Martin Marriott's Blog, page 5

Lake Reigny Book Campaign

My name is Martin Marriott and I am a budding writer from Staveley. I have written a horror/thriller novella based in the Lake District. The story is set in the fictional Lakeland village of Reigny (I actually based Reigny on Windermere). I recently got my novella accepted by the crowdfunding website Britain’s Next Best Seller.
I have to get 250 pre-ordered copies of my novella to get a publishing deal. So far I’ve got 13 pre-orders and have 51 days left to reach my target. If I do reach it I will be published by April 2015.
Please help me get there and get your friends and family to help me (even if they don’t read).
Click on the following link to get me there!
https://britainsnextbestseller.co.uk/...

Lake Reigny- Crowdfunded Book Publishing Campaign Begins

I recently got a manuscript accepted by a crowdfunding website called Britains Next Best Seller. I need 250 pre-ordered copies of my book Lake Reigny to get a publishing deal. I only have 56 days to reach my target.
My book is based on a fictional Lakeland village called Reigny(I actually based it on Windermere). It's part horror/ghost story and part human tradgedy.
A man called Lyle Calvert returns to Reigny nearly forty years after he was banished. He was held responsible for his brothers disappearance and potential murder. But Lyle's returned to Reigny because children are going missing by the lake shore. Lyle knows who's behind it and at the same time he wants to clear his name once and for all.
https://britainsnextbestseller.co.uk/...

Lake Reigny- by Martin Marriott Book Trailer

On the 21st of Nov my campaign starts to get my book Lake Reigny published by the crowdfunding website www.britainsnextbestseller.co.uk
I need 250 pre-ordered copies to get a publishing deal. It runs for 90 days so let's see if I can do it!
Here's my book trailer to have a peek at.

http://youtu.be/ENGt1i89dJM

My Novella Promotion

Free to download for 4 more days from Amazon!!
Killing The Dead- A Zombie Novella
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00D7OLU9Q
Lake Reigny-A Horror/Crime Novella
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00HKM4LLK
The Curious Story of Hattie Brown- A Fantasy Novella set in 1960's England.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00EYOVKG6

Call Me (A Very Short Story)

This short of mine was written for a project at my local writing group. The brief was to write a story in no more than a 1000 words. It was one of the hardest tasks I've ever done.


