H.E. Bulstrode's Blog, page 2
June 1, 2019
New Supernatural Mystery: The Bread Oven
New Supernatural Mystery: The Bread Oven
A new uncanny tale is out now in Kindle – The Bread Oven – a sinister supernatural yarn that revolves around a rather unusual discovery at a gîte. As to what that might be, I shall leave for you to discover, for I would not wish to spoil it. It involves a family who take an Easter break in an idyllic part of rural Brittany, which proves to be anything but, for reality soon unravels to reveal a dark truth that they could never have suspected. In the vicinity of the village of Plougvillac, the past, it would seem, casts the longest and darkest of shadows, no more so than when the sun shines at its brightest.
Read a preview of the story on Amazon at the following universal link:
http://mybook.to/breadoven
I hope that you enjoy it. If you do, it'd be great if you could leave a review.
Cheers!
H.E. Bulstrode
A new uncanny tale is out now in Kindle – The Bread Oven – a sinister supernatural yarn that revolves around a rather unusual discovery at a gîte. As to what that might be, I shall leave for you to discover, for I would not wish to spoil it. It involves a family who take an Easter break in an idyllic part of rural Brittany, which proves to be anything but, for reality soon unravels to reveal a dark truth that they could never have suspected. In the vicinity of the village of Plougvillac, the past, it would seem, casts the longest and darkest of shadows, no more so than when the sun shines at its brightest.
Read a preview of the story on Amazon at the following universal link:
http://mybook.to/breadoven
I hope that you enjoy it. If you do, it'd be great if you could leave a review.
Cheers!
H.E. Bulstrode
February 1, 2019
Ladies, might you not consider the benefits of puppy water?
Dear reader, might I recommend the services of the good Doctor Mortimer as a companionable guide to the highways and byways of life in Restoration England, with occasional, albeit brief, remarks upon the lives of the North Britons, who pride themselves upon the name of Scots. From the life of the meanest peasant to that of the most urbane and profligate rake, you will find yourself witness to the pleasures, and pains, of our forebears, as they throw off the restraints of those dismal and earnest years of Old Noll, and the Commonwealth. From the squalor and superstition of the old world, we see the glimmerings of a new and more rational age, ushered in by the gentlemen of the Royal Society, and the efforts of architects in the wake of the Great Fire. Fewer crones in their dribbling dotage now find themselves prosecuted and hanged for witchcraft, but still other women find themselves consigned to the flames for the petty treason of dispensing with an abusive husband. The law must be seen to be done, and so the highwayman sways in his creaking gibbet, and the corpse of the pirate hangs tarred on the shores of the Thames; many a thief must hang, or be indentured to the West Indies, and the heads and quarters of traitors may find a public resting place upon a spike, or nailed up somewhere for the edification of the populace.
It is an age of tumult and colour, of enlightened discovery and casual cruelty, rendered in a deft and engaging manner, channelling the observations of Pepys, Evelyn, Fiennes, and others, to transport the reader into an everyday world that we can never directly know. The impressions are vivid, and the details striking, with the consequence that this volume is a delight for any reader who possesses an interest in social history, or this particular period in time. It is also, undoubtedly, a boon for authors of historical fiction. There are details here which will in turn surprise, delight, and disgust, and sometimes all three. Ladies, might you not consider the benefits of puppy water?
It is an age of tumult and colour, of enlightened discovery and casual cruelty, rendered in a deft and engaging manner, channelling the observations of Pepys, Evelyn, Fiennes, and others, to transport the reader into an everyday world that we can never directly know. The impressions are vivid, and the details striking, with the consequence that this volume is a delight for any reader who possesses an interest in social history, or this particular period in time. It is also, undoubtedly, a boon for authors of historical fiction. There are details here which will in turn surprise, delight, and disgust, and sometimes all three. Ladies, might you not consider the benefits of puppy water?
January 24, 2019
A note on hauntings, reputed, and otherwise.
