Category Archives: Books
Dead Lake by Miranda Kate
‘Sometimes it pays to be Tricky’
You all know by now of my admiration for Miranda Kate. Her books always draw me right in, but with Dead Lake she has surpassed herself, creating a flirtatious & funny, clever & confident, cheeky, sexy protagonist who nonetheless has moments of simmering self-doubt. It was impossible not to fall in love with Tricky.
From Monday Feb 14th Dead Lake is on sale for 7 full days – up to and including the 20th of February – for only 99p/99c. If you’re looking for a brilliant book at a bargain price, then look no further. Give your heart (and your cash) to Tricky. Here’s my review on Amazon:
‘Sometimes it pays to be tricky
Damn and blast! That rancid piece of excrement, Carter, has had her ransacked out of Clancy!
Tricky returns to her cottage to find it turned upside down. An action that means she’s got three days to leave the district or face punishment. Randolf Carter, head of the district, is spreading lies and suspicion about her kind, making life difficult. But it wasn’t just an ordinary ransacking – they were searching for something.
Using her gifts, Tricky traces the energy left by the men and spies another creature’s energy among it: a jackdaw. Swift and wily, it’s pinched her precious gemstone, a piece of black obsidian. But at whose bidding? Communicating with birds is a rare ability and she knows all who possess it.
Tricky wants her stone back, but coming up against people like Carter won’t be easy, especially when he’s got one of her kind in his employ. But she’ll handle it, oh yes she will. She’ll just have to be careful and a little bit tricky. Good thing she is then, isn’t it?
Adept at working with energy and time as well as communicating with trees, Tricky is lured into something bigger than ownership of a gemstone, and finds out that sometimes it pays to be a little bit tricky.
Dead Lake is a dark paranormal fantasy novel set a few hundred years from now in a post-apocalyptic world. After a massive shift of the tectonic plates decimated the world and its population, life on the remaining landmass has returned to simple living, with money, rulers and religion no longer tolerated.’
Pont Marie
Those of you who have read my Madame Monvoisoin’s Emporium of Extraordinary Adventures will know that the Pont Marie over the Seine in Paris features in both volumes. Above is a screencap from the TV show Versailles, showing what the bridge would have looked like in the 1670s. Note the buildings piled onto the bridge – Pascal’s coffee business would have been on the other side, in the thoroughfare).
The show is wonderful, by the way. I, an old man, totally fell in love with their version of Madame de Montespan, but I’m really glad that I didn’t watch the show before writing my own story. I’m pretty sure it would have over-influenced what I was writing. I WAS influenced by the woman herself – the actual Montespan’s memoirs, written 350 years ago, are available FREE for your Kindle.
Madame Monvoisin’s Emporium, the Preamble
For those who haven’t read it yet, Madame Monvoisin’s Emporium of Extraordinary Adventures has an introduction where the two main characters discuss what the book actually is. Yes, I know, it’s a bit meta and destroys the fourth wall, but I enjoyed writing it and hope it proved far more interesting than a simple dry explanation.
“I don’t understand what we’re doing here,” said Étienne.
“Well,” said Catherine, “Monsieur le Wombat has written a book about our adventures, and has invited us to introduce it.”
“But we don’t know each other at the start of the book.”
“Does that matter? We know each other now.”
“Of course it matters.” Étienne’s mouth twisted unto a sulk. “It’s weird. And we do not know what will happen at the end of the book.”
“That’s of little consequence,” Catherine said. “We wouldn’t want to give away the ending, would we? This preamble is simply where we describe what the book is, rather than telling the actual story.”
“Stories plural.”
“Ah yes, you are right, mon cher! Many stories indeed.” Catherine gave Étienne’s hand a pat. “Look, let’s just get on with it, and afterwards I’ll make you a spiced chocolate drink, yes?”
“With cinnamon powder?”
“Only if you’re good. Deal?”
“Deal.”
“Then let’s begin. Dear Reader—”
“Who?”
“The reader. That person out there, look, reading these words.” Catherine’s fingers toyed with her hair-ribbon. “Actually, they’re very attractive, don’t you think?”
“Oh, stop fluttering, madame. They’re not all that.”
