The Witches of World War II

31st August 202217th April 2025 by Stephen | 1 Comment

Paul Cornell, Valeria Burzo. TKO Studios. (160p) ISBN: 9781952203183

Another of the first batch of approved books from NetGalley.

This graphic novel is written by the dark pen of Paul Cornell and wonderfully illustrated by Valeria Burzo, and takes us on a fanciful journey of a group of occultists recruited to play on the fact that Nazi High Command believes “in all this occult rubbish”

The story is loosely based on the true story of the New Forest Coven and Operation Cone of Power, and includes a ragtag group of occultists including Aleister Crowley, Doreen Valiente, and others in their bid to capture Rudolph Hesse a proponent of the Thule Society.

The story cracks along at a great pace weaving fact and fiction into a wondrous whole, with the illustrations supporting the mystical and prosaic but with a style that reminds me of some of the work in Hellboy comics by Mike Mignola whilst standing as their own.

Paul Cornell’s storytelling comes to the fore making it a believable tale full of tension and build the characters well considering the short time he has to do so, I especially enjoyed the Crowley that inhabits these pages.

A great graphic novel well worth picking up.

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The October Witches

31st August 202218th November 2024 by Stephen | 1 Comment

Jennifer Claessen. UCLan Publishing. (352p) ISBN: 9781912979905

The October Witches

I’ve finally got around to using NetGalley properly and what a first book to set off with.

From the magnificent cover all the way to the last words this is a brilliant magical adventure full of heart, family, and friendship.

This is the tale of the Merlyns and Morgans, the descendants of the first two witches, Merlyn (a woman not a man) and Morgan, who fought each other for power and in the end limited witches power to the month of October.

Clem is the main protagonist of the story who has just come into her power this October and becomes the fifth point of a star and the key to a plan her mum and aunts have been planning to make the magic last all year round, but the dastardly Morgans interrupt this plan and try to enact their own plan to have magic all year round and to control the world.

Full of excellent characters from Bobby the pony to the bumbling but mysterious postman, full of Aunts and young hags, I raced through this story never wanting it to end but desperate to find out what happens, and it seems to have been set up for a sequel, hopefully next October

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Sam Szanto – Author Q&A

26th August 202212th November 2024 by Stephen | Leave a comment

Sam Szanto

Sam Szanto lives in Durham, UK. Her debut short story collection “If No One Speaks” was published by Alien Buddha Press in 2022.

Over 50 of her stories and poems have been published/ listed in competitions. As well as her many published stories, in April 2022 she won the Shooter Flash Fiction Contest, was placed second in the 2022 Writer’s Mastermind Short Story Contest, third in the 2021 Erewash Open Competition, second in the 2019 Doris Gooderson Competition and was also a winner in the 2020 Literary Taxidermy Competition.

Her short story collection “Courage” was a finalist in the 2021 St Lawrence Book Awards. She won the 2020 Charroux Prize for Poetry and the First Writers International Poetry Prize, and her poetry has appeared in a number of literary journals including “The North”.

Sam can be found at:

Twitter: @sam_szanto
Facebook: sam-szanto
Instagram: samszantowriter

Tell me what inspired you to write your (debut) story collection?

The stories in my collection are all very different, inspired by different things. Often I’ll read a news story that will capture my attention enough for me to add a ‘What if?’ to the ending, and the story will find its own way from there. As a general theme, the collection is about voicelessness and displacement, which have impacted me personally and as such are rich sources of inspiration.

What came first the characters or the world?

I was taught to always start with a character, but actually that’s very difficult to do. Usually the idea or the scenario will come first and I will people it accordingly. But the characters usually end up taking over.

How hard was it to get your first (debut) book published?

It’s hard to get short story collections published in general, because there isn’t much a market for them, certainly not in the mainstream publishing industry. It wasn’t instant, but once the collection had a coherence it wasn’t years either. It’s just about finding the right publisher, and I knew as soon as I read another collection that Alien Buddha Press had published that they were the right people to approach.

How long did it take to write?

It’s hard to answer that, because unlike a novel I didn’t write the first story in the collection with the idea that’s where it would end up. They stood alone. I wrote one of the stories in the collection in 2009, and another about a month before the collection was published.

Do you have a writing playlist? If so do you want to share it?

No, I can’t write and listen to music, my attention is scattered enough as it is!

How many publishers turned you down?

