Stuart Aken's Blog, page 228

The Burning Circus, Edited by Johnny Mains, Reviewed.

Horror is a very special genre, and not to everyone’s taste, of course. But it’s not all blood and gore, as this anthology demonstrates. Here we have a collection of stories to engender dread, unease, shock and downright horror in the reader. Most leave you with the impression that the world isn’t quite as you thought it was.
There’s a subtlety to many of the tales, a subversive undercurrent that makes the reader question certain well-loved attitudes about people in general. There is much psychological tension here, stories to make the reader pause and to think. Amongst the stories, there are images fairly recognisable to readers of the genre, but these are then twisted and distorted so that unease replaces familiarity.
Eight tales written by masters of the craft inhabit the pages of this hardback publication. It is, by the way, only available to members of the British Fantasy Society. If you’re a fan of fantasy, horror or science fiction, you’d do well to become a member. The book, along with its partner publication, Unexpected Journeys, comes as part of the benefits of membership.

I enjoyed these tales. They’re all different, showing the diversity of the genre and demonstrating its ability to sow seeds of doubt, fear and terror. Well-written and entertaining, the anthology is definitely worth a read. Get hold of it if you can. How refreshing to handle a book that resides between hard covers for a change! Recommended.Related articles Aren't you afraid of going to Hell?

A Scary New Experience?

[image error] Dalek (Photo credit: Wikipedia)How do you feel about new experiences? Scared? Excited? Curious? Eager? All or none of these?On Saturday, less than a week away, I’ll be attending a convention for the first time. And not simply attending, but participating; signing books, answering questions and taking part in a live forum with other authors, LindaAcaster and J S Collyer. All new stuff for me.
Fantasticon, organised and run by my publisher, Fantastic Books Publishing, is a great event that takes place in Hull on 16th August. A country boy at heart, I rarely visit the city of my birth, but this Saturday I’ll drive the 25 miles with eager anticipation. There is much going on:
Gamer? Elite Encounters’ Dave Hughes will be on hand. And there’ll be RPG and retro gaming. Oculus Rift mean anything to you? I’m in ignorance, at the moment, but I’m sure I’ll discover all about this on the day.
Dr Who fan? – John Leven and Simon Fisher-Becker will be giving a chat and answering questions. And there’ll be a Dalek (make sure you bring your sofa to hide behind!)
SciFi your thing? - New novels associated with the Elite game will be available, with writers there to sign them, and an audiobook exclusive with Christopher Jarvis.
Fantasy fan? Chat with alternative history/paranormal author Linda Acaster, who’ll be there with her books. J S Collyer will join the fantasy discussion and I’ll be there to chat and sign my own books in the A Seared Sky series – we’re launching book 2, Partings , at the convention, too.
There’ll be Cosplay, so plenty of fun outfits on display. Independent films, author and actor signings, music, R2D2 from Star Wars along with a speeder bike, a green screen for some super photo effects, comic books, and free soft drinks and biscuits and a raffle with some very unusual prizes.What more could you want?
Now, of course, lots of you won’t make it to Hull. But there’ll be a Twitter #tag session during the evening, just search for #SciFiHour from 21:00 BST and you can join in. Also, there’ll be information and opportunities to interact on the Facebook site and various blogs after the event. I’ll try to keep you all up to date with happenings before and after the day so you can enjoy some of the benefits of this fantastic day.
For those who can make it; see you there!Related articles A Fantastic Convention: FantastiCon. FantastiCon in #Hull - 14 Days and Counting Doctor Who: 5 Reasons Why Daleks Still Matter

Here it is: the Second Book of the Trilogy!

