I’m going to be at Waterstones Ashford with a pen, my library stamp and some cool free stuff as part of their Halloween Extravaganza! Come and say hello and I’ll scribble on a book for you…
https://www.waterstones.com/events/halloweek-extravaganza-author-signing-mark-stay/ashford
I’ve created this handy timeline schematic to keep track of the various short stories and novels in the ever-expanding “Woodville Literary Universe” (as no one is calling it… apart from me).
It starts in Roman times with Caesar on Watling Street, features the Miss Charlotte Quartet and more. And it’s yours to cut out and keep… or “download” as the young people would have it. Have you read them all?
The more eagle-eyed of you will notice something called The Wish Demon on the list. That’s coming very soon and will be exclusive to newsletter subscribers as a free treat. If you want to get your reading eyes on these free goodies, you can sign up to the Woodville Village Library Newsletter here.
Splendid news! There is now a bookshop on the Witches of Woodville website. If you want a signed and dedicated paperback of any of my books, you can buy them directly from me.
But, I hear you cry, what if I already have a paperback and it’s not signed? What can I do? Is there no justice in this cruel and uncaring universe?? Well, calm down, the good news is the cheapest item in the store is a signed bookplate (only one pound!)
I’ll scribble my signature and your choice of dedication (keep it clean!) and pop it in the post. I’ll even throw in a free bookmark. All my books are currently in stock and there are bundles available if you want to bulk purchase and save money!
Simply CLICK HERE to visit the bookshop!
It’s just been confirmed that Unwelcome (that monster movie I wrote) will premiere at the Sitges Film Festival next month! This is particularly exciting as the festival is regarded as one of the best horror/fantasy festivals in the world, and I’m really excited (and mildly terrified) to see it with an audience.
And yes, I’ll be there in person in sunny Spain, so let me know if you’re going! There are more details about the festival here.
And here’s the trailer if you haven’t seen it already (and yes, bafflingly, I’m in the trailer, too… don’t have nightmares)…
A big thank you to everyone who signed up to the newsletter for this draw. The winners have been drawn and emails have been sent to: Chris Roberts, Jayne Davis, Simon Chaffer, Sue Lumley and Nick Singleton. Condolences to those who didn’t win, but there’s always next time!
Giveaway time! If you want a signed and dedicated copy of The Ghost of Ivy Barn and a bar of Ghost of Ivy Barn milk chocolate, then you’re in luck. I’m giving away five of this tasty pair this week. All you need to do is sign up to the Woodville Village Library Newsletter here to be in with a chance to win. The giveaway closes at 5pm BST on Sunday 11th September 2022. If you’ve already signed up to the newsletter then you’ll automatically be entered into the draw. Full terms and conditions are here. Good luck!
The UK’s favourite podcast for writers celebrates 400 episodes with a special live show at Waterstones, Canterbury.
Join me and a panel of amazing writers including Rowan Coleman, Pernille Hughes, Nadine Matheson and Julie Wassmer.
After six years and 400 episodes, we’ll be asking if writing is a job for life. In these uncertain times, can an author really earn a living from just their writing?
Our authors share their experiences of being an author in an ever-changing world.
Oh, and this is a celebration! There will be wine, cake, a chance to meet the authors, a book signing and plenty of surprises.
If you’re anywhere near King’s Cross on the evening of Tuesday 9th August, I’ll be at the Super Relaxed Fantasy Club (upstairs at the Star of Kings pub) moderating a panel on the highs and lows of self-publishing. I’ll be chatting to self-pub superstars Nicola May, Kate Johnson and Andrew Wallace. It’s always a lovely evening and newcomers are always welcome. Hope to see you there. More details on this FB event link.
Join me “in conversation” with the very splendid F.M.A. Dixon, author of the delightful The Last House on Everywhere Street next Saturday 30th July at the Little Green Book Shop in Herne Bay.
Now, the more canny of you out there might be thinking; ‘Hang on, didn’t these two do an event at the Faversham Literary Festival at the beginning of the year?’ We did indeed, but a lot can happen in six months, and we’re going to compare our experiences of being published in 2022 and we won’t be holding back.
We’ve promised to tell the truth about festivals, book launches, Covid, school events, imposter syndrome, horror movies, driving agents potty, hassling publishers, escalating paper costs, avoiding reading reviews, and all while trying to write our next books.
Come for the unvarnished truth, stay for the free wine and cake (all included in the ticket price!).
Tickets are £5 and redeemable if you buy one of our books, so we can’t say fairer than that (and did we mention the free wine and cake?”)
Click here to get your tickets, and we do recommend that you book ahead. The Little Green Book Shop is a wonderful venue, but the clue is in the name. It’s little, and twenty people is a crowd.
Following on from last week’s lively discussion of William Kotzwinkle’s daring novelisation of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, I rejoin the gang at the Authorized Novelizations podcast to delve into his follow-up, E.T. The Book of the Green Planet.
So what do you think happened after E.T. went home? Turns out he was spurned by everyone he knew, got demoted, drugged a whole bunch of his aliens friends and stole a turnip spaceship. Yes. Really.
You can listen to our increasingly exasperated conversation here.
And, if you’re playing along, here’s the slideshow used to befuddle special guests Max Fitzpatrick and Gavin Smith. Happy listening!
Mark Stay Writes 