Luke Walker's Blog: https://lukewalkerwriter.wordpress.com, page 19
October 24, 2015
The return of 'Set
Anyone remember my second book? 'Set was published early 2013 and sank without a trace due in part to problems with the publisher which then closed. In any case, it's been unavailable for closing in on two years, so I'm going it alone with this one. At some point next year (hopefully by early summer at the latest), it'll be available again - this time, as a paperback rather than only as an ebook which was the original case. And there's a change of title. Sunset.
So, I've got some work to do in terms of polishing the previously published version and taking my time with the edits rather than the rushed job I was stuck with in 2013, and sorting a cover and all that, but I'm happy to give this tale of angels, demons and lots and lots of dead people a second chance.
Sunset original cover blurb:
After the loss of her baby, Emma Cooper feels as if she’s just going through the motions of her life. That’s until an angel and demon knock at her door with news dwarfing life and death.
Emma’s daughter’s soul is trapped in a world of the dead, a world of permanent sunset. This is 'Set and it’s to this world that Emma must travel after she is chosen by the celestial and infernal management. By working with Above and Below, she has a chance of helping her daughter and countless other souls move on from 'Set.
In this world, recently deceased George Bryson has declared war on Heaven and Hell. But this fight with his maker has opened doors he cannot close. The forgotten remnants of Creation are coming to consume all worlds. If Emma can’t stop Bryson’s war, her daughter will be lost forever.
And so will everyone else.
So, I've got some work to do in terms of polishing the previously published version and taking my time with the edits rather than the rushed job I was stuck with in 2013, and sorting a cover and all that, but I'm happy to give this tale of angels, demons and lots and lots of dead people a second chance.
Sunset original cover blurb:
After the loss of her baby, Emma Cooper feels as if she’s just going through the motions of her life. That’s until an angel and demon knock at her door with news dwarfing life and death.
Emma’s daughter’s soul is trapped in a world of the dead, a world of permanent sunset. This is 'Set and it’s to this world that Emma must travel after she is chosen by the celestial and infernal management. By working with Above and Below, she has a chance of helping her daughter and countless other souls move on from 'Set.
In this world, recently deceased George Bryson has declared war on Heaven and Hell. But this fight with his maker has opened doors he cannot close. The forgotten remnants of Creation are coming to consume all worlds. If Emma can’t stop Bryson’s war, her daughter will be lost forever.
And so will everyone else.
October 18, 2015
Short story sale - The Sins Of The Fathers
Very chuffed to say I've sold a short story titled The Sins Of The Fathers. It'll be published by Devolution Z magazine as an ebook and print in November. Obviously more details to follow as and when; for now, I'll just tell you it's a bit Lovcraftian but not as purple as dear HP went. Mainly because I can't write like that with a straight face.
Anyway, consider me rather happy with this news.
Anyway, consider me rather happy with this news.
October 17, 2015
And another good review for Die Laughing
This whole blowing my own trumpet thing is very unEnglish, but seeing as I'm my own promo department when it comes to Die Laughing, I'd best just grin and bear it. In any case, another good review for my collection can be read over 'ere.
Review
Review
October 14, 2015
Interview with Fiona Dodwell
Please be upstanding for an interview with the very nice (honest) horror writer Fiona Dodwell who's here to talk writing and her new book Nails.
Can you tell us about yourself and how you got into writing?
I was always passionate about books. Some of my earliest memories are of me in the library as a child. I don't know where it came from, I'd almost describe it as something I was born with. An absolute love of words, books and writing. I began entering writing competitions and taking part in creative writing groups as a teenager. My first publication was a poem about suicide, after that I began penning short stories. My first published full-length novel was The Banishing, a novel about demonic possession, and then I also went on to release horror novels Obsessed, and The Shift.
Tell us about your latest release, Nails?
Nails is a paranormal novella. It follows the story of Carla Bracken, a young woman in her twenties, who begins a new chapter in her life by renting a property that has a less than a desirable history. It is essentially a ghost story, with a massive twist at the end. I think those that enjoy the traditional ghost story will enjoy this release. I wanted to create a ghost story with a difference, and I hope I have managed that. I will let my readers decide!
What was the challenge of this particular story?
