Sam Stone's Blog, page 11

GRIMM UP NORTH - EARLY BIRD TICKETS

Due to unprecedented demand for our of amazing value early bird passes this
year, Grimmfest have decided to keep open the offer for just one extra day, just
in case any horror fans out there haven’t yet taken the plunge. Early bird
passes were set to close on Thursday 8th Aug but we’ve added an extra day,
giving  a further opportunity to pick up a pass before midnight Friday 9th
August.

 

The Dancehouse theatre venue only allows us a limited amount of these
special passes to sell to our regular fans. Were happy to give your readers the
opportunity to take advantage of this offer but they must act fast. Full price
tickets become available from the venue box office next week at the regular
price.

 

If you love movie premieres and your able to make it to central Manchester
between 3rd and 6th Oct, you’d be a fool to miss this great offer. Wallow in movies for one long weekend for an incredible
price.

BOOK
NOW!

Announced so
far
Movies: HELLRAISER, JUG FACE, HANSEL AND
GRETEL GET BAKED, THE BODY,
SHELLSHOCKED
Guests: ALFIE
ALLEN (Game of thrones), DOMINIC
BRUNT (Before dawn, Emmerdale), NICHOLAS
VINCE (Hellraiser), WAYNE SIMMONS (Author of Flu, Fever), SAM STONE
(Author of The Vampire gene series & Zombies at
Tiffany's.)
Events: SFX Experts from World war Z, Starwars
and Harry Potter movies, talk and exhibit work. More info
here.

 

“4 days of
horrifically guilty pleasure no self respecting horror fan should miss.”
HORRORTALK

“Year in and year out,
the Grimmfest team put together one of the best lineups in horror! Grimmfest
2013 promises to be another four days of the best horror has to offer!
DREADCENTRAL

‘A sublime selection
of independent and undiscovered gems, all showcased in a suitably macabre
setting. Grimmfest is the business!’ ZOMBIEHAMSTER

 
Grimm
Entertainment, Ltd.
Grimm Up North Ltd.
Not a Number productions,
Ltd.

Z Film Studios
Studio House
Battersea Road
Stockport SK4
3EA
Manchester UK

Tel: 0161 300 7052
Mob: 07721
529947

www.grimmfest.com
www.grimmentertainment.com
www.notanumber.com
www.splinteredthemovie.com

PRE-ORDER 'KAT ON A HOT TIN AIRSHIP'

My new short novel, KAT ON A HOT TIN AIRSHIP'S official publication date is 31st August.



You can pre-order SIGNED copies from Telos Publishing HERE.



Cover art is by the fantastically talented Martin Baines. (I love his pulpy style, which seems to compliment my work so well.)



Also still available ZOMBIES AT TIFFANY'S - which can be purchased from Telos (SIGNED), Amazon, and all good bookstores or on kindle.



Hope you enjoy this revisit to the world of Kat Lightfoot, George Pepper and Martin Crewe.









KAT ON A HOT TIN AIRSHIP



It is 1865 and the American Civil War has come to an end. Now Kat
Lightfoot finds herself in the middle of another kind of war: a family
feud involving her brother Henry and his new wife. But what is behind
the strange behaviour of this affluent Southern family?





Caught in the crossfire of an implacable spirit's attempt to wreak
vengeance on the Pollitt family, Kat must once again enlist the help of
journalist George Pepper and the inventor Martin Crewe to find out what
really haunts the family's past.





In order to learn what devastating secrets the Pollitts are hiding
she must first explore her own feelings for Maggie's brother Orlando,
who is one of the seductive Nephilim.





A GHOSTLY STEAMPUNKED TALE OF FAMILY SECRETS, VOODOO AND VENGEANCE FROM THE AUTHOR OF ZOMBIES AT TIFFANY'S.

KAT ON A HOT TIN AIRSHIP

Okay guys,



The proper reveal ...



Here is the cover and the blurb for KAT ON A HOT TIN AIRSHIP. Can't tell you how pleased I am with the artwork of Martin Baines. 













Blurb 



It
is 1865 and the American Civil War has come to an end. Now Kat
Lightfoot finds herself in the middle of another kind of war: a family
feud involving her brother Henry and his new wife. But what is behind
the strange behaviour of this affluent Southern family?

Caught
in the crossfire of a implacable spirit’s attempt to wreak vengeance on
the Pollitt family, Kat must once again enlist the help of journalist
George Pepper and the inventor Martin Crewe to find out what really
haunts the family's past.

In
order to learn what devastating secrets the Pollitts are hiding she
must first explore her own feelings for Maggie’s brother Orlando, who is
one of the seductive Nephilim.

