The new book on Lovecraft is now out and I've got some author copies just yesterday. It's the biggest book I've done for Career and it should be out and in the shops or avaulable to order online as from the 15th August I think. It looks very well and I'd bve interested to hear what people think.
The next book is American Vampires which will be out at the end of the year - we're already going through the edit - which will be out in October. So if you want to read about a vampire chair or vampire plants, there'll be something in this book for you. There's been a lot of interest in both it and the Lovecraft book already and we're gearing up a number of interviews. So watch out for those.
The Wyoming trip still looks as though it's on for the end of September so those of you who live in the US may get to see what I look like. Fortify yourselves with strong drink now! And there have been a few requests for radio interviews when I'm over so we'll have to see about those as well. Some of you have been asking what comes after American Vampires and the truth is that I don't know. We're considering a couple of ideas but nothing concrete yet.
The publishing world is very slow at the moment. One of the things we're looking at concerns witchcraft in America and I can truthfully say that to the best of my knowldge there's not another book on American Witchcraft like it. But I don't know - it's really up to the publisher.
On the Carnival of Dark Dreams - I now have the book completed and the English publisher is still considering what Andy and I have done. Hopefully that will be out before too long. It's an interesting illustrated book and something a bit different from what I've done before now. But it's difficult for writers at the moment - the markets are so limited and even when your book is accepted, it can a while to get round to publishing it. Just have patience!
I'd better go and get a bite to eat. The Olympics are on over here and the television doesn't seem to have gone off - we've all day coverage for the whole Games - so I'll sit and eat and watch them. And then get back to a new science fiction book that I'm working on. This could be the novel of 2013 or then again it might not. One thing - you never know.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Friday, July 6, 2012
Checking In
I said that I would try and keep up with this blog but it has not been easy. A mixture of work and illness has prevented me from writing as often as I'd like. Some time ago when in South America I cut my hand and lifted some sort of parasite which left me with a condition which is not a million miles from malaria - in fact they treat me for it with quinine sulphate.
It has also triggered a condition which is akin to Menieres Disease which is like the onset of vertigo and means you can't really stand up which is what I've been suffering from recently. It would appear to be triggered by sleep so you get up in the morning and the bedroom is going round. They can't treat you for it only "manage" it which is a bit frustrating because it means you can't work until the treatment kicks in. And worst of all there was a problem with my main television and it had to be left in - so no Sky. Sitting around waiting for the thing to pass and no television in my living room!
The good thing is that the condition seems to affect me in blocks - the last one was several years ago, so hopefully it'll eventually pass. Anyway, just at the minute I'm taking each day at a time. Been clear for a few days now. Problem of leading a kind of nomadic life. I can't even look at a computer screen when the thing's affecting me without being ill so haven't had a chance to get too much writing done. But have actually managed to do some more on the Carnival of Dark Dreams and fingers crossed that will be out sometime next year.
And another bit of news - Gina and I have finished our edit on A Haunted Mind which has now gone to the printers. It should be in all good booksellers soon. Still planning to come to Wyoming and am busy finalising some plans to be there in September.
Working too on the new Jackers book which might be on your websites sooner than you think. It'll need a bit of editing but it looks like it could be ready to go very soon. The summer here's a bit of a washout - severe flooding in some parts of the Province though thankfully not here. I live at the top of a hill anyway. Off to get something to eat but as soon as this condition clears completely will be back at this blog. Thanks for your patience and to those who wrote to me many, many thanks
It has also triggered a condition which is akin to Menieres Disease which is like the onset of vertigo and means you can't really stand up which is what I've been suffering from recently. It would appear to be triggered by sleep so you get up in the morning and the bedroom is going round. They can't treat you for it only "manage" it which is a bit frustrating because it means you can't work until the treatment kicks in. And worst of all there was a problem with my main television and it had to be left in - so no Sky. Sitting around waiting for the thing to pass and no television in my living room!
The good thing is that the condition seems to affect me in blocks - the last one was several years ago, so hopefully it'll eventually pass. Anyway, just at the minute I'm taking each day at a time. Been clear for a few days now. Problem of leading a kind of nomadic life. I can't even look at a computer screen when the thing's affecting me without being ill so haven't had a chance to get too much writing done. But have actually managed to do some more on the Carnival of Dark Dreams and fingers crossed that will be out sometime next year.
