The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning

Hello!

I'm gonna try not to waffle on too long, but you know what I'm like, let's get down to brass tacks.

I can confirm, effective immediately, that I am no longer a part of the Sinister Horror Company. There are a number of reasons behind this decision, but mainly, it is simply down to the fact that with any form of partnership, whether it's love, family or professional, people want different things, and do things in different ways. In order for me to ensure that what I'm doing with my spare time is still 'fun', I've had to have a bit of a think about things.

This caper consumes you, if the actual act of writing and all that entails wasn't time consuming enough, wearing the hat of a publisher, even on a small scale, takes up vast amounts of time. Then, when issues arise, they can snowball into things which distract you from what you're trying to do. This decision, and the myriad of possible outcomes, has been bubbling away in my head for a while now, and it is not one that I have come to lightly. But for the sake of my sanity, I have decided that the best thing is to part company with the SHC.

I want to place on record now, that I sincerely wish nothing but good things for Justin and Dan going forward. It's mad when you look back on what we've done in such a short space of time, and what we've achieved. I have loved going around the various conventions with Justin, meeting people and selling our wares. Through the SHC, I've met some cool people. None of this is going to change now that we're doing our own thing. You can bet your shiny metal ass that I'm gonna be highlighting their work when they've got something new to release, and no doubt at some point in time, we'll collaborate on projects.

This is evidenced perfectly by volume three of The Black Room Manuscripts, which was due to fall to me next year. We have all agreed that I will see this through to completion. I've loved putting this together so far, and I consider it a parting gift, of sorts, and will be announcing contributors, the chosen charity etc in the new year.

Where does that leave me? Well, the more eagle eyed amongst you, will have seen that since day one, the words 'An EyeCue Production', have appeared on all of my books. Since we set ourselves up, I have used the EyeCue brand as a means for the extra details I go to, in each of my books. All the graphical elements, fonts, design touches, all of that makes up how I approach publishing. EyeCue is the finishing school for my words, so it makes sense for me now, to start EyeCue off in earnest. I've got some ideas which will hopefully come to fruition within the next twelve months or so, once I've cleared some of my backlog.

There aren't too many other changes, my existing books have been rebranded, a mere change in spine logo, perhaps a new quote. The biggest change, is that each of my books now has one of these little fellas on the back, by the barcode, this one is from my upcoming zombie collection, CHUMP...

Creating the physical versions of books is what I love doing, not just the words, but the whole presentation. So now, being my own boss, I'm going to be able to ensure that every element matches what I'm after. Going forward, I've got plans to expand what I'm doing beyond writing, into other art forms, but that is a little way off yet. First and foremost, my focus is on bringing to life the books that I've got in various stages of development.This is not the end, far from it. For me, this is just the beginning.

So, there you go, cheers for reading, and if anyone has any questions, just PM me on Facebook. I hope you have a wonderful evening.

Dunk

Summer's over. YES.

Hello,

It's been a few months since an update, so thought I'd better cobble some coherent thoughts together, discard them, then waffle on as per normal. First off, I'm glad summer is done with, not sure what it is about this season, but it doesn't agree with me in the slightest. My mood declines rapidly, as the heat renders me sweaty and near useless, and my motivation and ability to deal rationally with adversity also takes a hit.

In that time, heXagram was released to the world, and I'm made up to see it out in the world. Personally, I think it's my best work to date, a real mix of styles and an interesting narrative, which is something a little different to other books out there. Must admit that its reception surprised me a little, I think that whilst it was difficult to pigeonhole, it is pretty much a horror novel. With each book, you learn lessons, and the biggest one I'll take from heXagram, is to stop caring too much about reviews.

Whilst they are good, to a degree, they are purely one persons view on your art. I became a bit too wrapped up in some of the feedback on heXagram, that it, coupled with summer, kinda kicked my arse for a bit. It is what it is, in the main, the reception has been really cool. Most point to being unsure of what to expect, only to then get to the end, and be thoroughly impressed. That's all I can ask for really.

