Shadow Writer - The Official Paul Kane Website

Time now for the second news update for December, and it’s a big ‘un. Christmas has come early as we celebrate the anniversary of Paul’s first books with a limited edition compilation of Alone (In the Dark) and Touching the Flame, brought to you from Mansion House Books. Mansion are, of course, the publishers of quality editions of books such as Edward Lee’s The Chosen (above), Graham Masterton’s The Sphinx and Amarantha Knight’s (Nancy Kilpatrick’s) Dracula: The Darker Passions (below).

Most recently, MHB has been responsible for bringing out the limited edition of Gary Brandner’s classic novel The Howling (the basis for Joe Dante’s movie of the same name). Check out these pictures of the Collectors Edition.

This from the press release: ‘In February 2011 MHB Press will be publishing Shadow Writer: the 10th Anniversary Edition of Paul Kane’s celebrated collections Alone (In The Dark) and Touching the Flame, containing all of the stories from the original publications together with three uncollected short stories, uncollected poetry, copies of edited manuscript pages, comprehensive author notes and a new introduction by Simon Clark. For those of you who don't know, MHB Press publish very high quality books of horror and erotic horror.

There will be three editions available. Collectors Edition (£40) – 150 numbered copies signed by the author. Bound in cloth with a sewn book block, headbands, tailbands, bound in ribbon book mark and new DJ artwork by David Magitis (above).

Deluxe Edition (£145) – 75 numbered copies signed by the author, Simon Clark and artist David Magitis. Handmade, sewn book block, quarter bound in goat skin leather with cloth covered boards, marbled endpapers and issued in a hand made slipcase. This edition will also have a bound in full colour art portfolio of the images from the German Edition of Touching the Flame.

Lettered Edition (£495) – 26 lettered copies signed by the author, Simon Clark and artist David Magitis. Handmade, sewn book block, fully bound in goat skin leather with hand made marbled endpapers, gilt edges issued in a hand made traycase quarter bound in leather. This edition will also have a bound in full colour art portfolio of the images from the German Edition of Touching the Flame.

Have a great Christmas everyone and here’s to 2011! It’s already off to a cracking start, we’re sure you’ll agree.

The Arrowland signing tour continued apace last month, with the signing at Cape and Cowl Comics store in Chesterfield (above). And below are some pictures from the event including Paul with owner Martin Shooter, the Arrowhead trilogy books on the shelf and Paul with Marie and daughter Jen.

Paul missed the British Fantasy Society Open Night in London due to the bad weather, which has sadly also caused the Waterstone’s event in Nottingham listed here to be put back until 2011.

But the next scheduled signing stops on the tour (as reported by Abaddon here) are at Travelling Man on Central Street in Leeds on 9th December from noon till 2pm, then Waterstone’s shops in Derby, Burton and Sheffield, plus the Sheffield Space Centre – all on Monday 13th. There will be more events in the New Year, including that event in Nottingham with Jospeh D’Lacey and Gary McMahon, so keep checking back often for up-to-date information.

Meanwhile, the first reviews of Arrowland (above), have been coming in. In a four star write up which also appears on Amazon, Falcata Times say: ‘Kane ups the ante as Post-Apocalyptic Britain is under siege from enemies within as well as outside its borders. The series is an absolute must have as Paul’s version of the Robin Hood Legend brings it refurbished and renewed to a modern audience. Seriously addictive writing backed up by stark realistic brutalism all wrapped up in clever yet simple prose painting a picture of many colours, as well as presenting scents to the audience so that they can walk the world with the tale’s heroes...I really can’t wait to see what comes next.’

Critical Mass comment: ‘Another entry in The Afterblight Chronicles, which involves a post apocalyptic world where magic has been restored. Robert is the leader of a band of self appointed protectors of the common people, an obvious reference to Robin Hood since he is even known as the Hooded Man, but Robert is troubled by more than just corrupt officials and mendacious survivors. He has been having dreams of monstrous creatures dominating the world, and he’s not convinced that they are just metaphorical analogies. His story is set in context by other struggles in Russia and Germany but the focus is on Britain, not surprisingly, and his actions to forestall the threat he feels impinges upon those he is sworn to protect. Not bad at all.’

And finally, James Skipp of Total Sci-Fi Online adds: ‘Arrowland marks the third entry in Paul Kane’s post-apocalyptic Robin Hood saga. Though the books feature a hooded hero, arrow fights and Sherwood Forest, the narrative actually feels closer in spirit to Neil Marshall’s Doomsday than Robin Hood: like Marshall’s exploitation opus, this is a fun ultra-violent adventure set against a backdrop of a battle-scarred, semi-feudal Britain... The battle sequences are bloody and visceral, the pace moves with the speed of a ravenous whippet, and the dialogue is hard-bitten... Itwould make a good basis for a nifty little B-movie... A good deal more fun than Ridley Scott’s recent soporific reworking of Robin Hood, and the narrative is surprisingly complex.’

In addition last month saw Arrowland entering both Waterstones.com’s bestseller listings and Amazon.co.uk’s Top 100 Bestselling Novels in the Horror/Thriller category.

The SW site is delighted to welcome this month none other than Gary McMahon as Guest Author. Gary is, of course, the author of many books including Rough Cut, The Harm, How to Make Monsters, Pieces of Midnight and the novel Hungry Hearts (above) for Abaddon, and he has just signed a three book deal with Solaris for his intriguingly-named Concrete Grove Trilogy. We’re proud to be able to present to you a chapter of his latest novel, the first Thomas Usher book from Angry Robot publishers: Pretty Little Dead Things (below). Just click here to get stuck in.

A quick reminder now, if you’re looking for some Christmas chills Paul’s story ‘Humbuggered’ has just been published in Festive Fear: Global Edition from Tasmaniac (above). The book sold out at the publishers pre-publication, but you can still get copies online if you hunt around.

