Author: fifiphil

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A catch up in April

cup of tea and a bunch of daffodils

It’s been a while since I wrote a catch-up blog, so I thought April was the ideal month to let you know what’s been going on in the Life of Fi. 2023 has been hectic so far – generally in a good way – but that hasn’t stopped me from working on my novel or taking on new creative challenges.

Writing book 3 (and 4)

I began writing the third book in my YA futuristic fantasy series last year. I mapped the whole book out before I made a start and even back then, it did seem a lot to fit into 300 odd pages. Having written a generous portion of book three, I now realise that what I’d mapped out was not one book, but two. My challenge now is to decide where I can satisfactorily end book three (with a big, exciting finish) and begin book four.

What this means for you as a reader of course, is that there should be less time between the release of the two books. Hopefully.

Book 5 of the Haven Chronicles

Since I finished writing Haven Wakes, I’ve known exactly how I wanted to end the series. Clues have been dropped in books one and two and there’ll be more clues in books three and four. Book five will be the end of one journey but will leave plenty of doors open for more adventures elsewhere. Sorry to sound vague and mysterious but, you know, spoilers.

Creative Fi

2022 was a brilliant year in so many ways, but it was also a year that demanded I spend a lot of time at my desk, head down writing and planning in an attempt to keep ahead of my schedule as a copywriter and an author. There was little time for side projects. So I decided that this year would be all about new creative outlets that are fun.

First, I came across a flash fiction write-athon on Twitter called #7DayTale. Write a story in seven tweets, one each day for a week, on a provided theme. It’s a monthly event that I discovered thanks to the wonderful poet and author Lily Lawson.

The second new creative outlet for 2023 is my craft business. I used to make semi-precious jewellery for a living and while I gave that up several years ago, I’ve always wanted to return to working with beads and charms. As I’m an author and all about books, you probably won’t be surprised to discover that I’ve started a business making bookmarks. It’s called Bookmarks and Charms by Fi.

Finally, I’ve returned to a platform I first discovered about a decade ago – Tumblr. I’m not sure exactly how I’m going to use my new author account – Magical Possibilities – but it’ll probably include:

  • work in progress news and snippets
  • requests for beta and ARC readers
  • book reviews (not my books)
  • flash fiction and small stones
  • book cover reveals
  • news from other speculative fiction authors and my publisher
  • thoughts and musings
  • photos from the Life of Fi

If you’re a Tumblr user, then I’d love to connect over there.

Final Words

I’ll finish this catch up with a snippet from my work in practice, book three of the Haven Chronicles. This scene happens in Darkacre just when Steve desperately needs to be cheered up.

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“It really smells rounds here.” Steve covered his nose as a sweet, pungent stink wafted through the air. “What is that?”

“It’s not me,” said James. “I’ve washed today. Maybe Widow Wefan has been using goat manure on her garden plot again.”

There was a ‘ping’ and a scrabbling of claws as a squirrel materialised in the air in front of Steve’s face and then dropped to the cobbled road.

“Squirrel mail,” said Steve.

“Blimey,” said James.

With a chirp, the squirrel ran up Steve’s trouser leg, circled his torso, and came to rest on his shoulder. With a flourish, the squirrel pulled a note out of the air and gave a quick bark.

“I think it’s for you,” said James with a grin.

***

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Introducing The Great Big Demon Hunting Agency by Peter Oxley

book cover of The Great Big Demon Hunting Agency by Peter Oxley

Today is launch day for a brilliant novel, The Great Big Demon Hunting Agency by Peter Oxley. There’s demons and Victoriana and so much more but rather than prattle on myself, why don’t I share the book blurb with you instead?

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London, 1868. The streets are haunted by thieves, murderers… and demons from beyond the Aether.

Spencer and Bart are the city’s most incompetent crooks, and they are in deep trouble. Hunted by both police and their fellow criminals, they are forced to consider the unthinkable —going straight.

Forming The Great Big Demon Hunting Agency, they think their troubles are behind them, but they soon find themselves caught up in a web far more dangerous than they could ever imagine, pitched against demons, criminals and evil magicians.

