Tag: horror author

From Rejection to Publication

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Scrolling back through my old blog posts, I stop at one and check the date. 18th February, 2022. Just over a year ago, now. The post is called “Reigniting the Spark”, and it laments the fact that I have struggled with motivation to write, particularly since finishing The Suffering and entered into the query phase. I’d been submitting queries for months at that point, and was disheartened to say the least.

A snippet from “Reigniting the Spark”

Although I felt bad that I hadn’t been writing anything new, I rationalised that it could be the universe’s way of telling me not to flit from project to project the way I usually did. To really see out the process and focus on getting The Suffering to as many agents and publishers as possible. And, boy, was I trying! As most of you who have gone through the querying phase know, it’s a bleak process. You submit with high hopes, silencing the voice of doubt by convincing yourself that you “have a good feeling about this one!” only for the inevitable rejection to come back a few weeks later.

When Wicked House Publishing opened its doors last year, I was pretty much at the end of my rope with The Suffering. Perhaps it wasn’t as good as I hoped it was. In fact, perhaps it was terrible! A book that nobody would ever want, and—worse—that nobody would ever get to read. I felt as though I must have been completely deluded when I closed my laptop after the final edit and declared with confidence, “I think this is pretty good!”

I remember when I saw the call-out for Wicked House submissions. It was a Sunday, and I was in the middle of a regular bout of burnout that made me stop to consider whether I could be bothered heading to my laptop to make the query attempt. I was feeling quite down-and-out, and more than a little hopeless about the whole thing. But, something made me haul my ass off the couch and spend the afternoon at the kitchen table, preparing my query and making sure my synopsis and opening chapters were as good as they’d ever been. I hit the submit button. By that point, I was way past “I have a good feeling about this one!” and instead prepared myself for rejection.

But it never came. A full manuscript request was sent instead. And, a few months later, an offer of publication.

Now, just over a year from posting a disheartened blog about fighting for motivation, I’m holding The Suffering in my hands. It’s being read around the world, and many of the reviews have been more positive than I could have ever dreamed.

Thank you to my lovely Mum for the champagne in celebration!

It would have been so easy for me to give up on The Suffering after receiving months of rejections. It’s hard, and if you’re experiencing something similar with your manuscript at the moment, I feel for you and send you virtual hugs and strength. Self-belief can only be sustained so long when multiple professionals in the business are telling you they don’t want your book. But here’s the proof that it only takes that one lucky shot. Never stop fighting for it. Haul your ass off the couch and make that submission!

Because one day it will be for the last time. And for all the right reasons.

The Suffering Cover Reveal!

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They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but on this occasion, I’m happy if you do!

I’m thrilled to be able to reveal the cover of The Suffering, which was created by the extremely talented Covers by Christian, after consultation with my fantastic team at Wicked House Publishing. Here it is:

It feels a lot more “real” now that I can show the world what my little book is going to look like. My neurotic brain has been convinced somewhere in the dark recesses that something would go wrong. That somewhere along the way plans would change, or that the book would be randomly dropped for no reason. Something deep inside me has been holding a little reservation, not getting too excited just in case.

But, now that I can shout it from the rooftops, I am going to embrace it as fully as I can! I already have a print order for 2 different sets of flyers and some bookmarks ready for promotion. It’s time to pluck up the courage to head into every shop and establishment I can think of and ask if they would like one for their staffroom. Better yet, a noticeboard. In public. Eek!

I think this quote from Zadie Smith sums it up:

It’s such a confidence trick, writing a novel. The main person you have to trick into confidence is yourself. This is hard to do alone.

Zadie Smith

Having such a beautiful cover and such a great team behind me is definitely going to make this next part easier, the part my introvert ass has spent a lot of time dreading (promotion). But, you know what? Now I’m getting kind of excited about that part, too.

It’s really happening, guys. This is not a drill.

This time last year, I didn’t have a publishing deal. I’d been querying but getting nowhere – not even a hint of a bite. Looking back through my posts from around that time it’s easy to tell how disheartened I was getting. I’m going to elaborate a little more on this in an upcoming post later this month, but for now I just wanted to remind anyone who is querying or facing a lot of rejections that it really only takes that one hit to change everything. The only way you can be sure you’ll never get there is if you stop. So keep going.

The Suffering is coming in February 2023! Which ghost will haunt you?