Paul also has a story forthcoming in Necrotic Tissue magazine (the cover of issue #10 is above). ‘Speaking in Tongues’ will appear in issue # 13, out in January.

The first piece of big news this month is the announcement of the second Guest of Honour for FantasyCon 2011 (which Paul is co-chairing, see last month’s news). Bestselling author of vampire novel Let the Right One In, John Ajvide Linqvist (both above), will be at FCon next year. Made into a Swedish film of the same name, the book has now been turned into a major Hollywood movie called Let Me In (below). John is also the author of the novels, Handling the Undead and Harbour. To book your place at FantasyCon right now, just click here.

The full list of contributors for the Sherlock Holmes anthology Gaslight Arcanum has now been announced. As well as Paul’s ‘Greatest Mystery’ there are: ‘The Comfort of the Seine’ by Stephen Volk; ‘The Adventure of Lucifer’s Footprints’ by Christopher Fowler; ‘The Deadly Sin of Sherlock Holmes’ by Tom English; ‘The Colour that Came to Chiswick’ by William Meikle; ‘A Country Death’ by Simon K. Unsworth; ‘From the Tree of Time’ by Fred Saberhagen; ‘Sherlock Holmes and the Diving Bell’ by Simon Clark; ‘The Executioner’ by Lawrence C. Connolly; ‘Sherlock Holmes and the Great Game’ by Kevin Cockle; ‘The House of Blood’ by Tony Richards; and ‘The Adventure of the Six Maledictions’ by Kim Newman. In addition, there will be a frontispiece by the creator of Hellboy, Mike Mignola (below).

As part of a signing and reading tour, Paul will be at Cape & Cowl Comics (11 Theatre Yard, Chesterfield) on Saturday 13th November (above) from noon till 2pm. Paul will also be doing two genre workshops with Marie on the 23rd and 30th at Chesterfield Library. He then has a signing session at the Travelling Man in Leeds on the 9th December.

Paul will also be taking part in a three author event at Waterstones in Nottingham on 10th November from 6:30 onwards in the Sillitoe Room. Also there on the evening will be author of Pretty Little Dead Things, Gary McMahon and Meat author Joseph D’Lacey. The event will involve readings, a panel discussion, questions from the audience and a signing session. To book tickets, which are £3 each, please visit the store or contact directly by phone at 0115 948 4499 or by email.

Lastly, Paul will also be attending the Other Worlds event in Derby at the Quad (the venue for this year’s Alt.Fiction) on 6th November – to book your place click here and will be at the British Fantasy Society’s Christmas Open Evening at Truckles pub in London on 3rd December. Hopefully he’ll see some of you at any or all of these events.

And the aforementioned British Fantasy Award-winner Joseph D’Lacey is our very special Guest Writer for November. As well as penning Meat, Joseph has also written The Garbage Man (above) and The Kill Crew (below). But to read a red hot exclusive extract from Fugue Hunter just click here.

Paul’s latest DVD reviews for Mass Movement include the brand new Hammer film Beyond the Rave, the re-release of 70s classic I Spit on Your Grave and After.Life, starring Christina Ricci and Liam Neeson (below). To read these reviews click here, here and here.

Finally, Paul and Marie were at the Gollancz Publishers’ Halloween party last month (below), held at the October Gallery in London on 21st. To have a look through their photos, just click here.

At FantasyCon last month, Paul and Marie launched next year’s convention (above, Paul on the left, Marie in the middle) which they are co-chairing together (click here to see the whole organising Committee). FantasyCon 2011 will be down in Brighton at the Royal Albion Hotel (the location of this year’s World Horror Convention in March), September 30th – October 2nd.

The first Guest of Honour has been announced as World Fantasy Award-winning author of Divine Endurance and Castles Made of Sand,
Gwyneth Jones (above). MC-ing the event is British Fantasy Award-winning author of Language of Dying and A Matter of Blood,
Sarah Pinborough (below).

The website for the convention is here, and the convention already has well over 100 members, so keep checking back for more updates.
In the meantime below are a few more pictures from this year’s FCon.

Paul was delighted to feature as one of Un:Bound’s ‘Writers Reading’ last month. In this regular slot, authors pick their favourite books and writers who have inspired them. To read Paul’s selection, click here.

At the same time Un:Bound published a short chiller from Paul called ‘Baggage’ which you can read by clicking here.

They also gave Paul’s supernatural thriller, The Gemini Factor, a big thumbs up in a glowing review. Here’s what Un:Bound had to say: ‘I was struck first by the dark poetry of Kane’s writing. Then I was grabbed by the story and the characters. When Sergeant Deborah Harrison visits the family of a murder victim she is shocked to find herself staring at the dead man’s face. It quickly becomes evident that all the killer’s victims are one of twins. Then there is Jack Foley, whose link to the killer is bizarre and unbelievable. The Gemini Factor is dark, a crime novel with a horrific supernatural twist.
It’s intense, Kane doesn’t give his characters or us much of a breather, a handful of domestic moments to ground us and keep us with the characters are all the respite the reader gets. The characters themselves, Inspector Mason is not especially likeable but he’s not meant to be. Foley and Harrison are the leads in this really and they are easy to empathise with, easy to like. The Sergeant is torn between her work and the possibility that Foley may be telling the truth, the need to solve the crime. Foley just wants to finish this, to stop seeing what his brother left in his head. It’s a good story, with good characters and great writing and for all that there is a supernatural aspect, it’s the human element in the book that provides the real horror.’

To buy the book, visit the Screaming Dreams site here and to read a sample chapter in PDF, click here.

Paul was also asked his views about settings, particularly regarding his Arrowhead books, for Leicester’s ‘Everybody’s Reading’ festival. You can read this by clicking here.

Plus, if you missed Paul’s ‘Book I Would Like To Be Buried With’ when it originally appeared on Horror Re-Animated, you have a second chance now at BookGeeks. Just click here.