A GHOSTLY STEAMPUNKED TALE OF FAMILY SECRETS, VOODOO AND VENGEANCE FROM THE AUTHOR OF ZOMBIES AT TIFFANY’S.

APPEARANCES UPDATED!

BROWSERS BOOKSHOP, PORTHMADOG, SAT 31st AUGUST, 2013

Sam Stone and David Howe are delighted to be attending this friendly Independent Book store in the seaside resort of Porthmadog.



Address: 73 High Street, Porthmadog, LL49 9EU

Date: 31st August 2013

Time: 11am onwards



WATERSTONES, BOLTON, LANCS, SAT 7th SEPT 2013.

Sam Stone will be launching her new novella KAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF at Waterstones Bolton.

Be the first to buy this book, newly off the printing press. Copies of ZOMBIES AT TIFFANY'S will also be available.



Address: Waterstones, 34-36 Deansgate, Bolton BL1 1BL.

Date: 7th Sept 2013

Time: 2-4pm

 

ASYLUM STEAMPUNK CONVENTION, 13-15th Sept, 2013

Sam Stone and David Howe will be attending this fantastic event, which has become a welcome part of their yearly calendar. 



The event takes place in various locations around Lincoln Town Centre.



Come and join in the fun, wearing your steampunk finery, and join the party at one of the many wonderful evening events.



For full information on the programme of events : ASYLUM http://steampunk.synthasite.com/



Time: ALL WEEKEND

Address: Lincoln Town Centre

Date 13-15th September 2013 



GRIMM UP NORTH, 3rd-6th October 2013,

Sam Stone and David J Howe will be attending this year's Grimm Up North.



Further information to follow on their schedule but you can buy tickets for this year's event HERE



DIMENSIONS 2013, Newcastle, 25-27th October 2013.  

Sam
Stone and David J Howe join the line-up of guests for this special
celebration convention - which will commemorate the 50th Anniversary of
Doctor Who.



For more information : Dimensions http://www.tenthplanetevents.co.uk/index.asp



Time: TBA

Address: The New Holiday Inn, Great North Road, Seaton Burn, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE13 6BP

Date: 22-24 November 2013. 



HURRICANE WHO, Orlando, Florida, 1-3rd November 2013

Sam
Stone and David J Howe join the line-up of great guests for this
convention. There will be panels, a dealer's room, cosplay, and great
guests!



For more information : Hurricane Who http://www.hurricanewho.com/guests/ 



Time: Friday to Sunday 

Address: Doubletree by Hilton Orlando at Sea World

Date: 1-3rd November 2013.



LONG ISLAND WHO, New York, 8-10th November 2013

Sam Stone and David J Howe our delighted to be guesting at this new convention in Long Island, New York.



For more information : L.I. WHO http://longislanddoctorwho.com/about/



Time: All weekend

Address: The Long Island -Islip Airport Holiday Inn, 3845 Veterans Memorial Highway, Ronkonkoma, NY, 11779.

Date: Friday 8th- Sunday 10th Nov 2013.



GALLIFREY CONVENTION, Los Angeles, 14th-16th Feb, 2014

Awesome!
Sam Stone, David Howe and Frazer Hines return to this much loved
convention to celebrate 25 years of Gallifrey Convention in Los
Angeles. 



Time : ALL Weekend

Address: LA Marriot Hotel, Los Angeles

Date: Friday 14th Feb-Sun 16th Feb 2014.



EM-CON, NOTTINGHAM, 16th March 2014

A
fantastic fun-filled Sci-Fantasy day in Nottingham. Sam Stone and David
J Howe, join the guests at this new and exciting event.



Time: 10am (earlybirds) 11am-5pm

Address: Albert Hall, North Circus Street, Nottingham, NG1 5AA, 0115 950 0411

Date: 16th March 2014



For more information visit : http://www.em-con.co.uk



SCI-FI WEEKENDER 5, Hafan Y Mor, North Wales, 27th-30th March 2014

Sam Stone and David Howe are delighted to be returning to Sci-Fi Weekender!

More news to follow.

KAT ON A HOT TIN AIRSHIP

Kat Lightfoot returns ... but this time she's fighting a new darkness.



Last Friday I signed the contract with Telos Publishing for my new novella, Kat On A Hot Tin Airship which is the sequel to Zombies At Tiffany's.



To celebrate this forthcoming September 2013 release, you can now buy Zombies At Tiffany's on Kindle.



Amazon UK for only £1.96



Amazon USA for only $3.08



 So help us celebrate this new release and catch up on The Kat Lightfoot Supernatural Mysteries series now!