I think it was a hard one to pace. I knew it was not going to be a full length novel (I believe in a story being strong and being what it is, I don't believe in stretching it to accommodate numbers and pages), but I also knew it was far too long to be a 'short' story. So it sits nicely in the bracket of the novella. This is the first time I've released a novella, and although it's not the most popular of book sizes (some publishers won't accept novellas) it fits this story perfectly, and I think it serves Nails in the best possibly way.
What are the central themes in Nails?
It is a ghost story, but very multi-layered. It traces the history of the house to the modern day world, and highlights how things will continue and continue until somebody breaks the pattern. I loved my character, Carla, because even though she underwent some immensely frightening things, she stood tall and fought to keep control of her life. She felt weak and helpless – but she eventually manages to find a way to fight back. I like that. I'm not going to say Nails has the happiest ending – but it does highlight the strength of human character.
What are you working on at the minute?
I am currently doing edits on my next novel, The Risen. My agent is currently looking around to find a home for this project. It is a paranormal thriller, and one of my most challenging works to date. When I have a release date and publication details, I will update my website and keep readers in the know.
Where can readers find out more about you and your work?
I run a website called Study Paranormal – this has information on my books, as well as articles, interviews and reviews. I am also on Twitter.
Fiona is represented by Media Bitch Literary Agency, and is the author of three full length horror novels. She writes freelance for several paranormal magazines, including Supernatural Magazine and Paranormal Underground. She is a big fan of all things horror, and has studied Exorcism and Demonology. In her spare time, she attends paranormal investigations and works for a care charity.
Website: www.studyparanormal.wordpress.comTwitter: @Angel_Devil982
Link to Nails: This way
Can you tell us about yourself and how you got into writing?
I was always passionate about books. Some of my earliest memories are of me in the library as a child. I don't know where it came from, I'd almost describe it as something I was born with. An absolute love of words, books and writing. I began entering writing competitions and taking part in creative writing groups as a teenager. My first publication was a poem about suicide, after that I began penning short stories. My first published full-length novel was The Banishing, a novel about demonic possession, and then I also went on to release horror novels Obsessed, and The Shift.
Tell us about your latest release, Nails?
Nails is a paranormal novella. It follows the story of Carla Bracken, a young woman in her twenties, who begins a new chapter in her life by renting a property that has a less than a desirable history. It is essentially a ghost story, with a massive twist at the end. I think those that enjoy the traditional ghost story will enjoy this release. I wanted to create a ghost story with a difference, and I hope I have managed that. I will let my readers decide!
What was the challenge of this particular story?
I think it was a hard one to pace. I knew it was not going to be a full length novel (I believe in a story being strong and being what it is, I don't believe in stretching it to accommodate numbers and pages), but I also knew it was far too long to be a 'short' story. So it sits nicely in the bracket of the novella. This is the first time I've released a novella, and although it's not the most popular of book sizes (some publishers won't accept novellas) it fits this story perfectly, and I think it serves Nails in the best possibly way.
What are the central themes in Nails?
It is a ghost story, but very multi-layered. It traces the history of the house to the modern day world, and highlights how things will continue and continue until somebody breaks the pattern. I loved my character, Carla, because even though she underwent some immensely frightening things, she stood tall and fought to keep control of her life. She felt weak and helpless – but she eventually manages to find a way to fight back. I like that. I'm not going to say Nails has the happiest ending – but it does highlight the strength of human character.
What are you working on at the minute?
I am currently doing edits on my next novel, The Risen. My agent is currently looking around to find a home for this project. It is a paranormal thriller, and one of my most challenging works to date. When I have a release date and publication details, I will update my website and keep readers in the know.
Where can readers find out more about you and your work?
I run a website called Study Paranormal – this has information on my books, as well as articles, interviews and reviews. I am also on Twitter.
Fiona is represented by Media Bitch Literary Agency, and is the author of three full length horror novels. She writes freelance for several paranormal magazines, including Supernatural Magazine and Paranormal Underground. She is a big fan of all things horror, and has studied Exorcism and Demonology. In her spare time, she attends paranormal investigations and works for a care charity.
Website: www.studyparanormal.wordpress.comTwitter: @Angel_Devil982
Link to Nails: This way
October 3, 2015
God, I hate writing cover blurbs
As the title suggests, I'm not a fan of writing cover blurbs. And as for the synopsis...gah. We hates them, precious. Horrible things. Yes, precious.