Call Me

"Come again?" said Dylan blurry eyed as he turned to face his alarm clock. It was exactly twelve am. He sat upright as the midnight caller spoke again.
"Call Me."
"What are you talking about?" snapped Dylan. "Who the hell are you?"
The caller sighed. "I'm here looking at your phone number. It says Call Me 07734 909341 For A Good Time."
Dylan was half tempted to end the call but he was more interested to know where the caller had got his number from.
"May I ask how you've come across my number?" enquired Dylan.
The caller let off a dry laugh. "Why its scribbled in blue biro on the back of a cubicle door in a public toilets."
"Which public toilets would those be?" Dylan had no idea how his number had gotten there. He knew fine well he hadn't done it.
"The one on Compton Heath. Do you often forget where you advertise your business, Call Me?"
"My names not Call Me," growled Dylan.
"Really," chuckled the caller. "Then you should have made that pretty clear."
Then something went off inside Dylan's mind. It was as if his memory had sent off a firework display of realisation.
"How old does the writing look?" said Dylan.
The midnight caller took a moment of judgement. "It's not recent if that's what you mean."
Dylan grinned and shook his head. A vidid memory of a fourteen year old Dylan and his two best friends Chalky and Spenny came flooding back to him. It was the last week of school holidays and the month of August had been kind. The sun had shone consistently and the skies had been a tranquil blue. Even now Dylan realised he hadn't seen a summer like it since.
The memory was the one where they all shared their first bottle of White Lighting Cider. It topped off a great day of playing football an getting up to minor mischief.Just as the sun was dipping beyond the horizon they found a large oak tree on the Heath and then drank the bottle of strong cider between them.
Dylan laughed to himself as he could see the three of them stumbling into the men's toilets on Compton Heath in drunken stupidity, before they scrawled derogatory remarks about on another on the several cubicle doors. It seems after the prevailing years it was Chalky's remark about young Dylan giving you a good time that had outlasted them all.
"I understand now," assured Dylan. "It was some stupid stuff I got up to when I was kid. Thanks for the call but I really need to catch up on some beauty sleep."
"That's not how it works," said the caller. "You have to give me a good time."
"Go screw yourself!" hollered Dylan as he ended the call.
Dylan lay back down and drew the bedcovers around his shoulders. He closed his eyes and as the motions of slumber was about to consume him the phone in the hallway began to ring. Dylan let the phone ring for a few moments before he tossed aside the covers and hurriedly made his way down stairs in pitch darkness.
Dylan knew that phone calls as this time of night weren't good. The last time he got called at this time of night was by his mum informing him that his Grandad Farlan had died.
"Hello," said Dylan as his voice croaked with tiredness.
"Now that wasn't very nice was it?" replied the midnight caller.
"What the hell! How did you get this number?"
"I find it quite empowering what you can do with social media these days." The caller then took a deep sharp breath. "Don't you think,Dylan?"
Dylan felt his throat tighten as his eyes dilated with fear. As his stomach ached with dread he knew this caller wasn't playing a prank.
"Tell me what you want?" said Dylan
"I want you to show me a good time?"
"That was just a silly thing that James wrote when we were drunk nearly ten years ago."
"James Chalkson," laughed the caller. "Now he was a screamer. Are you a screamer Call Me?"
Dylan's stomach dropped like a lead ballon. "What do you mean Chalky was a screamer?"
"Now,now," tutted the caller. "You have a masters degree in Psychology. Surely your not that stupid. Are you?"
Dylan's attention was quickly drawn towards the hallway front door as the porch light flicked on. It only ever came on when someday was walking up the path. Dylan's heart raced as he expected a silhouetted to appear at the door. But the light soon went off and no knocking came.
"Aren't you going to ask about Danny Spencer or Spenny 'sucks dick' as I believe you wrote." Dylan's blood ran cold as the caller continued to talk. "I tell you something Call Me it took him some persuading to do."
Dylan was left speechless and all he could do was breath heavily down the phone. He then lashed out and slammed the phone down on its hook. He took a step back from the phone and began to walk backwards towards the stairs. He placed one foot on the first step when the hallway phone began ringing again. Dylan wasn't going to answer it and as he foot landed on the second step he heard his mobile ringing in his bedroom. The porch light then began to flick on and off repeatedly. Before long the ringing and the lights were in perfect unison.
Then after a few pulsating moments the mobile in bedroom seized ringing and then seconds later so did the hallway phone. The porch light finished its spectacle and the hallway was plunged back into darkness. Dylan's heart thundered against his chest and his palms were drenched with sweat as his hands shook. Then his entire body went rigid when he felt someone place their lips against his ear.
"Show me a good time," whispered the caller.

The One....The Only.....Marrrrtttiinn Marrrriiiioottt!!!

Please visit my website martinmarriott.weebly.com to cast your eyes over several short stories and novellas that I have done. The stories are linked to the Amazon store but they are also available on Barnes&Noble, Kobo, Scribd and iBooks.
If you do decide to have a glance and buy I hope you enjoy!!!

Reward Me And I'll Reward You!!

I have two near length novels available to buy on Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Smashwords and iBooks. They are called The Curious Story of Hattie Brown and Lake Reigny.
I was wondering if you would buy them and read them and then I would reimburse you your money back.I'm just wanting feedback on them without giving them away for free.


http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00HK...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00EY...

Size Doesn't Matter.....In Literary Terms Anyway

Please try my two novellas that are available for free for the next 7 days on Smashwords, Barnes&Noble and Apple.

Killing The Dead - A Zombie Novella
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
http://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/killing...

The Bowman- A Medieval Novella
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
http://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-bow...

Try for Free!!!!! Free I Tell Thee!!!

