It all starts with stamina ...

The creative muscle is the same as any used in the body. Using your mind to create characters and worlds that people can believe, and writing that out into a cohesive story, takes a great deal of stamina.

When you go to the gym you don't expect to be able to lift heavy weights right away. You have to start off small and learn the limit of your strength. Afterwards the muscles ache. You feel tired. The exercise session was probably not as sustained as you would have liked it to be. It takes stamina to continue, working through the pain and exhaustion. After many months, and lots of practice that dedication pays off and you can lift more weights, exercise for longer and recover faster from the exertion. You feel fitter and your reflexes react quicker.

Using the creative muscle works in the same way. At first flexing that muscle is hard work and it hurts. You tire easily and you aren't as productive as you'd like to be. It takes stamina and dedication to write everyday - even if it is only a few hundred words. In a way you have to force yourself into a specific regime - just the same as you do when you begin a new exercising schedule.

If you want to be a writer you set aside an hour a day and make yourself write during that time no matter what. The only way to learn to write is to actually pick up the pen or switch on the computer and practice the art in the first place. This is hard to sustain as there are many distractions to take away that time and help you procrastinate.

It takes stamina, dedication and obsession to carry on.

Once you work the creative muscle, exercising it becomes as important as breathing. The pleasure of world building is hard but rewarding. I have friends who use exercise in exactly the same way. They feel energised by the work-out, even though at the beginning it was incredibly difficult to sustain. Writing a lot gives the same rush, but you can't get to that point without the first level of stamina.

As writing gets easier you set yourself longer and harder challenges. Write a novella instead of a story, or a novel instead of a novella. Each new challenge requires more stamina. Ultimately the enjoyment you gain from it makes the process easier.

When you get to the stage where you have a project you're proud of, the letter writing begins. The new challenge is summarising your novel in a two page synopsis, writing a letter that will interest an agent or publisher and coming up with a pitch that will blow-them all away. No mean feat.

You get rejection letters - it requires stamina, dedication, obsession and confidence to pick up that pen once more and write something else - only this time you want to make it even better.

This process can go on for years.

Keep your rejection letters - it takes real stamina to take on board the criticisms and use it to improve the next thing you send out.

Then at the end of all of that, you finally get something in print. You're proud of your achievements. People are willing to pay money to buy it. You get praised for it. Then someone says your work is  'rubbish' when they haven't even read it.

It takes stamina, dedication, obsession, confidence and common sense to walk away and not respond. It takes all of those things and a huge dose of passion to pick up your pen again and carry on.

It all starts with stamina ...

Do you have what it takes?

BRITCON MN

I've been in discussion with BritCon MN for a few months now and I'm happy to confirm that David and I will be appearing at this exciting 3 day event in Minnesota next year, with Sarah Douglas and Frazer Hines.

You can follow the organisers announcements at :

BritCon MN on Facebook  or  BritCon MN Official Website

To book and for further information contact BRITCON

Date: 31st August  to 2nd October 2012.
Address: Hilton Minneapolis Bloomington, 3900 American Blvd West, Bloomington, Minnesota, United States 55437

This Week I'll Be At ... WIGAN WATERSTONES

WATERSTONES, Wigan. 22nd October, 2011

Sam Stone will be launching her new book, Hateful Heart, Book 4 The Vampire Gene Series, at this very popular store. David J Howe will also be there with his new collection talespinning.

Time: 12pm-4pm Date: 22nd Oct
Address: 61 The Grand Arcade, Wigan, WN1 1BH

Brendan Sheerin

You meet some interesting people when touring Waterstones. Over the past few months I've followed in the footsteps of Katie Price and Christopher Paolini. Yesterday, while David and I were signing our latest books at Waterstones Preston, Brendan Sheerin of Coach Trip fame was also booked in at the store to sign copies of his autobiography.

I have seen the show a few times and quite enjoyed it but a close friend of ours watches it regularly. So never one to miss the opportunity to sort out an early Christmas present I watched the huge queue diminish and then tagged on the end to get the book signed.

As I waited I watched Brendan work and have to say I was very impressed with him as a person. There are many times when I've wonder at the popularity of a celebrity, the power of television seems to create many such reality stars - the Katona's of this world for example - that are a car-crash waiting to happen. The media loves this type and writes more about the negative stars than the positive ones. We are given the impression that most of these people are spoilt and unpleasant.

I could tell immediately that Brendan Sheerin was not a 'car-crash celeb' and deserves to be where he is today. He was, in fact, a genuinely charismatic, warm and affectionate person.

