Pre-orders: Still Life novella by Tim Lebbon & Ghosts collection by Paul Kane

A little later than planned, due to internet issues, here’s today’s blog:

Safe Harbour by Edward Miller ©2007 – 2013. All rights reserved

At the end of October/beginning of November, Spectral will be launching two books by top-class writers, Still Life by Tim Lebbon and Ghosts by Paul Kane (cover artwork by Edward Miller shown above). They will be officially launched at World Fantasy Con in Brighton, but you can preorder copies of the LIMITED (125 each) SIGNED HARDBACKS of one or both now (at a special price) so you can be sure you’ll get one. Please see Paypal buttons below for details of prices. (If paying by any other means, please contact spectralpress[AT]gmail[DOT]com for details)

The prolific Tim Lebbon is a New York Times bestselling author, whose output ranges right the way from short stories to novellas to novels, and covers the spectrum from original material through to franchises like Star Wars and onward to novelisations of films like Cabin in the Woods. His Spectral novella is an original story, and will feature cover artwork by the legendary Jim Burns, whose artistic visions have graced many a mainstream book jacket over the last few decades – watch out for the reveal as soon as the artwork is finished!

Paul Kane is also a prolific writer, and has achieved mass-market success Arrowhead trilogy, as well as critical acclaim for his books, The Hellraiser Films and their Legacy (non-fiction) and the Hellbound Hearts anthology, stories directly inspired by the Hellraiser mythos created by Clive Barker (edited in collaboration with his wife Marie O’Regan). Ghosts is a collection of all his supernatural fiction penned over the last fifteen years or so, plus a couple original to the collection. It will also feature an introduction by Canadian author/editor Nancy Kilpatrick plus, as a bonus with the hardback edition, the film script of Wind Chimes written by Paul and directed by Brad Watson (and introduced by the latter). As an extra, the book will also come with a DVD of the film so you can watch it as well!

All prices include P+P!

Still Life by Tim Lebbon (Spectral Visions IV)

UK £21

EU £23.50

US & RoW $42

Ghosts by Paul Kane (Spectral Collection I)

UK £21

EU £23.50

US & RoW $42

SPECIAL COMBINED OFFER (Still Life by Tim Lebbon [Spectral Visions IV] + Ghosts by Paul Kane [Spectral Collection I])

UK £35

EU £42

US & RoW $90

PLEASE NOTE:  we apologise for the high postage rates abroad, but it’s out of our control – sorry!!

Looking forward to hearing from you!

23:07:2013 – a new review and some news

Yesterday we had a review of a book which was published at Christmastime  last year and today we bring you notice of a review of a book that was launched at last year’s FantasyCon at the end of September – John Llewellyn Probert’s The Nine Deaths of Dr. Valentine. This one’s from the British Fantasy Society website and was written by Richard Webb – you can catch up with what Mr. Webb says about the novella by going here.

THE NINE DEATHS OF DR. VALENTINE

AMAZON UK

AMAZON US

NEWS

Also yesterday we launched the pre-orders for the extremely limited TEN-only special slipcased boxset edition of the Collected Spectral Chapbooks: Volumes I – VIII (January 2011 – December 2012)(The red slipcase in the above photo). We are immensely proud to report that all ten were sold within four hours – a record for Spectral (granted there were only ten to sell, but still…).

If you missed this edition, then fear not: in late September we will be publishing unlimited paperback and eBook editions of The Collected Spectral Chapbooks: Volume One, which will include new illustrations by Nick Gucker accompanying each story. We are looking to launched the book at Andromeda One, a one-day horror, science fiction and fantasy convention in Birmingham on 21st September. Prices are not yet set for the book, however if you would like to reserve a copy then please email us at spectralpress[AT]gmail[DOT]com and let us know! More details in due course.

Spectral Collected Chapbooks I – VIII: Special Edition

We decided in our infinite wisdom to put this very special edition on pre-order this afternoon, so those who are interested can secure their copies of this EXTREMELY LIMITED set as soon as possible. There are ONLY TEN of these available. So, here’s what you get:

All EIGHT chapbooks presented in their original formats from the first two years, signed by their respective authors, protected in a custom-made slipcase covered in red Wibalin cloth and gold-foil stamped on the spine with the Spectral logo (see above). Additionally, all sets will have matching numbered books and a little insert to which set you have. Topping it all off the whole set will have a removeable paper obi-strip to help keep the chapbooks from falling out, each one with the individual number of the set on it. It will be published in September 2013. Remember, there are ONLY TEN sets available – so secure your set NOW!