And another bit of news - Gina and I have finished our edit on A Haunted Mind which has now gone to the printers. It should be in all good booksellers soon. Still planning to come to Wyoming and am busy finalising some plans to be there in September.
Working too on the new Jackers book which might be on your websites sooner than you think. It'll need a bit of editing but it looks like it could be ready to go very soon. The summer here's a bit of a washout - severe flooding in some parts of the Province though thankfully not here. I live at the top of a hill anyway. Off to get something to eat but as soon as this condition clears completely will be back at this blog. Thanks for your patience and to those who wrote to me many, many thanks
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Carnival of Dark Dreams
All right! All right! I did say that I'd try to maintain this blogspot more frequently. I've been up to my eyes with a few projects - some of which are community related - and really haven't had the time to get near it.
Thanks to all you people who wrote directly to me and I've tried to reply personally to as many as I can. To others, please be patient and I will get round to answering all your mails.
The Haunted Mind book is getting ready for printing. Gina and I have more or less completed the final edits and the publicity company has been in contact regarding the campaign - so that will begin this week coming I think.
I'm also getting ready to sort things out for a trip to Wyoming. It's my first trip to the States in about 40 years and I've never been to Wyoming so it should be exciting. Hopefully everything will be fine. And maybe next year there might be a trip to Los Angeles - it's being talked about. There have been so many invites to the States and elsewhere for which I'm really grateful and I didn't want to continually say no. So it looks like Wyoming is on.
I'm also doing a new book - not for Career this time - with an artist named Andy Paciorek which is called Carnival of Dark Dreams. It's looking at some strange creatures that you won't find anywhere else - things from the fringes of folklore and legend. It's very demanding but a whole lot of fun and Andy's illustrations are incredibly well suited to what we're trying to do. If you want to see some of the material look on his own blogspot.
As yet we're still talking about a new book for Career and I'll let you know when we've decided. The publishing market is very slow at the moment but A Haunted Mind (August Publication) and American Vampires (October publication) are waiting in the wings.
Everybody tells me that this is a really slow year both for publishers and writers with everyone being very cautious. I suppose that we'll just have to see it through. I really can't get over how quiet it's been. But I am looking forward to the trip to the States and seeing what's going on there. Will try to write a bit more frequently and that's a promise. Hopefully befoe the end of the month.
Thanks to all you people who wrote directly to me and I've tried to reply personally to as many as I can. To others, please be patient and I will get round to answering all your mails.
The Haunted Mind book is getting ready for printing. Gina and I have more or less completed the final edits and the publicity company has been in contact regarding the campaign - so that will begin this week coming I think.
I'm also getting ready to sort things out for a trip to Wyoming. It's my first trip to the States in about 40 years and I've never been to Wyoming so it should be exciting. Hopefully everything will be fine. And maybe next year there might be a trip to Los Angeles - it's being talked about. There have been so many invites to the States and elsewhere for which I'm really grateful and I didn't want to continually say no. So it looks like Wyoming is on.
I'm also doing a new book - not for Career this time - with an artist named Andy Paciorek which is called Carnival of Dark Dreams. It's looking at some strange creatures that you won't find anywhere else - things from the fringes of folklore and legend. It's very demanding but a whole lot of fun and Andy's illustrations are incredibly well suited to what we're trying to do. If you want to see some of the material look on his own blogspot.
As yet we're still talking about a new book for Career and I'll let you know when we've decided. The publishing market is very slow at the moment but A Haunted Mind (August Publication) and American Vampires (October publication) are waiting in the wings.
Everybody tells me that this is a really slow year both for publishers and writers with everyone being very cautious. I suppose that we'll just have to see it through. I really can't get over how quiet it's been. But I am looking forward to the trip to the States and seeing what's going on there. Will try to write a bit more frequently and that's a promise. Hopefully befoe the end of the month.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
More Strange Creatures
Broke the little toe of my right foot in a silly argument with a chair about a fortnight ago - I turned suddenly and caught it on the leg of the chair - and it turned a rather fetching shade of black so I thougfht I'd better go and get it X-rayed. It was broken all right but the medics could do very little with it except to strap it up.
Then on Tuesday, I was in a queue in a supermarket and the woman in front of me stepped back in herhigh-heels and just clipped it. Agony! So still hobbling around.