Epic Fantasy is a genre noted for its love of long works. A Seared Sky is no exception to this rule, though it may deal with themes and ideas not generally encountered in the field. Joinings , book 1, was launched by my publisher, Fantastic Books Publishing, with a Facebook Party on 30 March 2014. Partings , book 2, will be launched at the fabulous convention, FantastiCon, in Hull on 16 August. I’ll be in attendance, with many other writers of fantasy and science fiction, to sign books, talk about my work, and answer questions. To be honest, I hope to enjoy the rest of the many delights available on the day as well! If you follow down to the previous posts, you’ll find full details of what's going on.
In the meantime, I’d better let you have some idea of what Partings is about:
A Seared Sky is a trilogy, and none of its parts is intended to be read in isolation, or out of order. Book 2, Partings, assumes readers have read book 1, Joinings . The question remains, however, how to explain events in book 2 without introducing spoilers for those who haven’t yet read book 1?I’ll do my best:
Aklon-Dji, convinced the time is ripe for his planned uprising on the island, sets in motion a series of events leading to civil strife and a dangerous confrontation with an army that vastly outnumbers his own forces. Will his concern for justice and his apparent willingness to trust people cause his capture?
Dagla Kaz renews the pilgrimage, in spite of indications he may be mistaken. Unexpected events expose the fate of his daughter, Jodisa-Li, and a violent meeting threatens his life. Encountering different interpretations of history, which raise serious doubts, he nevertheless pursues the Skyfire toward the homeland, only to see his Virgin Gifts captured by a tribe of wild men in the wilderness. Will he recover them intact so that his mission can continue?
Tumalind’s fortunes suffer as she attempts to escape unwanted attention. Treachery follows her, placing her in serious danger from external forces over which she has no control. Will her courage and resourcefulness guide her and allow her to remain steadfast in her loyalty to Okkyntalah?
Okkyntalah, beset by assassins, is forced into a foreign war. Wounded, he seeks the help of brave and talented women to counter fatal threats. In pursuit of his dreams, he faces great danger, hardship, imprisonment and forced separation from his love. Will his courage and tenacity rescue Tumalind from the dangers she faces?

New characters join the cast as the pilgrims continue their quest over foreign lands and the journeys of the various groups travel to unexpected destinations. And, throughout all, the wise woman employs her extraordinary powers to keep track, observe, and influence wherever she is able. But will her gifts be enough to stem the rising tide of evil?
So, if you can, come along to the event. If you can't make it, there'll be links here on the blog so you can get hold of a copy the day after the launch. Enjoy the read: I certainly enjoyed the writing!Related articles Joinings: A Seared Sky. Couldn't put it down Joinings: A Seared Sky; All You Need Know. The Full Reveal and 5 Stars Romancing the Fantasy - Stuart Aken FantastiCon in #Hull - 14 Days and Counting

A Fantastic Convention: FantastiCon.

As many of you know, I'm involved with the fantastic convention, FantastiCon, to be held in Hull, England, on 16th August. I'll be there, signing books. But, rather than repeat information, I thought I'd just copy the newsletter sent out by the organiser, my publisher, Fantastic Books Publishing. Even if you can't attend (and it's definitely worth the effort for those who can make it) there are aspects of the day that will interest you.


Excellent news this week as the inaugural FantastiCon spools up for launch and all 5 books are at the printers. The spine art lines up to create an image of the iconic Cobra Mk3 spacecraft heading for a space station. The header to this newsletter shows how. If you would like to see the full covers, please head over to Orion Arm News, for all your Fantastic Elite Fiction news!

In only 10 days we will be welcoming delegates from all over the world to the very first FantastiCon and we are all really excited at the prospect. So many people have come together to help and the current programme is looking rammed full of exciting and Fantastic things to do on the day.
 Below is the current programme for FantastiCon;

10am - Doors open to Golden Ticket holders
11am - Welcome to FantastiCon 'We made it and you guys are the reason why'
12pm - Elite Encounters with Dave Hughes
1pm - Welcome by Commander Dan to standard ticket holders
2pm - Elite author chat, Q&A and book readings.
4pm - Dr Who chat with Simon Fisher-Becker and 5pm - John Levene Sergeant Benton memorabilia auction
6pm - Elite audiobook exclusive play with Christopher Jarvis
8pm - Stuart Aken, J.S.Collyer and Linda Acaster author chat and readings.
9pm - Take part in the very first #SciFiHour live on Twitter from the event and meet the Vampire Wars cast - performance, chat, Q&A
10pm - Fantastic Awards Ceremony followed by charity raffle prize draw
MIDNIGHT - And now, the end is near...