SOLD OUT! NO SETS LEFT!

Whitstable by Stephen Volk: press info

Below is the press-release for the forthcoming novella from Stephen Volk, Whitstable:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CONTROVERSIAL “GHOSTWATCH” WRITER PUBLISHES NOVELLA

AS TRIBUTE TO HORROR STAR PETER CUSHING

IN HIS CENTENARY YEAR

1971. A middle-aged man, wracked with grief, walks along the beach at Whitstable in Kent.

A boy walks approaches him and, taking him for the famous vampire-hunter Doctor Van Helsing from the Hammer movies, asks for his help. Because he believes his stepfather really is a vampire…

So begins the moving and evocative new novella by Stephen Volk, published by the British Fantasy Award-nominated Spectral Press in May 2013 to coincide with the centenary of the most celebrated and beloved of Hammer’s stars, Peter Cushing.

In Whitstable—which deftly mixes fact with fiction—the actor, devastated after the recent death of his wife and soul mate Helen, is an inconsolable recluse. In that vulnerable state he is forced to face an evil far more real and terrifying than any of the make-believe monsters he tackled on the big screen. And here he is not a crusader or expert with crucifixes to hand—merely a man. A man who in some ways craves death himself, but cannot ignore the pleas of an innocent child…

Stephen Volk is a life-long fan of Cushing and grew up sneaking into cinemas underage in his home town to see Hammer’s gruesome and uncanny fare. A love affair with the macabre and the gothic was kindled, and this book is very much intended as a way of repaying the debt he owes to his favourite actor and the star known universally as “The Gentle Man of Horror”.

The author was aided in his extensive research by film historians and critics, those who have met Cushing, residents of Whitstable, and even Whitstable Museum itself.

“This will engross and enthrall all Hammer fans and those who adore and revere Cushing. It brings his screen persona vividly to life in a modern context when the monsters are all too real.” – Tony Earnshaw, author of An Actor and a Rare One: Peter Cushing as Sherlock Holmes and Beating the Devil: The Making of ‘Night of the Demon’

“Peter Cushing was my first hero, and in my opinion Stephen Volk has done something heroic by putting the man who fought onscreen monsters at the heart of a very human drama. Sad, tinged with a palpable sense of loss, beautifully written, and blessed with an unerring eye for crucial detail, Whitstable is a story to savour. If I may be so bold, I’m convinced that Peter Cushing would have approved” – novelist Gary McMahon

“A wonderful piece” – David Pirie, author of A Heritage of Horror: The English Gothic Cinema

“I loved Whitstable! It’s a beautiful love letter to a man, a genre, and an era that means so much to those of us of a certain age” – Mick Garris, director of The Stand, Bag of Bones, producer, Masters of Horror

STEPHEN VOLK is best known as the writer of TV’s notorious Halloween “hoax” Ghostwatch, starring Michael Parkinson, which caused outraged viewers to jam the switchboards, calls for “heads to roll” at the BBC and even raised questions in Parliament. He also created the ITV drama series Afterlife and the recent feature film The Awakening starring Rebecca Hall and Dominic West, and has worked with directors William Friedkin and Ken Russell.  His previous fiction (some of which is collected in Dark Corners, Gray Friar Press, 2006) has been shortlisted for the British Fantasy Award and Shirley Jackson Award, and his stories have appeared in Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror, Best British Mysteries and Best New Horror. He has also won a BAFTA.

Accompanied by a heartfelt Afterword by horror novelist and fellow Hammer devotee MARK MORRIS, Whitstable is the third in the series of SPECTRAL VISIONS novellas. The first two (Gary Fry’s The Respectable Face of Tyranny and John L. Probert’s The Nine Deaths of Dr. Valentine) have garnered wide acclaim from readers, reviewers and bloggers alike.

*

Cover image by Ben Baldwin

Publication date: May 26^th 2013 (Peter Cushing’s birthday)

Whitstable: news and pre-orders

As most of you horror aficionados know, 2013 is the centenary of one of the finest actors Britain has ever produced – Peter Cushing. There will be many celebrations to mark the event, and Spectral Press is joining in by publishing a novella, called Whitstable by Stephen Volk, the writer mostly known for his groundbreaking drama Ghostwatch and the recent celluloid chiller The Awakening. The novella is set, as the title implies, in his beloved home town of Whitstable, situated on the Kent coast. Although there are no supernatural elements present in the story, the monsters Peter fights are all too real.

