It’s World Book Day 2016 in the UK and Ireland! The Day originates in Catalonia, and it’s now marked by over 100 countries around the globe. Books have been given as gifts on St George’s Day for over 80 years, and as such most countries will be holding World Book Day 2016 on 23 April. […]
Books
Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan – Review
Nerine Dorman originally recommended Promise of Blood to me, and as soon as I’d downloaded the sample I knew I’d need to read the whole book. Fantasy is one of those genres that can easily tread the same old tired, worn path, but not so for Brian McClellan – yes, his book features magic and ancient gods, […]
The Bounty – A Grey O’Donnell Story
This is a Grey O’Donnell story, telling the tale of how he became a bounty hunter in the first place! My momma always told me that sometimes you just have to treat yourself to a little slice of luxury. I told myself that as I sat on the veranda of the general store, where a travelling barber […]
Short stories make excellent writing samples
I posted a few weeks ago that the newest Bloody Parchment anthology of short stories, Beachfront Starter Home, Good Bones was forthcoming. I can now announce that it’s available to buy! You can grab it from Amazon for the Kindle, or if you have an EPUB reader then head over to Smashwords. At £2.80 for twelve […]
What happens if you put zombies in a Western?
It sounds like the start of a bad joke, doesn’t it – what do you get if you put zombies in a Western? Answer? To Kill A Dead Man! In all seriousness, zombies in a Western aren’t such a strange proposition. The weird Western has been around since the days of Robert E. Howard, and […]
What’s the appeal of the Western?
The appeal of the Western lies partly in the scenery. Think of gunfights and horse chases, played out against a dramatic backdrop like Monument Valley or the plains of Kansas. Picture the railroad, curving through the landscape, while cowboys drive cattle across the wide open plains. All very epic, yeah? By contrast, I grew up in Newcastle upon Tyne, […]