I must admit to being a little taken aback lately by some comments that have appeared on a small number of my Facebook posts relating to alleged hauntings. The purpose of these posts is to entertain, not to make any statement relating to any factual basis, or lack thereof, for the stories that are contained therein. Their origins are often obscure, their meanings contested, and their substance frequently augmented by invention.
Traditional ghost stories arise from a number of sources, and become attached to certain locations, and sometimes figures, often first having acquired a coherent form in oral tradition before being taken up in print by folklorists, amateur antiquarians, and the press. Some have been further worked up by sensationalist writers, or exploited by enterprising landlords of historic inns with an eye to making their ghostly residents pay for their lodgings. Whether there should be a kernel of truth lurking within any of these stories, or none of them, is beside the point. Each of them adds a little extra colour to the place with which it is associated, a certain romance, and charm. They may make an otherwise prosaic setting enchanted, although many ghosts are associated with locations that are both scenic, and picturesque.
England’s haunted landscape makes for another realm, that often intersects with, and is shaped by, the reality of its historic counterpart. In the traditional ghost story, one often encounters the embodiment of a popular desire for those who have abused their position in life – such as the Hanging Judge, Judge Jeffreys of the Bloody Assizes – to be punished for their sins through being compelled to return to this world in the form of some sad shade. Atonement and remorse are common components of such tales, as are unrequited love, and loss. It is these universal and powerful themes, that allow the ghost story as a form to exert its longstanding appeal, as well as the chronic uncertainty, and fear, of what lies beyond this temporary state that we know as life.
As for the books that I publish, they are original works of fiction, although they often draw upon, and incorporate, elements of traditional supernatural lore and superstition: a vengeful spirit here, a genius loci there; occult fraudsters, demons and half-forgotten deities. Many are set in real locations, whereas others are set in a fictionalised West Country village, or house, spanning the centuries, and time immemorial.
Traditional ghost stories arise from a number of sources, and become attached to certain locations, and sometimes figures, often first having acquired a coherent form in oral tradition before being taken up in print by folklorists, amateur antiquarians, and the press. Some have been further worked up by sensationalist writers, or exploited by enterprising landlords of historic inns with an eye to making their ghostly residents pay for their lodgings. Whether there should be a kernel of truth lurking within any of these stories, or none of them, is beside the point. Each of them adds a little extra colour to the place with which it is associated, a certain romance, and charm. They may make an otherwise prosaic setting enchanted, although many ghosts are associated with locations that are both scenic, and picturesque.
England’s haunted landscape makes for another realm, that often intersects with, and is shaped by, the reality of its historic counterpart. In the traditional ghost story, one often encounters the embodiment of a popular desire for those who have abused their position in life – such as the Hanging Judge, Judge Jeffreys of the Bloody Assizes – to be punished for their sins through being compelled to return to this world in the form of some sad shade. Atonement and remorse are common components of such tales, as are unrequited love, and loss. It is these universal and powerful themes, that allow the ghost story as a form to exert its longstanding appeal, as well as the chronic uncertainty, and fear, of what lies beyond this temporary state that we know as life.
As for the books that I publish, they are original works of fiction, although they often draw upon, and incorporate, elements of traditional supernatural lore and superstition: a vengeful spirit here, a genius loci there; occult fraudsters, demons and half-forgotten deities. Many are set in real locations, whereas others are set in a fictionalised West Country village, or house, spanning the centuries, and time immemorial.
December 10, 2018
A Ghostly Comedy
Old Crotchet's Return: A Ghost Story.
A high-spirited romp of a ghost story set in 1920s England.
Available in Kindle (free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers), as well as in paperback.
George Simpkins is in a state, and it’s not just because of the gin. His wife remains missing, his son a curious and callous enigma, and, most worryingly of all, his spouse’s erstwhile schoolmate, the witheringly waspish Cynthia, has plans afoot for his future. An invitation to a festive break in the country brings London society into collision with half-cracked Somerset locals steeped in cider and superstition, as well as a far from festively inclined spirit. Welcome to the world of Hinton St Cuthbert, the parish with a past, but seemingly no future.
