Savage Realms Monthly issue 19 with my story The Dark Priestdom reviewed

I was really pleased to read this review on a site I'm not familiar with, Harbinger of D.O.O.M. 

Of my story, the reviewer had this to say: 

"Next up is David A. Riley’s “The Dark Priestdom” and this one alone is worth the price of admission! It’s the longest of the three tales, running over an hour, but it’s captivating from beginning to end. It tells the tale of a storyteller who gets caught up in a con and winds up being accused of kidnapping a princess. He’ll have help from a Northman to rescue the princess, but the path will be fraught with peril."

To read the full review follow this LINK

 

Savage Realms Monthly with my story The Dark Priestdom now available on audio

You can now listen to Savage Realms Monthly No 19, which includes my novelette The Dark Priestdom on audio, narrated by the marvellous Robert Lovely, who genuinely adds an extra dimension to the tales he tells. 

Here is a link to it on amazon prime.

Lucilla - a novella

Sometime in the near future Parallel Universe Publications will be publishing my novella Lucilla, which was serialised last year in Bewildering Stories. 

It was just another standard day at the Women’s Refuge until the arrival of Lucilla. 

Then Miranda’s world was never the same again. 

Unaccountably influenced by what the girl needed, her job, her friendships, even freedom itself were of no importance. It was not until her niece’s life was at risk that Miranda knew she had to act. 

But what could she do against someone who had such a tight, insidious grip on her?

The cover artwork is by Jim Pitts. 

Pdfs of the book are available prior to publication for reviews.  

Please email paralleluniversepublications@gmx.co.uk for copies. 

 

Audio versions of Savage Realms Monthly

Issue 19

Ever innovative, Savage Realms Monthly has begun to turn their earlier issues into audiobooks. Yesterday I was given the opportunity by the highly talented Robert Lovely to listen to his version of my story The Dark Priestdom, which appeared in issue 19. Not yet available to the general public as an audiobook, I was massively impressed by how he brought my story to life - so well, in fact, it was as if I was listening to something written by someone else!

I definitely look forward to when issue 19 is available to buy.

In the meantime these are what are available so far: amazon audiobooks

Savage Realms Monthly for April 2023 reviewed in Schlock Webzine, including my story The Dark Priestdom

Schlock Webzine has just reviewed the April issue of Savage Realms Monthly, which included my story The Dark Priestdom. 

Follow this link to read the review online. 

Received copies of Swords & Heroes and proof copy of Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 6

 

Received a great double delivery today: My contributor's copies of Swords & Heroes edited by Lyndon Perry, containing my story Welgar the Cursed, plus the proof copy of Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 6.

Swords & Heroes is a beautifully published book and one I am immensely proud to be in, alongside such outstanding authors as Charles Gramlich, Gustavo Bondoni, Michael T. Burke, Teel James Glenn, Tom Doolan, Nancy Hansen, Tim Hanlon, Frank Sawielijew, Cliff Hamrick, J. Thomas Howard, and Adrian Cole.

 

I am pleased the proof copy for Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 6 is exactly right. All I have to do now is format it for a kindle version and it will be ready to publish, hopefully before the end of next week.

My story Welgar the Cursed is now available in Lyndon Perry's Swords & Heroes

My story Welgar the Cursed (the sequel to The Dark Priestdom which appeared in the March issue of Savage Realms Monthly) is now available in Lyndon Perry's anthology collection Swords & Heroes, which has been published as a paperback and kindle ebook. 

"Swords & Heroes – An Anthology of Sword and Sorcery – features 12 exciting tales of heroic adventure from some of the best writers in the genre today.

Included are stories by Charles Gramlich, Gustavo Bondoni, Michael T. Burke, Teel James Glenn, Tom Doolan, Nancy Hansen, Tim Hanlon, Frank Sawielijew, Cliff Hamrick, J. Thomas Howard, David A. Riley, and Adrian Cole; along with a foreword by Jason M Waltz as well as a roundtable discussion of the current state of sword and sorcery."

Lucilla - serialised in Bewildering Stories - available to read free online

My story Lucilla was published last year in Bewildering Stories, serialised in 11 parts. It is available to read online free from this link.

Independent Author Spotlight: David A. Riley

Today I am the subject of DMR Books' Independent Author Spotlight. You can read it all on this link.

