Cover Reveal: The Silk Thief, by Claire Buss

Claire Buss is no stranger to this blog. We've reviewed her work - and she's been published in Inklings Press books too. She's a smashing writer, and her Roshaven series is in no small part inspired by her love of Terry Pratchett's books. She has a new book in the series coming out and asked if she could stop by the blog to tell you all about it. So without further ado... take it away, Claire! Tell us all about... The Silk Thief. 

 The Silk Thief (The Roshaven Series Book 2)

A Humorous Urban Fantasy Novel

Fourteen, heir to the Empire of Roshaven, must find a new name before Theo, Lord of neighbouring Fidelia, brings his schemes to fruition.

Not only has he stolen Roshaven’s trade, but he plans to make Fourteen his own and take her empire in the bargain.

Her protector, Ned Spinks, is plagued with supernatural nightmares whilst his assistant, Jenni the sprite, has lost her magick. 

Can they figure out how to thwart Theo’s dastardly plan before it’s too late for his city and her empire? 

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY: mybook.to/SilkThief

The Silk Thief is out on June 4, 2021. 

The Silk Thief is the second quirky magical mystery adventure set in the Roshaven series of humorous fantasy novels. If you like the wit and humour of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, then you’ll love The Silk Thief.

More about the Roshaven books

The Rose Thief, The Roshaven Series book 1

Someone is stealing the Emperor’s roses and if they take the magical red rose then love will be lost, to everyone, forever.

It’s up to Ned Spinks, Chief Thief Catcher, and his band of motley catchers to apprehend the thief and save the day.

But the thief isn’t exactly who they seem to be. Neither is the Emperor.

Ned and his team will have to go on a quest; defeating vampire mermaids, illusionists, estranged family members and an evil sorcerer in order to win the day. What could possibly go wrong?

Available in paperback and ebook everywhere: https://books2read.com/u/bQaxw6

Editor note: I reviewed The Rose Thief here - and really enjoyed it!

The Interspecies Poker Tournament, Prequel Novella to The Rose Thief

Ned Spinks, Chief Thief-Catcher, has a new case. A murderous moustache-wearing cult is killing off members of Roshaven's fae community. At least that's what he's been led to believe by his not-so-trusty sidekick, Jenni the sprite. She has information she's not sharing but plans to get her boss into the Interspecies Poker Tournament so he can catch the bad guy and save the day. If only Ned knew how to play!

Available in paperback and ebook everywhere: https://books2read.com/u/m2Vk0R

Ye Olde Magick Shoppe, a Roshaven short story

Join Ned Spinks, Chief Thief-Catcher, and his sidekick Jenni the sprite in this short story about an unwanted magick shoppe.

This free short story is available in ebook everywhere: https://books2read.com/u/4XXPw1

What Readers Say

“Loved the quirky banter!”

“Entirely delightful and captivating.”

“A wonderful tribute to the Late Great Sir Terry.”

“If you are a fan of the discworld you will love this book.”

“A hilariously thrilling fantasy mystery.”

About the Author

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet based in the UK. She wanted to be Lois Lane when she grew up but work experience at her local paper was eye-opening. Instead, Claire went on to work in a variety of admin roles for over a decade but never felt quite at home. An avid reader, baker and Pinterest addict Claire won second place in the Barking and Dagenham Pen to Print writing competition in 2015 with her debut novel, The Gaia Effect, setting her writing career in motion. She continues to write passionately and is hopelessly addicted to cake.

Editor note: Want to learn more about Claire? Check out her interview here.

Social Media Links

Facebook: www.facebook.com/busswriter

FB Group: www.facebook.com/groups/BussBookStop

Twitter: www.twitter.com/grasshopper2407

Instagram: www.instagram.com/grasshopper2407 

Website: www.cbvisions.co.uk

Blog: https://www.butidontlikesalad.blogspot.co.uk

Welcome back to Apex Magazine

 

Check out that lovely cover by Vicki be Wicked

APEX magazine is back! 