As well as everything above, there will be some amazing things going on throughout the day including cosplay fun (those guys always have fun), RPG Gaming, Retro gaming, Music, Oculus Rift action, Independent films, author and actor signings, loads of sellers of shiny comicbook/cosplay/Elite merchandise, green screen photography, a Star Wars speeder bike, R2D2, free soft drinks and biscuits and even a Dalek too!

Lots and lots of projects are incoming but for the next two weeks our focus will be on this awesome event so I hope you'll all join in online (we plan to have live camera feeds to the event), on Twitter (with the very first #SciFiHour) and on our other social media channels and help us make this a Fantastic day for everyone.

Here's the floor plan of FantastiCon, created by our very own Darren Grey. Thanks Darren, we especially love the 'Hyperspace Entry Point'! 

Books, audiobooks, trailers and now international events. You guys have no idea how Fantastically fun this has become! Thank you for your continuing encouragement as we continue to change the world of publishing, one Fantastic book at a time!

Just imagine,

Daniel and Gabi Grubb
Amongst other things, I'll be launching book 2 of my epic fantasy series 'A Seared Sky'. Book 1, 'Joinings' was released on 30th March. 'Partings' will appear from this date. More on that later, however.
Once more, my apologies for my recent absence from these pages: we're selling our house and this has involved a good deal of work, time and effort.
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A Seared Sky: Partings. Launch of Book 2 of the Trilogy

Exciting news! Book 2 of A Seared Sky, Partings, to be launched! But before I get carried away....
In my last post I almost explained my temporary absence from the scene for the past few days and promised to let you know why, today. Nothing too exciting for readers, but we’ve been preparing our house to sell up and move on. It’s now on the market (or will be at the end of today). So, that’s why I’ve been away.However, in the meantime, something far more exciting for readers and, especially for me, has happened. My publisher has announced the launch of book 2 of A Seared Sky. Partings will be available from 16 August and will be launched at FantastiCon in Hull, initially as an ebook. But, hey, why should I keep all the good news to myself. Here’s a copy of the Fantastic Books Publishing newsletter making the announcement in full. The very first #SciFiHour at FantastiCon, another upcoming release more short SF competition news!This week we have been collecting delegate bags to be used at FantastiCon and given to all our visitors! Now starts the interesting job of filling them for you all…
So far Waterstones, Hull University and the Copyright Licencing Agency have all come forward and offered bags for FantastiCon. All Golden Tickets holders will receive one and standard ticket holders will get one on a first come, first served basis until they are all gone.
Inside the bags we’ll be putting lots of fun stuff from local companies to check out while you’re in Hull and also a few extra bits too. Because all our supporters are so Fantastic, one of those extras will be… a random collector’s card from our recently released FEF Collector card series! The rest of the series will be for sale at the event but to get your collections going we thought we’d give you all a card at the door to get you started. You’ll also all receive a new pen that you’ll be able to use to navigate the fantastical world of Dave Hughes’ RPG ‘Elite Encounters‘ too.
And now news of another first for the event. The very first #SciFiHour will be happening live at FantastiCon! All you need to do to get involved is follow @SciFiHouron twitter and if you have any questions about science fiction in general or would like to ask our Fantastic Elite Fiction authors anything about their work, just add the hashtag #SciFiHour to your tweet and they’ll be there to answer your questions live from the event at 9pm GMT from the bar of the Hull Royal Mercure Hotel.
How can you help? Go follow @SciFiHour now and help us spread the word people! #SciFiHour
And what of you poor folks who who for reasons of geography or otherwise won’t be able to join us at FantastiCon? Don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten about you!
We currently plan to have a live feed from the event but if this turns out to be technically impossible we have 4 roaming cameramen coming along and we plan to create a documentary and will showcase it shortly after the convention. We’ll also be taking lots of recordings of things like the book readings, the author and actor Q&A, the Fantastic Awards Ceremony and the wonderful John Levene, Barry Nobles and Simon Fisher-Becker chatting on stage about Dr Who.So, what’s happening with the short SF competition entries? Our judges are battling away with each other and so far, after nearly 2 weeks of judging, have not decided on a single story to remove from the list! Will the longlist become the contents list for the anthology? Only time will tell but the judges will need a little more time to sort it out amongst themselves. Watch this space…Also, some of you have been asking about Stuart Aken’s next book in his ‘A Seared Sky‘ series following the launch earlier this year of the first in the series ‘Joinings‘. We can reveal that the second book is called ‘Partings’ and will be available as an ebook in time for Stuart’s appearance at FantastiCon in August. The cover for ‘Partings’ has been designed by the wonderful Heather Murphy and a sneak preview can be seen at the top of this blog.
Continuing on the fantasy theme, Stuart will now be joined by good friend and fellow fantasy writer Linda Acaster who will be speaking at the event about how her fantastical world differs from the norm.
For those of you unfamiliar with all our latest endeavours, why not sign up to our weekly newsletter? You’ll find lots of interesting items in there and we always give our newsletter subscribers access to our latest news first.
Just 16 days to go until the inaugural FantastiCon! See you there Commanders!Just imagine,
Daniel and GabiSo, there you go. If you can make it to Hull, I'll be there to chat and to sign copies of Joinings; see you there!Related articles Fantastic Fantasticon and Fantasy