Only one, I think (but I may have cognitive dissonance!), although I did also enter forms of the collection in various prizes and didn’t win, although it was a finalist in the Black Lawrence Press’ St Lawrence Award in 2021.

What kind of reactions have you had to your book?

Incredibly good, I’ve been amazed.

What’s the favourite reaction you’ve had to your book?

A wonderful lady / writer called Laura Besley, who offered to review the book, has made three of the stories her ‘Stories of the Day’ on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, including quotes from each of the stories.

What can you tell us about your next book?

I’m trying (heavy emphasis on that word) to write a thriller. I’m also doing an MA in Writing Poetry at Newcastle University with the Poetry School so working towards a poetry pamphlet and subsequently hopefully a collection too.

Do you take notice of online reviews?

I do of my own! I would be more likely to take notice of a mainstream author’s reviews than an independent one, as the former are generally more likely to be impartial – I’m talking about on review sites rather than blurbs, which are never impartial.

Would you ever consider writing outside your current genre?

I don’t have a current genre, so yes.

What did you do before (or still do) you became a writer?

So many things… my last office job was a marketing officer for a national blind charity, then I freelanced for many years as a copy-editor and proofreader and an English tutor which I still do but not as much. When I was younger I worked in an array of jobs from ice cream seller to bakery assistant to marketing a girls’ school.

If No One Speaks

Which author(s) inspire you?

Again, so many… Off the top of my head, Kate Atkinson, Tessa Hadley (I was lucky enough to be taught short story writing by her), Elly Griffiths, Janice Hallett, Rose Tremain, Simon Armitage, Carol Ann Duffy, Sophie Hannah, so so many others…

Which genres do you read yourself?

Poetry, short stories (I would say that anyway), fiction. I do enjoy a biography too. Children’s stories to my children!

What is your biggest motivator?

Ego! Or, just the need to write. Writers need to write.

What will always distract you?

My children, particularly my son screaming at his tablet when he loses a game!

How much (if any) say do you have in your book covers?

All the say – that’s the good thing about having an independent publisher.

Were you a big reader as a child?

I read all.the.time. Never stopped. I would read when I brushed my teeth, even when I was walking to the post box.

What were your favourite childhood books?

I don’t know if many people will have heard of these but I loved the Antonia Forest books about a family who went to boarding school. Also the Chalet School books, and the Sweet Valley High books. I loved boarding school books so much that I forced my parents to send me to one when I was 14; sadly the truth didn’t live up to the fiction.

Do you have a favourite bookshop? If so, which?

Not really, but the Waterstones in Bath is lovely. Collected Books in Durham too.

What books can you not resist buying?

I keep on buying books from my publisher Alien Buddha at the moment, because of all the lovely authors I’m interacting with on Twitter.

How many books are in your own physical TBR pile?

About 10!

What is your current or latest read?

Elly Griffith’s ‘The Stranger’, which my mother-in-law lent to me, and is fantastic.

Any books that you’re looking forward to in the next 12 months?

Kate Atkinson’s latest!

Any events in the near future?

I’m doing a live Twitter reading on 28th August with some other Alien Buddha authors. Also a live poetry reading organised by AUB, as I’m currently longlisted for their poetry competition, in October.

and finally, what inspired you to write the genre you do?

It just happened – probably because I don’t have the patience to sit down and write a novel (yet). Also because of the wonderful short story module that I took with Tessa Hadley.

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Caron McKinley – Author Q&A

19th August 202212th November 2024 by Stephen | Leave a comment

Caron McKinley

Caron grew up in a mining town on the east coast of Scotland where her dad would return from the pit and fill her life with his tall tales. She never thought about making a career in writing – that was what posh people did, not someone from a working-class council estate.

However, her father’s death was the cause of deep introspection and her emotions gave birth to a short story, Cash, which was published in the Scottish Book Trust’s anthology, Blether. This gave her the confidence to try and believe in herself.

When not blogging, reading, and writing, Caron spends her time with her daughters. She doesn’t enjoy exercise – but loves running around after her grandsons, Lyle and Noah, to whom she is devoted.

Caron had three childhood dreams in life: to become a published author, to become a teacher, and for David Essex to fall in love with her. Two out of three ain’t bad, and she’s delighted with that.

Caron can be found at:
Website: www.caronmckinlay.com
Twitter: @caronmckinlay
Instagram: @caronmckinlay
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mckinlaycaron
TikTok: vm.tiktok.com/ZML8bGo9h/

Tell me what inspired you to write your (debut) novel?