For those unfamiliar with the magazine, it has been on hiatus recently. It's a magazine of science fiction, fantasy and all those words that slip in between those categories - and it's been missed. 

I got a chance to read the new issue ahead of its recent relaunch - it's out today - and it's been like meeting an old friend again. 

Editor Jason Sizemore talks in the introduction about the return, the reasons for the hiatus, and the new schedule. It'll now be a bi-monthly magazine. It includes essays, author interviews, an interview with cover artist Vicki Be Wicked, and short fiction reviews by AC Wise. 

Most importantly, it is brimful of stories. Six new stories, two reprints - plus a flash fiction competition winner. Like any mix of stories, readers will enjoy some more than others, and I'm no different. 

Fittingly for our pandemic era, Elana Gomel's The Niddah was one of the stand-outs. Elana conjures up a world where a future pandemic has led to the reinvention of society, with a new virus bringing about radical changes in physiology for people - but only when an infected person comes into contact with the blood of another. Given how strained social conventions are today even in the face of a less radical pandemic, it is easy to believe this reimagined world in Gomel's story, and even less surprising that the worse end of the deal falls to women. Already in our COVID-19 world, women have been bearing the brunt economically more than men - and that becomes ever more so in this world where one drop of blood could kill or transform, with women forced to hide away during their period to avoid contact with others. That's the set up - but the story itself is one of finding choices in a world which takes them away, as the lead character, Gemma, discovers the mother she thought she'd lost might still be alive. I'll say no more, but Gomel has created a world akin to a Jeff VanderMeer novel - that leaves you longing to explore more. 

Root Rot, by Fargo Tbakhi, is the opening story in the collection - and a challenging one in that the lead character is so hard to like. He's a screw-up of screw-ups, whose messed up relationships, his life, his associates, and is on a downward spiral of drinking and dying. It's set in a future exploring what might happen to the people of Palestine, and one particular person, who spent his days digging in Martian soil in the hope of making a life with his lover only to end up washed up and paying literally in blood to be able to cross city sections, and trying to pay off the bar bill he's run up beyond his ability to settle. It's a brutal world, with not much in the way of hope. But there's some, and that's something to cling to in order to make up for a legacy of screw-ups. It's no easy tale to read, but then it's no easy life to have lived. 

Mr Death made me cry. It's a story by Alix E Harrow about a reaper. Less grim, more respectful. Sam Grayson died in his 40s after losing his own son in an accident. Trouble is, when he died, he found his work wasn't over. He was given the job of junior reaper. And now he has another job to do - overseeing the passing of a two-year-old boy. I was so on edge reading this that I almost didn't dare turn the page. It's not a horror, it's a story of compassion and, well, love. But the imminent nature of this little baby boy's death is so unnerving that you treasure every action, every moment. I'll say no more because it really deserves to be read. But gosh, I salute the author for a truly wonderful tale. 

The magazine is worth the purchase price for Alix Harrow's story alone - but there are also stories by PH Lee, Cassandra Khaw, Merc Fenn Wolfmoor, Tonya Liburd, LH Moore, and a festive flash fiction piece by Charles Payseur. 

Welcome back, Apex, we sure missed you. 

For more about the magazine, check out: https://apex-magazine.com/

Five books I read in 2020 that I loved

 It's been, to say the least, a strange year. Between work and supervising the kids as they studied at home, there's been precious little time to sit down and read. Still, to my surprise, I hit my Goodreads reading challenge goal - and there really were some gems that I enjoyed through the year. And goodness knows, if these were able to transport me away from the world of 2020, then they might just bring you joy too. So without further ado, here's five books I loved this year, starting - as it happens - with my latest read. 

