Each of the ‘Girl’ books will be split into three loose sections as well as available with two cover options.
Here are the rough sketches from the artist for Vol 1 along with the contents, broken into sections but not yet an exact running order.
1,1 Antichristine James Bennett
1,1 Change of Address Rob Harkess
1,1 Coming Back Tracy Fahey
1,1 Skin James Oswald
1,1 The Borrowed Man James S Dorr
1,1 The End of the Garden Catherine Mann
1,1 The Ending Plague Andrew Reid
1,1 The Wife of Watsorous Nathan Lunt
1,2 A Sailor Girl Goes Ashore Margret Helgadottir
1,2 Blueprint for Redwings Ruth E J Booth
1,2 Demon Runner Dash Cooray
1,2 Little Daughter Dayna Ingram
1,2 Rolling in the Deep Cat Connor
1,2 Sophie and the Gate to Hell Carol Borden
1,2 The Glaciers Stone Alexander Danner
1,2 The Last Rushani Jonathan Ward
1,3 In the Absence John Perkins
1,3 Only So Far Adam Rodenberger
1,3 Saint Salima Alex Helm
1,3 Somebody to Play with Geraldine Clark Hellery
1,3 The Beast Within Christian D’Amico
1,3 Zompoc in Nashville K.A.Laity
1,3 All things Fall Chloe Yates
Drag is a broad concept; noir is a fairly narrow one. Drag can be a way of playing with gender or it can be a matter of survival. In the noir world, it can be almost anything: camouflage, deceit, truth — or a skin to be shed at will.
Otto Penzler has always been really strict in his idea of noir:
Look, noir is about losers. The characters in these existential, nihilistic tales are doomed. They may not die, but they probably should, as the life that awaits them is certain to be so ugly, so lost and lonely, that they’d be better off just curling up and getting it over with. And, let’s face it, they deserve it.
Pretty much everyone in a noir story (or film) is driven by greed, lust, jealousy or alienation, a path that inevitably sucks them into a downward spiral from which they cannot escape. They couldn’t find the exit from their personal highway to hell if flashing neon lights pointed to a town named Hope. It is their own lack of morality that blindly drives them to ruin.
I don’t necessarily agree with everything he says, but I think noir ends up being a fairly bleak place — one where any bit of glamour or adopted power can be worth the gamble of discovery. It may even be worth flaunting it.
Can you tell who’s Dressed to Kill?
As RuPaul advises,”When the going gets tough, the tough reinvent.”
That’s what we want for DRAG NOIR: this is a call for stories where glamour meets grit, where everyone’s wearing a disguise (whether they know it or not) and knowing the players takes a lot more than simply reading the score cards. Maybe everyone’s got something to hide, but they’ve got something to reveal, too. Scratch the surface and explore what secrets lie beneath — it’s bound to cost someone…a lot.
Mercedes McCambridge in ‘A Touch of Evil’
An anthology is not a democracy; it’s a benevolent dictatorship. All editors have their tastes or quirks: if you want a clue to my sensibilities, check out my extensive bibliography and of course, read Weird Noir and Noir Carnival.
Stories should be:
Previously unpublished anywhere
Not submitted anywhere else
Length 3-8K
Formatted: Times New Roman, regular, 12 point; 1″ margins; 1 space after full stop; lines spaced 1.5; use paragraph formatting to indent first line not tabs; no header/footer
Identified with a title, your name (and pen name identified as such), working email address on the first page: file name should include your surname & the title
Submitted in RTF format via email to katelaity at gmail with your name, the story title and total word count included in the body of the email; make sure the Subject line includes “Submission: Drag Noir” + your name
Due by March 20, 2014.
We will ask for world-wide print & ebook rights for a year and pay £10 via Paypal plus a copy of the paperback. The fabulous Stephanie Johnson has been persuaded to create another fabulous cover image! We plan to launch the book in July 2014.
Nearly at the end of November and Fox and Fae just has a couple more minor processes to go through before we get it out to you at long last.
In the mean time the Second Fox Pocket ‘Shapeshifter’ has been released. It’s a dark little volume full of grim twisty tales. Grab it now at lulu!
We’ve also released our first Vulpes publication, ‘The Lost Second Book of Giganti’ which is available from amazon for an absolute bargain price. There are also a few of the hand leather bound limited editions available over at Spacewitch. We will be able to show you the gorgeous cover going on those very soon.
We also wanted to draw attention to a submission call over at Spectral Press. Spectral create gorgeous books that are a joy to own and read and we thought this one might be right up your street as writers and readers. After all, who can resist Industrial Horror!