As I watched Brendan greet his adoring fans, treating each one like a long-lost friend, there was a feel-good atmosphere that rippled through the shop. Brendan made each person feel like he was interested in them. But this wasn't fake interest or showmanship. It was obvious he was delighted to be there and was enjoying meeting the people that make Coach Trip such a success: the audience. It was nice to see such respect given to the people who make celebrities a success.

Brendan, it truly was lovely to meet you and I wish you continued success. There are few genuinely nice guys in any industry, and I think you're one of them. Keep up the good work.

New Facebook Page

Yesterday I launched a new Sam Stone page.

This is going to be different from my old page in many ways.

Firstly, I will  be using it more than my personal page in the coming months so all current news will go on there first, and secondly, I'll be offering an 'open house' to all writers, readers, reviewers and writers groups.

WRITERS: You can come along at anytime and post a blurb introducing yourself and tell us about your projects. I won't be offended if you post links to your latest books either.

READERS: I want to hear from you too! Tell us what you like or dislike in literature. It will be a friendly environment for people genuinely interested in fiction.

REVIEWERS: Post links to your reviews and blogs. We'd love to see and share them.

WRITERS GROUPS: Post your news. Tell us what you do and where.

So come along and join in the party. Start discussions or just join in. Post reviews. Tell us your news. Or sit back and read referrals for the latest books, stories and novels.

To join in the fun - click here : Sam Stone


Sam x

This weekend I'll be at ... WATERSTONES PRESTON

WATERSTONES, Preston, 15 October 2011.
 

Sam Stone and David J Howe will be launching their new books, Hateful Heart, Book 4 The Vampire Gene Series, and talespinning:  a collection of short horror stories, scripts and novel extracts at this very popular Lancashire Store.

Time: 12-4pm Date: 15th October.
Address: Waterstone's Preston, 3-5 Fishergate
Preston PR1 3LJ

David is vindicated by the British Fantasy Society

The British Fantasy Society have found no wrong doing in David's role as Chairman. There have been a lot of terrible things inferred in the last few days which have been extremely hurtful. Now common sense prevails.

http://www.britishfantasysociety.co.uk/news/official-bfs-statement-concerning-award/

Steve Jobs

Very sad to hear about the death of Steve Jobs today. This speech certainly puts things in perspective.

It goes without saying the man was a genius and an inspiration to us all. RIP.

Steve Jobs 2005 

British Fantasy Awards Controversy

This weekend was one of the proudest moments of my life. I first appeared on the horror circuit in 2007 and attended my first FantasyCon that year. Since then I have always held the British Fantasy Awards in high regard and it was always my dream to one day win an award.

This year I did win the award for not only Best Short Fiction with my short story ‘Fool’s Gold’ but also for my novel Demon Dance. I was delighted to be the first woman in 31 years to win this award and I had no idea that I had won either award. David – professional to the core - made a point of ensuring that I did not find out.

I have seen the comments made concerning my receiving the August Derleth Award for Best novel on Sunday - I repeat again I had no knowledge I was going to receive it and remind everyone that the ballot is from the BFS membership and attendees of FantasyCon. It is their votes, not a Jury or an individual, that decide who wins the awards.

I am absolutely devastated by the comments made and the last few days have been deeply distressing for me.

I do not wish to be seen as the winner that tore the British Fantasy Society in two. The society means too much to me and I cannot allow this controversy to taint the integrity of those involved. Therefore, I am returning the award for Best Novel.

The Vampire Gene Series

About the Vampire Gene Series:

The vampire gene series is continuing to evolve with the 'Hateful Heart' recently launched. This is a brief explanation of what the books are really about.

The Vampire Gene Series is a very different type of series. It isn't formulaic and each novel is stylistically different from the last.

Killing Kiss is a classic vampire horror novel and is about the fictional nephew of Guilio Caccini (the man who invented opera). Gabriele travels 400 years through history in search of his soul mate. The main theme : Loneliness - but don't expect angst in this book. Gabriele is a serial killer and makes no apologies for being so. The narrative is told in the present day with flashbacks into the past.

Futile Flame is deceptively horror with a sudden twist into Fantasy and therefore I categorise this novel as Horror/Fantasy. This story sees the journey of Gabriele's maker Lucrezia Borgia. The main theme : Obsession. Shown through the eyes Lucrezia Borgia this story fictionally explores the history of the Borgias. The narrative is told mostly in the past with some present day scenes.

