Sunday, 17 November 2024

Dead Thieves in the Night - my latest Horbeck sword and sorcery tale

I have now finished Dead Thieves in the Night, my latest sword and sorcery story involving the mercenaries Horbeck, Brud and Asnar. This finished at 10,000 words, a novelette.

As soon as I completed this, though, I found myself embarking on yet another yarn of this trio, though no title as yet. 

The list of Horbeck & Co stories so far are:

The Unhappy Inquisitor

The Demon from Another World (Anthology of the Damned: Necromoirrium)

Lies and Treachery

The Mummified Demi-God

Dead Thieves in the Night


Sunday, 10 November 2024

Kindle version of Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 9 is now available

The kindle version of Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 9 is now available. The print version will be published next week.

Unfortunately, at the moment the image of the book cover on amazon is a negative. I don't know why, but this should be corrected soon.

Wednesday, 6 November 2024

Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 9 - update

Received my proof copy of Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 9 yesterday but I wasn't 100% happy with the spine. A strip of the white encroached into the front cover, so I have made corrections and ordered a second proof copy. I know, I'm a bit of a perfectionist, but I can't go ahead until I am at least 90% happy. I've also made a couple of other minor alterations. The second proof should reach me by Monday at the latest. By then it should be ready for publishing. Hopefully paperbacks and kindle copies will be available to order by Wednesday the 13th.
In the meantime I have formatted the collection for kindle and that looks absolutely fine to me. This task seems to get easier the more often I do it.
Hope everyone likes the book when it's out there!

Friday, 1 November 2024

Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 9

We have now finalised the contents for Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 9, which will include nine great stories:

The Cold Maiden by Eli Freysson
Assassin Eternal: The Memory Eaters by Andrew Darlington
To Raise the Shining Walls of Irem Once More by Tais Teng
Fulgin the Grim: Retribution by Ken Lizzi
Snow in Kadhal by Jaap Boekestein
Voyage to Vancienne by Gavin Chappell
A Pathway Forward by Lyndon Perry & David Bakke
The Left Eye of Phun Margat by Scott McCloskey
Sorcery in Nekharet by Steve Dilks

The artwork in the book and on the covers is, of course, by Jim Pitts.

Our plan is for the paperback and kindle ebook to be available before the end of the month, hopefully by mid-November.



The Submissions Period for Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 9 has now closed

The submissions period for Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 9 has now closed. Please do not send any further submissions as they will automatically be rejected. 

We will annouce when the next submissions period opens both here and online.

Tuesday, 1 October 2024

Submissions now open for Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 9

 THE SUBMISSIONS PERIOD FOR VOLUME 9

OPENS ON THE 1ST OCTOBER TILL THE 31ST
 
Payment is £25 per story regardless of length plus one contributor's copy of the paperback. The book will be published as a paperback and ebook. If a hardcover version is published we will pay an additional £25. Please send your submissions as attachments (doc, docx or rtf) headed  
"Submission - Swords & Sorceries 9" 
 to:

paralleluniversepublications@gmx.co.uk

Please send only one submission - the one you consider the best fit for us. 

Although we like original stories we will also consider reprints. Just let us know where and when it was previously published. 

You can send in simultaneous submissions, but let us know if your story is accepted elsewhere as soon as you possibly can. Bear in mind you will only have to wait a maximum of one month and a week in which to receive a decision from us.

There is no limit on the size of submissions.  

There is absolutely no need to tell us anything about yourself because the only thing that matters is the story. Everything else is irrelevant.

All rejections and acceptances will be sent by email by the end of the first week in November. Please don't enquire about your submission before then.

And good luck!

In the past we have received a number of stories that may be fantasy but are not swords and sorcery. If you are unsure what swords and sorcery is, you could get a better idea by checking out volumes 1 - 8. Saying that, swords and sorcery is a broad genre and we are more than willing to consider stories that stretch its limits, as we have in the past.

Also check our dedicated facebook group: 
 

   

The contents of Volume One are:

THE MIRROR OF TORJAN SUL - Steve Lines

THE HORROR FROM THE STARS - Steve Dilks

TROLLS ARE DIFFERENT - Susan Murrie Macdonald

CHAIN OF COMMAND - Geoff Hart

DISRUPTION OF DESTINY - Gerri Leen

THE CITY OF SILENCE - Eric Ian Steele

RED - Chadwick Ginther

THE RECONSTRUCTED GOD - Adrian Cole

The cover and all the interior artwork is by Jim Pitts. 

 
amazon.co.uk

amazon.com


The contents of Volume 2 are:

The Essence of Dust by Mike Chinn

Highjacking the Lord of Light by Tais Teng

Out in the Wildlands by Martin Owton

Zale and Zedril by Susan Murrie Macdonald

The Amulet and the Shadow by Steve Dilks

Antediluvia: Seasons of the World by Andrew Darlington

A Thousand Words for Death by Pedro Iniguez

Stone Snake by Dev Agarwal

Seven Thrones by Phil Emery

The Eater of Gods by Adrian Cole 

Illustrations by Jim Pitts.

amazon.co.uk

amazon.com

 


 

The contents of Volume 3 are:
 