‘You know how chance remarks made by someone often spark off ideas? This is just such a case. Over the weekend, horror writer extraordinaire Adam Nevill posited the idea of industrial horror, which set off a chain-reaction in the sparking brain matter of Simon Marshall-Jones and, after his twitching, writhing body had stilled, he proclaimed that he was going to put together and publish an anthology of such stories. ‘ Read more over at the Spectral site.
We love things a little dark over here, so K.A.Laity has edited a short series of Noir anthologies.
The Noir series cover art is by the amazing S.L.Johnson
These are fantastic and unusual stories by a variety of incredible authors exploring the noir style and tropes in a variety of less usual settings. Collected on specific themes of ‘Weird’, ‘Carnival’ and ‘Drag’ this series of books is noir as you’ve never seen it.
‘On the gritty backstreets of a crumbling city, tough dames and dangerous mentrade barbs, witticisms and a few gunshots. But there’s a new twist where
urban decay meets the eldritch borders of another world: WEIRD NOIR.
Featuring thugs who sprout claws and fangs, gangsters with tentacles and the occasional succubus siren. The ambience is pure noir but the characters aren’t just your average molls and mugs—the vamps might just be vamps. It’s Patricia Highsmith meets Shirley Jackson or Dashiell Hammett filtered through H. P. Lovecraft. Mad, bad and truly dangerous to know, but irresistible all the same.’
Introduction by K.A.Laity, A Kick in the Head by Chloë Yates, Violets and Furs by Richard Godwin, Sins of the Brother by Karina Fabian, Across the Border by Hector Acosta, Corkscrewed by Jan Kozlowski, East of Écarté by Andrez Bergen, 3 Kings and The Mark by Carol Borden, Black Moon Rising by Paul D. Brazill, The Darkness Cult by Jennifer Martin, Identity Crisis by Katherine Tomlinson, A Diabolical Liberty by Jason Michel, Evil and Life by Asher Wismer, Gus Weatherbourne by Michael S. Chong, Wonder Woman Walks into a Bar by Leeyanne Moore, Charred Kraken with Plum Butter by Christopher L. Irvin, Yao Jin by Joyce Chng, Train Tracks by W. P. Johnson
Dark’s Carnival has already left town, but it’s left a fetid seed behind. There’s a transgressive magic that spooks the carnies and unsettles the freaks. Beyond the barkers and the punters, behind the lights and tents where the macabre and the lost find refuge, there’s a deformity that has nothing to do with skin and bones. Where tragic players strut on a creaking stage, everybody’s going through changes. Jongleurs and musicians huddle in the back. It seems as if every one’s running, but is it toward something—or away?
The carnies bring you stories, a heady mix of shadows and candy floss, dreams gone sour and nights that go on too long. Let them lure you into the tent.
Carnival: whether you picture it as a traveling fair in the back roads of America or the hedonistic nights of the pre-Lenten festival where masks hide faces while the skin glories in its revelation, it’s about spectacle, artificiality and the things we hide behind the greasepaint or the tent flap. Let these writers lead you on a journey into that heart of blackened darkness and show you what’s behind the glitz.
Underneath, we’re all freaks after all…
Introduction: Caravan ~ K. A. Laity, Family Blessings ~ Jan Kozlowski, In the Mouth of the Beast ~ Li Huijia, Idle Hands ~ Hannah Kate, The Things We Leave Behind ~ Christopher L. Irvin, She’s My Witch ~ Paul D. Brazill, The Mermaid Illusion ~ Carol Borden, Natural Flavouring ~ Rebecca Snow, Madam Mafoutee’s Bad Glass Eye ~ Chloë Yates, Buffalo Brendan and the Big Top Ballot ~ Allan Watson, Carne Levare ~ Emma Teichmann, Leave No Trace ~ A. J. Sikes, Fair ~ Robin Wyatt Dunn, Things Happen Here After Dark ~ Sheri White, Mister Know-It-All ~ Richard Godwin, Trapped ~ Joan De La Haye, The Price of Admission ~ Neal Litherland, Take Your Chances ~ Michael S. Chong, Young Mooncalf ~ Katie Young, The Teeth Behind the Beard ~ James Bennett
DRAG NOIR: this is where glamour meets grit, where everyone’s wearing a disguise (whether they know it or not) and knowing the players takes a lot more than simply reading the score cards. Maybe everyone’s got something to hide, but they’ve got something to reveal, too. Scratch the surface and explore what secrets lie beneath — it’s bound to cost someone…a lot.
