Sunday 30 November 2014

New Chapbook Collaboration with KnightWatch Press

Two years ago I wrote a new twisted fairy tale, IN SEARCH OF SILVER BOUGHS - a story of boots, of regret, of magic and slaughter. It had no destination, no home but despite that it remains one of the pieces I've most enjoyed writing - ever.

On the back of the recent release of WITHIN WET WALLS, I had a conversation with Theresa Derwin, owner of KnightWatch Press who said she'd like to read it for consideration for KWP's 2015/16 chapbook series. Expecting nothing, I reformatted the story to KWP's specifications and sent it directly to Theresa.

At the end of October 2014 I had the pleasure of meeting Theresa in person, along with a plethora of other horror-writing folk at the Hallowe'en Horror Signing event at Shaftesbury Avenue's incredible Forbidden Planet, then again later at the British Fantasy Society Open Day. It was at this latter event that Theresa told me the secret... she wanted Silver Boughs.

It's an understatement, and not the slightest bit cool, to say "I'm so excited"! But I am.

KnightWatch Press has worked and is working with a whole host of new and established authors I admire, including William Meikle, Jasper Bark, Alison Littlewood, Christine Morgan, Michael R Brush, Sean T. Page, Tim Waggoner, James Everington and Gary McMahon. It's such a pleasure to join everyone, as well to be working with KWP's incredible team of editors, artists and writers.

I look forward to giving you more news soon but in the meantime, KWP's announcement is here (under Now for 2015).


Friday 7 November 2014

Official Online Launch Party - Within Wet Walls

It's today! The Within Wet Walls online launch party on Facebook:


6pm UK | 1pm USA and Canada | 8am (8th Nov)


Here in the UK, Wealdstone will be creaking open its huge oak doors at 6pm.

Do join us - Eliza, the Footman, Julius... we'll all be there, waiting to pour glasses of virtual wine, water, absinthe - whatever's your poison. But just one thing, please bring your own skin... for we get thirsty too.

Château Wealdstone

To our friends in the USA and Canada, take the afternoon off, scoot away from the office and join the The Within Wet Walls official online launch party at around 1pm for lunchtime cocktails!



If you're in Australia or New Zealand, the party starts early on 8th November - come along for breakfast coffee or a cheeky Bucks Fizz...


See you there!

Reviews


The book is already selling well on Amazon UK and Amazon.com, with reviews coming in from England, Canada and the USA...

"I can't recommend this book enough" - Briff

"Deliciously dark" - Helen Baggott

"Mist-soaked horror" - Icy Sedgwick

"Strange, sinister, and beautiful" - Callinout

"A captivating tale of curiosity and lust for the living soul" - Brandon Crouse

"...a Gothic Gem" - Blaze McRob

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Monday 3 November 2014

WITHIN WET WALLS - out now, for your wicked pleasure

Within Wet Walls is a short, gothic ghost story inspired by M.R. James, Dickens and Sir Walter Scott.

It speaks of a medieval manor built in a Sussex forest where beings as old as the land itself swirl, translucent in the damp mists. Ever hungry.

Travel through time within the wet walls of Wealdstone House. Slip into Eliza Lundy's Victorian sub-existence of servitude and debauchery, laced with opium and absinthe. Taste the terror. Embrace life... while you can.

Eliza's wandering spirit will take you by the hand, by the throat, by the lips. Enter her darkness to discover the beautiful horrors that reside there. She's waiting. She's always waiting. For you.

OUT NOW! From just 99p/$1.59


Excerpt:

WITHIN WET WALLS


The first time I heard Georgia sing, I sucked her soul out through her skin. I took it – but I didn’t really want it, not then. 


Applause rang through Wealdstone’s derelict Great Hall. It drifted into cold Sussex skies to join the final notes of Georgia Holland’s aria. The sounds entwined, dispersed... fell again as a sparkling frost on a raw winter’s night.

