Interview with David Moody

I recently had a chat with one of my literary heroes, David Moody, author of the HATER trilogy, the AUTUMN series, and his latest release STRANGERS. He's a great writer and a top bloke, and it's an honour to interview him for my humble blog.

How would you describe your writing style?


Straight and to the point. I know I’m no literary genius, and that really doesn’t bother me. I just want to tell good stories with strong characters which appeal to a wide audience. Sometimes I think people try too hard to be clever with their writing; overly flowery language, overuse of a thesaurus, metaphor after metaphor after metaphor... I’m always conscious that the more layers of detail you provide, the less there is for your reader to imagine, and the less opportunity you have to surprise them. I want people to identify with my characters and the situations they find themselves in, so I like to leave enough room in my novels for readers to imagine the fine details for themselves.



Which of your books would you recommend as a good starting point for someone who hasn’t read your work?


I’d recommend either the first AUTUMN or HATER novels, or perhaps the re-written version of my debut novel STRAIGHT TO YOU (which was released this year... avoid the original 1996 edition at all costs!). As I’m in full-on promotional mode at the moment, I’d also have to suggest my latest novel, STRANGERS.

Do you have a favourite character from any of your novels?



Good question! I’d have to say Danny McCoyne from the HATER series. He’s become outrageously popular, actually, and people ask me about him all the time. I think of HATER as his story, first and foremost: the story of a faceless nobody who’s all but given up on life but who, through no fault of his own, is forced to live through hell and play a pivotal role in a series of events which will decide the course of the entire human race (what’s left of it, anyway!). A close second would be Scott Griffiths, from STRANGERS. In the few weeks the book has been out, I’ve had a load of feedback about him. He’s neither the hero or the villain of the story, and I really enjoyed writing about him in layers. What I mean by that is, whenever you think you’ve got a handle on who and what he is, he wrong-foots you.




What is the best piece of writing advice you’ve received?



Keep writing. I don’t know who first said it to me or when, but there’s no more important rule. If you want to be a writer, you just have to keep writing and writing and writing...





Who are your literary heroes/heroines?



John Wyndham, HG Wells, Richard Matheson and James Herbert. The first three because they wrote some of the most important novels in the genres I love (and I’m thinking specifically about THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS, WAR OF THE WORLDS and I AM LEGEND). James Herbert’s DOMAIN changed the way I thought about horror fiction, and set me on the path to writing it myself. I was fortunate to meet Jim a couple of times before he died, and in the short time I spent talking to him (both one-to-one and in front of large audiences at events to celebrate the release of his last novel, ASH), he pulled no punches and told me in no uncertain terms what it takes to succeed as a writer. And as he’d sold over fifty-six million books by that stage, I listened attentively to every word!






What book do you wish you’d written?



See my previous answer. THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS. My favourite book of all time. Wyndham managed to make a completely ridiculous premise (most of the population go blind and are menaced by seven foot tall carnivorous walking plants) feel uncomfortably plausible. Terrifying and ground-breaking. Everyone working in the genre should read TRIFFIDS at least once.

What book are you currently reading?



Now this will seem like a set-up, but I actually just finished reading THE LAST PLAGUE by some young upstart called Hawkins! I’m on a JG Ballard kick at the moment, so after reading a few new novels I’ve promised to blurb, I’ll be diving into HIGH-RISE.






What do you like to do when you’re not writing?



Films! I have a ‘to watch’ pile which is almost as high as my ‘to read’ pileI I’m fortunate to live in walking distance of a multiplex, and have a daughter who works there from time to time and brings home free tickets... I also love live music and comedy. My real passion, though, is running. I train several times a week and take part in a number of races each year (anything up to half-marathon distance). Weirdly, I also manage to get a lot of work done when I’m running. It’s the only time my thinking doesn’t get interrupted!





What advice would you give to new writers just starting out in the business?



See my earlier answer – keep writing! It’s as simple as that. I had many false starts to my writing career, and I only managed to finish my first novel when I got strict with myself and imposed a few rules (I will write at least a page a day, I will not go back and revise until I’ve finished a draft...). Just keep going and remember you’re likely to jettison most of your first draft. Finally, take all feedback on the chin. Don’t get angry, don’t get defensive... LISTEN. If someone’s taking the time to tell you what they thought about your story – no matter how hard it might be to take – you should hear what they have to say. Console yourself with the knowledge that your writing had an impact on them (so big an impact, in fact, that they’ve felt the need to tell you!).