Introduction by Dana Gravesen and Bryan Asbury , The Meaning of Skin – Richard Godwin , Wheel Man – Tess Makovesky , No. 21: Gabriella Merlo – Ben Solomon , Geezer Dyke – Becky Thacker , Lucky in Cards – Jack Bates , Trespassing – Michael S. Chong , Chianti – Selene MacLeod , The Changeling – Tracy Fahey , Straight Baby – Redfern Jon Barrett , Kiki Le Shade – Chloe Yates , Protect Her – Walter Conley , King Bitch – James Bennett , A Bit of a Pickle – Paul D. Brazill , Stainless Steel – Amelia Mangan , The Itch of the Iron, The Pull of the Moon – Carol Borden
A Kick in the Head by Chloe Yates
The knife was hot and sticky in her palm but no matter how much it made her want to heave, Maxxie Vickers wouldn’t drop it. Thinking about what was dripping from it wasn’t going to help her. Even as the car screeched to a stop in front of her and she could have sworn her heart stopped with it, she held on. The once vital organ became a static lump in her chest and it felt as though it wanted to choke her, but she held her ground. If she was fucked, these shitkickers were going down with her. All she’d wanted to do was earn a little extra money to pay for new veneers and now here she was, dead body at her feet, blood splattered all over her favourite dress and a carful of cropped haired trouble heading in her direction. Life was a fucking bitch.
Mr Mo had offered her the job that morning. He always asked and she always turned him down, but since Lover Boy had fucked her over with the rent last month and spent the lot on junk, she figured she might as well do it. Mr Mo ran his operation from the back of the club she danced in. She’d been taking extra shifts cleaning in the mornings to help pay for her new teeth but she knew she was never going to make enough to cover the rent too. It wasn’t vanity that was driving her; it was the hole where several of her bottom teeth should have been. Lanky Lottie Stilts, the circus act freak show that went on after her every night, who somehow made enough in tips to rent a penthouse overlooking the river and a boob job every other year, had whacked her in the face with one of her extra legs two weeks ago and Maxxie had been spitting blood for days. They might have been limp and useless, but swung the right way those legs were a lethal fucking weapon. She’d tried to get her to cough up for the dental treatment she needed, but Lottie was blowing Big Curly three times a week and, as it was his club, what he said went. So Maxxie had been reduced to cleaning up puke and mopping out the toilets in a dive that was barely palatable front of house. The departure lounge, as Big Curly called it (and didn’t he laugh like an A-class ass every time he said it), was a lower circle of hell. So when Mr Mo had made her an offer yet again that morning, she’d accepted.
Reviews
Tony Lane on
Drag Noir : The introduction section of this book is not just funny and insightful but it genuinely made me think about things and in ways I’d never done before. That is just about the highest praise I can heap on any piece of writing. I’m not going to pretend to be an expert in sexual politics but for me this book is all about one word, sexuality.
Noir Carnival : Carnivals are always a great inspiration for things that are a little odd. In this book that oddness has been twisted and darkened and yet somehow manages to inject some humour (albeit gallows humour).
Weird Noir : Be it Kraken or brain worm poo this book has plenty of stories that will surprise as well and entertain.
Starburst Magazine Drag Noir by Various, edited by K.A. Laity One of the nice things about the small press is that you tend to find more original and clever ideas amongst them, especially when it comes to anthologies. Fox Spirit Books tend to specialise in seeking out new talent and coming up with bright new themes. Drag Noir blends two things that work so well together it now seems obvious. The grim, gritty and hyper-sexualised noir genre and the glorious world of drag. Both share similar histories, and it’s easy to imagine a top hat and tails wearing Gladys Bentley rubbing shoulders with the characters from The Postman Always Rings Twice.
Raven Crime Reads on Weird Noir : What strikes me most about this collection is the sheer quality of writing on display, and the imaginative mix of ideas on show, to fulfil the remit of crossing genres in such a condensed writing form. I have a personal mission this year to read more ‘crossover’ crime so found this collection a perfect start to my year of discovery, and the neat con-struction of these strange and satisfying tales will certainly encourage me to read more short fiction. A tales of the unexpected for a new generation… Weird Noir on Amazon & Goodreads
The long anticipated Tales of Eve is now available from Amazon, Wizards Tower and Spacewitch, all our usual avenues.
Edited by Mhairi Simpson Eve sets out to explore what women really want and what they will do to get it.