Demon Dance is a portal fantasy with strong horror content in places. Gabriele's vampire child Lilly is thrown back in time and must find a way back to the present day. The main theme : Disempowerment. This is Lilly's story showing how she lives and loves through the centuries. Lilly may be the most powerful vampire, yet she still has to learn that she has no control over destiny.

Hateful Heart continues the theme of portal fantasy with strong horror content. Caesare Borgia tells the story as a conspiracy to destroy carriers of the vampire gene unfolds. Main theme: Vulnerability. For the first time the immortals learn that they can be destroyed. There are three stories interwoven within this novel which all converge to reveal the power of the Hateful Heart.


The series will continue shortly with Silent Sand.

OMG!

Just got back from FantasyCon and will blog more about this later this week. I want to say a huge thanks to every one of my readers who voted for 'Demon Dance' to win The August Derlerth award for Best Novel and for 'Fool's Gold' for Best Short Fiction. I'm completely overwhelmed by your support. Without readers there would be no need for writers and so you are the most important people to me.

It was pointed out to me this weekend that I am now the first woman to win the award for Best Novel in 31 years of the British Fantasy Society's 40 year history. I realise this is a very great honour and I was very proud and very moved (bursting into a blubbering wreck as I received Best Short Fiction).

Thank you all again.

Will blog soon about the wonderful weekend we all had at FantasyCon in Brighton this year.

Sam x

This weekend I'll be in WATERSTONES TRAFFORD CENTRE

WATERSTONES, Trafford Centre, 8th October 2011.

Sam Stone and David J Howe will be launching there new books, Hateful Heart, Book 4 The Vampire Gene Series, and talespinning : a collection of horror stories, scripts and novel extracts, at this very popular Manchester Store.

Time: 12-4pm Date: 8th October.
Address: Waterstones Trafford Centre, 42 Regent Crescent, Barton Dock Road, Manchester, M17 8AP

This weekend I'll be in ... BRIGHTON

FANTASYCON, Brighton, 30th Sept - 2nd Oct, 2011.

Join Sam Stone and David J Howe for coffee, tea and biscuits. Where they will be launching their new books, Hateful Heart Book 4 The Vampire Gene Series, and talespinning : a collection of horror stories, scripts and novel extracts, on Saturday 1st October at FantasyCon in Brighton.

Time:  11am-12pm - 1st October 2011.


Address: The Royal Albion Hotel, 35 Old Steine, Brighton, BN1 1NT.
Further Information : FantasyCon Launches

The Changing Face of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Series

This blog was originally written for and posted on Steve Lockley's page when I made a guest appearance but I thought I'd also share it on here.

Hope you enjoy it.

The Changing Face of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Series

Science Fiction and Fantasy Series’ have been popular for as long as I can remember. I’ve been a huge fan of science fiction on television since I first began watching Star Trek in the mid-seventies. This was rapidly followed by shows like Blake’s 7, The Tomorrow People and The Prisoner. In latter years, through the power of DVD, I have discovered classic Doctor Who and also Lost In Space. Revisiting these old series’ I became aware of the dramatic change of pace and plot lines over the years. The humble ‘television series’ has evolved, becoming something far different from its predecessors and in order to illustrate this I’ve chosen a few old and new series’ to briefly discuss the changing face of Science Fiction and Fantasy on television and its evolution into the mode of ‘serial’.

            I’ve never really thought of Star Trek: The Next Generation as Star Trek. The original series had some great characters and the stories and special effects, sets and formula still hold up today. I think this is because Star Trek is easy viewing. You don’t need to have followed the entire series to enjoy watching any single episode and because the characters don’t carry emotional baggage from one story to another, the series can be viewed in any order. Each episode is an individual adventure. They are fun, the characters’ relationships are established by their behaviour to each other (we are ‘shown’ what they are like in every episode) and the best bit of all – there is very little angst. I have to marvel at how good the set and effects were for the day. With the exception of the very sixties hairdos it still stands the test of time. They did a lot with very little without the technology of CGI and it has been more than rumoured that some of the gadgets featured in the show have been the inspiration for the technology that we take for granted today.

I spent many years enjoying Next Generation, even though I feel it’s a different series entirely. Next Generation worked well for me because it introduced some new and interesting characters and the writing was generally good. It makes great use of CGI in many ways, but still had excellent sets, and the holo-deck was a marvellous invention that lends itself to some of the more interesting stories. This series mostly kept to the formula of one story per episode, and with the exception of some blossoming love relationships, it rarely lost its way by becoming subservient to its own history. Even so, is this series as accessible as the original series? I’m not so sure. And that might be because of the ever changing cast, a rare occurrence in Star Trek, and their equally evolving roles on board the Enterprise. Unlike Next Generation, Star Trek’s cast had a specific role and personalities which were maintained throughout the series.