What do you think of the current state of the horror genre?



Pretty good, actually, but it has one hell of an image problem. It always has had, and it probably always will do. I have a problem with labelling horror as a genre, if I’m honest. It covers such a wide range of stories and situations, don’t you think? To classify something as just ‘horror’ is often doing a book or film a real disservice. Horror is more an emotion than a category. Think of it this way... if you write a Western, you know there’ll be cowboys and sheriffs and shootouts and the like. If you write Horror, though, you could be writing about anything happening anywhere at any time. Some of the most horrific books of the last decade (I’m thinking of THE ROAD, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN, books of that ilk) would NEVER be classified as horror!






It’s well-documented that you’re a big fan of the nightmarish ‘Threads’, which still haunts me to this day. If you were approached to write a remake of it, regardless of money, would you be tempted to give it a go? Or would you feel it’s a needless remake and turn the offer down?



I’d turn it down. No question. THREADS is a seminal piece of film-making which I don’t think could be bettered. It’s also a product of its time, so would be very different today. That said, I’ve often said that one of the things I most admire about THREADS is that it begins in a very CORONATION STREET style... everything’s very twee and personal. You invest in these ordinary characters and then (quite literally) BOOM! Their world is all but destroyed. This would never happen, but I’d love to create a series which starts out as a soap opera kind of thing but then, after about six months or so, completely without warning, there’d be a nuclear attack or alien invasion or similar. Christ, that’d be great viewing!






What are you working on at the moment?



More projects than I’ve got time to finish, unfortunately! I’m writing my first middle-grade novel which I’m describing as a cross between GODZILLA and ET. I’m also working on a new four book horror/ science-fiction series called THE SPACES BETWEEN, which looks at the huge gulf between our perceptions of reality and our actual reality in the 21st century. I’m also planning another novel for 2015 called FOCUS, which I’ll not say anything about just yet!






If you had the chance to co-write a novel with an author of your choice, who would it be?



I’m going to be an obnoxious arse here and say no one. I love writing, but I don’t have any desire to share the process with anyone else at the moment. Maybe that’ll change in the future. As I just said, though, I’ve got too many ideas to cope with at the moment, and I’m keen to get all of them written and released first!






Finally, are there any nuggets of info about future works you’re willing to share?



Revealing that my middle-grade book will be a cross between GODZILLA and ET was probably a nugget I should have kept to myself! I do like describing current projects in terms of influences, though, so I’ll leave you with a description of THE SPACES BETWEEN: Think BREAKING BAD meets THE BRIDGE by way of QUATERMASS and CHILDREN OF MEN!







Check out David's website at: http://davidmoody.net/



http://www.amazon.co.uk/David-Moody/e/B001JSCGOU/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1418933869&sr=1-2-ent




http://www.amazon.com/David-Moody/e/B001JSCGOU/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1418933912&sr=1-2-ent

Interview with Craig Saunders

I recently had a chat with awesome writer and all-round good bloke Craig Saunders, author of 'The Estate' and 'Deadlift', among others. He's one of the nicest guys in the business and it's a pleasure to have him here to talk about his writing.

How would you describe your writing style?

Short. Terse. Interspersed with the occasional long, unwieldy sentence to accentuate a point and break up the pace a little, in order, largely, to allow the reader to catch their breath or make a cup of tea.

Like that.



Which of your books would you recommend as a good starting point for someone who hasn’t read your work?

Deadlift, a novella with DarkFuse, seems to have been pretty well received. I'd suggest that, for beginners. If a reader likes it, it's a good jump off point - novellas, by and large, are my favourite medium. Short enough to blast through, long enough to build a little tension.

Do you have a favourite character from any of your novels?

Probably a guy called Frank Leibowicz, a heavy/enforcer who survives the early days of an apocalypse in a forthcoming story from DarkFuse called 'Left to Darkness'. It's due 2014. He's a good character. A bad man, doing the right thing.



What is the best piece of writing advice you’ve received?

Don't assume the reader knows what you know - my wife told me this early on. It's good advice I've tried to heed since. Plenty of times I want to be vague, let the reader fill in the gaps...but they won't always make the connection, because they're (obviously) not you...