The Students of Brackenby House

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Within the walls of Brackenby House, 5 students reside. They know the dark history of the Victorian townhouse, but it’s never really bothered them. That is until Halloween 2016, when the group attempt to recreate the notorious séance of 1876. One by one, the students find themselves haunted by the spirits that were responsible for The Suffering massacre. As each of the residents deal with the oppression their attachment causes, they find the essence of their personalities falling under attack. Before they lose themselves completely, they must find the truth about the original séance, and the ghosts that grow more violent every day. Before it’s too late…

Kyle

A distant relative of famed Victorian psychic, Lucius Holgrove, Kyle is proud of his ancestor. In 1876, Lucius was unwittingly drawn into the chaos of the Suffering séance and, as the sole survivor, his ability to banish the ghosts within the walls of Brackenby House is legendary. Kyle is also proud of the fact that he and his friends can use Brackenby House as their student digs, paying peanuts in rent thanks to his descendant purchasing the property following the massacre.

An anthropology student, Kyle finds the rumours of the ghosts fascinating. He’s especially intrigued by the monster known as Po, using his thesis to try and uncover the ancient Incan giant’s secrets. It’s Kyle’s idea to host another séance, paying homage to his relative. But his blind trust in Lucius’s abilities means that he underestimates just how eager the ghosts have been to come back out to play. Thankfully, Kyle’s obsessive research gives the group some clues as to how to uncover Brackenby’s secrets, and he’s determined to make amends and defeat the spirits before his friends succumb to the ghosts.

Tad

Kyle’s best friend, the pair met through a pen-pal scheme at their schools. Emigrating to the UK from Japan, Tad is all-too-happy to accept Kyle’s offer to move into Brackenby while he completes his engineering degree. He knows his friends are envious of his male model looks, but Tad sees them as nothing but a hinderance. He’s invented a prototype for a method to turn sewage into renewable energy, and as far as he’s concerned his looks are holding him back.

Stoic and sensible, Tad calmly assesses the spiralling situation in the house, trying to ignore the strange sounds and smells that seem to escalate after the Halloween spirit session. But it isn’t long before he begins to spot the ghosts’ individual patterns. Worse still, he sees that each of his friends are being targeted by one of the spirits. And, judging by the sound of an axe slapping against an impatient hand throughout the night and the smell of rotting flesh that follows him around Brackenby House, he is connected to the ghost that frightens him the most.

Pete

Known for his quiet and brooding nature, Pete falls further into solitary when the séance leaves him with physical symptoms that he just can’t shake. He loves to hike in the mountains to clear his head, but an unrelenting spell of vertigo means that he’s stuck on low ground, confined to his bedroom most of the time. He finds it difficult to confide in his housemates – even Cassie, who has been his best friend for as long as he can remember. There is a wedge growing between him and his friends, through no fault of his own.

The footsteps that patter down Brackenby’s landing seem to stop right outside his room. And when a sudden spell of vertigo stops him in his tracks, he’s sure he can hear a sinister chuckle emanate from the stairwell. Most concerning of all, he finds himself drawn to the banister, his body lurching to the edge in an unconscious effort to throw him over. For Pete, his choices are bleak. Either stay trapped in his room or step out and fight. But there are a lot of high spaces out there. And the pattering footsteps seem to follow him, even outside of Brackenby…

Cassie

Living in a house full of boys, Cassie fights hard to give a good show of herself. But her impulsive and brash personality sometimes lands her on the wrong side of people. Particularly the other women in her life. Still, she has to keep an edge about her if she’s going to successfully swim the Channel. Training is going well, despite the fact that the other girls in her swim team are forming a vicious clique against her. But she’s having bigger problems than bullies. Damp seems to follow her everywhere, with droplets of water appearing in impossible places. She smells the dank depths of the sea, even though the team are still training in the university pool.

Before long, her lone swim sessions begin to get treacherous. Unseen hands touch her under the water, preventing her from breaking the surface. Her friend, Martin, turns up at the pool, his expression trance-like. In the shadow of the sea witch, Lisa Vaughan, anything can happen in the water. And, even when Cassie stays away from the pool, Lisa’s powers may just bring the water directly to her.

Lance

With his perky nature, bouncing blond curls, and giddy personality, people could be forgiven for thinking that Lance is the extrovert member of the bunch. But crippling anxiety plagues him, meaning that all of his attempts at employment have ended in disaster. Because of this, Lance is keen to set himself up as an influencer, pulling in income from behind his laptop and phone screens. His friends know that navigating the trolls of the online world are often more challenging than anything Lance could face in an office, but he’s determined. Aside from his constant Insta posts and dreams of setting up a YouTube channel, Lance becomes more and more distracted by the scent of smoke and neighbourhood cats yowling in the grounds of Brackenby.

