Things have been slow around here since I started blogging for Amazing Stories. But there have been new developments to report and here they are.
The first is the news of the demise of Pill Hill Press. After a long period of inactivity, the publisher of my first novel, Jack Brand, decided to close its doors. It wasn’t that it wasn’t successful. Founder, editor, formatter, chief cook and bottle washer, Jessy Roberts decided to call it quits so she could raise the twin babies she gave birth to during the summer. A tough decision to be sure.
In addition to the Brand book, Pill Hill published half a dozen of my short stories in various anthologies, including one of my Tragon of Ramura sword and sorcery stories in an antho called Shadows & Light Vol II, and, most notably three tales featuring monster hunter Mordecai Slate.
Which brings me to the second new development. Caught in the Pill Hill shutdown was an anthology containing a new Mordecai Slate tale, “The Shape of a Cage.” Editor Miles Boothe has taken the bull by the horns and is developing a new small press that will publish the anthology, which is entitled Use More Gun. The new press is being called Emby Press and the debut of a website and announcement of future plans will be forthcoming. Stay tuned for that.
Hey John, I was sadden about Pill Hill Press closing down, but seeing this post has given me some happy and good stirrings for my muse. Thanks for a wonderful post, well a good ending to a sad post. All news should be said, I like the bad news first and good news last.
Thanks, Robert. That’s life, isn’t it? Good mixed with the bad. Never all just one thing. G’day to you down there in Australia. I seem to be meeting more of you folks down there through the Internet.
Hey John
Are you planning to release Jack Brand as an ebook? I see the paperback on Amazon but not the kindle book…
Hi Alice, Long time no hear.But I see you’re getting published quite a bit. Including the Raygun Chronicles antho. Congrats. Not only is Jack Brand no longer available as an ebook, its about to go out of print as a paperback as well. So if anyone wants the paperback you better act quick. The publisher has yet to get word to all of its authors officially, but I’ve learend all rights to JB will revert to me, and I’ll have the choice: Either join the ranks of those who are legends in their own mind and self publish, or look for another publisher. Right now I don’t have time to put much thought into it. I’ve been concentrating rather ferociously on rewriting Vampire Siege at Rio Muerto, my Mordecai Slate novel. (That’s one reason I’ve slowed down blogging here.) It was originally to be published last year but got killed by the publisher in a dispute over the ending. I put it in the save queue for a while and took a look at it later and decided it needed much more work from beginning to end. I’ve completly rewritten it and currently its in the hands of a new publisher. So we’ll see what happens with it. Once Jack Brand is officially terminated by Pill Hill I’ll figure out what to do with that book. Maybe another publisher will be interested in picking it up?? Who knows?