Weird Science, Stepford Wives, that episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer… Genre fiction abounds with tales of men creating (or attempting to create) the perfect woman.
Now it’s the woman’s turn. But being female, she’s flexible. She doesn’t just want to create the perfect man. She wants the perfect companion, be it man, beast or washing machine.
I’m finally losing it. I’ve spent so long searching for clues
Jo Jo the Dog Faced boy and the bearded lady
that I’m starting to make things up in my head. Why did it
have to happen? I think for the millionth time, tears pricking
at the corner of my eyes. I hurry back to my cold apartment,
where I dig into my coat pocket to find the keys. My fingers
rub against a scrap of paper and I pull it out. The paper
is thick and brown, the letters gilded: Invite to the Feast of
Fools. There’s no address. It’ll be some stupid street act, I
think, stuffing the paper back into my pocket and drawing
out the keys.
I sleep badly, disturbed by strange sounds. Someone outside
must be having a party. The noises seem to seep into the
room. They slide about the walls, scuttling into my ears and
around my brain.
I wake feeling fuzzy and dry-mouthed – the hint of a
hangover – and with a nagging thought: what if there was
something more to that grey figure? What if she was trying
to tell me something… about Stella? Come on, Tom, I scold
myself. She was just some crazy peddler.
Welcome to Fox Pockets! Small but perfectly formed collections of stories by a den full of talented writers, put together by Fox Spirit books for your enjoyment.
The stories are flash fiction, giving the reader bite sized introductions to Fox Spirit and the writers we love to work with. All designed to fit perfectly into the pocket so you can take a little fox with you everywhere you go.
Stories in Fox Pockets wander unfettered between genres, mixing horror, fantasy, science fiction and crime.
Cover art is by the talented and fabulous Sarah Anne Langton who created an image for the collection as well as giving each book its own identity.
The series is based around the following themes: Piracy, Shapeshifters, Guardians, Missing Monarchs, Under the Waves, Things in the Dark, In an Unknown Country, Piercing the Vale, The Evil Genius Guide, Reflections
Opening paragraphs of Piracy
Becalmed by Den Patrick
‘We’ll live like kings,’ the captain said. ‘We’ll not want for anything. Even death will turn his face from us.’ That’s what the captain said.
No one has seen him in three days now. He retired to his quarters and locked the door. The first day was all crying. The second day there were voices tangled in dispute, then a scream. We’ve not heard anything since. No one wants to go in there.
We’re becalmed. The sea is as flat as any mirror, reflecting the dull grey of the sky. The sun is a smudge of white light behind indistinct clouds that stretch to the horizon in every direction. Rotting fish float in the water, unholy flotsam, and I know in the marrow of
my bones we’ve brought this on ourselves. The Absent Friend isn’t like most ships, certainly not most pirate ships. Not that I’m an expert. This is my first time signed on under that shady profession. Still, how many ships willingly let women aboard? Much less three of them. And the none-too-small issue of
them being witches. The captain calls them theurges, and I dare say there are prettier names, but we all know they’re witches. They were part of the captain’s great plan.
They say worse things happen at sea and here is the proof. From the perils of stealing dreams to the danger of your own imagination welcome to Piracy. Here are tales of the high seas, the skies and even space, filled with fierce women, strange beasts and adventure.
Contents: Becalmed – Den Patrick, The Trouble With Daydreams – Catherine Hill , Black Ethel’s Beast – Kit Marlowe, No Quarter – Rahne Sinclair, Leave the Pistol Behind – Chloe Yates, Past Lives – Jenny Barber, Nora – Margrét Helgadóttir, Plunder – Francesca Terminiello, Insurgent – Christian D’Amico, Geronimo – T.F.Grant, Pieces of 2^3 – Rob Haines, The Real Deal – Ruth Booth, True to The Song – Asher Wismer, Silvermelt – Emma Teichmann, Skyway – K.C.Shaw, X Marks the Spot – S.J.Caunt
Forget everything you think you know about the big bad wolf.
It’s not that simple any more. Here are werewolves, skin walkers, demons and unknown dangers. Nothing can be relied upon, not species, not shape, not gender.
CONTENTS: Carlos – K.A.Laity, Eigi Einhammer – Rahne Sinclair, Bultingin – Josh Reynolds, The Lion – Margret Helgadottir
Job Security – Francesca Terminiello, Reliquary – Rob Haines, Cloud Like a Bunny – K.C. Shaw
To Fly – Michael Pack, Boyfriend from Hell – Fiona Glass, Mask – Jonathan Ward, Mimicans – Emma Teichmann
Javier Reborn – Alec McQuay, War Most Willing – Asher Wismer, Metamorphic – S.J. Caunt
To Fox Tor Mire – Jenny Barber, Seductions – Den Patrick
What if the thing you were afraid of was what stood between you and a bloody death?
