David A. Riley's Blog, page 146

Hellfire and Damnation by Connie Corcoran Wilson

A very nice, slim collection of short stories (114 pages) published by Sam's Dot Publishing in the States. I received a signed copy in the post from the author as a member of the HWA. It has a very complimentary introduction by William F. Nolan - which is quite something - and some good and lengthy comments on the back cover from the likes of Gary A. Braunbeck and Lisa Mannetti. And I must admit I'm not surprised. This is a very good book, excellently well written, which moves at a brisk pace...

Bloody Barbarity - Couple Stoned to Death

The Taliban showed its true face in Afghanistan when it arranged the stoning to death of a young couple in an area they controlled. Barbarities like this are an utter disgrace. If this is Sharia Law, it has no place anywhere in the world - least of all in the West, as some would have it.

Self Publishing and E-Books

There is quite a lively debate on the BFS Forum over the small press, self publishing, etc.

One excellent idea put forward was the suggestion that an ideal array of formats for a book to be brought out in the small presses would be a limited hardback edition for collectors (or keen fans of the writer) of 100-150 numbered copies, and a paperback version published via POD, which will therefore be available constantly at a reasonable price, topped off with a e-book version. Using the same cover ...

Prism - September 2010

The next issue of Prism is now ready to go off to the printers in time to be posted out to BFS members early September, before FantasyCon.

This is its cover: (by Bryan Talbot)

Self Publishing and E-Books - Further

There's been a recent debate on the Horror Writers Association boards about self publishing and POD - something that was anathema there until recently. How times are changing!

Anyway, this was my contribution to the debate:

"I have begun to believe that certainly with collections of short stories POD may be the only answer for most writers, since mainstream publishers have little interest in short story collections for anyone outside a small circle of big name writers. The only alternative till...

Under the Dome

Just finished reading Stephen King's recent epic, Under the Dome. It's the first novel of his I've been able to finish for several years. I gave up on Cell after two tries, getting as far as 100 pages into it. Under the Dome, though, was a rollicking ride from beginning to end, with characters that really engaged me, the good, the bad and the changeable. It's a long book, but unlike Dream-Catcher, never for one page seemed to have been padded out. There's a lot of detail in it, and character ...

Self Publishing

There's an interesting discussion on Shocklines, with writers like Brian Keene participating, on the issue of self-publishing. Leisure Books, which have published most of Brian's books so far, is likely to turn to ebooks only in the near future. As a result Brian is looking towards self publishing. How many other writers of his ilk will do the same?

My own experience with the collection of my short stories that have been due for publication for several years is leading me to wonder whether I s...

The Last Coach Trip

Spent a little time last night doing a final rewrite (more tweaking than writing) on this story, which is another set in Edgebottom and concerns a cast of Northern workingclass characters - some based on people I used to rub shoulders with back in the days before I got married and I used to spend many a night in Bold Street Workingmens Club in Accrington. I have based the club in this story very much on that place and their annual coach trips to Ripon races. I never did go on their last one, ...

My Kindle Books Now On Amazon UK

I have just found out that my Kindle books are now available on Amazon UK.

Sendings and The Worst of All Possible Places are priced at 75p each.

Goblin Mire is £3.01, but I have no control over the pricing for this.

I'm to be a Granddad

My daughter Cassandra and her husband Alan called round last night to give us the good news that they are to have a baby in February next year. They waited till they got their latest scan, verifying that everything was going fine, before telling anyone, just in case. Linden already suspected this several weeks ago, though. There's no fooling her!

This is going to be a busy time for Cassie, as she opens her new drama school, ReAct, at Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre in September. Alan, who is a sou...