Author edits latest novel while backpacking in South America

Having escaped from an attempted drugging/mugging on a bus in Ecuador, Tej Turner completed the editing of the third book in his epic series in hostels and the rainforest.

DARTFORD, KENT – 26 February 2024 – Tej Turner, author, chef, and inveterate traveller, recently returned from a nine-months trip backpacking around South America. On his travelblog he tells of being drugged and mugged on a public bus as well as volunteering in a wildlife sanctuary in Ecuador. While he was travelling, Blood War, the third book in his Avatars of Ruin fantasy series was in the process of being prepared for publication by Elsewhen Press, a UK publishing house specialising in high quality, entertaining and thoughtful speculative fiction from talented authors like Tej. Part of the pre-publication process is an interaction between the author and their editor, to finesse the final text (and root out any typos). At times, Tej was editing the text on his laptop in exotic locations that made the editorial team highly envious, although they did not let their envy stop them helping him to complete the book, which was published as an eBook in January and in print this month. Of course, at other times Tej was trying to edit in an oven-like hostel room with no air conditioning and loudly snoring companions; or even on a bus (not while being mugged!).

Tej says: “Having the occasional mishap is all part of having an adventure, and it was overall a great trip that I will look back on fondly. I am back in the UK now, and I have even started working on my new novel. It has certainly been an inspiring year and that should give me plenty of material for the next book. I hope that my readers enjoy Blood War as it is possibly my most ambitious work to date.”

Peter Buck, Editorial Director of Elsewhen Press, says: “This is not the first time that Tej has been completing the editing of a book while backpacking in exotic locations. When you’re sitting in an office in Kent on a rainy afternoon and Tej sends a picture of his ‘office for the day’ with lush vegetation and a waterfall just beyond the veranda of his hostel, it’s hard not to feel a little envious. But, on the other hand, sitting in an office is generally not as dangerous as travelling alone in some parts of South America!”

One reader described Tej’s Avatars of Ruin series as ‘Wheel of Time meets The Walking Dead’. It is an epic fantasy series about a group of survivors forced to band together when their world takes a dark turn. It has some illustrious fans. Trip Galey, author of A Market of Dreams and Destiny said, “This is epic fantasy with a touch of the mythic to it. There were villains I loved to hate, and a queer protagonist I loved rooting for. Action, magic, a world in peril…what more could you ask for?” Bestselling science fiction and fantasy author Christopher G. Nuttall called Bloodsworn, the first book in the series, “a stunning introduction to a new fantasy world” and renowned grimdark author Anna Smith Spark said “Classic epic fantasy. I enjoyed it enormously.” Allen Stroud, Chair of the British Science Fiction Association, said “a journey into Fantasy, only it’s not quite the journey you expected, and it’s all the better for it”. David Craig, author of the Sooty Feathers gothic fantasy series, said of Blood Legacy, the second book in Tej’s series, “an exciting book which ups the stakes, mixing traditional fantasy with an element of possession horror”. Fantasy author Joanne Hall said “a nuanced, smart high fantasy novel with intelligent, complex characters, good LGBT rep and some killer twists”.

The first three books of Tej’s Avatars of Ruin series, Bloodsworn, Blood Legacy and Blood War are all available in ebook and paperback format from good book retailers.

Notes for Editors

About Tej Turner

Tej Turner is an SFF author and travel-blogger. His debut novel The Janus Cycle was published by Elsewhen Press in 2015 and its sequel Dinnusos Rises was released in 2017. Both are hard to classify within typical genres but were contemporary and semi-biographical with elements of surrealism. He has since branched off into writing epic fantasy and has an ongoing series called the Avatars of Ruin. The first instalment – Bloodsworn – was released in 2021, and its sequel Blood Legacy in 2022. The third – Blood War – was published in early 2024.

He does not have any particular place he would say he is ‘from’, as his family moved between various parts of England during his childhood. He eventually settled in Wales, where he studied Creative Writing and Film at Trinity College in Carmarthen, followed by a master’s degree at The University of Wales Lampeter.

Since then, Tej has mostly resided in Cardiff, where he works as a chef by day and writes by moonlight. His childhood on the move seems to have rubbed off on him because when he is not in Cardiff, it is usually because he has strapped on a backpack and flown off to another part of the world to go on an adventure.

He has so far clocked two years in Asia and two years in South America, and when he travels, he takes a particular interest in historic sites, jungles, wildlife, native cultures, and mountains. He also spent some time volunteering at the Merazonia Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Ecuador.

Firsthand accounts of Tej’s adventures abroad can be found on his travel blog at https://tejturner.com/

About Avatars of Ruin

A reader described the Avatars of Ruin series as ‘Wheel of Time meets The Walking Dead’.

Bloodsworn by Tej Turner; Cover by Alison Buck
Cover: Alison Buck
Blood Legacy by Tej Turner; Cover by Alison Buck
Cover: Alison Buck
Blood War by Tej Turner; Cover by Alison Buck
Cover: Alison Buck

It is an epic fantasy series about a group of survivors forced to band together when their world takes a dark turn. The story starts in Bloodsworn where we meet the villagers of Jalard. Once a year they are visited by representatives from the Academy who choose two of them to be taken away to their institute in the capital. To be Chosen is considered a great honour… of which most of Jalard’s children dream. But this year the Academy representatives make an announcement which is so shocking it causes friction between the villagers, and some of them begin to suspect that all is not what it seems. Just where are they taking the Chosen, and why? Some of them intend to find out, but what they discover will change their lives forever and set them on a long and bloody path to seek vengeance…

The story continues in Blood Legacy and Blood War.

Find out more at https://bit.ly/AvatarsOfRuin

Games industry veteran develops powerful new fiction writing system

From ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ in the 90s, through ‘Harry Potter, Goblet of Fire’ and ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ to the award-winning ‘Eufloria’, Rudolf Kremers’ game design experience enhances his story-telling.

DARTFORD, KENT – 29 August 2023 – Elsewhen Press is a publishing house specialising in high quality, entertaining and thoughtful speculative fiction from talented authors. One of those authors is Rudolf Kremers, a BAFTA nominated game developer. Having spent over 20 years working as a designer and consultant to many of the largest entertainment companies in the world, as well as writing a well-respected text book on Level Design, Rudolf has written screenplays and video game narratives across various genres. His skill and experience naturally come to the fore when he writes fiction, and the publication of his debut science fiction novel, Birds of Paradise, has made him think about how his video games career has affected his writing and vice versa, leading to some inspiring conclusions.

Rudolf started making games over 40 years ago as an enthusiast, although it wasn’t a realistic career path in the Netherlands in the 1980s. But when he realised that things were different in the UK, which had a thriving video games industry, he moved to London to work with Douglas Adams at The Digital Village. Rudolf was recently called a “veteran” game developer, and although that description made him grumble a bit about “not being that old”, he realised that it’s not an unfair description. He’s now been working as a professional game developer in the UK for almost a quarter of a century, in all kinds of roles for several companies (before starting his own), and worked on a great variety of titles. He says that he has “the scars and stories to prove it”.