Amazon Universal Link: http://mybook.to/OldCrotchetsReturn
Paperback: http://mybook.to/OldCrotchetsReturnpb
A high-spirited romp of a ghost story set in 1920s England.
Available in Kindle (free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers), as well as in paperback.
George Simpkins is in a state, and it’s not just because of the gin. His wife remains missing, his son a curious and callous enigma, and, most worryingly of all, his spouse’s erstwhile schoolmate, the witheringly waspish Cynthia, has plans afoot for his future. An invitation to a festive break in the country brings London society into collision with half-cracked Somerset locals steeped in cider and superstition, as well as a far from festively inclined spirit. Welcome to the world of Hinton St Cuthbert, the parish with a past, but seemingly no future.
Amazon Universal Link: http://mybook.to/OldCrotchetsReturn
Paperback: http://mybook.to/OldCrotchetsReturnpb
October 26, 2018
A Devilish Milestone
It seems that I've reached something of a milestone: the next person to buy one of my books will be the lucky owner of the 666th copy. I cannot, however, be held accountable for what may be unleashed upon its receipt. A devilishly good bargain. If it should happen to be you, I'll see if I can summon up the spirit of Robert Tooley to deploy countermeasures, but as he is a far from reliable character, and something of a swindler, you may choose not to employ his services. http://Author.to/hebulstrode
October 19, 2018
Amazon UK Paperback Sale
Amazon appear to be running a price promotion on my paperbacks in the UK today, and I've no idea how long the offer will run for. So, if you've been considering buying one of them, now would be a good time to do so.
Upon Barden Moor: An Occult Mystery is now discounted by 20% from £6.99 to £5.59: http://mybook.to/UponBardenMoor
Uncanny Tales from the English Shires is selling for £6.29 instead of £6.99: http://myBook.to/uncannytales
Anthology: Wry Out West is reduced to £7.19 from £7.99: http://myBook.to/Wryoutwest
Upon Barden Moor: An Occult Mystery is now discounted by 20% from £6.99 to £5.59: http://mybook.to/UponBardenMoor
Uncanny Tales from the English Shires is selling for £6.29 instead of £6.99: http://myBook.to/uncannytales
Anthology: Wry Out West is reduced to £7.19 from £7.99: http://myBook.to/Wryoutwest
September 11, 2018
The Vexing Question of New Covers
Creating book covers can be a time-consuming business, and their redesign and creation is only half of the work, for then comes the laborious process of not only uploading them to Amazon, but populating the various places on the internet where they are displayed. Anyway, without further ado, should you be curious click on the following link to view my latest artwork on Amazon, as it has yet to be updated on Goodreads. Better?
http://Author.to/hebulstrode
http://Author.to/hebulstrode
August 17, 2018
An Adult Fairy Tale without a Fairy-tale Ending.
In The Hidden People, Alison Littlewood has woven a lyrical tale of enchantment, delusion and jealousy, in which urban Victorian rationality collides with lingering rural folk belief, with neither emerging unscathed. Whereas the much-lauded The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry aspires to explore these themes and fails to deliver upon its promise, this cannot be said of Littlewood’s The Hidden People, for it is by far the better-written and more satisfyingly plotted book of the two. It is a novel steeped in the Gothic, in which the wild and outlandish sentiments of the uneducated country folk are rendered in a rich Yorkshire vernacular, which contrasts with the staid speech of the middle-class London protagonist, Albert Mirralls, whose presence is at best viewed as an unwelcome intrusion into what appears to be an everlasting bucolic summer.
Fairy lore and the spirit of Wuthering Heights loom large in this story, where the power of belief in the malign power of the fairy folk and changelings is convincingly portrayed, leaving the reader guessing as to what is real, and what is not, in a world refracted through the first-person narrative of ‘Albie’ Mirralls. It is his obsession with his cousin, Lizzie Thurlston, that provides the thread which the reader must follow with a compulsive zeal until the final revelation with which the book concludes. There is also a powerful underpinning theme of loss and yearning, which is expressed through the blindness of the central character to what he has, whilst he remains locked into the pursuit of his idée fixe, to the detriment of himself, and to those closest to him. It is a novel sure to appeal to those with a taste for historical fiction, mysteries, and psychological horror. That said, if forced to pigeonhole this work into a single genre, its best fit would be folk horror with a pronounced Gothic streak.