The Strange Creatures chapbook that I had mentioned might be going ahead as I've been contacted by a publisher who might be interested. It's early days yet but there is a bit of an interest in the strange creatures that I'm doing - some of which I've never seen anywhere else. So working at that and I have almost ten creatures/entities done which Andy, the illustrator, is drawing. Of course nothing might come of it - I never bank on anything until the contract's in my hand - but it's very interesting actually doing it.
As well as that I have a print of the Italian comic that I did with David Lloyd out in Spain - or so he tells me which should be interesting.
I've also been contacted by a publisher in Bosnia about a comic strip but things are a bit difficult there - epecially with regards to payment. The Bosnian marka isn't exactly legal tender here - and he can only pay me in marka as he is a small outfit - and I'd have to get it changed in some other EEC country into euros which isn't exactly the most stable currency at the moment and by the time that would all be changed the amount wouldn't really be worth it. But we'll see. It's one of the things that people don't think of as being connected to writers.
Was talking to Adrian on Tuesday and we're definitely going to go ahead with a kind of scienc fiction posted on the web. The only thing I have to do now is to write it - I have one partly written and am doing a bit on that whilst I'm working on Strange Creatures but it's slow.
The Wyoming trip looks as if it might be on. I'm flying out from Northern Ireland into Newark where I've a 4 hour stopover before catching plane to Denver and it'll give me a chance to meet the people from Career who are based there. I've been working for Career for almost ten years now and whilst I know a lot of the people there, I've never met any of them. So I'm very excited about that. Let's hope the trip comes off which I'm sure it will. If you are reading this in Cheyenne, I might see you in September.
And of course congratulations to West Ham Football Club who made it from the Championship back into the Premiership. I watched the match against Blackpool yesterday but I couldn't really watch the last couple of minutes - still all ended well. And Chelsea against Bayern Munich although my wife was disgusted - she doen't like Chelsea at all. Anyway, I'll keep you up to date with Strange Creatures and of course A Haunted Mind and American Vampires should be out soon. I'm sure I'll be back again soon
Then on Tuesday, I was in a queue in a supermarket and the woman in front of me stepped back in herhigh-heels and just clipped it. Agony! So still hobbling around.
The Strange Creatures chapbook that I had mentioned might be going ahead as I've been contacted by a publisher who might be interested. It's early days yet but there is a bit of an interest in the strange creatures that I'm doing - some of which I've never seen anywhere else. So working at that and I have almost ten creatures/entities done which Andy, the illustrator, is drawing. Of course nothing might come of it - I never bank on anything until the contract's in my hand - but it's very interesting actually doing it.
As well as that I have a print of the Italian comic that I did with David Lloyd out in Spain - or so he tells me which should be interesting.
I've also been contacted by a publisher in Bosnia about a comic strip but things are a bit difficult there - epecially with regards to payment. The Bosnian marka isn't exactly legal tender here - and he can only pay me in marka as he is a small outfit - and I'd have to get it changed in some other EEC country into euros which isn't exactly the most stable currency at the moment and by the time that would all be changed the amount wouldn't really be worth it. But we'll see. It's one of the things that people don't think of as being connected to writers.
Was talking to Adrian on Tuesday and we're definitely going to go ahead with a kind of scienc fiction posted on the web. The only thing I have to do now is to write it - I have one partly written and am doing a bit on that whilst I'm working on Strange Creatures but it's slow.
The Wyoming trip looks as if it might be on. I'm flying out from Northern Ireland into Newark where I've a 4 hour stopover before catching plane to Denver and it'll give me a chance to meet the people from Career who are based there. I've been working for Career for almost ten years now and whilst I know a lot of the people there, I've never met any of them. So I'm very excited about that. Let's hope the trip comes off which I'm sure it will. If you are reading this in Cheyenne, I might see you in September.
And of course congratulations to West Ham Football Club who made it from the Championship back into the Premiership. I watched the match against Blackpool yesterday but I couldn't really watch the last couple of minutes - still all ended well. And Chelsea against Bayern Munich although my wife was disgusted - she doen't like Chelsea at all. Anyway, I'll keep you up to date with Strange Creatures and of course A Haunted Mind and American Vampires should be out soon. I'm sure I'll be back again soon
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Strange Creatures
Outside the sun is shining but it's incredibly cold. In fact I was out earlier this morning and there were a few flakes of snow in the air. Snow - in May! Maybe the Mayans had it right and we're approaching the end of the world.