Who are your literary heroes/heroines?

Vonnegut, Murakami, Banks, Pratchett, King, Gemmell. Probably a lot more besides, too.



What book do you wish you’d written?

The Stand...I'd still be raking it in, and it'd be nice to have a steady income. ;)



What book are you currently reading?

Last book I read was King's Doctor Sleep. Now? Nothing. I'm writing a book, and I don't read at all when I'm mid-story. Can't multitask for toffee. I remember reading King's 'On Writing' years ago, about how he reads a thousand million books a year (I might be exaggerating...). Fine, I think, if you have a ton of time to read and write. Personally, I don't have the time or dedication to read much while writing a story. It's one or the other. I read when I'm between stories. It's just what works for me.



What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

Write more. I don't really enjoy not writing. I suppose I watch films, or play games, or read, in between stories. But I vastly prefer making stuff up.

What advice would you give to new writers just starting out in this sordid business?

It's a job. Approach it as such. And, like any job, I think for most you have to work hard to get anywhere. Don't expect a bolt of lightning like a massive three-book deal with a New York publisher, or a million-pound movie rights sale...work and do some more work while you're waiting and hoping for that, instead. Hmm...yeah, that's it for advice.



What do you think of the current state of the horror genre?

Don't honestly know - I read a fair few 'newer' authors, McMahon, Curran, Nevill are my current go-to guys. I like horror, still. Maybe the 'bigger' names are feeling a little tired, to me. Doesn't mean horror's better or worse...just different. And, as my wife always say, different isn't wrong.

I don't really know what that means, mind you.



What are you working on at the moment?

I've got three on the go, but I haven't decided, and three sequels to write for series. Probably a standalone about an old couple killing people. That's the front runner.



If you could swap bodies with any ‘famous’ writer for a day, who would it be?

Abercrombie. I'd like to see the inside of his head. He's one of my current favourites.



If you had the chance to co-write a novel with an author of your choice, who would it be?

I'm not sure I'm capable of being a co-author - I don't play well with the other kids, nor do I ever leave my shed. But...I don't know. I'd have to be someone I got on with personally, I think. I like Matt Shaw. He's a nut.

Finally, are there any nuggets of info about future works you’re willing to share?

Bloodeye, a novella, is out in September. 'Masters of Blood and Bone' and 'Left to Darkness' (novels) both out 2014. My suggestion would be either or both of the novels...they'll be more set in both (different) worlds… novellas, if, like me, you enjoy a short, sharp read - I've two of those out next year ('Flesh and Coin' and 'Unit 731'). Left to Darkness is the one with Frank Leibowicz...

Cheers, Rich!




Check out Craig's blog at:http://craigrsaunders.blogspot.co.uk/p/deadlift-by-craig-saunders.html

And his books on Amazon :)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Craig-Saunders/e/B003TYAKFO/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1409943464&sr=1-2-ent


http://www.amazon.com/Craig-Saunders/e/B003TYAKFO/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1409943512&sr=1-2-ent

Interview with Wayne Simmons

I recently spoke to Wayne Simmons, bestselling author of FLU and PLASTIC JESUS, a good bloke and one of the most relevant voices in horror fiction at the moment.

BIO:

Belfast born, Wayne Simmons, has loitered with intent around the horror genre for some years. He penned reviews and interviews for several online zines before publication of his debut novel in 2008.
Wayne’s work has since been published in the UK, Austria, Germany, Spain, Turkey and North America. His bestselling zombie novel, FLU, was serialised by Sirius XM’s Book Radio.
He’s a regular contributor to Skin Deep Tattoo Magazine and co-hosts extreme metal show, Doom N’ Gloom. He has his own podcast, HACK, and co-produces the Scardiff Horror Expo.
Wayne currently lives in Wales with his ghoulfiend and a Jack Russel terrier called Dita.
Look out for Wayne at various genre, music and tattoo events.

 

 

 

 

How would you describe your writing style?

 

I try to write the kind of thing that I, myself, like to read. And while, like many horror hacks, I grew up on King, over the last few years I’ve been reading a lot of noir and old school pulp. So, I guess I aim for the sharpness of the pulp/ noir stuff (economic prose, short chapters, lots of cliffhangers and hooks) with the characterisation and emotive weight of King. Whether I achieve that or not is another thing…

 

 

Which of your books would you recommend as a good starting point for someone who hasn’t read your work?

