Elak, King of Atlantis is now available as a paperback and kindle eBook

 

We are pleased to announce that the second volume of Adrian Cole's Atlantis Trilogy, Elak, King of Atlantis is now available as a paperback and kindle eBook.

Here are two quick links to the trilogy so far:

Amazon UK

Amazon USA

 

Stories included in Elak, King of Atlantis are:
BLOOD OF THE MOON GOD
First published in Strange Tales, no 10, Wildside Press (US), 2007, in a slightly different version.
WITCH QUEEN OF DOOM ISLAND
First published in Worlds of the Unknown, no 1, Spectre Press (UK), 2014.
REVENGE OF THE SORCERER
First published in magazine form in Skelos, no 4, edited by Mark Finn, 2020, (US) and reprinted in 1st edition of ELAK, KING OF ATLANTIS, 2020 (US).
SPAWN OF THE SEA GOD
First published in The Mighty Warriors, Ulthar Press (US), 2018.
SKY WARRIORS OF ATLANTIS
First appears in this volume.

Book Review - Savage Realms Monthly: Tales of Swords and Sorcery May 2024 Issue

SAVAGE REALMS MONTHLY: Tales of Swords and Sorcery

May 2024 # 28

Edited by Willard Black

Literary Rebel LLC, 2024

109 pages

Savage Realms Monthly is now up to its 28^th issue. Each issue publishes three stories, often by new writers. This month’s features the return of Steve Dilks, who has the distinction of having had a story in the very first issue. He returns with his popular character, Bohun, a huge black mercenary whose adventures feature frequently in Steve’s stories. Red Trail of Vengeance brings Bohun into contact with a desperate and violent gang of cutthroats who ambush him and, after inflicting him with some sadist tortures, leave him for dead. Which is a big mistake as Bohun is not so easily killed. Even before he has fully recovered from his injuries, Bohun sets out for the bloody vengeance of the title, which takes him to the tyrannically run city of Dhamur from where the cutthroats sprang. When reading sword and sorcery stories I must admit to preferring long stories in which the writer can all but weave a yarn with an involved plot. Which is exactly what Dilks gives us here. Without a doubt Red Trail of Vengeance is the standout story in this issue, with some great fight scenes and finely woven twists and turns and vividly drawn characters. Not that Matthew McConkey’s Last Sigh of the Sea is not brilliant in itself, with a story that edges close to being a fable, as the ruthless King Aelfydd extorts enormous powers by torture from a sorceress which he uses to fulfil his own insatiable ambitions, despite dire warnings of the catastrophic fate he risks by doing so. A well told tale with an increasingly more ominous climax. The final story is John DeLaughter’s Last of the Star-Crossed Wizards, an involved tale of intrigue and double-dealings by powerful beings with whom it is dangerous for mere humans to become involved, laced with some dark humour.

All in all another excellent issue, proving that Savage Realms Monthly is a reliable cornerstone of the current resurgence of interest in the sword and sorcery genre.

Sherlock & Friends edited by Lyndon Perry is now available - contains my story The Adventure of the Mouldy Book

I am pleased to announce that Sherlock & Friends: Eldritch Investigations is now available as a hardcover and paperback. This anthology, edited by Lyndon Perry, contains my Max Carrados story The Adventure of the Mouldy Book, which is my first attempt at a pastiche.

Nine tales of mystery and suspense featuring friends and rivals of Sherlock Holmes pitting their investigative skills against Lovecraftian horrors. Enter the halls of madness as each of our contributors ‘channel the spirits’ of Victorian and Edwardian age detectives who graced the dime novels and pulp magazines of that golden era.

Novelets by Derrick Belanger, Gustavo Bondoni, Mike Chinn, Vonnie Winslow Crist, Steve Doyle, Elana Gomel, Stephen Herczeg, Naching T. Kassa, and David A. Riley. Interior illustrations by Gilead the Artist accompany each story. Edited by Lyndon Perry and published by Tule Fog Press.

It's available here:

amazon.co.uk

amazon.com

Elak, Warrior of Atlantis by Adrian Cole is now available as a paperback or Kindle eBook from Parallel Universe Publications

 

We are pleased to announce that the first volume of Adrian Cole's Elak of Atlantis trilogy, Elak, Warrior of Atlantis, is now available as a paperback and Kindle eBook.

It's 320 pages contain the following stories:

A SONG OF PICTISH KINGS, first published in Heroic Fantasy Quarterly Magazine, no 49, 2021

DEMONS OF THE DEEP, first published in Heroic Fantasy Quarterly Magazine, no 40, 2019

ON DEATH SEED ISLAND, first published in Tales from the Magician’s Skull, no 4, 2020

TOWER IN THE CRIMSON MIST, first published in Savage Scrolls 1, edited by Jason R Carney, Pulp Hero Press (USA) 2020

A DREAM OF LOST VALUSIA, first published (as Dreams of a Sunken Realm) in Tales from the Magician’s Skull, no 5, 2020

SAILING ON THE THIEVES’ TIDE, first published in Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy vol 3, edited by David A. Riley, Parallel Universe Publications (UK) 2021

THE SINGERS IN THE STONES Published here for the first time.