Guest Writer for this Halloween month is Bram Stoker Award-winning author, editor, and columnist of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and supernatural thrillers, Michael Knost. Responsible for the bestselling Legends of the Mountain State series (above), one of Michael’s most recent anthologies is Specters in Coal Dust (below). To read his stunning story, ‘Thinning the Herd’ just click here.

All the podcasts of panels and interviews from June’s Alt.Fiction are now up online in one place, including the panel Paul featured on about Dark Fantasy with Marie, Tim Lebbon and Kim Lakin-Smith. To access these, click here.

Because of his association with the Hellraiser mythos (click here) Paul was asked his thoughts about the new movie that went into production last month. You can read what he had to say as part of the Dominion piece about the film here). With thanks to Pete Allison.

First announcement this month comes in the form of a very special sale. Paul is over the moon that his story ‘The Greatest Mystery’ has been accepted for the forthcoming Sherlock Holmes anthology Gaslight Arcanum (above), edited by J.R. Campbell and Charles Prepolec. It’s always been a bit of an ambition for Paul to write a Holmes tale, and with latest interpretations including the cinematic version from Guy Ritchie (below) and the BBC’s Sherlock from Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss (also below), now seems like the perfect time to be a part of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s legacy. The book will be published by Edge and a full list of contributors will be posted here in due course.

Speaking of very special sales, as announced on their site here and in their newsletter, PS Publishing have just bought a forthcoming – currently untitled – short story collection from Paul. PS, as many of you may know, are the award-winning publishers responsible for gorgeous editions of books like Stephen King’s Colorado Kid (which has just been turned into the TV series Haven), Joe Hill’s 20th Century Ghosts and Ray Bradbury’s The Day It Rained (all below). Keep checking back for more news about this exciting collection in the future.

And you can read a brand new short story right now, over at Horror Drive-In. ‘Nine Tenths’ is followed by a lengthy interview with Paul, so to catch both of these just click here.

The anthology Festive Fear (see last month’s news for more details) featuring Paul’s story ‘Humbuggered’ has just sold out pre-release. But for those wanting a glimpse of the artwork accompanying Paul’s tale, by the very talented Andrew McKiernan, you can feast your eyes on it above.

We have a rare treat for you now at the Shadow Writer site as part of our ongoing Guest Writer series. Renowned comics artist turned scribe Liam Sharp, author of the wonderful God Killers (above) has let us have not one, but five exclusive shorts for your delectation. To read ‘A Sad Affair in Verbatim City’ click here, to read ‘Yulegrave’ click here, for ‘Once, In Aetullia’ click here, to read ‘Wythersfield’ click here and for ‘Emergency Exit’ simply click here. Enjoy, people!

Yet another excellent review of Paul’s novel, The Gemini Factor, has appeared online – this time at the HorrorBound website. Reviewer Chuck Gould had this to say: ‘There’s no doubt that twins share an unexplainable link. It’s something beyond the understanding of mere science... In Paul Kane’s The Gemini Factor, a serial killer terrorises the fictional city of Norchester, hunting twins and collecting body parts.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about The Gemini Factor is that the novel itself actually changes as you navigate your way through it. From hard-boiled detective story to love story, from mystery to suspense to horror, the novel seamlessly morphs from one genre to another. Paul Kane tells the story in clean, crisp, easy-to-read prose, and because of this, the novel’s tight plot never comes close to unwinding, and it never gets boring. No word, no detail is wasted. The reader stays interested from page to page, from beginning to end, as they explore Kane’s well-crafted Norchester, and get to know his heroes as they strive to end the spate of brutal killings.

Overall, Paul Kane’s The Gemini Factor offers a very interesting twist on the usual serial killer fiction, with some very, very creepy bits mixed in to keep you thinking about the story for awhile afterwards. So, go ahead and pick up this book; get to know a new kind of evil. If you are a twin – sorry; this novel may be particularly disturbing.’

To buy the book, visit the Screaming Dreams site here and to read a sample chapter in PDF, click here.

In case readers didn’t know, Kindle (electronic) versions of Hellbound Hearts and Arrowhead have now been released. To get these from Amazon UK, click here and here.

Due to a delay at the printers, Arrowland (above) won’t now be launching at FCon as reported last month – but will be getting its own launch when the books are delivered. This, in addition to some signing events which we’ll keep you posted about as and when. Keep checking in.

Paul was recently invited to be a Guest Reviewer over on Simon Marshall Jones’ ‘Ramblings of a Tattooed Head’ site. You can read Paul’s review of the obscure Roger Corman movie The Terror (above) here.

Paul has been asked to spread the word about Star Costumes’ Horror Scholarship scheme. If you’re currently studying full-time at a undergraduate or graduate post-secondary institution, and are over 18 years of age, then this could be for you. For more details, please visit the website here.

As mentioned in the previous news update, Paul will be at FantasyCon 2010 in Nottingham from 17th to 19th September at the Britannia Hotel, where the Guests of Honour will be Bryan Talbot, Garry Kilworth, Peter F. Hamilton and Lisa Tuttle, with MC James Barclay. Pictures to follow in the next couple of months!

The finished cover for Paul’s third book in his post-apocalyptic Robin Hood trilogy, Arrowland (above) has now been posted online. As mentioned previously, the stunning artwork is by Mark Harrison (also responsible for the first two covers), and the book is due to be launched at FantasyCon 2010 at Nottingham in September.

But to celebrate ahead of this, a new dedicated website has been created to promote all three books: ‘The Arrowhead Trilogy’. Complete with a chronology of Afterblight Britain, details of the entire Afterblight series published by Abaddon, brand new character profiles for every major player in the trilogy, photos of launches plus unused covers (like the one below of Robert riding a jet-fighter from Arrowland), this is the one-stop place for all your Arrowhead needs.