Fairy lore and the spirit of Wuthering Heights loom large in this story, where the power of belief in the malign power of the fairy folk and changelings is convincingly portrayed, leaving the reader guessing as to what is real, and what is not, in a world refracted through the first-person narrative of ‘Albie’ Mirralls. It is his obsession with his cousin, Lizzie Thurlston, that provides the thread which the reader must follow with a compulsive zeal until the final revelation with which the book concludes. There is also a powerful underpinning theme of loss and yearning, which is expressed through the blindness of the central character to what he has, whilst he remains locked into the pursuit of his idée fixe, to the detriment of himself, and to those closest to him. It is a novel sure to appeal to those with a taste for historical fiction, mysteries, and psychological horror. That said, if forced to pigeonhole this work into a single genre, its best fit would be folk horror with a pronounced Gothic streak.
June 16, 2018
English Ghost Stories
Uncanny Tales is discounted to 99c/99p from Saturday 16th to Friday 22nd June inclusive. Available from Amazon at http://myBook.to/uncannytales
Prepare to meet four spirits: a mediaeval animalistic heretic; a personification of Death that has journeyed far from its Breton homeland; a Celtic goddess thirsting for vengeance, and a mysterious sickle-wielding hedger. Some are guardians of their place and of their values, caring not for contemporary social mores or those who cleave to them. Others wreak a vengeance upon the living to make them atone for perceived injustices, unleashing chaos in the personal lives and relationships of their chosen victims. A collection of tales for lovers of English ghost stories, the Gothic, and folk horror, from the distant past to the present day, available on Kindle and in paperback.
Prepare to meet four spirits: a mediaeval animalistic heretic; a personification of Death that has journeyed far from its Breton homeland; a Celtic goddess thirsting for vengeance, and a mysterious sickle-wielding hedger. Some are guardians of their place and of their values, caring not for contemporary social mores or those who cleave to them. Others wreak a vengeance upon the living to make them atone for perceived injustices, unleashing chaos in the personal lives and relationships of their chosen victims. A collection of tales for lovers of English ghost stories, the Gothic, and folk horror, from the distant past to the present day, available on Kindle and in paperback.
May 18, 2018
Last Chance to Download for 99c/99p
Upon Barden Moor: a new occult mystery centring upon the events of a single summer's day in Edwardian Yorkshire; a novel whose tone and feel gradually shift from the lightly satirical, towards a dark and chilling climax. Friday 18 May is the last day that you’ll be able to download this at its reduced introductory price of 99p/99c from Amazon at mybook.to/UponBardenMoor Also available in paperback, and free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.
Blurb
Death was wending its way to the moor: slowly, surely, methodically. It was a day that had been many months in the planning, and the ritual, so well rehearsed, was about to be enacted. It would be a solemn end, for without that, it would be nothing; this was how it had to be.
Welcome to Yorkshire, 1949. A village schoolmaster leaves a mysterious note, and as the drama unfolds, the reader is transported back to a stifling afternoon upon the moor some forty or so years earlier, for this, it would seem, is a moment in time with which his fate has become inextricably bound.
Blurb
Death was wending its way to the moor: slowly, surely, methodically. It was a day that had been many months in the planning, and the ritual, so well rehearsed, was about to be enacted. It would be a solemn end, for without that, it would be nothing; this was how it had to be.
Welcome to Yorkshire, 1949. A village schoolmaster leaves a mysterious note, and as the drama unfolds, the reader is transported back to a stifling afternoon upon the moor some forty or so years earlier, for this, it would seem, is a moment in time with which his fate has become inextricably bound.
