All the latest Shadow Writer news and announcements.   Current news can be viewed here 2023 news can be viewed here 2021 news can be viewed here 2020 news can be viewed here 2019 news can be viewed here 2018 news can be viewed here 2017 news can be viewed here 2016 news can be viewed here 2015 news can be viewed here 2014 news can be viewed here 2013 news can be viewed here 2012 news can be viewed here 2011 news can be viewed here 2010 news can be viewed here 2009 news can be vieweed here 2008 news can be viewed here 2007 news can be viewed here 2006 news can be viewed here 2005 news can be viewed here 2004 news can be viewed here 2003 news can be viewed here   December   And we round off the year with yet another book announcement, this time an anthology: The Other Side of Never (above), to be published by Titan next May. This from the official PR: ‘The award-winning Marie O’Regan & Paul Kane bring together the masters of fantasy, science-fiction and horror, to spin stories inspired by JM Barrie’s classic tale. A murder investigation leads a detective to a strange place called Neverland, pupils attend a school for Peters, a young boy loses his shadow and goes to desperate lengths to retrieve it. These stories take the original tales of Peter & Wendy, the Lost Boys and Tinkerbell, twisting and turning them. From dystopias to the gritty streets of London, these stories will keep you reading all night and straight on ’til morning. Featuring: Alison Littlewood, Muriel Gray, Rio Youers, Cavan Scott, Juliet Marillier, Guy Adams, Edward Cox, Anna Smith Spark, Paul Finch, Robert Shearman, AK Benedict, Premee Mohamed, Lavie Tidhar, Laura Mauro, Kirsty Logan, Claire North, AC Wise and Gama Ray Martinez.’ More details in the New Year on this one! -----------------------------------------       Paul’s publisher for the PL Kane thrillers, HQ/HarperCollins, celebrated their 6th Birthday last month!     If you haven’t picked up Her Last Secret, Her Husband’s Grave, and The Family Lie yet, the links are over the titles – they’d make terrific Christmas pressies for the crime fiction lover in your life! ---------------------------------------------     Do we have a Guest Writer for you this Holiday Season! Bestselling author of the hugely successful The Atlas Six and its sequel The Atlas Paradox (above), Olivie Blake! You can read an extract from her fantastic book Alone With You In The Ether (below) simply by clicking here.     -------------------------------------------------------------         Paul received copies of his new collection Tempting Fate last month, and they look gorgeous (above, cover art by the amazing Erik Wilson). Published by Macabre Ink/Crossroad Press, can get your hands on the book here and here. ------------------------------------------------ ‘A very expressionistic vibe… Besides reminding me of the classic German Expressionism, it also harkens back to the approach that the old classic Film Noirs had. From a writing point of view, the screenplay manages to do some interesting things… This is one of those movies like the old John McTiernan Film, Basic, or more recently The Power of the Dog, where half of the pleasure comes from waiting for the next reversal in the story… Every twist in the story is very carefully and very deliberately prepared. And this is one of those films I feel like every time I go back and watch it again, I’ll appreciate how everything is set up and prepared even more.’ The words of Alexey Gammer, reviewing the movie Paul wrote The Torturer. You can watch the full thing by clicking below.     ------------------------------------------------       Last month, Paul and Marie were delighted to be invited as VIP Guests to GrimmFest and the BFI’s ‘Movies and Monsters’ Film Festival at the Odeon in Manchester (above). Kicking off with a drinks reception at the James Martin restaurant on the Friday night (also above), it continued throughout the weekend with screenings of classic and new horror films, plus interviews and Q&As with the guests. Below you’ll find photos from the event, including: Dominic Brunt, Ashley Thorpe and co. talking about their new release Wolf Manor; Corin Hardy (Gangs of London) giving insights about The Hallow; Mick Garris (The Stand) and Reece Shearsmith (Inside No. 9) in conversation about The Thing, with a special appearance from its director John Carpenter; Ramsey Campbell, Neil Marshall (Dog Soldiers), Mick, Corin and Reece, chatting about An American Werewolf in London, and just werewolves in general; Alice Krige (who also did a Q&A with Mick for a screening of Sleepwalkers) and director Charlotte Colbert introducing She Will; and finally Neil Marshall and Charlotte Kirk, talking about The Descent and The Lair. All in all, a fabulous weekend – with thanks to Simeon Halligan and Rachel Richardson-Jones for being such wonderful hosts!                                 -------------------------------------------     A reminder that the next HWA Pub Meet will be on 10th December – just next week! – and will be a very special seasonal Absinthe Books launch (above), with novellas from Mike Carey, Louise Carey and Priya Sharma, plus other PS Publishing Absinthe authors and books there. It all begins at The Angel here from 2pm onwards! So it just remains for us to say thanks for visiting the SW site this year and have a very Merry Christmas. See you all in 2023! -------------------------------------------------------   November   Another month, another book announcement! This time it’s a follow-up to Paul’s 2017 collection of crime and psychological terror stories: Nailbiters – Hard Bitten (above), due out soon from Encyclopocalypse. Here’s the official blurb:   ‘One man is about to be taught the dangers of modern dating, while another searches for a missing girl who might be in grave danger herself. The world’s greatest detective has to travel abroad to solve his latest case and a PI travels to an unfamiliar yet recognisable town in search of clues. And as a witness’ life is put in jeopardy, a young women tries to free herself from captivity. This, the second volume of Nailbiters, gathers together the latest tales of crime and psychological terror from bestselling and award-winning author and editor Paul Kane (The Family Lie, Exit Wounds). Complete with a sequel and tie-in to Her Last Secret and a prequel to the sellout #1 bestseller Her Husband’s Grave (both written as PL Kane), not to mention the script and audio drama of ‘A Nightmare on 34th Street’, plus an introduction by award-winning, bestselling author Martyn Waites (The Old Religion, The Sinner) this is one collection guaranteed to hit you hard!’ More details about this as and when. -------------------------------------------------     Meanwhile, the paperback version of Paul’s current collection dropped just in time for Halloween. The wraparound of Tempting Fate – with the stunning cover art by Erik Wilson – is above and you can order the book here and here. ---------------------------------------     Our Guest Writer this November is none other than David Watkins, author of the ‘Original’s books (including most recently The Original’s Retribution, above). His latest is The Exeter Incident (below) and you can read an exclusive extract from that by clicking here.     -------------------------------------------       The excellent ‘Haza and Ghani’ by Lilith Saintcrow from the original Cursed – edited by Paul & Marie, published by Titan – received a mention in a list of recommended Hansel and Gretel tales over on Tor.com last month. You can read the full article here and grab your copy of the book here. -----------------------------------------------     Finally, a date for your diaries, as the next HWA Pub Meet will be on 10th December and will be a very special Absinthe Books launch (above), with titles from Mike Carey, Louise Carey and Priya Sharma, as well as other Absinthe authors and books there. It all kicks off at The Angel here from 2pm onwards! -----------------------------------------------------   October Extra   Paul was recently sent an advance copy of the book Clive Barker’s Dark Worlds (above), out 18th October from Abrams’ imprint Cernunnos. As you’d probably expect from Barker archivists Phil & Sarah Stokes, this one is packed with a wealth of information, photos, drawings and especially handwritten extracts from Clive himself. It takes in all the milestones, from Books of Blood and Damnation Game, to – of course – Hellraiser (acknowledging that the subject will always be synonymous with Barker) and The Scarlet Gospels, with sections on his early life, his poetry, video games and his popular character Harry D’Amour from Lord of Illusions. It even deals with Clive’s health issues. In short, a must-have for collectors and very highly recommended. You can find out more and pre-order the volume here. ------------------------------------------------   October   Above is the cover to Paul’s brand-new genre collection, Tempting Fate, published by Crossroad Press. It includes new tales such as the title story (a sequel to ‘Lady’ from Lost Souls) and ‘Drawing a Line’, plus stunning cover artwork by Erik Wilson, below, in all its glory.     This from the back cover blurb: ‘Who is following people on Halloween night, and what lies within a mysterious box full of secrets? What’s coming through during a dangerous séance, why is it a bad idea to attend a certain school reunion and who is the world’s greatest assassin targeting next? Who really is “The Invisible Boy” and is it true that strange god-like creatures watch and Control our every move…? All these questions and more will be answered – or will they? – in a selection of stories by award-winning and # 1 bestselling author Paul Kane (Hooded Man, Sherlock Holmes and the Servants of Hell, Before, Arcana), including another one of his PL Kane crime adventures and one of his popular horror fairy tales. With an introduction by Bram Stoker Award-winner Tim Waggoner (We Will Rise, Halloween Kills) and cover art by Erik Wilson (The Thing Artbook) you’ll soon discover what Fate has in store. Give in to temptation!’ Available just in time for the spooky season, you can pick it up as an ebook here and here, with a print version following shortly. -----------------------------------------------------         Paul and Marie were delighted to receive the British Fantasy Society’s ‘Legends of FantasyCon Award’ last month! Announced at this year’s FantasyCon at Heathrow in London, which they sadly couldn’t attend, this was both a surprise and a honour. Congratulations to all the other winners, and you can find the full list of them on Starburst here. ------------------------------------------------------     Also announced last month, Paul & Marie’s forthcoming mass market anthology from Titan, Twice Cursed (above). A follow-up to the hugely successful original Cursed, this one features stories by the likes of: Joanne Harris; Neil Gaiman; Angela Slatter; MR Carey; Sarah Pinborough; Mark Chadbourn; Laura Purcell; Christina Henry; Katherine Arden; Adam Nevill; Helen Grant; Joe Hill; A.C. Wise; Kelley Armstrong; A.K. Benedict; and L.L. McKinney… Out next April, you can pre-order it here. ---------------------------------------------------     Our Halloween Guest Writer is the brains behind Your Creative Writing Toolkit (above), Rachel Knightley. You can read ‘Green Lady’ from her book Beyond Glass (below, published by Black Shuck Books) by clicking here.     ------------------------------------------------------       Following on from the announcement that the film Paul scripted, The Torturer, is available to stream on Tubi and Plex, it has now gone up to buy and rent on Amazon Prime in the US and UK (above and below).       It’s also worth noting that the feature based on his novelette ‘Men of the Cloth’, Sacrifice is on sale at the moment on Apple TV+ just £1.99 to buy and 99p to rent (below).     --------------------------------------------------------     October is, of course, Hellraiser month! With the new movie starring Jamie Clayton as Pinhead dropping on Hulu (above and below).     This has led to a lot of comments about Paul’s previous Hellraiser-related books and his audio adaptation of The Hellbound Heart across social media, either people revisiting or coming to them for the first time (below). Comments such as ‘terrific’, ‘highly recommended’, ‘phenomenal’ and ‘wonderful work’ to name but a few.         And if you haven’t yet seen the trailer for the new film, you can watch that below. Exciting times!     -------------------------------------------------   September   As mentioned in a previous news section, Paul’s horror western ‘Bounty’ has been adapted for audio by Brennan Storr of The Ghost Story Guys (above). And you can now listen to this by clicking here. ----------------------------------------------     Paul’s contributor copy of The Gemini Factor 10th Anniversary Hardback Edition arrived last month, and looks gorgeous (there it is above with the trade paperback). Published by Encyclopocalypse you can pick it up here and here.   An audio is coming soon, but in the meantime the other big news is that Paul’s just completed the first draft of the long-awaited sequel novel. More on that as and when! -----------------------------------------------------     Likely Story reviewed Ask the Authors 2022 – which contains 15,000 wds of non-fiction from Paul – last month, calling it ‘The ultimate writer’s refence, with tips and advice on craft, publishing and marketing…’ To read the review click here. ----------------------------------------------     We’re delighted to welcome back as Our Guest Writer for September, the award-winning author of novels such as The Ritual and No One Gets Out Alive (above), both of which were turned into hit movies, none other than Adam L.G. Nevill. You can read an extract from his latest, The Vessel, simply by clicking here.       ------------------------------------------------       In terms of viewing material, the short Paul wrote based on his own short story, The Torturer, is now available to stream over here in the UK via Plex (above). It’s also on Tubi Xumo and One Hub TV over in the States. Meanwhile, it received this glowing review over on Letterboxd (below).     A quick reminder that you can catch the feature film based on his novelette ‘Men of the Cloth’, Sacrifice, on Amazon Prime and on Apple TV+ (below).     And, finally, the episode of Fear Itself based on his story ‘Dead Time’ – New Year’s Day – is available to rent on both Apple TV+ and Prime (below).           ------------------------------------------------------     Last month Paul went on The Panic Room Radio Show (above) to talk about his career and in particular his latest PL Kane novel The Family Lie (below). Host James Longmore also read out the prologue to whet people’s appetites…     You can listen to the whole thing here And buy The Family Lie here. -----------------------------------------------------     Speaking of PL Kane, the first part of ‘Murder on the Golden Sands Express’ – a brand new novelette featuring Paul’s seaside detectives O’Brien & Watts – has just gone out in the latest newsletter. You can still get this – not to mention the next two episodes – by signing up at the bottom of the PL Kane homepage here.       Finally, Booksmart Girl Loves and Jenny Bookworm 88 gave the PL Kane thriller Her Husband’s Grave, which marks the first appearance of O’Brien & Watts, a shoutout on Instagram. Thanks to you both! You can buy the book here plus the first PL Kane novel Her Last Secret here. -------------------------------------------------- August     Paul’s publisher for the PL Kane novels HarperCollins/HQ are having a summer sale at the moment. 40% off everything, including his three thrillers (above). But hurry, as the sale only lasts until the 5th August! And the link to the site is here. ------------------------------------------     For those of you who like collecting your hardbacks, The Gemini Factor is now out in that format from Encyclopocalypse. It joins the trade paperback and ebook versions already out, and can be bought here or here. An audio is following soon too, as Paul continues to work on the long-awaited sequel. -----------------------------------------------     Our Guest Writer for August is the award-winning Philip Fracassi, author of books such as Behold the Void, Sacculina and Beneath A Pale Sky (above). We’re lucky enough to have an exclusive extract from his forthcoming novel A Child Alone With Strangers (below), which you can read here.     -----------------------------------------------         The film Paul wrote based on his own short story, The Torturer, has now landed on streaming platform Tubi and people have been reacting very positively (above). It’s also on Xumo, Plex and One Hub TV as reported in a previous News section, but you can go straight to the Tubi link here. ---------------------------------------------------- July   We begin this month with audio news, and the announcement that the Ghost Story Guys – who adapted Paul’s ‘A Nightmare on 34th Street’ a few Christmases ago – have tackled his horror western ‘Bounty’ (above). You’ll be able to listen to this as part of their podcast in August. ---------------------------------------   Paul received his copies of the YA reissue of Coming of Age (formerly Blood Red Sky) last month, and rather gorgeous the book looks too (above and below).         You can pick up your copy here, here, here, and here. ---------------------------------------------------     Our Guest Writer for the sunny month of July is RL Boyle, with an extract from her well received debut novel The Book of the Baku. You can jump straight into that here. ----------------------------------------------   Fabio Frizzi’s hugely successful Frizzi2Fulci concert is back this Halloween (above). As well as containing music from movies like The Beyond and City of the Living Dead, you’ll be able to hear the score from the film Paul scripted, based on his own short story,The Weeping Woman. You can get your tickets by clicking here.     ---------------------------------------------------------       Paul’s thriller as PL Kane, Her Husband’s Grave, featured in the HarperCollins newsletter not once, but twice last month – in the ‘Trending Fiction’ and ‘Popular Crime and Thriller’ sections, alongside writers such as CL Taylor, Jeffrey Archer, Jurassic Park scriptwriter David Koepp and Nadine Matheson (above).       It was also part of their 99p ebook offer in June (above).       More pictures of the novel appeared in the wild as well, like the one above from Nick Swift, and it received more 5* reviews like the one pictured, highly recommending it.   