What if the fate of worlds was in our hands? What if God just couldn’t take it any more?
CONTENTS: PHASED by Colin Sinclair THE GUARDIAN by Geraldine Clark-Hellery BUFFALO DOLLS AND HEADLESS SOLDIERS by Jack Hanson ARABESQUE by Chris Galvin SWUNG by Paul Starkey OF THE GLARE by Alec McQuay GATEWAY by Jonathan Ward DEFIANT by Christian D’Amico RE-SEMBLANCE by Emma Teichman WARDEN OF VALDR by Rahne Sinclair LOST BONDS by Margrét Helgadóttir FAVOURS THE PREPARED by James Fadeley WRECKED by Den Patrick FAT ANGELS by Alasdair Stuart MY GUARDIAN’S GUARDIAN by Catherine Hill WELL OUR FEEBLE FRAME HE KNOWS by Chloë Yates
From runaway Kings to Oliver Cromwell’s head, from the local pub to outer space, from a drag club complete with Red Queen…we bring you Missing Monarchs.
After all when a king can be found in a car park, where else can royalty lose themselves.
CONTENTS: Graham Wynd – Headless in Bury, Emma Teichmann – In Absentia, Lou Morgan – Oliver Cromwell’s Other Head, Jonathan Ward – The Collector, Victoria Hooper – The Lost Queen, Ro Smith – The Runaway King, Geraldine Clark Hellery – The Blooding, Rahne Sinclair – Monarch of the Glen, Michael Pack – Paths in the Forest, Jo Thomas – the Lost Kingdom, Christian D’Amico- Matriarch, Paul Starkey – Checkmate, Chloe Yates – Tits up in Wonderland
Delve into the deep dark waters of vast unexplored oceans with these flash fiction pieces. With over 95% of this watery world still unexplored anything could and does happen here, Under The Waves.
CONTENTS: Emma Maree – Leviathan Rises, S.J.Caunt – Goldfish, Jennifer Ganoung – Petra and the World Turtle, Margret Helgadottir – Ocean Sky, Den Patrick – Tempest, Rahne Sinclair – My Immortal, Steven Poore – That Sinking Feeling, G Clark Hellery – The Blue Planet, Alec McQuay – Curse, K.C. Shaw – Puck Pool, Ben Stewart – Fire and be Damned, Fran Terminiello – Footprints, Nathan Lunt – Wife of Watsorus, Chloe Yates – Tuna Surprise, Hardeep Sangha – In Absentia
What lurks in the dark just out of sight? What horrors are waiting for the unwary? What about mole people? This latest Fox Pocket is a collection of strange, scary and sometimes humorous tales considering all manner of … things in the dark.
CONTENTS: Andrew Reid – Rise of the Huntress, Stephen Poore – Junior Twilight Stock Replacer, Andie Percival – Running from Sleep, Ben Stewart – Close your Eyes, Carol Borden – Thomas Hobbes Vs The Mole People, Chloe Yates – The Devil’s Haemorrhoids, Craig Leyenaar – Down by the River, Danie Ware – Smile, Den Patrick – Occlusion, James Fadeley – Selachimorpha Caesar, Jennifer L Barnes – A Boomstick and Popcorn Seasoning, Jenny Barber – In Darkness Dreaming, Kit Marlowe – The Ransom of Red Witch, Margret Helgadottir – Nightmare, Rahne Sinclair – See you in the morning, Sarah Cawkwell – Things, Sarah Langton – Welcome to the Northern Line, W.P.Johnson – Shelob Headlines the Ox
Other Worlds, unfamiliar territory, places we should not be! Wanderers in strange lands and those who have strayed just a little off the path face their fates in an unknown country. A selection of short and flash fiction exploring the unfamiliar, new worlds and new perspectives.