A Christmas Twist, by Brent A Harris

Do you ever read something and think to yourself gosh, I wish I was as clever as this? That's how I felt reading A Christmas Twist. It's a sequel to A Twist In Time, in which Brent A Harris took the character of Oliver Twist and reinvented him as a steampunk hero in his adult years, travelling through time with the aid of a mysterious pocket watch. With this sequel, he bounds into Scrooge territory, as the secrets of the watch and the nature of those ghosts of Christmas past, present and future - time traveller themselves of a fashion - are revealed to be intertwined. 

Layer after layer of the story unfolds as Oliver travels through time alongside Scrooge to meet those spirits - discovering alternate forms of Oliver himself, from a suave swordsman to a clockwork cowboy. Whose journey is this? Scrooge's, or Oliver's? And what will it mean for him in the end?

At every turn, just when you think you know where things are going, things take another... well, Twist. Then it all comes together at the end so neatly and delicately it seems like a finely-honed watch mechanism. Perhaps that one in Oliver's hand, tick-tick-ticking time away. 

There are surprises, there are punch-the-air moments, and there is a reminder, in this year of all years, that while we cannot control all things in our world, we must never stop trying to find the best outcome. 

AI Rating: 5/5

A Christmas Twist is available on Amazon

Beneath The Rising, by Premee Mohamed

Who knew Lovecraftian horror could be such a joy?

Premee Mohamed has gleefully snatched up two fistfuls of Cthulhu Mythos, dropped it into the modern day and proceeded to ruin the lives of her two lead characters with it. Possibly while giggling manically.

But while she creates a canvas from that mythos, it's the story of those characters that will draw you in. Johnny and Nick are two survivors of a childhood tragedy that bound them together. Johnny is the superstar, a genius inventor with money and talent. Nick is her devoted friend, trailing in her wake, struggling to manage work shifts and helping his family while she soars ahead like a shooting star.

Things change, though, when Johnny needs help. A door has opened, and she might be to blame, and things that should not be are creeping through it.

The real delight of this book is the relationship between the two lead characters. Johnny is a star, and Nick is locked in her orbit, drawn to her and in love with her in so many ways, but more than that a friend. The two have their shorthand ways of talking, the banter that goes with people who have been friends forever, even as they struggle to deal with things at the heart of their relationship that they cannot tell one another. They are broken in so many ways, and lean on one another to get through because trying to fix things would hurt even more.

All this continues as the world starts to unravel - and it turns out that two people who have nothing in the world except one another might be the world's only hope for survival. There are secrets revealed, bad bargains, and the kind of regrets that leave the taste of ashes in the mouth.

A fantastic book. I heartily recommend it. 

AI Rating: 5/5

Beneath The Rising is available on Amazon

The Ascension Machine, by Rob Edwards

This has been a real joy to read. Take a hero in the vein of Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat, give him a Scooby gang in the vein of Joss Whedon's Buffy or Firefly crews - and give it all a superhero spin.
This is a really fun adventure - starting off with a drifter, thief and misfit who comes to be known as Grey, our hero. He gets a most unusual offer to impersonate a rich man who doesn't want to take up the place at a superhero academy his connected family has arranged for him - and so Grey finds himself heading to a school full of aliens, with only the thinnest of lies to protect him.
All this makes for some soaring space adventure - but there's also a depth here. Grey, a loner for so long, unexpectedly finds friendship. One of the things about the academy is that people find their perfectly ordinary abilities on their own worlds might just make them superheroes elsewhere - even if their ability is as mundane as the ability to be a good farmer. For Grey, he suddenly finds himself unexpectedly with a home - and, perhaps, with the chance to be a hero himself.
Until it all comes crashing down.
By turns witty and thoughtful, Rob Edwards creates a universe that's a delight to visit, and to which I hope we shall return. 

