Allyson Bird

"Allyson Bird is a rare bird indeed. An original voice in a world of plain vanilla. She rides some dark waves with grace and a heart full of light and shadow. If there's any justice, she's on her way to real recognition." Joe R. Lansdale.

"Allyson Bird’s stories are richly informed by folklore and literature, and use a range of weird fiction narratives to explore female perspectives in terms of the unknown and the supernatural. Bull Running For Girls is reminiscent of both the Gothic fantasies of Tanith Lee and the empathic ghost stories of Mary Elizabeth Counselman. The strangest of Bird’s stories, ‘The Caul Bearer’, also recalls the stark emotional landscape of Robert E. Howard’s classic ‘Sea Curse’. For Bird, the supernatural is an aspect of life, not something from outside it. Her ghosts and demons are as likely to have a stake in our world as in their own withered hearts. This book brings you witches, revenants, mummies, spirit mediums and ritual murderers. Above all, it brings you face to face with real human issues that few of us, however we pass through the night, can safely avoid." - Joel Lane

Not only have Dark Regions picked up my second collection, but they want to publish my debut novel too, ISIS UNBOUND. Here is the cover (also by Daniele Serra).

Inspired by Mary Shelley, Percy Bysshe Shelley’s, Prometheus Unbound, and
Rider Haggard/R.E.Howard to some extent, ISIS UNBOUND is set in 1890’s
Manceastre, Britanniae, ruled by a new governor general, Clovis Domitius
Corbulo. He is related to Cleopatra LV descendant of Anthony and
Cleopatra who won the battle of Actium two thousand years ago. Only a god
can kill a god. Nepythys has killed her sister, ISIS, and therefore the dead
cannot pass over to the underworld. Ella, eighteen and Loli - age ten, are
the daughters of Ptolemy Child. The sons and daughters of embalmers are
expected to begin instruction in the embalming process at an unusually young
age. Against this background we follow the girls on their adventure in
Manceastre and Alexandria to discover the greatest mystery of all –
involving ISIS herself. An ISIS who will stop at nothing to ensure her own
survival…

I'm over the moon to announce my next collection called WINE AND RANK POISON from the American publisher Dark Regions.

The editors will be Joe Morey and Norm Rubenstein, who often reviews for Horrorworld.

There will be a small run of numbered Delux/Lettered signed hardbacks, signed hardbacks, and a trade paperback edition.

I've immersed myself in Stalin's Russia of 1929 for a month, looked at the work of Ilf and Petrov and many other Russian authors. I've read Bulgakov to my heart's content and have written a story - just accepted by Dan of Ex Occidente. It is for THE MASTER IN CAFE MORPHINE: A HOMAGE TO MIKHAIL BULGAKOV
http://www.exoccidente.com/morphine.html

I loved writing this story.

Great to get a mention, on the Jonathan Maberry blog, from Joe R Lansdale in the section on Who is Writing Good Horror Today?

Every year Ellen Datlow puts together an anthology of the best of horror and fantasy. This year she has focused purely on horror. I'm really over the moon to announce that I have 6 Honourable Mentions on her list, 1 of which (The Bone Grinder) appears in the book itself. The other 5 won't appear in the book and appear on her on-line journal.

Bird, Allyson “The Bone Grinder,” Bull Running for Girls.
Bird, Allyson “Bull Running,” Ibid.
Bird, Allyson “The Caul Bearer,” Ibid.
Bird, Allyson “The Conical Witch,” Ibid.
Bird, Allyson “Hunter’s Moon,” Ibid.
Bird, Allyson “In the Hall of the Mountain King,” Ibid.

The book can be bought from Nightshade Books Ellen Datlow is an expert editor in the field. Congratulations to all who made it in!

Here's the first official photograph of Vincent Chong, Steve Upham and myself with the award.

Happy to announce that BULL RUNNING FOR GIRLS won best collection at The British Fantasy awards this last weekend A huge thank you to BFS members and Fantasycon attendees. I'm so happy I can hardly express it! Thank you to Vincent Chong for the artwork, Steve Upham for publishing me and to Gary McMahon for the introduction.

Thank you to all who bought the book and to everyone who gave me the support to carry on with BRFG's. To everyone who reviewed me, interviewed me and to those who made comments on their blogs and kept me going in the last year!