But he had always wanted to be a writer, having developed an insatiable love of reading from an early age, especially science fiction, fantasy and horror, but also books on mythology, space exploration, euro comics, superhero comics, and various other pulpy endeavours. He says, “I’m one of those poor sods afflicted with that famous ‘restless creative’ gene, which ensured that a desire to read also came with a desire to write. Luckily, as a game designer I often had the opportunity to work on game stories and lore and other such things. But writing for games comes with its own pitfalls and peculiarities and while that has its own charm, I eventually felt the need to do the kind of writing I fell in love with from a very young age. Initially, I took a detour where I wrote a bunch of screenplays but I finally arrived at a point where I just wanted to create something by myself, written for fans of my favourite genres. Something I would love reading myself. That wish turned into a big fat sci-fi novel called Birds of Paradise. I have had some of my short horror stories published, and I have finished a second novel, historical this time, set in 1630s Japan.”

With the publication of Birds of Paradise this summer by Elsewhen Press, Rudolf started to think about the relationship between game design and writing. He realised there had been a positive feedback loop between his video games career and his writing projects, indeed he concluded that “Every single one of those writing projects has made me a better game developer; and, conversely, every game I have developed has made me a better writer.” As a result he has begun to write a series of blog posts examining this conclusion. He has started with a topic that is the subject of frequent debate by writers: the pros and cons of meticulous planning and outlining versus more freeform writing and development – Rudolf looks into how both styles can be accommodated in a project, drawing on both writing and game development experience, to set out some unique writing techniques.

Peter Buck, Editorial Director at Elsewhen Press, says “It’s clear that there is a huge cross-over between literature and video games, especially in science fiction and fantasy. Indeed, games often beget books and books beget games, and they can all spin-off into films and TV! So it’s no real surprise that what Rudolf calls ‘restless creatives’ in any one of those media will likely excel in the others. Birds of Paradise is an epic science fiction story, a page-turner that would also be ideally suited as a thrilling blockbuster movie or as the underlying story-arc of an engaging video game. We were honoured that Rudolf approached us to publish it.”

Birds of Paradise is available as an eBook and in paperback from good retailers. Rudolf’s series of articles about the relationship between game design and writing is available on his blog.

Notes for Editors

About Rudolf Kremers

Rudolf KremersRudolf is a BAFTA nominated veteran game developer, author, photographer, producer, father, husband, cat person, filmmaker, dog person, and consultant. (Not necessarily in that order). Originally of Dutch/Spanish descent, he currently lives and works as an interactive entertainment consultant in Canterbury.

He has worked with clients across the entertainment landscape for more than 23 years, including companies like Lionsgate Studios, Framestore and Electronic Arts, providing design and consultancy work for some of the biggest intellectual properties in the world.

Including his debut science fiction epic Birds of Paradise, which has just been published by Elsewhen Press, Rudolf has written two novels, a gaggle of short stories – some of which are collected in The Singing Sands and Other Stories (published by Demain Publishing) – a textbook on game design (published by CRC Press), several screenplays, and an abundance of video game narratives.

This gives him all the license he needs to continue writing sci-fi, horror, weird fiction, historical fiction, and whatever other muse he succumbs to.

http://www.rudolfkremers.com/

About Birds of Paradise

Humanity received a technological upgrade from long-dead aliens.
But there’s no such thing as a free lunch.

Birds of Paradise by Rudolf Kremers; cover art by Max Taquet
Cover art: Max Taquet

Humanity had somehow muddled through the horrors of the 20th century and – surprisingly – managed to survive the first half of the 21st, despite numerous nuclear accidents, flings with neo-fascism and the sudden arrival of catastrophic climate change. It was agreed that spreading our chances across two planets offered better odds than staying rooted to little old Earth. Terraforming Mars was the future!

A subsequent research expedition led to humanity’s biggest discovery: an alien spaceship, camouflaged to appear like an ordinary asteroid. Although the aliens had long since gone, probably millions of years ago, their technology was still very much alive, offering access to unlimited power.

Over the next hundred years humanity blossomed, reaching out to the solar system. By 2238, Mars had been successfully terraformed, countless smaller colonies had sprung up in its wake, built on our solar system’s many moons, on major asteroids and in newly built habitats and installations.

Jemm Delaney is a Xeno-Archaeologist and her 16-year old son Clint a talented hacker. Together they make a great team. When she accepts a job to retrieve an alien artifact from a derelict space station, it looks like they will become rich. But with Corps, aliens, AIs and junkies involved, nothing is ever going to proceed smoothly.

If you’re a fan of Julian May, Frank Herbert or James S.A. Corey, you will love Birds of Paradise.

Cover art: Max Taquet

Find out more at https://bit.ly/BirdsOfParadise-Kremers

Fellow of the Royal Society writes SF novel exploring weird physics

Professor Ian Stewart, renowned mathematician and author, writes an ‘inventive’ ‘high concept’ science fiction adventure to speculate on ideas at the edge of known physics.

DARTFORD, KENT – 21 July 2023 – Elsewhen Press is a publishing house specialising in high quality, entertaining and thoughtful speculative fiction from talented authors. One of those authors is Professor Ian Stewart, a Fellow of the Royal Society, globally recognised award-winning mathematician, and celebrated author of text books and popular science books including The Science of Discworld. But while science books, even pop-science, can make mainstream science entertaining as well as informative, even renowned scientists relish the possibility to explore intriguing but less well-established aspects that push the scientific boundaries. The relative freedom of science fiction provides an ideal medium for such speculation and Ian Stewart’s latest novel, Loophole, seizes that opportunity to explore concepts on the edge of known physics while keeping within the bounds of probability: faster-than-light travel, wormhole-linked black-holes, alternative universes. At the same time, he tells a gripping adventure story of universe-shattering proportions.

Multiple award-winning hard-science-fiction author Stephen Baxter says of Loophole, “When universes collide … A multicosmos at war in a scenario of staggering, but scientifically authentic, invention … As if the Marvel multiverse collided with 2001: A Space Odyssey … I am awed, and I don’t awe easily. The highest of high-concept SF.”

Henry Gee, Senior Editor at Nature, and author of A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth and The Sigil trilogy, says, “There’s Hard SF. There’s Wide-Screen Baroque. Now with Ian Stewart’s Loophole we have Wrap-Around Rococo. Daringly inventive, Loophole is a mind-fryingly, Möbius-twistingly intense SF adventure of the first order.”

Peter Buck, Editorial Director at Elsewhen Press, says “We were chatting to Ian at a science fiction convention and he told us about the novel he had recently finished writing. We were intrigued by the concept and told him how much we were looking forward to reading it. So you can imagine how delighted we were when Ian submitted it to us for consideration. Once we had read it, there was absolutely no doubt that we wanted to publish such an awesome book. We are thrilled that Loophole is now available for readers. Initial comments from Stephen Baxter and Henry Gee were very gratifying and will undoubtedly reflect the response of readers everywhere for this ‘daringly inventive’ ‘high concept science fiction’ adventure.”