My S&S Story The Dark Priestdom is in the latest issue of Savage Realms Monthly

I am pleased my 10,000 word sword and sorcery story The Dark Priestdom is available now in the latest issue of Savage Realms Monthly (issue No 19, March 2023). 

This story features two ongoing characters: Nadrain the Storyteller and Welgar the Northerner.

Nadrain first appeared in Summer of Sci-Fi & Fantasy, edited by Dustin Bilyk in 2022 in The Storyteller of Koss. 

Welgar's first appearance is as one of the two main characters in Ossani the Healer and the Beautiful Homunculus, which is still out awaiting acceptance for publication. There is also a sequel to The Dark Priestdom. Welgar the Cursed will be published this May in Swords & Heroes, edited by Lyndon Perry.  

A fourth Welgar story, Mask of a Mad God, is currently out with a potential publisher. More about this and Ossani the Healer and the Beautiful Homunculus when either or both are accepted for publication.

My third ongoing character is Ossani the Healer, who made his first appearance in The Storyteller of Koss. Besides  Ossani the Healer and the Beautiful Homunculus, he is the main character in Ossani's Slaves, which is another recent tale still out awaiting acceptance for publication. 

More stories of all three characters and their occasional crossovers are planned for the future.

Submissions for Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Will Open at Midnight Tonight

 

 

Submissions period for Swords & Sorceries Volume 6

will open on the 1st April till the 30th April 2023

 

Payment is £25 per story regardless of length plus one contributor's copy of the paperback. The book will be published as a paperback and ebook. If a hardcover version is published we will pay an additional £25. Please send your submissions as attachments (doc, docx or rtf) headed  

"Submission - Swords & Sorceries 6" 

 to:

paralleluniversepublications@gmx.co.uk

Please send only one submission - the one you consider the best fit for us. 

Although we prefer original stories we are prepared to consider reprints. Just let us know where and when it was previously published. 

You can send in simultaneous submissions, but let us know if your story is accepted elsewhere as soon as you can. Bear in mind you will only have to wait a maximum of one month and a week in which to receive a decision from us.

There is no limit on the size of submissions.  

There is absolutely no need to tell us anything about yourself because the only thing that matters is the story. Everything else is irrelevant.

All rejections and acceptances will be sent out by email by the end of the first week in May. Please don't enquire about your submission before then.

AI has become an issue recently. Let's be clear on our policy with regard to stories written using AI: not only will they be rejected but, if proven to our satisfaction, the author using it will be blacklisted.

And good luck!

In the past we have received a number of stories that may be fantasy but are not swords and sorcery. If you are unsure what it is, why not get a better idea by checking out volumes 1 - 5. Saying that, swords and sorcery is a broad genre and we are more than willing to consider stories that stretch its limits, as we have in the past.

Also check our dedicated facebook group: 

Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy

 

   

The contents of Volume One are:

THE MIRROR OF TORJAN SUL - Steve Lines

THE HORROR FROM THE STARS - Steve Dilks

TROLLS ARE DIFFERENT - Susan Murrie Macdonald

CHAIN OF COMMAND - Geoff Hart

DISRUPTION OF DESTINY - Gerri Leen

THE CITY OF SILENCE - Eric Ian Steele

RED - Chadwick Ginther

THE RECONSTRUCTED GOD - Adrian Cole

The cover and all the interior artwork is by Jim Pitts. 

 

amazon.co.uk

amazon.com

The contents of Volume 2 are:

The Essence of Dust by Mike Chinn

Highjacking the Lord of Light by Tais Teng

Out in the Wildlands by Martin Owton

Zale and Zedril by Susan Murrie Macdonald

The Amulet and the Shadow by Steve Dilks

Antediluvia: Seasons of the World by Andrew Darlington

A Thousand Words for Death by Pedro Iniguez

Stone Snake by Dev Agarwal

Seven Thrones by Phil Emery

The Eater of Gods by Adrian Cole 

Illustrations by Jim Pitts.

amazon.co.uk

amazon.com

 

 

The contents of Volume 3 are:

 

Sorcerous Vengeance by Lorenzo D. Lopez 

 

Seal Snatchers of Jorsaleem by Tais Teng

 

When the Gods Send You Rats by Chadwick Ginther 

 

Mother's Bones by Carson Ray

 

In the Lair of the Snake-Witch by Darin Hlavaz

 