Thank you to the BFS committee and Fantasycon organisers for doing so much for writers!

50 copies of FOR YOU FAUSTINE will be available free on the SCREAMING DREAMS table from Friday afternoon. Not enough for the goody bags so come along and grab a copy!

Great news! Very happy to be in the British Fantasy Society Yearbook 2009 with my story The Convent at Bazzano. For £30 membership per year you get the yearbook plus £10 discount on FantasyCon in September and also copies of Prism, Dark Horizons and New Horizons quarterly. Very good value.

The yearbook is an anthology of twenty stories by 'seasoned award winners and rising stars'. Further details can be found here:

Steve Jenson has been kind enough to interview me for his website, Shadows & Illusions.

Happy to announce that a new story 'For you Faustine' will appear in a publication at Fantasycon 2009. Published by Chris Teague of Pendragon Press. The story is set on Coney Island, New York, and involves the Lamia myth, the mafia and Swinburne's poetry.

Des Lewis (of Nemonymous fame and writer of many, many short stories) has started a 'real-time review' of Bull Running for Girls. Des is an absolute genius at finding the connections that other people find elusive. It's like having my subconscious talking to me!

Absolutely delighted to announce that Bull Running for Girls has been short listed in the British Fantasy Society Awards for Best Collection and The Caul Bearer for Best Short Fiction. The last round of voting starts from today, and ends 1st August. Thank you to everybody who voted in the first round. Every vote counts in this last stage, and your continued support would be appreciated. Voting takes place here: British Fantasy Society Awards

I had the pleasure recently to have a Q and A session with Liz de Jager during her April/May Horror Blog Fest. Liz certainly has a passion for books and has featured quite a few horror authors on her blog.

Bull Running for Girls returns to the original price on 4th May, so if you wish to take advantage of the reduced price, please visit Screaming Dreams and place your order.

SD have resolved all their computer problems now, so normal service has resumed.

TTA Press are the publishers of Black Static, Interzone and Crimewave magazines. I can highly recommend them, and new subscribers to Black Static, get issue 10 free, which contains a review of Bull Running for Girls by Pete Tennant. He focuses on Bull Running, Hunter's Moon, Wings of Night (his favourite), and Silence is Golden.

He says that the collection, 'impressively showcases the considerable potential of this fresh voice in genre fiction.' Thanks Pete!

Steve Upham of Screaming Dreams is having a few computer problems at the moment, so he can't receive any orders placed through his site. If you would like to purchase a copy of Bull Running for Girls at the discount rate below (available for a limited time only), please e-mail me through the 'bio' page on this site.

Great news! The long list for the British Fantasy Society Awards 2009 has been announced. Bull Running for Girls has been recommended for Best Collection, and the Caul Bearer for Best Short Fiction. Thank you to those who put forward the recommendations.

The Caul Bearer is available free as a PDF, and also as a wonderful ISSUU flip-book from Screaming Dreams. Simply click on the link, and then on the cover of Bull Running for Girls.

As the collection is into its second print run and is doing well, for a limited time anyone who is interested can buy at the SPECIAL OFFER price of £6.99, including FREE postage. Please order through my publisher, Steve Upham of Screaming Dreams.

British Fantasy Society award winning artist (2007/8) Vincent Chong has re-launched his wonderful website. Vinny not only produced the superb cover art for Bull Running for Girls, but also the graphics for this site. Check it out here

Another great review for Bull Running for Girls from Lee Moan on his blog site. Thank you to Lee for your kind words.

The HUB 2008 awards have just been announced by editor Lee Harris in issue 72. Bull Running for Girls almost won best collection. A big thank you to Lee Harris on his personal selection.

Lee is also an editor with Angry Robot, an imprint of Harper Collins and has also mentioned Bull Running for Girls as runner up in his choices on that site.

Lee Harris (editor of Hub magazine) has published a great review of Bull Running for Girls in Hub Issue 70. Congratulations to Lee on the announcement of his new role as assistant editor of Angry Robot (the upcoming contemporary SF and fantasy imprint from HarperCollins).

Just received this new review from Elizabeth de Jager <here> Really appreciated.