A Very Brief and Partial Explanation.

English: A partial solar eclipse that was seen at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, on 22 July 2009 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)No, I haven't died, or been incapacitated. My apologies to my regular readers for my absence from the ether, but I'm involved in a rather time-consuming project at present. I expect it to be done by Wednesday. Watch this space for further details. More I cannot divulge or I might have to... you know the rest.

The Oxford Book of Contemporary Verse 1945 - 1980, edited by D J Enright, Reviewed.

Judgement of poetry is perhaps even more subjective than for prose. The poetic form either speaks to us or not, and our response to it is as much to do with our own views, history and experience as it is connected to the life of the poet. This collection includes many well known poets and some I’d not previously encountered. Naturally, it excludes others I’ve known and loved and some that who not so well known.
The work is arranged as individual groups of poems by each poet, ranked according to date of birth; as good a presentation as any other, given the variety of styles and content included. Of the forty poets presented here, only three are women, so it can hardly be considered a fair representation of the talent available during the period.
This anthology introduced me to some poets I will research further and others with whom I shan’t bother to develop any greater acquaintance.
What to say about a collection pulled together by another? There’s no unifying form or theme and the poets represent a wide period of writing. It seems to me that this is a time when rhyme began to diminish, free verse began to expand its influence, and form crawled into the back seat.
It is a book to be dipped into and sampled rather than read from cover to cover, but I suspect the same could be said of many poetry anthologies. I have mixed feelings about the selection; some moved me almost to tears, some bored me, a few were incomprehensible because my education failed to prepare me for their esoteric references, and a few more were simply too long for their subject matter.

But, for those who love the genre, those curious about the development of the form and those studying poetry as literature, this is a good book.Related articles Consider Writing Poetry Even if You're Not a Poet The poets at war (and in anthologies) Myths About Modern Poetry: An Interview with Poet Dawn Manning Feeling verse? Give the ambulance poet a call!

