, research becomes much easier and in the end that means I could achieve a lot more with the MBA and that will also support my day job.

To cap it all, I’m thrilled to have been asked to write for another anthology. I’ll tell you more when I know I’m allowed but for now, the point is this. Time doesn’t need to be marked. Things are sorting themselves out behind the scenes, falling into place in ways that none of us can ever really fathom. All we have to do is play our part, be the best we can be and deliver whatever we can with integrity, passion and compassion and everything else has a habit of aligning just as it should.

That doesn’t mean stop trying, it just means stop fretting. I’m sure I’m not alone in this but I’ve realised I need to give myself a break and allow myself the chance to rest, something which I seem to have forgotten how to do in the last couple of years. Next weekend I’ve got a few days off. I was meant to be going to the steampunk weekender at The Asylum but have had to call that off, sadly. So now, I’m going to relax and figure out just how I can do a bit more of just that and live in the town where my home is.

All change

I’ve just realised how exciting my life is right now.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I forgot what’s going on but somehow, with my head in a whirl I just couldn’t quite find the space to get excited. Heck the nerves haven’t even kicked in yet.

You see, the thing is, suddenly everything is different.

For one thing, my writing life is just awesome, considering I’m not yet published in the traditional sense. I love writing for Fantasy Faction and I am stoked with the programme we have created for Get Writing 2012.

But that is not all. Oh no!

Whilst I’ve been working on all of that I’ve also been drafting CV after CV, specific ones for every job I wanted to apply for. At first it seemed that I wasn’t getting anywhere but then I am a firm believer in that saying that when it’s meant to be, it will be.

To cut a long story short I have found a fantastic job with Southern Rail. It will be a challenge, taking my environmental career to the next level but I’m excited about it, looking forward to all the new experiences I’m about to have.

I’ll also be moving home, leaving my beloved Hertfordshire behind and discovering the delights of the West Sussex countryside. Morpheus my gorgeous little black cat will be shaken for a little while, it’s a big move for a little cat but in the end, I think he’ll be happy.

I’m taking the opportunity to make some sustainable choices too. I’ll be travelling to work by rail, slashing my car use, plus I’ll be sharing a house with my newly retired mum. Sure that’s going to be a challenge after years of doing whatever I want but it has it’s advantages. Not only will it be cheaper running one house instead of two flats but it also reduces our various footprints. I’m hoping to start a new personal project (more on that soon) and also, I’ll have the freedom to spend time writing, travel a bit and more knowing that my little cat will always have someone home for him.

Of course, big changes like this mean lots of goodbyes too. I’ve met some amazing people through my work at Dorma, my membership of Verulam Writers’ Circle, East Herts Fantasy Writers, Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust, Badger and Bat Groups, Stevenage Council’s Tree Warden Scheme… so many friends and so little time to say goodbye to them all. So I’m not saying goodbye. These days contact is so easy with facebook, twitter, email, post, phone, travel all available. I will see everyone again, not as often as I wish I could but I am not losing friends, I’m gaining new ones. If I haven’t been able to get in touch yet, know that doesn’t mean I’m not thinking of you, I am well aware of the impact you’ve all had on my life and for that I thank you.

I’m writing this sitting on the train on my way to Fantasycon where I’m meeting up with people I know, people I’ve met once or twice and people I’ve only met online, just another branch of my life these days.

My future is open to offers. Seriously, how much more exciting can life get?

Confessions of a technophobe

Confessions of a technophobe.

Here is my guest blog as part of Steve Lockley’s Open House.

I am feeling rather humbled as the guests so far have been extensively published, incredibly talented people. I, on the other hand, am still finding my place…