The stories in Next Generation are far more complex than in Star Trek, perhaps to suit the modern audience, but this does again necessitate a regular audience who are following the series from start to finish. I recently watched one episode out of context and found the characterisation of Natasha Yar (Chief of Security aboard the Enterprise) hard to fathom. This seemingly tough character was kidnapped by a chieftain and admits to being ‘flattered’ by his interest in her. The character, I believe, would have killed him the first chance she got. Her actions in this situation weren’t believable. In Star Trek, however, we knew how all of the characters would behave in any given situation. Spock will always be logical, Kirk honourable, Bones, a caring doctor, will always try to get a rise out of Spock and the characters maintain these roles. They are always consistent. Ergo – Believable. This is perhaps a quality that has been sacrificed in some present day shows. The characters change to suit the story, not to react in the way that you would expect from your burgeoning knowledge of them.

            Buffy the Vampire Slayer started life as a sequence of one-off episodes, and presented a set of fairly consistent characters that naturally evolved throughout the series. Each week there was a new demon, vampire or werewolf to slay and Buffy would literarily kick ass. We had humour that softened the impact of the violence, but by about season three you can begin to discern a change in the way the season’s storylines developed. A whole season became focused on one climactic event and within the stories that led to this conclusion we had the torturous anguish of the characters as they argued, loved, hated and ultimately worried their way through whatever incidental events made up the individual episode. Often regurgitating issues carried over from previous episodes, sometimes even from previous seasons. The angst was ramped up to exaggerated proportions.

Perhaps this was the start of the phenomena that has since swept American tele-fantasy? In some ways it is almost as though soap opera was brought to the genre and the two mingled and became indistinguishable except for the bizarre monsters and creatures that would inhabit a science fiction, fantasy or horror series. Buffy was able to get away with much more than the average series because it initially didn’t take itself too seriously. The humour lightened the mood – until season seven, which was by far the darkest. By then, however, the show lacked focus, starting with one ongoing storyline and ending with a completely different one. It also relied heavily on the viewer’s prior knowledge of the characters: thus alienating anyone who wanted to ‘try’ just one episode. A series these days, it seems, requires the viewer to buy into the whole season and not just one episode at a time; needing the audience to be dedicated to the ongoing story over and above whatever an individual episode might present. And more often than not, individual episodes contained nothing stand-alone, being just a small part of the whole season arc.

This is when a ‘series’ becomes a ‘serial’. The characters evolved and mostly they were believable – if you’d watched the whole series and understood their motivations that is. But if you hadn’t then some of their actions may seem a little unrealistic.

            Recently I watched the entire run of the new Battlestar Galactica, which ran for five seasons. I remember the original series well, and was expecting some rollicking adventures through space, though maybe a bit more high tech. However I couldn’t recognise this series as a descendent of the original Battlestar Galactica. There were a few similarities in the use of names of characters, but the characterisations were completely different from the original. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing of course, but it is something of a cheat – and I felt the same about Next Generation. The fact is, Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica were hugely successful shows in their day and, with the modern preference for regurgitation rather than originality, their names were tagged onto something that had similarities but which were in fact entirely different stories, or as in Next Generation, a spin-off. Again, this wasn’t a bad thing. The series’ themselves were executed for the most part with fantastic efficiency. However there were flaws. There was an attempt to make the new series of Battlestar Galactica follow the old format, with individual stories, weaved into the overall story arc. Relationships were complex – and sometimes characters were not believable. For example the steady and strong commander suddenly, in the final season, turned into a drunk and had tantrums where he would throw paint around and smash glasses. Adama’s son, Apollo, betrayed his father, went against orders and at one time, piled on excessive weight because he was depressed. The most convincing character was that of Gaius Baltar, who was contradictory from the start and so anything he did seemed appropriate. It could be the curse of multiple writers somehow missing the point that caused some of these inconsistencies to occur. I watched the whole series and didn’t feel that there really was any reason why some of the characters acted in such a way that was ‘out of character’. The show was also steeped in religious and philosophical references – which I felt they managed to hold together effectively until the end, but the angst grew tiresome at times and the show appeared to be far more a soap opera than an adventure series at times.