Writing the story was an adventure in itself, says Ian Stewart: “I wanted to write the kind of book I like to read: high-concept space opera. The central gimmick had been rattling around in my head for years. There was a plan, of sorts, on the computer, but I had to write the novel to find out what really happened. Once I started on the details, my characters took over and it ended up quite different from what I’d expected. … Which was what I’d expected.”

Elsewhen Press commissioned space artist David A. Hardy to produce a cover for the book, which thrilled the author. Ian said, “I’ve been a David Hardy fan for fifty years. His elegant cover captures a key moment in the story, and subtly conveys a hint of mystery and menace. You don’t watch a moon disappearing every day.”

Loophole is available as an eBook from today and in paperback from 21st August 2023.

Notes for Editors

About Ian Stewart

Ian Stewart is Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at the University of Warwick and a Fellow of the Royal Society. He has five honorary doctorates and is an honorary wizard of Unseen University. His more than 130 books include Professor Stewart’s Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities and the four-volume series The Science of Discworld with Terry Pratchett and Jack Cohen. His SF novels include the trilogy Wheelers, Heaven, and Oracle (with Jack Cohen), The Living Labyrinth and Rock Star (with Tim Poston), and Jack of All Trades. Short story collections are Message from Earth and Pasts, Presents, Futures. His Flatland sequel Flatterland has extensive fantasy elements. He has published 33 short stories in Analog, Omni, Interzone, and Nature, with 10 stories in Nature’s ‘Futures’ series. He was Guest of Honour at Novacon 29 in 1999 and Science Guest of Honour and Hugo Award Presenter at Worldcon 75 in Helsinki in 2017. He delivered the 1997 Christmas Lectures for BBC television. His awards include the Royal Society’s Faraday Medal, the Gold Medal of the IMA, the Zeeman Medal, the Lewis Thomas Prize, the Euler Book Prize, the Premio Internazionale Cosmos, the Chancellor’s Medal of the University of Warwick, and the Bloody Stupid Johnson Award for Innovative Uses of Mathematics.

About Loophole

Don’t poke your nose down a wormhole – you never know what you might find.

Loophole by Ian Stewart; Artwork by David A. Hardy
Artwork: David A. Hardy

Two universes joined by a wormhole pair that forms a ‘loophole’, with an icemoon orbiting through the loophole, shared between two different planetary systems in the two universes.

A civilisation with uploaded minds in virtual reality served by artificial humans.

A ravening Horde of replicating machines that kill stars.

Real humans from a decrepit system of colony worlds.

A race of hyperintelligent but somewhat vague aliens.

Who will close the loophole… who will exploit it?

Find out more at https://bit.ly/Loophole-Ian-Stewart

Cover design: David A. Hardy

Many politicians misleadingly use ‘witch hunt’ as a dismissive label when being held accountable for their own lies, corruption and misdeeds.

Whereas, actual witch hunts in the UK are conducted by HM Office of the Witchfinder General, a secretive arm of law-enforcement concerned with enforcing ‘magus laws’, and ‘Protecting the public from the unnatural since 1645’.

DARTFORD, KENT – 30 June 2023 – Elsewhen Press is a publishing house specialising in high quality, entertaining and thoughtful speculative fiction from talented authors, including many debut authors. One of our more established authors is Simon Kewin. Perhaps best known for science fiction novels, Simon is, nonetheless, an accomplished author of fantasy stories that often include witches. His Witchfinder series of books is predicated on the premise that the role of Witchfinder General in Britain was instigated by parliament, and indeed has survived to the present day in the form of HM Office of the Witchfinder General. The OWG is now a shadowy arm of law-enforcement concerned with enforcing the ‘magus laws’, and trying to ensure that the general public are not aware of the evil forces that are at large. Their mission statement is ‘Protecting the public from the unnatural since 1645’. But the main protagonist, Danesh, an officer of the OWG, questions their approach and attitude towards all magic users not just those who are a danger to the public. Indeed, he objects to the Office’s motto ‘Maleficos non patieris vivere’, which while literally translating as ‘You shall not suffer an evildoer to live’ is widely interpreted to mean ‘Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live’, thanks to the misogynistic translation in the King James Bible. The ambiguity of Danesh’s evolving position is a compelling sub-plot in the Witchfinder series of books. The OWG’s treatment of magus law-breakers today is rather more nuanced than in the 15th century, and Simon Kewin’s witty writing style makes the books both thrilling and engaging.

The third novel in the series, Head Full of Dark, is a book close to the author’s heart, revealing, as it does, certain autobiographical details about him – including his own connection to the Office of the Witchfinder General. While names have been changed to protect the innocent, it remains to be seen how the Office will respond to one of their own breaking ranks in this way. He very much hopes that he will be able to produce further (redacted) reports on the battles waged against malign magic use and supernatural incursion – and that he does not, for example, get consigned to Oblivion never to be heard from again…

In reality, of course, the actual role of Witchfinder General was one that Matthew Hopkins invented and assumed for himself in 1645 during the English Civil War, pretending to have been commissioned by Parliament, and using many techniques from King James’ own book Daemonologie to discover witches. Like many entrepreneurs, cult leaders and fascists since, Hopkins made a fortune from the gruesomely lucrative business of ridding communities of an imagined enemy, often used as a cover by power-hungry locals to remove their rivals or exact revenge. Within a couple of years, however, his methods and motivation were called into question by a popular puritan cleric who described them as “abominable, inhumane and unmerciful” and Hopkins was forced to retire in 1647. He wrote a book justifying his own methods and the results of his hunts, A Discovery of Witches, which became a popular legal text especially in the Colonies, and is widely recognised as having had considerable influence on the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts some 45 years later. Ironically, the man responsible for the deaths of at least 300 women was reputed, in contemporary legend, to have died in one of his own ducking stool ‘trials’ after he had himself been accused of witchcraft; but more prosaically, in fact, he actually died not long after his retirement, either of tuberculosis… or a curse.

Today narcissistic politicians, especially in English-speaking nations, use ‘witch hunt’ as a conveniently dismissive label when being held accountable for their own lies, corruption and misdeeds. While hoping to leverage the perception that witch hunts were unfair and often conducted for ulterior motives, they fail to recognise that unlike modern judicial reviews and law enforcement activities, historical witch hunts were conducted without evidence and against (usually poor) victims who had neither the resources, nor often the wit, to defend themselves. The two situations could not be more different. Perhaps those politicians are trying to identify themselves with the poor defenceless ‘wise women’ typically portrayed in popular myth as the victims of witch hunts – which, given the largely misogynistic behaviour displayed by those same politicians, would be a cynical irony if it weren’t so contemptible.

Head Full of Dark, the third book in Simon Kewin’s Witchfinder series, is available as an eBook from today and in paperback from 31st July 2023.

Notes for Editors

About Simon Kewin

Simon Kewin is a pseudonym used by an infinite number of monkeys who operate from a secret location deep in the English countryside. Every now and then they produce a manuscript that reads as a complete novel with a beginning, a middle and an end. Sometimes even in that order.

