Blimey!! Unwelcome is on the cover of the new Film Stories mag! And there’s a five-page feature on how we made it. Grab your copy here, or just treat yourself and subscribe to one of the best films mags there is!
This is a particular treat for me, as I’ve listened to the Film Stories podcast and subscribed to the magazine since it began, and its editor and founder Simon Brew is simply one of the nicest men you’ll ever meet. So do please support one of the great film independent film magazines if you can!
I was rubbish at Maths at school, so it would have been wonderful to have to something like Lou Abercrombie‘s book AMAZING MATHS when I was a wee lad. Lou tells me about this new book and her fab children’s novels, FIG SWIMS THE WORLD and COMING UP FOR AIR and how she’s inspired by water.
And if that wasn’t enough, listeners/viewers also get a sneak peek at a special Deep Dive I recorded a very long time ago when director Jon Wright and I answered listener questions on the making of our film UNWELCOME. That Deep Dive goes live on Friday, which is the same day as the film’s release in the UK! Which are you more excited about…???
Blackwell’s Bookshop 146 Oxford Road Manchester M13 9GP
I’ll be chatting with that man again, the wonderful Caimh McDonnell about The Witches of Woodville books and the film Unwelcome. Despite what Stephen Hawking might have told you, space and time are limited, so grab your tickets by clicking here.
Tuesday 7th February 2023, 7pm Waterstones, Trafalgar Square
I’ll be moderating what promises to be an amazing evening of conversation with two of my favourite authors, Caimh McDonnell and Ben Aaronovitch!
They’ll be discussing their recent releases Amongst Our Weapons and Love Will Tear Us Apart.
Amongst Our Weapons by Ben Aaronovitch is the hugely entertaining new novel in the bestselling Rivers of London series, which details the adventures of Peter Grant. In addition to his successful series of urban fantasy novels, Ben is a screenwriter, with early notable success on BBC’s legendary Doctor Who.
Love Will Tear Us Apart is the much-anticipated third instalment in The Stranger Times series from C.K. McDonnell, which combines his distinctive dark wit with his love of the weird and wonderful. C.K. McDonnell is a former stand-up comedian and TV writer, who has performed all round the world and has been nominated for a Kid’s TV BAFTA.
Every now and then an author comes on the podcast and says those magical words, ‘How honest do you want me to be?’ Matt Cain doesn’t hold back when talking about the squeamishness of UK publishing to embrace commercial LGBTQ fiction.
Matt endured rejections from thirty agents and fifty publishers before getting his debut novel published… and then it didn’t work out. Matt tells us how he made an extraordinary comeback, breaking crowdfunding records with The Madonna of Bolton, having a smash with The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle, and now he’s back with Becoming Ted, his latest heartwarming novel about following your dreams.
And in the extended version for Academy members and podcast Patrons, the Two Marks discuss writing with an authentic voice, titles, rejection, and much more!
WE DISCUSS…
The importance of an author’s authentic voice
Why gay fiction doesn’t need to be literary and serious to sell
And how, after rejection and failure, to make a spectacular comeback…
It’s common for authors to experience failure and rejection, but if you really want to know what it’s like to be constantly knocked back, then be a screenwriter! So many of the scripts I’ve written will never see the light of day, but that’s all part of the fun of screenwriting. I was delighted to discover that even a writer as successful as Cole Haddon has had the same bumps in the road, but he’s embraced failure as the best way to learn and move forward. Enjoy…
I love this new poster art for UNWELCOME! The film is out on 27th January in the UK and 17th March in the USA (not sure elsewhere, so please check local listings!). There are more details here.
And here’s the trailer if you haven’t seen it already…
A very Happy New Year to you all! And I begin 2023 with some splendid news. I’ve delivered the fourth Witches of Woodville book to his agent. It will be published on 14th September 2023, and therefore someone at the publisher has pushed the big red “Pre-Order” button (every publisher has one, and it’s usually locked away in the basement) and thusly it is now available to, well, pre-order at many of your favourite retailers (some take longer than others to pull their finger out when it comes to pre-orders… Yes, we’re looking at you, Audible).
So without any further ado, I can exclusively reveal the title and blurb for the next Witches of Woodville book is…
(insert drumroll here)
THE HOLLY KING
The Holly King is coming, and you’re on his list . . .
You are cordially invited to the FEAST OF FOOLS. A YULETIDE celebration in the village of WOODVILLE.
Your host is THE HOLLY KING, benevolent demigod and newly-restored RULER of the woodland realm. Confront your fears and banish darkness at our Saturnalian Revels, with food and drink aplenty for all you lusty guts. Join your neighbours, Dead-Eyed Fairies and a Woodwose, all overseen for one night only by the Lord of Misrule.
STRICTLY NO WITCHES ALLOWED.
Have you been Naughty or Nice? RSVP, regardless.
As Christmas looms, the villagers come under the spell of the Holly King, a demigod bent on destroying Woodville. Faye, Bertie and the witches are determined to stop him, but first they must confront terrible truths that threaten to tear them apart.
Mark Stay Writes 