 



 Zombies At Tiffany's ...



Kat Lightfoot thought that getting a job at the famed Tiffany’s store
in New York would be the end to her problems ... she has money, new
friends, and there’s even an inventor working there who develops new
weapons from clockwork, and who cuts diamonds with a strange powered
light. This is 1862, after all, and such things are the wonder of the
age.



But then events take a turn for the worse: men and women wander the
streets talking of ‘the darkness’; bodies vanish from morgues across
town; and random, bloody attacks on innocent people take place in broad
daylight.



Soon Kat and her friends are fighting for their lives against a horde
of infected people, with only their wits and ingenuity to help them.

A steampunked story of diamonds, chutzpah, death and horror from the blood-drenched pen of Sam Stone.

SILENT SAND AVAILABLE NOW ON KINDLE

I've been asked several times recently when Silent Sand:  Book 5 The Vampire Gene Series would be made available for kindle and here it is!





To buy this from Amazon UK click HERE



To buy from Amazon Dot Com click HERE



"Fast-paced and sexy, SILENT SAND
is a stunning fusion of hi-tech thriller and gory folklore. As the
action sweeps our vampire anti-heroes from an ancient castle in Wales to
Las Vegas, from the court of Louis XV to the sinister military base in
the Nevada desert, they stir up horrible secrets that really should
remain buried ... What a delight to discover a grown up tale in which
vampires are not afraid to be vampires! I devoured it." Freda
Warrington.



SILENT SAND



Secrets can be found in the most unlikely places ...

Lilly
thought that her vampire lair under Rhuddlan Castle in North Wales was
safe ... until the dangerous fixer Darren Preacher tracked it down.

Gabriele
Caccini thought that he knew all about being a vampire, but his life
with newly turned lover Anya is sent out of control by the discovery of a
new strain of vampirism, one which leaves its victims as ghoulish
revenants, shells of the beings they used to be.

And deep in the
Nevada desert, Lucy Collins, Gabriele's maker, is undercover, working
with the CIA investigating the vampire revenants and what they might
mean for humanity.

When preacher brings Gabriele into the CIA
base, Lucy fears her cover may be blown, but there is something far more
dangerous than vampires hiding beneath the sands of Nevada ...
something ancient and vengeful, with an eternal patience and lust for
revenge.

Soon, the ancient vampire family will find themselves
facing their greatest foe yet, something primal and insidious, and from
which they have no protection.

A Silver Lining In Every Cloud!

We all hate change. I'm the worst for it ... but this week I found myself in
a bit of a dilemma. I woke one morning, went to sit up in bed, using my right
hand to support myself, and experienced intense pain.



The pain lasted a few hours and then suddenly disappeared. I knew I hadn't
wrench my arm, and promptly forgot all about it.  A few hours later I reached for something with
the same hand and the pain returned. 



It
was a terrible shooting pain up the side of my hand that radiated into my
elbow.  I found that when I massaged it
sometimes pain would go away.  The
problem was if I forgot and turned it in the wrong way pain would return and
each time it seemed to take longer to go away.



I persevered for a few days trying to be careful, however, by Monday I was
barely sleeping because my hand hurt constantly. It was obvious to me
that it was a trapped nerve, though I didn't know what had caused it.  I made an
appointment with the doctor hoping that it is nothing worse. 



A few friends had said to me that it could be
carpel tunnel syndrome and because I rely so much on my hands to be able to
type, I was truly concerned. As it turned out it was exactly what I had thought and the doctor explained that
this was RSI brought on by how much typing I do.  (My average daily output ranges from 3000 to 5000
words a day.)  The doctor advised rest and
gave me some anti inflammatory cream which I was to use four times a day.  I also had a wrist support to stop me
twisting my wrist too much.



Obviously this was a source of frustration: I'm currently working on a new
novel which has a tight deadline.  Thankfully
a few of my facebook friends recommended some speech software.  I even discovered, via writer Steve Lockley, that my new windows 8 laptop had a voice recognition application as standard. An added bonus because it was free and meant that I didn't have to order some software only to learn that I couldn't get along with it.



I quickly installed the speech recognition application and began to
experiment with it. 



At first I found it incredibly difficult to use and almost gave up completely.  I found however, that trying to use my wrist
too much started to give me deferred pain in my neck and shoulders as well
because I was over compensating.  And so, yesterday, because I had no choice, I was ready to give the software another chance.