All the PL Kanes, including the first one Her Last Secret and the most recent, The Family, are available to buy here, here, and here. ---------------------------------------------------   June   A late news update this month, because Paul is still catching up after ChillerCon UK – and what a convention it was! ‘F**king epic’, ‘Amazing’, ‘A brilliant event’, ‘A fantastic long weekend of panels, launches, interviews, and catching up with old friends and making a few new ones.’, ‘A fab event, one of the most genial I've been to’, ‘What great times we had together… an incredible three days’, ‘Such a wonderful time’, ‘An excellent convention!’… These are just some of the comments in the wake of the event, with Co-Chairs, Paul, Marie and Alex Davis being hailed as heroes for finally getting it over the line. Below are some of the photos from ChillerCon UK, including the Souvenir Book and Pocket Programme – with covers by Les Edwards – the opening ceremony, panels (with Paul having to jump on the Folk Horror, Adaptations and Body Horror ones, the last two with Guest of Honour Mick Garris), launches, fun in the bar, Grady Hendrix's ‘Evening with the Final Girl Support Group’, Special Guest Robert Lloyd Parry as MR James, the Mass Signing, the Banquet, all the Guests (including Kim Newman and Mike (MR) Carey) aka The Final Convention Support Group, and Paul & Marie with the Guests on the stairs of the Royal Hotel.                                                           -----------------------------------------------------     Waiting for Paul when he got home from Scarborough was his contributor copy of the new edition of The Gemini Factor from publishers Encyclopocalypse, which includes the script for the pilot episode of an aborted TV miniseries (above and below).           Also out last month were the ebook and print editions of Coming of Age, a reissue of Blood Red Sky from Crossroads Press under Paul’s P.B. Kane YA pseudonym (below).       You can pick up Gemini here, here, here, and here. And you can buy Coming of Age here, here, here, and here. ----------------------------------------------------     Our Guest Writer for June is the author of New Pompeii (above), Empire of Time and The Synapse Sequence, Daniel Godfrey. We’re proud to present an exclusive extract from his new novel, The Calculations of Rational Men (below) which you can get stuck into right here.     -----------------------------------------------     Finally, the film Paul wrote, based on his story, The Torturer is now up to steam on Xumo, Plex, and One Hub TV – so now’s your chance to see what all the fuss is about!     And thanks to the good folks at the Clive Barker Podcast, there’s also a commentary for the movie done by makers Little Spark Films (below). To listen to that, just click here.     ---------------------------------------------------- May     Not long to go now until ChillerCon UK hits Scarborough and organisers Paul, Marie and Alex have been putting out information on a daily basis. As well as the Masterclasses mentioned last month, there have been details about the performances and interviews taking place (like the ones above with Guests of Honour Grady Hendrix and Mick Garris). Others have been sharing the news as well, including friends of the Shadow Writer site The Ghost Story Guys podcast here.     There’s also the exciting news that Troma will have an official presence at the convention (above), including the opportunity to have your photo taken with The Toxic Avenger himself! All this, plus pitch sessions, kaffeeklatsches, readings and more! To book your ticket click here and you can book your accommodation here. --------------------------------------------------     And our Guest this month on the SW site is going to be at ChillerCon UK, doing panels: Gemma Amor, author of White Pines (above), Dear Laura and Cruel Works of Nature. We have an exclusive early look at her new novel Full Immersion, out from Angry Robot in September (below) and you can read that extract here.       --------------------------------------------------------       Paul received his gorgeous contributor copies of Stuart Gordon Interviews, edited by Michael Doyle and published by The University Press of Mississippi (above) last month, which features an interview Paul conducted with Stuart from 2007 (below). The late Stuart was of course the director of movies like Re-Animator, From Beyond and Castle Freak, a Master of Horror and one of Paul’s friends – he even wrote the introduction to the anthology Paul co-edited with Marie, The Mammoth Book of Body Horror. You can pick up the interview book here.     -----------------------------------------------------     An interview with Paul himself now, and a whopping 15k wd one which has been included in Ask the Author (above). It’s been put together by Kaye Booth of Wordcrafter – you might remember Paul delivered the keynote speech at their convention last year – and you can grab your copy here. --------------------------------------------------- Paul was delighted to discover that a whole episode of Strange Playgrounds has been devoted to his Body Horror collection Traumas, and specifically his story ‘Biorhythms’. Click on the video below to hear what George Daniel Lea has to say…     And you can buy Traumas here. ---------------------------------------------------     Sticking with Body Horror for a moment, and the great news that the movie Paul scripted – The Torturer (above) – is at last available to stream, over on Screen Indie. Here's the trailer that popped up on Twitter for the announcement, and to celebrate there was a piece about the making of the film on the ‘To Tony’ Blog here. -------------------------------------------------------     Finally, a script of The Hellbound Heart audio Paul wrote was auctioned off online last month (above). Signed by Paul and stars Alice Lowe, Tom Meeton, Neve McIntosh, Nick Vince and others, it raised quite a bit of money for Ukraine.       Bidding has ended for that, but if you haven’t yet picked up the full cast audio drama (above) you can do so here. ------------------------------------------------------ April   We start April’s update with events news. With only two months to go, word is spreading about ChillerCon UK (above and below).         Paul and the rest of the committee also did a site visit to the Grand and Royal hotels in March, finalising a lot of the details and taking in some of the beautiful scenery as well (below).         