Day Thirty of Showcasing books published by Parallel Universe Publications: Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 2

 

Hot on the heels of Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 1, our book being showcased today is Volume 2.

Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 2 is available as a paperback and ebook.

The paperback is £11.99; the kindle version is £2.99

 

The contents of Volume 2 are:

Introduction by David A. Riley

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 £11.99 paperback/£2.99 kindle

Amazon.com $16.97 paperback/$4.23 kindle

Parallel Universe Publications

Day Twenty-Nine of Showcasing books published by Parallel Universe Publications: Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 1

 

Day twenty-nine of showcasing books published by Parallel Universe Publications and it's the turn of our most popular book so far: Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 1.

 

Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy is intended to be the first in a series of swords and sorcery anthologies.

The contents of Volume One are:

INTRODUCTION - David A. Riley

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

Parallel Universe Publications

Day Twenty-Eight of Showcasing books published by Parallel Universe Publications: After Nightfall & Other Weird Tales by David A. Riley

 

Day twenty-eight of showcasing books published by Parallel Universe Publications and it's After Nightfall & Other Weird Tales by David A. Riley, illustrated by Jim Pitts.

After Nightfall & Other Weird Tales by David A. Riley, illustrated by Jim Pitts contains the following stories:
Three Eyed Jack
The Fragile Mask on his Face
Terror on the Moors
The Shade of Apollyon
Writer's Cramp
Fish Eye
Boat Trip
Prickly
After Nightfall

Here are just a couple of the over 20 illustrations, most of which are full page.

The paperback version and kindle are available through amazon, the paperback can be ordered direct from us:

amazon.co.uk

amazon.com

 The hardcover version of this book is now out of print.

Day Twenty-Seven of Showcasing books published by Parallel Universe Publications: The Ever More Fantastical Art of Jim Pitts

 

For day twenty-seven of showcasing books published by Parallel Universe Publications it's the second volume of art by Jim Pitts, appropriately titled The Ever More Fantastical Art of Jim Pitts, which is available to order either direct from us or via various online outlets like amazon as a hardcover or large-sized paperback. 

Since we brought out The Fantastical Art of Jim Pitts in 2017 Jim has been constantly busy, including interior artwork for Elak: King of Atlantis and After Nightfall & Other Weird Tales, covers for Phantasmagoria magazine, and a host of other projects, with new techniques and fresh designs. 

The Ever More Fantastical Art of Jim Pitts is a fitting sequel to the first volume, published in hardcover and packed with black and white and full-colour illustrations.

These are just a few of the pages from this book:

All copies ordered direct from PUP will be signed by Jim Pitts and include some great extras.

To order direct from PUP click on this link

 Amazon.co.uk £25.00

Amazon.com $30.04

Day Twenty-Six of Showcasing books published by Parallel Universe Publications: The Fantastical Art of Jim Pitts

 

 

Day twenty-six of showcasing books by Parallel Universe Publications brings us to our most ambitious project yet: The Fantastical Art of Jim Pitts.

 

Celebrating over 40 years of work in the fantasy/horror genres, The Fantastical Art of Jim Pitts is a large-size 212-page hardcover book containing hundreds of black and white and colour illustrations created by one of the finest fantasy artists in the UK. Included are articles by people who have worked with and known Jim for many years: Brian Lumley, David A. Sutton, Ramsey Campbell, Stephen Jones, Jon M. Harvey, Peter Coleborn, Nick Caffrey, and David A. Riley. 

The Fantastical Art of Jim Pitts is a numbered, limited edition of 250 copies, each of which is signed by Jim Pitts. As such it is only available direct from us. It cannot be ordered from Amazon or anywhere else.

To order the hardcover version of The Fantastical Art of Jim Pitts click onto this link.
To order the softcover versions direct from us click onto this link.

Also available in soft cover in two volumes:

Volume 1 Amazon
Volume 2 Amazon

Volume 1 Amazon
Volume 2 Amazon 

Day Twenty-Five of Showcasing books published by Parallel Universe Publications: Christmas in the Workhouse & Other Gruesome Tales by Craig Herbertson

 

For day twenty-five of showcasing books published by Parallel Universe Publications it's Craig Herbertson's Christmas in the Workshouse & Other Gruesome Tales.

 

This is the second collection of stories written by Craig Herbertson to be published by Parallel Universe Publications. A musician and songwriter, Craig lives in Edinburgh with his partner and children. Craig is one of the original authors included in the infamous Pan Book of Horror Stories series. Two of his stories received honourable mentions in Ellen Datlow's renowned lists - The Best Horror of the Year. When not writing Craig is playing folk music, mostly Scottish, or watching football.Some of the stories in this collection show the influence of some of his favourite writers, including Philip K. Dick and J. G. Ballard.

 

An ideal present for Christmas for anyone who loves well-written, dark, sardonically macabre stories, complete with several spot illustrations by Chrissie Demant and one illustration by Craig himself.  Published in hardcover (now OOP) with an illustrated dustjacket, this is one of the best collections we have ever published. It is still available as a paperback and kindle eBook.

To order the softcover direct from us click on this link. 

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com

Day Twenty-Four of Showcasing books published by Parallel Universe Publications: The Crabian Heart by Erik Hofstatter

 

Day twenty-four of showcasing books published by Parallel Universe Publications and it's The Crabian Heart by Erik Hofstatter. 