AI Rating 5/5

The Ascension Machine is available on Amazon

Becoming Superman, by J Michael Straczynski

Joe Straczynski is the creator of Babylon 5. I mean, you may know him from many other things. You may know him as the pen behind Sense8 on Netflix. You might know him from The Changeling, the Angelina Jolie movie directed by Clint Eastwood. Or Jeremiah. Or Spider-Man comics. Or... well, you get the idea. He's been involved in writing for TV and movies for far longer than many writers manage to stay in the ring. This is his autobiography - and while you might think it's a happy trip through the successes he's had over the years, it's far from that. Indeed, it's far more intimate and personal than that. This is the story of the young boy Joseph, and his abusive father, who tormented his whole family. It is a story that tells of Nazi sympathising. Of murder. Of a boy trying to grow up sane with a family life that was far from stable, moving from town to town and skipping out whenever people showed up to collect money. Sure, it tells how he went through the early cycle of writing stories that turned out to be not so great, then writing more, and more, and banging his head against the door of rejection. There's the glimmers of encouragement, such as when the stranger who read his work at a school event and said there was promise in there turned out to be Rod Serling. But this is a story of a boy who fought to be a man free of his father, of a man who fought to get his stories accepted, and a TV writer who fought against the restraints imposed by executives all too often - to the point of his agent's exasperation. He describes one moment in his youth - in which he gets the shit kicked out of him by a bunch of kids only to stand up and taunt them so they came back and did it again as, in retrospect, being the perfect preparation for becoming a TV writer. There's a great deal of insight in here to the projects he worked on - from the Real Ghostbusters cartoon, to Murder She Wrote. As a Babylon 5 fan, I particularly hung on the material to do with the show - even the saddest notes with the death of some of the cast members over the year. I listened to the audiobook version, narrated by Peter Jurasik from the show, and the poignancy of those moments came across in two voices mourning old friends, the writer and the narrator. More than anything, though, this book tells the story of Mr Straczynski's relationship with his father. So determined was he not to be like his father, his life in some ways seem to have been defined by purposely choosing to be the thing his father was not, the shape of his life being dictated by non-conformity to the monster he grew up with. It's a brutal story to tell. There are no end of truly shocking moments. And yet, despite what he had to endure, he ultimately defined himself, who he would be, and rose to the success his father said he wouldn't reach. Is it inspirational? I'm not sure that's the word. That's like those moments when you see what people have gone through and pat them on the head and call them an inspiration. That's not quite right. No, but it is admirable. With a stubborn streak a mile wide, he managed to achieve things that had never been done before. And he did it with a sharp wit and a ready pen. This book has been nominated for a Hugo Award. It certainly deserves it.  AI Rating: 5/5 Becoming Superman is available on Amazon The Books of Earthsea, by Ursula K Le Guin I'll freely admit this is a re-read rather than a new read - but in such a wonderful new edition. Illustrated throughout by Charles Vess, this is a magical book to open.  I remember reading an article by Ursula K Le Guin about how unhappy she had been over the years with the covers to her Earthsea books. I owned one cover she particularly hated with its pale, white version of Ged, who is anything but that in her books.  So it is a treat to see the world conjured up anew through the art of Mr Vess. A single image from him would be a joy, but this is a book full of his work.  I have loved the Earthsea saga since I was a kid. And now, with this book, I have a version of it that my own kids can fall in love with. It is, quite simply, magnificent.  AI Rating: 5/5 The Books of Earthsea can be be bought on Amazon Oh, and while you're here... let me give you a gift. The first two books of Tales From Alternate Earths are FREE until December 20. Pick them up at the links below:  mybook.to/alternate mybook.to/alternateearths

BOOK REVIEW: The Ascension Machine, by Rob Edwards; Magen, by Edward Buatois; Firefly: Big Damn Hero, by James Lovegrove; Dark Rite, by Alan Baxter and David Wood; Alien: River of Pain, by Christopher Golden; Emoto's Promise, by Shel Calopa

It's been a funny old year for reviews - between working from home and the kids learning from home, there's been precious little time for reading. Still, I'm delighted to say that the books I have squeezed in recently - including some audiobooks - have certainly brought a smile at the end of the day. My latest review round-up starts here. 