The first thing that struck me about the way I work is that for me typing is
an extension of my writing.  It is so
automatic for me to think and then type instantaneously that I can liken
it to driving or walking.  When I drive I
don't think about pressing the accelerator or the brake. It just happens as a reflex.  When I begin to write my fingers are already
on the keys before I've completed the thought.



Obviously writing with a speech recognition app was going to feel different.  You might think that speech would come naturally
to me.  Strangely that wasn't the
case at all.  The first 500 words we stuttering,
fragmented sentences until I realized that if I spoke them in complete
sentences the software interpreted them better.  It felt as though the app was learning my
pronunciation of words.  Although I'm
sure this wasn't quite the case, it did seem to have a level of intelligence
that helped it translate my mumbled words. Much I suppose like the human brain,
but not quite as good.



The thing is the speech software was more likely changing how I thought about
the writing process and how I approached it. 
It made me analyse how I write.  And forced me to consider if I could change my
routine.



I've always said that it is important to have a strict regime.  Every morning I wake and start working as soon as
possible because I find that if I start my day in any other way then it takes me
a long time to get into my routine. I
don't like noise.  I don't like
interruptions.  Any distraction can ruin
my writing for the day.  So the thought of changing such
a major part of how I work was truly terrifying.



Even so, I persevered with the software and found as the day wore on I was
beginning to write almost as much as normal.  Which really surprised me. This was indeed
very fortunate because it now meant I could continue working while resting my
hand.



It wasn't all plain sailing though.  I
did find some difficulty in writing this way.  Firstly, the words don't seem to come as
easily when I have to speak them aloud. 
They feel different to when I just type them.  Second, it isn't as easy to immerse myself in the
world I'm creating because the act of speaking is a distraction.  I also discovered
that it is quite difficult to write any graphic description, such as a violent
scenes or sexual ones.  I've been trying
to analyse why this is and I think it is because of our natural inhibitors that
make saying sexual or violent or even gruesome things far more
difficult than writing or reading them privately. Also the sex scenes sounded hopelessly corny when spoken aloud! Something that I'm sure I will have to address when it comes to editing the book.



There are still many things I need to get used to about the software.  I haven't quite figured out all of its
prompts. For example, sometimes I accidentally delete things when I don't want
to.  But thank God for the undo control
on Word!



Yesterday I managed to write more than 5000 words by 'speaking' to my computer.  I have occasionally had to resort to typing because
my meaning just wasn't clear enough for the app. Or it became confused because I had
inadvertently given it a command in a certain word order that made it do
something else. So in some ways this was harder work. By the end of the day, though, I didn't feel as mentally tired as usual, so that was a plus side.



I wanted to write this blog to explore how I feel about the change that has
been forced on me though.  And I'm still not
sure exactly what I feel.  Do I like
using the voice app?  Potentially I
think it could be a really good thing.  I
mean, this could free me up considerably, couldn't it?  



I have friends who use dictation machines to write all the time.  I have always thought that this would create twice
as much work because I didn't realise that there was software that could
translate the spoken word into a written document for you. You would still have to edit it, that stands to reason, because there are always errors in that translation, but also because nothing comes out right on the first draft. This is no different to your first draft typed version though. Errors and typos always find a home somewhere in the text, that's why we edit and proof read. 



It is really difficult to change something that is so vital to the way I
work, though.  In an ideal world my hand will
recover and I will go back to writing in my usual way.  However, I may find in the interim that this is
a far better method.  I would just have
to overcome any natural shyness about writing my usual gory sexual content!! And maybe they will be better for having vocalised them.



I suppose what I'm trying to say is that we should not be afraid of change.  Change is often a good thing.  Even though sometimes it is forced upon
us.  



And so, I will conclude by saying that I believe this cloud has a silver
lining.  It has made me think outside of
the box and experiment with different ways of working despite my natural
dislike of change.  Maybe one day this
will even improve my productivity. One can only hope!

HATEFUL HEART AND ZOMBIES IN NEW YORK BARGAIN

Last chance to get a kindle download of Hateful Heart and Zombies In New York and Other Bloody Jottings for the bargain price of £0.77(UK) or $1.20 (USA).



See the direct links below to Amazon UK and Amazon USA.















 Hateful Heart  



 Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hateful-Heart...



Amazon USA http://www.amazon.com/Hateful-Heart-V...





Zombies In New York



Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/Zombies-Other...



Amazon USA http://www.amazon.com/Zombies-Other-B...





THIS OFFER ENDS AT MIDNIGHT ON MONDAY 13th May 2013.

THE DARKNESS WITHIN - AUDIOGO

Sam Stone’s Darkness Comes to Audio



Alexandra Arlango, Commissioning Editor - Original Content at AudioGO Ltd in London, has acquired world rights to an original SciFi/Horror novella from award-winning author Sam Stone.