Soon, the cream of the horror community will be hitting the town (writers, artists, directors, screenwriters) and as this is a total one off event, never to be repeated, it’s recommended that you book your ticket here and your accommodation here as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. It’s only going to become busier the closer we get! There will also be a series of special events taking place within the Con itself, like this one recently announced (below):  a Masterclass with bestselling The House on Needless Street and Sundial author Catriona Ward.     If you’re still on the fence, check out Paul’s recent article for Ginger Nuts of Horror all about ‘Scare-borough’ (below) – which also ended up in This is Horror’s ‘Must Read’ section in March. You can read it here.     -------------------------------------------     Writing news now, and the audio of Paul’s last collection The Naked Eye which recently dropped has been getting some attention, starting with a 5-star audible customer review which said: ‘This was my first experience with Kane’s stories but it won’t be my last...[He] shows what he is capable of and what I have missed by not reading him before.’       The audio was also reviewed by Fantasy Book Nerd who said: ‘This is my first encounter with Paul Kane’s writing and I must say I will be hunting out more! There are a different range of stories in this collection from a young girl who hunts monsters, to superhero origins. However, not only are there a different range of stories, there are various layers of horror. Some of them reminded me of Roald Dahl’s Tales of the Unexpected, whilst others like “Pure Evil” are more visceral. My standout stories of the collection were “White Shadows”, and I would definitely like to read more about these monsters that live in the snow and make people disappear, and I think was my other favourite was “Maddy the Monster”. I loved this tale of monsters who had been genetically made to fight a war. However, I did enjoy all of the stories. They were immediately engaging and hooked me in, making me want to get to the end of the story to see how it would unfold. I listened to the audio version of this book, which was narrated by inimitable R.J. Bayley who really showed his vocal prowess in this book.’   You can read the full review here. And pick up the Audible edition here. --------------------------------------------------     Moving on to PL Kane now, and Her Husband’s Grave was part of Pass Me A Book Please’s Blue Monday line-up over on Instagram (above), alongside titles by Matt Haig, Louis Theroux and Stephen King.     It was also part of a video promo by Fiction and Fairylights ‘Thrillers You Might Want to Try’, alongside books by Lucy Foley and TM Logan (above and below).         You can buy all three of the PL Kanes – including Her Last Secret and The Family Lie – in paperback here, here and here. Or on Kindle here, here and here. ------------------------------------------------     Our Guest Writer for April is the author of Cursed (above) and Kids (below), Paul M. Feeney. We’re delighted to give you an exclusive look at his new novella All That Remains… And you can read an extract here.     -----------------------------------------------     Paul’s short monster novel The Storm from PS Publishing is now available as an ebook (above). You can buy that directly here.     The unsigned hardback is also part of PS’ Spring Sale, in a bundle with Chasm, Forever Konrad and Monster Town here.     Dark Mirages is also on sale, and you can pick that up separately here. ---------------------------------------------------------   March   Spring is almost here, and we begin this March update with news that Paul’s collection from last year The Naked Eye (above and below) is now out as an audio from Encyclopocalypse. Narrated by RJ Bayley, it’s available from audible here.       Sticking with Encyclopocalypse, the tenth anniversary edition of Paul’s serial killer chiller The Gemini Factor which was originally published by Gestalt Media, now has a new home with this publisher. Encyclopocalypse will be bringing out a new print edition, as well as an ebook (both below) and eventually an audio too.           -------------------------------------------------       Turning to Paul’s other crime books now as PL Kane, and Her Husband’s Grave was featured on the HarperCollins newsletter recently – alongside authors such as Adele Parks, Linwood Barclay and Nadine Matheson (above).         Meanwhile, the novel was getting more praise over on Instagram with Chelsea Moreton saying ‘I am loving the book. Can’t put it down!’ Tia Cole stating, ‘I couldn’t put it down! Would most definitely rate it 5/5.’ And Sitting by the Bookcase offering, ‘I loved the characters of Robyn and her “niece” Mia. They were really well written and the author was clearly fond of them. It’s an easy 7/10.’ All photos above are from the reviewers, and below are shoutout pics for the book from Read by Scott and author Dave Watkins (enjoying a pint whilst reading).         , Carole Johnstone, author of the wonderful Mirrorland (below), had this to say about the third PL Kane: ‘Hugely atmospheric, full of suspense and surprises, Paul Kane’s The Family Lie will keep you guessing to the end, and I mean right to the end! A truly sinister thriller about small town secrets and lies.’     And Emma’s Little Library (picture below) had this to say about the book: ‘The unexpected (not mentioned in the synopsis) supernatural and cult themes, which I won’t say too much about for fear of any spoilers were like nothing I’ve ever read before and for that I’ll remember this story for a while to come, they definitely added real substance to the story! There are a few twists to the story, neither of which I saw coming and at times the author really built up the suspense to the point if I was watching it play out on the television I’d probably be hiding behind a cushion!’     You can buy all three of the PL Kanes – including the first one, Her Last Secret – in paperback here, here, and here. Or on Kindle here, here, and here. ----------------------------------------     After a break of a month, our Guest Writer slot returns and for March we welcome none other than Ed Cox, author of The Relic Guild trilogy (the first of which is above). You can read an extract from The Wood Bee Queen (below) here.     ----------------------------------------------------------------------     New dates for the final reorganised ChillerCon were announced last month, May 26-29th. The delayed convention still has all guests on board, and will include launches, panels and a dealers room. You can find out more about it all and book your tickets here. ---------------------------------------------------     Recommendations from Paul now, and his quote for the new Paul Finch thriller, Never Seen Again out this month, was included in the publicity for the book, alongside MW Craven and MJ Arlidge (above and below). You can order the novel itself here.         He also had this to say about Jeff Oliver’s new collection of poetry, Venomous Words (below): ‘Poignant, chilling and at times downright terrifying poetry is coupled with photos of some of the most venomous, dangerous creatures on earth in this one. It all makes for quite a heady and intoxicating brew. Choose your poison!’ And you can pick that one up here.     -------------------------------------------------   February     We start this month with movie news, and the short film Paul scripted, The Torturer, was not only a runner up in the Dark Veins Horror Festival (above) in January, it also won in two categories – Best Horror and Best Actor for Paul T. Taylor – in the RS Film Fest, sponsored by Lexus and Bristol (below).       Meanwhile, a new review for the feature film Sacrifice (which was screened again on The Horror Channel on the 27th January) has appeared on Movies of the Soul, who gave it 85/100 (below).       Here’s what they had to say: ‘What catches our attention the most is the visuals, as the natural beauty is almost everywhere, from the smallest detail to a world of nature’s visual splendour. Add a few beautiful people around to go with the same, among which Johanna Adde Dahl stands apart and has her moments rising out of a lake… Along with the usual things of beauty, these moments from her might be the creepiest things of beauty like nothing else that we see – one would also wonder here, whether she is of this world or a human manifestation of an ancient demon, as she appears with the Northern Lights from the freezing waters of the lake, naked and with only a few words of mystery. There are mysteries that run through the movie, and it also has some scares going on with it, mostly related to the location itself, and related to the waters that surround the village and imprison its people. The mystery here does live on, and doesn’t depend on the ending to provide that usual conclusion. The slow descend towards horror is not to be considered a negative. Just like the film Castle Freak and the direct adaptation Color Out of Space, this is also closer to the definition of Lovecraftian horror which focuses on the incomprehensible and the unknowable. Even though there might be some shock and gore added to the newer films which take these features, this one is without them. Our movie here thrives on the mystery, as we don’t know what is real and what is not, for there are so many dreams and nightmares around here, with the cult not really showing what it is about, and what Johanna Adde Dahl is all about, whether she is a figment of one’s imagination or a human representation of the goddess that they worship… Sophie Stevens does a great job as the pregnant woman who is caught among things that she doesn’t seem able to understand. She is the only one who feels that there is something strange around there, and the feeling of being alone in a terrifying world. There is fear and helplessness being portrayed, after the beauty and bliss earlier. Ludovic Hughes’ descent into madness is also portrayed well, as it is an even better performance from him in the final stages of the movie. Barbara Crampton remains solid throughout the movie as one character who seems to know almost everything, and also does decide most of the things around there. Johanna Adde Dahl has our attention more than anyone else, even with less dialogue spoken – the creepy beauty that she brings makes sure that there is something terribly divergent about the movie, as her appearance out of the lake is one of the most magical moments in the film... She has her only dialogues then, and it’s enchanting as much as it is creepy in nature. Sacrifice is a surprisingly interesting film as you look at it, and suits more than just the genre of a thriller… Those who are looking for usual horror and thrills, with expectations for an Annabelle, The Nun, The Conjuring, Sinister or Insidious, might not be that happy. This film is much more than that, as it transports us to this particular world which boasts of both beauty and creepiness – the strange universe is something that we can cherish, with a few things to keep us guessing.’ You can read the full thing here. Both movies, The Torturer and Sacrifice, now have pages on the SW site and you can check them out here and here. -------------------------------------------------     Sticking with film for a moment, Smuzzle Music are releasing an album of ‘Frizzi 2 Fulci’ – featuring music from another film Paul scripted, The Weeping Woman (above). The concert, recorded in France, spotlights the scores of legendary Italian composer Fabio Frizzi (Zombie Flesh Eaters, The Beyond). And you can find the page for The Weeping Woman on the SW site here. -----------------------------------------------------     The PL Kane thrillers have been getting some love recently, starting with places/people like The Book Shelf Café, Mims Harrison, Fiction and Fairylights and Geraldine Gatsby all including Her Husband’s Grave on their Instagram posts: the latter including it in a crime book advent calendar over the holidays (above and below).           As well as this, Pass Me A Book Please included the novel in their Blue Monday Stack and Bookish Bonnie named it in her Top 5 books for 2021! (both below).       Plus more 4 and 5* reviews have appeared on NetGalley for the latest PL Kane, The Family Lie.     Here’s what they’ve said: ‘This is a psychological thriller that from the opening chapter managed to set the stage and pull me straight into the given narrative, capturing my attention and compelling me to keep heading forward. What a ride this book was to read! I sailed through the pages and had a great time reading it. It was just what I needed.’ ‘The plot of the book was such a great page turner… Very well written. I  truly cannot wait to read another wonderful book from this new to me great author. This was a truly great book.’ ‘I love this cover! It’s so beautiful! The story was anything but! Lol! But I definitely loved it! So good! One twist after the other!’     You can buy all three of the PL Kanes – including the first one, Her Last Secret – in paperback here, here, and here. Or on Kindle here, here, and here. -------------------------------------------------     A couple of books Paul’s contributed to now, starting with the foreword for New World Monsters (above), a book of poetry from Chris McAuley and Jeff Oliver, illustrated by Dan Verkys. Keep checking back for more news on how to order.       And the interview he did with Alex Pearl has been included in 100 Ways to Write a Book (above), which you can order here and here. --------------------------------------------------     As part of Titanuary, Rachel Readit reviewed the anthology Paul co-edited a few years ago, Beyond Rue Morgue. Here’s what she had to say: ‘An anthology of stories based around the very first mystery detective, Le Chevalier C. Auguste Dupin, created by Edgar Allan Poe. Dupin famously featured in “The Murders in The Rue Morgue” (1841), then went on to star in two more investigations, “The Mystery Of Marie Roget” (1842) and “The Purloined Letter” (1844). The anthology includes the original 1841 story and Clive Barker’s sequel, “New Murders in The Rue Morgue” (which was first published in his Books Of Blood series) to bookend the stories. Contributors include: Stephen Volk, Clive Barker, Mike Carey, Simon Clark, Weston Ochse, Yvonne Navarro, Jonathan Maberry, Joe R Lansdale, Elizabeth Massie and Lisa Tuttle. Even before opening the cover of Beyond Rue Morgue, my black little heart was jumping for joy – well as much as it could, given its decrepit state – from the roster of genre names on the cover. What an absolute treasure trove of authors! Full respect is due to editors Paul Kane and Charles Prepolec for not only the choice of subject, but also such a stellar contents list! “Chevalier Dupin is a man who methodically preserves memories of the sights, sounds and odors produced by the horrors of this world, as I would methodically place books on my library shelves. He is the consummate archivist of the accoutrements of tragedy.” This singular description, by Simon Clark, absolutely nails why Dupin made such an impact at the time Poe released his short stories about the detective. He deduces the truth of the situation from the facts available to him, applies logic and comes up with a solution. He was the modern detective using forensics before they were even invented. Re-reading the original tale, “The Murders in The Rue Morgue”, is to be reacquainted with an old friend. A friend who has not been visited for quite some time and is overdue a social call. I have not read the stories and poems of Poe for way too many years, and this collection has reignited the spark of wanting to explore the lesser known Poe. As such, I have ordered the Wordsworth edition of Tales Of Mystery And Imagination, and am looking forward to making the acquaintance of old friends, once more. Walking the same tightrope between thrill, suspense, horror and barely restrained genius, each of the writers in this collection takes the central concept of Poe’s detective, and writes a tale with him as the focus using their own unique skills. From the original which has spawned the anthology, which launches Dupin, he is then taken from France all around the world, via a vast range of talents and genres. Ending with a modern twist on the tale, via Clive Barker, it is possible to see Dupin’s footsteps walking through the streets of New York, Paris, Arizona, in his parlays with Sherlock Holmes, meets his own creator, and returning, in the final tale, to Paris, his original stomping ground. It is pure joy to read these tales by authors I highly admire, and respect, and the way they convey their acknowledgement of Poe’s underrated genius (in my mind, at the very least, he is a genius) yet give it a twist with their own inimitable flare. The nameless narrator stays in place, focussing the attention in the titular, book loving detective, whilst we, the reader, step into the role of sidekick and confidante. It is such a pleasure to read a collection with heart, as this one is. It would have been easy to slap Poe’s most famous tale on the front and wring any old story out of it. However, here the editors have commissioned some truly outstanding fiction which pays homage to a grand master of horror and dark literature. I suspect that Poe will have a more recognisable currency with the release of contributor Stephen Volk’s Under A Raven’s Wing as well as forthcoming Mike Flanagan adaptation of “The Fall Of The House Of Usher”. In the meantime, I recommend seeking out the back catalogue of these other nine writers, as well as the works of the two editors. Of particular note is the The Dark Masters Trilogy by Stephen as well as the classic Roger Corman films which I believe are available on Amazon Prime, or possibly Britbox?’ You can find the full review here. And you can order Beyond Rue Morgue at Amazon UK here, US here or from the publishers Titan here -------------------------------------------------     The Brazilian hardback edition of the anthology Paul and Marie edited, Cursed, is out now and this gorgeous book has been reviewed on Instagram by a couple of places. Firstly, Chihiro Literary (above), who said: ‘Each tale contains a terrible curse, evil people and objects, and the ending can be good or bad, depending on your point of view. The work was edited by Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane and contains 20 haunting tales. Some stories are retellings, like “Snow White”, but there are unpublished stories. I’m too suspicious to talk about dark tales because I love them, I even prefer this type of retelling than the original. Because what catches my attention the most is that we don’t know how it will end, it completely avoids that: “happily ever after”. In addition to the great stories, the editing is perfect. The book has black pages and I have never seen an edition like this. The book is a hardcover and the cover art is in high relief. The layout is perfect, each chapter beginning has the art of branches of a tree and the font of the letter really gives us the feeling of reading an old book. This is one of my favorite anthologies I’ve read. The curses, suspense and unpredictability pleased me a lot. It is a work that I recommend and I know that everyone who likes the genre will love it.’     