Admission time, I did sit down and wonder if perhaps I should change what I write, following some of the comments. Perhaps I should stick to one thing, and not try to be different. That though, would mean that I'm not doing it for the right reasons. I write what I want, because I believe that the story is an interesting one to tell, not because I think it's going to be super-popular, or for anyone else. I'm not about pandering to trends or other people, and I'm glad I've gone through this now, so that I am 100% clear on it.

2016 has been pretty cool in the main, three books out, making five in total. It was going to be my lot until next year, but I realised that I had a couple of zombie stories not doing anything. After being invited back as a guest to the Festival of Zombie Culture this November, I wanted to bring something new, so I came up with the idea of writing a zombie collection. Nothing quite like giving myself more stuff to do huh? :-)

So, I sat down and wrote six or seven brand new stories about a variety of undead, a number also feature a few familiar faces from my Facebook interactions. I hope that if they read CHUMP, they'll do so with a wry smile at their depiction.

Another thing I realised, is that this year, I have gone from working on one project at a time, to having two, three or even four things on the go at once. This was doing me no favours at all. So from now on, I will be dealing with one thing, seeing it through, before moving onto the next shiny thing. It's a pain in the neck as I've got at least four or five absolute killer ideas in my head, but it needs to be done, more for my sanity than anything.

With that in mind, after CHUMP, I'm gonna be finishing up DEADLOCK, so it will be ready early next year. Then, I'm gonna choose from the list of ideas, and see what's next. The CLASS FOUR trilogy needs the next instalment, but I've had a killer idea for a new zombie book, which will kinda reinvent how they have been portrayed over the past twenty years or so.
 

Finally...I have had my first ever short story acceptance. LIVE TO SERVE, will be in the Stitched Smile anthology, MONSTERS v ZOMBIES. There will be two volumes, and am not sure which one it'll be in yet, but it's cool to receive validation of my work. Plus, it came with a little financial reward too. It's not much, but it's still nice to get.

Right, I've blathered on for ages. I really can't wait to get CHUMP ready for consumption, there are some really diverse stories in there, it's a good mix of serious and silliness. Have a good one you lot, take it easy.

Dunk

Update from my brain

Hola!

Been super-busy recently with loads of stuff, so thought I'd best give an update on things. First off, I have a bit of announcement to make about Deadlock. This is a tale of a retired thief, who is talked into one last job. Unfortunately, it's a trap, and he and his chums are pitched into Hell. I finished the third draft a few weeks back, and had a few niggly doubts about it. The wife read through it, and whilst she enjoyed it, seemed to suffer from the same problem that I did.

Thing is, there are some really excellent parts to it, it's dark, horrible, yet still quite funny in places. The main problem is that the links between each section aren't right, and I've been unable to put my finger on exactly what is causing the problem. So...I have put it on hiatus, probably until next year. If I had only this book to work on, I think it would make the Halloween launch date with ease, but I've got some stories and events coming up, which mean that my time has to be spent doing other things. I'm a little disappointed, but I want to make sure that when it comes out, it is everything I want it to be, and until I can work out what the hell is wrong with it, and fix, it just isn't working.

So, that means, that my only guranteed release for the rest of 2016, is Hexagram, which is out in a month. Expect to hear more about this as we approach the launch, and beyond. You can pre-order both the physical and digital copies through the links below:

UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01ER88UWU
US - https://amzn.com/B01ER88UWU

What do I have lined up for the next few months? Well...I've got a few short stories to write for a number of projects, some of which I'll be able to announce in the next few months. Plus, I have a number of interviews and the like to get sorted out, for the Hexagram release. Then, I am going to be picking up my zombie hat again, and finishing up the Class Four trilogy.

The second book, 'Versus' has changed a little in my head over the past few months, and I think it will make it work a lot better. It is now a straight up head to head between the Children of Ishtar, and the two psycho's from Class Three. It'll help add a bit of back story to the first book, whilst setting things up nicely for the conclusion with book three. Having popped down to Rhayader the other day, where the survivors in my book are holed up, I've got a good feel for the lay of the land, and how the huge climactic battle will unfold.