            Perhaps this is the curse of a long running series, that in order to maintain its audience, there is perceived to be a need to increase the angst and to decrease the standalone episodes. Battlestar Galactica did try to maintain the ‘one-story per episode’ theme but in later seasons this actually was to the detriment of the series. Often you saw one story end at a point where you wanted to know more, but the next episode had no bearing on the previous one and made no reference to it. The previous plot was therefore left hanging for an episode or more.

            Supernatural is another long running series that has evolved. It worked better for me when the stories were individual adventures – even though there was a back story about the death of Sam and Dean’s mother and its connection to the death of Sam’s girlfriend via a yellow-eyed demon. I wanted to watch a programme that I could enjoy in any order like the original Star Trek. You didn’t really miss anything major if you skipped an episode here and there and watching was always fun. Around season three – you sense a theme developing here – the series became too self-aware and as a result it became less enjoyable to watch. It relied too much on events that had happened previously and the interplay and angst of the main characters rather than focusing on a current storyline. From season three onwards I would say that it would be difficult for a new audience to understand any of the previous references that were made.

            Doctor Who does this too sometimes. It’s been said that the series was better when the stories were done on a weekly basis. But there has always been a variety of lengths of story, some were two episodes long, others eight – I think of them as more mini-series (even though technically they were one story told in half an hour slots). In recent years with the revival of the series by Russell T Davies, Doctor Who changed dramatically (mostly for the better). We had a surge of one-off adventures that would maybe stretch to two parts but no longer. The new audience could access the series easily and although there was a foregone conclusion that the Doctor had lived a long life there was very little ‘telling’ of this past. We just accepted that he and other characters knew about the Daleks, or the Cybermen. The reinvented series was given a loose back story, a warning of ‘Bad Wolf’ that gave this often fun romp through time and space an ominous quality that was brought together at the end of the season. Unfortunately though, this idea that a season has to have an arc, has resulted in more and more backstory becoming the fore-story. In the last two seasons, beginning with ‘Amy’s crack’ – initially used as a way to introduce a new character – then continuing with (and I’m not sure about this actually as I found the first half of the current season incredibly confusing) the ‘Doctor’s death’ being a focus of this current season. Every other story in the season so far has made some reference to this event, and tentatively hangs around it. But why does there need to be an arc at all? Why can’t all the adventures be stand-alone without them all joining up in some wider jigsaw puzzle which only the truly dedicated will appreciate? My favourite episodes have been the standalones – Blink is the obvious one to come to mind. For all that, Doctor Who has changed for the better in many ways. The stories are more grown up (sometimes a bit too much so), have more complex plots, and have even greater, scarier monsters.

            Science fiction and fantasy on television continues to evolve. This ever-changing formula is reactive. The writers, producers and networks are all looking for the next big thing, even when they hang it onto a previously successful series and call it by the same name. It doesn’t make it the same series and in fact it is often something similar or a spin-off. It still feels to me that there is too much angst used to hook the viewer, when I’d prefer more adventure, but I think this is deliberately aimed at gathering long-term audiences that will watch the series to the bitter end if they engage enough with the characters. Perhaps this is akin to the way that people relate to soap characters, and is introduced for the same reasons. This also tends to mean that the characters can be warped to suit the mood of audience, or the plot, unlike the series of old which gave you consistency of a character’s personality, and adversity only brought out those traits, rather than resulting in them behaving in a way that is alien to the character you’ve grown to understand. The old ways aren’t necessarily the best, but sometimes I feel we’re in danger of forgetting what drew us to the series in the first place: stand alone stories.

Sam x

Exciting Times - An Update on the 2011 so far.

As the end to September rapidly approaches I'm forced to reflect on the exciting year I've had so far. With two books out this year beginning with Zombies in New York and Other Bloody Jottings in February and Hateful Heart at the beginning of this month I've been touring the bookstores, attending conventions and generally running up and down the country again.

I was told that it is notoriously difficult to sell collections and was therefore not expecting the success of Zombies. But it is brilliant to be able to say that sales have far exceeded expectation and the collection is almost sold out of its third print run. This book is now being stocked in many Waterstones throughout the country.

Also I've completed a first novel for a new post-apocalyptic trilogy (as yet unsold so more to follow on that). So I'm feeling very productive.

There are some story commissions on the horizon too (to be announced) and my story The Toymaker's House will appear in the British Fantasy Society 40th Anniversary Anthology Full Fathom Forty which will be launched at FantasyCon on Friday 30th September.

I've just attended The Asylum weekend as a guest and it has rapidly become my favourite British convention.