Taking a little bit of a break from writing - well not really - and doing a bit more community work. I say not really because I'm drafting a new chapbook with an artist friend which we might try out with various publishers.
The subject of the book is Strange Creatures and it arose out of some of the stuff I've been doing for Career on odd creatures. A few people have been in contact with me with suggestions for future creatures on the Career blog site and I thought well why not do a bit of a chapbook on these entities. So when Andy contacted me - he worked on some of the books I'd done for Barrons Publishing in New York, it seemed too good an opportunity to turn down. Who'll publish it I don't know but we're putting a sampler of sorts together and hoping to do it like an old-style chapbook of odd and dark creatures which you probably won't find anywhere else. It's an interesting thing to do and keeps my hand in writing whilst I'm doing other things.
I'm also working with Gina at Career on the edits for A Haunted Mind the new Lovecraft book which will be out soon and after that American Vampires which i know some of you are patiently waiting on. After that I'm not sure and so the chapbook is a good way of keeping busy. Hopefully, it'll see the light of day although with the publishing world the way it is I wouldn't think it'll be any time soon - but you never know.
I've had an invite to address a convention in Cheyenne in Wyoming and I might go to that - at the moment we're sorting some of the practicalities out. So if I do and you happen to be in Wyoming around the 29th September, come up and make yourself known to me. I think I should go if we can get it sorted out as it would give me a chance to connect with my US readers.
If you read Chinese or Russian, I have three or four foreign editions out in those areas too. Maybe they'll give me an invite to go over there as well - one can always live in hope!
Anyway, hail is hitting the window and there's football on television I think so might take a break and go and watch that. I'll keep you all up to date about the possible Wyoming trip if we can get it up and running. And if the chapbook takes off we'll talk about that as well.
Things are moving if very slowly.
Taking a little bit of a break from writing - well not really - and doing a bit more community work. I say not really because I'm drafting a new chapbook with an artist friend which we might try out with various publishers.
The subject of the book is Strange Creatures and it arose out of some of the stuff I've been doing for Career on odd creatures. A few people have been in contact with me with suggestions for future creatures on the Career blog site and I thought well why not do a bit of a chapbook on these entities. So when Andy contacted me - he worked on some of the books I'd done for Barrons Publishing in New York, it seemed too good an opportunity to turn down. Who'll publish it I don't know but we're putting a sampler of sorts together and hoping to do it like an old-style chapbook of odd and dark creatures which you probably won't find anywhere else. It's an interesting thing to do and keeps my hand in writing whilst I'm doing other things.
I'm also working with Gina at Career on the edits for A Haunted Mind the new Lovecraft book which will be out soon and after that American Vampires which i know some of you are patiently waiting on. After that I'm not sure and so the chapbook is a good way of keeping busy. Hopefully, it'll see the light of day although with the publishing world the way it is I wouldn't think it'll be any time soon - but you never know.
I've had an invite to address a convention in Cheyenne in Wyoming and I might go to that - at the moment we're sorting some of the practicalities out. So if I do and you happen to be in Wyoming around the 29th September, come up and make yourself known to me. I think I should go if we can get it sorted out as it would give me a chance to connect with my US readers.
If you read Chinese or Russian, I have three or four foreign editions out in those areas too. Maybe they'll give me an invite to go over there as well - one can always live in hope!
Anyway, hail is hitting the window and there's football on television I think so might take a break and go and watch that. I'll keep you all up to date about the possible Wyoming trip if we can get it up and running. And if the chapbook takes off we'll talk about that as well.
Things are moving if very slowly.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
American Vampires
A lot of people have been in contact with me asking me when American Vampires is coming out. I'm really flattered that there's so much interest. My answer is that it will be later this year - I'm told that it's not even been pre-advertised for pre-order on Amazon as yet so it's a little way off yet. But do keep watching.
Note from the publisher - American Vampires is set to ship in September for an October publication. Click Here for More Information.
Before that we have A Haunted Mind coming out which will be at the end of the summer. Gina and I are looking through the edit now and it looks like there will be very little to change so we can maybe go for earlier than we had anticipated. And then we're through to American Vampires! Keep watching.