News now of another anthology Paul will soon be appearing in. Publishers of The Lazarus Condition (Tasmaniac Publications) are bringing out Festive Fear – The Global Edition (above, cover art by Daniele Serra), a follow-up to their Australian edition last year. Paul has contributed the novelette ‘Humbuggered’, a horror reworking of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

Here at the Shadow Writer site, we’re very pleased to be able to welcome one of our favourite writers as a guest for August. Bestselling author of Tango One, The Stretch, The Bombmaker, The Tunnel Rats, The Solitary Man, The Birthday Girl, The Long Shot and Cold Kill (above), Stephen Leather has begun writing a new series of supernatural chillers featuring P.I. Jack Nightingale. And you can read the first chapter of Nightfall (below) exclusively here.

Paul’s latest reviews for Mass Movement magazine are about the cult SF movie Starcrash (above), starring Caroline Munro and David Hasselhoff, and the new collection by New York Times bestselling author Tim Lebbon, Last Exit for the Lost (below) – published by Cemetery Dance. You can read both of these here and here. And, while the magazine is on its summer holidays, why not download Issue 27 here.

Paul was out and about quite a bit in July. To begin with he attended the cast and crew premiere screening of Danny Stack’s Origin (you can watch the trailer for this above). Written and directed by Danny, this disturbing short stars Katy Carmichael and Alex Avery (below with Danny at the screening), and Marie was one of the associate producers. The screening took place at 21st at Working Title Films’ cinema near Baker Street, and a good time was had by all. To visit the official website for the movie, just click here.

Next Paul and Marie attended the British Fantasy Society’s Open Afternoon at the George pub near Fleet Street on Saturday 31st. There to launch a new limited edition of her book Zoo City was Lauren Beukes (below), who did a reading and answered questions from the audience.

Also in attendance were people like Phil and Sarah Stokes from the Revelations site, Mike Carey, Stephen Jones, Sarah Pinborough, Mandy Slater, Amanda Foubister and Pinhead himself, Doug Bradley. Below is a shot of friends Doug, Phil and Paul at the event.

Finally, Marie and Paul were at Kim Newman’s annual birthday party at his house the next day. Author, film critic and all round genre expert, Kim opened his doors to friends and well-wishers (as evidenced by the Dracula welcome mat) and you can see a few snaps of the gathering below, including Kim on the right in the second picture, Rob Shearman in the next and Michael Marshall Smith with Sarah Pinborough in the last.

Oh, and we couldn’t leave without showing you the witch on Kim’s bookcase below. Enjoy!

We kick off this month with a selection of photos from the Alt. Fiction event which Paul was one of the guests at back on Saturday June 12th in Derby. Click here to check these out.

You can also listen to the panel Paul was a part of, ‘Dark Fantasy vs. Horror’ (above), along with Marie and Tim Lebbon – moderated by Kim Lakin-Smith – by clicking here.

Sticking with audio, you can now listen to the interview Paul gave to the Abaddon podcast at World Horror last March. Click here and then click on the second podcast; Paul’s interview appears about 50 minutes in, revealing tantalising teasers about the third post-apocalyptic Robin Hood book, as well as the novel he launched at WHC, the supernatural crime thriller The Gemini Factor.

And The Gemini Factor is the subject of our next news update, or more specifically two further reviews that have appeared of Paul’s novel. To start with, Horror Drive-In had this to say: ‘Paul Kane’s The Gemini Factor breathes some fresh air into the serial killer subgenre, chronicling the efforts of Sergeant Harrison and Inspector Mason as they work tirelessly to solve a series of murders in the city of Norchester. What makes their case unique is that the killer is only targeting twins, using a two-pronged fork to kill one twin while letting the other one live. The suspect also takes a trophy from each victim by removing one item from a paired body part (i.e. one hand, one leg, etc). As more and more bodies are found, the city of Norchester lives in fear of the “Twin Killer,” or “Twinkle” for short.

‘Kane’s tale of suspense is a fun read. Not only is the nature of the killings so unique, but the story also goes through numerous twists and turns along the way. There’s no doubt in my mind that readers will think they know where Kane is leading them, only to have the rug yanked out from beneath them time and again. Kane’s style is such that you can’t help but turn the page to see what he’s going to do next, and it’s that unpredictability that has earned my readership in the last couple years. Simply put, the man can tell one hell of an entertaining yarn. If you’re looking for a fun summer read, go grab a copy of The Gemini Factor…and while you’re at it, pick up a couple more of Kane’s books. He hasn’t disappointed me yet, and I’m guessing you’ll enjoy his writing too.’

While Morpheus Tales magazine commented: ‘I enjoyed reading this book! Kane’s take on the serial killer procedural novel keeps you entertained and enthralled till the very end. Barker is right when he says Kane is a “first rate storyteller.” The book reminds me a little of Dean Koontz’s Odd Thomas novels... The city of Norchester is the venue for our serial killer, dubbed Twinkle by the newspapers. The killer is searching out twins, killing one of them and taking trophies. Detective Sergeant Deborah Harrison is on the case, and when a man turns up at the first two crime scenes she thinks she may have found her killer... Kane’s no nonsense writing style makes this book read like a modern crime novel, but anyone aware of Kane’s previous work may suspect that there is something more going on than a standard crime thriller, and so there is, although I’ll leave what that is for you to discover. The fatal final twists will leave your head spinning... This is such a fun book to read, so easy, it feels like the story just wraps you up. It’s like reading those other classic genre storytellers King and Koontz. Kane certainly has the pedigree and this crime/genre novel is marvellously well crafted.’

To buy the book, visit the Screaming Dreams site here and to read a sample chapter in PDF, click here.

The Shadow Writer site is proud to present our Guest Writer for July, award-winning author Yvonne Navarro. Responsible for such high profile novelisations as Species, Species II, Hellboy and Ultraviolet, as well as work in the Aliens and Buffy the Vampire Slayer universes (above), Yvonne’s own Dark Redemption series begins with Highborn, which we’re delighted to have an exclusive extract from. To read this, just click here..