Just finished reading 'Bull Running ...' and enjoyed a terrific mix of fiction. From the outrageous black farce 'Silence is Golden', to a more menacing atmosphere in stories like 'In The Hall of the Mountain King' and 'Hunter's Moon'. Then there are mixtures of historical and mythical, like 'Blood in Madness Ran', a sort of 're-imagining' of a myth. 'The Caul Bearer' is a good, old-fashioned chiller in the style of M.R. James, while 'The Bone Grinder' is a gripping modern horror story. 'Medium Strange' an eerie ghost story, 'In the Wake of the Dead' a chilling historical tale of the paranormal. Allyson is no one-trick-pony when it comes to story-telling, and this is a terrific little collection. SD Press might have taken a chance on a little-known writer, but it has certainly paid off for them.

Whilst at NEWCON4 in Northampton in October I took part in a panel called ‘SEX SELLS BUT SOULD WE BUY?’ Happily Derrick Lakin-Smith recorded it and placed it on his site - frequency response

I never gratuitously include sex scenes in my work. It was a fun panel to be on, especially with Storm and Sam.

Last nights ghost story event went very well - the venue was perfect for ghost story reading. I find that the more writers get out there and talk about what horror fiction means to them the more preconceptions are put to one side. We talked to people who don't usually think that they read horror. Everyone had fun and it was great that Gary and John came from quite a long way away on a stormy evening.

Gary McMahon's report of it is here:

www.garyMcMahon.com

I’ll be hosting an evening of ghost stories this weekend with Gary McMahon...near the lonely moors of South Yorkshire:

Gary McMahon has numerous books out this year and full details can be found on his website: http://www.garymcmahon.com/

Norman Rubenstein has written a review for Bull Running for Girls and it is up on Horrorworld. Happy to say it's a good one!

A big thank you to all who helped Bull Running for Girls sell all the copies we took to FantasyCon 2008. 52 in all!

Other highlights for me Joel Lane winning the award for My Stone Desire - short story. I bought THE LOST DISTRICT last year and was bowled over by his work. Guy brought the black bull from Spain and he did a marvellous job with Sarah Pinborough with the raffle. David Howe going down on his knees before me, chats with Lee Harris, Troo, Lee Thompson, Steve Upham, Brendan, Paul Campbell, Geoff Nelder, Selina and Jay in the dealers’ room, getting locked out of my room repeatedly, drinking far too much Guinness in the bar with John Travis, Paul Finch, Terry Grimwood, Chris Gange, Lee Moan, Steve Bacon, Jeff Brown, Vincent Chong, Paul, Simon Bestwick, Simon Clark, Stephen Volk, Tony Richards (we both love Hong Kong). Chats with Peter Coleborn, (pause for breath) Stephen Theaker, GCW and Susie, Mick and Debs, JLP, Gary (you snogged Conrad) McMahon and Emily, Simon Stranza and Fran, Sam Stone, Terry Martin, Mark West …..Dave Price, Greg Hamerton, Charles Black, Stu Young, Mark Samuels, Adriana, Paul Roberts, Trebay, Mark Morris, Wayne, Nadie, Roy Gray, Darren Turpin, ….John Grant (sadly a brief hello), Martin and Helen, Marie and Paul…. going to forget someone if I’m not careful…..Ramsey Campbell, Niki Crowther, Mandy, Teaguey, Steve Lockley, Graham Joyce, Gary Couzens, Andrew Hook, Ian Whates, …apologies to those missed off….never got time to see all the people I wanted to though…

Taken from the news section of the British Fantasy Society forum posted by Stephen Theaker:

The Bull and the Bird

Screaming Dreams are celebrating this week: not only did cover artist Vincent Chong win the British Fantasy Award for Best Artist, they sold every copy of Bull Running for Girls by Allyson Bird that they brought to Fantasycon 2008. In fact, things went so well that they came perilously close to selling out before the monster small press book launch! They would like to thank all who bought it for their enthusiasm, time and support.

Apparently there are just a few copies remaining of the first impression but the book will go back to press very shortly.