The Simon Kewin persona devised by the monkeys was born on the misty Isle of Man in the middle of the Irish Sea, at around the time The Beatles were twisting and shouting. He moved to the UK as a teenager, where he still resides. He is the author of over a hundred published short stories and poems, as well as a growing number of novels. In addition to fiction, he also writes computer software. The key thing, he finds, is not to get the two mixed up.

He has a first class honours degree in English Literature and an MA in Creative Writing (distinction). He’s married and has two daughters.

About the Witchfinder series

Stories of HM Office of the Witchfinder General: Protecting the public from the unnatural since 1645

The Witchfinder series is a different type of police procedural. For a start, it’s about a department of law enforcement that you’ve never heard of. They investigate crimes that you’re never supposed to hear about, criminals that you really don’t want to know about, using methods that it’s best not to ask about.

Find out more at https://bit.ly/WitchfinderSeries

Book 1: The Eye Collectors

Cover design: Alison Buck
Cover design by Alison Buck

When Danesh Shahzan gets called to a crime scene, it’s usually because the police suspect not just foul play but unnatural forces at play.

Danesh is an Acolyte in Her Majesty’s Office of the Witchfinder General, a shadowy arm of the British government fighting supernatural threats to the realm. This time, he’s been called in by Detective Inspector Nikola Zubrasky to investigate a murder in Cardiff. The victim had been placed inside a runic circle and their eyes carefully removed from their head. Danesh soon confirms that magical forces are at work.

Book 2: The Seven Succubi

The Seven Succubi cover image by Alison Buck
Cover design by Alison Buck

Of all the denizens of the circles of Hell, perhaps none is more feared among those of a high-minded sensibility than the succubi.

The Assizes of Suffolk in the eighteenth century granted the Office of the Witchfinder General the power to employ ‘demonic powers’ so long as their use is ‘reasonable’ and ‘made only to defeat some yet greater supernatural threat’. No attempt was made in the wording of the assizes to measure or grade such threats, however – making the question of whether it is acceptable to fight fire with fire a troublingly subjective one. Now, in the twenty-first century, Danesh Shahzan, Acolyte in Her Majesty’s Office of the Witchfinder General, had been struggling with that very question…

Book 3: Head Full of Dark

Head Full of Dark by Simon Kewin; Cover design by Alison Buck
Cover design by Alison Buck

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

There is clearly someone in the Office of the Witchfinder General who is working for or with English Wizardry, and Danesh and the Crow are determined to track them down. It might even be one of the Lord High Witchfinders. Who can they trust? Can Danesh even trust the Crow? To ensure the traitor is not alerted, Danesh conducts an off-the-books investigation under cover of an inquiry into a cold case. But not all cold cases stay cold; not all dead witches stay dead; and not all traitors stay hidden… and what is the significance of the goat’s skull?

Concerns raised that the increasing cost of paper and printing makes publishing physical books too expensive for small presses

Small independent publishers, without the means to outsource large print runs to cheap overseas printers, are being priced out of the market and may have to concentrate on ebooks, limiting readers’ choice of format

DARTFORD, KENT – 24 May 2023 – Elsewhen Press is a publishing house specialising in high quality, entertaining and thoughtful speculative fiction from talented authors, many of whom are debut authors. Like most small presses in genre fiction, one of the ways that Elsewhen Press tries to keep in touch with the readers of their books is by attending science fiction and fantasy conventions, especially fan-run conventions. During the pandemic this was difficult, many conventions were postponed or became virtual. Over the last year or so it has been slowly getting back to ‘normal’ and conventions are once again happening. Over the final weekend of May, Elsewhen Press will be at the Satellite 8 science fiction convention in Glasgow, once more enjoying the opportunity to meet and talk with readers. We are delighted to be able to take part in panels, including a session on Saturday afternoon where a number of our Scottish authors – including David M. Allan, David Craig, Craig Meighan, Christopher G. Nuttall, and Douglas Thompson – will be reading from their new or forthcoming books.

One of the panels at the Satellite 8 convention, in which Elsewhen Press will be participating, is a discussion of how the escalating costs of printing, paper, shipping and storage over the last couple of years are impacting the ability of small and indie presses to continue to produce printed editions of their books at prices affordable by readers. While big publishers can still negotiate prices for large print-runs in cheap-labour overseas territories, indies are now largely constrained to use short-run and print-on-demand services which are significantly more expensive per copy, leading to increasing list prices for their books. With wholesale discounts of 55%, a 250 page paperback book, for example, which may cost £4.30 to print-on-demand, with a list price of £10 would only provide the publisher and the author with a royalty of a few pence each; a 520 page book may cost over £7 to print-on-demand, requiring a list price of at least £16 just to cover printing costs. As all the costs increase, the viability of printing such long books begins to be questionable; indeed, some presses are already reducing the upper limit for the manuscript word-count they will accept, and some have started to concentrate more on publishing novellas. Up to now, the debate around ebooks versus print books has largely centred on readers’ personal preference and convenience, but now the rising prices resulting from increased costs may be the deciding factor not just for readers, but also for publishers to decide in which medium they publish a new title.

We will also be selling copies of our recently published books at Satellite 8, and this will be the first opportunity for readers to buy paperback copies of our two newest titles: Renegade by Miles Nelson which is officially published on May 29th; and The Last Star by Terry Grimwood, although it is not officially published until the 5th of June we will have copies available for sale on our table in the dealers’ room.

Satellite 8, the science fiction convention, is taking place at the Crowne Plaza hotel, next to the SEC Armadillo, in Glasgow from Friday 26th May until Sunday 28th May.

Notes for Editors

About Satellite 8

Satellite 8 is a Science Fiction convention, run by volunteers, with a varied programme living up to the Satellite Convention motto: Science Fiction, Science Fact, Science Fun! As well as panels and workshops, there will be a Dealers’ Room and Art Show, as well as a Fan Bar to give attendees a convivial place to sit and relax with friends, old and new. Guest of Honour are multiple award-winning author Christopher Priest and local fan legend Michelle “Cuddles” Drayton-Harrold.

Details of Satellite 8 can be found on the Satellite Conventions website at https://eight.satellitex.org.uk/

About Science Fiction Conventions

A Science Fiction convention is a meeting of people interested in science fiction, usually with an emphasis on literary aspects, although topics such as media SF (TV and movies) and space science often play an important part. The formal part of the convention consists of a programme of events. Smaller conventions may have just one stream of programming but larger ones will have several streams running in parallel.

In addition, there will often be an art show and auction; a dealers’ room where you can buy books, jewellery, and other items with an SF or fantasy theme; and a games room. There will be one or more bars, often featuring real ale, and ample room for fans to sit around and renew old acquaintances or make new friends.

Science fiction conventions are traditionally run on a not-for-profit basis by committees of fan volunteers, who will give up literally hundreds of hours of their own time to make the event as enjoyable as possible. Any profits generated are usually donated to charity, or used as ‘seed’ funding for future conventions. This is in contrast to the large professional conventions such as Comic-Con etc. which are run for profit and generally have an emphasis on actors rather than writers.

