Mark R Faulkner

[Mark]

Being a rainy Sunday and the kids have stayed at their mother's this weekend, I've had opportunity to try and design the cover for The Black Stone.
Here's what I came up with. Any feedback and constructive criticism would be most welcome.

http://www.goodreads.com/photo/author...

[Mark]

It's blurb help I'm seeking now. Here's a quick draft. Would you buy the book?

Only a first, quick attempt but would you buy this book?

The Black Stone

He thought it was all God’s plan… He was wrong.

In a city decimated by plague, a young boy is forced to fend for himself. After a long, hard winter he’s rescued by a band of monks, leaving his only friend alone.

For a while life is good and his hardships a fading memory until, some two years later his new home is raided and the inhabitants slaughtered. During the attack he takes refuge in the catacombs which run deep beneath the monastery, where he discovers a mysterious black stone.

The stone bestows him with powers beyond his wildest dreams, but there’s a high price to pay for power and his discovery harbours a dark side… A very dark side.

[Gingerlily - The Full Wild]

If it was fantasy rather than horror I most likely would buy it, but not being a horror fan....

[Mark]

I've just taken the big step of adding my new book on Goodreads. The Dark Stone
It's set for release on 14th October. I'm a bit nervous / excited now.

[Patti (baconater)]

Congrats on your upcoming release Mark but new release threads aren't allowed until the book has been published. :)

[Mark]

Oh, sorry, I didn't realise. I even read the guideline post and everything (for a change), but obviously not very well. I feel like a naughty schoolboy now.
Thanks for deleting it quickly though, so I don't get lots of virtual angry stares.

[Kath]

oooo exciting :)

[Mark]

I'm letting myself get a little bit excited, but not too much.

[Patti (baconater)]

Mark wrote: "Oh, sorry, I didn't realise. I even read the guideline post and everything (for a change), but obviously not very well. I feel like a naughty schoolboy now.
Thanks for deleting it quickly though,..."

No worries Mark.

You can whet our appetites here in your author thread.

[Mark]

is all set up on Goodreads now and only a week until it's released.

[Mark]

Look what just appeared on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00FOV7VYI

[Kath]

Whoo-oo! Bought. Will be reviewed! :)

[Kath]

Oh, it's dark now - not black. Did it go in a hot wash? ;)

[Mark]

Sort of. I'll never be happy with a title, apart from what I'm currently writing, which is simply called Spiders.
Thank you, although I would have sent you a copy of the very final copy. Especially as you had such a big input.

[Joo]

Ooo, look :D

[Kath]

No problem Mark. It'll be an authenticated purchase!

[Kath]

Ooo, I have bought it. Have a bit of a backlog but will let you know when it reaches the top of my tbr. Shouldn't be too long :)

[Joo]

Now the nights are drawing in, it's a good read for in front of the fire :)

[Mark]

Thanks all.
I'd love a real fire to sit and read in front of.

[Mark]

I'm currently getting very into writing a novella about spiders. Writing is so much more fun than promo work, which is probably why I don't sell many books. But hey, I'm sure I'll be in the mood to do it one day soon.

[Mark]

I seem to have drafted the novella mentioned above really quickly. It's only the first draft but I've just started the final chapter.

Then I think I'm going to be finishing off a few of the part-done short stories and rough idea's I have on my laptop

[Kath]

Go for it! :-)

[Mark]

I've taken the below from my facebook page.

To try and stimulate a bit of interest, I've made The Dark Stone free for this weekend. If you haven't got it yet, you may as well download it now.

For anyone who's already paid for it this last week, let me know and I'll send you an exclusive story.

Thanks
Mark

[Mark]

The promotions going quite well, sitting at #9 in dark fantasy on US Amazon.
If anyone does want a copy of the short story mentioned then let me know. Its around 7500 words ( I think) and it's one of a few which have been hanging around my hard drive, not quite finished, for quite some time.
If I do eventually publish it, it's not going to be in the near future. It'll take me a few days to tighten all the nuts and bolts but them I'm happy to email it to people.