For a limited time download for free my two
novellas.The Curious Story of Hattie Brown(A thriller-fantasy set in 1960's England)and Lake Reigny (a horror-thriller set in Northern England.)
They are available here on Goodreads and Smashwords for around a week or so.
Please visit my web site http://martinmarriott.weebly.com
Follow me on twitter @martinmarriott
Like my page (pretty please) http://facebook.com/authormartinmarriott

Amelia - A Really Short Story Based In Poland 1939

Lodz , Poland, 1939


"Go Amelia, you must go," Amelia’s father whispered.
German soldiers and their dogs were approaching the farm house.
"Please Papa, I don't want to," Amelia pleaded.
The soldiers began laughing and the dogs barked wildly.
"It's not safe for you, Amelia. You must go and find somewhere to hide. I'll talk to the Germans and then I'll come and get you. I promise." Amelia’s father bent down and smiled at her.
"Where shall I hide?"
Her father held out her coat and she reluctantly slid her arms in.
"The old milking shed. Hide up in the loft, they won't look there." Her father looked deep into her eyes and then hugged Amelia tight. "I love you Amelia with all my heart. Now, go," he said, letting go.
Amelia began to cry and then hugged her father back. She felt like her father was saying goodbye. But he did promise to come and get her.
Her father was her only family. She had no one else. Her mother died three winters back from a severe fever. They had a son before Amelia was born, but he died of a fever too, his name was Demetrius. Her father never spoke of his lost son; she thought he found it too hard to talk about him.
"Amelia, please go," her father urged. Then thunderous knock came at the door.
"Open the door," a cold German voice demanded. "Open the door or I'll open it myself."
Amelia gave her father one more hug and then hurried out of the kitchen. She made her way to the milking shed at the other side of the farmyard.
It had snowed heavily three days ago and the ground was covered thick with it. Her feet turned cold as she only wore thin sandals. She stopped at the side of the farm house and peered around the side.She saw four German soldiers and two large dogs. They were still waiting at the front door of the farmhouse.
Amelia then heard the door creak open. The German soldiers and their barking dogs barged their way inside even before the door was fully open. Amelia heard her father shout out in pain as a soldier hit him across the face
When she heard the door close, Amelia ran towards the milking shed. Her heart then sank when she found the doors had been padlocked shut with a heavy metal chain that was threaded through both handles.
Amelia remembered that there was a window at the side of the building. As she made her way around to the window she then heard shouting coming from inside the farmhouse. Amelia heard her father cry out in pain again. She stopped in her tracks and looked back at the house.
Then suddenly it began to snow again. Heavy flakes soon gathered on her face and on her head. Amelia turned to the window and found it locked too. She searched the snow covered ground for something to smash the window pane. Her fingers grew colder and went numb as she searched on her hands and knees.Relieved,she finally felt something metal.It was one of her father’s spanners.
With her hand shaking with numbness, she smashed the window pane were the lever was. She threw the spanner back into the snow, pulled up the lever and opened the window.
As she was half way through the window Amelia noticed that the shouting in the farmhouse has stopped.


"Is there anyone else here?" the German officer said, as he removed his gloves.
The three other soldiers began to search the house with the dogs.
"No, only me," Amelia's father replied.
A look of distrust and disgust spread across the German officer’s face. He hit Amelia's father with the back of his hand. Amelia's father yelped with pain as he fell to the floor.
"Don't lie to me you dirty Jew," the German officer screamed. He hit Amelia's father again and this time he drew blood.
"There's no one here. My wife and son died years ago. What do you want?" Amelia's father looked up to the German officer as blood dripped down his face.
"Food, women," the German officer smiled. "What right has a Jew asking an officer of the Kaisers army what business he brings?"
"It's my house."
"Not anymore."
Amelia's father winced as the soldiers tore apart his house. Pots and pans smashed, furniture was broken and the cupboards and pantry were being stripped of food. The dogs were barking loudly and the soldiers laughed and joked.
"There's a girl somewhere, sir," a German solider said, as he came down the stairs.
"So, you were lying," the German officer said. He gritted his teeth and struck Amelia's father hard across the bridge of his nose. There was a light cracking sound as his nose bone snapped. He yelped in agony as the soldiers turned their heads towards the door. They heard a window breaking in the distance.
"Bring him outside," the German officer demanded as he left the farmhouse.


