Red Dragon facsimile edition published today

Cover image: Alison Buck
Cover image: Alison Buck

Elsewhen Press are pleased to be able to publish this facsimile of the 1999 illustrated, limited edition privately published by the author but since unobtainable.

When we published The Seven Succubi (the second story of Her Majesty’s Office of the Witchfinder General, protecting the public from the unnatural since 1645), the second book in Simon Kewin’s Witchfinder series, it referenced Dr Miriam Seacastle’s modest book Red Dragon, which was privately published by the author herself in 1999 in an illustrated, limited edition. We were keen to obtain a copy but discovered that there were no extant copies available. In his own book, Simon had mentioned that the OWG in Cardiff had a copy, so we sought permission to examine it. After much obfuscation and bureaucracy, we managed to contact the librarian directly. With a little persistence they were persuaded to allow us to peruse their copy in a secure facility. We were able to make a photographic record, which is what we have used as the basis for this facsimile edition.

We subsequently obtained permission to reproduce Red Dragon from Dr Seacastle, who expressed delight that her book would once more see the light of day, but conveyed her concern that all copies would again be seized by the OWG. We assured her that we are firmly of the opinion that this book is an invaluable collector’s item, and we will robustly resist any attempt to suppress its republication.

We also obtained the approval of the illustrator to use the original illustrations in this facsimile.

When there’s something strange in your neighbourhood, who are the police gonna call? The Office of the Witchfinder General.

Dealing with supernatural threats to Her Majesty’s realm is the purview of HM OWG. You would be surprised to know how many operatives they have throughout the UK. The Eye Collectors is the story of one perfidious case from the Cardiff office.

DARTFORD, KENT – 04 September 2020 – Elsewhen Press, an independent UK publisher specialising in Speculative Fiction, is delighted to announce the publication of The Eye Collectors by Simon Kewin. Subtitled A story of Her Majesty’s Office of the Witchfinder General, protecting the public from the unnatural since 1645, it is genre-defying, being at once a contemporary urban fantasy, a chilling paranormal thriller, a gritty police-procedural mystery, and a witty satire on the barriers to diversity in modern society… set largely in Cardiff.

Cover design: 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. Concerned that there may be more victims to come, he and DI Zubrasky establish a wary collaboration as they each pursue the investigation within the constraints of their respective organisations. Soon Danesh learns that there may be much wider implications to what is taking place and that somehow he has an unexpected connection. He also realises something about himself that he can never admit to the people with whom he works…

An early reader described The Eye Collectors as “Dirk Gently meets Good Omens!”

The Eye Collectors is available now in eBook format and will be available in paperback from 16th November 2020.

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, is married, and has two daughters.

Visit bit.ly/TheEyeCollectors

 

Cursed on the Prairies coming in September…

If you’ve read Tanya Reimer’s Sacred Land Stories Legends on the Prairies and Ghosts on the Prairies you’ll be delighted to hear that the concluding story Cursed on the Prairies will be published next month. An emotional journey that proves we can’t escape our destinies, Cursed on the Prairies is the culmination of a trans-generational timeline that started in Legends… and continued in Ghosts… If you haven’t read the Sacred Land Stories, now is your chance to read the first two before Cursed on the Prairies comes out.

This is alternate history suspense, incorporating the paranormal and magical realism, and infused with romance. They are stories that concern the Sacred Lands of the Ghost tribes in the prairies of Saskatchewan. But they also touch on the interwoven loves, hopes, dreams and tragedies of lives lived on those prairies by both the tribes and the settlers. Although each book in the series is a standalone story which can be read without any knowledge of the other two books, the greatest enjoyment is likely to gained by reading them in sequence.

With lingering spirits, a troubled girl, dark rituals, a love potion, cursed men plaguing their lands, a prison break, and the earth itself trying to suck them in, Cursed on the Prairies is a Sacred Land Story that shows that the prairies are a place full of secrets that even a ghost can’t bury.

Artwork: Alison Buck
Artwork: Alison Buck

 

The Unseen by Dave Weaver now available in paperback

Artwork by Alison Buck; Cottage photograph by 1000 Words/shutterstock.com
Artwork by Alison Buck; Cottage photograph by 1000 Words/shutterstock.com

Dave Weaver’s latest novel The Unseen, which has been available as an eBook since Friday the 13th May, is now available in paperback.

