So much has been happening here and with our friends over at Anachron so this is quick round up.
First of all two new books came out from FS in October
Weird Noir, edited by K.A.Laity was released on Halloween, is now available on amazon.com and amazon.co.uk. Weird Noir is a fantastic collection of unusual happenings.
Earlier in October we released Spares, a novella by Alec McQuay which explores what happens if the body can’t die, friendship and betrayal. Also available on Amazon.com and amazon.co.uk
Nun & Dragon got some coverage as part of Jasper Bark’s regular This is Horror column where Simon Bestwick talks about his story.
Our first newsletter will be going out a few days later than intended, but very shortly. We’ve also sent out the invites to the next two volumes of Bushy Tales.
That’s about it from us next up the exciting news from Anachron.
First of all they just announced the forthcoming Pulp Line Vol 1 a collection of four short stories by Jack Calico. They are inviting open submissions for the pulp line.
They’ve also just released Crime Net, a group of tales about the sinister side of technology.
It’s launch day and a few sharp eyed folk noticed it went on sale on Amazon yesterday. Well the book is now officially out there and here are some buy links
An important note, Wizards Tower stock all FS books as mobi and epub, so if you have an ereader that isn’t kindle you can still obtain the books.
Our previous releases are also not only available from Amazon but for those of you who prefer to buy indie, Wizards Tower have psychological horror Shadows, unusual zombie novella Oasis, and the thriller Requiem in E Sharp, all by Joan De La Haye.
Don’t forget our Pirate flash fiction to win a ltd ed paperback copy of Nun & Dragon and the chance to submit to the future ‘Bushy Tales’ collections is open until September 19th 2012. Up to 1,000 on pirates and piracy to ‘adele @foxspirit dot co.uk’ titled ‘Pirate Flash’.
To keep up to date with Fox Spirit sign up for our quarterly newsletter.
I am delighted to announce that the long anticipated first volume in the ‘Bushy Tales’ anthology series ‘Tales of the Nun and Dragon’ will be available as an ebook via Amazon from Monday 10th September and Wizards Tower Press within a few days.
‘Tales of the Nun & Dragon’ features twenty three stories by a mixture of well-known and new authors who offer up a delightful blend of genres. There are zombie dragons, latex nuns, trips through time, nunsploitation and some unusual fantasy tales and fables. The book also features internal illustrations by artist Kieran Walsh.
The full line up of writers is available now at www.foxspirit.co.uk
There will be a very limited edition print run available later this year, prior to all the Fox Spirit books being made available as print on demand from Lulu.
To celebrate the launch of ‘Tales of the Nun & Dragon’ and in honour of International Talk Like a Pirate Day we are running a small contest.
Between now and the 19th September 2012 we will be taking open submissions of flash fiction (up to 1000 words) on any interpretation of the subject of pirates and piracy. The three best stories will be posted on the Fox Spirit website and their authors will receive a hard copy of Tales of the Nun & Dragon once it becomes available. They will also be invited to submit for a place in one of the two Bushy Tales anthologies planned for early 2013, ‘Tales of the Fox and Fae’ and ‘Tales of the Mouse and Minotaur’.
Competition entries must be sent as a pdf or word doc, to adele@foxspirit.co.uk and titled ‘Pirate Flash’. Any entries over the 1,000 word limit will not be considered.
The ‘Bushy Tales’ anthologies are invitation only and produced on a profit share basis.
For more information on ‘Tales of the Nun and Dragon’ or any of our other published and upcoming titles please explore our site.
A couple of updates on the Tales of the Nun & Dragon
First of all Karen Davies whose story The Last Hunt will be appearing in the book was interviewed over on ‘Tony’s Thoughts‘ about her novel The Red Knight and other stuff.
Also, because at FS we are just too good to you, we had a little teaser done for the anthology, in song form. Sarah Cawkwell’s submission ‘The Ballad of Gilrain’ includes parts of a ballad, which is now complete and has been recorded by the talented Adam Broadhurst (Under a Banner).
You can listen to the track right here or on our ‘Bushy Tales’ page where it will remain.
And because I am so good to you, here are the lyrics:
GILRAIN
Oh come ye now from far and near to hear this tale I tell
A song of courage, dragons, knights and… other things as well
A story of a hero, of a warrior made for greatness
(And even better would he be were he not prone to lateness).
Gilrain, our hero, was a bright young hero to the core
He’d killed such things as unicorns (and saw a minotaur).
But like the best of warriors, our hero had a dream…
A dragon he would slay to be his bestiary’s cream.
So with his faithful friend our hero trod the forest’s floor
In search of dragons he could kill and how the rain did pour!
It positively threw it down and everything was soaking
And Gilrain’s patience wore quite fine… it did! D’you think I’m joking?
Therin and Gilrain did take up shelter in the trees
When suddenly they heard a roar that brought them to their knees
An angry dragon flew near by, and wanted them for dinner
Therin, he began to pray… although he was no sinner.
But Gilrain… well, he knew no fear and soon he was a-fightin’
The dragon roared and fought and scratched and even tried a-bitin’
Our hero though… he stood his ground and just when things got hairy
He stuck his sword right through it’s eye – the sight it was quite scary!
The dragon slain, our hero stooped to fetch once more his sword
Imagine then his horror when the gods of thunder roared!
A bolt of lightning struck the weapon he had used to fight
And Gilrain’s monster dragon rose again! A horrid sight!
Can you imagine such a thing? A slaughtered dragon rising?
Gilrain and Therin stood there for it was quite mesmerising.
Then coming to their senses did the best they’d done all day…
Our heroes turned their backs and from the dragon… ran away.
They made it to the ‘Nun and Dragon’ tavern where they rested
And told their story to the people there whilst they were guest…ed.
The hero managed to procure a dragon’s tooth for gold,
And so they hired me to write this ballad (which I’ve told).
So come ye now from far and near to hear this tale I tell
A song of courage, dragons, knights and… other things as well.
A ballad for our young Gilrain and Therin – aye, him too…
A hero for our times in all the things that he will do.
Artist Kieran Walsh is providing the internal art for the Nun & Dragon anthology and here is a sneak preview of one of those images. There will be six in the book in total.
We are presently putting together our first anthology ‘Tales of the Nun and Dragon’.
‘The Nun & Dragon is an old pub, although not England’s oldest. Still, even before a pub stood there the site seemed to draw travellers who had a tale to tell. It sits in a small English village with one of those odd names like ‘Barton on the Beans’ or ‘Sheepy Magna’, though it isn’t either of those.
It’s not a place you find by looking, it’s a place you stumble across when your armour is scorched and bent or your hair bleached white by an encounter with an unholy order. There is a reason it’s known as ‘The Nun & Dragon’ after all.
It’s a place that draws stories, the kind no one would believe if you told them somewhere else, but here, where the homebrew tastes slightly of honey and cinnamon and the fire is always blazing, people will take you at your word.
If you collected all the stories ever told at The Nun and Dragon you would see all of history and culture from our world and possibly, if the tellers are to be trusted, beyond it, gathered there. ‘
Tales told include almost traditional slayings, things that won’t stay dead, fables, a PI taking a case from a nun with an unusual problem, and nunsploitation. This is a collection of unusual stories, spanning multiple genres and exploring the theme from every angle.
We have cover art by Vincent Holland-Keen and internal illustrations by Kieran Walsh. The list of authors will be announced after submissions close on 1st July.
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