 

The Ascension Machine, by Rob Edwards

This has been a real joy to read. Take a hero in the vein of Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat, give him a Scooby gang in the vein of Joss Whedon's Buffy or Firefly crews - and give it all a superhero spin. 

This is a really fun adventure - starting off with a drifter, thief and misfit who comes to be known as Grey, our hero. He gets a most unusual offer to impersonate a rich man who doesn't want to take up the place at a superhero academy his connected family has arranged for him - and so Grey finds himself heading to a school full of aliens, with only the thinnest of lies to protect him. 

All this makes for some soaring space adventure - but there's also a depth here. Grey, a loner for so long, unexpectedly finds friendship. One of the things about the academy is that people find their perfectly ordinary abilities on their own worlds might just make them superheroes elsewhere - even if their ability is as mundane as the ability to be a good farmer. For Grey, he suddenly finds himself unexpectedly with a home - and, perhaps, with the chance to be a hero himself. 

Until it all comes crashing down.

By turns witty and thoughtful, Rob Edwards creates a universe that's a delight to visit, and to which I hope we shall return. 

AI Rating: 5/5

The Ascension Machine is available on Amazon.

Magen, by Edward Buatois

When a teenage boy wields the magic handed down to him by his family, he inadvertently opens a portal to another world - and puts his own sister's life at risk. 

This urban fantasy sees a young man trying to put right the problem he caused - with the help of a beautiful and really quite deadly elf. 

Being a novella, it gets right on with the action, as the boy, Rylan, and his elf companion set off on a road trip to save his sister. Along the way, the elf learns the ways of our modern world - and Rylan learns a bit more about how to stand up for himself. Will that be enough? 

I do wish this had been longer - which is a good sign. Always leave them wanting more, right? But I would have loved there to be more time for the relationship to build between our heroes, and to let the stakes build even higher. Still, for those who want a quick shot of fantasy, romance and a tale of siblings who would do anything for one another, it's a pleasant find. Charming. 

AI Rating: 4/5

Magen is available on Amazon.

Alien: River of Pain, by Christopher Golden and directed by Dirk Maggs

Dirk Maggs really is a king of audio productions. Here, he takes on the Alien franchise for a second time, adapting the book by Christopher Golden. 

The story slots into the Alien series in between the first two movies - it takes us to the colony from Aliens before the xenomorphs began to run riot. 

The production is fantastic - with a great cast including the likes of Anna Friel, Colin Salmon and Alexander Siddig. 

For purists, there are gripes - for example, Colin Salmon is the leader of the colony's marine unit, a unit which didn't exist in the movie. That throws some continuity wrenches - you would think the marines in Aliens would have taken the whole thing a bit more seriously if they knew a whole bunch of colonial marines had already lost contact. That being the case, Vazquez might need to know a little more about the aliens than just where they are. 

There's also the curse of a prequel - you know what's going to happen if you've seen the movie (and if you haven't you probably aren't listening to this). So we get to meet a lot of people and then wait for the aliens to start dismembering them. The sequences retreading bits featuring Ripley don't really add much to this part of the story - but are nice Easter eggs for fans. 

In the end, this feels like a story we didn't really need as part of the franchise - though it does leave a strand or two open to exploring in future. One for the completist Alien fan. But gosh, what a good production. Hats off to the actors and Dirk Maggs for really making the most of the story.

AI Rating: 4/5

Alien: River of Pain is available on Audible.

Firefly: Big Damn Hero, by James Lovegrove

Writing a book that fits in and around a popular series must be such a challenge - and even more so I would think with the world of Firefly, which got such a brief run in the sun before its cancellation. 

James Lovegrove does a good job, showing us one of the side adventures that the crew of the Firefly got up to, without treading too heavily on the established canon of the universe. 

We see a story that has just enough nods to moments in the TV series - fans will note bits from one episode here, bits from another there, some familiar characters... and some new ones. 