The Great Big Demon Hunting Agency is the new novel from Peter Oxley, the author of the Infernal Aether series. If you like dark gothic adventures with a light-hearted twist, then you’ll love The Great Big Demon Hunting Agency.

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If the author’s name sounds familiar that’s because he’s one of the co-creators of Burning Chair Publishing and I’ve interviewed him on this blog before. Peter kindly let me read an ARC of his latest novel and I have to say it’s a keeper – exciting, funny, and scary too. You can find my book review over on Instagram.

So to mark the publication of The Great Big Demon Hunting Agency, I had a wee chat with Peter. Here’s what we talked about.

Congratulations on the release of your latest novel, Peter. How does it feel to have the Great Big Demon Hunting Agency published and out in the big wide world?

Really great – mainly because it’s taken waaay too long for me to get this book out! It’s been a long time in the writing, mainly because I’ve been so focused over the past few years on editing and producing other authors’ books in our Burning Chair stable. So this book has been like a neglected child – always sat there, half-finished, giving me doe eyes while I spent all my time on all of the other stuff I had to do. While working on other peoples’ stuff is really rewarding, it’s been tough – as you’ll know, us writers don’t just want to write, we NEED to write. So I made a decision last year to be a bit more selfish with my time and actually follow through on all these stories that have been backing up in my own head. So it’s even more of a relief than usual to get back in the saddle and chuck something of my own out there for the first time in years!

I’m sure it’s been worth the wait but for readers of your previous novels, how does GBDHA link to your Infernal Aether series?

The book was born out of the original Infernal Aether series and in particular two very minor characters who dipped in and out of the stories – London’s least competent criminals, Spencer and Bart. I had a lot of fun writing them at the time, but had to pare back their involvement in those books as they were too much of a distraction to the main storylines. So I cut them out of much of my original books, but they kept niggling at me until I gave in and wrote them their own story. It’s set in the same universe and after the events of the Infernal Aether – so we’re plunged into a Victorian London which is overrun with demons, golems and evil magicians. But GBDHA is very much its own story and is intentionally a lot lighter in tone than the darker and more gothic Infernal Aether series. But it’s fully intended to standalone as a story, so you don’t need to have read the Infernal Aether books to enjoy this one!

Will there be more GBDHA novels? What are you working on next?

100% yes – advance reader feedback’s been really great, and I’ve got plenty of ideas for where to take these characters next. I’m determined to not leave it so long until the next ones come out! So I’m already working on book 2 in the series, aiming to get that one out on the shelves later this year. The next story takes them out of London and the plan is to see them chasing demons around the Victorian countryside – I say that’s the plan, even though it’s plotted and I’ve started writing, as my books tend take on a life of their own as I write them, so who knows what the final story will be like!

Exciting stuff! I’ll keep an eye out for book 2. Thanks for talking to me, Peter and good luck with your book launch.

If you’re interested in buying The Great Big Demon Hunting Agency or finding out more about its author, here are all the links:

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What I love about being an author: the top 3

I’m an author. That phrase makes me smile. If you look for me online, you’ll find me described as a copywriter as well as an author. Or to put it another way, I get to do something I love (writing) for a career. How good is that?

Being an author isn’t always easy and there’s been a ton load of learning along the way, but I wouldn’t swap this path for any other. So I thought I’d share with you what I love most about being an author.

Sharing my stories and their worlds with my readers

When I was a child, I would act out plays and stories with my mismatched collection of dolls and teddy bears. Eventually, that turned into writing those stories down. As a pupil at school, I took great delight in sharing my stories in English classes. I mean, what’s not to like? I got free advice on what to improve and I had the chance to show the tales, characters, and worlds of my imagination to a willing audience.

When I finally left education, suddenly I didn’t have an outlet for sharing my stories anymore. I could show my parents, but they had a busy life. My friends were more interested in night outs and finding love. My then boyfriend thought writing stories was a waste of time.

Locally, there were a handful of writing classes but more often than not I found them a vehicle for the teacher’s taste in writing, rather than a place to share and talk about the stories we wanted to write.