 

Artwork on the cover and inside is by Jim Pitts. 

 

The Introduction is by David C. Smith. 

Below are two quick links to amazon.com and amazon.co.uk:

 

Amazon.com - paperback $16; ebook $3.70

 

Amazon.co.uk - paperback £12.99; ebook £2.99 

 

Volume Two, Elak, King of Atlantis, will be published next month. 

My sword & sorcery tale In the Temple of the Snake to be published in Crimson Quill Quarterly #3

I am very pleased to be able to reveal that my 8700 word sword and sorcery tale In the Temple of the Snake will be in the third issue of Crimson Quill Quarterly. This will feature another appearance by Nadrain the Storyteller, though not in a central role this time. 

Nadrain previously appeared in The Storyteller of Koss (Summer of Sci-Fi & Fantasy), The Dark Priestdom (Savage Realms Monthly - #19) and Welgar the Cursed (Swords & Heroes).

An Oddity to be reprinted in the States

My Medusa-themed story An Oddity, which appeared in the January issue of Schlock! Webzine, is now scheduled to be reprinted in an American anthology. More details later. 

 

An Oddity was first published here in January 2024. I was especially pleased with the cover illustration of the Gorgon, painted by the brilliant Sixteenth Century Italian artist Caravaggio.

In the Temple of the Snake to be published later this year

My 8700 word sword and sorcery tale In the Temple of the Snake has been accepted for publication later this year. More details soon. 

This will mark my seventh brand new story to be published in 2024.

Contract signed for The Forbidden City of Cyramon

Just signed a contract with Lyndon Perry to publish another of my sword and sorcery stories, this time in his "One Story at a Time" series. 

Brand new, originally called just Cyramon, it is now to be published as The Forbidden City of Cyramon. 

Baal the Necromancer to be reprinted in Schlock! Webzine

Pleased to receive an acceptance this morning from Gavin Chappell, who will be reprinting my early sword and sorcery story Baal the Necromancer in the December issue of Schlock! Webzine. This story was first published in Mythic magazine, now sadly defunct.

Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 8 is now available as a paperback and kindle eBook

 

Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 8 is now available as a paperback and kindle eBook.

amazon.com

amazon.co.uk 

The stories and authors included are: 

TO WAKE THE HUNTER by Tais Teng & Jaap Boekestein

MOONFINGER AND GIFT by Andrew Darlington

THE QUALITY OF MERCY by Geoff Hart

EMPLOYMENT FOR MAGICAL PEOPLE by Monica Goertzen Hertlein

THE HERO’S PATH by Jeffery A. Sergent

LITTLE LIVES ROUNDED BY SLEEP  by Matt McHugh

WARDARK AND THE PIRATE KING by Craig Herbertson

FOR THE HEART OF A SPEARSLAYER by R. K. Olson

THE STONE HEADS by Scott McCloskey

THE TROUPE by Andrew Graham

LAIR OF THE MUTANT KING by Adrian Cole

Floating Free to be published in the September issue of Schlock! Webzine

My science fantasy story Floating Free will be published in the September issue of Schlock! Webzine. 

I have a sword and sorcery story, Cyramon, scheduled to be published elsewhere during the summer months plus a collection of my Welgar the Northerner tales. More details of where and when these will be published will be revealed later. 

New stories published or to be published this year so far are:

The Triptych of Hell - Lovecraftiana, Candlemas 2024

An Oddity - Schlock! Webzine January 2024

In His Father's Footsteps - Schlock! Webzine April 2024

Floating Free - Schlock Webzine September 2024

The Adventure of the Mouldy Book - Sherlock & Friends: Eldritch Investigations

Cyramon - Swords & Heroes: One Story at a Time

The Mask of a Mad God - story collection - untitled at the moment

with the following reprints:

The Storyteller of Koss - Schlock! Webzine October 2024

Ossani the Healer and the Beautiful Homunculus - story collection - untitled at the moment

The Dark Priestdom - story collection - untitled at the moment

Welgar the Cursed - story collection - untitled at the moment

 

The Storyteller of Koss to be reprinted in Schlock! Webzine in October

My fantasy story The Storyteller of Koss, which introduced two of my recurring characters, Nadrain the Storyteller and Ossani the Healer, is to be reprinted in Schlock! Webzine in October.

This tale was first published in Summer of Sci-Fi & Fantasy in 2022.

My Story 'In His Father's Footsteps' is in this month's issue of Schlock! Webzine

My horror story - voodoo and zombies in northern England - is in this month's issue of Schlock! Webzine. My story is called In His Father's Footsteps. 

At the moment this can be read for free online here, though I would heartly recommend buying the magazine either as a kindle eBook or a paperback. It will definitely not break your pocket. To order a copy from Amazon UK click on this link. It's only £4.04.

Latest advert for Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 8

 

This is the monochrome version. The lettering has been changed from black to white so it will stand out better.