‘The Footholder’s Tale’: Release and Cover

Jayne at Rebel ePublishers has told me ‘The Footholder’s Tale’ will be released on Friday, 5 June. 

I’ve also just received the final version of the cover, which I love – it’s the sort of stunning scenery my wife and I yomp over in north Wales whenever we can.  It’s also highly evocative of the story’s feel.

As a reminder, ‘The Footholder’s Tale’ is a retelling of an old Welsh story about a king who must keep his foot in a maiden’s lap.  Despite the unusual premise, it’s a wonderful fantasy tale of power, love, war and the like, and is easily my favourite traditional story.

‘The Footholder’s Tale’ will be available electronically from Rebel ePublishers and, I understand, in paperback from Amazon.

Review: ‘Covenant’, by John Everson

Anyone who read my review of John Everson’s ‘The 13th’ will know how much I enjoyed discovering the works of a talented horror writer I’d not come across before.  I gave ‘The 13th’ five out of five.

So, it was with enthusiasm that I tore into ‘Covenant’.

Like ‘The 13th’, and apparently like Everson’s other works, ‘Covenant’ doesn’t hold back on the sex or violence.  Like ‘The 13th’, though, I thought the darker side of life is secondary to the exquisite characterisation.  Joe and the various people he meets all come over as fully rounded characters with complete personalities.  It was reading about these people that really drew me into the book.

The plot is fine and consistent and works.  The premise is about a sleepy town that has its share of suicides – all teenagers leaping to their deaths over the local cliff.  Newcomer Joe finds himself investigating, and puts himself and other residents in danger in a story laced with blood and supernatural horror.  Perhaps the violence is a little gratuitous, but that added to the tension and didn’t take away my enjoyment of the book.

This was a compelling read, and another five out of five.  I will be trying out another Everson soon.