And here’s what Vida de Bookstan (above) had to say: ‘Today I bring my thoughts on Curse, an anthology published by Editora Trama, which brings together sinister fairy tales, written by several authors, some already renowned in the market, such as Neil Gaiman and Jen Williams, and others still on the rise. There are 20 tales that range from scary thrillers to unique fantasies. Some are retellings of well-known fables, such as “Little Red”, by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple, which is a macabre retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. Others are completely original stories. One of my favorites was “Troll Bridge” by Neil Gaiman, which tells the story of a boy who meets a troll. To get avoid his impending death, the young man offers a deal to the dreadful being: live a little longer and come back after enjoying experiences. This is repeated a few times, until the boy, already at an advanced age, fulfils the agreement. It is a story of a man, his aging and his experiences, which provokes a reflection on the meaning of life. Another story that I loved was “Look Inside”, by Michael Marshall Smith, which follows a protagonist who has her house invaded and starts exchanging messages with the invader. It is a suspenseful tale. It made me very tense and surprised me a lot with the outcome. I am not used to reading anthologies, but I must confide that I completely surrendered to this reading. All the narratives were engaging, leaving me anxious for the end of the events described. It’s the kind of work capable of pleasing the entire plurality of readers, especially fans of fantasy and thrillers. I can’t help but talk about the editing: what perfection! Hardcover, black pages and several details illustrated in the chapters.’ -----------------------------------------------     Finally, February is of course Paul’s birthday month, so we’re sure you’ll all join us in wishing him many happy (and bloody) returns! -----------------------------------------   January         A very Happy New Year! We begin 2022 with news that the movie based on Paul’s novelette ‘Men of the Cloth’, Sacrifice, had its UK TV premiere on The Horror Channel last month (above). Not only that, they called Paul a ‘superb author’ over on Twitter!     It also screened on subscription channel Showtime (known for shows like Dexter and Ray Donovan) in the US on 27th December (above).       To coincide with all this, star Barbara Crampton gave several interviews with places like The Horror Channel (above) here, Starburst here, The People’s Movies here, and Nerdly here. And we’d also like to draw your attention to a very detailed examination of the film that The Horror Doctor did back in February, which you can read here. -------------------------------------------     Paul attended the HQ Christmas Zoom on 17th December, which was lots of fun! (above)     His HQ thrillers as PL Kane also received a couple more positive reviews over on Instagram from Bookish Bonnie. Firstly,  a 5* write up for Her Husband’s Grave (above): ‘This was a fabulous read, and extremely gripping. A lot of crime fiction nowadays has a protagonist who is damaged in some way. However, Robyn still came across as approachable and empathetic whilst still being completely messed up (aren’t we all?). I did want more from the ending but I’m putting that down to greed. I highly recommend this novel to any tightly-plotted thriller lovers.’     Then it was the turn of The Family Lie (above), with a 4* review this time: ‘Of course another great novel by P L Kane… Well written, well thought out and a completely unique novel… I especially loved how this novel intertwined nicely with Her Husband’s Grave. I can see how there is room to develop the characters further into additional novels.’ You can buy all three of the PL Kanes – including the first one, Her Last Secret – in paperback here, here, and here. Or on Kindle here, here, and here. ------------------------------------------------     A rather special Guest Writer this month, the Shirley Jackson and British Fantasy Award nominated Marie O’Regan, author of In Times of Want and The Last Ghost and Other Stories (below). Her first novel, Celeste (above) is out very soon through Silver Shamrock and we have an exclusive extract for you to enjoy here.       ------------------------------------------------         Contributor copy time now, and first up is the charity anthology Paul is in with a whole host of names (above), Hex-Periments! His is a story set in the world of his novella The Rot, ‘Breaking the Mold’. You can see the book itself below and order your copy – if you haven’t already –here.         Paul also received his copy of War is Hell: Making Hellraiser III Hell on Earth by Danny Stewart, published by Bear Manor. Paul, of course, wrote the afterword for the book and you can buy the hardback edition here, here and here. -------------------------------------------------     Finally, Paul wrote a retrospective of the entire first series of Chucky for Sci-Fi Bulletin last month. You can read what he thought of that here.   -------------------------------------------------------------- Current news can be viewed here 2023 news can be viewed here 2021 news can be viewed here 2020 news can be viewed here 2019 news can be viewed here 2018 news can be viewed here 2017 news can be viewed here 2016 news can be viewed here 2015 news can be viewed here 2014 news can be viewed here 2013 news can be viewed here 2012 news can be viewed here 2011 news can be viewed here 2010 news can be viewed here 2009 news can be vieweed here 2008 news can be viewed here 2007 news can be viewed here 2006 news can be viewed here 2005 news can be viewed here 2004 news can be viewed here 2003 news can be viewed here

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