Die Booth's Blog, page 18

Just released! Spirit Houses praxinoscope book trailer

So, my novel Spirit Houses has been finished and finalised for quite a while now, but I’ve been lagging a bit on getting it actually released. This is due entirely to the fact that I’m self-publishing it and I’m very aware that I don’t want to rush anything and make mistakes. I’ve some experience of self-publishing but this is my first time really solo (despite my very supportive friends and fellow writers!) and it’s proving a lot more nerve-wracking than when I co-edited Re-Vampand L.C. Huwa...

Review: Lost and Found edited by Emma L. E. Rees, plus bonus book launch!

Tuesday June 25 saw the official launch of ‘Lost and Found – short stories from the Cheshire Prize for Literature 2012’. I was fortunate enough to have a story included in the anthology and to attend the launch held at Riverside in Chester. A very enjoyable evening allowed the guests to listen to readings from winner Sarah Frost Mellor, plus authors Barbara Corfield, Miriam Sulhunt and Don Nixon (I hope I’ve remembered all that correctly!) It always surprises me how many very talented authors...

Interview with Kevin G. Bufton – serving us up a piece of Cake

As part of his book release blog tour, I caught up with Kevin G. Bufton, horror author and owner of Cruentus Libri press, to quiz him about his debut novella, Cake.

“In May of 2053, forty years following the Separation of Wirral from the mainland, there is but a handful of people who remember what life was like before.

Geraldine Waters is one of the few.

In a land ruled by gang law, and horrors beyond mortal imagination, Geraldine lives in a perpetual nightmare, from which she knows she will nev...

Happy National Flash Fiction Day! Here’s my contribution…

So, with it being National Flash Fiction Day today, and considering I’m currently right in the middle of my one-a-day flash writing project, I thought I best post something! This one’s my March 30th story, hope you enjoy it.

Landing

The looped carpet fibre presses a high crescent along my cheekbone. Unfurling without focus into the distance, it looks like desert road

Like sand dunes

Rough

Oatmeal

Each carpet fibre a neat, tight loop, lying like giant knitting. The pressure of the weave against my c...

Spirit Houses: Can I has correct grammar?

So, here’s the plan, guys – in the lead-up to my new novel Spirit Houses coming out, I’m going to keep you updated about the finishing touches. OK?

Currently, I’m editing. Oh, the never-ending editing! It’s already been past four people and had numerous sweeps, but it was all onscreen and now I’m sitting here with a proof copy of the book with about sixty little marker tabs sticking out the top where I’ve made final amendments. It is shocking how many things I’ve picked up on to change that I...

A quarter of the way through the year

So today, April 1, marks a quarter of the way through the year – and a quarter of the way through my one-a-day flash fiction project.
Well, I’ve kept it up so far. I won’t say it’s been easy (some days you really just cannot be bothered, some days you just are not inspired) but it’s not exactly been that difficult either. Comparing the days of writers block against the knowledge that I’ve already racked up 21K and 90 individual miniature stories essentially without thinking about it, I think t...

Star ratings

Just a very quick note to say - I'm going to stop using star ratings on my Goodreads reviews. I'm finding it increasingly difficult to work out what rating to award stuff - personally I find I can get a lot more detail across in a review and I find reviews more helpful to read as well, so I'll just be writing reviews and not dishing out stars in future!

Review of ‘Suffer the Little Children’ from Cruentus Libri Press

I’m never sure what to expect of small press anthologies, especially horror ones. With every anthology there’s usually quite a wide range of differing tales and Suffer the Little Children, edited by Kevin G. Bufton, is no exception. Some of the stories in this volume I liked a lot more than others (I’m sure a lot of this has to do with personal preference – I’m more of a psychological horror fan who prefers a creaky door to a bloodthirsty zombie and this is quite a bloodthirsty anthology!) bu...

Bloody Fabulous book review

Bloody Fabulous

Edited by Ekaterina Sedia.

From the off, this anthology is striking. I liked the premise right from the start and I love the cover and design of the thing – quite fitting for an anthology themed around the importance of fashion to fantasy and horror.

As fellow contributing author Nick Mamatas points out this anthology doesn’t seem to have got much attention, which is a real shame and also quite a surprise. It’s one of my favourite anthologies to feature a story of mine recently....

Flash Roulette – or, how to write a story a day, every day.

I seem to have completely run out of time lately for updating my blog, which may have something to do with my One-a-Day flash fiction.

It’s nearly two months into the year and so far I’ve managed to keep up with one flash fiction a day. ‘Challenging’ isn’t quite the word for it – I’m pretty much driving myself mad with it. It’s a big commitment alongside other things (not least trying to get my novel out this year) but it’s also been very rewarding. Having to exercise your writing brain to com...