As time went on, the internet widened our view of the world, social media was born, and online forums popped up on all kinds of topics. I gradually found online places where I could share my writing. I even had a few short stories published in magazines – both paper and online – over the years. I wanted to write novels though, and finding a home for those stories was a challenge. It was also a path that generally led to rejection. It felt like I was writing those stories only for myself and while I enjoyed that process, I wanted more.

Skip several years to now and thanks to the wonderful people at Burning Chair Publishing, my stories have found a home. I get to share my novels with an audience of readers who – according to the book reviews and kind words you leave on social media – enjoy reading my stories as much as I loved writing them.

Seeing my books on bookshelves (including my own)

I doubt there’s an author in the world who hasn’t felt a little joyful skip of the heart when they see their beloved novel on a bookshelf, even if that bookshelf is their own.

My novels haven’t made it into a physical bookstore yet, but seeing and holding actual copies of my books is a wonderful experience. It makes me feel like a ‘proper’ author, whatever that is. I think that’s why unboxing videos are so popular with authors and readers alike. And yes, there are copies of my novels on my own bookshelves.

I have even more reasons to read other people’s books

I’ve always been an avid reader but as an author, it’s important that I keep an eye on other novels in my genre (fantasy and sci fi) and broaden my literary horizons by reading other genres too. There’s so much to learn from other authors and how they tell their own stories, plus of course, I immensely enjoy reading. Hence why I have a precariously towering to-be-read pile.

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There are plenty more things that I love about being an author but these are my top three. With Haven Wakes and Magic Bound already out in the big wide world, working on the third novel in the series is just one more reason to feel incredibly lucky and grateful to be an author.

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What you can expect from me in 2023

Sh! I’m still on festive break officially but I thought I’d take advantage of the lull before I return to my desk to say ‘hi’. 2022 was a good, if exhausting year. I saw my latest novel published, got a wonderful new cover and relaunch for my debut novel, and even went off on a Norwegian fjord cruise with my other half.

2023, however, is a clean page that I’m keen to get scribbling on. Just in case you wanted to know, here’s what you can expect from me over the next twelve months.

Writing Book 3 of the Haven Chronicles

Last year, I started to write the third book in my YA futuristic fantasy series and there’ll be more of that in 2023. One question that many of my readers and reviewers have asked after reading Haven Wakes and Magic Bound is, ‘where are Steve’s parents?’. That question will finally be answered in book 3.

There’ll be new places to go, old and new foes to outsmart, and plenty more revelations about Steve and his family.

The festive break brought a new epiphany about the path of this series but that’s something to share once book 3 is published.

Social Media for Authors

My book of social media advice for authors remains in the hands of Burning Chair. Fingers crossed, it will be published this year.

In the meantime, if you’re an author looking for social media advice, head on over to my copywriter blog.

Subscriber treats

In December, subscribers to my Author News received the links and passwords to my fantasy novella, A Shadow Falls in Darkacre. The plan is to release at least one short story or novella in 2023 too.

By the way, if you’re not subscribed yet, you can sign up here. New subscribers receive a free short story set in the same world as my novels.

Book reviews

Writers are readers too and I’ll be attacking my to-be-read pile with the usual enthusiasm. I didn’t read as many books last year as I’d have liked to (only nine) so fingers crossed, I can do better this year. The target is twelve.

Here’s a taste of the first nine books I’ll be reading.

book covers of Prisoner of Paradise by Rob Samborn, Babes in the Woods by Mark Stay, Ghosts: Being the experiences of Flaxman Low, Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman, Exiles by Daniel Blythe, The Shepherds Crown by Terry Pratchett, Blackbirch 1 by K M Allan, Master and Apprentice by Susan Mansbridge, All the White Spaces by Ally Wilkes

As usual, you can find all of my book reviews over on Instagram.

My search for a literary agent

With two novels published and a third in the works, I feel that it’s time to find a literary agent. In 2023, I’ll be sending out submissions to UK literary agents who are interested in YA fantasy. I don’t have much more to say about that other than, wish me luck.

