So I decided it was time to expand my horizons and take a trip

Click on the bottom of the boarding ticket for your chance to go too.

It’s that time of year when I compile a list of books I have on the bookshelf that I’m yet to read.

I haven’t been reading anywhere close to what I would like over the last couple of years so 2014 is the year to get back on top!!

There are some oldies, some newbies, and even a couple I wish to re-read so I won’t be short of reading material in the coming months.

And the list is …

Stephen King : Doctor Sleep

Stephen King : Carrie

Stephen King : Blaze

Stephen King : Desperation

Stephen King : Dark Tower Books 3,4,5,6 & 7

Dean Koontz : The Good Guy

Dean Koontz : Odd Thomas

Dean Koontz : Tick Tock

Richard Layman : Bite

Richard Layman : Endless Night

Richard Layman : Savage

Richard Layman : Quake

Matthew Reilly : Ice Station

Matthew Reilly : Scarecrow

Matthew Reilly : The Six Sacred Stones

Karin Slaughter : Triptych (recent addition)

Karin Slaughter : Genesis

Karin Slaughter : Broken

Karin Slaughter : Fractured

Adam Neville : The Ritual

Jonathan Maberry : Patient Zero

Justin Cronin : The Passage

Joe R. Lansdale : Edge of Dark Water

Max Brooks : World War Z

Shivers VI : Anthology

And so it begins …

Tom Clancy has passed away. I was never a Clancy fan, but his name, to me, was as recognisable as Stephen King.

This got me thinking about who else has recently died.

I am really surprised by how many well known authors have passed away in 2013.

These are the authors I know of that are reading in the big library in the sky.

Tom Clancy

Elmore Leonard

Richard Matheson

Rick Hautala

James Herbert

… and to add 2012 to that list …

Ray Bradbury

Paul Haines

Bryce Courtenay

If I have missed any names off this list (and I’m sure that I have) please feel free to add them in the comments section.

There are some BIG names in this list and they will be missed by many readers around the globe.

Words have power.

The creators of these words may be gone, but their legacy and dreams live on.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE MATTHEW TAIT REVIEW

Matthew Tait has written a review at Hellnotes for my latest offering, The End of Ever.
Hellnotes is a great site which you must visit if you haven’t done before.

Matthew doesn’t hold back when it comes to reviewing written work so I was a little nervous when I started reading, but I was incredibly pleased with his thoughts and thorough take on the book.

If you haven’t read The End of Ever then this review may be exactly what you need to push you over the edge.

If you have read the book I would love to know if you agree or disagree with Matthew’s findings.

I have an insane amount of emails from fans asking a very similar question.

Are you going to write a sequel to Deadlight?

I released Deadlight in 2007 and I was honestly surprise that it created such a huge following. Fans of the book wanted to see what happened to Sarah after she stepped on that bus.

They craved more of her life.

They needed to know what happened to her.

She was a part of them in the same way that she had been a part of me for so long.

Deadlight was never meant to continue on to anything else. This was a one book deal. I had put everything I had into creating her and then she was free to do as she wished. As the years rolled by I was asked constantly about the possibilities of another Deadlight. I answered in the same way that I always did.

“I’m not planning on doing one, but if I do it will be something awesome because I love that book and I would never ruin it with a crappy addition.”

Have you ever watched the sequel to a movie and just wondered why they bothered? Especially when the original is one of your favourites.

So that was how it was … for five years.

Then something strange happened. Sarah started talking to me again. She was whispering something in the back of my head, but I wasn’t able to decipher what it was. I knew she was back, yet the story remained hidden from view. As weeks and months rolled by the pieces started to slowly come together. I found myself noting down ideas and plot points as the reality of what was happening came within my grasp for the first time.

I was plotting a second part to Deadlight.

That process is nearly complete, and once it is, I will begin Deadlight 2.

For now I will be using Deadlight 2 as the working title, but that doesn’t mean it will be the title when it is released. For now though, it makes sense. It feels right.

Sarah is coming back to me. 

She is coming back to you.

She is coming back to everyone … and I now know what she was trying to tell me …

She can still see them! 

THE END OF EVER SPOILER ALERT!!!

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Do not read any further if you haven’t read the End of Ever yet!!

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When I write  there are moments when I’m stuck for names of places or characters.

There is nothing more frustrating that when you are creating someone or something that doesn’t have a name that seems to fit.

I don’t know what other authors do when they encounter this dilemma, but I tend to go back to the things that I love.

Movies … Famous People.

I sometimes use a name of an actor or a place that resonates within me.

This very thing happened while writing The End of Ever.

When I first plotted out a place full of disgusting little gremlins I had written down the name, Silence. This would be the name of the town, but after a while it didn’t fit. It just didn’t feel right.

So I opened my mind up for a better name. It needed to be something that had some creep factor, but didn’t give anything away. Then it finally came to me. I jumped online and looked up the movie, Gremlins.

I scrolled through the actors and everyone else involved. I stopped at the name that stood out the most.

Joe Dante.

The town full of gremlins was now named after the man who brought one of my fondest childhood memories to life.

Dante was born.

If you look at the poster you will see his name sitting perfect at the bottom.

I have to admit that today was a hell of a lot of fun.

It started with an email this morning from ABC Radio in Launceston. The Breakfast Producer was hoping to line up an interview prior to the launch of The End of Ever. I was extremely happy about this news and as I was already about to drive to Launceston I was offered the chance to do the interview face to face in the studio. I had a chance to meet the lovely Belinda King and we pre-recorded a great chat that will go to air tomorrow morning (22nd November).

While in Launceston I also received a phone call from Lee at SeaFM on the NW Coast for a quick on-air chat that will also air tomorrow.

Following this I took a call from Mark at 7BU/7AD radio to line up a chat on Monday morning, after the launch has been done and dusted.

So all in all it was a good day with some great promotion for the new book

This has been my first blog for the new website and if you are still reading then I have done something right … oh and did I mention that The End of Ever will be officially launched in only 2 more days!!!