CONTENTS: Alasdair Stuart – Overwatch, Cindy Dunham – An Unexpected Storm, Jonathan Ward – Hiatus, Christian D’Amico – Lianus Invaded, James Fadeley – Stroppendrager, Philip Thorogood – Reversal, Craig Leyenaar – Walking of Worlds, Ashley Fox – Somebody Else, Kim Bannerman – Cape of Storms, Jenny Barber – The Strongest Conjuration, Tracy Fahey – Wherever you go there you are, Ed Fortune – A long lost land, Chloe Yates – The City is of Night but not of Sleep, Margret Helgadottir – Arnhild, Sarah Langton – Are you Listening, Rahne Sinclair – Finding Home, Paul Currion – And Eve Called Her Husbands Name, Emma Teichmann – Tombstone
Ghost stories, a cat that can cross between our world and the fae and stories that go beyond life and death. Piercing the Vale is a collection of short and flash fiction that goes exploring beyond the veil of life and also strays into fairy realms.
CONTENTS: Alasdair Stuart – Connected, Alec McQuay – All and Nothing, Jonathan Ward – A Tale of Days Long Gone, Paul Starkey – Just Another Breakfast, Jennifer Williams – The Ghost Trap, Darren Goldsmith – Soul Punch, Ben Stewart – A Curious Tale of Life and Death, Tony Lane – Tentacles in Town, Rahne Sinclair – The Captain, Asher Wismer – Solid Glass, Chloe Yates – Intimacy, Colin Sinclair – Claudia, Tracy Fahey – The Cillini, Jenny Barber – Dead Women’s Tales, Craig Leyenaar – all Fun and Games, Jo Johnson Smith – For My Next Trick, Carol Borden – The Lost City of Osiris, Steven Poore – Take me with you
To be a truly successful Evil Genius requires several things: a secret lair, loyal but incompetent henchman, a large button marked ‘Stop’ (preferably red), and a willingness to prolong the hero’s death long enough to gloat about your Master Plan. Anything less and you’re not trying hard enough, or maybe trying too hard. One of those, certainly. Wait, don’t open that box…!’ – Evil Genius #39, foiled again… A collection of short and flash fiction from new and established voices exploring the mind of the evil genius.
Evil Genius Guide was guest edited by Darren Pulsford
CONTENTS: Alec McQuay – Mallory Untouched, Andrew Reid – The Great Day of her Wrath, C.M.Kempe – How to Seduce Anyone, Colin Sinclair – His Masters Narrative Voice, Steven Poore – Full Compliance, Ben Stewart – Getting the Most from your Kaiju, R.J. Booth – Dame Ammonia, Emma Teichmann – Project Domination, Victoria Hooper – Evil Genius Guide, Chloe Yates – Professor Von Holinshed, Steven Harrison – Project Number 6, T.J. Everley – The Right Honourable Satan,
Who are you really? What is left when the mirror cracks, what hides behind a reflection and would you have done anything differently? Reflections explores the choices people make and their image of themselves in a collection of quirky short and flash fiction.
CONTENTS: Alasdair Stuart – The Birthday Archipelago, E.J.Davies – All Heart, Den Patrick – Shattered, Chris Galvin – Starting Over, G Clark Hellery – All the Fun of the Fayre, Andrew Reid – The Shining Knight, Greg Smith – Mirror Image, Asher Wismer – The Sole, Chloe Yates – A Demonic Soliloquy, Colin Sinclair – Number Game, Esther Saxey – There is a Willow, Rahne Sinclair – Self Absorbed, Alex Helm – Seven Years, N.A.O Rawle – Tickets to Ride, James Everington – Premonition
Weirdmage: Piracy ‘It is short, as are the stories in it, and it is all the stronger for it. This is excellent for those that want some short fiction that will fill a few minutes now and then. For those that like their fiction to come with a piratical leaning, this is an absolute must.’
Neil Williamson: Piracy ‘Did I mention the cover design? How much I love it? No? Well I do. Look to your left. See what I mean? I reckon artist Sarah Anne Langton has created something truly iconic with this set of simple elements and limited palette.’
The Eloquent Page: Shapeshifters ‘Traditional horror rubbing shoulders with steampunk, dark fantasy and science fiction, I felt spoiled for choice. Fox Spirit have left the submission themes for the Fox Pocket series deliberately ambiguous and this ambiguity has paid dividends.’
Tony Lane : Guardians This book feels very different from the other Fox Pockets. It starts out quite slow and cerebral and then picks up pace in the second half.
Tony Lane : Shapeshifters The aggressive and animalistic side comes across really well in these stories, but more disturbing is how crap humanity seems in comparison to these predators. It gives you pause.
Tony Lane : Piracy This book has strong characters of both genders portrayed in a manner that demeans neither. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next one.
‘On the gritty backstreets of a crumbling city, tough dames and dangerous men
trade barbs, witticisms and a few gunshots. But there’s a new twist where
urban decay meets the eldritch borders of another world: WEIRD NOIR.