Anyway, rough copy of the cover blurb for Ascent prior to subbing it in the next couple of months.
When terrorists threaten to detonate a nuclear device outside RAF Lakenheath, Kelly Wells runs for a nearby office block, frantic to find her sister in their last moments. At the same time, a handful of others do the same—all desperate to make it to loved ones before the bomb goes off barely fifty miles away.
In the frozen second of the explosion, Kelly, her sister and three strangers are trapped in that instant and trapped in the building. But they are not alone. An evil from the empty spaces outside the world has found a way in and brought all of its power to torment them. Stalked by a creature wearing the faces of their worst nightmares and stuck in the nuclear blast, the group must fight their way from floor to floor towards what is either their only escape or a monster’s terrible joke. All the while, their most private secrets and guilt will be made flesh in the corridors and stairs of Greenham Place. Horror will take all the forms of their darkest dreams to draw sustenance from their fear. . .and the monster haunting them will dine well.
Because everybody is afraid of something.
Anyway, rough copy of the cover blurb for Ascent prior to subbing it in the next couple of months.
When terrorists threaten to detonate a nuclear device outside RAF Lakenheath, Kelly Wells runs for a nearby office block, frantic to find her sister in their last moments. At the same time, a handful of others do the same—all desperate to make it to loved ones before the bomb goes off barely fifty miles away.
In the frozen second of the explosion, Kelly, her sister and three strangers are trapped in that instant and trapped in the building. But they are not alone. An evil from the empty spaces outside the world has found a way in and brought all of its power to torment them. Stalked by a creature wearing the faces of their worst nightmares and stuck in the nuclear blast, the group must fight their way from floor to floor towards what is either their only escape or a monster’s terrible joke. All the while, their most private secrets and guilt will be made flesh in the corridors and stairs of Greenham Place. Horror will take all the forms of their darkest dreams to draw sustenance from their fear. . .and the monster haunting them will dine well.
Because everybody is afraid of something.
September 26, 2015
A general update
If I remember rightly, it's been a while I had a general catch up of what's going on so why not now?
As I said a couple of weeks ago, I wrote an 8.5k piece which is being read at the moment. It'll probably be a while before I hear anything, but that's okay. Other than actually writing, most of the writer's life is spent waiting. It's not a job for the impatient. To be honest, I have no idea whether or not to be confident of that piece finding a home - partly because I'm a shit judge of my own stuff and because it's a strange length so I don't know how it'll be received.
Ascent, the book I started as a novella well over a year ago, is nearing completion as a 86k novel. I've just finished the main bulk of edits and it's gone well. For a book that spent most of last year (and this one) kicking my arse, it's turned out quite nicely. Over the next week, I'll finish off a few niggly bits and then give it to my wife for her critique. Ditto a writer friend or two. Once any cock ups and suggestions for improvements are sorted, it's time to try and find this one a home. Again, that'll take a while if it does happen. Of course, it could surprise me and be taken on first time out, but I doubt it. Life isn't that easy.
I've got a couple of things going on that I'm keeping under wraps for now. Depending on what happens over the rest of the year, they're staying under my hat. All I'll say is one involves the second book I had published all the way back in 2013 by a company who no longer exist. And of course, there's the republished Red Girl next year from Caffeine Nights. There's a chance the title will change - I have at least one new title I'm keen on, but we'll see what happens.
Working my way through Stephen King's Dark Tower books again. I'm about to start The Wind Through The Keyhole after finishing Wizard And Glass last night. And while I obviously know it doesn't work out for all the characters, I can't help but hope that, this time, it will. That's the sign of the best writing and the best books.
Long days and pleasant nights.
As I said a couple of weeks ago, I wrote an 8.5k piece which is being read at the moment. It'll probably be a while before I hear anything, but that's okay. Other than actually writing, most of the writer's life is spent waiting. It's not a job for the impatient. To be honest, I have no idea whether or not to be confident of that piece finding a home - partly because I'm a shit judge of my own stuff and because it's a strange length so I don't know how it'll be received.