 

That’ll be the latest one, THE GIRL IN THE BASEMENT. Not only is it my favourite to date, it’s also the shortest and least expensive (77p/ 99c on e-book). So, I’d say it’s a good way of seeing what I’m about with low investment of time/ money on the reader’s part.

 

How would you describe your writing style?

 

I try to write the kind of thing that I, myself, like to read. And while, like many horror hacks, I grew up on King, over the last few years I’ve been reading a lot of noir and old school pulp. So, I guess I aim for the sharpness of the pulp/ noir stuff (economic prose, short chapters, lots of cliffhangers and hooks) with the characterisation and emotive weight of King. Whether I achieve that or not is another thing…

 

 

Which of your books would you recommend as a good starting point for someone who hasn’t read your work?

 

That’ll be the latest one, THE GIRL IN THE BASEMENT. Not only is it my favourite to date, it’s also the shortest and least expensive (77p/ 99c on e-book). So, I’d say it’s a good way of seeing what I’m about with low investment of time/ money on the reader’s part.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you have a favourite character from any of your novels?

 

Harold Shepherd from PLASTIC JESUS is one of my favourites. He was an interesting one to write: the old school preacher who’s losing his faith. I know that archetype’s been done a million times before, but I enjoyed doing it for the millionth and one time. And hopefully I brought something new to the table.

 

 

Your latest novel, PLASTIC JESUS, was a departure from your usual horror stories. Do you plan to write more sci-fi in the future?

 

Not sure about sci-fi, but I sure as hell plan on writing more noir – and PJ is as much noir as it is sci-fi, I reckon.

 

 

What is the best piece of writing advice you’ve received?

 

Thomas Emson once said to write in the same voice you’d use to tell your mate a story down at the pub. I’m not a drinking man anymore but I do still write to an audience of one: my fictitious mate down at the fictitious pub.

 

 

 

Who are your literary heroes/heroines?

 

I love the old school. In horror, that would be Stephen King and Shaun Hutson. In crime/ noir, we’re talking Lawrence Block, Mickey Spillane, Peter Hamill, Day Keene, Gil Brewer… I could go on for hours.

 

What book do you wish you’d written?

 

Going to cheat and give you two: THE SINS OF THE FATHERS by Lawrence Block (noir) and CARRIE by Stephen King (horror).

 

 

What book are you currently reading?

 

I’m reading the second in the Gabriel Hunt series: HUNT THROUGH THE CRADLE OF FEAR by Charles Ardai (Titan Books). It’s a real thrillride: think Indiana Jones in the 21^st century.

 

 

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

 

Listen to and play noisy music. I’ve been playing guitar and bass on and off for years – sometimes in bands. Just got a new guitar and I’m really loving it.  

 

 

What advice would you give to new writers just starting out in this sordid business?

 

Keep your feet on the ground and your head as far away from your arse as possible. 

 

What do you think of the current state of the horror genre?

 

I think it’s booming in film right now. Lot of very talented filmmakers emerging from the independent scene. Within literature, I’m less excited, to be honest. With the exception of David Moody and a few others, I don’t read contemporary horror and haven’t done for years. These days, I tend to get my horror fix from contemporary crime fiction, which seems to encapsulate all the things I used to enjoy within old-school horror fiction.

 

Would you ever consider self-publishing?

 

Sure. But never as a shortcut. 

 

 

You have recently started the HACK podcast. How’s it going?

 

Ha! It’s not going right now. Been too much other stuff on my plate. But I hope to get back to it real soon. I enjoy podcasting. It’s a fun way to talk about the things I get a kick out of: reading, writing, music, film, tattoos.

 

 

What are you working on at the moment?

 

This interview J

 

 

As you’ve already done Jesus (not in that way), what other deity do you think is ripe for plasticizing?

 

Ha! In the spirit of political correctness, I’m going to say all of them, so as not to offend any one particular god/ goddess/ transgendered god/dess.

 

 

If you had the chance to co-write a novel with an author of your choice, who would it be?

 

Geez, I’ve never thought of that. I think co-writing with Shaun Hutson would be a blast.

 

 

You co-produced last year’s SCARdiff horror convention/expo, and it was a great success, in my humble opinion. Are you excited about this year’s event?