Sorcerous Vengeance by Lorenzo D. Lopez 
 
Seal Snatchers of Jorsaleem by Tais Teng
 
When the Gods Send You Rats by Chadwick Ginther 
 
Mother's Bones by Carson Ray
 
In the Lair of the Snake-Witch by Darin Hlavaz
 
The Rains of Barofonn by Mike Chinn
 
Wardark by Craig Herbertson
 
The Foliage by Rab Foster 
 
In the Lair of the Moonmen by Jon Hansen 
 
Sailing on the Thieves' Tide by Adrian Cole
 
Illustrations by Jim Pitts. 

amazon.co.uk

amazon.com

 

 

Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 4 contains eleven tales:

In the Iron Woods by Dev Agarwal

My People Were Fair and Wore Stars in Their Hair by Andrew Darlington

At Sea by Geoff Hart 

The Flesh of Man by Frank Sawielijew

City at the Mouth of Chaos by Adrian Cole

In the Belly of the Beast by Edward Ahern

The Tracks of the Pi Nereske by Wendy Nikel

Slaves of the Monolith by Paul D. Batteiger

The Green Wood by David Dubrow

Demonic by Phil Emery

The Whips of Malmac by H. R. Laurence

amazon.co.uk

amazon.com

 

Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 5 contains eleven tales:

The contents are: 

The Rotted Land by Charles Gramlich

Skulls for Silver by Harry Elliott

For the Light by Gustavo Bondoni

People of the Lake by Lorenzo D. Lopez

Free Diving for Leviathan Eggs by Tais Teng

The Black Well by Darin Hlavaz

Degg and the Undead by Susan Murrie Macdonald

The Mistress of the Marsh by David Dubrow

Silver and Gold by Earl W. Parrish

Bridge of Sorrows by Dev Agarwal

Prisoners of Devil Dog City by Adrian Cole

amazon.co.uk

amazon.com 





Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 6 is available as a paperback and ebook (kindle)

amazon.com

amazon.co.uk

 The contents are: 

LAND OF THE DEAD by Dev Agarwal
 
THE HOUSE OF BONES by Carson Ray
 
THRENODY OF GHOSTS by Phil Emery
 
WARDARK AND THE SIREN QUEEN by Craig Herbertson
 
OTRIM by Lyndon Perry
 
GODS, MEN, AND NEPHILIM by David Dubrow
 
GOLDEN WITCH OF ADZELGAR by Scott McCloskey
 
RAIDING THE GRAVEYARD OF LOST SHIPS by Tais Teng
 
A PLACE OF GHOSTS by Andrew Darlington
 
THOSE WHO WEAR THEIR WHITE HAIR PROUDLY by Lauren C. Teffeau
 
TRIALS FOR TREASURE by Harry Elliott
 
GOD OF THE DREAMING ISLES by Adrian Cole


 Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 7 is available as a paperback and ebook (kindle)
 
The stories and authors included are:
 
PITILESS by Stephen Frame
UNHALLOWED TOMBS by Paul Batteiger
SORCERIES IN ASSABARR by Andrew Graham
SCHISM OF SPECTRES by Phil Emery
THE CROSSROADS IN THE FOREST by Gavin Chappell
WISPS by Jason M Waltz
DARK THE SKY, RADIANT THE ROAD by Jalyn Renae Fiske
THE BLOOD OF KHALID AL'TAHIR by Craig Comer
THE DARK KNIGHT OF THE SOUL by eric Ian Steele
PROHAIRESIS by Jon Zaremba
BLADES FOR A BOUNTY by Harry Elliott

The artwork, as always, is by Jim Pitts.


Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 8 is available as a paperback and kindle eBook.

amazon.com

amazon.co.uk 

The stories and authors included are: 

TO WAKE THE HUNTER by Tais Teng & Jaap Boekestein
MOONFINGER AND GIFT by Andrew Darlington
THE QUALITY OF MERCY by Geoff Hart
EMPLOYMENT FOR MAGICAL PEOPLE by Monica Goertzen Hertlein
THE HERO’S PATH by Jeffery A. Sergent
WARDARK AND THE PIRATE KING by Craig Herbertson
THE STONE HEADS by Scott McCloskey
THE TROUPE by Andrew Graham
LAIR OF THE MUTANT KING by Adrian Cole



Thursday, 26 September 2024

Kickstarter Project - Anthologies of the Damned

I have an interest in this kickstarter project as I have a 8000 word sword and sorcery yarn in Anthology of the Damned - Necromoirrium called The Demon from Another World.

I have been struck by the sheer enthusuasm and energy of those behind this project and wish them well.

Treeshaker Books

 

 

 

 


 

Wednesday, 25 September 2024

Adrian Cole - Weirdbook, Phantasmagoria magazine and the Elak of Atlantis Trilogy

Not only is the current issue of Weirdbook an Adrian Cole Special, but the next issue of Phantasmagoria magazine will have an article about Adrian Cole's Elak of Atlantis Trilogy by David A. Riley, plus all three collections of Elak books by Adrian will be reviewed. These will appear together with a plethora of illustrations from the books by Jim Pitts.

Monday, 2 September 2024

Childe Rolande by Samantha Lee

One of our most original books: Childe Rolande by veteran horror and fantasy author Samantha Lee.


 

amazon.co.uk

amazon.com