New for 2010 - the Invisible Desktop

I like this.


Must give it a go some time...

The Ultimate Sandcastle

To see more amazing sand sculptures like this, follow this link.

Farewell 2009

JG's Review of the Writing Year

2010 is almost upon us, so I thought I'd take a look back over the year and see how I've done writing-wise.

Well, first off, this was the year of two Fighting Fantasy gamebooks. Having not written one since 2006-07, January saw me writing Stormslayer, lined up as the only new title in Wizard's relaunch of the series which took place in September this year.

Next up on the writing roster was the Official Doctor Who Annual 2010, of which I ended up writing about a third (getting the longest writer credit in the book, if you care to look). That was great fun and meant I had to watch a lot of DW re-runs "for research purposes". Ah, life is hard...

Then came my fourth Pax Britannia title for Abaddon Books - Evolution Expects. This saw print in the summer and included the original novella Conqueror Worm, which I had also written this year. (I also wrote a very short short story which is still waiting to see print...)

During the summer I managed to write a short story for Black Library (Games Workshop's publishing imprint) which was the first work I had done for them in about five years - and there's more to come next year. The Relic, a Black Templars/Armageddon story, won't see print until April when the Warhammer 40,000 anthology Legends of the Space Marines is published.

I also managed to squeeze in writing a Decide Your Destiny gamebook for the Star Wars The Clone Wars franchise. It's called Crisis on Coruscant and is due to be published in January. What's exciting about this book is that it has a certain degree of unique online content that's been developed to go with it. (Look out for more news on this and links in the New Year.)

This autumn saw me writing my second FF gamebook of the year (and my seventh to date), Night of the Necromancer, due to be published on 1 April (I kid you not). This was a lot of fun to write, partly because ace artist Martin McKenna agreed to illustrate it, and seeing what he produces from my art briefs is always a joy.

And then came Blood Royal, the fifth Ulysses Quicksilver/Pax Britannia adventure and the first in a new story arc for the dandy agent of the throne. It was due to be published in time for Christmas, but for various reasons (including a change of book distributor in the US) it's now slated for an April release (with the sixth UQ/PB book - Dark Side - out two months after that).

I was expecting to spend November and December writing another book for a popular franchise, but due to a bit of a 'jobs for the boys' situation (the first I've knowingly encountered in my writing career so far) I missed out, which was a shame. Instead I put my mind to work on various proposals, including something wholly original, and as a result I'm suddenly finding myself inundated, with not enough hours in the day to manage everything I've been asked to do.

What is definite for next year is two more Pax Britannia novels, three novellas, another Warhammer 40K short story and a new non-fiction book. Beyond that, it's too early to say, but my New Year's writing resolutions are going to include showing my original idea to a few agents/publishers, trying out again for a popular periodical and simply being more efficient in my writing - so I can get more done!

So, to sum up, this year I have written five books - two FF gamebooks, two novels and a Star Wars The Clone Wars DYD - a third of an annual, a novella, a short story and numerous blog posts.

As I said, I've got plenty lined up already for 2010 (I never was very good at saying "No" to paid work) and hope to write between two and four novels, a non-fiction book and possibly my first... but it's too early to talk about that really.

So, in the meantime, here's to 2010 and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The Pax Britannia Appreciation Society

Have you enjoyed the Pax Britannia novels published by Abaddon Books? Do you appreciate dipping into the latest El Sombra or Ulysses Quicksilver adventure? Have you ever thought, "I wish there was a group that I could join to show my appreciation of all things Pax Britannian?"


Well, thanks to the sterling efforts of Adam Sparshott, there is now a Pax Britannia Appreciation Society that you can join on Facebook. Simply follow this link to find out more.

Bienvenue a Croisade pour Armageddon

According to this blog's sitemeter, it has a few regular visitors from Belle France, so, if that's you, this post may be of interest to you.


This January, French publishers Bibliotheque Interdite will be publishing Croisade pour Armageddon, the French language edition of Crusade for Armageddon (funnily enough).

Other titles of mine that have already been translated into French include The Dead and the Damned (Mort ou damne), along with the Fighting Fantasy adventure gamebooks Spellbreaker (Le Sépulcre des ombres) and Knights of Doom (Les chevaliers du destin).

The Day of the Triffids

I am a huge fan of the BBC's dramatisation of The Day of the Triffids from 1981 that I enjoyed again this year in its entirely on BBC 4. And so I felt a mixture of excitement and a little trepidation at the prospect of there being a new take on it this Christmas. In fact it starts tonight on BBC 1.

But I can't help thinking, no matter how good the special effects are, the production team won't be able to top the sinister knocking of the triffids communicating with each other that made the original series so creepy. Only time will tell...