Featuring thugs who sprout claws and fangs, gangsters with tentacles and the
occasional succubus siren. The ambience is pure noir but the characters
aren’t just your average molls and mugs—the vamps might just be vamps. It’s
Patricia Highsmith meets Shirley Jackson or Dashiell Hammett filtered
through H. P. Lovecraft. Mad, bad and truly dangerous to know, but
irresistible all the same.’
K.A.Laity introduces and edits this exciting treat of anthology released on 31st October 2012 by Fox Spirit Books. Happy Halloween
With stories by: Chloë Yates, Richard Godwin, Karina Fabian, Hector Acosta, Jan Kozlowski, Andrez Bergen, Carol Borden, Paul D. Brazill, Jennifer Martin, Katherine Tomlinson, Jason Michel , Asher Wismer, Michael S. Chong, Leeyanne Moore, Christopher L. Irvin, Joyce Chng, W. P. Johnson
For information on this or any or our titles, review copies or interviews with Fox Spirit authors please contact adele @foxspirit.co.uk
Series Cover Art by Vincent Holland-Keen Series Internal Illustrations by Kieran Walsh
Authors Various
The ‘Bushy Tales’ are a series of three anthologies Tales of the Nun & Dragon, Tales of the Fox & Fae and Tales of the Mouse & Minotaur
The Bushy Tales take a theme and explore it from every genre and every interpretation across a collection of stories from new and well known authors. There is humour, horror and everything in between in these pages.
‘Tales of the Nun and Dragon’
Come, rest your weary bones, draw a flagon and hark to the tales of Nuns & Dragons, of bravery and steadfastness in the face of mighty and implacable foes. Settle down and indulge yourself in wild flights of fancy brought to life by your fellow travellers.”
The Nun & Dragon is a local like no other – share in the wild and wonderful tellings of a gifted panoply of authors, tales replete with wonder, a liberal coating of mysticism, the odd splash of darkness and a sprinkling of grim humour.
Contents:
The Ballad of Gilrain by Sarah Cawkwell,
Fire Exit by Mhairi Simpson,
Saint George and Saint Giles by Adrian Tchaikovsky,
Fruit of the Forbidden by Jasper Bark,
Incident at Wearing Abbey by Mark West,
Firelight by Joan De La Haye,
Lex Draconis by Simon Bestwick,
Journey to Blackfire Deep by Colin F Barnes,
Martyr by Andrew Reid,
Nil Desperandum by Ren Warom,
The Killing of Sister George by Pat Kelleher,
The Bells of Freedom by Cat Connor,
The Sound of Latex by Peter Ray Allison,
Loop by S.J.Caunt,
Red Nun by Wayne Simmons,
Into the Woods by Geraldine Clark Hellery,
The Hazel and the Hawthorn by V.C.Linde,
A Nun’s Dream by Catherine Rogers,
Benedic Mihi Pater by Jay Faulkner,
The Nun and the Dragon by Sammy H K Smith,
Sister Amagda and the Thrice-Bound Wyrm by Francesca Terminiello,
The Price by K.A. Laity,
The Last Hunt by Karen Davies
Deep in the woods where wild things lurk you’ll find foxes and rarer creatures, the fae. Join us for tales of faeries at the bottom of the garden, foxes falling foul of their own nature, battles fought in the night where human lives hang in the balance. Not all faeries are good, not all foxes are hunted. Welcome to our Tales of the Fox & Fae.
Contents:
The Band of Straw and Silver by Andrew Reid,
The Home of the Foxes by Margret Helgadottir,
Blind Country by James Bennett,
A Cackling Fart by Chloe Yates,
The Sly and the Spriggan by Alec McQuay,
The Woman and the Jar of Words by Haralambi Markov,
Fox Hunt by Peter Ray Allison,
Outfoxed by Jasper Bark (writer) & Soussherpa (artist) & Bolt-01 (letterer),
The Fox and the Fae by Geraldine Clark Hellery,
Lifesong by Jay Faulkner,
They are the Dead by T.F.Grant,
Coming Home by Cat Connor
Tales of the Mouse and Minotaur explores the adventure of mice (and rats) and twists on greek mythology. It also sees the return of Gilrain.