Many different kinds of item will be included in a typical convention programme. There will be talks where an individual – who may be a guest or a fan – gives a lecture presentation on a particular theme. There are panels where four or five people discuss an issue, overseen by a Moderator, who will normally invite the audience to contribute to the debate at some point. Workshops are generally ‘hands-on’ and allow fans to try out something new – perhaps something energetic, like Scottish Country Dancing, or ‘crafty’, like knitting or embroidery. Quizzes come in different guises, including ‘Pub Quiz’ style and variants on popular TV and radio formats. There may also be author readings, book launches, tasting sessions, and ‘kaffeklatches’ with the Guests of Honour (usually with limited spaces available — so you have to sign up in advance).

Evening events may include a cabaret, ceilidh or disco. The final evening of the convention sees the Dead Dog Party. This is a tradition where those still standing get together to talk about the weekend’s events over a drink. It’s also fertile ground for ideas for future conventions: many a convention has been born at a previous con’s Dead Dog Party!

[Conventions description courtesy of Satellite Conventions]

Science fiction author pioneers pay-it-forward Gift-A-Book scheme in Durham

Miles Nelson, author-in-residence at the BookWyrm indie bookshop, advocates for LGBTQ+ and mental health resources and believes everyone should have access to the books that bring them joy.

DARTFORD, KENT – 28 April 2023 – Elsewhen Press is a publishing house specialising in high quality, entertaining and thoughtful speculative fiction. One of our best-loved authors, Miles Nelson, spends time when he’s not writing, working in the Durham indie bookshop, BookWyrm, that he co-owns with his husband Chris. As author-in-residence at the bookshop he enjoys meeting new and existing readers of his books. The shop specialises in LGBTQ+ books as well as books by independent authors and small presses, and is very popular with students from Durham University. Miles and Chris are very active in promoting LGBTQ+ and mental health resources and recently announced their innovative pay-it-forward Gift-a-Book scheme, which allows a customer in the shop to purchase a featured book at a reduced price, to be set aside for someone who needs it, with an optional note to “spread little messages of queer joy!” Each month, they will spotlight a new title as their featured book. Their first such featured book was the Trans Guide to Mental Health and Well-Being by Katy Lees, chosen to celebrate Trans Day of Visibility. Readers in need of a book but with limited funds can ask at the counter in the shop to see which books are available. As Miles and Chris said in their announcement of the scheme, “Whether it’s guides to mental health, identity and neurodiversity or highly anticipated new releases, we believe that everyone should have access to the books that bring them joy, and we hope that Gift-a-Book opens that door to more of Durham’s LGBTQ+ community than ever before.”

Miles’ own books address issues relating to gender, identity and mental health in a science fiction or fantasy setting. His debut book, Riftmaster, a science fiction adventure published in 2021 by Elsewhen Press, was concerned with loss and letting go, while still holding onto your humanity and identity, even when life seems hopeless. Renegade, the sequel to Riftmaster, which is published by Elsewhen Press today, explores loneliness, trust and responsibility. Miles says it has “been one of the most teeth-clenchingly frustrating and rewarding books I’ve ever worked on.” Miles is also a gifted artist – as well as designing the covers to his books, each chapter starts with a small illustration relating to the story. He even makes small hand-sculptured figures to accompany the books, which are sold in the shop and at various other events that Miles and Chris attend. It’s no surprise that Miles is often asked to lead writing workshops, especially for younger would-be authors.

Peter Buck, editorial director of Elsewhen Press says, “When we first met Miles we were amazed at how much energy he has, almost literally bouncing into the room. We launched Riftmaster at a science fiction convention and Miles endeared himself to everybody there with his infectiously bubbly personality. He and Chris are impressive advocates of the LGBTQ+ community, and great supporters of various projects to help people, especially those who are neurodiverse or suffering from mental health issues. It has been a pleasure to see how quickly they have made a success of their indie bookshop, and what an impact it has already made in Durham. Miles’ personality and his concern for the welfare of others comes through very strongly in his writing, adding great depth to his characters, yet not detracting from the action and adventure. We are very proud that Miles chose Elsewhen Press to publish his books.”

Andrew Joseph White, New York Times bestselling author of Hell Followed with Us, said of Renegade: “Beautiful sci-fi landscapes and action-packed adventure collides with a heart-wrenching look at loss and grief; what does it mean to love when you will always have to leave someone behind?”

Miles Nelson says “It’s so exciting to finally release Renegade to the world, but so nerve-racking too! I’ve never written a sequel before, and even more than that, this is the first time I’ve had people eagerly awaiting my next release! Renegade is very different from its predecessor – I’m so excited to see what everyone thinks!”

Chris and Miles’ bookshop, BookWyrm, is in Unit 12 in Durham’s Indoor Market Hall, and can be found online at https://bookwyrm.co.uk/

Renegade, the sequel to Miles’ bestselling Riftmaster, is published in eBook today and in paperback on 29th May.

Notes for Editors

About Renegade

The Riftmaster Ari is on their own, with nothing but their wit, their satchel, and a vow to make it back to Earth.

Renegade by Miles Nelson; Artwork: Miles NelsonTo do that they must stay alive, no matter the cost… but it seems that the inhabitants of this vast universe have other plans.

With Bailey gone, Ari’s life should shift back to normalcy. But after discovering all that remains of their family and taking the life of their love, Ari feels more alone than ever. Their only company is the strange sickness that fights against their every move, and the starships that seem to creep across the skies of every planet they visit. Starships belonging to the Renohaiin Empire.

In their time as Riftmaster, Ari has made allies and enemies alike. Even still, the Empire’s motives are hazy at the best of times, and insidious at the worst. As Ari’s condition deteriorates, the Renohaiin alone might have a cure.

For now, the Riftmaster is alive. But just how far will they go to keep it that way?

Renegade is the much anticipated sequel to Riftmaster, the 2021 bestseller from Miles Nelson.

Cover art: Miles Nelson

Visit bit.ly/Renegade-Nelson

About Miles Nelson

Miles Nelson was born and raised in the distant north, in a quaint little city called Durham. He studied video game design at Teesside University, graduating in 2018. Since then, he has taken a step back from coding to work on his writing career, and has since led several masterclasses with New Writing North. He has been writing all his life, and although Riftmaster was technically his fourth novel, he likes to pretend the first three don’t exist. Whilst he is primarily a sci-fi writer who loves long journeys, strange worlds and all things space and stars, he has also had brief flings with the genres of fantasy and horror. He often writes stories highlighting the struggles faced by the LGBTQ+ community, and tries to include themes of empathy and inclusivity in all he does. Even then, though, Miles stands firm in the belief that this is not the defining element of his stories. And although he tries to represent his community as best he can, these themes are never the main focus; because he believes that (in most cases) a person shouldn’t be defined by their deviation from standard norms. Outside of scifi and fantasy, he has a deep-rooted fascination with natural history, and collects books told from unique perspectives (be they animal, alien, or mammoths from Mars). The older, the better; his oldest book is just about to turn 100! He currently lives in Durham City with his husband, Chris, who so far seems unworried by Miles’ rapidly growing collections.