The novella, entitled The Darkness Within, is an exciting and pervasive story set on a spaceship in the far-distant future, and what happens when an alien infection takes hold …

Arlango says about the project: ‘How exciting! I am very pleased to be working with Sam Stone again. Last year AudioGO published her collection of short stories, Zombies In New York And Other Bloody Jottings, and since I came across her work I've been a great fan. Not only does she come up with deliciously sinister tales, but the worlds she creates are atmospheric and her characters memorable. They are perfect for audio.

‘I was thrilled to meet Sam earlier this year, and we started talking about other ideas and things that we could work on together. The result? The Darkness Within, an exclusive new novella commissioned by AudioGO. It might well be set in space. And it might well feature new, malevolent life-forms … You'll have to find out more for yourself. What I can tell you is that I had to stop reading, and look away from the page several times because it was so creepy. This Halloween, things will definitely go bump in the dark!’



AudioGO is the home of BBC Audiobooks and manages all the Doctor Who audio releases among their 10,000 catalogue items. Their clients include books by P D James, J K Rowling, Ruth Rendell and Bernard Cornwall. Their horror catalogue includes work by Bram Stoker, Rachel Caine, M R James, Stephanie Meyer, James Herbert and Fangoria's Dreadtime Stories. For more information, visit www.audiogo.com/uk/.



Sam Stone’s first novel, Killing Kiss, won the silver award for Best Horror Novel in ForeWord Magazine’s Book of the Year competition, and her subsequent novels and short stories have gained her much acclaim, including winning the British Fantasy Award. Recent works include the novella Zombies at Tiffany’s and the vampire novel Silent Sand, and Killing Kiss was recently sold to Germany. She holds an MA in Creative Writing and is a noted public speaker and lecturer. Sam’s website is at www.sam-stone.com.



About AudioGO Limited



AudioGO (the home of BBC Audiobooks) publish an extensive range of drama, comedy and factual programmes, in addition to abridged and unabridged books, stories, plays and factual pieces. A significant proportion of the collection comes from BBC radio. AudioGO is proud to commission the finest narrators and most accomplished performers. Most titles are available in both CD and download format. Browse through the complete collection at www.audiogo.com/uk

AudioGO was formed in July 2010 after a buy-out from the BBC. Its new owners, led by Michael Kuhn, have ambitious plans for growth. The company is the UK market leader. It also has a successful business in the US and has recently completed the acquisition of Blackstone Publishing, including the downpour brand. AudioGO has a catalogue of over 12,000 audiobooks and downloads.

White Witch of Devil's End

A couple of years ago, David and I were approached by Keith Barnfather, head honcho of Reeltime Pictures, to discuss a project that he wanted to develop. This was related to a character called Olive Hawthorne, who featured in the '70s Doctor Who story 'The Daemons' - which starred Jon Pertwee as the Doctor. The story is one of the most popular of the era, and many fans considered that Olive Hawthorne was a great character, with so much more potential to her than was seen on screen. Keith wanted to tap into this, and to expand on her life and experiences as 'defender' of the little village of Devil's End.



We were asked to produce an overall story arc and to commission writers to create a series of 'Talking Heads' style monologues which would feature the original actress, Damaris Hayman, as Olive Hawthorn, now grown old and wise. I was privileged to be the person who devised the proposal, and then jointly edited the scripts with David, making sure they joined up, were consistent, and told interesting and hopefully entertaining stories of Olive's life.



We contacted several writers who we felt would handle the subject matter with sensitivity and accuracy. Jan Edwards, Raven Dane, Suzanne Barbieri and Debbie Bennett stepped up and delivered some superb ideas and narratives. David and I also wrote one of the stories each. Later, Big Finish writer, Matt Fitton, was brought on board by Keith to act as a consultant script editor and to give the finished script a final 'polish'.



Some time last year Keith and his team shot the main footage with Damaris and he has just revealed the stunning DVD cover online. In his reveal Keith said: '"White
Witch of Devil's End" will be a talking head drama featuring Damaris
Hayman reprising her role as Miss Hawthorne from "The Daemons". In it,
she tells the story of her life in Devil's End as a white witch ... and
her fears for the imminent future.'



White Witch of Devil's End is planned
to be released by Reeltime Pictures later this year, in time for the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who in November, and we are hoping to have copies for sale in
October at the Dimensions Convention in Newcastle.



This is my first Doctor Who related project and I am absolutely thrilled to have worked with such a great team to develop and create this script and production.