Following hot on the heels of last month’s announcement that several of the stories in Paul and Marie’s Hellbound Hearts anthology gained ‘Honorable Mentions’ in Ellen Datlow’s The Best Horror of the Year, Volume Two, comes the news that not only has the anthology itself been shortlisted for a British Fantasy Award, but so has Sarah Pinborough’s story ‘The Confessor’s Tale’. Sarah’s A Matter of Blood (below) has recently been released from Gollancz, and the first novel in her YA series is due out in September. Paul and Marie would like to wish all the nominated authors and editors well; the winners will be announced at FantasyCon in September.

The Horror Reanimated site asked Paul what book he would like to be buried with and the resultant article is here. With thanks to Mathew F. Riley for the request.

And for those of you looking for more non-fiction from Paul, he has just reviewed The Descent Part 2 (above), Ghost Machine (below) and Stephen Gallagher’s Chimera for Mass Movement Magazine. To read these, click here, here and here.

Paul has also written a review of Stargate Universe (first season boxed set) which you can find here.

Finally, here is the huge gallery of photos compiled from the World Horror Convention 2010. To access this, just click here. Enjoy!

Just as a quick reminder, Paul is one of the guests at this year’s Alt.Fiction event on Saturday June 12th at the Quad in Derby. Above is the brilliant booklet, with cover art by the acclaimed Liam Sharp, typeset and designed by Marie O’Regan – both also guests at the event. Other attending authors include Ramsey Campbell, Mike Carey, Chaz Brenchley, Paul Cornell, Sarah Pinborough, Mark Chadbourn, Juliet McKenna, Tim Lebbon and Steve Erikson among others, not to mention editors Stephen Jones of Mammoth Book of Year’s Best Horror fame, Marc Gascoigne and Lee Harris from Angry Robot, Jenni Hill from Abaddon/Solaris and Steve Tribe from BBC Books, as well as literary agents John Jarrold and John Berlyne. There’s still time to book your place, so visit the website here for more details.

Paul’s brand new ‘Cold Call’ is one of the featured short stories in the latest Horror Bound Magazine. You can read this by clicking here. Horror Bound have also just taken another of Paul’s short stories, ‘Keeper of the Light’ for publication in an upcoming anthology about fear of the dark. More details as and when.

Another couple of excellent reviews for The Gemini Factor have been posted online. First up from Falcata Times comes: ‘As a fan of Paul’s futuristic Afterblight series from Abaddon, when I heard about this new offering from new publisher Screaming Dreams, I was more than happy to give it a go. What you get within this offering are characters who jump off the page, some great dialogue, and a plot that’s as twisted as this author’s mind can conceive which only adds to this reading experience. Dressed up as a traditional crime novel, it’s the way in which the author has managed to blend Urban Fantasy, a touch of Sci-Fi and mixed it all up with a wicked sense of humour. It’s a cracking title and one that I really had a blast reading. Definitely a title for people to give a go and if the other releases from this publisher are as tempting as this then they’ve got a secure future ahead. Top quality for a great price.’

Secondly, Jim Dodge Jr over at Mass Movement Magazine has this to say: ‘Dear Mr Paul Kane... I was overwhelmed by your skill with the written (typed) word. The characters were so rich and textured, the details so lovingly wrought, that I was caught in a whirlwind of literary joy... From the first word on the first page all the way to the last word of the epilogue, you had me glued to the page. You have taken the idea, the fear, of serial killers and twisted it into something even more deranged (yet even more beautiful) than ever before. This thirty five year old father and heavy equipment operator nearly wept when I finished reading The Gemini Factor. Now I would like to thank you for the emotional thrill ride your book evoked.’

To buy the book, visit the Screaming Dreams site here and to read a sample chapter in PDF, click here.

Our Guest Writer for June on the SW site is Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Blaze of Glory, Scarecrow Gods and The Golden Thread, Weston Ochse. To read the thrilling extract from his novel Empire of Salt (above), released recently by Abaddon, just click here.

Paul was delighted to learn that his story ‘Masques’, published in the Poe-inspired anthology Return of the Raven, has been given an Honorable Mention in Ellen Datlow’s The Best Horror of the Year, Volume Two (above). Also appearing on the list are several stories from the anthology Paul co-edited with Marie, Hellbound Hearts (below), including ‘The Collector’ by Kelley Armstrong, ‘Prisoners of the Inferno’ by Peter Atkins, ‘Tis Pity He’s Ashore’ by Chaz Brenchley, ‘Our Lord of Quarters’ by Simon Clark, ‘The Promise’ by Nancy Kilpatrick and ‘Mother’s Ruin’ by Mark Morris.

Watch out for the second part of this update, coming soon, which will be the long promised gallery of World Horror pictures.

We kick off May’s news update with an exclusive preview of the cover for Paul’s third post-apocalyptic Robin Hood book, Arrowland (above), by the legendary Mark Harrison (who painted the first two). As you can see, it’s an action-packed scene showing our hero Robert tackling his enemies on top of a speeding truck. There’ll be more news about Arrowland in coming months, including details of its launch later this year. And with Ridley Scott’s new movie Robin Hood (starring Russell Crowe, below) in cinemas this month too, it really is the year of the Hooded Man!

For those of you who can’t wait that long for Arrowland, there’s a 9,000 word brand new prequel short story written by Paul called ‘Signs and Portents’ in Scott Andrews’ Children’s Crusade, also out this month. Like Arrowland, Crusade marks not only another chapter in Abaddon’s Afterblight Chronicles, but also Scott’s third book featuring his characters from St Mark’s school. The stunning cover art is again by Mark Harrison, but that’s not the end of the links. The novel also features Robert and his Rangers in a crucial role. To find out more, you’re just going to have to pick up a copy for yourself.