In slightly different news, the small press I co-run, The Sinister Horror Company, has got some excellent releases coming up. The second volume of our charity anthology, The Black Room Manuscripts, is out in a few weeks, and my story, 'Mutant Building 101' is in it. It's an OTT fifties homage to B-movie monster films, and is completely different to anything else in the anthology. Make sure you snag a copy, through the links below:

UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01FV80MLM
US - https://amzn.com/B01FV80MLM

Finally, July is convention season for the SHC, and you can find my cohorts and I at a number of places during the month. There's a link below to where we'll be, if you're also there, make sure you come across and say hello!

http://sinisterhorrorcompany.com/meet-us/

Have a good one peeps.

New novel, Hexagram, will be released...

Ahoy, just a quick one, my new novel, Hexagram, will be released into the world on Monday 25 July 2016. I really cannot wait for this to be out there, I feel it has my best work to date in. It's probably more of a concept 'album' than anything, as it is six stories, over five hundred years, linked together by an Inca ritual.

But hey! Here's a little teaser trailer to whet your appetite:

You can pre-order either the physical or digital copies right now too, through the links below:

Amazon UK - bit.ly/HexagramUK
Amazon US - bit.ly/HexagramUS

Expect to hear loads about this before, during and after launch. Any questions though, hit me up on Facebook, would love to hear from you. 

Cheers

Dunk

An Ode To Stuff

Greetings once more,

It's Saturday morning, the sun is shining, and being the utterly miserable sod that I am, I'm in my office, sheltered from its annoying rays. Been thinking a lot about the actual act of writing recently, how one day, you can save your current WIP, and you think, 'you know what, there's some good shit there'. You even have a look back and allow yourself a chuckle at a witty exchange or wince from a particularly nasty death. Then you get the days when getting the words down is like pulling teeth. The laptop closes and you are filled with, 'why am I even bothering to do this?'

It's important to have support, in whatever form that takes, it is different for everyone. Up until recently, I thought it was one thing, when it is actually something else entirely. My wife Debbie HATES horror, can't stand it in the slightest, makes her squeamish, and it is just not her bag. Yet, throughout my writing, she's always asking when she can read the current project I'm working on.

Sure, some bits she skims over, one chapter in Class Three (fifteen if you're interested), she will not re-read at all, as she says it's too much for her, but she reads it. She is the first person to read through the third/fourth draft, when I'm happy that it's ready for consumption. There is a point to all of this (honest)...I read Stephen King's 'On Writing' recently, and he said that you write for someone else. Up until then, I assumed it was me. It's not, like Stevo writing for his missus, I realised that I was writing for Debbie.

With writing, once it is out in the world, the only feedback you get are reviews or comments on social media, but when Debbie is reading through my latest brain dribblings next to me, I hear her laugh, so can ask what she found funny. I see her squirm when she gets to the sick bits, and I see her puzzled face when she gets to something I haven't explained very well.

She is who I write for, and I think that is pretty damn cool.

So, what am I up to? Well, the first draft of Deadlock is done and currently sitting where I left it on the hard drive. I think I've done what I did with Hexagram, in that I started it off all serious, and then remembered that serious isn't my thing. The first few edits will restore order to that, plus...late last night, Stephen Cooney sent me the cover. Wanna see? Here it is...

Pretty cool huh? Well, I think so anyway. It's a bit odd to have a cover ready for a book which won't be out until October, but hey. More on that in the coming months. With the first draft finally done, the plan was to have a few days off, finish The Division, then hit up some short stories. But try as I might, I just couldn't get into any of them. Then I had a flash of inspiration. There was a story about Rachel Riley from Countdown accidentally spelling out a swear word, then some wit on Facebook, posted this:

This got me thinking...what if a world-ending beast was summoned from some hellish plain accidentally. 'Summoned' was born. It's a working title, so likely to change, but another thing happened. Instead of trying to write it one way, I wrote it MY way. So far at least, the words are flowing from me like arterial spray, I'm loving it. It is also going to be a 'multi-narrative' book, I'd love to say it is a 'choose your own adventure' book, but it's not that deep, but there will be choices to make and different endings. Above all, it's going to be silly, like me. Plus...I'm hoping I've snagged the artist for it.