Exploring Character and Place in A Seared Sky #13

Corphanda
This is the 13th (Oooer, not superstitious, are you?) in a series on characters and places featured in Joinings:A Seared Sky . This background information isn’t covered in the book but will enhance the reading experience. For some of my people there are character drawings, supplied by Alice Taylor or myself (but I'm still learning how to draw, so bear with me!), maybe a video interview, and accompanying script. I’ll do short pieces of fiction, deepening knowledge of certain minor characters as well. For the places, I use sections of the map to indicate location or a sketch to illustrate the place, along with a description of the place, as I see it, and, where appropriate, links with characters. Sometimes, I indicate the way of life there with a short anecdote or story. I don’t reveal any of the main story, either as already published or as written in the series, simply enhance readers’ enjoyment of the trilogy by providing more information. I hope this gives pleasure to those who’ve bought the book and, perhaps, persuades others to take that step.
Pronunciation hints:Corphanda – cor-fan-da (as in ‘dad’).Names are pronounced phonetically. But this is my take on them; how I hear them in my head. You may pronounce them as you wish, of course; reading is, after all, active rather than passive.
Interview with Corphanda, who’s along as chaperone for the Virgin Gifts. She’s a chatterbox, opinionated, fun, stern at need, a great confidante, as she doesn’t gossip. An older, rather chubby widow, she still enjoys men and sex. Her voice is full of underlying chuckle and slightly sultry.
SA:         So, Corphanda, how would you like to tell us a bit about yourself?
Corphanda:        Well now, for a man as good lookin’ as yoursen, I’d be ‘appy to chatter for a good while. Me? Well, I’m as round as I’m tough, so don’t go thinkin’ there’s no solid stuff under this layer of warm softness. An’ I don’t stand no cheek, neither, so watch what you say. Grey and past me best, I may be, but I could still give you a good go.
SA:         I see. Well, thank you for the compliment, I think. But let’s talk about you and your role in the story, shall we?
Corphanda:        I’ll talk about me till the Skyfire returns. Mind you, that’s just an expression, you know. I mean, there’s a rumour goin’ round that the Skyfire might well be on it’s way back. But I don’t listen to no gossip. I’ll wait till I hear it from the village priest. You’ll know more about what’s expected of me than I know meself. Come on, lover boy, tell me what I need to know.
SA:         Well, you’re to be guide and guardian to a party of young virgin women on a mission back to the ancient homeland. How’s that suit you?
Corphanda:        Whoa there! That’s a lot to take in one bite. Guardian? What, to keep them virginal, like? I can do that. Yes, I can keep young lasses in hand. I’ve a swift slap for any that doesn’t want to do as she’s told. An’, even though I’m a bit portly, I can walk as far as the next man. That’d be you. I’d walk as far as you’d like to take me, if you understand my meaning? That a blush? I like a modest man. Well, Truth be told, I like any man willin’ to take me on.
SA:         So, the prospect of foreign travel doesn’t daunt you, then?
Corphanda:        I’ve lived too long to be daunted by such as that. There’ll be others along to deal with problems, like. An’ I’ll have me herbs and roots to cure any ailments. I’m good with medicines, you know. Me old mother was a proper healer and she taught me all she knew afore she went off to the Garden of Delights.
SA:         Why do you suppose you’ve been chosen for the job?
Corphanda:        Who else would do? I’m the obvious choice, like. Folk know me as reliable and down-to-earth. A woman with a strong character and a good knowledge of the ways of the world. I don’t stand for no nonsense, you know. Folk always know where they stand with me. What you get is what you see, if you understand my meaning. I know what I know and I don’t care who knows it, neither.
SA:         Well, thank you very much for your time and…
Corphanda:        That it? You call me all the way over ‘ere for that? Well, I ‘ave to say I’d wished for a bit more than that. I mean, ‘andsome fellah like you. I could do us both a favour if you…
SA:         No doubt, Corphanda. Another time, perhaps? I’m a little busy at present. But thank you for the…er, offer.
Corphanda:        Well, if that’s it, I might as well be getting’ back. You’re not the onny one as is busy, you know.
SA:         Of course. Thanks again. Well, that was a close shave.