The novel has also received a couple of favourable reviews. The first, from Pornokitsch, who say: ‘The Gemini Factor’, by Paul Kane, is an unusual take on the traditional serial killer saga. As can be anticipated from the man that gleefully retells myths & folklore, Kane skilfully reinterprets genre conventions in his latest thriller. By pairing science & the supernatural (one of many, many twins – literal and metaphorical – in The Gemini Factor), he’s created something quite new and nasty. In the fictional city of Norchester, a serial killer is stalking twins. And, as serial killers are wont to do, killing them and chopping off bits. The killer is amusingly named “Twinkle” by the city’s local media, but despite the condescending name, he (or she) is a nasty piece of work. [Editor’s note: In a manoeuvre clearly meant to win over my carnivorous heart, the killer uses a giant BBQ fork to spear victims.] While Twinkle skewers and slices the city’s population, an unlikely pair of heroes try to solve the case. Detective Sergeant Deborah Harrison (nickname: “Blondie”) is a talented sleuth, but fears that the Twinkle case is beyond her. She finds an unlikely ally in Jack Foley, a scruffy historian (and also a twin). Ever since Twinkle killed his brother, Jack is inextricably and inexplicably linked to the killer. Every time Twinkle takes a life, Jack can somehow see it. Given the particularly messy nature of the murders, this has taken its toll on Jack’s sanity. The author puts in a lot of time making the little details of Jack and Debbie’s lives come to life... But while Jack and Debbie are both empathetic, the book’s real star is the fictional city of Norchester.... It has seedy back alleys, an antiquated police station, an isolated posh neighbourhood and hotels with fading Victorian grandeur. In short, it has everything a city needs to be properly thrilling. Paul Kane has created a brilliantly detailed and utterly believable setting – hopefully one that is revisited in later books. The Gemini Factor is a tightly-plotted, well-planned thriller. A disturbing villain stalks a compelling, British noir setting, while heroes combine modern forensics and ageless intuition to stop him. Not just something for everyone, but something very good...’

You can read the full review by clicking here.

Meanwhile, Science Fiction & Fantasy have this to say about the book, giving it a four star review: ‘The Gemini Factor is a supernatural thriller from the award winning author Paul Kane... The novel tells the story of a twisted and highly successful serial killer whose victims are always one of twins and always have a body part missing, taken by the killer as a souvenir. Inspector Roy Mason and his Sergeant Deborah Harrison are the detectives who must hunt this murderer before he kills again but their only lead is Jack Foley, a man who’s own twin brother was savagely struck down by the killer and now believes he relives each and every death....The Gemini Factor draws on the twins mythology to create a modern day thriller of supernatural proportions. The plot is both involving and rewarding while the actual storytelling is quite excellent. Paul Kane manages to create a realistic portrayal of victim / killer / hunter without going over the top as many other writers do. His descriptive narrative grabs attention while the plot’s pace manages to keep you reading. The protagonist and lead characters are well fleshed out and it’s very easy to relate to them, it isn’t long before begin rooting for their survival and wellbeing – a testament to the quality of writing. More contemporary than most books you will find on this site and that I personally read, The Gemini Factor is nevertheless a very well crafted and rewarding novel which I have no hesitation in recommending.’

For the full thing, click here.

To buy the book, visit the Screaming Dreams site here and to read a sample chapter in PDF, click here.

Of Darkness and Light, by Paul Kane

Paul’s other release, the short novel Of Darkness and Light, has also been receiving some critical attention.Christian Saunders, over at Morpheus Tales, states: ‘Set against a bleak Midlands backdrop, this is a tight, claustrophobic novel about an average teenager who is devastated when his childhood sweetheart leaves him for another guy. Just when Lee Masterton thinks his life cannot get any worse, he is coerced into taking a job as a night watchman, and then he meets the beings that inhabit the light... and the dark. It is rare to find a horror story containing such a healthy dose of modern realism in the form of urban decay, unemployment and dissatisfied youth, and this story certainly makes these elements work to its benefit... The prose is crisp and the plot tightly woven, the characters believable and the style accessible. The author does a great job of building tension in anticipation of a thrilling climax that cannot fail to move you.’

Read the full review here.

While Horror World have this to add: ‘Award-winning writer Paul Kane firmly establishes characters and the dramatic conflict between them early on in this compelling novel, setting the stage for the confrontation to follow. Like many children, Lee Masterson feared the dark, his fear intensified by his belief that creatures exist in the shadows, evil beings that watch and follow wherever he goes. His terror increases with age as he begins to catch glimpses of the creatures of darkness... Action is non-stop and breathtaking in this suspenseful tale that challenges the reader to re-examine their beliefs about good and evil. A consistently strong voice in the horror genre, his unique, unorthodox and totally original Of Darkness and Light keeps adrenaline pumping right up until the startling conclusion.’

Read the full review here.

Mass Movement’s review says: ‘This story is great! The characters are well-developed, even Lee’s asshole father. Paul Kane’s use of description to give his tale a creepy, tense atmosphere is superb and the juxtaposition of light/dark and good/evil is really refreshing. Of Darkness and Light was one of my favourite reads of 2009!’ You can find the full review here.

And last, but not least, Synergy Magazine tells readers: ‘Paul Kane has written an interesting short novel with a twist on the light versus dark, good versus evil battle. He crafts some fine characters, which is essential if the book is not to degenerate into some sort of light fantasy. The characters carry the tale rather than the events. Lee Masterton has always been afraid, no, terrified, of the dark. There is something there, watching him. It’s a common enough phobia among the young, but Lee is now in his late teens and he hasn’t grown out of it. He simply KNOWS there is something or someone there watching him. He is right. There is... The battle is focused on Lee since he is the only one who can see the dwellers in the dark and the light. Is he up to it? There will be many surprises for him as his world is reversed. So many people are not what they seem. Kane’s skilful writing carries the estate’s mood of depression well and sets the stage for the action that follows. It’s a great story and Lee’s mood is the thread that carries it through. He is a reluctant hero pushed into prominence because of the one ‘talent’ he would rather do without - his fear of the dark.’

The full review of that one is here.