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And that’s it – my authorly plan for 2023. Fingers crossed.

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Merry Christmas from this household to yours

festive book and hot chocolate by Andreea Radu on Unsplash

It’s Christmas Eve and time to switch off until the new year. Looking back, it’s been a wonderful year with the birth of Magic Bound (plus a magical new book cover for Haven Wakes) and the continued support of readers like you.

So before I dive into the excitement and busy-ness of the big day, I’d just like to say, ‘thank you’ and wish you the most fabulous, festive break. Here’s to the kind of new year that brings out the best in and for us all.

Photo by Andreea Radu on Unsplash

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Author interview with Lily Lawson

book cove of Santa's Early Christmas by Lily Lawson

It’s the third and final of my December author interviews. This time it’s the turn of author, poet, and all round author helper, Lily Lawson. Her children’s picture book, Santa’s Early Christmas is no. 17 of my 24 recommended reads this month.

My interview with Lily

I know you as a poet, Lily, so what led you to write a children’s picture book?

I have written a few bits and pieces for children, accidentally you might say, from prompts. I tend to just go with wherever the prompt takes me. My children’s poems were well received so it made sense to explore the possibility of publishing them.

I used to write poems for my parents in their cards. Santa’s Early Christmas started out as a poem for my dad and one of the additional ones as a poem for my mam. The Santa poem has been edited to make it suitable for children. The original one will be a freebie in one of my December editions of Life with Lily.

What a lovely story. Do you think you’ll write more books for children?

There’s another one on the way. It’s at the editing stage. I expect to publish in early 2023. I would like to publish more at some point in the future.

Getting back to you as a poet, will you release any poetry collections in 2023?

I do intend to publish another collection in 2023. I am unsure of the details at the moment but once I have published my next book I will decide.

Lily’s poetry collections (so far)

What have been your favourite reads in 2022?

I will be announcing my Lily award winners and there are some hard choices. Unforgettable by R E Loten, and And then she fell by Dreena Collins both definitely deserve a mention. I have read a lot of poetry this year and a fair few short stories so there is a lot of competition in those categories. I have been surprised at what I have found myself reading at times, I love that.

What does the festive season look like for you and yours?

Nowadays things are much quieter than they used to be. We have simplified things a lot since my childhood Christmas’ of squashing into my nana’s and everyone hosting some sort of celebration. My dad and I will eat Christmas food and catch some festive TV.

Sounds like a lovely Christmas to me. Thanks for talking to my readers, Lily. Here’s to a fabulous festive break for you and your dad.

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If you’d like to find out more about Lily and her writing, here are all the links:

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Author interview with Suzanna Williams

book covers of 95 percent human and 5 percent human

It’s time for the second of my festive author interviews and today it’s the turn of action and sci fi author, Suzanna Williams. Suzanna is also a good friend and fellow Wales resident.

What’s more her latest novel, Five percent Alien is out today. Five percent Alien is the follow-up to YA sci fi read Ninety Five percent Human which is a personal favourite of mine. Five percent Alien is also today’s book recommendation.

My interview with Suzanna

I read your novel Ninety-five percent Human a few years back now and loved it. I can’t wait to read the follow-up, Five Percent Alien. Without giving up too much information, tell me what I can expect when I get my hands on a copy.

Glad you liked Ninety-five percent Human. In Five percent Alien you can expect:

  • More earth-plundering aliens and their spaceships
  • More jealous ex’s
  • More bad jokes from Jake the robot
  • Nan wielding a gun
  • A touch of romance
  • And another fun party at Joe’s local

Did you enjoy revisiting the characters of Joe and Sarah?

Joe and Sarah have always been special to me. I loved the idea that the farmer from Wales rescues and falls in love with an alien.

Ninety-five percent Human was all about Joe figuring out Sarah’s alien-hybrid secret, and Five percent Alien sees them trying to keep that secret. I have thoroughly enjoyed being really mean to them, throwing them problem after problem and watching them squirm.

