My short story APPORTS, which was originally published in Black Static and was later reprinted in Best Horror of the Year 6, is now available to read online in Nightmare magazine, edited by John Joseph Adams. The entire issue (66 from March 2018) is available to purchase for just $2.99 – or an annual subscription costs $23.88, and also features fiction from A Merc Rustad, Lilliam Rivera, and M Rickert, and non-fiction from John Joseph Adams, Adam-Troy Castro, Charles Payseur and Sandra Odell.

I also wanted to let you know about something else I’ve been working on for a while. I’ve just finished writing a novella (working title COCKATRICE) which has now been sent off to the publisher.

It involves a young boy, Bobby, who lives with his parents in an apartment block in a run-down English seaside town. Bobby sometimes sees monsters in his back garden, usually under the cover of darkness. Scuttling, furtive things, creatures with cavernous mouths or jaws crammed with teeth. There’s also a witch that lives within the walls of his bedroom, who sometimes visits him at night and tells him stories that no young boy should ever hear. His elderly neighbour on the floor above knows about monsters because he once fought in a war. When a mysterious tenant moves into the top floor flat, Bobby and his elderly neighbour must work together to discover the dark secret that the tenant guards. Why does the figure avoid eye contact with anyone? Is his gaze, like the mythical Cockatrice, enough to render his victims dead?

I’ll update with more information as soon as I can.

It’s a new year, which means I’m here to update on how things have been going these past few days (what do you mean, it’s been longer than a few days – that can’t be right!)

Firstly I am thrilled to say that my second short story collection, MURMURED IN DREAMS, will be published next year by Edinburgh-based Luna Press. At Fantasycon in Peterborough last year I was fortunate enough to meet Luna’s head honcho, Francesca Tristan Barbini, and was suitably impressed with the plans she has for her publishing model and the positive direction it was taking.

Murmured in Dreams will feature many of the stories that were published since the release of Peel Back the Sky in 2012. So there’ll be all of the stories from Black Static, the one from Shadows & Tall Trees, the ones from Cemetery Dance magazine and Postscripts. It will contain the stories that were selected from Best Horror of the Year. I think the overall feel of this collection is one that I have been working towards for a number of years. There’ll be original stories too, alongside some ‘extra content’. I want to make this book feel special. Luna Press are very enthusiastic about the project and, as you can see from the picture above, they have also signed contracts with four other writers as part of their Harvester Series, to collect together (or ‘harvest’, if you will) a decent array of stories with which to represent the speculative genres of horror, science fiction and fantasy. I’m incredibly proud to be associated with these writers (some of whom I class as friends) and I can’t wait to see the finished books. More information to come as I get it.

Secondly, my short story APPORTS is due to be published in a forthcoming edition of Nightmare Magazine, edited by the esteemed John Joseph Adams. I’ve long been a fan of this digital magazine, which mixes both reprints and original fiction, so it’s very exciting to be appearing alongside its list of contributors. Apports was originally published in Black Static issue 36, and selected by Ellen Datlow for her Best Horror of the Year series. The story is one of my own personal favourites so I’m thrilled it will have the opportunity to reach an even wider audience.

And lastly I’ve just signed a contract for my short story LORD OF THE SAND to be adapted into an audio version. The tale was originally published in The Eleventh Black Book of Horror, and selected for Best Horror of the Year 8. This will be the first time any of my work has been adapted into an audio format so I’m excited to hear how it turns out. Again, more info as I get it.

Once again, thanks for checking me out. I want to wish you all a happy and prosperous 2018.