The new is where it gets really interesting as we discover a story that grows right out of the youth of Captain Mal Reynolds, a story that reveals his first love, and the path that led him to putting on that brown coat. 

Of course, it remains a side adventure, but a good one nonetheless. 

A special shout out to the narrator, James Anderson Foster, who is quite brilliant. With just tone and inflection, he catches the feel of well established characters without ever seeming like just a mimic. He adds a real flair, and really makes this a delight to listen to. 

AI Rating: 4/5

Firefly: Big Damn Hero is available on Audible.

Dark Rite, by David Wood and Alan Baxter

This is a love letter to horror stories of old. Take a dash of Wicker Man, take a pinch of Hammer Horror, throw in a sprinkling of Lovecraft and what have you got? This tale of a young man, Grant Shipman, returning to the town he had left long behind finds him getting embroiled in a web of cultist intrigue. 

Strange things start to happen, and suddenly Grant finds there might be no one he can trust. 

Bloody, sexy, scary, it's a fast-moving horror that really hits the spot. 

One note I would say, get the novel version rather than the audiobook - the audio recording really needed editing, with the narrator stopping and repeating phrases on a number of occasions rather than lopping out the mistakes. Don't let that put you off, though - just grab the book instead. 

AI Rating: 4/5

Dark Rite is available on Amazon.

Emoto's Promise, by Shel Calopa

Years ago, I was blown away by a mindtwister of a novel - This Is The Way The World Ends, by James Morrow, in which the survivors of the end of the world are put on trial by the spirits of the dead. There's something of a resonance here, with a strange city and its occupants trying to hold off the risen seas of a drowned Earth. 

It's a strange city too, with humans serving as workers alongside numans, a modified race that undergoes perpetual upgrades in service of the city's ruler and locked in thrall to an online world called the BigDry. There's shades of Sam Miller's Blackfish City in this too, with the survival of the city given more importance than the lives of those within it and elements of the past told in fragments of text from diaries.

It's a dystopian set-up - but I do wish it had taken more time to tell its story. There's a poetic feel to the writing, but I wanted to see Macie, the lead character, explore this world a little more. Some elements appear quite quickly and don't really get fully developed. 

In the end, it's a story that left me thinking - but which I wanted the book to have resolved more. That said, the promise here is all in the writer, whose ideas are tantalising. 

AI Rating: 3/5

Emoto's Promise is available on Amazon.

FREE AUDIO STORY: Out of the Dust, by Leo McBride

I did a deal with Twitter. Perhaps that was unwise. 

For Black Friday weekend, the short story anthology Tales of Magic & Destiny was free - including my story Out of the Dust. 

I called on Twitter to give it a bunch of retweets - and if people rose to the challenge, I'd record an audio version. So here we are. I swigged some rum, I read some words, and I told the tale of a village on the brink of disaster, a ragtag group of strangers in search of survival... and a warrior with no name, who could be their salvation, who could be their destruction. 

I hope you enjoy. I recommend listening while drinking some rum. It certainly worked for me while reading it. Happy listening. 

Leo McBride · Out Of The Dust

If the embedded version above has any issues, you can listen to the full version on Soundcloud here. 

It's also available on YouTube here: 

You can pick up Tales of Magic & Destiny on Amazon at mybook.to/MagicDestiny

Meet Chad Ryan, author of Ghost River

Chad Ryan is an author and part of Lost Boys Press - and he recently launched his ghost story with sharp edges, Ghost River. He stops by the blog to chat about the book. 

Hi there, and welcome to Altered Instinct!  Tell us a little about your most recent book – what is it called, and what is it about? Give us your elevator pitch to make us fall in love with it!