Allyson herself had this to say about the event:

"Fantasycon 2008 was my third convention and I think that it was Gary McMahon who first told me about it. Bringing my book to Fantasycon was a great opportunity to promote my debut collection, to meet new writers and readers, and as always to have a bloody great party with friends met in previous years too! The panels and readings were interesting and Fantasycon is a wonderful place to meet like-minded people. Where else in the world could I have had breakfast with Ian Watson, talked to Chris Golden about trolls on forum boards in America, and listened to ghost stories late at night in the gloomy corridors of a hotel?”

It goes without saying – but it’s nice to say it anyway – that everyone at the convention was very happy to see that the health of the man behind Screaming Dreams, Steve Upham, had improved enough for him to attend.

Apologies to anyone misled by the headline into thinking Michael Moorcock had announced a return to the Corum series…

Sales of Bull Running for Girls are going well, copies are still available direct through this website on my bibliography page here.

Only four days to go until the formal launch of Bull Running for Girls at The British Fantasy convention http://www.fantasycon.org.uk/

I’ll be reading from my collection at 10.30a.m. on Saturday. Not sure which story I’ll go for yet – I’ll make my mind up this week.

Between 26th September and 6th October I’ll be at a signing event in Hong Kong. Details to be added later.

Saturday 11th October I’ll be on the same bill that Iain Banks and Storm Constantine are guests of honour on. http://www.newcon4.com/newcon/main/default.aspx I’ll be reading on the Saturday at high noon.

Saturday 25th October It will be the local launch of Bull Running for Girls and as it is close to Halloween there be a few ghost story readings with SIMON CLARK http://www.bbr-online.com/nailed/index.html .I’ll be signing copies of my book too.

BULL RUNNING FOR GIRLS came by overnight delivery from Biddles in Norfolk this morning. An exciting day! Everything looks to be in perfect order—it is strange to actually hold the book in my hands. The beautiful cover—by Vincent Chong. The stunning introduction by Gary McMahon and the stories—all my personal fears for the world to read about.

Due to Steve Upham (the publisher) at Screaming Dreams being ill, the book is only available through this site, and can be purchased through the links on the bibliography page <here>.

About Shadow upon Shadow : When Alice Harwood committed adultery, she expected to pay for it one day but the form and the manner of that payment touched the essence of evil. "A dark tale indeed!" — Ramsey Campbell

On, In the Wake of the Dead : Set in 19th Century Sligo, where magic and ritual have terrible consequences for the occupants of Elsinore House. "A potent brew of historical facts and gruesome imaginings" — Simon Clark

"Ally Bird's writing is as clean and crisp as a scalpel blade. Her stories have a firm sense of place and verisimilitude; it's as if we can see the locations she writes about through the eyes of a resident. It is also both refreshing and essential to see a female author embrace the dark side with such empathy and unflinching bravery." — Gary McMahon

“I recently got my tentacles on Allyson Bird's forthcoming debut collection Bull Running For Girls. Mine is an e-copy, but the actual artifact promises to be quite handsome. The book is comprised of sixteen original stories and five reprints. Bird's classical influences are evident; her pieces owe much to the likes of Poe, Le Fanu, Machen, and Jackson -- as much is referenced throughout her narratives and the excerpts preceding each tale.

Bird exhibits a fascination with regional legends, fairy tales, and ghosts. Her renovation of traditional weird tropes reminds me of Matt Cardin, Mark Samuels, and Don Tumasonis -- contemporary authors who cleave to the classical vein without resorting to pastiche. The Tumasonis comparison may be the most striking in that he and Bird seem chiefly concerned with a quiet, almost prosaic type of horror; the horror of psychological dislocation and alienation. Tumasonis demonstrates this most profoundly when examining relationships between the protagonist and his/her significant other, and the isolation experienced by the protagonist as a stranger in a strange land. While Bird similarly gives us a veritable travelogue of settings and a substantial dose of supernatural intrusion, her protagonists are often most thoroughly afflicted by personal demons, as much victims of their own pathology as they are of external forces, becoming, like as not, strangers in their own skin.

Altogether, Bird's writing is strong, her instincts sharp. These qualities are exemplified by the titular story; the eerie and chilling "Shadow Upon Shadow," which possesses a singularly creepy scene (you'll know it when you see it!); the Bradbury-esque "The Conical Witch"; and "Pompeii," a grim and surreal piece regarding the superimposition of the ancient world over its modern counterpart to catastrophic effect. However, my favorite was "The Caul Bearer" with its spooky premise and not-so subtle nod to Lovecraft.