I've been invited to one American convention (Gallifrey) and one British convention (SFX Weekender) with Guest status. Also, David and I have been invited to attend GalaxyFest in Colorado as International Author Guests of Honour. David and I have been confirmed at another American convention as guests for later next year but I can't say more until that is officially announced.

On the writing front I'm currently working on some new synopsis' for future projects. One of which will be the proposal for Silent Sand : the next Vampire Gene novel. Another is a standalone horror novel and there will be more fantasy novels too.

Other news, I've been shortlisted for British Fantasy Award for Best Novel for my third Vampire Gene novel Demon Dance and Best Short Fiction with my alternative Jack the Ripper story Fool's Gold. The awards take place next weekend at FantasyCon. It is a great honour to be shortlisted in these very respected awards.

Book launch at FantasyCon next weekend :
This takes place on Saturday at 11am in Bar Rogue at The Royal Albion Hotel in Brighton. Hateful Heart will be launched jointly with David J Howe's talespinning. Copies of Zombies in New York, as well as the new cover versions of all the Vampire Gene novels, will also be available to purchase. Sadly Murky Depths were unable to secure a table at FantasyCon this year and so this will probably be the only time you will be able to buy the books that weekend. So I please attend at some time during this event if you want to get copies of any of these books.

The rest of this year will see me appearing at more bookstores as the Waterstone's tour for Hateful Heart truly kicks off after FantasyCon.


More information and additional appearances soon ...

Sam x

Appearances

HATEFUL HEART (Book 4 The Vampire Gene) Tour 

 ..

WATERSTONES, Warrington, 24th September 2011

Science Fiction and Fantasy Day. Join Sam Stone, David J Howe and Frazer Hines (and many more) for readings, discussions and talks based around Sci-Fi/Fantasy in the Media and in print. More info on this later.

Sam will also have her new book, Hateful Heart Book 4 The Vampire Gene Series.

Time: 12-4pm Date: 24th Sept
Address: Waterstone's Warrington, 22 The Mall, Golden Square Shopping Centre, Warrington, WA1 1QP.

THE CRYPT, Manchester Vampire Society Meet, Manchester, 25th September 2011

Sam Stone and David J Howe will be reading from their latest works. With Q & A session. Books will be on sale.

Address: The Seven Oaks, 5 Nicholas Street, Manchester, M1 4HL

Time: 4-8Pm

FANTASYCON, Brighton, 30th Sept - 2nd Oct, 2011.

Sam Stone will be launching her new book, Hateful Heart Book 4 The Vampire Gene Series on Saturday 31st September at FantasyCon in Brighton. David J Howe will also be launching his new collection talespinning in this joint event.

Time: 11am-12pm Date: 1st October 2011.

Address: The Royal Albion Hotel, 35 Old Steine, Brighton, BN1 1NT.

Further Information: http://www.fantasycon2011.org/hotel.htm

WATERSTONES, Trafford Centre, 8th October 2011.

Sam Stone will be launching her new book, Hateful Heart, Book 4 The Vampire Gene Series, at this very popular store. David J Howe will also be there with his new collection talespinning.

Time: 12-4pm Date: 8th October.
Address: Waterstones Trafford Centre, 42 Regent Crescent, Barton Dock Road, Manchester, M17 8AP

WATERSTONES, Preston, 15 October 2011.

Sam Stone will be launching her new book, Hateful Heart, Book 4 The Vampire Gene Series, at this very popular store. David J Howe will also be there with his new collection talespinning.

Time: 12-4pm Date: 15th October.

Address: Waterstone's Preston, 3-5 Fishergate, Preston, PR1 3LJ

WATERSTONES, Wigan. 22nd October, 2011

Sam Stone will be launching her new book, Hateful Heart, Book 4 The Vampire Gene Series, at this very popular store. David J Howe will also be there with his new collection talespinning.

Time: 12pm-4pm Date: 22nd Oct
Address: 61 The Grand Arcade, Wigan, WN1 1BH

HALLOWEEN WEEKEND BOOKINGS!
WATERSTONES, Bolton, Lancashire. 29th Oct 2011

Sam Stone will be launching her new book, Hateful Heart, Book 4 The Vampire Gene Series, at this very popular store. David J Howe will also be there with his new collection talespinning.

Time: 12-4pm Date: Saturday 29th October.
Address:Waterstones, 32-36 Deansgate, Bolton, BL1 1BL

WATERSTONES, Wrexham, 30th Oct 2011

Sam Stone will be launching her new book, Hateful Heart, Book 4 The Vampire Gene Series, at this very popular store. David J Howe will also be there with his new collection talespinning.