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me, three feastive tipples for a cold and frosty morning

Woke up this morning to a hard frost. It's nearly January and it's getting very cold. So, to warm you up on these chill midwinter nights, why not indulge in a glass of something hot and spicy - in others words mulled wine!

I recommend three recipes in particular, those for Clarrey, Bishop's Wine and Glogg - and you can find all of them in What is Mrryh Anyway? Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Christmas, which is still available!

And here's how I got on when I made some Bishop's Wine for friends and family last year...

What is Myrrh Anyway? The Ultimate Christmas Quiz

Christmas is over and it's time to find out how you got on...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Here's hoping that Father Christmas brought you everything you hoped for and that you and yours have a happy and memorable Christmas.

Wishing you a
MERRY CHRISTMAS
and a
HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Best wishes

Jonathan Green

And, in case you missed the post earlier in the week, here's a present from me.

Gamebook Adventures - a sneak preview

The guys at Tin Man Games - the people behind the forthcoming Gamebook Adventures - have released a video teaser trailer of what one of their iPod gamebooks An Assassin in Orlandes will look like.

Enjoy!

Thought for the day

Where there is no hope there can be no endeavour.

So here's hoping!

Bloodbones - new review

Found this great, succinct review of Bloodbones online today.

By far the greatest Fighting Fantasy gamebook of all. Not too long, not too short, not too hard, not too easy. Perfect for fans of Pirates of the Caribbean or good ol' FF in general.

Remember, Bloodbones is being re-packaged and re-published in a brand new edition in 2010!

Night of the Necromancer - more teasers

What's this?

What's going on here?


Where's this?


And who is this?

A Thousand Sons & Prospero Burns

If you're a fan of the Black Library, watch this and consider your breath well and truly bated...

Merry Christmas from Pax Britannia and Abaddon Books

Glad tidings I bring, to you and your kin...

Those very generous people at Abaddon Books have a seasonal gift for all eBook readers this year - a FREE Pax Britannia short story, by me, entitled Christmas Past. This special edition also has a couple of extras tucked away inside, including news of some upcoming titles.

Go to www.abaddonbooks.com/download and you can be the proud owner of a little seasonal madness from the world of Ulysses Quicksilver and Pax Britannia too!

Yo, ho, ho! Merry Christmas!

Season's Greetings from the Black Library

Received my annual Christmas card from the guys at the Black Library this week. Thought you might like to see it for yourselves this year, so here it is...

The Warlock of Firetop Mountain - DS trailer

Ian Livingstone forwarded this to me today along with the message, 'This is funny and good.' And he's not wrong.


Check it out for yourself here. (Can't quite get over the voice-over guy's intonation at the end either.)

I'll never look at an Iron Cyclops in the same way again. (Was this what Ian originally intended? I'll have to ask him next time we meet up.)

Stormslayer - Beauty and the Beast

Came across this online today...


It's a painting of the Manticore that appears at the start of Stormslayer (my most recently published Fighting Fantasy adventure gamebook). It's by a very talented artist called Angeline and I for one am very impressed.

And here's the original illo by artist Stephen Player.


You can see more of Angeline's work at her blog Follow the Muse and at her gallery at DeviantART. I checked it out myself and came across this...


... which I can't help thinking is Larni the Huntress and her Sabretooth taking on the Yeti, who also appear in Stormslayer. So colour me pleased! And here's the original illo by artist Stephen Player...


If anyone else comes across any other Stormslayer-inspired illos, do let me know, and I'll post them here.

Only 7 days to go!

Are you excited yet?

I am. Can you tell?

Anyway, to help get you in the mood, here's Al Ewing's Pax Britannia-inspired very Abaddon Christmas...

Enjoy!

FIghting Fantazine #2 - coming soon!

Check out the cover to the new issue of the Fighting Fantasy fanzine aptly named Fighting Fantazine. The painting of the Salamander is by Natalie Roberts, a.k.a Nat the Rat, who turned in this fabulous piece of work which won her a well-deserved przie over at the official FF website.

What is Myrrh Anyway? The Ultimate Christmas Quiz

With Christmas just over a week away and with the prospect of little more than repeats or seasonal versions of the same old shows on the TV, there couldn't be a better time to sit round with friends and family and take part in the Ultimate Christmas Quiz!

New review of Evolution Expects at Mass Movement Magazine

As the title of this post says, there's a new review of Evolution Expects, this time from Mass Movement magazine.

The bits I like are 'Part James Bond, part Indiana Jones, and part David Dickinson (yeah, seriously!)' and 'there are several neat set-pieces that would translate well to celluloid if anyone ever mustered a budget to try and recreate this in Hollywood, namely a show-down with clockwork spiders in an underground bottling plant and the destruction of a giant weather station hovering over Smog-smothered Londinium Maximum' and 'the series is quite addictive, in a cheap ‘n’ cheerful potboiler kinda way'.

You can read it for yourself here.