Prime Directive has had the Debbie treatment, and some further refinements. Re-reading it, I've found that there is a section, a couple of chapters, quite key ones, where I'm just not feeling it. My plan is to re-write them in a few weeks, so it'll be ready way before release at the end of May. I've always had a nagging doubt that something was missing from it, now, I hope I've identified it, and know how I'm going to fix it.

So we go full circle, back to what I said first off. The idea for Summoned, and even Deadlock came to me, and I liken it to a cloud. It lacks form, after chatting with Debbie, she made a suggestion for each, which made it go from being vague, to WOW, that will work. I'll go into more detail on these books in due course, along with Hexagram, which I cannot wait to share with you.

I'm just gonna leave you with this, sometimes shit happens, and you're wondering what the hell you are going to do. When all the things you thought were there, actually aren't. Take a moment to ponder, most of the time, when you look past all the other bullshit, you'll find that there is a constant standing in the swirling dust, and always has been. That is your support, that is the reason for spending your free time tapping words onto a screen, hoping to fuck that it will all make sense.

I'm off, got a couple of endings to write involving a giant apocalyptic beast, with seven arse cheeks, till next time.

Dunk

An Interview With...Rich Hawkins

Why hello!

Super to see you, though of course, I can't really see you, but if I were you, I'd do something about your hair, it's a bit...Einstein-esque today. Well it's Saturday, and it's time for the second interview over on this here blog. Today's guest currently resides in my hometown of Salisbury, has a majestic beard, was nominated for a BFS award last year and (annoyingly) is a bloody nice chap. It is of course, the man, the myth, the LEGEND: Rich Hawkins.
 

I, like most people, first heard of Rich through his acclaimed 'The Last Plague', and have snagged his other books to date, including the novella, 'Black Star, Black Sun'.

The conclusion to his 'The Last...' trilogy drops TODAY, so thought it an opportune time to probe him, intellectually of course, whilst The Last Soldier downloads on your kindle, because you have just bought it, haven't you? As before, my interview consists of two sections, equal part sensible and silly, just like me.
 
Good, so, without further ado, let's begin...

DB: I thought my cheese supplies were running dangerously low, pray tell, who the Dickens are you?

RH: I hail from the depths of Somerset, where my childhood of science fiction and horror films inspired me to start writing my own stories. I love cheese and coffee. My debut novel THE LAST PLAGUE was published in 2014, and since then I’ve released two novellas, several short stories and two more novels. I currently live in Salisbury, Wiltshire, with my wife, daughter, and pet dog, although we’re moving back to Somerset very soon. I write horror, and I love it. 

 

DB: The conclusion to The Last Plague trilogy, 'The Last Soldier' is upon us, how do you feel now that it’s all drawn to a conclusion?

RH: It feels a bit weird, to be honest. Bittersweet. There’s some relief that the trilogy’s finished and I can work on other stuff, but I’ve still got a hankering to return to that fictional world and add more stories to it.  Maybe in the future, who knows?  

 

DB: Let’s say someone has lived under a rock these last two years, give them a quick rundown on The Last Plague trilogy.

RH: THE LAST PLAGUE begins with a mysterious virus that devastates Great Britain. Four old mates on a stag weekend (bachelor party, to our colonial friends) have to travel across the country to return to their families, all while trying to survive the outbreak and avoid the infected hordes roaming the land. THE LAST OUTPOST is set six months after the outbreak, and focuses on a few of the survivors trying to escape the mainland. THE LAST SOLDIER is set a year later, and involves a character from the first novel return to Britain in search of…something. I had great fun writing them.