Ghost River is a heapin’ helpin’ of magical realism with a rusty iron spine of horror. It’s a visceral portrait of loss, love in a jail cell, and a book full of monsters. It focuses on a cursed ghost town in the Arizona desert at the edge of the Ghost River Nation. Locals call it haunted. Wiser folk call it cursed. Whatever the case may be, something evil stirs under the dirt. Ghost River is the story about the folks who still live out there. And the dead ones too.  

What inspired the story?

2020, actually. I intended to write a different book entirely and Ghost River came out attached to it. A siamese twin. After separating it, I put the pieces together like broken glass. It’s a desolate, desperate, and anxious book about living and loving in a terrible environment that never changes. Ghost River became the refuge for my own anxiety during a pandemic and social/political unrest in America. 

As a writer, have you ever had a character grow to be a much bigger part of the story than you expected? Who was the character and what was it about them that made them emerge from the sidelights?

Esther! Ghost River follows several key characters over 30 years of time as the book unfolds. At its damaged and violent core, Ghost River is a story about oppression, breaking free, and finding yourself in a shrinking and obsolete world, and Esther Northamm emerged as having one of the more tragic yet beautiful journeys in the book. 

What were some of your favourite books to read as a child? Which were the first books you remember falling in love with?

I was obsessed with Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz. Not only did the tales keep me awake at night, the creepy illustrations haunted my young mind more than anything! Other notables: The Chronicles of Narnia, and the Choose Your Own Adventure series.

Who are your favourite authors to read? And whose writing do you feel has inspired your own work most? 

Ghost River is an homage to the horror genre: past, present, and I hope, future. It’s my love letter to Stephen King, Clive Barker, H.P. Lovecraft and others whose important work inspired my growth as a writer.  

Are there any particular themes you address in your story? What issues do you explore, overtly or otherwise? 

Man, that’s a challenging question!  Ghosts for sure, but Ghost River isn’t your traditional ‘haunting’ tale. In this book ghosts are supernatural, scars from the past, and/or living people we’re haunted by. I should also note, this story dives headfirst into some very difficult themes to explore. Abuse, slavery, villainous misogeny to name a few. It’s a VERY mature read, and I recommend readers heed the advisory before jumping in.  

What has been your favourite reaction from readers? 

Ghost River is a risky book. I pulled no punches diving into this dark and dirty tale. My goal was to weave a horrific narrative with engaging and thoughtful storytelling to keep the reader going. My favorite response thus far has been from non-horror readers embracing the terror while enjoying the immersive experience in the world of Ghost River.  

Marketing is always a challenge for writers – to share the love, what have you found the most useful tip for spreading the word about books? 

I spend most of my time on Twitter, which I think, is the best tool for writers. You know, words. Sure I tweet about my book, but mostly build relationships and share pieces of my life with followers. Over time, it’s cultivated a network of friends and folks interested in what I do. A common mistake authors make is ONLY spamming ads for their books all day long. That’s not very engaging and easily ignored by potential readers.  

I have to ask for readers who might want to know: Is this a kissing book?

Only if you like tentacles. I’ll leave it there. 

Where can readers follow you to find out more about your work?

Check me out on Twitter (@writingiswar). I am managing partner of Lost Boys Press (lostboypress.com). And you can read more of my work on Broken Window (brokenwindow.substack.com) or my blog: writingiswar.com.  

A traditional question here at Altered Instinct – what are you reading at present, and what is the best book you’ve read in the past year?

Presently I am reading Cur Dogs by indie-author M.N. Seeley. On deck: The Ancient Ones by Cassandra Thompson, The Confession by William Aicher, and HumanAlien by Vika Coppens. I read a lot of indie-authors, like me, because I want to support the work they do to change the publishing landscape with compelling works.  

Thanks for calling by! Ever a pleasure to chat to a fellow horror fan! Good luck with the book!

Ghost River is available on Amazon: amzn.to/2G6K6T3

 

Meet Cassandra Thompson, author of The Ancient Ones

I first encountered Cassandra Thompson over on Twitter - where her love of horror, great books and more is only to be applauded. She has a new book out, The Ancient Ones, a gothic tale where fantasy and mythology meet and are bound by a vampire's bite. She stopped by the blog to chat about it. Read on!

