Who is this Mark Stay person, anyway? A quick hello/introduction to any news followers after that libraries vid went a bit popular…
Category: Books
Authors Get Money When You Use the Library
Did you know that every time someone borrows a book from a library in the UK or Ireland that the author gets money?! Guess who just got his PLR statement!
I bought a second hand book and found a spooky note…
Ever bought a second-hand book and found anything strange inside…?
Book Dedications: Where do they come from (part two)
Those little dedications authors put at the start of their books: why do we do it? What do they mean? Here’s a quick tour of my Witches of Woodville books…
You can find all these books here: https://witchesofwoodville.com/the-village-bookshop/
Book Dedications: Where Do They Come From? (Part One)
Those little dedications authors put at the start of their books: why do we do it? What do they mean? Here’s a quick tour of some of mine…
You can find all these books here: https://witchesofwoodville.com/the-village-bookshop/
Books make great gifts, y’know…
Easy to wrap and great value. Signed books, even more so… and if you’re looking to feel good about yourself, you can buy signed copies direct from the author, like… here… https://witchesofwoodville.com/the-village-bookshop/
The Crow Folk is back in stock!
I sold out of The Crow Folk at a Ren Faire last weekend, but now it’s back in stock in my store. If you want signed copies of any of my books, pop along to the Woodville Village Bookshop…
Fancy Some Magical Mischief?
I’ve got a (sort of) short story in this excellent new collection of short stories from the listeners of the Bestseller Experiment podcast (click on the image to get your hands on a copy)…
Why only sort of? Here’s my authors’ note from the collection…
Author’s Note (and excuse)
What you’re about to read is not exactly a short story. I did start one — honest, guv! — and it was a belter, all set in the world of my Witches of Woodville series. It started in the 1920s and ended in the 1970s*… which is where the problems started. As I began jotting down ideas for the story it soon became clear that I wasn’t about to squeeze it all into the allotted five thousand words. No, it soon became clear that this was going to be a whopper, perhaps even a novel all of its own. And things happen in the story that, at first, I thought I didn’t want to rush. Then it occurred to me that the real reason that I didn’t want to rush it was that, actually, I might not be ready to write them yet, as it meant saying a final farewell to certain characters. So I’ve popped that story back into a drawer at the back of my mind and will wait till the time is right to go back and see if I’m ready to finally [REDACTED] to poor old [REDACTED].
And if that wasn’t enough of a tease, then what you’re about to read is the first chapter of a thing that might never happen. It’s a new story, set in the world of the Witches of Woodville, and I’m still wondering where it might go, if anywhere. But I had great fun writing this opening chapter and I think it almost works as its own little standalone moment. So, in the spirit of mischief, I offer you The Canary Girls…
Happy reading, and please send all complaints to Miss Araminta Cranberry at the Woodville Village Library,
Mark Stay
*If you’ve ever wondered why the Woodville Village motto is ‘Witch-free since 1973’ this story was going to reveal all
So there you have it… and don’t forget, the anthology is packed with terrific stories from amazing authors, including (deep breath) W. J. Grupe, Jr, Rosie Stirling, Phil Oddy, Jeevani Charika, Jan Carr, Eva St. John, Dylan Blake, Anne Woodward, Angela C Nurse, Andrea Corzatt, BR Dexter, ZA Gowland, WA Leggatt, Trey Montague, Tommy Wills, Morgan Delaney, Kate Baker, Karen Storey, Julian Barr, Jocelyn Sordoni, GM White, GB Ralph, Gareth Lewis, Emmanuella Dekonor, Andrew Guile, Andrew Chapman, Alex Weight, SC Gowland.
Treat yourself…
A Woodville Short Story in a new Anthology
A new short story “Elderflower Cordial” will be featured in this splendid anthology from the wonderful people at Stars and Sabers. It’s a crowdfunded project and you can get all kinds of excellent “swag” (it says here) in return for your support.
And to whet your appetite, I can reveal that the story features a character from The Corn Bride, so if one is hankering for more Woodville thrills, then this is where you will find it. Click on the image below to support the project…
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan on Authorized
I had the best time discussing the classic novelisation of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan by Vonda N McIntyre with the Authorized podcast gang. I discuss my relationship with the film and the book and how both have inspired me as a writer…
Mark Stay Writes 