The singer’s sculpted face gazed up at the vast ivy-edged hole in the roof, focussing on a slither of moon which glimmered and smiled at its companion star. Georgia raised princess hands towards the celestial display, bringing the audience to its feet in ovation.

Beneath broken beams, the room slowly quietened. People turned to each other in whispers, agreeing that Miss Holland not only sang like an angel, she looked like one; her beatific countenance transcending voice and stature. Her tall body swayed, swathed in white velvet. A stole of ivory feathers hung from the pin of her shoulders making wings at her back.

The hall sighed as one; Georgia’s scarlet mouth grew wide, the grin reaching her cheeks, her eyes.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

Roses as red as the singer’s lips flew at the stage to cries of ‘Brava! Brava!’ leaving a carpet of petals at her feet. Georgia stared down – exalted – but humble, always humble. Tears blurred her vision and she watched in fascination as the flowers seemed to lap at her dress, soaking the hem. Silence fell. Georgia frowned, her smile wasting away. Tendrils crept up her skirts in crawling fingers.

“What...?”

She grabbed the moist fabric. It stuck to her bare legs, cloying and dripping with gelatinous greenery. Gasps peppered the makeshift auditorium; cold air scattered across the thousand tea-lights, extinguishing some, flaring others into a frenzied dance.

“Help me!”

Georgia’s voice went unheard amongst the mounting screams as the audience watched a figure wrap itself around the performer’s paralysed body, enveloping her in spirals of translucence. It squeezed, constricting Georgia’s ribs like a snake before rising to shimmer before her face with a face of its own.

A girl.

A girl with row upon row of tiny pointed teeth.

“It won’t hurt,” the mouth sighed. “It will be delicious.”

And it was.

Wednesday 29 October 2014

PHOBOPHOBIAS Out Now! Fear and Terror Unveiled

The long-awaited paperback and ebook of Western Legends Publishing's PHOBOPHOBIAS is out now on Amazon - just in time for Hallowe'en. Perfect for this year's scare fest, and beyond.

You can take a little 'Look Inside' or download a sample here which not only allows you to read the table of contents and the intro. but also the two opening stories!


The sequel to indie success Phobophobia (Dark Continents Publishing 2012) Phobophobias explores twenty-six extraordinary and oft-irrational common or obscure fears, those that cripple us, stop us functioning as human beings. Even though it's all in our head - or is it?

My story, BAD EXPOSURE comes under 'I' for Ipovlopsychophobia - the fear of having your photograph taken. Model Alexis suffers a breakdown after a bizarre encounter in the crowds outside a London tube station. Her partner Joey and mutual friend Mike attempt to support her through recovery but all logic fails as Alexis's fears manifest all around them, even when she isn't there.

The anthology features some true masters of horror from the world of fiction and also the big screen, including the Hellraiser Female Cenobite, Barbie Wilde and Son of Nosferatu, Tim Dry.

We hope you enjoy the terrifying tales. If you feel so inclined, please do review the book. Thank you.

The full line up of authors is:

  • Christopher Beck
  • Adrian Chamberlin
  • Lily Childs
  • Mike Chinn
  • Raven Dane
  • Nerine Dorman
  • Christine Dougherty
  • Tim Dry
  • Jan Edwards
  • John Gilbert
  • D.T. Griffith
  • Lisa Jenkins
  • Emile-Louis Tomas Jouvet
  • Rakie Keig
  • Amelia Mangan
  • Peter Mark May
  • Christine Morgan
  • John Palisano
  • Daniel I. Russell
  • Phil Sloman
  • Sam Stone
  • Andrew Taylor
  • Mark West
  • Barbie Wilde
  • D.M. Youngquist 

The beautiful cover art was created by James Powell, and the cover design by D. T. Griffith. The editor is award-winning writer and film-maker Dean M. Drinkel.

Tuesday 28 October 2014

Book Review: The Night Just Got Darker by Gary McMahon

When we lose someone, it’s common to hear the expression, “a light went out.” For Gary McMahon and many other writers, publishers, editors and readers who were friends of the late Joel Lane, the night did indeed get a great deal darker when he passed away in November 2013. The outpouring of sadness at the time – and since - was such that although I had never met Joel, my heart broke for those that loved him so much.