A dark figure hangs around the porch, its shadow visible through the hallway windows, and Lance is driven crazy when he constantly finds the spare stool pulled up to the table in the kitchen by unseen hands. His ghost is Hellfire Club member, Anthony Pile, and the more Lance learns about the club’s history, the more fearful he becomes. The club had a habit of pulling up a chair for the Devil, and the freezing cold seat of the stool means that perhaps Brackenby is getting visits from a presence even more terrifying than the ghosts themselves. And Lance is in his sights.

Join the students as they piece together the puzzle of the original Suffering séance and navigate the oppression that plagues Brackenby House. Can all of them survive The Suffering?

The Suffering published by Wicked House – coming 24th February 2023

Meet The Suffering Ghosts

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Which one will haunt you?

When Professor Josiah Grant called upon young Victorian psychic, Lucius Holgrove, to host a séance in 1876, neither of the men could have been prepared for the massacre that followed. Under Grant’s instruction, Lucius called forth 5 spirits that would represent the elements needed for his divination spell: Strength; Stealth; Frivolity; Deception; and Malice.

After the deaths of all of the attendees at the séance, Lucius managed to banish the ghosts within the walls of Brackenby House, where they have been waiting for another chance to come out.

Now a student home, Brackenby House finds itself the setting of another séance. A distant relative of Lucius Holgrove has called out The Suffering ghosts, unleashing them back into the house. The only trouble is, unlike his notorious ancestor, Kyle has no clue how to banish them.

And the ghosts are determined to continue The Suffering…

Connor Rourke (Stealth)

A thieving factory worker, Rourke was caught stealing and tried to escape his punishment, plunging to his death through a trapdoor.

The poor wretch who is haunted by Rourke is plagued with vertigo, and the fast and endless echoing footsteps of Rourke’s final run through the factory rafters before his deadly fall will drive you slowly insane. Worse still, you may find yourself giving in to the sudden urge to leap over the railing and tumble to your death. It’s not the call of the void. It’s Rourke. And he won’t stop until you take the plunge.

Anthony Pile (Deception)

A member of The Hellfire Club who committed Satanic rituals to keep his stolen fortune in the afterlife.

The squeal of tortured cats and the smell of burning follow you when Pile is attached to you. You might find chairs pulled out around the house, the seat cold from the touch of a sitting devil. Your money may go missing, but poverty is the least of your worries when Anthony Pile is following you. He made a pact with the devil. And he wants to take you with him back to hell.

Lisa Vaughan (Frivolity)

A teenaged fortune teller who, in the early 1700s, cursed the sailors who sought her wares. Days later, the men would jump from the ship into the sea, joining her woeful spectral horde.

Powerful oracle Lisa Vaughan doesn’t have to lift a finger to torment her victims. You’ll find damp and condensation in the strangest of places, and the smell of the deepest, darkest seas will permeate your clothes. She has the power to drown a person where they stand, and, if you try and fight, her horde of lost sailors will stop you in your tracks. Beware the foghorn moan of Lisa’s horde. It may mean you’re next.

Jarvis Rice (Malice)

A corrupt 17th century executioner who enjoyed his profession so much he murdered women and framed their husbands for the killings, having them sent straight to his axe block. In the final moments before their death, he would whisper the truth in the doomed innocents ears.

When Rice chooses you as his next victim, expect to hear the thudding of an axe handle slapping against an impatient hand throughout the night. A smell of decaying flesh will follow you wherever you go. And, as he gets stronger, be sure to duck if you hear the swish of an axe cutting through the air. Executions are Rice’s favourite hobby. And he doesn’t intend to stop any time soon.

Po (Strength)

An ancient Peruvian monster. Not much is known about Po, apart from the fact that he has nothing in the sockets under his brows and 3 hate-filled eyes across his forehead. And that he’s the size of a truck.

Crashes and creaks in the basement just might mean that the Incan giant, Po, is lurking in the shadows. A tickle of breath on the back of your neck or a grunt in your ear may mean he’s edging closer. And, when the giant gets too close, close enough to touch you, you may just fall victim to the brute’s huge hands, ripping you to pieces in the blink of one of his 3 eyes.

As each of the 5 students at Brackenby are targeted by one of the ghosts, they face a race against time to uncover the secrets of the original séance before it’s too late. But the ghosts are growing stronger every day. And there’s no guarantee that Kyle, Cassie, Pete, Tad, and Lance will ever make it out of the second Suffering alive.

The Suffering – Prepare to Suffer! Available at Amazon

Meet the Students of Brackenby House!