Time: 12-4pm Date: Sunday 30th October.
Address:Waterstones, 9/11 Regent Street, Wrexham, LL11 1SG.

WATERSTONES, Arndale Centre, Manchester, 12th November 2011.

Sam Stone will be launching her new book, Hateful Heart, Book 4 The Vampire Gene Series, at this very popular store. David J Howe will also be there with his new collection talespinning.

Time: 12-4pm Date: Saturday 12th November.
Address:Waterstones, Arndale Centre, Manchester, M4 3AQ

WATERSTONES, Liverpool One, Liverpool. 26th Nov 2011

Sam Stone will be launching her new book, Hateful Heart, Book 4 The Vampire Gene Series, at this very popular store. David J Howe will also be there with his new collection talespinning.

Time: 12-4pm Date: Saturday 26th November.

Address:Waterstones, 12 College Lane, Liverpool, L1 3DL.

SFX WEEKENDER 3, Prestatyn, North Wales. 2nd-5th February 2011

Sam Stone and David J Howe are amongest the guests appearing at this event.

Time: ALL WEEKEND Date: 2nd-5th February

Address: Pontins Prestatyn Sands Holiday Park,

Central Beach, Barkby Avenue, Prestatyn, Denbigshire,

North Wales, LL19 7LA

For more information visit: SFX WEEKENDER

http://www.sfx.co.uk/2011/09/19/david-j-howe-and-sam-stone-at-the-sfx-weekender/

GALLIFREY 2012, LAX Marriott, Los Angeles 17th-19th Feb 2012.

Sam Stone, David J Howe and Frazer Hines will be appearing as guests at Gallifrey.

Time: ALL Weekend. Panels, Interviews,
Address: LAX MARRIOT. Los Angeles, California.

GALAXYFEST 2012, Colorado Springs, USA, 24th-26th Feb 2012.

Sam Stone and David J Howe will be appearing as International Author Guests of Honor with Kevin J Anderson, Frazer Hines and many more writer guests and celebrities.

Time: ALL Weekend. Panels, Interviews, Creative Writing Workshop.
Address: Antlers Hilton, 4 South Cascade, Colorado Springs, CO 80903-1695, USA.

More dates to follow soon :)

SFX Weekender 3

I'm very excited to announce that I will be appearing as a guest at SFX Weekender 3 in February 2012 with my partner David J Howe.

The event already boasts of many respected and revered media and literary guest and will take place this year at:

Pontins Prestatyn Sands Holiday Park, Central Beach, Barkby Avenue, Prestatyn, Denbighshire,
North Wales, LL19 7LA.

For Further Details : SFX WEEKENDER

This weekend I'll ALSO be at ... THE CRYPT

THE CRYPT, Manchester Vampire Society Meet, Manchester, 25th September 2011
Sam Stone and David J Howe will be reading from their latest works. With Q & A session. Books will be on sale.

Address: The Seven Oaks, 5 Nicholas Street, Manchester, M1 4HL
Time: 4-8Pm

This Weekend I'll be at ... WATERSTONES WARRINGTON

WATERSTONES, Warrington, 24th September 2011

Science Fiction and Fantasy Day. Join Sam Stone, David J Howe and Frazer Hines for readings, discussions and talks based around Sci-Fi/Fantasy in the Media and in print. More info on this later.

Sam will also have her new book, Hateful Heart Book 4 The Vampire Gene Series. David will have his new collection talespinning and Frazer will be there with his autobiography Hines Sight.
 
Time: 12-4pm Date: 24th Sept
Address: Waterstone's Warrington, 22 The Mall, Golden Square Shopping Centre, Warrington, WA1 1QP.

This weekend I'll be at ... LLANDUDNO WATERSTONES

WATERSTONES, Llandudno 17th September, 2011

Sam Stone will be launching her new book, Hateful Heart, Book 4 The Vampire Gene Series, at this very popular North Wales Store. Along with David J Howe who will be launching his new book talespinning : a fabulous collection of horror stories, scripts and novel extracts.

Time: 12pm-4pm Date: 17th Sept
Address: 37 Victoria Centre, Mostyn Centre, Llandudno, Conwy, LL30 2NG

This weekend I'll be at ...