Admittedly, there are a few rough edges. Several pieces are much weaker than the core stories and would've benefited from tougher editing to smooth awkward phrasing. A couple of stories feel rushed; in another instance a coda is unnecessary and its presence nearly undermines the dramatic tension so artfully maintained prior to that moment. Certainly these are distractions, but they're overshadowed by Bird's prowess as a storyteller, her knack for dialing in on a starkly vivid bit of imagery at precisely the right moment. This is very good work by a new author.

There's a great deal to love about Bull Running For Girls, not the least of this being its promise that we've only seen the beginning of a remarkable career.”

Laird Barron – winner of the single-author collection for the Shirley Jackson award, for outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror and the dark fantastic 2007.

I'm really happy to provide the link to the first review of BULL RUNNING FOR GIRLS, from Laird Barron.

Pre-Orders are now being accepted (click here). The books will be arriving from Biddles the printers around the 15th August. I'll despatch them to those who have pre-ordered as soon as they arrive, before the formal launch at BFSCon in Nottingham in September.

"I'm reading an advance copy at the moment. It's good. Ally's style is definitely of the storyteller mode, and very mannered in a classical sense -- what I've read so far. I'm going to post a review at my journal one of these days; however, if the rest holds to the standard, I suspect the book will be well regarded.

More later...."

If Steve is still recovering, Paul Campbell (who stepped in to help Steve edit BRFG) and I will man the SD table for Steve selling all Screaming Dream books. I'm bringing BRFG with me but if I have to get up very early and go to Wales to get the other author's books I will. Mind you I'm hoping that someone from Wales will help him out and bring some.

My publisher, Steve, is ill at the moment and has asked me to ensure that Bull Running for Girls stays on track and is launched at the BFS convention in Nottingham in September. Hopefully he will be well before then. I've promised Steve that I'll sort everything out and he is not to worry about anything. The Book is at Biddles the printers now and will be ready in a few weeks.

Get well soon Steve!

A selection of adventure-horror stories set in many locations, from the excitement and danger of bull running in Pamplona, to small town life in Madison County, U.S. Stories set amidst the bustle of Hong Kong, on The Silk Road in China and under a hunter's moon in Bordeaux. Then there are those which are much closer to home.

Wonderful cover by British Fantasy Society award winning artist 2007, Vincent Chong. Introduction by Gary McMahon.

To be launched at the British Fantasy Society Convention, September 2008 by Screaming Dreams Press.

My story THE SILK ROAD will be in the British Fantasy Society publication, NEW HORIZONS edited by Andrew Hook, out in December.

Frieda looked at the Indo-European mummies in the glass topped cases in The Urumchi Museum. They had been preserved by the salt flats in which they had been found. The Loulan Mummy was from Qawrighul (Gumugou, in Chinese). She had a Caucasian face, reddish hair and amongst her clothes was found a preserved material, a sort of Celtic plaid. DNA results of another mummy, Cherchen Man, revealed him to be related to Swedes, Finns, Tuscans, Corsicans and Sardinians. Here Frieda had an Indo-European woman, found on the Silk Road, thousands of years before she should have been there. Some scholars thought that western travellers had arrived in China well before Marco Polo and indeed did not believe Polo’s writings, considering them to be eccentric accounts from a man who did not travel so far to the East.

Three days until BULL RUNNING FOR GIRLS goes to Steve Upham of SCREAMING Dreams for typesetting. I’ve dedicated the book to my mother Laura, and my sister Sylvia, who died the 1^st March. It hasn’t exactly been easy finishing the collection during the last three months. Some of the stories have intensely personal aspects to them but I have promised myself to be as honest as possible whilst dealing with them.

The latest book from the above press is DRAGONS OF MANHATTON by John Grant. www.screamingdreams.com

Alt.Fiction in Derby was a crazy affair this year. Travelled down with John Travis and Gary McMahon and unlike last year when John and I went to almost all the panels most of the time was spent in the bar with friends. Met up with Simon Clark, Ian Whates and chatted to Conrad Williams and Shaun Hamilton, amongst more but all a little cloudy now. I let my hair down and had a good time.