There will, of course, be a campaign to promote its release in May, including a competition to be run in conjunction with The Classic Horror Campaign, wherein one lucky person will win a signed copy. Also, internationally renowned magazine Fortean Times will be running a feature on Peter Cushing by Mr. Volk, with reference to the novella including a short extract from it. In tandem, Fortean Times  will also be holding a competition/giveaway, with signed books up for grabs.

In view of the likely popularity of the book, we here at Spectral Press have decided to put the limited hardback edition (signed and numbered) on pre-order now, rather than later, so people can assure themselves of obtaining a copy of this absolutely wonderful book. We are also offering, in conjunction with Cosmic Hobo Productions, a special deal which includes a copy of the 2CD set of Peter narrating his memoirs of the Hammer years. Below are two price points: one for just the book only and the other for the book and 2CD offer.

All prices include postage and packing.

£21 Whitstable HB UK

£28 Whitstable HB + 2 CD UK

£23.50 Whitstable HB (EU)

£31.50 Whitstable HB + 2CD (EU)

$45 Whitstable HB (US & RoW)

$57 Whitstable HB + 2CD (US & RoW)

Look forward to hearing from you!

The 13 Ghosts of Christmas: format change

Just a short blog this morning, to let you know of a slight change to the physical format of the hardback edition of the first Spectral Christmas Ghost Story Annual aka The 13 Ghosts of Christmas. It will now feature cloth boards in a fetching dark green, foil stamped titles in gold on front and spine, and wrapped in a full colour dustjacket – altogether a much more classy affair appropriate to the book itself. It will still have crimson endpapers and red silk bookmarker, and will still retail at the same price as before.

We are glad to report that two-thirds of the print run of the limited numbered hardback have already been claimed. If you are a fan of the ghost story, or know a friend or relative who is, this finely produced volume would make an ideal seasonal gift or stocking filler. Pre-order your copy today before they all disappear!

NOTE: The book will be available from mid-December – all orders will be sent to purchasers at that time!

All prices are inclusive of p+p.

£27.00 UK

40€ EU

$50.00 US & RoW

PLEASE NOTE: This is a very special edition of the annual, hence the prices, coupled with the rather high postage rates that have been decided by the powers-that-be at Royal Mail.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

The 13 Ghosts of Christmas: the full wraparound cover

This morning Spectral Towers is completely fogbound – a fortuitously appropriate atmosphere in which, we deem, to reveal the eerily beautiful wraparound cover to The 13 Ghosts of Christmas anthology, due to be published this time next month. We think that the combination of Vincent Shaw-Morton’s and Neil Williams’ talents have created yet another winner here. So, ladies and gentlemen, please feast your ocular orbs on this beauteous wonder!

We are also pleased to report that sales of the book are very steady, and has generated quite a bit of interest and buzz across the electronic universe. Copies are still available, but stocks are dwindling fast, so please get your orders in now as it’s sure to  sell out, and we think it would be an absolute shame if you missed out on it. The limited, numbered hardback edition is available on pre-order now, wrapped in that gorgeous cover shown above, with gold foil stamped titles on front and spine. It also features an introduction by Johnny Mains, and there will also be red endpapers (suitably festive) and a silk ribbon bookmarker to set things off nicely. Edition size  100 numbered copies only, of which more than half have been claimed already – so get ordering now!

All prices are inclusive of p+p.

£27.00 UK

40€ EU

$50.00 US & RoW

PLEASE NOTE: This is a very special edition of the annual, hence the prices, coupled with the rather high postage rates that have been decided by the powers-that-be at Royal Mail.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

The 13 Ghosts of Christmas: Final Table of Contents

We here at Spectral Towers are proud to announce the final complete Table of Contents of Spectral’s first ever Christmas Ghost Story Annual,  aka The 13 Ghosts of Christmas:

Introduction                                                                                 Johnny Mains

1          An Odd Number at Table                                             John Costello

2          Concerning Events at Leinster Gardens               Jan Edwards

3          Carnacki: A Cold Christmas in Chelsea                 William Meikle

4          A Taste of Almonds                                                      Raven Dane

5          Where the Stones Lie                                                   Richard Farren Barber

6          All that is Living                                                            Nicholas Martin

7          And May All your Christmases                               Thana Niveau

8          Now and Then                                                                 Martin Roberts

9          December                                                                         Paul Finch

10        Ritualism                                                                          Gary McMahon

11        We Are a Shadow                                                           Neil Williams

12         The Green Clearing                                                      John Forth

13        Lost Soldiers                                                                   Adrian Tchaikovsky

Publisher’s Acknowledgements                                           Simon Marshall-Jones

BONUS

Whitstable novella preview (May 2013)                         Stephen Volk

This looks set to be a great book, and we think it would be an absolute shame if you missed out on it. The limited, numbered hardback edition is available on pre-order now, featuring all the above wrapped in a gorgeous cover image by Vincent Shaw-Morton, with gold foil stamped titles on front and spine. There will also be coloured endpapers and a silk ribbon bookmarker to set things off nicely. Edition size  100 numbered copies only, of which half have been claimed already – so get ordering now!