Ascent, the book I started as a novella well over a year ago, is nearing completion as a 86k novel. I've just finished the main bulk of edits and it's gone well. For a book that spent most of last year (and this one) kicking my arse, it's turned out quite nicely. Over the next week, I'll finish off a few niggly bits and then give it to my wife for her critique. Ditto a writer friend or two. Once any cock ups and suggestions for improvements are sorted, it's time to try and find this one a home. Again, that'll take a while if it does happen. Of course, it could surprise me and be taken on first time out, but I doubt it. Life isn't that easy.
I've got a couple of things going on that I'm keeping under wraps for now. Depending on what happens over the rest of the year, they're staying under my hat. All I'll say is one involves the second book I had published all the way back in 2013 by a company who no longer exist. And of course, there's the republished Red Girl next year from Caffeine Nights. There's a chance the title will change - I have at least one new title I'm keen on, but we'll see what happens.
Working my way through Stephen King's Dark Tower books again. I'm about to start The Wind Through The Keyhole after finishing Wizard And Glass last night. And while I obviously know it doesn't work out for all the characters, I can't help but hope that, this time, it will. That's the sign of the best writing and the best books.
Long days and pleasant nights.
September 12, 2015
And now for something a little different
I've been kicking about the idea for a new piece for the last few weeks - inspired by a bit of a land not too far from where I live. It's a wasteground in as much that it's disused and forgotten although wasteland suggests an old building site that's been left exposed to the weather for months. This place is overgrown with bushes and trees and I think about it everytime I pass it because it feels like a leftover from when I was a kid. It's something out of the early 80s, not 2015.
I had an idea for a story that would feature this wasteland, but as soon as I began outlining, length became a problem. Too slight an idea for anything longer than a short story; too detailed for a short story. So, to be a little different to anything I've written before, I've gone for an 8,500k chapbook. The funny thing is I don't see it as a longer than usual short story (although in terms of length, that's what it is), because shorts for me are more focused on one idea with a very limited scope of characters. This piece, while obviously not as detailed as a novel, is still more involved than one of my average short stories. In any case, I've worked on it for the last couple of weeks and it's done bar last minute edits and fixes. It's called The Sisters In The Green and even if it goes nowhere, I'm happy to have written something a little different.
I had an idea for a story that would feature this wasteland, but as soon as I began outlining, length became a problem. Too slight an idea for anything longer than a short story; too detailed for a short story. So, to be a little different to anything I've written before, I've gone for an 8,500k chapbook. The funny thing is I don't see it as a longer than usual short story (although in terms of length, that's what it is), because shorts for me are more focused on one idea with a very limited scope of characters. This piece, while obviously not as detailed as a novel, is still more involved than one of my average short stories. In any case, I've worked on it for the last couple of weeks and it's done bar last minute edits and fixes. It's called The Sisters In The Green and even if it goes nowhere, I'm happy to have written something a little different.
September 2, 2015
An interview and a review
Well, you lucky people. Two links for you today. One's a review of Die Laughing, and the other's an interview with my giant bald head.
Have a read and feel free to let me know what you thought.
Interview.
Review.
Have a read and feel free to let me know what you thought.
Interview.
Review.
August 19, 2015
"Rimmer, you couldn't pull a rotten tooth out of a dead horse's head with that one."
It's done. I finished the final draft of Ascent last night - third time lucky, hopefully. And if you've been paying attention, you'll know it's been a hard slog to get to the end. The phrase 'pulling teeth' comes to mind. Well over a year which is a lot longer than usual even with the break between the first two drafts to take care of Die Laughing and the break involved with moving house. Usually, I've got a draft I'm happy with within less than a year. As Ascent began life as a novella that ended up pretty crap before morphing into an equally crap novel, getting to the point of having a finished version that needs a bit of fixing and editing rather an entirely fresh approach feels like quite an achievement.
In any case, it's done. Time to leave it alone for a couple of weeks before I read through and come up with a list of areas to improve/cut/mend. After that, it'll be out in the world by autumn which I'm not looking forward to even though I think I've come up with something decent. After that...who knows? Publication or a quiet death on my hard drive. We'll just have to see. In the meantime, my tale of strangers trapped in an office block with their most private secrets come to life is finished.