[Mark]

I've a promotion on both my novels at the minute. neither going so well really, but that's the way it goes sometimes.

I have a novella finished, which I personally think is the best thing I've ever written, so I'm happy about that. Not quite ready to send it to anyone yet though, I'm going to rest it for a while.

This evening I sat down to begin a story I've been thinking about and plotting for some months now, but then a new story came to me which needs to be written. Much more in the realms of literary fiction than horror though, so I need to make sure it's damn good. I might be dropping off the radar for a while, while I write it. It's one of those I'm afraid. I'll still be lurking though so if by any chance anyone notices I've vanished, I won't have gone far, just going through one of my obsessive creative phases which don't leave a vast amount of time left over for the interweb.
Plus I'm knackered at the minute so I'll more than likely be back on as soon as I have slept.

[Mark]

I have a novella,Infested, coming out on Friday (7th)

[Joo]

And are you sure you are not renaming this one? ;p

[Mark]

Positive. :)
It was simply called 'Spiders' all the way through writing, but I thought 'Infested' has a certain ring to it.

[Kath]

Joo, what's the betting it's called Infected by the time it's published? :)

[Mark]

Kath wrote: "Joo, what's the betting it's called Infected by the time it's published? :)"

I might write a different one called Infected, just to confuse people further.
Saying that, I haven't written much of anything lately. I started a novel back in October, got 10,000 words in and shelved it because it was depressing me too much. It was something different from Horror or fantasy too.

[Mark]

I've added it on Goodreads now too.

[Joo]

I love that blurb.

"A novella, with spiders"

Watch out, you might get a review. Or would you rather wait until the book's officially released.

[Mark]

Joo The Grand Inquisitor wrote: "I love that blurb.

"A novella, with spiders"

Watch out, you might get a review. Or would you rather wait until the book's officially released."
That would be fantastic. It'll probably be live by morning anyway. Right, I'm off to the big 'puter to carry on sorting through some photo's, then off to bed to finally read Ravenfold. Sorry it's taken so long Kath. Expect a review soon.

[Mark]

OK, so I haven't posted since February. I ought to put something in the introductions thread it's been so long, but this is probably the best place to talk about myself for a while. It's been a bit of a funny year: I turned forty in July and am expecting a baby by the end of November. On top of this the day job has been manic. Not that I'm complaining, Life's pretty good. Very busy, sometimes difficult, but good nonetheless, although an unfortunate side effect of all this busyness has been some serious stretches where writing has been hard work. Rather than force creativity, I've been writing as and when the mood takes me and it's a process I'm really enjoying. I have some 'unique' short stories which I need to start submitting to publications. My current work in progress is well plotted out and the characters are starting to come alive, sorry it's taking forever. I guestimate it'll be early next summer for completion. Essentially it's a haunted house story and I'm hoping that when it's finished it will be shit-your-pants scary.
Now that the nights are beginning to draw in I'm likely to spend a little more time hanging around on the internet, so hopefully I'll be a little more active in the group.
Thanks for reading
Mark

[Kath]

Hiya! Welcome back! What is it about babies just now? Thank heavens I'm past it!

[Mark]

I thought I was!

[Mark]

Who else is having babies?

[Kath]

Jud's had a little girl - Kathleen. Andy Barrett's had a little girl - Ellie. Nicola's expecting shortly. Now you. :)

[Mark]

I have been very absent! We're having a girl too. I'll have to look and see if there's a baby thread!

[Joo]

Yeah, I wish you authory people would stop making babies and start making books again.

I've been thinking of your book covers recently. I have a humungous spider hanging round my house. I took a pic of him next to a ruler and not stretched out he is 7cm.
And the magpies keep doing flux poses.

[Mark]

Brilliant. Thinking rooks for the next one. It seems to be good year for spiders (although not in the press), lots of house spiders and loads of big garden spiders about at the minute.

[Joo]

I don't see many rooks. Now jackdaws, I love jackdaws. They are so wonderful to watch, whether they are doing the police walk in a row on newly cut grass, making sure they've covered every inch in their search for worms, or when they are sat with their life partner in pairs on street lights or telegraph wires.