The Mouse and the Minotaur by Chloë Yates
Katabasis by K T Davies
Provoking Cerberus by James Bennett
Nada’s Promise by Nerine Dorman
Of Comedies and Tragedies by Jay Faulkner
Gilrain and the Minotaur by Sarah Cawkwell
‘Proof of Concept’ by Pat Kelleher
Such a Little Thing by C C D Leijenaar
Medusa Rising by Joan De La Haye
Virtutis Gloria Merces Andrew Reid
The Wisdom of King Weejun by Ben Stewart
The Labours of Stropheus by Catherine Hill
Mischief by Jan Siegel
The Bird-Woman of the Mediterranean by T.J. Everley
The Ballad Of Gilain by Sarah Cawkwell
The tavern door opened, letting in some of the damp, moist air from outside. A few leaves, abandoned on the floor by previous travellers, skipped gleefully in the updraught, dancing joyfully around the feet of the newcomers. Both were soaked; the rain had started some time three days ago and apart from a brief respite where the sky gods had simply been distracted for a moment, hadn’t let up.
One of the inn’s new patrons was tall and rangy; broad shouldered and narrow-hipped in the way so admired by ladies of the land. He wore a plain, unadorned tabard that had once been white but which had absorbed any number of unlikely stains. Blood. Grass. Mud. Soot. He was young; perhaps in his early twenties, and he had a pleasing countenance framed by a mess of dark curls, plastered to his head by the rain from outside. A neatly trimmed beard graced his jaw line. One of the barmaids was already casting looks of interest his way, but the newcomer seemed not to notice.
At first glance, there was nothing about him that distinguished him from any of the countless would-be heroes who had passed through this tavern over the past few months. A closer inspection however revealed a look of haunted horror in his eyes. He stumbled across the tavern as though already intoxicated on the fine ale, or a flagon of Mistress Bertha’s mead, and sank into a seat by the fire. His finery dripped rainwater into a sodden puddle at his feet and he leaned forward to cradle his head in his hands.
Behind him, always three paces behind
Reviews
The Eloquent Page on Tales of the Nun & Dragon : ‘The best news is that each writer has brought their ‘A’ game and produced something that works well as a standalone but also fits seamlessly into the collection as a whole. I was spoiled for choice with all the differing, iconoclastic interpretations of the nun and dragon theme.’
The Shockwave Writers on Tales of the Nun & Dragon : ‘If you have ever lived in Britain then “Nun and Dragon” will almost certainly make you think of a country pub, much like the name “The Vat and Fiddle” in Nottingham or “The Goat and Tricycle” in Bournemouth. I seriously suspect the many of the Nuns in this book would be more at home in “The Wicked Lady” in Wheathamstead.’
Tony Lane on Fox & Fae : This book is a thing of beauty and that theme is continued by the imaginative writing. It is well worth a read.
Tony Lane on Nun & Dragon : As I journeyed through the various flavours of fantasy I got to see both Nuns and Dragons in many different lights. There are a lot of kick arse martial Nuns in this book. If like me the catholic faith is not something you particularly like or want to read about don’t worry too much as you’ll get to not only heroic religious exploits but also the corruption and debase nature found in the human race.
Founding Fields on Nun & Dragon : Diversity is fun. Diversity is good. Tales of the Nun & Dragon gets that right for a perfect score.
Starburst Magazine on Nun & Dragon : Those on the lookout for the next big thing could do with picking up Tales of the Nun & Dragon; it’s a solid fantasy anthology which has been very well edited and thoughtfully compiled. The stories follow on nicely from each other, making for a smooth read despite multiple voices. Worth a look.
Vicky Thinks review of Nun & Dragon : The stories themselves range in feel from horror to adventure, from romantic fantasy to slower, more thoughtful tales, and many incorporate interesting twists. There’s something for everyone, and no two stories are the same, which is surprising given the very specific theme of the anthology.
This is Horror on Nun & Dragon : We all know that nuns and dragons go together like shoes and socks, like salt and pepper, like Buffy and Angel; okay, maybe not, but that’s the premise of this collection from Fox Spirit, and it could have gone so horribly wrong. How many different ways is it possible to link the two titular entities? Well, there are twenty-three authors here who have no such problems, finding a plethora of unique scenarios in which to tell their tales.
My God It’s Raining on Nun & Dragon : From the classical fantasy bookendsThe Ballad of Gilrain and The Last Hunt shoring up the entire collection(by Black Library stalwart Sarah Cawkwell and fantasy novelist Karen Davies respectively) to the Asimov-meets-Gundam overtones of LOOP (SJ Caunt), there’s something there (hopefully) for everyone’s tastes.
Jasper Bark talks to Simon Bestwick about Nuns & Dragons on This is Horror
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