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Shadowmancer, by G P Taylor

We’re delighted to welcome this month as our Guest Writer, G.P. Taylor. New York Times bestselling author of such books as Shadowmancer (above), Wormwood, Tersias , The Curse of Salamander Street, The Midas Box, The Ghost Diamonds and Ship of Fools , as well as creator of the Doppelganger Chronicles, he is also known for his ghost readings, media appearances and paranormal investigations. So, read an extract from his latest book, Vampire Labyrinth (below), just click here.

Vampire Labyrinth, by G P Taylor

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Neil Gaiman, James Herbert, WHC 2010

Those waiting for our mammoth gallery of World Horror Pictures have just a little longer to wait. Yes, it’s that big and the photos are still being compiled. To keep you going, though, here are a few more: of Neil Gaiman interviewing James Herbert (above), Paul kicking ass (below), Paul with Anne Billson – who recently introduced Paul and Marie’s forthcoming Voices in the Dark book (also below) – and a candid shot of Paul, Stephen Jones and Johnny Mains (editor of the Pan tribute book Back from the Dead) on the last night of the convention, in the bar... where else?

While you’re waiting, there are some pictures and testimonials from the event on the official site here.

Paul Kane

Paul Kane, Anne Billson

Paul Kane, Stephen Jones and Johnny Mains, WHC2010

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Coming soon, a gigantic gallery of pictures from the whole of WHC, but for now here are just a few of Paul’s highlights, including: hanging out with surprise guest Neil Gaiman (above), which you can read more about on the Abaddon blog here; meeting Hammer actress Ingrid Pitt – pictured with veteran genre journalist and author Philip Nutman (below); and enjoying a joke with Special Guest James Herbert (also below). Lots more to come, so keep checking back.

Guest Writer on the site for this Easter month is former genre journalist, actress and fiction writer Axelle Carolyn (above). Author of the excellent It Lives Again! from Telos publishing (below), Axelle’s short story is called ‘Shock Rock’ and you can read it here.

You can read a massive three-part interview with Paul posted on the Pornokitsch website, where he talks all things post-apocalyptic Hood, Hellbound Hearts and horror. You can find the first part here, the second here and the third here.

New reviews from Paul featured on the Mass Movement website include Clive Barker’s Dread (above) and Paranormal Entity (below). You can read them here and here.

Launching at the World Horror Convention itself, though – as mentioned in previous news sections – is Paul’s new novel The Gemini Factor from Screaming Dreams. As well as there being lots of pre-publicity for the publication and event, bookmarks (like the one above), postcards, posters and even T-Shirts are also being produced just to celebrate the release! The Gemini Factor now also has it own page on the SD site, complete with a short extract, which you can find here.

News of a future convention now, and Paul can now announce that he and Marie are part of the line-up for the new Alt.Fiction festival (above) taking place in Derby on the 12th June this year. They will be appearing alongside BBC authors like Simon Guerrier (author of the Being Human novel, The Road – below), bestselling authors such as Tim Lebbon, Chaz Brenchley, Peter Crowther and Mark Chadbourn, award-wining editor Stephen Jones and many others. To check out some of the line-up and to have a look around the site, click here.

Meanwhile, Paul had a fantastic time as a guest at the SFX Weekender last month. For a full gallery of pictures like the one of Paul, above, doing a reading (and links to some videos of the event) just click here.

March’s Guest Writer is the author of the forthcoming novels City of Dreams and Nightmare from Angry Robot and The Noise Within for Solaris: Ian Whates. Ian also owns the excellent NewCon Press for which he has recently edited the vampire anthology The Bitten Word (below). To read an exclusive extract from City of Dreams, just click here.

News now from friend of the Shadow Writer site, award-winning artist Vincent Chong. His new book Altered Visions (above) is available for pre-order at the Telos site here, plus you can have a sneak glimpse inside by clicking here. Vincent is, of course, also responsible for the cover of Paul’s short novel from Thunderstorm which is due out at the end of March, Of Darkness and Light (below).

We begin February’s news update with a reminder that Paul is a Guest at SFX’s Weekender (above) convention at Camber Sands from 5th – 6th February. He will be reading from his books on the Saturday, then doing a Q&A and signing, plus featuring on a panel with Dr Who scripter Paul Cornell (below), Mark C. Newton, author of Nights of Villjamur and Jonathan Oliver, whose first novel The Call of Kerberos has just been released. Other genre names attending include China Miéville (The City & the City), Toby Whithouse (Being Human), Dave Gibbons (Watchmen), Richard Morgan (The Steel Remains), Robert Rankin (Retromancer), Joe Abercrombie (The Blade Itself), Al Ewing (I, Zombie), Peter F. Hamilton (The Temporal Void), James Barclay (Legends of the Raven series), Gareth David-Lloyd (Torchwood), Tom Baker (Dr Who), Justina Robson (Chasing the Dragon), David Moody (Hater), Stan Nicholls (the Orcs series), Liz Sladen (The Sarah Jane Adventures), James Marsters (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Michelle Forbes (Messiah, Battlestar Galactica, True Blood), plus the creators of the E4 show Misfits. All this and the SFX Awards, Blastermind quiz, a masquerade ball, screenings and more dealers than you can shake a lightsaber at! Quite an event, which is probably why there are around 2,500 people attending. You can find out more by visiting the site here.

Paul was delighted when the creator of Robin of Sherwood (above) said the following about his Arrowhead novels recently: ‘I love the concept of the books, mixing a bit of myth and science fiction into a heady and thrilling piece of tough story-telling.’

February’s Guest Writer is Bram Stoker Award winning Editor-in-Chief of ChiZine: Treatments of Light and Shade in Words (which has been around since 1997), co-publisher of ChiZine Publications and the author of In and Down (above) and The Distance Travelled (below), Brett Alexander Savory. You can read his excellent short story ‘Messages’ simply by clicking here.