All prices are inclusive of p+p.

£27.00 UK

40€ EU

$50.00 US & RoW

PLEASE NOTE: This is a very special edition of the annual, hence the prices, coupled with the rather high postage rates that have been decided by the powers-that-be at Royal Mail.

The 13 Ghosts of Christmas: cover reveal

On this cold but sunny Monday morning, let us brighten the start to your week by showing you the stunning artwork that will be gracing the cover to the very first Spectral Christmas Ghost Story Annual, created specifically for it by Vincent Shaw-Morton. Let’s say right here and now that Vincent has captured the exact vibe we were looking for with this thoroughly evocative piece.

The 13 Ghosts of Christmas © 2012 respective authors/Spectral Press. Artwork © 2012 Vincent Shaw-Morton

A reminder of the stories going into the collection:

Where the Stones Lie – Richard Farren Barber
A Taste of Almonds  – Raven Dane
All that is Living – Nicholas Martin
And May All your Christmases  – Thana Niveau
Carnacki: A Cold Christmas in Chelsea – William Meikle
Concerning Events in Leinster Gardens – Jan Edwards
December  – Paul Finch
An Odd Number at Table – John Costello
We are a Shadow  – Neil Williams
Lost Soldiers – Adrian Tchaikovsky
Ritualism – Gary McMahon
Now and Then – Martin Roberts
The Green Clearing by John Forth

HARDBACK EDITION: Limited, numbered edition, with an introduction on the ghost story by Johnny Mains, then a preface by Simon Marshall-Jones followed by the thirteen stories, each of which will feature a brief introduction before them. Cover image will feature artwork by Vincent Shaw-Morton, with gold-foil stamping on the title on cover and spine. There will also be coloured endpapers and a silk ribbon bookmarker to set things off nicely. As an exclusive bonus, the hardback will include a preview of Stephen Volk’s Spectral Visions novella Whitstable, due to be published in May 2013.  Edition size 100 numbered copies only!

You can now pre-order this volume – but hurry, as nearly half of the print run have been already claimed or reserved. Secure your copy today!

All prices are inclusive of p+p.

£27.00 UK

40€ EU

$50.00 US & RoW

PLEASE NOTE: This is a very special edition of the annual, hence the prices, coupled with the rather high postage rates that have been decided by the powers-that-be at Royal Mail.

The Thirteen Ghosts of Christmas: pre-orders

Today’s the day when you can pay for your hardback copy of the first edition of the Spectral Christmas Annual, The Thirteen Ghosts of Christmas. The cover will be revealed next week, but trust us on this, it’s going to be an absolute beauty! Here’ s a reminder of the stories to be featured in it:

Where the Stones Lie – Richard Farren Barber
A Taste of Almonds  – Raven Dane
All that is Living – Nicholas Martin
And May All your Christmases  – Thana Niveau
Carnacki: A Cold Christmas in Chelsea – William Meikle
Concerning Events in Leinster Gardens – Jan Edwards
December  – Paul Finch
An Odd Number at Table – John Costello
We are a Shadow  – Neil Williams
Lost Soldiers – Adrian Tchaikovsky
Ritualism – Gary McMahon
Now and Then – Martin Roberts
The Green Clearing by John Forth

HARDBACK EDITION: Limited, numbered edition, with an introduction on the ghost story by Johnny Mains and Simon Marshall-Jones, followed by the thirteen stories, each of which will have a brief intro written by Simon Marshall-Jones. Cover image will feature artwork by Vincent Shaw-Morton, framed by a silver foiled design, making it somewhat reminiscent of the Victorian/Edwardian Annuals which provided the inspiration for the anthology. There will also be coloured endpapers and a silk ribbon bookmarker to set things off nicely, plus some exclusive bonus material will also be included – more details soon on that! Edition size  100 numbered copies only!

All prices are inclusive of p+p.

£27.00 UK

40€ EU

$50.00 US & RoW

PLEASE NOTE: This is a very special edition of the annual, hence the prices, coupled with the rather high postage rates that have been decided by the powers-that-be at Royal Mail.