C.R. Berry has created a fantastic series, subverting some of the oldest and most popular conspiracy theories around, as well as providing a hugely entertaining thriller

One theory to rule them all and in the darkness bind them.

DARTFORD, KENT – 28 March 2023 – Elsewhen Press is a publishing house specialising in high quality, entertaining and thoughtful speculative fiction, often from authors who use satire to draw attention to an important issue. C.R. Berry is one of those talented authors. He created the Million Eyes trilogy, centred on a fictional, ubiquitous multinational tech giant with a longer history than most. An organisation that is surreptitiously using time travel to manipulate society to achieve their own goals. Those goals are slowly revealed throughout the trilogy, as are the lengths to which the organisation is prepared to go in order to circumvent anyone standing in their way. Of course, the central premise, that they can manipulate time, whilst being a popular trope in science fiction, is clearly preposterous in reality and indicates the true target of Berry’s satire, namely the countless proponents of innumerable and equally preposterous conspiracy theories. The Million Eyes organisation’s ability to tamper with the past is a perfect mechanism to explain almost any popular conspiracy theory that is promoted on the internet.

Before the publication of Million Eyes, the first book in the trilogy, Berry and Elsewhen Press set up a spoof website purporting to be the corporate online presence for the Million Eyes company, complete with apparent products and services, a news feed, and a shop that appeared to have been hacked. Some early readers helped contribute comments on social media as if the company was real and the book’s revelations genuine. The fictional management of Million Eyes even responded, often menacingly. This did result in some conspiracy theorists being taken in, although not as many as had been hoped. The inevitable conclusion is that conspiracy theorists are not as stupid as they seem.

Peter Buck, editorial director of Elsewhen Press says, “Creating a conspiracy theory provides an author with the opportunity to have mysterious antagonists. With such an all-encompassing mechanism as the time-travelling Million Eyes operatives, many different existing conspiracy theories can be easily pulled together to support one another and give credence to the central premise. C.R. Berry has created a fantastic vehicle to subvert some of the oldest and most popular conspiracy theories around, as well as providing a hugely entertaining thriller.”

As well as causing consternation among some hardened supporters of well-known conspiracy theories, Berry has also sparked controversy over some of the events he includes in the scope of his trilogy; in particular, the identity of Jack the Ripper, the death of Princess Diana and the ministry of Jesus.

C.R. Berry says “I wrote the Million Eyes books to remind people that if you don’t take them seriously, conspiracy theories can just be a bit of fun. I’m attracted to them because they make great stories. I don’t actually think dark forces are lurking everywhere, secretly engineering a New World Order, murdering princesses in car crashes, or hoaxing moon landings. But I love to imagine that they could be.”

This month has seen the publication of the third and final book in the trilogy, Million Eyes III: Ouroboros. The true nature of the organisation is revealed, horrific future events are unveiled, and in time-honoured tradition there are unexpected twists in the tale. All three books are available in both eBook and paperback from leading retailers. In addition, two collections of short stories set in the world of Million Eyes are available as free downloads from the Elsewhen Press website.

Notes for Editors

About Million Eyes

The rumours are true. Time travel is real. It was invented years ago.
But it’s a (mostly) well-kept secret.

Of course, if time travel is happening now, how do we know that the timeline we’re living in is the right one? Well, we don’t. And we’re not. History’s already been changed. The timeline is corrupted, poisoned, wrong. And it’s all to do with the mysterious Million Eyes…

In the Million Eyes series, readers will learn the hidden truth behind many famous events in our history. From Princess Diana’s death to the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower to the Gunpowder Plot to the Loch Ness Monster. Past, present and future collide, with unwitting civilians caught in a complicated, temporal-paradox-laden crossfire.

The big question is, what are Million Eyes really doing? Why are they meddling with history? And what is their endgame?

The Million Eyes series comprises a trilogy of novels and a collection of short stories. The series will appeal to fans of fast-paced conspiracy thrillers with sizeable lashings of sci-fi on the side. (And some historical fiction thrown in for good measure.)

Visit bit.ly/MillionEyesTrilogy

Million Eyes trilogy by C.R. Berry, with free short story collections; Covers by P.R. Pope (I, collections) and Alison Buck (II,III)
Artwork: P.R. Pope (I, collections); Alison Buck (II, III)

The Million Eyes trilogy

Book 1: Million Eyes

Book 2: Million Eyes II: The Unraveller

Book 3: Million Eyes III: Ouroboros

Free short story collections

Million Eyes: Extra Time

Million Eyes: Over Time

About C.R. Berry

C.R. Berry is an ex-lawyer turned full-time writer, whose fiction spans the sci-fi, mystery, conspiracy, historical, fantasy and horror genres – because why have one genre when you can have them all? His favourite characters are usually villains, hence why he likes conspiracy stories, where there are baddies at every turn.

Berry was published in Best of British Science Fiction 2020 from Newcon Press with a short story set in the world of the Million Eyes trilogy. He’s also been published in magazines and anthologies such as Storgy and Dark Tales, and in 2018 was shortlisted in the Grindstone Literary International Novel Competition.

Having completed the Million Eyes trilogy, Berry is working on two further novels. One is a horror called The Puddle Bumps, about a lawyer who links a mysterious kids’ TV show to an old murder case. The other is a collaboration with his fiancée Katy called Breaching The Wall, a sci-fi adventure about a spaceship tasked with solving the Universe’s greatest mystery: why the wall that surrounds it is collapsing.

He lives with Katy in Clanfield, Hampshire, in a house called the Gathered Worlds, named after the intergalactic organisation in Breaching The Wall and, appropriately, because they’ve themed all the rooms. Their bedroom is a spaceship, their kitchen a 50s diner and their living room a forest. Their office is a nerd’s dream, wall to wall with TV and movie memorabilia to fuel the magic that happens there!

 

“Absorbing fantasy set in a richly imagined world”

The final book in Juliet Kemp’s acclaimed epic series is lauded both by other fantasy authors and fans

DARTFORD, KENT – 24 February 2023 – Elsewhen Press is a publishing house specialising in high quality, entertaining and thoughtful speculative fiction, often addressing current, real-world issues through a fictional prism. Author Juliet Kemp, activist and campaigner, has long been fascinated by politics and how the various elements of society interact, negotiate and compromise. For the Marek series, Juliet has built a fascinating and believable world juxtaposing political in-fighting, social inequity, familial conflicts, territorial and trade disputes, against a backdrop of an innovative magic system. That this world, and Juliet’s writing and story-telling, has proved engaging to readers is amply demonstrated by the award-winning authors who have been expressing their admiration of the books in the series.

Multiple Nebula-award winning author Aliette de Bodard wrote, of The Deep and Shining Dark (book 1 in the series), “A rich and memorable tale of political ambition, family and magic, set in an imagined city that feels as vibrant as the characters inhabiting it.”

