David A. Riley's Blog, page 22

Another new story completed: The Moneylender of Oriaska

I finally finished my first new story since publishing Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 6. The tale was originally titled Ossani's Enemy, but is now The Moneylender of Oriaska.

Savage Realms Monthly issue 19 with my story The Dark Priestdom reviewed

I was really pleased to read this review on a site I'm not familiar with, Harbinger of D.O.O.M. 

Of my story, the reviewer had this to say: 

"Next up is David A. Riley’s “The Dark Priestdom” and this one alone is worththe price of admission! It’s the longest of the three tales, running over anhour, but it’s captivating from beginning to end. It tells the tale of a storytellerwho gets caught up in a con and winds up being accused of kidnapping aprincess. He’ll have help from a Northman to rescue the princess, but the pathwill be fraught with peril."

To read the full review follow this LINK

 

Savage Realms Monthly with my story The Dark Priestdom now available on audio

You can now listen to Savage Realms Monthly No 19, which includes my novelette The Dark Priestdom on audio, narrated by the marvellous Robert Lovely, who genuinely adds an extra dimension to the tales he tells. 

Here is a link to it on amazon prime.

Ossani the Healer and the Beautiful Homunculus

I am pleased to reveal that my 11,600 word sword and sorcery novelette Ossani the Healer and the Beautiful Homunculus has been acepted for publication - and by one of the most prestigious markets I have ever appeared in. More details later. To say that I am excited about this would be an understatement!

Strangely, the sequel to Ossani the Healer and the Beautiful Homunculus, at least for its character Welgar the Northerner, has already been published in Savage Realms Monthly edited by William Miller (The Dark Priestdom), with a sequel to this - Welgar the Cursed - in Swords & Heroes, edited by Lyndon Perry. Believe it or not there is another that is still out there awaiting acceptance for publication: Mask of a Mad God.

As for Ossani the Healer, there is a follow up story concerning this benign sorcerer. Ossani's Slaves is still out there awaiting a decision. As with Mask of a Mad God hopefully I'll be able to give an update on this in the not too distant future. Meanwhile I am working on another Welgar tale - Cyramon - and about Ossani too: Ossani's Enemy. Both titles are still subject to change.

Lucilla - a novella

Sometime in the near future Parallel Universe Publications will be publishing my novella Lucilla, which was serialised last year in Bewildering Stories. 

It was just another standard day at the Women’s Refuge until the arrival of Lucilla. 

Then Miranda’s world was never the same again. 

Unaccountably influenced by what the girl needed, her job, her friendships, even freedom itself were of no importance. It was not until her niece’s life was at risk that Miranda knew she had to act. 

But what could she do against someone who had such a tight, insidious grip on her?

The cover artwork is by Jim Pitts. 

Pdfs of the book are available prior to publication for reviews.  

Please email paralleluniversepublications@gmx.co.uk for copies. 

 

An Oddity to be published in the January 2024 issue of Schlock Webzine

I just heard back from Gavin Chappell that he'll be including my horror story An Oddity in the January 2024 issue of Schlock Webzine. 

An Oddity includes a horror icon, the Gorgon's head - or at least a gorgon's head. I've wanted to write a story that incorporated this ever since I saw this marvellous book cover back in the 1960s. 

Audio versions of Savage Realms Monthly

Issue 19
Ever innovative, Savage Realms Monthly has begun to turn their earlier issues into audiobooks. Yesterday I was given the opportunity by the highly talented Robert Lovely to listen to his version of my story The Dark Priestdom, which appeared in issue 19. Not yet available to the general public as an audiobook, I was massively impressed by how he brought my story to life - so well, in fact, it was as if I was listening to something written by someone else! I definitely look forward to when issue 19 is available to buy. In the meantime these are what are available so far: amazon audiobooks

Savage Realms Monthly for April 2023 reviewed in Schlock Webzine, including my story The Dark Priestdom

Schlock Webzine has just reviewed the April issue of Savage Realms Monthly, which included my story The Dark Priestdom. 

Follow this link to read the review online. 

Back to writing

Now that I have finished editing, proofreading and publishing the 6th Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy I have time again to get stuck into some writing of my own. The project I am working on now is another Ossani the Healer yarn. Ossani is a peculiar swords and sorcery "hero", tall, birdlike, with a shaven skull on which he wears an occular of his own design with multiple lenses for seeing either near or far or even in the dark. Though he calls himself a healer he is in fact a minor sorcerer. He made his first appearance as a secondary character in a story published in Summer of Sci-Fi & Fantasy edited by Dustin Bilyk (The Storyteller of Koss). Two other tales are still out there awaiting a decision from two different markets: Ossani the Healer and the Beautiful Homunculus, and Ossani's Slaves. The tale I am working on at the moment is tentatively titled Ossani's Enemy. One thing is for sure: he is no Clonan.

 

Received copies of Swords & Heroes and proof copy of Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 6

 

Received a great double delivery today: My contributor's copies of Swords & Heroes edited by Lyndon Perry, containing my story Welgar the Cursed, plus the proof copy of Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 6.

Swords & Heroes is a beautifully published book and one I am immensely proud to be in, alongside such outstanding authors as Charles Gramlich, Gustavo Bondoni, Michael T. Burke, Teel James Glenn, Tom Doolan, Nancy Hansen, Tim Hanlon, Frank Sawielijew, Cliff Hamrick, J. Thomas Howard, and Adrian Cole.  I am pleased the proof copy for Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 6 is exactly right. All I have to do now is format it for a kindle version and it will be ready to publish, hopefully before the end of next week.