 

Very much so! We’re really upping the ante with this year’s event with even more interactivity. We’ve our SFX duel, live horror-themed music, horror henna tattoos, a pitching panel called THE DRAGON’S PEN, GORE-geous pin-up girls and an albino python called Honey.  Plus guests such as Adam Nevill, Tim Lebbon and David Moody signing throughout the day at our Waterstone’s table. It’s going to be a riot. And at £6.66, tickets are selling fast. Best get in quick: www.scardiff.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, are there any nuggets of info about future works you’re willing to share?

 

Nothing in particular. I’ve loads on the go. Too much, maybe. But as long as people keep reading my stuff, I’ll keep writing it.

 

Thanks for your support, Rich. Very much appreciated!

 

 

More information on Wayne and his writing can be found at: http://waynesimmons.org/blog/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Last Plague Pre-order and Release Date

Just a quick post to let you all know that my debut novel 'The Last Plague' will be released on August 31st and is now available for pre-order over at Crowded Quarantine Publications' website.
It's been a long way from when I started writing the story about two years ago, and a lot has happened during that time. Seems like such a long time ago. Strange how time flies so quickly.

Anyway, hope you're all well. Cheers!

When Great Britain is hit by a devastating epidemic, four old friends must cross a chaotic, war-torn England to reach their families and evade the victims of the plague – cannibalistic, mutated monsters whose only desires are to infect and feed. Along the way, the men find a girl who has lost her parents to the infected, and they are forced to protect her as they try to find shelter and safety in a country overwhelmed by THE LAST PLAGUE.    

http://www.crowdedquarantine.co.uk/pre-orders.html

The Last Plague and Other News

Maybe you've already heard from my constant wittering about it, but my debut novel THE LAST PLAGUE is due to be released at the end of August. The cover has been revealed, also, and I think it's a thing of beauty. Great work by Adam and Zoe Millard over at Crowded Quarantine Publications, and thanks to Paul M. Feeney for the quote on the cover. I just hope that people enjoy the book when (if) they read it. It's a weird feeling, knowing that by this time next month the book will nearly be out and I'll be a father for the first time, too. Sometimes, life is good.

In other news, I've submitted my novella 'BLACK STAR, BLACK SUN' to a publisher I've always wanted to work with and admired from afar during the last few years, which of course makes the waiting even more nerve-wracking! But it's all good, and if it doesn't work out, that's how it goes.

I've just started work on what will either be a novella or novel provisionally titled CHILDREN OF DUST AND SMOKE, about a man in search of his missing son. It's a ghost story about lost children and crimes from the past, and it's got the potential to be very, very bleak. I'm just not sure *how* bleak. But I suppose anything with dead children in it will veer in that direction...

So that's it, at the moment. Hope all is well with you wonderful people. And don't stay out in the sun too long.

Cheers.

PROGRESS?

Hello! Welcome back, haven't seen you in a while. Pull up a chair and warm your cold hands by the fire. And please ignore the beckoning voices from outside...


The first draft of my novella 'Vermillion Fields' is heading towards the final stages, and as much I've enjoyed (sort of) writing it, I'll be glad to take a break from it and work on something else. I've submitted three short stories the last few weeks, so I hope to hear about them fairly soon. Had a short story rejected a couple of weeks ago, but that's the way it goes and I didn't like the story much anyway. (I'm not bitter. Honest)


I've been paid for my short story 'FATHOMS', which will appear in a forthcoming issue of BIG PULP magazine, so I'm now officially a 'paid writer' or whatever the hell that means :) Many thanks to Bill Olver, the head honcho of BIG PULP for accepting my story. I just need to make my first million, then I can retire gracefully ;)


Aside from all that, I've got several ideas for short stories brewing in my head and waiting to be scribbled down. There are a few anthologies I'll be submitting to and, also, a short story competition.

Hope all of you out in the internet wastelands are well. Cheers!

BLACK CHAOS

I've just seen the cover for Big Pulp magazine's zombie issue BLACK CHAOS, which includes my short story 'Fathoms'. It looks pretty damn cool, and I must say it's some great work by the artist Ken Knudtsen. Can't wait for the issue to be released, and it's my first paying gig so I'm geeking out to a ridiculous extent about it.


In other news, THE LAST PLAGUE is getting closer and closer to release, and I'm counting down the days. Can't wait to hold a copy of it in my hands. The editing process is finished and I've seen the cover, which is very impressive and tendril-like, but I can't reveal it yet unless I want to be kneecapped by the Millards!