But the most fun is getting jokes from Jake the evolving robot. I’m a terrible comedian, so the one-liners in the book must be coming from Jake himself, right?

paperback copies of Ninety Five Percent Human and Five Percent Alien

Ninety-five percent Human and the follow-up novel aren’t your only books. What else have you written?

I also have a YA trilogy called ShockWaves, which is an action thriller. I’m really excited right now because I’ve just had a new book trailer made. I’m not promoting it until the new year, but your readers can have a sneaky preview (click on the image below).

What have been your favourite reads in 2022?

My unexpected favourite book this year has been The Last Whale by Chris Vick. This is an upper middle grade/YA book, but it is sooooooo much more. I was blown away with the storytelling and the important message it holds. Told over three generations of a family in Norway, it’s simultaneously old-fashioned and futuristic, a gentle story yet exciting. Everyone of all ages should read this book. Yes, I’m totally fan-girling. Just read it.

What does the festive season look like for you and yours?

After a few co-vid Christmases where my family have been kept apart, I’m looking forward to getting together with my children and grandchildren this year. We squeeze everyone round our table, eat too much, and invariably end up having a musical play-along on Christmas night.

A peek through the Williams’ window at Christmas

Alongside the presents and hyped up craziness, Christmas can bring a lot of difficult emotions for many people, so I’d like to wish you and all your readers a healthy, peaceful and prosperous new year filled with many hours of reading wonderful books.

That’s very true, Suzanna. All the best to you and yours this festive season and thank you for talking to my readers today.

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If you’d like to find out more about Suzanna and all her books, here are the links:

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Author interview with Andrew Neil MacLeod

author interview with Andrew Neil MacLeod and book covers for both of his novels

It’s December and that can only mean one thing – author interviews and plenty of them. Well, actually three of them, starting today with fellow Burning Chair author Andrew Neil MacLeod. Andrew is a writer of dark, gothic, historical tales.

His first novel, The Fall of the House of Thomas Weir, is today’s book recommendation on my social media channels (window no. 7).

His second novel, The Stone of Destiny, was published on Halloween this year.

My interview with Andrew

I thoroughly enjoyed reading your first novel, The Fall of the House of Thomas Weir, with its paranormal slant on historical Edinburgh. Once I get my Christmas money, I’ll be treating myself to the follow up novel. Without giving too much away, what can I expect when I get my hands on a copy of The Stone of Destiny? 

Thank you! In the second novel the canvas broadens, and the two friends embark on their long-anticipated tour of the Scottish Highlands in search of the titular stone. Concocting a cover story that they’re touring around Scotland’s Neolithic sites, they head for Scone, the first stop in a perilous quest to uncover the truth. Of course, they are not the only ones looking, and soon find themselves shadowed by a mysterious religious sect known as the Culdee. It quickly becomes apparent to our heroes that they’ve left behind the cosy certainties of their old lives and entered a realm where dark magic, perverted science and sheer terror lurk around every corner. 

That sounds right up my alley – I can’t wait. How did it feel to revisit the characters of Johnson and Boswell?

In one sense it’s like slipping into an old, familiar pair of slippers. But I can’t get lazy. I wanted to avoid doing a straight homage or pastiche of Holmes and Watson. Ostensibly the parallels are all there: Johnson, like Holmes, is a polymath, and James Boswell is his best friend and biographer. But the real Johnson and Boswell were considerable figures in their own right, and I wanted to do that justice. I also wanted to give them each a character arc, rather than presenting a series of adventures to be read in any order. The biggest challenge was to make their dialogue convincing. Both men were highly erudite and considerable wits, but I didn’t want to make them sound stuffy or elitist.

That’s two books down. Can we expect more from Johnson and Boswell?

I’m already well into their third adventure, in which the cast of characters from books one and two converge in Johnson’s spiritual home of London for the denouement. We also meet Johnson’s deadliest nemesis yet, the mysterious Doctor Cagliostro and his Cabinet of Curiosities. I can even give you a bit of an exclusive, Fi. The third and final part of the trilogy will be called (drum roll…) The Casebook of Johnson and Boswell Vol. III: The Curse of Scotland.