In a recent review on RisingShadow, Seregil of Rhiminee said “The Unseen has a touch of British coolness that separates it from other horror novels. Although it’s partly a traditional supernatural story, it has freshness that makes it different and entertaining.”

The Unseen will be available to buy or order in paperback through all good retailers and direct from Elsewhen Press.

OUT TODAY – Legends on the Prairies, a Sacred Land Story by Tanya Reimer

Today we are publishing Legends on the Prairies, a Sacred Land Story by Tanya Reimer. The prequel to her previous novel Ghosts on the Prairies it is the second of her Sacred Land Stories. Alternate history with paranormal and romantic elements, it is a story about growth, friendship, love, and the importance of believing in ourselves.

If someone believed that you were a hero from a legend, would you live up to it, or would you run?

Artwork: Alison Buck
Artwork: Alison Buck

Travelling across the country in 1892 to settle land on an unexplored part of the prairies, Alex hopes to find himself, to find a reason for his pitiful existence, and to have one last adventure with his dying friend. What he actually finds in the heart of the lonesome prairies is Sacri, defending land with her very soul. She believes he is the Man of Legends sent to save Sacred Land. Her determination entrances him. Despite everything, Alex finds himself praying to a God that he thought had abandoned him, in the hope that just maybe there is some truth to Sacri’s stories.

Sacri wants Alex to believe that he is the hero from her legends. Alex is a lot of things. He’s a painter, a sculptor, and a dreamer. He was just fired from a good job, grieves for a woman he hoped to marry, and is known as the local drunk. He’s terrified of fire, of losing his friend, and of being alone. He is a lot of things, but hero isn’t one of them.

To add to Alex’s unease is the certainty that Sacri’s brother, often merely seen as a silver shadow riding his horse across the horizon, will happily kill him if he turns out not to be the man that Sacri thinks he is.

Available from today in eBook formats on all popular platforms, Legends on the Prairies will also be available in paperback in November.

 

“Intriguing horror entertainment!” – review of The Unseen on RisingShadow

Artwork by Alison Buck; Cottage photograph by 1000 Words/shutterstock.com
Artwork by Alison Buck; Cottage photograph by 1000 Words/shutterstock.com

On RisingShadow.net, Seregil of Rhiminee has posted a review of The Unseen, the latest novel from Dave Weaver. Seregil admits that he is a big fan of horror and starts by saying that The Unseen is a welcome addition to paranormal horror fiction. He says that it’s “an entertaining and intriguing novel, because it’s simultaneously a horror story and a paranormal thriller with elements of psychological horror.” He comments that “The Unseen has a touch of British coolness that separates it from other horror novels. Although it’s partly a traditional supernatural story, it has freshness that makes it different and entertaining.” He observes that The Unseen “has a surprise ending that suddenly steers the story into a new direction” which is “an intriguing twist that will thrill readers”, adding that he thinks “it’s good that the author has not settled for an ordinary ending, but has thought of something different”.

Describing Dave Weaver as a “versatile and talented author who has written interesting speculative fiction novels” Seregil says that, in The Unseen, Dave “easily creates a strange atmosphere that is filled with supernatural menace”. He has “created a fully three-dimensional protagonist in John Mason” and the supporting characters are “interesting and well-created”. One of the reasons why John is such an interesting protagonist is that “he is not perfect and has made mistakes. He is tormented by his past and has feelings of guilt. He has problems with alcohol, but he has gotten treatment for it”. Once he moves into his new cottage in Hambleford, John comes to believe that it is haunted by Evangeline Foret, a young girl who was found hanged in nearby woods almost 100 years ago. Seregil compliments Dave on creating “an intense, strange and hallucinatory atmosphere by gradually revealing what happens to John and what he finds out about the past events related to Evangeline”. He says that Dave “effectively infuses the story with dark eroticism and feelings of guilt” which “adds plenty of depth and punch to the story” and about which Dave “writes well”.

Seregil enjoyed reading The Unseen and says he’d “like to see Dave Weaver write more this kind of fiction, because he has potential to become a thrilling horror author. He has all the necessary talents to break out into the genre and cause amazement with his fiction.” He concludes by recommending The Unseen as an excellent novel for anyone looking for an entertaining and gripping story, that keeps you intrigued by various twists and turns and surprises you with its ending.

