DANCING IN FIRELIGHT
Greetings,
On this, the day of the solstice, I sit here reflecting and enjoying the longest night of the year. So, light the fires, dance, sing, feast and celebrate midwinter with reverence and join me for the rebirth of the sun...
As a writer, this has been my busiest year to date with some highs and lows that tested my resolve and ability to keep working at this game. I can only speak from my own experiences and for the purpose of this article, I will share some insights with you...
UAFÁS PRESS
First of all, I'm no longer a Matador / Troubadour author. Instead, I've decided to become an independent author (Or Indie Writer, if you will...) who will now be publishing my work under my own imprint; Uafás Press. For me, the small press scene has become somewhat volatile, with many negative stories surfacing recently. And it seems from these stories, that it is the writer who suffers the most... If you haven't been following the ChiZine fiasco, I urge you to Google it now. In addition to that story, many of my friends and colleagues have experienced similar treatment with various other small press within the Horror Fiction community and from learning about their blight, I've decided that I simply do not trust anyone else with my intellectual property at this time.
Now – in my experience – I didn't have anything near the ChiZine level of shit happen to me, and of course there are some great small press out there like Bloodshot Books, Lovecraft eZine Press and Poltergeist Press. But I was with a publisher who was happy to print my stories, charge me for the privilege and then leave me swinging in the wind with no promotion and delayed royalty payments with vague excuses. I cannot work that way and ties were broken and the rights to my stories have been reverted back to me. The decision to go indie is what suits me best right now. And so I'm happy to announce – WEEPING SEASON – will be re-published by Uafás Press on December 31st. Paperback and Kindle editions will be available from all Amazon marketplaces.
2020
NEW DECADE, NEW BOOKS
THE BLACKENING
Uafás Press
A Novel
Easter 2020
When a young woman goes missing near the sleepy Icelandic village of Vík, police inspector John Briggs wants to cancel the Northern Lights Festival after his sole witness describes the kidnapper as a “Shadow”. However, police commissioner Kári Ingason overrules him, fearing the loss of tourist revenue will cripple the village. Scientist Rakel Atladóttir and her peculiar assistant Rúnar offer to help Briggs investigate the disappearance, plunging the trio into a fight for survival, with the fate of humanity in jeopardy against a malevolent cosmic horror…
UNDER THE BLACK SUN
Uafás Press
A Collection
Halloween 2020
A collection of four short novellas ranging from creepy horror to powerful explorations of the human mind, including Black Gemini – which was recently included in the Nameless Reveries chapbook alongside Tim Lebbon and Matt Hayward.
The Hungry Heart is a story about a young girl who is infatuated with the older man next door. However, her dream crush has a lust that she will never be able to quench — unless she acquires a similar appetite…
In Black Gemini, a boy stumbles upon a dark family secret beneath the garden shed. A secret his father would do anything to keep buried...
Thirteen Years of Grief is a creepy tale of loss and suffering in which a train driver struggles to overcome haunting visions of his dearly departed...
In Aerials, strange antennas dot the landscape from out of nowhere and a techie’s sister has been found dead, trusting her into a race against time to discover the truth before lies become fact...
UPCOMING EVENTS
Readings, Talks & Panels
April 16th - 20th 2020
The Grand Hotel
Scarborough
UK
June 19th - 21st 2020
Academy Plaza Hotel
Dublin
Ireland
That's about it for now from my dark corner of the world wide web... Sign up for my newsletter and keep an eye my social media accounts for future giveaways (I plan to run a Goodreads giveaway early next year). Until then... the dancing in firelight continues... Seán.