 

DB: How is The Last Soldier different than the other two books in the trilogy, did you have any particular aims or themes in mind when you wrote it?

RH: It’s a little different because the main characters are returning to Britain instead of trying to escape it. I wanted to complete the overall arc of the story and reveal the true nature of the Plague and its endgame. I hope I’m successful in doing so!

DB: When you wrote The Last Plague, did you intend it to be a one and done, or did you always have some additional books in the world in mind?

RH: When I started writing The Last Plague, I wasn’t thinking that far ahead, to be honest. But once it was published I began to get more ideas for other stories set in the same world, and it just went on from there.

 

DB: To say your stuff is bleak, would be like saying that the sun is quite bright, was this a conscious decision to write this way?

RH: As the novels involve the possible extinction of humanity and the end of the world, it was definitely a conscious decision! I lean towards the bleak side of horror anyway, so it seemed like the correct tone for the books. I do worry that sometimes my writing’s a bit *too* bleak, and it’ll put readers off my stuff. Maybe one day I’ll write something with a happy ending (not that kind, you perv).

DB: The world and writings of H P Lovecraft are having a zombie-esque renaissance, you’re a keen fan of both sub-genres, what is it about them both that inspires you?

RH: I love the concept of ‘cosmic horror’ in Lovecraft’s stories – the insignificance of the human race compared to the vast cosmos, and the universe’s utter indifference to us all. Plus a lot of it involves cool monsters with tentacles. I’ve been a zombie nut since my youth, after watching Romero’s ‘Dawn of the Dead’, and I have a slightly unhealthy obsession with the end of the world, so anything apocalypse/zombie-related inspires me to create my own apocalyptic worlds.

DB: The Last Outpost was quite insular, with Royce’s journey being the main focus, whilst The Last Plague played off the camaraderie of the friends and was larger in scale, which did you prefer writing, and why?

RH: It’s very difficult to pick one. I enjoyed writing both, but if I was forced to give an answer it would probably be THE LAST PLAGUE, as it was my first novel and I had no idea where I was going with it. There was no pressure. I just had fun with it.

 

DB: What’s next for Mr Hawkins?

I have a few short stories due out in various anthologies this year. My vampire novella KING CARRION will be released in the next few months. After that, there’s another novella due for release in September. 

DB: Will we ever see any more books/stories based in your ‘The Last…’ world, aside from your novella, 'The Plague Winter', for the Infected Books Year Of The Zombie?

RH: If I do return to the Plague world, it won’t be for a while. I may give it a few years and see how it feels. If not, THE LAST SOLDIER is a good end for the trilogy.

So...Rich, if that is even your real name, you have answered the questions which people probably think they want answered. I thank you, not just for myself, but for the two other people that are likely to read this. However, the real test of your prowess is yet to begin, bring out...THE QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS OF DOOM. (Totally trademarked up the ying yang btw) I need the first thing you think of…

DB: Oreos or custard creams?

RH: Oreos

DB: Weirdo. Upon opening a cupboard door, instead of finding your favourite tin of soup, you discover a pot noodle. What flavour is it?

RH: Chicken and mushroom

DB: What weighs more, the futility of existence or a pillow case filled with spare change?

RH: Futility. Always futility…

DB: You’ve been infected, bummer, if you could choose, what new appendages would you hope for?

RH: A mouth-tentacle with a razor maw at its tip. That would be cool.

DB: Whilst flying to the Isle of Wight, you crash land on an island, there are two survivors, Piers Morgan and David Cameron, who do you eat first, and what method of cooking do you employ?

RH: Piers Morgan, purely because he supports Arsenal. In terms of cooking methods, whatever causes him the most discomfort, I think. I bet he tastes funny. I’d have to boil the awfulness out of him. Same goes for Cameron. Horrendous men, both of them.

DB: Giving up the writing game due to a nasty bout of whooping cough, you form a band, what style is it and who are the other members?