What have been your favourite reads in 2022?

Honestly? Between the day job, doing edits for volume II, and the mentally corroding effects of the internet, I’ve hardly had any time for reading. I have a TBR list as long as my arm, including many fellow indy authors I look forward to reading as soon as I get a moment. When I get some free time this Christmas I also hope to tick some books off my bucket list, including Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea cycle, and Scottish writer George MacDonald, a pioneer of the fantasy genre who inspired writers such as J.R.R. Tolkien and CS Lewis. I’ve already read some of their shorter stories, and look forward to the main course.

What does the festive season look like for you and yours?

We’re a pretty small family unit – just my wife Amber and myself, and a little dog called Alex. We’re big kids at heart, and had our tree up early in November. I’m just looking forward to some down time. We live in the UAE and the weather is perfect this time of year, so I doubt we’ll be traveling back to Scotland any time soon. I’m looking forward to long walks with the dog, some home-cooking, sipping mulled wine on our balcony, and listening to Rod Stewart’s Christmas album in our matching sweaters (okay the last part is a bit of an exaggeration, but not much).

Sounds like a perfect Christmas to me. Thanks, Andrew.

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If you’d like to find out more about Andrew and his novels, here are all the links:

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Looking back over 2022

It’s that time of year again, when I take a moment to look back over 2022 before I dive into the festive season. It has been a marvellous year for me on so many fronts. Here’s why:

Haven Wakes was reborn

My first fantasy novel, Haven Wakes, received a make-over. The clever people at Burning Chair came up with a fresh new book cover design. I loved the original but to me, the new design reflects the novel so much better.

Magic Bound was published

This has to be the highlight of the year. The second novel in my fantasy series, Magic Bound, was published in the summer. It’s a continuation of Steve’s journey into magic and takes him far beyond the city walls of Caercester. I even made an unboxing video.

Here’s the blurb:

The magic returns.

When Hartley Keg and Blessing go missing, Steve Haven, the young heir to the Haven Robotics Corporation, once again finds himself plunged back into the chaos of the hidden world of magic.

Teaming up with the darkling, he finds himself on the run from the Council and their enforcers, the Hidden, as he seeks to keep safe those whom he holds most dear.

Things are complicated further when a new player emerges: Parity, a clandestine organisation who are far too keen in the Haven Corporation and the magical device which almost led to its destruction.

What follows is a race not only against time but through a series of locations, each more fantastical and dangerous than the last, as Steve and his friends attempt to stay one step ahead of their pursuers.

I read a lot of fiction books

Well, it was a lot for me anyway. So far in 2022, I have read:

I meant to read a lot more than this, but life got in the way. My current read is Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro. As usual you can find my book reviews on my Instagram channel.

My blogging habit

I publish a new blog post every month. In 2022, these were my personal favourites:

I also appeared in a couple of guest blog posts in 2022. The first is on the Whispering Stories blog, The writing life of Fi Phillips. The second was an interview by my lovely publisher, Burning Chair.

The Life of Fi

As far as my personal life goes, 2022 has also been kind. My son passed his A levels and got into the university of his choice (that’s both of my offspring at university now).

I also went on a cruise of the Norwegian fjords with my husband. Obviously, clothes had to be bought for the posh nights and the Norwegian summer temperatures (chilly).

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So that’s it, my wonderful year. Now if you don’t mind, I’ve presents to buy, celebrations to enjoy, and book three of my fantasy series to write. There’s no rest for the writerly.

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5 books to hide away with this Halloween

woman reading amongst candles and pumpkins

The last time I blogged about scary reads was back in 2020 so I thought it was time to do it again. I’ve found five more books whose frights have stayed with me long after I’ve reached the end of the novel. Whether you want scares for youngsters, full-on horror, dark fantasy, or something old, there’s bound to be a book in this list that’ll grab you by the throat.

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

I came across the Skulduggery Pleasant novels through my children. I can remember reading the first novel to my son and thinking, ‘this is a bit scary for kids’. Derek Landy initially decided to finish the series at ten (I think), but then couldn’t leave the characters alone and has written several more since.

