Things get Darker

You will have noticed that it has been a while since the site was updated. For a long time there was some kind of glitch in the system that meant that the link to the site didn't work. And aside from that, I have been both busy trying to create great new books and stories for you all to enjoy, but also, for the longest time, I have not been able to think of anything useful or interesting for you to read. However, this is the first of, hopefully many more update blogs, to keep you up to speed with what has been going on and what is going to be going on next.

So what has exactly been going on?

Well, let's tell you all about the last few weeks or so. Over the last few months I have been gathering together my catalogue of books for my appearance at The Darker Side of Fiction signing event in Peterborough this past weekend (7th October 2017). And what a weekend it was.

Firstly I wish to congratulate, but most importantly, thank Jo Curtis & Rachael Brightey & the whole Hourglass team for a simply wonderful Event. It was beyond my expectations and I have rarely had such fun and felt so at home at an event.

The weekend began with travelling to the venue at the lovely Holiday Inn Hotel. A trial, when you have a suitcase for a weekends stay, a case full of books, signage and rucksacks with decorations and travelling munchies and liquid refreshment. It was lucky that my ever supportive wife (who, if you didn't know her, would swear she was born with her head clasped in her hands. But no, that's usually down to me and my inability to navigate normal life without calamity.), was with me to help and to guide me, keep me level, remind me to eat and drink and to stop me from having a meltdown. I don't do public outings very well.

So, we started on a train to London, through the bowels of Hell (also known as the underground) and on to Kings Cross Overground Station, where a very comfy, punctual and relaxed Virgin east Coast Train took us straight to Peterborough. from there to the Hotel. Everything, went smoothly. Which is a first for us, because, well, me, Captain calamity can normally manage to drag a disaster out of a smooth operation. But all was good.

Signed in to the hotel we decided to explore and immediately found ourselves at the bar. I know, it's amazing how this seems to happen when I have a city at my feet. Meeting a few #Darker attendees we said our hellos and looked for dinner. the next day was going to be a long day, full of nerves and who knows what to expect.

Well, what we got, was the single best experience in writing and signing and appearances that I have ever had. Both myself and my ever organised wife (unpaid life organiser, PA, horror author groupie and everything in between, but especially loving wife) had an amazing day. There were such amazing tables with fantastic books, on display along with incredibly cool and creepy stalls with the best in creep, horrific and beautiful things to taste, drink, buy, wear and generally love, like the dark-hearted souls of off colour humoured creatures of the weird and wonderful, that we are.

My table was situated beside or in between the wonderful and utterly lovely Carmilla Voiez and Paula Acton. Two fantastic ladies of dark fiction who spent the longest time between them making me feel not just welcome, but utterly special. With a lovely goodie bag from Paula, which was very kind and well, how can I not be simply elated with my signed copy of Carmilla Voiez' Starblood Trilogy. Easily the best thing I came away from the event with apart from the loving, fun memories that will last forever. My wife bought a fantastic creepy doll from the stall that I was desperate to visit but never got to. She is gorgeous and fantastic and sitting in the front room (much to my wife's dismay) for all to see and called Lucretia. Of course.

No don't give me that look.

The day was the best, most well organised event. With Jo, Rachael and the Hourglass team, constantly checking on us authors and stall holders, ensuring we were well fed and hydrated during the entire day. When the days event finally came to a close after lots of pictures, signatures, laughs, and plenty of new faces met, new friends made and wonderful experiences had, you could literally feel the room sadden as hearts became heavy. Nobody seemed to want to leave but everyone wanted to make room for the VIP darker ball in the evening, so leave we must.

At this point I really must say a particular thank you to Rob Reddan for making to the event after winning a ticket to the day event. Rob wasn't in full health, which made his efforts to make it all the more special and meant so much to me personally.

The ball was just as brilliant as the days event. The food was lovely, the drinks well drunk and well, vodka jelly shots (yes, thank you very much, I'll have lots.) Everyone had the best fun, lots of dancing, though I couldn't afford to get that drunk that I would darken the dance floor, maybe next time. The Hourglass team lightened an already buzzing atmosphere with a brilliant raffle. Which we ended up winning a bottle of champagne, thank you Hourglass, what a result! But I also got to give away, the very special signed #Darker2017 tote bag with a bumper prize of a signed collection of all my books and some other special little gifts thrown in for good measure. It raised a nice little piece of extra donations for the charities supported by The Darker Side Of Fiction Event which were; the Sue Ryder cancer care and for children's mental health.

I can honestly say, that I have NEVER seen anybody so excited to receive a prize that consisted of my work, so either they are mad or I have gained an new fan (either way that makes them insane, quite possibly).

After a nights wonderful entertainment and fun, we headed to our beds with heavy heads and heavy hearts knowing that we would be setting off on our return journey. Having made so many friends and had such a wonderful time, it was a bind to leave. Not the hotel as such (which was lovely, but well, we all expect and enjoy different things from different hotels and that is all I have to say on that subject,), but itn was more of a bind to leave the people, the friends we had met and made over the weekend and whom had made me feel like a professional, made me feel special, made me feel like I can do and make this being an author thing a reality.

So all there is left to say on this subject is thank you. Thank you to everyone over the weekend of the darker event, you have no idea how much you have helped me and how much you are now a part of my black heart. I love you all. And I can not wait for 2019 to appear among you all once again, like the permanent dark,smelly funny fart that you try and secretly let out without anyone noticing but end up making themselves known with real impact, and with much embarrassment. That is me after all, a cause of complete embarrassment, always. And yes, I am proud of it, unashamedly so as the older I get.

So, news. Well, Semianimus, the book that I think might just beginning to gain mythological status of whether it exists or not, is almost at the finishing line of it's second draft, ready for a final stage of editing. From there, it is to the cover design to complete and to decide whether it goes through a publisher, if so, which, after all, it needs to find the right place to do it full credit that I hope it deserves, or alternatively; to self publish it myself and see how that goes.

Impenitence is currently undergoing it's own second draft, with editing and alterations to make it, and I quote: "from a great book that we would be happy to print, to a fantastic book that any publisher would bite your hand off to take on and print for you" That quote (more or less accurate, to with a few words) was from the infinitely kind and patient Co-Founder/Owner of Burning Willow Press, Edd Sowder, who is an honest, straight talking and genuine a person as you will meet, who along with his wife, the infinitely talented Kindra Sowder, make two of the most genuine, kind, and wonderful people you could meet and whom I am truly honoured, that would agree to take a look at the book and take an honest, critical eye over and give an honest opinion and constructive thoughts on. Hopefully I can get these two books released sometime during 2018

The big news right now, is the release of my novella MY Name Is Human. You can click on the link for it on this post should you be interested. It is one I had the longest time putting together and being unsure of as I wrote it. it took ages..... However, once complete, the kind words I have received about it, make me genuinely excited and make me think it could be a little diamond in my collection. But only you can get to decide that for sure, buy buying it, downloading it and most importantly, afterwards, leaving a review and rating it.

Well time is calling now. I shall post some lovely pics from the event that I can steal from others and settle with a nice hot coffee. Late night horror programming is calling me.

With love, twisted glee, appreciation and sickness of the mind I bid thee a tattybye for now my gorgeous Freakpeeps. Stay sick, stay twisted, stay Freaky. Be a Freakpeep.

Rob x