Wednesday 29 June 2011

A round-robin interview (for ill at ease)

The "ill at ease" gang (me, Steve Bacon & Neil Williams) are interviewed over at Jim McLeod's brilliant Ginger Nuts Of Horror site and I think it makes for good reading - background on the stories, how the project came together and our plans for the future.

Check it out here

Tuesday 21 June 2011

Some love for "ill at ease"

Well, we're doing something right - below are links to on-line reviews of "ill at ease" and the general consensus is good!

Pablo Cheesecake’s review at The Eloquent Page

"Overall Ill at Ease was a great little collection…I wish that it were a bit longer. Perhaps if we’re lucky there will be an Ill at Ease 2?"

Max Wedge’s review at Page Horrific

"Suffice it to say, ILL AT EASE lives up to its title. And at $2.50 for the e-book, you should not hesitate to buy."

Jim McLeods review at Ginger Nuts Of Horror

"This is an anthology about finding horror in the everyday things of life, and how it affects those who come in contact with it. A master class in quiet understated horror."

Cate Gardner’s review at Goodreads.com

"Worth picking up if you like a slice of British horror."

Paul D Brazill’s review at “You Would Say That, Wouldn’t You?”

"Ill at ease is a highly recommended collection containing three splendid examples of modern, British storytelling."

Just in case this leads you to want to buy it, or get more information, you might find the following useful:

Purchase from Amazon in the UK here

Purchase from Amazon in the US here

Or get it from Smashwords here

In addition, you could also join our Facebook group

Saturday 18 June 2011

An interview with me...

...as conducted by Michael Wilson at Read Horror.com.

I think I come across quite well - why not nip over and take a look? And yes, I do mention "ill at ease"!

Wednesday 15 June 2011

"ill at ease" - Available Now!


ill at ease is an e-chapbook collection from PenMan Press, available now from Amazon and Smashwords. Combining the talents of Stephen Bacon, Mark West & Neil Williams, ill at ease showcases three new tales of the macabre.

Waiting For Josh, by Stephen Bacon
Pete Richards returns to his hometown for the first time in years. His childhood pal is dying, and Pete realises he must face the past and confront some ugly truths if he is to fulfil his friend’s dying wish.
But the events of their childhood would prove to hold far more darkness than he’d ever imagined.

Come See My House In The Pretty Town, by Mark West
When David Willis travels to the picturesque village of Hoelzli, for a reunion with his old college friends Simon & Kim Roberts, he expects a weekend of laughter and reminiscing. But on a visit to the local fair, he manages to lose the Roberts’ seven-year-old son Billy and things take a decided turn for the worse.

Closer Than You Think, by Neil Williams
Dave is a loving family man, with a keen eye for a bargain. So when he spots a brand-new-looking child seat in a skip at the local tip, he decides to take it. After all, he needs one in his car to ferry his daughter around. But then he starts to notice things that seem otherworldly yet still familiar.
Could it really be an unquiet spirit, the echo of some past tragedy?
Or is it something else? Something that is much closer to home?


'Here are three writers with singular voices who have, nevertheless, somehow managed to merge their talents to imbue the whole of this slim collection with a kind of menace that is like oil on skin: difficult to remove and persistent. For relative newcomers to show such restraint, to trust in the subtle and the unsaid, is rare indeed. ill at ease is a treat, and I hope it finds many readers.'
Conrad Williams, British Fantasy Award winning author of One and Loss Of Separation

"Childhood memories, a seemingly idyllic English town, a car seat found in a skip... The three chilling tales from ill at ease ably demonstrate that horror can be found in the most mundane places, and a sense of unease is always much closer than we think."
Gary McMahon, author of Pretty Little Dead Things and The Concrete Grove

The book is available from Amazon - click the title below:

From Amazon.co.uk, priced at £1.77 - ill at ease

From Amazon.com, priced at $2.87 - ill at ease

The collection is also available, on a range of formats, from Smashwords.

Don’t have a Kindle? No problem, Amazon provide a range of free app’s that allow you to read them on whatever device you might have:

Kindle for PC & laptop
Kindle for iPhone
Kindle for Blackberry
Kindle for iPad
Kindle for Android

More details at the PenMan Press website or join the Facebook Group.

Tuesday 14 June 2011

"ill at ease" - Official Publication Date - 17/6/11

PenMan Press will publish “ill at ease” - through Amazon Kindle - on Friday 17th June. It will appear from Smashwords the following week and will be available on all formats.

The ebook collection features three original stories of the macabre, from Stephen Bacon, myself and Neil Williams, along with afterwords.

For more information, in addition to the publishers website, there’s also a Facebook Group that’s free to join.

The book has garnered two very nice blurbs already:

'Here are three writers with singular voices who have, nevertheless, somehow managed to merge their talents to imbue the whole of this slim collection with a kind of menace that is like oil on skin: difficult to remove and persistent. For relative newcomers to show such restraint, to trust in the subtle and the unsaid, is rare indeed. Ill at Ease is a treat, and I hope it finds many readers.'
Conrad Williams, British Fantasy Award winning author of One and Loss Of Separation

"Childhood memories, a seemingly idyllic English town, a car seat found in a skip... The three chilling tales from "Ill at Ease" ably demonstrate that horror can be found in the most mundane places, and a sense of unease is always much closer than we think."
Gary McMahon, author of Pretty Little Dead Things and The Concrete Grove

Come and find out what all the fuss is about.

Here’s the artwork and blurb for my story, Come See My House In The Pretty Town

Best Viewed Large!

Thursday 9 June 2011

In a rare turn-up for the books, I've won something!

I found out yesterday that I won tickets so Alison & I will be here!

Haven't seen INXS since 2002, can't wait!

Monday 6 June 2011

On Editing

Steve Lockley has decided, for the month of June, to open his blog up to various guests, who will each take a day and supply a post on whatever they want to discuss.  I chose editing, one of my favourite writing-related activities.

You can read the post here.  Why not pop over, have a gander, give it a read?  And if you like it, let me or Steve know!

Sunday 5 June 2011

Dude rode without his stabilisers today!

Imagine his little legs, pumping away at those pedals, his bike-helmet slipped back a little, his head forward slightly, concentration writ large on his face.

For a few moments, as I chased him down the folly, that kid was born to be wild...

Friday 3 June 2011

June's VideoVista issue is now online...

...and, amongst some other cracking reviews, contains three of mine.

"The Eleventh Aggression" is terrible, a real waste of time. DO NOT WATCH IT (though my review might be quite amusing, for a passing chuckle)

"Arachnid" is bad, saved by a cracking Steve Johnson (of xfx) spider.

"The Beyond", the Fulci masterpiece from 1981, which I really enjoyed.

Check them out - and the other reviews here while you're at it!