I always wanted to write a story about love. Something that would move people and let them experience a sweep of emotions. But I also wanted to address how women are often affected by the toxic behaviour of men. Most women have had an experience of being adversely affected by a man in their lives at one time or another. Or if not, they know of a family member or friend who has had that happen to them. So I wanted to write a book that would reflect this aspect of society by focusing on interpersonal relationships. I suppose you could say that the inspiration for the book was to see if those two opposing themes, love and toxic relationships, could be drawn together into a book that people would enjoy reading.

What came first the characters or the world?

That is a hard one because as I thought about the characters, I always saw them embedded in their historical and social circumstances. So in a sense, as the characters took form, their worlds grew up around them.

How hard was it to get your first (debut) book published?

Once I started the submission process, it took four weeks to get an agent and then six weeks to find a publisher. That seems a relatively short time to me, given what I have read in the press about publishing and have heard from other authors. But I would not describe it as easy. It took me a long time just to work out how to write a convincing cover letter, for one thing! And most of all it was down to luck.

How long did it take to write?

Nine months. However, there were weeks and weeks when I didn’t write a word. I can’t force myself to write, I have to wait until the words come to me.

Do you have a writing playlist? If so do you want to share it?

No, but a lot of ‘The Storytellers’ was written with Married at First Sight on the telly in the background!

What kind of reactions have you had to your book?

People have been tremendously supportive which is both gratifying and very humbling. To date, I have had 54 reviews on Goodreads, with 48 five-star reviews and a further six four-star reviews. I am really so grateful to everyone who took the time to provide ratings and comments. And it means the world to me that it’s connecting with early readers.

What’s the favourite reaction you’ve had to your book?

So many people have been so kind, and have said so many lovely things, from ‘mind-blowing’ to ‘magical’ to ‘beautiful’ to ‘fascinating’, it is very hard to select one reaction. I guess one of my favourite quotes is ‘every woman should read this book’. But if I had to choose just one reaction as my favourite, it would be my daughter telling me she read the book in a single day and cried throughout! She is not a reader.

What can you tell us about your next book?

Not really as I am torn between two different ideas, and I am not sure which one to go with. Everything they say about book two is true – It’s a nightmare!

Do you take notice of online reviews?

I suspect most authors do, even if they say they don’t! It is a nerve-wracking thing to spend so much time writing a book and then sending your baby out into the world. Of course, you want people to love it the way you do. But the only way to find that out is to look at what they say about it. Until now, I have been very lucky. So far, so good.

Would you ever consider writing outside your current genre?

Several people have described ‘The Storytellers’ as ‘genre-busting’. I am hoping that was meant as a compliment! I love fiction with a speculative element so I am happy writing that at the moment.

What did you do before (or still do) you became a writer?

I was a secondary school teacher and eventually became a headteacher before I took early retirement.

Which author(s) inspire you?

The Storytellers

I spend a lot of my time reading. I am an insomniac, and often stay up into the wee, small hours with a book in hand. I suppose two of the books that recently influenced me were Schwab’s 2020 ‘The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue’ and Niffenegger’s 2003 ‘The Time Traveller’s Wife’. But, being honest, I suspect every book I have ever read and enjoyed has had some sort of effect on me and what I write. So if I were to mention a third, it could be Brontë’s 1847 ‘Wuthering Heights’. I suspect some other authors and books from that near-two-hundred-year span crept up on me without me noticing!

Which genres do you read yourself?

I read most genres except spy thrillers, sci-fi and hard fantasy. My favourites are speculative fiction, psychological thrillers, women’s fiction and the odd romance.

What is your biggest motivator?

When I retired, I found I had time on my hands. I tried several different things like joining a gym and taking up walking. But none of them really stuck. But I knew I wanted to do something. When I wrote my first short story, about my father’s death, and it was published by the Scottish Book Trust, I decided I might actually be good enough to write a book. My father was an inveterate storyteller and I think I inherited that from him. So I realised I finally had an opportunity to share my stories with others. And that has remained my motivation – wanting to write a story that someone else will listen to and enjoy and, hopefully, make an emotional connection with.

What will always distract you?

My grandsons! And my daughters.

How much (if any) say do you have in your book covers?