Book 2 in the series was Shadow and Storm, about which Lamda Literary Award winner, Rivers Solomon, wrote “Shadow and Storm is an absolute delight to read, the literary equivalent of sinking into the embrace of a dear friend. Warm and cosy but never short on adventure and intrigue, Kemp’s second entry into this series won’t disappoint. The characters are real, full of depth, and richly drawn, and you’ll wish you had even more time with them by book’s end. A fantastic read!”

Author, sociologist and humanitarian aid worker, Malka Older, had this to say about The Rising Flood, the third book in the series, “Fantasy politics with real nuance and believable uncertainty, characters whose richness and depth has developed over three books, and a growing threat that starts pulling together threads across the series make The Rising Flood a fantastic read, while Marek is a textured place that is a joy to return to.”

The final book in the series is The City Revealed. Una McCormack, New York Times bestselling science fiction author, wrote “The City Revealed is an absorbing fantasy set in a richly imagined world. A lovingly drawn and diverse set of characters struggle both personally and politically with the consequences of their own and others’ actions, and strive for cooperation without sacrificing principles. A thoroughly satisfying read.”

Another accomplished fantasy author, Juliet E. McKenna, wrote of The City Revealed, 
“Eminently satisfying epic fantasy where the personal, the political and the magical are multilayered and interlocked.”

About building the world for Marek, Juliet Kemp has said, “In creating Marek, I wanted an independent city-state (I’d been reading about mediaeval Venice and the other Italian city-states, and why they fell); and I wanted it to be in relationship with another country, to generate plot-tension. Marek is a port, because ports are great (I’m biased; I live right by the river in what was once the Pool of London). Specifically, I decided it would be the port for the landlocked country of Teren, upriver; and put swamp between Teren and Marek to make contact harder. That also gave me a founding story, and one that I could tie in to the beginning and foundation of Marek’s very particular form of magic, mediated by the cityangel, who made a deal with the people who founded Marek. But despite being a port, Marek doesn’t carry its own goods; the Oval Sea is monopolised by a sailing nation who do all the carting around of things – a source of tension in the first book, and a window into the wider world that we don’t see directly. Marek is primarily a trading city, so the ruling merchant families of Marek are rich. Being physically cut off, Marek’s become more independent over time, including financially; and Teren wants to claw back some of those riches. That became a major series plot arc. Meanwhile… who within the city has, and doesn’t have, power? The trading families have power, but they rely on the Guilds for much of what Marek trades (added value); and the Guilds are getting stronger and more arsey. And then there’s the lower city… Some of my characters at times make some quite stupid political decisions, given the underlying drivers. I’ve watched real life people make some quite stupid political decisions, in recent years, so, well. Fiction needn’t be more sensible than reality. It’s been a lot of fun to write in the world; maybe I will be back to it some day!”

The City Revealed is now available in eBook format on most platforms and in paperback from Amazon and good booksellers.

Notes for Editors

About The City Revealed

Independence brings self-determination, but also threats from without and within

The City Revealed by Juliet Kemp; Artwork: Tony Allcock
Artwork: Tony Allcock

The city of Marek rests on newly-independent laurels. Their ties to Teren, the land-locked nation for which they served as sole trade link to the world, are cut; Teren’s Lieutenant, Selene, has been expelled, and her seat rests empty in the Marekhill Council chambers.

But Selene, fresh from her political defeat, threatened to return – next time, not with honeyed words or veiled threats, but with armed soldiers and war sorcerers. Last year, the sorcerers of Marek narrowly defeated a single Teren-summoned demon; how might they fare against a dozen or more?

Twisting the already fraying cord of a city under siege, the common people of Marek grow increasingly fervent in their own demands for representation – for a say in how the city is run, and for whom it is run.

Marcia, Fereno-Heir, agrees with the Lower City; they deserve a better say. But much of the Council won’t hear of it – and, of course, there’s Selene’s threat of an army of sorcerers at the city’s magical border. Sorcerers that half the Marekhill Council wouldn’t even accept as real.

She must work with the sorcerer Reb, her lover, to force the Council to recognise the truth of magic, whilst her sorcerer brother, Cato, rushes to build some sort of defence.

Because if Teren’s demons can pass the Cityangel’s wards, it’ll be the end of them all.



ISBN: 9781915304216 (paperback, 344pp) / 9781915304315 (eBook)

Visit bit.ly/TheCityRevealed

The Marek series

Book 1: The Deep and Shining Dark

Book 2: Shadow and Storm

Book 3: The Rising Flood

Book 4: The City Revealed

About Juliet Kemp

Juliet Kemp lives by the river in London, with their partners, child, dog, and too many fountain pens. They have had stories published in several anthologies and online magazines. Their employment history variously includes working as a cycle instructor, sysadmin, life model, researcher, permaculture designer, and journalist. When not writing or parenting, Juliet goes climbing, knits, reads way too much, and drinks a lot of tea.

Long-awaited novel from best-selling Scottish author, continues series that explores changes to society had the science behind magic been understood in the 19th century

After a six-year wait, the latest, much-anticipated, novel in Christopher G. Nuttall’s Royal Sorceress series depicts a society that continues to be ardently patriarchal despite the most powerful magician being female

DARTFORD, KENT – 27 January 2023 – Elsewhen Press, an independent UK publisher specialising in Speculative Fiction, is committed to publishing entertaining books. Their most popular author is Christopher G. Nuttall, frequently one of the best-selling science fiction and fantasy authors on Amazon. As well as being a prolific self-published author, Nuttall has been published by indie publishers. His first professionally published book, The Royal Sorceress, was published by Elsewhen Press in 2012 and was an instant hit. Since then, there have been three more books in the series, the last one published in 2016. The Revolutionary War, the long-awaited next instalment in the story of Lady Gwendolyn Crichton, the eponymous Royal Sorceress, is now finally available.

Christopher G. Nuttall is a master storyteller, with an insatiable interest in history and in studied exploration of what might have been if events had been even just slightly different. That led him to set up one of the first alternative history websites in the early days of the world wide web. He soon had a large following among the community of history and alternative history fans, so when he started writing his own fiction it found immediate success. He has subsequently been writing stories in a number of different series, both science fiction and fantasy, but often with an eye on alternative history and social justice.

Peter Buck, Editorial Director of Elsewhen Press, says, “The Royal Sorceress series continues to be very popular, in ebook, print and audiobook – even now, 10 years after the first book was published. The stories are set in the early 19th century where English researchers had, some years before, discovered the scientific basis of ‘magic’ – enabling Britain to win the American war of independence, and the British Empire to flourish while other nations struggled to develop their own magical talents. As well as allowing Chris to explore the implications of such changes in global events, politically, the premise of the series addresses the disconnect between a society that has advanced both technologically and magically, but is still stuck with old social mores and attitudes. This is made evident in the attitude of politicians and military who are aghast that the most powerful magician in the country is a woman. His peerless skill at combining alternative history, social satire, and fantasy means that the stories appeal not only to fans of historical adventures and alternative history, but also to fans of fantasy and steampunk fiction. Since the success of The Royal Sorceress, Chris has been writing a variety of stories, but there have always been many readers regularly asking for the next instalment in Gwen’s story. At last, this much anticipated tale has arrived, with Gwen going to France for the first time.”