Ascent:
Kelly Wells crashed to the polished marble of the floor, the impact shoving all the air from her lungs and turning her body into a ball of pain. Crying out, she slid to a stop against one of the pillars stretching from the ground floor to the high ceiling. Directly above, the open space of the stairwell glared down at her, and a great stream of sunlight shining through the wall of windows at the building’s front turned the reception of Greenham Place into a greenhouse. Kelly lay utterly still, staring at the dull grey of the front of the lift, not daring to breathe in more than tiny puffs of air, praying she hadn’t broken any bones.
A voice inside that could have spoken from an old memory muttered: the bomb went off.
At once, denial gave a furious argument back. If the bomb had detonated, she wouldn’t be here. The building wouldn’t be here. The whole city of Willington would be nothing but a burned hole in the earth. She was on the ground; she could see the lift doors and she was all too aware of the pain from the impact on the rock hard floor. Therefore, the bomb hadn’t exploded and she wasn’t dead.
In any case, it's done. Time to leave it alone for a couple of weeks before I read through and come up with a list of areas to improve/cut/mend. After that, it'll be out in the world by autumn which I'm not looking forward to even though I think I've come up with something decent. After that...who knows? Publication or a quiet death on my hard drive. We'll just have to see. In the meantime, my tale of strangers trapped in an office block with their most private secrets come to life is finished.
Ascent:
Kelly Wells crashed to the polished marble of the floor, the impact shoving all the air from her lungs and turning her body into a ball of pain. Crying out, she slid to a stop against one of the pillars stretching from the ground floor to the high ceiling. Directly above, the open space of the stairwell glared down at her, and a great stream of sunlight shining through the wall of windows at the building’s front turned the reception of Greenham Place into a greenhouse. Kelly lay utterly still, staring at the dull grey of the front of the lift, not daring to breathe in more than tiny puffs of air, praying she hadn’t broken any bones.
A voice inside that could have spoken from an old memory muttered: the bomb went off.
At once, denial gave a furious argument back. If the bomb had detonated, she wouldn’t be here. The building wouldn’t be here. The whole city of Willington would be nothing but a burned hole in the earth. She was on the ground; she could see the lift doors and she was all too aware of the pain from the impact on the rock hard floor. Therefore, the bomb hadn’t exploded and she wasn’t dead.
August 17, 2015
Review - Gator Bait by Adam Howe
Gator Bait is my first experience of Adam Howe's work, and as the cliche goes, it won't be the last.
Down in the 1930s Deep South, Smitty is on the run after again getting involved with a married woman. He ends up in the roughest of rough bars owned by a particularly foul man named Croker...who has a beautiful wife named Grace. You can see where this is going, can't you? Well, you'd be right, but the inevitability of events isn't the main issue in the story. Its focus is on how sometimes our greatest enemies are ourselves and how some people (no spoilers) are just so broken or evil that they're beyond redemption.
There's a great atmosphere throughout this short tale (not sure if it qualifies as a novella in terms of wordcount; maybe a novellete)- one so strong, you can smell the sweat, the humidity and the beer. Not to forget a certain 'pet' of Croker who lives under the bar. One who likes to bite as you might have guessed given the title.
Gator Bait is definitely on my recommended list. Nicely done atmosphere and characters real enough to make the reader not want to spend any time with them. Highly enjoyable.
You can buy Gator Bait on Amazon US here and Amazon UK here.
Down in the 1930s Deep South, Smitty is on the run after again getting involved with a married woman. He ends up in the roughest of rough bars owned by a particularly foul man named Croker...who has a beautiful wife named Grace. You can see where this is going, can't you? Well, you'd be right, but the inevitability of events isn't the main issue in the story. Its focus is on how sometimes our greatest enemies are ourselves and how some people (no spoilers) are just so broken or evil that they're beyond redemption.
There's a great atmosphere throughout this short tale (not sure if it qualifies as a novella in terms of wordcount; maybe a novellete)- one so strong, you can smell the sweat, the humidity and the beer. Not to forget a certain 'pet' of Croker who lives under the bar. One who likes to bite as you might have guessed given the title.
Gator Bait is definitely on my recommended list. Nicely done atmosphere and characters real enough to make the reader not want to spend any time with them. Highly enjoyable.
You can buy Gator Bait on Amazon US here and Amazon UK here.