A number of others have asked if there'll be another book coming out before the end of the year or maybe next. I don't know. I've been talking to Career about a couple of projects but we haven't agreed anything yet. There's also a possible book with an Irish publisher on highwaymen - there's a lot of local interest here about that one - but once again nothing's firmly agreed. The publishing world is in such turmoil everywhere, it's difficult to tie future books down but if things work out you'll be the first to know.
I'm busy writing a couple of things on football at the moment - yes, I am a big football fan nd follow the English Leagues. Mary, my wife, is a huge Arsenal fan so when they lose there's really no living with her. My son is Manchester United - whom I'[m not keen on. My own team - I got into this when I lived in the East End of London years ago - is West Ham who are in the Championship. However, I have a strong feeling that they could make their way back into the Premiership under Sam Allerdyce. They won 6-0 yesterday against Brighton which has restored my faith. So writing something about that for local magazines. I'm told there is another Bob Curran who is an American football coach - maybe he and I should meet up some day.
Note from the publisher - American Vampires is set to ship in September for an October publication. Click Here for More Information.
Before that we have A Haunted Mind coming out which will be at the end of the summer. Gina and I are looking through the edit now and it looks like there will be very little to change so we can maybe go for earlier than we had anticipated. And then we're through to American Vampires! Keep watching.
A number of others have asked if there'll be another book coming out before the end of the year or maybe next. I don't know. I've been talking to Career about a couple of projects but we haven't agreed anything yet. There's also a possible book with an Irish publisher on highwaymen - there's a lot of local interest here about that one - but once again nothing's firmly agreed. The publishing world is in such turmoil everywhere, it's difficult to tie future books down but if things work out you'll be the first to know.
I'm busy writing a couple of things on football at the moment - yes, I am a big football fan nd follow the English Leagues. Mary, my wife, is a huge Arsenal fan so when they lose there's really no living with her. My son is Manchester United - whom I'[m not keen on. My own team - I got into this when I lived in the East End of London years ago - is West Ham who are in the Championship. However, I have a strong feeling that they could make their way back into the Premiership under Sam Allerdyce. They won 6-0 yesterday against Brighton which has restored my faith. So writing something about that for local magazines. I'm told there is another Bob Curran who is an American football coach - maybe he and I should meet up some day.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Easter Wishes!
Well, American Vampires is almost complete. I have just finished the last section and have it off to Career. This only leaves me a Conclusion to do - which I'm hoping to have finished before Easter - and that finishes off the work.
If you look on my previous blog you'll see the cover which I've seen and approved. I think it looks very dramatic and eye-catching. So what next? Well I've sent Career a couple of ideas including a full proposal but nothing agreed as yet. I'm up to my eyes in developing a tourist route here in Northern Ireland as part of the International Appalachian Trail so that'll keep me busy for the next week. And I've a couple more proposals out there so watch this space. However, as Mary my wife and the children are off school for the Easter Holidays I'm going to take a few days off. I have a heap of reading to do - and I have been asked to do a couple of comic strips.
At the moment I'm working on a project with young people using comics as a reading tool and getting them to design their own, so I'm doing a bit on that. Enough to keep me going but there'll be new books out - to all those that asked, don't panic. I'm not done with writing yet.
But be sure to have good Easter. Make sure you've plenty of Easter eggs. I'm off tomorrow to buy my wife one - we've been together for thirty years and I've never missed buying her an egg at Easter yet! See you later in the month but in the meantime Happy Easter.
If you look on my previous blog you'll see the cover which I've seen and approved. I think it looks very dramatic and eye-catching. So what next? Well I've sent Career a couple of ideas including a full proposal but nothing agreed as yet. I'm up to my eyes in developing a tourist route here in Northern Ireland as part of the International Appalachian Trail so that'll keep me busy for the next week. And I've a couple more proposals out there so watch this space. However, as Mary my wife and the children are off school for the Easter Holidays I'm going to take a few days off. I have a heap of reading to do - and I have been asked to do a couple of comic strips.
At the moment I'm working on a project with young people using comics as a reading tool and getting them to design their own, so I'm doing a bit on that. Enough to keep me going but there'll be new books out - to all those that asked, don't panic. I'm not done with writing yet.
But be sure to have good Easter. Make sure you've plenty of Easter eggs. I'm off tomorrow to buy my wife one - we've been together for thirty years and I've never missed buying her an egg at Easter yet! See you later in the month but in the meantime Happy Easter.
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