The BFSCon York evening of ghost stories was a great success. The event was organized by Lee Harris, (editor of HUB and PRISM,) and everyone had a great time in York Brewery. First on was Mark Morris, then myself reading THE CAUL BEARER, Peter Roberts read his poem THE REAL TOOTH FAIRY, Simon Clark read DEATH SHALL HAVE NO DOMINION by Dylan Thomas, Peter Crowther, CLEANING UP and finally the wonderful Ramsey Campbell read CALLING CARD. Happy to report that the feedback was very good from members of the society and guests.

Delighted to announce that BULL RUNNING FOR GIRLS is to be launched at The British Fantasy Society Convention on Saturday 20th September 2008 by Steve Upham of SCREAMING DREAMS PRESS. The table of contents is as follows, with perhaps one more story to be added. The introduction to be written by Gary McMahon. The wonderful BFS award winner for Best Artist 2007, Vincent Chong, will be adapting the artwork from my website homepage for the cover.

I'll be reading my story THE CAUL BEARER at the BFS Open Night event, AN EVENING OF GHOST STORIES in Europe's most haunted city, York, on Saturday 26th January. The venue is the York Brewery, and full details can be found here. 'The Caul Bearer,' is a chilling tale set in 19th century Robin Hood's Bay, North Yorkshire.

My story THE LAST SUPPER is due out in March in the anthology DEAD ENDS from SCREAMING DREAMS PRESS. Jake Monroe of Peachtree Creek, journalist on an Atlantan newspaper, faces a personal dilemma and just why do copperhead snakes live side by side with the Monroe family?

Two of my stories for Bull Running for Girls have received comments from two Masters of Horror whom I admire greatly.

About SHADOW UPON SHADOW: When Alice Harwood committed adultery, she expected to pay for it one day but the form and the manner of that payment touched the essence of evil. RAMSEY CAMPBELL - "A dark tale indeed!"

On, IN THE WAKE OF THE DEAD: Set in 19th Century Sligo, where magic and ritual have terrible consequences for the occupants of Elsinore House. "A potent brew of historical facts and gruesome imaginings.” – SIMON CLARK.

There is a new extract from REALM OF THE DEAD, on the Screaming Dreams site which will be in Bull Running for Girls. The whole story is also on a promotional CD which was available at The British Fantasy convention last weekend. I believe 150 copies were picked up in all, which is excellent.

About REALM OF THE DEAD. I have never taken instruction readily and on a visit to the catacombs in Rome ventured a little further than the rest of the tourists. Silly I know but in those shadows and behind steel doors the dead have stories to tell.

I arrived at about 6p.m. with John Travis and realized that we were a good 4 hours drinking time behind Gary Fry, Gary McMahon and John L Probert. As a consequence of playing catch up Friday evening is still a little of a blur but we hooked up with Stu Young, David Price and Chris - whose first con it was and went to a Turkish restaurant. Good way to celebrate Dave's birthday. I remember that the food was excellent and the strange case of the man in the street thrusting a child's shoe into my face, saying he was very worried about the child. Apparently he does this all the time.

The extremely amusing conversation that took place between John Travis and John L Probert at around 3a.m. in the bar, about Dracula, the hawthorn bush and Jaffa cakes.

The raffle where John L Probert won a knitted dalek and almost had to lock it in the hotel safe to repel all attempts to steal it away.

The Machen panel - Ramsey Campbell, Simon Clark, John L Probert, Gwilym Games, and Mark Samuels.

The trip to The Old Jerusalem pub for Sunday lunch and a ghost hunt with Mark Samuels, Adriana, Gwilym Games, Stu Young, John L Probert, Vinny Chong, Jetse and Alison Davies.

Vincent Chong winning the Best Artist award. Cool - because he has designed the cover for my collection Bull Running for Girls.

Far to many good people to mention here but for the first time I met Simon Clark, Paul Finch, Simon Bestwick, Lee Harris, Paul Campbell, John Grant, David Riley, Charles Rudkin, Des Lewis, Adriana and Mark Samuels, Neil Davies, David Sutton, Jetse, Guy Adams, Ian Alexander Martin and Marion Arnott...and many more.

