Hello, it’s been a while, but I’m back with a free short story and various news! Leading with the main part: to tide you over in the world of the Blood Scouts, I’m releasing my short THEY DIG GRAVES THE SAME WAY, available everywhere now to read for free (you can use whatever store you prefer, but there’s a direct link below).
I’ve had my head down consolidating a lot of material that’s been waiting for more attention recently, and this short story was one element of that – something I wrote for magazine publication which never quite found a home. It’s a quick read that leaves a lasting impression. I also have a spiffy cover design to share for it – custom made by myself, primarily using a 3D model I adapted. What do you think?
They Dig Graves the Same Way
This short story pits us in the mines under no man’s land, featuring a plucky cirgrat and one of the original Blood Scouts. Here’s the blurb:
Beneath the fields and between the trenches, in the dark of the tunnels, Folger digs.
He digs for his country, and for the war, and for the safety of all he knows.
But mostly, he digs to survive.
Under explosions and gunfire he is safe – until she enters his world, and brings the war with her.
Experience the drama and thrills of The One War in miniature with this claustrophobic and chilling Blood Scouts short story, a dark military fantasy perfect for fans of the series and newcomers alike!
Download the eBook directly for free, no strings attached, here, or click the button below.
And if you enjoy the story, please let others know about it.
Coming Soon…
The next Blood Scouts book is coming along a little slowly, hence this snippet as a bridge in the meantime. I’m not sure an autumn release will be possible, as the book is growing more epic, with the scouts once again embroiled in the main meat of the war.
Meanwhile, I’ve been focusing on a couple of other unpublished novels I wanted to get out in the meantime. Firstly, there’s The Worst Survive, a dystopian action thriller that’s all but complete. If you haven’t already checked that out, read my intro here.
It’s been with beta readers for a bit and received a lot of encouraging feedback, so all that remains is some final polishes and the cover. I wanted to design a new cover for it, but I’ve also had some good feedback on my existing one, so I’m leaning towards sticking with it for now. Except I have two options – gritty desert or neon tones. Which do you prefer?
I’m leaning back towards my original ambient look myself.
Crime Thrills
The other novel I’ve been working on is my crime thriller you may have seen me mention, in which troubled investigator Toni March returns to her home town to defend her father, accused of murder. She’s not sure if he’s innocent.
It’s a classic bit of contemporary mystery with the usual dark atmosphere and complex character-work you might expect from me, with a few twists along the way – but you may have to wait a little longer for it, as I’ve currently got it under consideration with a few agents to see what avenue’s best to take it in.
Into the Multi-Media
Another thing you’ve likely seen me mention is that I’m delving into the world of 3D animation and computer game design. I’ve been doing courses and getting practice in this for some time, and am finally ready to produce a full game.
The project I’m focusing on in the outset is an anomaly horror which is a simple (but sinister) set-up for a nasty little story of small-town greed (and monsters in the dark).
I’ve give you more details on all that soon, as well as a few avenues of 3D materials I’m planning to present different kinds of stories, some of which will directly connect to my existing fiction and some of which will go in new directions.
I’ll keep you posted.
Publishing Costs Panel
Lastly, I was honoured to be invited onto another panel recently, in this case doing a talk on Publishing Costs for Spotlight Indie. This was a really interesting discussion that I hope a lot of people will dip into; massive thanks to Holly and her team for setting it up, and to my fellow very insightful panellists (whose books you should definitely check out), Patrick Samphire and Chantelle Fouire.
That’s all for now; enjoy the short story and the panel!