Also, work on my novella VERMILION FIELDS is going well and the first draft is, at the moment, coming along quite nicely. I'm sure that will change, though...

That's all for now! Stay lucky, punks. Cheers!

Progress and Soundtracks

I've been going through a bit of a lean spell with the ol' writing in the last few weeks. But that seems to be improving at the moment and I'm making decent progress on my cosmic-weird horror novella VERMILION FIELDS while researching all kinds of strange stuff and getting some ideas down for various short stories. So I can't complain really. But I probably will at some point anyway. It's in my nature and I'm British...


Been listening to a lot of Suede, Radiohead, Portishead and Manic Street Preachers while writing. Good music helps, especially when trying to imagine blasted wastelands and cosmic entities that can devour planets like a pregnant woman would gobble up Maltesers. Since I finished my forthcoming novel THE LAST PLAGUE I've tried to take writing more seriously and I've attempted to get some words down every day even when there hasn't been much time, but it's bloody hard sometimes (most of the time) and there's always some household job to do or the temptation to procrastinate, but I think I'm getting there. But it's a long bloody road and there're a lot of potholes.

As long as there is coffee and cheese, there will be words.


Cheers!

Occult Goodness

After waiting a while for it to be re-released, I recently finished 'Banquet for the Damned' by Adam Nevill, one of my favourite scribes. While it's not, in my humble opinion, the strongest of Mr Nevill's novels (that would be 'The Ritual'), it's still easily one of the best books I've read in the last year and there aren't many novels I've read in my adult life that have unsettled me in such a way. However, I'm pretty crap at reviews, so I'll just throw some words out there like an ape lobbing its own excrement at a wall, and hope to do justice to the novel with my meagre scribblings. Two friends and failing rock musicians, Dante and Tom, arrive in the university town of St. Andrews after being invited by Dante's hero Professor Eliot Coldwell, who wrote 'Banquet for the Damned', a book that had quite an effect on young Dante. But not all is as it seems, and the town is rife with the disappearances of students and rumours of a nocturnal visitor plaguing them. Strange things are afoot. Whispers of witchcraft and the occult. The town seems infested with dread and darkness. Bad dreams and bad memories. I enjoyed the novel immensely. A story in the occult tradition of old Hammer films and the work of MR James. Great stuff. Also, my copy of 'The Croning' by Laird Barron was delivered. I've read his short story collection 'The Imago Sequence' so I can't wait to get stuck into this. Until next time. *waves goodbye*

Vermilion Fields

Tonight I started work on a new story titled 'Vermilion Fields'. I'm not sure if it'll be a novel or a novella yet - I'll see how it goes. It's about a man who returns to his home village and discovers that the walls between worlds and realities are very thin in some places. And sometimes...things come through to visit us. Very bad things.

NEW PROJECTS

I've been going through a bit of a rut lately with my writing. I finished a short story - which I quite enjoyed writing - and then returned to the novel I was working on and had written almost sixty thousand words. I managed to squeeze out a few thousand more words on it but then I went into a bit of a slump with the story. I became bored with the plot, became apathetic towards the characters and generally lost interest in them. This has continued for days. In short, I didn't care about them. I still don't. And if I don't care about them, then the reader won't care about them. Well, that was my logic, not sure if it holds true or not, but that's how I see it. So I've decided, as there's no deadline for the novel, to take a long, long break and move on to other projects for a while. There's a few short story ideas and an idea for a 'cosmic horror' novella flitting around my head, so I'm going to get started on them while the clock ticks down to the release of my novel THE LAST PLAGUE. In other news, I've had a look at the front cover for THE LAST PLAGUE, and it looks brilliant. Thanks to Adam and Zoe at Crowded Quarantine Publications. Can't wait until it's released. *waves goodbye*

Just a quick update. I've decided to start blogging again, mainly to spread the word about my debut novel 'The Last Plague', coming soon from Crowded Quarantine Publications, and my writing in general. I'm not very good at pimping myself out as a writer...in fact I'm pretty awful at self-promotion, to be fair. Even so, please feel free to stop by the blog and check out my meandering, dribble-soaked musings about writing, horror and other random stuff. Well, that's all for now. *waves goodbye*