Hi there, and welcome to Altered Instinct!  Tell us a little about your book – what is it called, and what is it about? Give us your elevator pitch to make us fall in love with it!

The Ancient Ones tells the story of David, the last immortal blood drinker, who tells his story to the mysterious young woman he meets in a Limehouse pub. It’s gothic horror meets mythological fantasy, spanning from Ancient Rome to Medieval Romania. It has elements of ancient mythology and puts a new spin on vampire lore.

Without spoilers, what was one of your favourite moments of the story to write? What was it that made you enjoy that section so much?

My favorite scene is where my two main characters, Davius and Lucius, summon a certain deliciously dark goddess in their Greek bathhouse. I love the imagery, the magic, the emotion. While it doesn’t seem like that important of a scene, it foreshadows the unfolding dynamic between Davius and Lucius and sets the tone for the rest of the trilogy.

As a writer, have you ever had a character grow to be a much bigger part of the story than you expected? Who was the character and what was it about them that made them emerge from the sidelights?

Oh yes. Without a shadow of a doubt, it was my antagonist, Lucius. I tried so hard to make him a detestable bad guy, but I totally fell for him. He completely took over the second and third books. I love his snarky dialogue, I love how he’s always right about things, how he doesn’t care about anything (except a certain dark goddess who I also enjoy writing). We go into his mind in Book 3 and it was a blast for me. 

What are your favourite genres to read – and what is it about those genres that draws you in? 

I love horror, primarily gothic horror. All the main elements in gothic horror draw me - the grim atmosphere, the supernatural elements, the emotion. The only piece I don’t like is the damsel in distress, which I deconstruct in my own books.

Who are your favourite authors to read? And whose writing do you feel has inspired your own work most? 

I loved reading Edgar Allen Poe, Charles Dickens, Anne Rice, and Stephen King - still do. They are responsible for shaping the writer that I am today. Since this is a sci-fi blog, I feel compelled to mention I also really loved Michael Crichton; I’ve read every single one of his books.

 

I must admit I’ve loved the readings you’ve done of Poe on Twitter! Are there any particular themes you address in your story? What issues do you explore, overtly or otherwise? 

I love exploring moral ambiguity and every character I write has that inner turmoil. I also deconstruct mythology and retell history in a way that I hope will encourage readers to think about what is fact and what is fiction. I hope it will show how similar our myths/religions can be and how we all are part of a bigger, connecting thread. I also love tragic, heartbreaking romance, so that lies beneath the surface of the story.

What has been your favourite reaction from readers? 

All of it; I love how people want to challenge my historical knowledge, I am tickled that people enjoy my prose, and I am over the moon that they like my characters. It’s really been a dream come true.

What’s next for you as a writer? What’s cooking in your literary kitchen?

I will be releasing the other books in The Ancient Ones Trilogy next year; I have several writing projects in the works, including come collaborations with other horror writers. I also have a podcast called Only In Your Nightmares coming out in November, and I will continue to be posting free short horror stories on my blog, Tales from the Shadows.

What has been your most satisfying moment as a writer so far? What made you punch the air? 

When I mastered InDesign enough to typeset a really lovely book! 

Where can readers follow you to find out more about your work?

I’m very active on Twitter (@CassThomps13) and I have my own website that houses collaborations, poetry, horror shorts, and book links: www.quillandcrowpublishinghouse.com

A traditional question here at Altered Instinct – what are you reading at present, and what is the best book you’ve read in the past year?

I am currently reading Ghost River by Chad Ryan and several upcoming works by Spyder Collins. I just finished Bloodhound by Marie Casey - she takes my vote for best book I’ve read this year. 

The Ancient Ones is available here: https://www.quillandcrowpublishinghouse.com/buytheancientones