Two days later and I'm still recovering from the convention. For the second year running the bar ran dry at 4a.m. each night. All attempts to drink from dusk until dawn were foiled - there is always next year!

Bull Running for Girls is coming along well; 70,000 words completed of a 100,000 word book. A new extract from Hunter's Moon is up on the Screaming Dreams site. This story, set in Bordeaux, is based on a true life tragedy.

WINGS OF NIGHT is up at the HUB ezine site. Subscription to the weekly magazine is free, as the site is sponsored by Orbit Publishing. If you opt in now HUB will slip silently into your email boxes every Saturday. HUB contains reviews; a new series on past Doctor Who's (should be in next week) and a new Felix Castor story by Mike Carey will be up in August. The mag had originally over 1,000 submissions so I’m pleased to be in it.

Pleased to say that my story called WINGS OF NIGHT is to be in HUB E-zine. The story is set against the time when I worked as an usher in The Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, and the nightclub I used to frequent on my own, (my mates wouldn't go to it!) called Rockworld. I am pencilled in for issue 15 round about the 13th July.

Just got back from WHC Toronto. It was fantastic! Got to talk to Joe R Lansdale and Gary Braunbeck as well as have late night chats in the bar with Chris Teague, Stuart Young, John Travis, Dave Price, Mick Curtis and his wife Debs. Gary Fry and Gary McMahon were staying with friends in the city so it was a shame that they missed the late night Guinness.
The Canadians from the Ramsey Campbell board, Adriana Donovan ,Donald Pulker, Simon Strantzas and Michael Kelly looked after us very well and I met Andrew Leonard. We visited the CN Tower, a television and radio station, a comic bookstore and Mount Pleasant Cemetery. My date for the Stokers was Torontarian Ian Rogers who was one of the first writers I chatted with eighteen months ago. (Not forgetting that cheeky Steve Redwood who enticed me into the Whispers of Wickedness board.)
Great to meet Ramsey and Jenny again, Peter Crowther and Nicki. Briefly spoke to Conrad Williams, Paul Kane and Marie O' Regan. Finally caught up with Sarah Pinborough and wished Mark Morris every success with Cinema Macabre. Stephen Volk - was a pleasure to talk with. The panels, readings and the Stoker banquet were great! Ramsey read in the candlelit cafe bar - which was of course popular and I got to listen to many varied opinions from the panels during the Convention. I hope to catch up with more of you at Alt. Fiction and BFSCon.
Managed to meet R.J. Cavender, Bailey Hunter, John Picacio, Fran Friel, Weston Ochse, Dan Naden and many more eds and writers too. Regards to Brian Keene and Sephera Giron. Chatted with Gill Ainsworth, Kimberley and Jason Sizemore....too many excellent people to list.

Superior Achievement in a FIRST NOVEL
GHOST ROAD BLUES by Jonathan Maberry (Pinnacle)

Superior Achievement in LONG FICTION
DARK HARVEST by Norman Partridge (Cemetery Dance)

Superior Achievement in SHORT FICTION
“Tested” by Lisa Morton (Cemetery Dance magazine #55)

Superior Achievement in an ANTHOLOGY
(Tie) RETRO PULP TALES by Joe R. Lansdale (Subterranean); and MONDO ZOMBIE by John Skipp (Cemetery Dance)

Superior Achievement in a COLLECTION
DESTINATIONS UNKNOWN by Gary A. Braunbeck (Cemetery Dance)

Superior Achievement in NONFICTION
(Tie) FINAL EXITS: THE ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HOW WE DIE by Michael Largo (Harper); and GOSPEL OF THE LIVING DEAD: GEORGE ROMERO’S VISIONS OF HELL ON EARTH by Kim Paffenroth (Baylor Press)

Superior Achievement in POETRY
SHADES FANTASTIC by Bruce Boston (Gromagon Press)

My story FOR YOU FAUSTINE will appear in a future edition of TRIQUORUM, from Pendragon Press, edited by Chris Teague.