The Revolutionary War, is published by Elsewhen Press in eBook format today and will be available in paperback on the 27th February.

Notes for Editors

About Christopher G. Nuttall

Christopher G. Nuttall has been planning sci-fi books since he learnt to read. Born and raised in Edinburgh, Chris created an alternate history website and eventually graduated to writing full-sized novels. Studying history independently allowed him to develop worlds that hung together and provided a base for storytelling. After graduating from university, Chris started writing full-time. As an indie author he has self-published many novels. This is his latest fantasy to be published by Elsewhen Press, the much-anticipated fifth in the popular Royal Sorceress series. The first was The Royal Sorceress, followed by The Great Game, Necropolis and Sons of Liberty. The Revolutionary War continues Gwen’s story. Chris is currently living in Edinburgh with his wife, muse, and critic, Aisha, and their two sons.

About The Revolutionary War

The Revolutionary War by Christopher G. Nuttall; Cover design by Alison Buck
Cover design by Alison Buck

Something is rotten in the state of France …

After years of inconclusive war, the Franco-Spanish Empire is on the verge of collapse. The military is coming apart, the people are starving, the economy is on the brink … and yet, as long as the crown keeps tight control of its magicians, all hope of revolution and victory remains faint. The secret police are in control, rebel magicians are hunted down and eliminated before they can pose a threat and, worst of all, the government has found a new way to enhance magical power. The situation seems dire. But with a little help, there may be a chance.

Returning from America with Bruce, her fiancé, Gwen is not best pleased to be sent to Paris to train the rebels in magic, to give them a fighting chance against the government before the stresses of war threaten to destroy the British Empire as surely as their French enemies. But with shadowy figures lurking in the background, and an entire country on the brink of chaos, Gwen must face her gravest challenge yet …

… In an environment where her enemies hold all the cards.

 

Book V of the Royal Sorceress series

Cover artwork by Alison Buck

ISBN: 9781915304339 eBook / 9781915304230 paperback 422pp

Visit bit.ly/The-Revolutionary-War

About The Royal Sorceress series

It’s 1830, in an alternate Britain where the ‘scientific’ principles of magic were discovered sixty years previously, allowing the British to win the American War of Independence. Although Britain is now supreme among the Great Powers, the gulf between rich and poor in the Empire has widened and unrest is growing every day. The King’s Royal Sorcerer, is ageing and must find a successor to lead the Royal Sorcerers Corps, one who is Master of all known magical powers. There is only one candidate, one person who has displayed such a talent from an early age, but has been neither trained nor officially acknowledged. A perfect candidate to be Master Thomas’ apprentice in all ways but one: the Royal College of Sorcerers has never admitted a girl before. So start the adventures of Lady Gwendolyn Crichton, soon to be the Royal Sorceress.

Inept leaders and covert factions plotting, lying, and fighting for personal power, while they see their population as disposable – the real world is worse than fiction

Author’s fantasy world has a lot to tell us about how conflict can be resolved in our world.

DARTFORD, KENT – 14 October 2022 – Elsewhen Press, an independent UK publisher specialising in Speculative Fiction, is committed to publishing entertaining books. At a time when conflict is causing problems across the world, economies are collapsing, and winter is coming, escapism has never been more welcome. Fantasy, more than any other literary genre, can provide a means of escape, albeit it temporary; humour can not only entertain and distract but, when used as a satirical weapon, may even be able to help inspiration. The latest book from Mark Montanaro, offers more epic fantasy poking fun at warmongers, dictators and politicians.

The Enchanting Tricks is the sequel to Montanaro’s successful 2020 debut The Magic Fix. The Known World is back, with more magic, more comedy, more fantasy. Not to mention some new characters, unnecessary fighting and incompetent leaders making a mess. If you can imagine such a thing…

Mark Montanaro says, “In a fantasy world of Goblins, Pixies, Ogres, Humans, Elves and Trolls, it’s just about feasible that there could be an enchantment that would make everyone get along. If only there was one that would work in the real world.”

Peter Buck, Editorial Director of Elsewhen Press, said, “In some rather worrying ways, the world around us is becoming more like Mark’s ‘Known World’ every day. Inept leaders and covert factions plotting, lying, fighting, for little more than self-aggrandisement or personal power, with almost casual indifference to their own populations whom they seem to regard as entirely disposable. Even Ogres and Goblins behave better than that! Mostly. Over the last few months, as we have been editing and otherwise preparing Mark’s book ready for production, our world has been getting uncomfortably closer and closer to some of the ridiculous situations in the story. At one point we seriously wondered whether it was too close to home. You might not think that the best way to escape from a world in conflict is to immerse yourself in a fictional one but, in fact, Mark’s story, while a cutting satire on politics, warfare and leadership, does actually give us hope for better times to come while also making us laugh out loud along the way.”

The Enchanting Tricks, is published by Elsewhen Press in eBook format today and will be available in paperback on the 7th November.

Notes for Editors

About Mark Montanaro

Mark has always been a man of many talents. He can count with both hands, get five letter words on Countdown and once solved a Rubik’s cube in just 5 days, 13 hours and 59 minutes.

His creativity started at an early age, when he invented plenty of imaginary friends, and even more imaginary girlfriends. As he got older, he started to use his talents to change the world for the better. World peace, poverty reduction, climate change; Mark imagined he had solutions to all of them.

He now lives in London with his Xbox, television and non-imaginary girlfriend. He recently embarked on his greatest and most creative project yet: a witty novel set in a fantasy world, The Magic Fix, Mark’s debut book. The Enchanting Tricks is the sequel.

About The Enchanting Tricks

The Known World is still not fixed… and things have got ugly

Cover: S & A Buck
Cover: S & A Buck

In the Goblin realm, Queen Afflech was doing remarkably well considering the circumstances. She had seen her husband die, and both her sons killed within the space of a couple of weeks. That kind of thing does tend to bring you down a bit.

Losing three kings in a few days looked rather careless. But of more concern to the Goblin warlords was whether it looked weak to their enemies. They suspected the Humans were behind one death and the Ogres behind another. The Pixies were no threat, the Trolls would probably soon be killing one another again, and the Elves were irrelevant (or, to be precise, just annoying).

Meanwhile, King Wyndham wanted to show the Goblins that Humans were not to blame (apart from the two who might be to blame). Petra, the most famous Pixie in the Known World, knew exactly who was to blame and wanted to rescue them. Lord Protector Higarth was determined to help the Goblins with their predicament, whether they wanted Ogre-help or not.

But on the plus side, the dragon’s gone; and there are still plenty of unicorns… maybe they can somehow solve everything?

ISBN: 9781915304193 eBook / 9781915304094 paperback 270pp

Visit bit.ly/TheEnchantingTricks