RH: Doom metal. I’d be on drums, with Cormac McCarthy, Russell Crowe, Gillian Anderson, and H from Steps on whatever instruments they’re happy to play. Plus the three lads from The Sinister Horror Company as backing singers…

 

DB: Awww...seventeen people line up for a midnight showing of the entire Twilight films, how many could you shishkebob before the police taser you?

RH: All of them. Anyone who wants to watch those films in quick succession obviously has a death wish anyway…

DB: What is your current number one smell?

RH: The smell of my old hardback copy of Stephen King’s IT. Smells like history and Oxfam shops.

DB: Underpants…do you wear your own or sneak Sara’s on, and prance around the house pretending you’re a laydee?

RH: I never prance. I saunter. I wear my own, and they’re frilly.

DB: Is Daniel Marc Chant real, or a figment of your overactive imagination?

RH: I’ll ask him. He’s outside my kitchen window. I think he’s been rifling through my rubbish, as he has bin-juice on his face.

DB: That's not bin juice...I’ve just smashed your Charles and Diana commemorative plate, how do you exact your just revenge?

RH: I send Daniel Marc Chant to your house, where he will sing Uptown Girl in falsetto while wearing the mankini Sean Connery wore in the film ‘Zardoz’. That’ll teach you, plate-smasher.

There, I'm spent, but I think you'll agree that I grilled him good. So before Rich and I towel ourselves off, and settle down for a nice cup of tea, and watch Zombie Fight Club, we wish you a good day, an update on my writing is next week.

Goodbye.

Dunk

If you like the cut of Rich Hawkins' jib, and you really should do, head over to his Amazon page to peruse his wares, hit his blog up, or like the shit out of him at Facebook.

 

Award Season

It's Saturday...I'm awake...it's time for an update on all things writing.

First off, it's the weekend ahead of the release of my third book, Celebrity Culture, and my first release which doesn't include the undead. Weird. It's also my first dip of the toe into the world of bizarro, and from the few people who have read it so far, it's gone done well, (cue double entendre). It is no coincedence that it is being released the day after the Oscars. One of my big bugbears is the world of celebrity, where every move is captured, every body function filmed and people who would struggle to do a proper job, are revered.

So this is my little poke at it, I hope that if you pick it up, you enjoy it, I had fun writing it, even if it was like pulling teeth at times.

If you want to snag a copy, here are the links, as a heads up, we use Lightning Source, which Amazon don't own, so physical copies are held back by a week usually. If you are keen to get it, best to get through my website:

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0993534600
Amazon US: http://amzn.com/0993534600
Direct: http://duncanpbradshaw.co.uk/celebrity-culture/

Work on Deadlock continues unabated, I'm up to 65k now, and had the option of taking a different path with it, which would've meant that the first draft would be finished this weekend. One of the joys of being a pantser. However...when I thought about it, I felt that it would then end up not being the book I set out to write. So have rewritten a chapter, and am now steering it back down the path originally intended. I do fear that it will be a bit of a beast...

The cover is being done by the amazing Stephen Cooney, who has done a number of exceptional covers over the years, most recently, Jim Goforth's Zombie Fleshcrave. Seriously, check it out HERE. He sent me through a sketch of the main character from the Deadlock cover, and it exceeded what I was after, and I'm a tricky person to please.

With the swerve on Deadlock, I'm taking a few days to re-centre myself, and then get back to it, may look to get a short story knocked up, but am undecided. I'm still umming and ahhing about what to do with Prime Directive, so have put it on the Kindle for the wife to read and let me know what she reckons. I'll then know whether it's a goer, or if I will hit up a mate to co-write it with.

So, exceptionally busy still, which is good, worked out that this year so far, I'm written 90k on two projects already, and with the plans for when Deadlock is finally done, it's going to be a mammoth writing year. I'll be taking a week and a bit off in June when we go on holiday, so hoping to get back from that and pick up on the second book in the Class Four trilogy, Class Four.

That's all for now, got a new interview with another author coming up in the next few weeks. Will give you a clue as to their identity...this could very well be 'The Last Interview'.

Take it easy y'all

Dunk