“Very well. Though, really, you have no joy about you today at all.” Catherine cleared her throat and sat up straight. “Dear Reader, Monsieur le Wombat here collects all of the stories he has written that did not appear in his first anthology—”
“The Museum of White Walls.”
“Thank you, Étienne. All of his stories since then, into a book.”
“Into TWO books, because there are so many stories. Oh so many. Honestly, the man never shuts up. Blah blah blah.”
“Yes, quite right, there will be two volumes. This is the first. Now, rather cleverly I think, rather than simply present them mundanely and tediously, one after another, he has instead woven them into a brand new tale.”
“A brand new tale about you and me, which is exciting.”
“Yes, indeed. This is a book of hidden stories, dear reader. They are hidden within our own narrative, and you must find them. Stories inside a story, that will lead you further to yet another. They are all links in a chain, intertwined. In musical terms, this is a concept album.”
“I don’t know what that is, Catherine. Is it from the future?”
“It is. Don’t worry your pretty little head about it, Étienne. Please, dear reader, have a glass of wine and join our adventure. Relax and see where the stories take you. Enjoy the day, my friend.”
“Chocolate now?”
“Chocolate now.”
Madame Monvoisin’s Emporium of Extraordinary Adventures–THE INTRODUCTION
The paperback of my new book is out now. Here’s the introduction that explains what the book is. You can buy it here: http://mybook.to/madamemonvoisin1
“I don’t understand what we’re doing here,” said Étienne.
“Well,” said Catherine, “Monsieur le Wombat has written a book about our adventures, and has invited us to introduce it.”
“But we don’t know each other at the start of the book.”
“Does that matter? We know each other now.”
“Of course it matters.” Étienne’s mouth twisted unto a sulk. “It’s weird. And we do not know what will happen at the end of the book.”
“That’s of little consequence,” Catherine said. “We wouldn’t want to give away the ending, would we? This preamble is simply where we describe what the book is, rather than telling the actual story.”
“Stories plural.”
“Ah yes, you are right, mon cher! Many stories indeed.” Catherine gave Étienne’s hand a pat. “Look, let’s just get on with it, and afterwards I’ll make you a spiced chocolate drink, yes?”
“With cinnamon powder?”
“Only if you’re good. Deal?”
“Deal.”
“Then let’s begin. Dear Reader—”
“Who?”
“The reader. That person out there, look, reading these words.” Catherine’s fingers toyed with her hair-ribbon. “Actually, they’re very attractive, don’t you think?”
“Oh, stop fluttering, madame. They’re not all that.”
“Very well. Though, really, you have no joy about you today at all.” Catherine cleared her throat and sat up straight. “Dear Reader, Monsieur le Wombat here collects all of the stories he has written that did not appear in his first anthology—”
“The Museum of White Walls.”
“Thank you, Étienne. All of his stories since then, into a book.”
“Into TWO books, because there are so many stories. Oh so many. Honestly, the man never shuts up. Blah blah blah.”
“Yes, quite right, there will be two volumes. This is the first. Now, rather cleverly I think, rather than simply present them mundanely and tediously, one after another, he has instead woven them into a brand new tale.”
“A brand new tale about you and me, which is exciting.”
“Yes, indeed. This is a book of hidden stories, dear reader. They are hidden within our own narrative, and you must find them. Stories inside a story, that will lead you further to yet another. They are all links in a chain, intertwined. In musical terms, this is a concept album.”
“I don’t know what that is, Catherine. Is it from the future?”
“It is. Don’t worry your pretty little head about it, Étienne. Please, dear reader, have a glass of wine and join our adventure. Relax and see where the stories take you. Enjoy the day, my friend.”
“Chocolate now?”
“Chocolate now.”
FREE BOOKS
As part of my ongoing attempt to cheer you up during lockdown, from Monday 11th May to Friday 15th May, both Tooth & Claw AND Descent will be available FREE for Kindle. I hope you enjoy them, young warriors.
Red Christmas
Disturbing yuletide tales for grown-ups. The perfect stocking filler for the reader in your life. Available on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1076599419
CROW
“Mutiny! It will be a hundred lashes of the cat for you!”
“Oh no, not Mr. Tibbles? Poor ship’s moggy.”
Comedy pirates ahoy in my new little book, ‘CROW’. Shiver me timbers, as they say. Click the cover image to see it on Amazon.
Cubic Scats 
