A Tale of Two Novels

I've been busy working on two very different novels recently... 

POST-APOCALYPTIC

I've completed the first draft of my post-apocalyptic novel and am about to get started on the second. It clocks in at around 99,000 words, easily making it the longest story I've written to date. It's much too early to share all the details, but it's a tale of suffering, love, survival, and resistance set in the not-too-distant future. The narrative is told as a first-person account (an action-packed memoir, if you like) in which our protagonist, an underclass pyromaniac, flees the city after setting fire to the wrong car. It's a rollicking adventure with pauses in the action to let you catch your breath and ask yourself some big questions.

MYSTERY 

I've also started the first Oscar Tremont novel. The mystery takes place in Brittany and is designed to introduce the reader (because not everyone will have read the short stories) to my intrepid private investigator. Just like the short stories, this tale will focus on the puzzle, the characters, and the remarkable Breton setting; the cosy / traditional mystery fan's cup of tea. Would you like a glimpse at the setting? Here you go! 

 

The Problem at Rose Grove

Where's Holmes???

I've joined Specul8 Publishing for their second volume of absent Holmes tales, and I've put a spin on it, which will come as no surprise to my loyal readers. I've often wondered what would happen if my very own investigator, Oscar Tremont, had the opportunity to pit wits against the most famous consulting detective of all time, but in "The Problem at Rose Grove", he's faced with an even greater challenge...saving Holmes, so to speak! Curiosity piqued? The game's afoot! Grab your copy from Specul8. 

 

About the anthology:

In 1887, Arthur Conan Doyle first published A Study in Scarlet in the 27th issue of Beeton’s Christmas Annual, a popular London magazine which had entertained 19th century readers for well over two decades. Yet this particular issue would introduce the world to something entirely new, a literary icon who would move on to become the greatest fictional character in modern history. Holmes certainly casts a great shadow, and what would we ever do without him? That is precisely the question this collection dares to ask. We have challenged nine exciting Australian authors to take up the daunting task of writing a Sherlock story, where the great man himself is conspicuously absent. The resulting work has been utterly fascinating, and we have found that even in his absence Sherlock Holmes is still a force to be reckoned with. As the man himself would often say, “The game is afoot!”

 

The Animal Inside

Pre-orders are now being taken for the ebook version of my second collection of short stories through Amazon. The print version will be published on the 10th of October.

The Animal Inside is a collection of thirteen strange and twisted stories that will take you for a walk along the fine line between insanity and reason, the peculiar and the prosaic, and the animal kingdom and human society, then leave you wondering where one ends and the other begins. These tales will confuse, amuse, shock, and intrigue, but they will also cause you to contemplate your very own animal inside.

Publication details: Black Beacon Books, 2020

Genres: suspense, horror, erotic horror, dark literary

Length: 13 stories / 200 pages / 57,000 words

      

Cleopatra’s Mystery Box

The Church of Asag

Old Mabel’s Stray Cat

Veronica’s Dogs

The Crows of Eildon Hill

Lauren

Milk

Horror at Hollow Head

Declan’s Fantasy

Forgotten Falls

Animal

Like Sisters

It Starts with Insects

            

Cleopatra's Ghost

It has been quite a while between posts, and I must apologise for that, but as I'm sure you're all aware, I've been busy with the launch of The Black Beacon Book of Mystery. This is our début anthology and it includes the second Oscar Tremont novella, "The Ghosts of Walhalla". After solving the mystery of the Stayne fortune, Oscar and Louise head to Victoria for a well-deserved holiday. They go camping in a ghost town called, Walhalla, but when Oscar's sleep is disturbed by a vehicle in the middle of the night, soon followed by a ghostly crying coming from the surrounding woodlands, he knows mischief is afoot! You'll find full details on the website, or you can buy a copy directly through Amazon.

In other news, my short suspense story, "Cleopatra's Mystery Box", was published by ID Press in their anthology, Nefariam: The Element of Crime. The book is separated into sections based on different motives. My story is one of revenge.

Remember to join me on Facebook and Goodreads. All the best! 

Mystery Writer Interviews

The Disappearance of Jeremy Meredith

‘The Disappearance of Jeremy Meredith’ started with a setting and an atmosphere in mind. The characters and plot elements were then created to fit. I wanted a story in which an unexpected visitor arrives at Oscar's house in the middle of a storm, involving a disappearance, a touch of romantic tension, and with the solution to it all hidden in a clifftop manor on the Breton coast. The idea of an overheard conversation with a verbal clue that later linked to a physical key required a lot more thought and fine-tuning. It had to be just right because this element is the means of making sure the reader is actively involved in the investigation and faces the same challenge as Oscar.

This was my answer to the question asked of every contributor to Flame Tree Publishing's anthology, Detective Thrillers: "What was the inspiration behind your story?" 

You can read the full interview here.

The Shortcut

"The Shortcut" is one of the rare supernatural horror stories I've written in recent years. As always with my horror tales, atmosphere and suspense are key, but I think that only makes the reader jump all the higher when the weirdness bites.

This story follows a young woman home from a wild party. Would you have taken the long road through the industrial estate or chosen the shortcut?

Buy your copy on Amazon or visit Stormy Island Publishing

It Starts With Insects

My short story of psychological suspense, It starts With Insects, has been published in Dig Two Graves, Volume Two from (Death's Head Press). It's an anthology devoted to revenge in all of it's nastiest forms. From a house that isn't quite what it seems to a man and his "love muscle". Twenty-two authors take you on a vengeful ride straight to man's darkest desire.....the desire to get even. Mercy is unheard of, and tolerance is left in the dust. This book will please the darkest of hearts, and ignite feelings once left unexplored.