 

The Crabian Heart: A Synopsis

Irena and her thirteen-year-old son Aleš are refugees living in a lonely seaside town of Dover, England. Aleš has never seen an ocean, let alone one that glows purple when he’s nearby. On a local beach, he befriends the ostensible Mother of Crabs, an amputee with rigid demeanour and unequivocal warnings. Soon, purple crustaceans crawl behind his every step and women with pincers threaten to recondition his sensitive heart.

Erik Hofstatter is a dark fiction writer and a member of the Horror Writers Association. Born in the wild lands of the Czech Republic, he roamed Europe before subsequently settling on English shores, studying creative writing at the London School of Journalism. He now dwells in Kent, where he can be encountered consuming copious amounts of mead and tyrannizing local peasantry. His work appeared in various magazines and podcasts around the world such as Morpheus Tales, Crystal Lake Publishing, The Literary Hatchet, Sanitarium Magazine, Wicked Library, Tales to Terrify and Manor House Show. Other works include The Pariahs, Amaranthine and Other Stories, Katerina, Moribund Tales and Rare Breeds.

Starburst magazine by Jon Towlson.

"...the emotional tug that The Crabian Heart exerts on the reader is palpable. The Crabian Heart is also a coming-of-age tale, one that resonates with the pangs of unrequited love. And as such, it concludes, like all great coming-of-age stories, with a very difficult and painful realisation for the love-struck main character. By the end of its 100 pages you will find yourself both haunted and moved by Hofstatter’s evocative writing."

hellnotes

"I like this little collection a lot. Definitely a case of bigger not always being better. Hofstatter could have watered this down with more words, but that would have taken the impact out of the stories. I also like how he slips a lot of important messages into his work. For example “people are scared of what they don’t know…or understand,” says Enola, as she and Ales walk along the beach. Zsofia tells him that life is a gamble and his mother points out that the powers that be make the rules that govern us and we have to go where they tell us to. Ultimately, the decisions of what we do are ours, but I’d like to suggest that you try a copy of The Crabian Heart.   That forward is going to be the icing on the cake!"

Hardback, paperback & kindle:
amazon.co.uk
amazon.com

You can order the hardcover version direct from us on this link, post free.

You can order the softcover version direct from us on this link, post free.

New banner for Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Group on Facebook

We have updated our banner for our facebook group.

Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 8

Normally in April next month we would open for submissions to our next volume of Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy. Unfortunately, what has been happening for quite some time, is that we have been receiving so many really wonderful stories we have been holding some back to be included in our next volumes. At first there were only one or two, but this has been steadily growing, and with Volume 7 we had enough extra stories to fill a second collection. Which is what we have done. All of the stories for Volume 8 were accepted during the submissions process for Volume 7, clearing all the stories held in reserve. Thus, when we open for submissions in October for Volume 9 it will be for the full book. 

We're sorry some of our authors will be disappointed that there won't this time be an open period for submissions in April, but it was unavoidable if we are to have a clean slate next time. 

Here is the full list of contents for Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 8, to be published at the start of May this year. Included are some of our most popular writers. 

TO WAKE THE HUNTER by Taas 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

LITTLE LIVES ROUNDED BY SLEEP  by Matt McHugh

WARDARK AND THE PIRATE KING by Craig Herbertson

FOR THE HEART OF A SPEARSLAYER by R. K. Olsen

THE STONE HEADS by Scott McCloskey

THE TRIALS OF WELGAR THE CURSED by Andrew Graham

LAIR OF THE MUTANT KING by Adrian Cole

Day Twenty-Three of Showcasing books published by Parallel Universe Publications: Parlour Tricks by Carl Barker

 

For the start of a new month and day twenty-three of showcasing books published by Parallel Universe Publications we have Carl Barker's collection of short stories: Parlour Tricks. 

 

The cover illustration is the work of talented artist Luke Spooner.

 

Devil worshippers stalk the ageing boards of Blackpool Pier, a scrap-yard automaton devours the souls of lost children, and a murderous priest hunts an ancient she-demon through the streets of New York.

A selection of horror stories to chill the blood, featuring revenant felines, garbage-eating clairvoyants, flesh-eating magpies and a severed head with murder in mind.

 

Unexploded Girlfriends (c) 2010 was first published in Dark Horizons, Issue 57, BFS Journal, Winter 2010.

From Chatterton Hill (c) 2011 was first published in Estronomicon, October 2011.

Old Loves Die Hard (c) 2012 was first published in Title Goes Here, Issue 12, July 2012.

Eater of Lost Causes (c) 2011 was first published in Full Fathom Forty, BFS, October 2011.

With The Band (c) 2013 was first published in Niteblade, Issue #25, September 2013.

Fish Out of Water (c) 2011 was first published in Midnight Movie Creature Feature, May December Publications, October 2011.

Kicks (c) 2013 was first published in Miseria's Chorale, Forgotten Tomb Press, November 2013.

Why the Wild Things Are (c) 2010 was first published in Zombie Zoology, Severed Press, May 2010.

The Man Who Came to Dinner (c) 2009 was first published in Midnight Street, Issue #12, April 2009.

Things Lost in Fire (c) 2011 was first published in Dark Gothic Resurrected, October 2011.

Junkyard Dog, The Certainty of Chance, The Cabinet of Ed Monroe, and Lemming Revolution (c) 2016 are all original to this collection.

Paperback & kindle:

amazon.co.uk
amazon.com