THE ASYLUM, Lincoln, 9th-11th September, 2011

The Asylum Steampunk weekend is one of Sam's favorite events. This is an opportunity to do all things Steampunk. Sam Stone, David J Howe, Frazer Hines, Raven Dane, Robert Rankin and Toby Frost are among the guests for this fun weekend event.
Sam will be taking part in panels, signings and readings as well as launching her new book, Hateful Heart, Book 4 The Vampire Gene Series.

Time: Date: 9th-11th Sept
Address: Lincoln Castle, The Lawns, The Victoria, Lincoln.
For more information visit: The Asylum.

Hateful Heart - Official Release

There has been some confusion regarding the official release of Hateful Heart which is showing up on Amazon as being available today. It is currently at the printers and will be available in the next week.

If you want signed copies and can't make the official launch at The Asylum next weekend, then please order direct from Murky Depths as soon as possible as all signed copies will be done over the Asylum weekend and then posted to you.

Looking forward to seeing you soon,

Sam x

Hateful Heart Launch at The Asylum

As the Vampire Gene novels evolve from a trilogy to a series I'm really pleased to announce the first launch for 'Hateful Heart' at The Asylum Steampunk weekend in Lincoln on Sunday 11th September 11am-1pm.


The weekend begins on Friday 9th September and I'll be attending with David J Howe as we join the list of Guest Authors at the event. Guest of Honour is Robert Rankin and the weekend promises to be fun-packed with some stunning costumes and gadgets.

For further information, please click the Asylum link above.

Full Fathom Forty

The British Fantasy Society has recently posted the line-up for it's 40th Anniversary Anthology Full Fathom Forty.

The anthology is edited by David J Howe and features 40 stories and poems by some of the best authors in the BFS. Full Fathom Forty is 500 pages long and is available free to all members of the BFS - Join HERE.

Benefits of joining the BFS :
As a member of the BFS I can heartily recommend joining. If you are an aspiring writer its a great way to get to meet editors, agents, publishers and other writers. You can also submit your writing to be included in the journals.

If you are a fan of Horror, Fantasy and/or Science Fiction then the BFS produces four Journals a year which are packed with short fiction, poetry, reviews, articles and more. These are part of your membership package. If you join today, you'll also qualify for a copy of Full Fathom Forty.

BUY Full Fathom Forty!
However if you don't want to join at this time but still want a copy of the anthology you can purchase it for £15.99 HERE

FULL FATHOM FORTY includes the work of the following authors, in alphabetical order :

Nina Allan, Suzanne Barbieri, Carl Barker, Mike Barrett, Ramsey Campbell, Jonathan Carroll, Adrian Chamberlin, Simon Clark, Raven Dane, Jan Edwards, Murray Ewing, Paul Finch, Christopher Fowler, Matthew Fryer, Stephen Gallagher, Cate Gardner, R B Harkess, Ian Hunter, Wilf Kelleher Jones, Jasper Kent, Joel Lane, Stephen Laws, Mark Lewis, Alison J Littlewood, Steve Lockley, Graham Masterton, Peter Mark May, Geoff Nelder, Kim Newman, Stan Nicholls, Martin Owton, Cas Peace, John Llewellyn, Probert, Tina Rath, Steven Savile, Robert Shearman, Jim Steel, Sam Stone, Deborah Walker, Conrad William

And I'm sure you recognise quite a few of those names!

Hateful Heart and Vampire Gene Trilogy Relaunch

Take a look at the cover of my latest book 'Hateful Heart' - due for release September 2011.

Hateful Heart

Lilly, Gabriele and Caesare's vampiric life at Rhuddlan Castle is disrupted by the arrival of Amalia: a new vampire created by Lilly’s one-time companion, Harry. They learn that Harry is dead, killed by some powerful weapon wielded by a mysterious time-traveller known only as Carduth. Realising that their own lives are now in peril, the quartet begin an incredible adventure through time and space. They must track down Carduth, and somehow disable the weapon, before they too succumb to its fatal effect.

Also seeking Carduth are the remnants of the historic order of Knights Templar who have been tracking a mysterious box for many centuries as they covet the power which rests within.

And all the time, the box is travelling, wending its way through time to seek a deadly revenge on the carriers of the vampire gene.

A terrifying adventure of love, loss and betrayal ... death awaits those who feel the powerful embrace of a hateful heart.

BUY HERE

Book 1 - The Vampire Gene

To celebrate the launch of the latest book in the series, Muky Depths has given the Vampire Gene Series first 3 books a new look.

Cover artwork by Rick Fairlamb

Book 2 - The Vampire Gene

Book 3- The Vampire Gene