You can read Seregil’s full review here.

 

If someone believed you were a hero of legend, could you live up to it or would you walk away?

Tanya Reimer’s new novel tells how one unlikely man settling in the prairies of Saskatchewan in 1892 brings hope to the Ghost tribes and protects their Sacred Land

DARTFORD, KENT – 1 July 2016 – Elsewhen Press, an independent UK publisher specialising in Speculative Fiction, is delighted to announce the forthcoming publication of Legends on the Prairies, a Sacred Land Story by Canadian author Tanya Reimer. The prequel to her acclaimed debut novel Ghost on the Prairies, a Sacred Land Story, it tells the story of two people from different backgrounds and cultures who meet and bond over a common cause against a shared nemesis.

Artwork: Alison Buck
Artwork: Alison Buck

“Don’t you believe in legends?” Such a simple question, yet what Sacri really wants Alex to believe is that he is the hero from her legends. A hero meant to save land sacred to her tribe.

Alex is a lot of things. He’s a painter, a sculptor, and a dreamer. He has just been fired from a good job, grieves for a woman he hoped to marry, and is known as the local drunk. He’s terrified of fire, of losing his friend, and of being alone. He is a lot of things, but hero isn’t one of them.

Travelling across the country in 1892 to settle land on an unexplored part of the prairies, he hopes to find himself, to find a reason for his pitiful existence, and to have one last adventure with his dying friend. What he actually finds in the heart of the lonesome prairies is Sacri, defending land with her very soul. She believes he is the Man of Legends sent to save Sacred Land. Her determination entrances him. Despite himself, Alex finds himself praying to a God that he thought had abandoned him, in the hope that, just maybe, there is some truth to Sacri’s stories.

To add to Alex’s unease is the certainty that Sacri’s brother, often merely glimpsed as a silver shadow riding his horse across the horizon, will happily kill Alex if he turns out not to be the man that Sacri thinks he is.

Alternate history with paranormal and romantic elements, Legends on the Prairies, a Sacred Land Story is about growth, friendship, love, and the importance of believing in ourselves.

“This prequel doesn’t just add depth to the tale we already know,” says Peter Buck, Editorial Director of Elsewhen Press, “because, as well as providing some history for those characters, it gives us an insightful story about two people who are driven to fulfill a destiny they don’t necessarily understand or even fully believe. It’s a story about how the goodness in a person’s heart can overcome cultural division and social stigma, which is even more remarkable for having occurred in 1892. You don’t need to have read Ghosts on the Prairies to be charmed, moved and ultimately inspired by this book.”

Legends on the Prairies, a Sacred Land Story will be published in digital formats in August 2016 and in paperback in November 2016.

Notes for Editors

About Tanya Reimer

Tanya ReimerBorn and raised in Saskatchewan, Tanya enjoys using the tranquil prairies as a setting to her not-so-peaceful speculative fiction.

She is married with two children which means among her accomplishments are the necessary magical abilities to find a lost tooth in a park of sand and whisper away monsters from under the bed.

As director of a non-profit Francophone community center, Tanya offers programming and services in French for all ages to ensure the lasting imprint and growth of the Francophone community in which she was raised. What she enjoys the most about her job is teaching social media safety for teens and offering one-on-one technology classes for seniors.

Tanya was fifteen when she wrote her first column. She has a diploma in Journalism/Short Story Writing. Today, she actively submits to various newspapers, writes and publishes the local Francophone newsletter for her community, and maintains a blog at Life’s Like That. Legends on the Prairies, is her second Sacred Land Story for adults and the prequel to Ghosts on the Prairies, her debut novel.

 

Friday the 13th – The Unseen is here

It’s Friday the 13th.

The Unseen is now here.

Are you brave enough to read it?

Today?

Artwork by Alison Buck; Cottage photograph by 1000 Words/shutterstock.com
Artwork by Alison Buck; Cottage photograph by 1000 Words/shutterstock.com

“deliciously dark and mesmerising” – review of Can’t Dream Without You on Risingshadow

Cover by Alison Buck inspired by MC Escher
Cover by Alison Buck inspired by MC Escher

On the Risingshadow website, Seregil of Rhiminee has just posted a review of Can’t Dream Without You by Tanya Reimer. Describing it as “refreshingly different”, he goes on to say that it’s “one of the best and most original paranormal novels I’ve read in quite a while”.