I have heard from other authors that they had little input into their book covers. But I was fortunate that Bloodhound Books allowed me to have a substantial say in what the cover would look like. We went through two or three iterations before we finally landed on the present cover.

Were you a big reader as a child?

Yes. Since childhood, I have always found a great sense of peace when I slip into a book’s imaginary world. I am a bit of an insomniac, so always have lots of time to read at the end of each day, and I have been like that since I was young.

What were your favourite childhood books?

The Famous Five and any kind of ghost story.

Do you have a favourite bookshop? If so, which?

I would have to say The Portobello Bookshop in Edinburgh.

What books can you not resist buying?

Anything in women’s or psychological fiction, especially if it has a speculative edge and a hint of time travel. I love Keith A Pearson’s books and always buy his.

Do you have any rituals when writing?

Only one. Making sure I always have a full can of real Coke to hand before I start and a bar of chocolate.

How many books are in your own physical TBR pile?

Maybe three. I tend to read what I buy fairly quickly.

What is your current or latest read?

‘Wrong Place Wrong Time’ by Gillian McCallister. It was just genius and ‘Breakneck Point’ by T Orr Munro which is the start of a new series.

Any books that you’re looking forward to in the next 12 months?

I cannot wait to read ‘The Bonesetter Woman’ by Frances Quinn.

and finally, what inspired you to write the genre you do?

All the books I mentioned before at the beginning. I love when something is set in the real world but has just an edge of magic.

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Kate and Liz Corr – Author Q&A

12th August 20222nd December 2024 by Stephen | Leave a comment

Daughter of Darkness

About DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS, an original fantasy inspired by ancient Greek myth:

Welcome to a Greece where the great bronze age cities, never fell. Where the heroes disappeared, but the ancient gods never retreated. Where magic manipulates nature, and the greatest crime of all is failing to believe in the divinity of the gods…

Deina is trapped. Bound to the House of Hades as a Soul Severer, she’s responsible for shepherding souls through death to their rightful place in the Underworld. So when the tyrant Orpheus offers fortune and freedom to whichever Severer can bring his wrife, Eurydice, back from the dead, Deina jumps at the chance.

But to succeed she must enter into an uneasy alliance with a band of fellow Severers: a fighter, a scholar, a singer and a thief. Together they will journey into the deadly realm of Hades.

Deina’s freedom is within reach – but what will it take to claim it?

The Underworld awaits…

You can find the Corr sisters at:
Website: Corrsisters.com
Twitter: @katharinecorr / @lizcorr_writes
Instagram: @katharinecorrwrites / @lizcorrwrites

Tell me what inspired you to write your novel?

Liz and I had talked about writing characters who could travel back and forth between life and after-life, and we both love Greek mythology, which is full of characters who journey to the Underworld. Orpheus is the most famous of those characters, so we decided to take that myth as our initial jumping off point for the book that became Daughter Of Darkness. We were also intrigued by two questions: what if the Bronze Age kingdoms that inspired the Iliad hadn’t disappeared, and what if Eurydice didn’t want to come back from the dead?

What came first, the characters or the world?

Deina, our main character, came first. We wanted to write about a thief, someone who was more of an underdog and more morally grey than the protagonists in our previous novels. The scene of her planning a theft in the hot, dusty streets of an ancient city was the first thing we wrote for Daughter Of Darkness.

How long did it take to write?

Longer than we expected! For a start, we were writing during the second and third phases of lockdown. We found the lockdown in the first few months of 2021 really difficult; it was hard to be creative. Liz had to home school her children too. We also realised, about 30 thousand words in, that the voice wasn’t working, so we had to go back to the beginning and re-write it…. Tedious, but definitely worth it.

Do you have a writing playlist?

Liz does – she especially loves listening to Two Steps From Hell. I’d love to have a writing playlist but I can only work in complete silence unfortunately!

What’s the favourite reaction you’ve had to your book?

We’ve already had lots of lovely reviews, and we appreciate every single one. It’s such a boost when someone reads your work and loves it AND takes the time to post about it. But, if I had to pick one review, it would be that from @gaz_the_reader. Gary has been a huge supporter of our writing ever since our first book came out in the summer of 2016, so it was lovely that he read Daughter Of Darkness and then felt moved to post on Instagram ‘The Queens of fantasy have done it again.’

What can you tell us about your next book?

Our next book is the second half of the House of Shadows duology. Queen Of Gods will be out next August (fingers crossed); expect more gods, more mythological beings and more death!