Corphanda:        I ‘eard that!
That's Corphanda. And you'll find her amongst the people populating the epic fantasy series, A Seared Sky, book 1 , Joinings , available in print and digital formats online and in bookshops.Related articles Exploring Character and Place in A Seared Sky #12 Exploring Character and Place in A Seared Sky #7 Joinings: A Seared Sky; All You Need Know. Joinings: A Seared Sky. Couldn't put it down

Ruled by Intellect or Emotion? Tips on Word Choice #1

Portrait of an Elderly Man (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Certain words/phrases can induce fairly specific responses in readers. We all know this, of course, but do we use the power of emotion in our work?
I’m setting out here to suggest a few alternatives. In this series I’ll look at the difference between those words that seem intellectual as opposed to those that invoke a more emotional response. How you use them is obviously up to you. The point is that the alternatives have the same, or very similar, meanings, but their effect upon the reader can be markedly different. I’ve made some suggestions here, but I’m sure you can think of others.

Intellectual: Accelerate – suggestive of motor functions, science and sport.Emotional: Speed up – more suggestive of heartbeat, bodily movement.
James steered the Bentley round the bend, accelerating hard as he made for the junction. (thriller/journalistic language)‘If you’re going to get me there before I cool down, you’d better speed up, darling.’ (romantic/erotic language).
Intellectual: Challenge – generally seen as tough and demanding.Emotional: Dare – more likely to be used in fun.
Shane saw the waiting gang as just another challenge on his way to his intended goal. (thriller language)Tracy looked at the waves breaking gently under the crescent moon and wondered whether she dare join Mike in the water. (romantic language)
Intellectual: Elderly – suggestive of respect and even deference.                               Emotional: Old – more likely to be used casually, perhaps even insultingly.
A wide range of facilities for the elderly is provided by the local council. (formal/journalistic language)
‘There goes old George, late for his appointment again.’ (informal/fiction language) Related articles Intellect and Emotions

Fantastic Fantasticon and Fantasy

A date for your diaries:  16thAugust 2014. What’s so special about that? A great event for all those interested in Fantasy, Science Fiction and Gaming. 

Fantasticon is convention where there’s a fantastic amount going on. As a taster, here’s a short extract from Fantastic Books Publishing’s recent newsletter and blog:
The fantasy author we will be showcasing is our very own Stuart Aken who will be signing his books and talking about how he managed to keep track of the hundreds of characters in his upcoming trilogy ‘A Seared Sky’, the first book of which ‘Joinings‘ was released earlier this year. With luck, paranormal fantasy author Linda Acaster may also make an appearance at the event although we are unsure of her schedule as her excellently woven time slips are so convincing they can often spill off the page and disrupt her real life too!

There will be so much going on on the 16th that it would be silly to list it all here so head over to www.fantasticon.co.uk and check out what’s on offer. If you can make it, we’d love to see you there and meet you all in person!

Outside of the gaming aspect of FantastiCon we have lots of fantasy and science fiction attractions. As you know, we will be officially launching our Fantastic Elite Fiction at the event but in line with our ethos of helping Fantastic folks whether they are in the FBP family or not, we will also be launching ‘Zero‘, an excellent debut SF novel from J.S.Collyer who will be at the event signing her books, talking about her journey and, if rumours are to be believed, handing out cup cakes too. J.S.Collyer is an author represented by Dagda Publishing, an excellent little publishing house based in Nottingham who treat their authors with the same care and respect as we do. A truly forward thinking and driven outfit headed by the equally energetic Reg Davey, who will hopefully be there at the event too.

Of course, you’ll have to visit the 2017 City of Culture, Hull, to be at the show, but I know plenty of you will make the trip.


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