Seregil starts by outlining the story and main characters and pointing out that this is a “different kind of a story about darkness, dreams, love and survival”, with an “intense and dramatic atmosphere” enhanced by the Tanya’s skill as a writer. He then gives some background about the Whisperers, an essential part of the story, and says that although it includes these complex mythological elements the story “unfolds gradually and flows nicely towards the end”. He compliments Tanya on the way that she “seamlessly combines mythological and post-apocalyptic elements with contemporary elements and maintains an approriately mysterious and strange atmosphere throughout the story”.

Part of what makes the story work well is that the “characterisation feels convincing” and the “narrative shifts fluently” between the main characters, each of which have “their own feelings, thoughts and motives, and readers get to know them during the story”. He especially liked the way that Tanya writes about the nuanced relationships between her characters.

One of the highlights of Can’t Dream Without You, says Seregil “is that Tanya Reimer has created an interesting Dreamland and writes fluently about dreams” adding “I’ve seldom read novels that feature dreams in such a powerful and enchanting way”.

He concludes by saying that “Tanya Reimer is an author to watch, because her novels and stories are good and she manages to surprise readers with fresh ideas” and “has a gift for writing original and thought-provoking stories”. He thinks that Can’t Dream Without You is “exactly what a contemporary and paranormal speculative fiction novel should be… different, exciting and interesting, and that’s why it deserves to be read”. His final remarks: “Captivating and fluently written entertainment for adults!”

You can read Seregil’s full review on Risingshadow here.

 

The latest novel from Dave Weaver is a disturbing paranormal story set in idyllic Essex countryside

What if the cottage of your dreams turns out to be a house from hell? The Unseen is a darkly erotic tale of guilt and obsession – hallucinatory and horrifying, with a shocking finale.

DARTFORD, KENT – 12 April 2016 – Elsewhen Press, an independent UK publisher specialising in Speculative Fiction, is delighted to announce a deal signed with author Dave Weaver for his latest novel The Unseen.

Dave Weaver is not constrained within any single genre. His previous work has encompassed YA fantasy and futuristic science fiction, but his latest novel has more in common with his 2014 paranormal journey through Japanese culture, Japanese Daisy Chain. This time, however, the story unfolds in an apparently idyllic cottage in a little village tucked away in the heart of Essex. But even within this novel, Dave does not feel obliged to limit himself: a paranormal story, yes, but with elements of a crime novel and a dark passionate thriller.

Artwork by Alison Buck; Cottage photograph by 1000 Words/shutterstock.com
Artwork by Alison Buck; Cottage photograph by 1000 Words/shutterstock.com

Ex-advertising man John Mason is driving to the small town of Hambleford to view a cottage that is for sale, when he is caught in a sudden hailstorm. It brings back memories of the crash a year before in which he lost his wife Judith; a crash caused by a woman in white standing in the middle of the road – a woman who was nowhere to be found after the accident. As the hailstorm lashes his car he has a vision of her, with empty eyes and a silent screaming mouth. John had been having regular dreams about her ever since the crash, but lately they have been replaced by dreams of an idyllic cottage on a hillside like the one in which Judith had wanted them to live. John is special – he sees things that others can’t. Since childhood he’s had strange experiences but has tried to shut them out; now he thinks Judith is trying to contact him, that she’s been sending his mind images of the house where her spirit will join him again, and that Pine Cottage in Hambleford is literally the cottage of his dreams. But things aren’t all as they appear and John quickly becomes convinced that a spirit other than Judith is trying to manipulate him.

Available from Elsewhen Press on popular eBook platforms in May, The Unseen will be published in August in a paperback edition.

Notes for Editors

About Dave Weaver

Dave WeaverA graphic designer by day, Dave has been writing by night for over a decade. With numerous short stories published in anthologies and webzines, he has had three novels published by Elsewhen Press – Jacey’s Kingdom (2013), Japanese Daisy Chain (2014) and The Black Hole Bar (2014). He is a big fan of science fiction, and has written many futuristic tales. But much of his writing also hovers on the shifting borders between fantasy and reality, a world of glimpsed ghosts and shadows, unspoken secrets, demons from the past and uncertain visions of the future.