Here’s the blurb:

Meet Skulduggery Pleasant: detective, sorcerer, warrior.

Oh yeah. And dead.

Stephanie’s uncle Gordon is a writer of horror fiction. But when he dies and leaves her his estate, Stephanie learns that while he may have written horror, it certainly wasn’t fiction.

Pursued by evil forces intent on recovering a mysterious key, Stephanie finds help from an unusual source – the wisecracking skeleton of a dead wizard.

When all hell breaks loose, it’s lucky for Skulduggery that he’s already dead. Though he’s about to discover that being a skeleton doesn’t stop you from being tortured, if the torturer is determined enough. And if there’s anything Skulduggery hates, it’s torture.

Will evil win the day? Will Stephanie and Skulduggery stop bickering long enough to stop it? One thing’s for sure: evil won’t know what’s hit it.

Black House by Stephen King and Peter Straub

Black House is the second book in a duo by Stephen King and the late Peter Straub. The first book is The Talisman. I read these books several years apart, but as soon as I dipped into Black House I was taken back to The Talisman and young Jack’s adventure. There are definite tie-ins to other novels by King, especially the Dark Tower series.

Here’s the blurb for Black House:

A comfortable, solid, middle-American town – inhabited by a serial killer…

Children are disappearing, lost to the world, horrifically murdered.

The best clue the detectives have – a serial killer from a century ago.

Jack Sawyer, retired from the LAPD at 35, plagued by visions of another world.

As a child, Jack visited the Territories, a menacing place of violence and madness, to save his dying mother. Now, if the latest child victim is to be saved, Jack must retrieve his lost childhood memories, and revisit the one place he hoped never to see again.

Cabal by Clive Barker

I went through a phase of binge-reading Clive Barker novels and Cabal is one of the shortest but it gives a wonderful flip-side to other Barker novels like Weaveworld. It was even made into a film called Nightbreed.

Here’s the blurb:

Cabal is the story of Boone, a tortured soul haunted by the conviction that he has committed atrocious crimes. In a necropolis in the wilds of Canada, he seeks refuge and finds the last great creatures of the world – the shape-shifters known as the Nightbreed. They are possessed of unearthly powers – and so is Boone. In the hunt for Boone, they too will be hunted. Now only the courage of this strange human can save them from extinction. And only the undying passion of a woman can save Boone from his own corrupting hell…

Moon by James Herbert

Okay, maybe I have a book problem because I also went through a reading binge of James Herbert novels. Moon is probably the scariest novel I’ve read by him and it’s one of the few books that I’ve re-read (hence the battered copy on my bookshelf).

Here’s the blurb:

The nightmare begins before you sleep .

By the Master of Horror, James Herbert’s Moon follows Jonathan, who fled from the terrors of his past, finding refuge in the quietness of the island. And for a time he lived in peace. Until the ‘sightings’ began, visions of horror seeping into his mind like poisonous tendrils, violent acts that were hideously macabre, the thoughts becoming intense.

He witnessed the grotesque acts of another thing, a thing that glorified in murder and mutilation, a monster that soon became aware of the observer within its own mind. And relished contact. A creature that would eventually come to the island to seek him out . . .

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

I found The Woman in White in an old book I inherited from my parents, entitled ‘Novels of Mystery’, that also includes the story of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. It’s a battered old hardback book with a plain cover that was published in 1945. So the blurb below is from the Amazon entry (sorry):

In love with the beautiful heiress Laura Fairlie, the impoverished art teacher Walter Hartright finds his romantic desires thwarted by her previous engagement to Sir Percival Glyde.

But all is not as it seems with Sir Percival, as becomes clear when he arrives with his eccentric friend Count Fosco. The mystery and intrigue are further deepened by the ghostly appearances of a woman in white, apparently harbouring a secret that concerns Sir Percival’s past.

A tale of love, madness, deceit and redemption, boasting sublime Gothic settings and pulse-quickening suspense.

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Now I just have to decide which book I’ll read this Halloween.