The Rains of Barofonn by Mike Chinn

 

Wardark by Craig Herbertson

 

The Foliage by Rab Foster 

 

In the Lair of the Moonmen by Jon Hansen 

 

Sailing on the Thieves' Tide by Adrian Cole

 

Illustrations by Jim Pitts. 

amazon.co.uk

amazon.com

 

 

Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 4 contains eleven tales:

In the Iron Woods by Dev Agarwal

My People Were Fair and Wore Stars in Their Hair by Andrew Darlington

At Sea by Geoff Hart 

The Flesh of Man by Frank Sawielijew

City at the Mouth of Chaos by Adrian Cole

In the Belly of the Beast by Edward Ahern

The Tracks of the Pi Nereske by Wendy Nikel

Slaves of the Monolith by Paul D. Batteiger

The Green Wood by David Dubrow

Demonic by Phil Emery

The Whips of Malmac by H. R. Laurence

amazon.co.uk

amazon.com

 

Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 5 contains eleven tales:

The contents are: 

The Rotted Land by Charles Gramlich

Skulls for Silver by Harry Elliott

For the Light by Gustavo Bondoni

People of the Lake by Lorenzo D. Lopez

Free Diving for Leviathan Eggs by Tais Teng

The Black Well by Darin Hlavaz

Degg and the Undead by Susan Murrie Macdonald

The Mistress of the Marsh by David Dubrow

Silver and Gold by Earl W. Parrish

Bridge of Sorrows by Dev Agarwal

Prisoners of Devil Dog City by Adrian Cole

amazon.co.uk

amazon.com 

Romero's Children reprinted in the latest issue of Phantasmagoria

 

My science fiction zombie tale Romero's Children has been reprinted in the latest issue of Phantasmagoria magazine.

Book review: Leviathan Wakes: Book 1 of The Expanse

LEVIATHAN WAKES: BOOK 1 OF THE EXPANSE

James S. A. Corey

One of the best science fiction series ever shown on TV, The Expanse is based on a sequence of eight novels by James S. A. Corey, pen name of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, the first of which is Leviathan Wakes.

Having enjoyed watching The Expanse, I was curious how closely it followed the books. So far as Leviathan Wakes is concerned I am not disappointed. Covering the events portrayed in the first series of The Expanse, anyone who has watched it will be familiar with the main characters and events. For me, though, the most interesting aspect was how the book helped to fill in all those extra details about the characters and their lives which it was impossible to portray on TV without slowing it down. And also, of course, and perhaps even more importantly, the additional insights into the social, economic and political situations that human civilisation has to grapple with after it has expanded into the rest of the Solar System, with the successful colonisation of Mars and human habitations strung across the Asteroid Belt and on many of the moons of the outer planets.

It is a complex and frighteningly fragile civilisation. And, for all the technological advances humanity has made during its colonisation of the Solar System, it takes little to steer it towards a self-destructive war between the various factions: Earth, Mars and the Belt all have reasons to distrust each other, especially those millions who live in the Belt and have grown to resent what they perceive as exploitation by those who they disparagingly call the Inners (those who live on the inner planets of the Solar System, i.e.  Earth and Mars).

Throw into this already volatile mix an alien “protomolecule” with the terrifying ability to take over and alter biological tissue into something either hideously monstrous or, maybe even more terrifying still, into the next, almost godlike state which an alien civilisation many millions of lightyears from Earth achieved umpteen years ago. It was this unknown race that sent the protomolecule on a collision course with Earth with the intention of altering life there into something similar to their own, only for it to be accidentally drawn aside by the gravitational pull of Saturn onto one of its moons, where it has only recently been discovered. This is the catalyst that brings about death, destruction, deceit and war to the Solar System. James Holden and his small crew aboard the Rocinante and alcoholic Belter cop Detective Miller find themselves embroiled in a tug of war over the fate of wayward heiress Julie Mao, who is the key to the protomolecule and what it can do.

Leviathan Wakes is a fast-moving novel and every bit as good as the television series, and I am glad I decided to read it, even though the storyline was familiar to me. The added details and depth of character it provides to the leading protagonists was well worth it, not to mention an added clarity about the issues dominating life in this distant future, and I look forward to reading the rest of the series soon. As well, of course, of future series of The Expanse.

Leviathan Wakes is available as a paperback and ebook (Kindle).

Reviewed by David A. Riley