Set on Coney Island, FOR YOU FAUSTINE is a revenge story involving the myth of the Lamia, and the poetry of Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837-1909)

BULL RUNNING FOR GIRLS to be published by Steve Upham of Screaming Dreams Press in 2008:

A selection of adventure/horror stories set in many locations, from the dark and dangerous Catacombs of Rome, to small town life in Madison County, U.S. Stories set amidst the bustle of Hong Kong, on The Silk Road in China and under a Hunter’s moon in Bordeaux. Then there are those which are much closer to home. Within this collection there are females who cause trouble, some who help you out of it and some who just can’t leave it alone.

The year has got off to a great start. Kenneth James Crist, of Black Petals has picked up my story SHADOW UPON SHADOW for future publication. Part of the story is autobiographical but I’m not saying which. Okay, I probably will after a few beers at some convention or other sometime.

THE DARKEST HOUR is to be published this year by Paul Calvin Wilson in the Lighthouse V11 anthology, alongside some notable writers, such as, Gary Fry, Gary McMahon and John. L. Probert. The story had its origins in the Strangeways riots of April, 1990 but it ended up influenced by the Attica riots which took place in 1971 in the U.S. I will say though, that I did see a note from a prisoner, who described in tragic detail, the violence that took place within Strangeways, during the first few days.

THE LAST SUPPER is out later on this year in Dead Ends, from Steve Upham at Screaming Dreams Press. This intensely personal story speaks for itself. Not all my stories come from actual experience but in these three cases there are elements in them that do.

I’m waiting to hear from Grafika magazine, who took my three stories, IN A PIG’S EAR, DEATHSIDE and SUNNY DOWN SNUFF last May. The editor has announced that he intends to only bring out the first two issues, (to honour the contracts) but at this point, I don’t see that happening.

Rage Machine announced that it was folding its magazine, taking down two of my stories, SILENCE IS GOLDEN and THE ASYLUM with it. I can’t say that I’m too bothered by this, as those two stories are now developing into a novella. The protagonist Vince Taylor, plagued by a devoted dead wife, just won’t go down without a fight.

THE SLY BOY BAR AND EATERY, is in with Jeff and Ann VandeMeer for consideration in the Fast Ships, Black Sails anthology.

WINGS OF NIGHT has been submitted to the good looking, HUB magazine, edited by Lee Thomas.

REALM OF THE DEAD has been sent off to Matt Cardin and T.M. Wright for consideration in the Holy Horrors anthology. The guidelines say send, “Anything that spins, gestates, evolves, devolves, erupts, or otherwise issues, in a spectacularly evil, disturbing, supernatural, horrific, weird, insane, or otherwise grotesque way from religion.” Now, I visited The Catacombs in Rome last summer and a story about a mafia member seeking refuge in Italy, has gone into that anthology.

I’m getting excited about going to Toronto for the World Horror Conference at the end of March. Great chance to meet up with friends made at the British Fantasy Convention last year. I just hope there are no delays getting to Paris to catch a connection. I never learn my lesson and should book a trip with no stopovers. My only other worry is the walk back from the convention hotel, The Marriott to the Bond Hotel. Apparently it is a hang out for prostitutes and if I have had too much too drink I might just try do some research and ask questions – it doesn’t bear thinking about.

My literary love affair with the writer Joe. L. Lansdale continues after me being blown away by his stories. THE STEAM MAN OF THE PRAIRIE, AND THE DARK RIDER, as the author says is, “a tribute to the old stuff, with a touch of the new. There is also another influence. Philip Jose Farmer. If Burroughs is my sentimental favorite of all time, Philip Jose Farmer is my out-right favorite.” Another great story is THE BIG BLOW, set against the great hurricane of 1900, that hit Galveston. Both come from, MAD DOG SUMMER, which is an incredible collection of stories.

For my birthday, a few days ago, I was given The Unblemished by Conrad Williams. I’m really looking forward to reading this.

New web site launched! I’m really excited about the artwork. Vincent Chong has designed the new site with an astounding front page. I’m hoping to sell a collection of my stories under the title BULL RUNNING FOR GIRLS – hence the tie in with the site. Amongst Vinny’s credits are the covers for 20^th Century Ghost, written by Joe Hill, published by P.S.Publishing, The Heart Shaped Box, also by Joe Hill, out from Gollancz S.F and Rough Cut, written by Gary McMahon and published by Pendragon Press.