Do you take notice of online reviews?

I don’t look at reviews at all. One negative review will make me feel terrible for days, even if it’s offset by 100 positive reviews. Plus, opinions on any kind of art are subjective; no book is for everyone. I think review sites are for readers, not authors.

Would you ever consider writing outside your current genre?

Definitely! Liz and I both have lots of things we want to write, both together and separately, across various genres.

Which author(s) inspire you?

Neil Gaiman, Margaret Atwood, Ursula Le Guin. Liz and I both really loved Terry Pratchett too, and we both re-read the Discworld books regularly.

Which genres do you read yourself?

All sorts! As well as YA fantasy, I read adult fantasy and science fiction, crime and detective novels, humour, historical fiction, short stories, romance and classics.

What is your biggest motivator?

Connecting with readers who enjoy our books. We had a lovely signing queue at YALC recently, and it was so much fun to chat with everyone.

What will always distract you?

Social media. I have to be really strict with myself or I can waste far too much time on it. Research can be a distraction too, even though it’s necessary. I tend to disappear down rabbit holes and emerge hours later having discovered lots of interesting stuff, but not necessarily the answer to the question I went in with!

How much (if any) say do you have in your book covers?

The Corr Sisters

We’ve always been sent cover ideas for approval, both by Harper Collins (our first publisher) and Hot Key Books. However, we really struck lucky with the cover for Daughter Of Darkness. We told the team at Hot Key how much we loved Micaela Alcaino’s designs, and they got her on board for the project. The result is just stunning. Micaela won Designer of the Year at this year’s British Book Awards and no surprise!

Were you a big reader as a child?

Yes, Liz and I both read a lot. We were lucky that both we and our Nana (we spent a lot of our time with her) lived within easy reach of a library.

What were your favourite childhood books?

As smaller kids we both loved the Narnia books and The Dark Is Rising sequence by Susan Cooper (we both still re-read the second, eponymous book every winter). I had a soft spot for Charlotte’s Web too. As I got older, I fell in love with Austen and Tolkien (queue failed attempt to learn Elvish) and Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast Trilogy. Liz became a fan of Arthur C Clarke.

What books can you not resist buying?

Any new translations or fancy editions of Beowulf. Currently the Seamus Heaney translation is my favourite.

Do you have any rituals when writing?

Tea. Lots and lots of tea. I know I’ve had a good writing day if my desk is crowded with cups, all of which are about three-quarters empty.

How many books are in your own physical TBR pile?

I’ve no idea. I tend to hide new books around the house so all the other books I’ve not yet read can’t see what’s going on and get jealous…

What is your current or latest read?

I’ve recently read and loved Mina & The Slayers (Amy McCaw), Big Little Lies (Liane Moriarty) and The Murder Of Mr Wickham (Claudia Gray). I’m currently reading Tag, You’re Dead by Kathryn Foxfield.

Any events in the near future?

Yes, we will be at the No Limits Festival at Normanby Hall Country Park in September.

What inspired you to write the genre you do?

I’m never going to travel to a magical world in real life, so writing magical worlds is a way to visit my dreams. Plus, in the real world, I hate the fact that good often goes unrewarded and evil often triumphs. It’s satisfying to create worlds where the good guys (mostly, eventually) get to win.

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Manorism

7th August 202218th November 2024 by Stephen | Leave a comment

Yomi Ṣode. Penguin. (128p) ISBN: 9780141998572

Manorism

I was sent this out of the blue by some lovely marketer at Penguin Books and thank you whoever that marketer was as I loved this collection of poetry/works by Yomi Ṣodi.

As always I’m always in awe of poets and writers who bare all to the public in their work, but this is an especially personal journey through the life of a young black man in London and the death of an important matriarch and the emotions that erupt from both of these circumstances.

Initially I found this difficult due to some of writing being Yoruba, but after exploring the nuance of the words I didn’t know and getting a better idea of the contextual use of some of the phrases and how adaptable they were, I found the rhythm and heart of the writing stunning.

Entwining chapters about the violence that Caravaggio consistently displayed and got away with, and the violence expressed against black bodies that is constantly got away with, exploring different cultures and diasporas, different generations, white expectations of black bodies, behaviours men are meant to display and what men still feel under all the braggadocio.

Stunning writing full of passion and anger, an awe inspiring exploration of self and culture that shines the light on places we don’t always want to explore.

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