Amelia had climbed the ladders and hid herself in the loft. She huddled up against the wooden wall and found a crack in it. She peered through and could see the courtyard and the farm house. The door opened and out walked the German officer and he looked angry. Amelia's father followed and he was being escorted by two German soldiers. Her father’s face was bleeding badly and Amelia began to cry.
The snow still fell heavy and her father stumbled and collapsed to the ground. One of the German soldiers shouted at him and slapped him across his face and laughed. The German officer turned to her father, he then got the two soldiers to make her father kneel on the ground.
The German officer shouted at her father repeatedly and her father just bowed his head and didn't say anything back. Again and again the German officer shouted. The officers frustration finally snapped and he withdrew his gun and pointed at Amelia's father's temple. Amelia's face was dripping with warm tears and her heart was beating fast against her chest.
The German officer screamed at the top of his voice and her father still said nothing and kept his head bowed. The German officer sighed and shot Amelia's father dead. His lifeless body slumped to the ground and the snow around him turned red.
"Don't scream," a soft voice said.
Amelia spun around and her face was pale white and her eyes were sore with tears. A young German soldier was standing at the top of the wooden ladders.
"If you do, he will send Michael and Peter to join me. Was that your father?"
Amelia nodded as she began to shake.
"I am sorry for your loss." The soldier slowly sat down next to Amelia. "What is your name?"
"Amelia," she replied gazing into nothingness.
"My name is Heinrich," he smiled. "Your father lied saying he was alone. Michael found your bedroom. We all heard a window smashing. I was sent to check it out. I'm sorry but your father’s fate was sealed from that moment."
Amelia lowered her head and sobbed. Heinrich put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a chocolate bar.
"Would you like it." Amelia shook her head. "Is your mother and brother really dead?"
"My Mamma died of fever. I never knew my brother. He died before I was born."
"All of your family is gone," Heinrich said leaning his head against the wall. "I think this war will take away a lot of families from one another."
Amelia raised her head and looked at Heinrich as she wiped her eyes. "Do you have any family?"
"A mother and father, yes. I also have a younger sister. Her name is Maria; she must be a similar age to you."
"What's going to happen to me?"
"Well, I should really tell my superior that I have found you. You're a bit too young for his taste. But Michael and Peter would like to enjoy you. Then you would be moved to a workhouse or camp. Depends how my superior feels."
"Will he kill me?" Amelia said. She couldn't get the image of the German officer shooting her father out of her mind.
"His mood changes by the minute." Heinrich stood and offered Amelia his hand."Come with me".


Michael dragged the body of Amelia's father away and tossed it against a pile of logs. Peter and the German officer stood smoking in the courtyard as they waited for Heinrich to appear with the girl.
"He's taking his time," Peter said, as he exhaled cigarette smoke into the air. Falling snow fell on his face as he tossed the cigarette onto the ground.
"Maybe he's getting in their first," the German officer replied.
"Do you want me to go and find him?" Michael asked as he stood next to Peter and he gave him a cigarette and lit it for him.
"No need, look." The German officer nodded towards the old milking shed and making his way through the deep snow towards them was Heinrich.
He came alone.
"Well, where is she?" Peter said angrily.
"There's no one there. No sign of anybody. There's a tractor and some small rusty farming tools. I think it must have been a milking shed a long time ago," Heinrich shivered. Peter's eyes narrowed has he offered Heinrich a cigarette. "Take a look if you don't believe me."
"Who's living in the bedroom then?" Michael replied. “What about the smashing window”.
"Go, look for yourself," Heinich said nodding towards the shed. "I can't find anyone. The windows being broken for some time”.
"You're certain?" Peter said with distrust in his voice.
"Stop bickering or I'll shoot you all just like the dirty Jew," the German officer snapped. "Get the food and let's go before this snow gets worse. There's another farm a few miles from here. Maybe they have women to enjoy."