Arkham Has Moved...

Good news! Batman is back...

What is Myrrh Anyway? Now on Facebook!

You can now follow my Christmas updates, as inspired by the book of the blog What is Myrrh Anyway? on Facebook. Do pop along and become a festive fan.

Twitter next...

Gamebook Adventures - one to watch

Coming to an iPhone or iPod Touch near you in January are two new adventure gamebooks! Tin Man Games, an Australian Based company, are launching Siege of the Necromancer and An Assassin in Orlandes for your favourite iDevice in the New Year.



































Featuring original artwork to accompany the games you will also have to shake your iDevice to roll dice and determine the outcome of particular encounters. I would suggest that all FF fans keep a look out for these games. I'm hoping to get hold of them myself and will post a review here in due course.

Until then, you can find out more here. You can also follow Gamebook Adventures on Facebook and Tin Man Games via Twitter.

Fabius Bile

Fans of Warhammer 40K - especially devotees of the Chaos Space Marines - should check this out...


I think the expression is, 'Sweeeeet!'

Dan Abnett talking Blood Pact and the Horus Heresy

Alice in Wonderland

Like many people, I suspect, I felt that I knew the story of Alice in Wonderland even though I had never actually read Lewis Carroll's children's classic. And because of that I decided I wanted to write a story that drew heavily from both Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking-Glass. But first of all I decided that I had to read the originals before putting pen to paper myself (or rather fingers to keyboard).


Anyway, the upshot of all this is that today I started work on White Rabbit, a short story that's due to be printed in the back of Pax Britannia: Blood Royal. Now Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland is due on 5 March 2010 and Blood Royal won't be published until April 2010, so it will be interesting to see how the two compare.


But just to get your senses in a state of surreal excitement, in preparation for next Spring, here's the trailer for the movie.

Sherlock Holmes vs the Undead

What more could any discerning fan of the Pax Britannia and Tomes of the Dead series from Abaddon Books ask for? Unfortunately it wasn't my idea, but kudos to ace comics scribe Ian Edginton who has scripted the strip for Wildstorm.


To find out what happens when the world's number one consulting detective comes up against the brain-munching hordes of the Zombiepocalypse, click here.


Have to say, I'm loving this cover by Simon Coleby. It is one of my dreams to one day write a comic strip that he then illustrates.

Black Library care package

A care package arrived from those very generous fellows at the Black Library today, containing the new Imperial Fists novel by Chris Roberson Sons of Dorn and the three published Empire Army novels to date.


The handwritten note that came with them described the books as an added Christmas treat. More like homework, I'd call it... ;-)

The Fighting Fantasy newsletter

The latest official Fighting Fantasy newsletter is out and it's a bumper Christmas edition. Night of the Necromancer gets a mention, as does my Christmas book What is Myrrh Anyway?!

Check it out for yourself here.

Unnatural History - SFcrowsnest's 16th most popular book of the year!

I'm feeling rather pleased with myself right now, to be honest. The reason is I found out today that Unnatural History (the very first Pax Britannia adventure, starring dandy action hero Ulysses Quicksilver) is at number 16 in SFcrowsnest's top 100 Fantasy, Horror and Science Fiction Books of 2009, as voted for by SFcrowsnest.com's readers.

(In case you don't know, SFcrowsnest is author Stephen Hunt's popular online SF, Fantasy and Horror magazine, which polls its readers every year to assemble a "top 100" books list.)

And in at number 34 was Al Ewing's El Sombra, so well done that man too! And if you enjoyed El Sombra, you'll be pleased to here that the sequel - Blood and Thunder - will be out next year!

Bizarrely Unnatural History and the Pax Britannia series were launched at Alf.Fiction in Derby a couple of years ago. And Stephen Hunt was also there promoting The Court of the Air. It really is, as they say, a small world...

Oh and I'm also feeling chuffed because Emerson (a.k.a. Zeo-X) Tung's rendition of the Steam Golem from Stormslayer has made it into Design Your Way's Best collection of robots illustrations. So champagne all round, I feel! Don't you?

Abaddon Books at the British Fantasy Society Open Night

I had a very pleasant evening on Friday meeting up with some of the guys and gals (well one guy and one gal, actually) from Rebellion/Abaddon/Solaris Books and attending the British Fantasy Society Open Night at The George on the Strand in London.

Alex Davis was there as well, he of Black Library fame, but purely in a fan capacity rather than with his work hat on.


The disreputable characters in this photo are (from right to left) Scott Andrews (ace Afterblight Chronicles writer and who appears to be having a flash of inspiration in this picture), Jenni Hill (new improved model Solaris desk editor), Michael (Jenni's friend) and Alex Davis (old Solaris and still with the Black Library).

Many interesting and exciting projects were discussed but we will just have to see how many of them come to fruition in the fullness of time. But fingers crossed...!