Paul was sent word last month of a belated review of his book The Lazarus Condition at the Scary Minds website. Here are some of the highlights: ‘Tasmaniac have really outdone themselves with The Lazarus Condition, and have pretty much jumped out of the trenches and gone over the top in a clear demonstration of going beyond the call of duty... Kane has taken the zombie sub genre, put it through a spin rinse with various dyes, and given us a completely new design on what can be done with the walking dead. I’m always up for a story centring around the big Z concept and Kane doesn’t disappoint. There’s some twist and turns coming at you during the course of the novella with the final revelation being completely different to expectations...The reader is thrust into a world where the dead are coming back to life, and Kane remains unapologetic about doing that. Initially I was wondering if zombie Matthew Daley was heading home for dinner, in a sort of Romero fashion, but Kane isn’t going to make it that easy on the reader...Without giving too much away there’s one hell of a shock ending coming that I didn’t pick up on. .. It’s a pretty decent strategy and Kane freaking nails it like a wild Friday night up the Cross. The Lazarus Condition is more than another pulp zombie book put out by a Yank publication in order to ride on the shirt tails of the current upsurge in support of all things zombie, Paul Kane’s novella is going after something far more grandiose in design.

‘If The Lazarus Condition is the main course in a five star restaurant then the short story Dead Time is the intoxicating dessert...We’re talking a yarn from the post-apocalyptic ashes that once again gives a different spin to the zombie genre. Paul Kane is certainly keeping the reader on his or her toes. Expect the unexpected would be my advice.’

To read the full 9/10 star review click here.

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Artwork for The Gemini Factor, by Paul Kane. Artwork by Steve Upham

More news about Paul’s forthcoming novel The Gemini Factor now. The launch party at the World Horror Convention in Brighton is at 1-2pm on Sunday 28th March at the Albion Hotel, with free wine. This from the book’s official press release:

‘It’s a miracle, pure and simple. The miracle of twin birth. But in the city of Norchester, being a twin also marks you out as a victim. Because someone is killing them and stealing their body parts. It’s up to Inspector Roy Mason and his Sergeant, Deborah Harrison, to track down the culprit before they can strike again. Their only lead? A man whose own twin was brutally murdered by the killer. A man whose brother is now helping him from beyond the grave.

‘From the imagination of award-winning author Paul Kane (The Lazarus Condition, Peripheral Visions, RED, Arrowhead and Broken Arrow), comes a powerful novel, a supernatural whodunnit unlike any other – in which the very laws of the serial killer procedural are turned on their head. A novel which holds a mirror up to our very souls and asks us just who we are. You might not be quite ready for the answer…’

So if you’re coming to the con, be sure to drop in and buy a signed copy of the book.

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Happy Birthday!

February is also, of course, Paul’s birthday month so I hope you’ll join us in wishing him a very bloody birthday!

See you all again next month!

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Happy New Year! We hit the ground running in 2010 to announce that Paul’s new novel, called The Gemini Factor (above, with gorgeous cover artwork from Steve Upham), will be launching at the World Horror Convention in Brighton in March. Published by Screaming Dreams, the novel will be introduced by Mornsingstar, Big Thunder and Moontown author Peter Atkins. More about this exciting release very soon...

In the meantime another couple of great reviews of Paul’s forthcoming short novel, Of Darkness and Light, have appeared on the net. In the first over at the HorrorBound website, Jason Rolfe comments : ‘Kane’s atmospheric style is reminiscent of Ramsey Campbell, dark and truly terrifying, contemporary in content yet classic in terms of mood. Darkness is a universal fear, one that we can either relate to or empathize with. Kane plays on this fear quite well. More than that, however, he gives us a protagonist we can care about... Paul Kane has demonstrated an ability to bind tone and terror with this novel. Kane’s adroitness with the language of fear, his ability to convey suspense and cerebral terror, gives the story a much more classic feel than most contemporary horror novels. The end result is a truly frightening novel that brings you in, haunts you for the duration, and lingers long after the story has been told. Kane is a craftsman, and Of Darkness and Light is an extremely well-crafted piece.’ To read the full review click here.

The second is at HorrorNews.Net where Anton Cancre had this to say: ‘What a pleasant surprise this book ended up being... First off, Paul put together one of the best prologues I have read in quite a while. It was gripping, powerful and had me damn near quaking with anticipation... Something must be said for Paul’s effortless pacing and prose that generally flows like a nice, cool vanilla smoothie... He managed to take all of my expectations and punch me in the face with them... Incredibly entertaining and I enjoyed every minute of reading it.’ For the whole thing, click here.

There’s still time to pre-order the book by visiting the Thunderstorm website here.

News of another big release now, this time the fourth book in the popular Terror Tales series edited by John B. Ford and Paul (above, with cover artwork from Steve Lines). As well as the usual smattering of new talent, the anthology includes stories from the likes of Neil Gaiman, Peter James, Kim Newman, Simon Clark, Peter Crowther, Jeff VanderMeer and Tony Richards.

We’re delighted to welcome as the first Guest Writer of this new decade, the man responsible for bringing back the Daleks (above) to our screens with his episode of Dr Who appropriately entitled‘Dalek’ – World Fantasy Award-winner Robert Shearman. Following up his first successful collection, Tiny Deaths (below), he brings us Love Songs for the Shy and Cynical published by Big Finish in three editions: leatherbound here, limited hardback here, and paperback here. To read an exclusive story from this collection just click here and to read an interview with Robert from the Den of Geek site, click here.

Above is the artwork by Nick Rose which will feature alongside Paul’s story ‘One for the Road’ in the anthology Darc Karnivale (below, which Nick also painted the cover for). The book is being published by Evil Nerd Empire and edited by David Byron and Corey R. Scales.

Paul was out and about quite a bit in December, first of all at the official UK launch of Hellbound Hearts at the British Fantasy Society’s Christmas Open Night (above and below, photos by Martin Roberts).

From left to right: Editors, Paul and Marie, Christopher Fowler and Dean Drinkel.

Paul also hosted a reading and launch evening for his students' new anthology, Out of this World, photos of which you can see below (courtesy of Graham Godfrey).