I confess I was somewhat nervous about reading The Night Just Got Darker. I’m a big fan of Gary McMahon’s writing; he has an uncanny way of twisting a needle into your soul to touch your deepest emotions, your anger, your fears… your hurt. I knew this chapbook was a dedication to his friend Joel and I asked myself if it was appropriate to read of someone’s grief laid bare. Feeling uncomfortable is something I usually welcome, but would this story be too personal?

Honestly?

The Night Just Got Darker is a beautifully written tale of observance and of being observed, of a man shifting away from banal normality into a troubling and spiritual mental landscape as he becomes fascinated with a writer that lives across the way. Their cautious relationship is as tender as it is sinister, taking the reader from a mundane fear of potential stalking to a slow realisation that nothing between the two men is as it seems - nothing. No story is enough. Life itself is not enough.

We find here a psychological mirror that reflects back an unsteady consciousness; that of the main character who has drifted almost lazily into a state of detachment before knocking on the writer’s door, of Erik – the writer himself whose almost ethereal existence appears stranger and stranger as the pages turn, and – be warned – it is that of the reader too.  But whose face stares back? And are they the faces we expect to see? Solid events begin to blur and merge, recollections and encounters become misty confusions as that clever McMahon needle wheedles down, down, down – all the better to prick you with.

Whose mind is ever real? Who sees life – or death – in the same colours? Who writes ‘your’ story? The Night Just Got Darker leaves these questions trailing like cold smoke by a wet canal, lingering… insidious.

A worthy and respectful homage, and a disturbing read. Highly recommended.

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Monday 27 October 2014

Horror and Handshakes

Witchcraft, Book Signings and BFS Chat


Saturday 25th October 2014 was a fantastic way to start the run up to this year's Samhain celebrations in London. The British Museum currently has a small but perfectly formed art exhibition - Witches and Wicked Bodies - in Room 90, where I spent an hour or so studying the artwork and making notes. With etchings, lithographs, mezzotints, pen and ink and paintings from artists such as Albrecht Dürer and his contemporaries in the 15th century the exhibition takes you right through to 20th century with depictions of witches, demons, and dark, dark beings on display from the likes of Fuseli, Goya, Barry, Delacroix, Odilon Redon, Aubrey Beardsley, Henry Keen and more.

Highly recommended. Find out more about Witches and Wicked Bodies...


Hallowe'en Horror Signing - Forbidden Planet


After the exhibition, and a cheeky French lunch I toddled off to the Hallowe'en Horror Signing event at Shaftesbury Avenue's incredible Forbidden Planet.

There, I met up with the wonderful and inspiring Jan Edwards from Alchemy Press and Theresa Derwin of KnightWatch Press and had brief chats with Simon Marshall-Jones of Spectral Press and Gary McMahon. 

I only bought three books as the budget was cruel despite my desire to stroke and acquire practically everything in sight. So, I chose The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror - 25th Anniversary Edition which was kindly signed by Ramsey Campbell, Kim Newman, Stephen Volk, Thana Niveau, Reggie Oliver, Lynda Rucker, Robert Shearman and the mighty editor Stephen Jones.

I also bought Kim's An English Ghost Story which he signed, and Mark Morris's The Wolves of London - also signed. Can't wait to get my teeth into these.




British Fantasy Society Open Day


Just down the road, The Bloomsbury Tavern was hosting the British Fantasy Society Open Day where I met up and chatted with Jan, Theresa, Peter Coleborn, Mike Chinn, the dashing Tim Dry, the absolutely gorgeously lovely Barbie Wilde, Adrian Cole, John Gilbert and Dean M Drinkel. 

Barbie, Tim, Dean and I - all together in time for Western Legends Publishing launch of PHOBOPHOBIAS on 31st October!



I stole away at around 7pm, on my husband's arm and we swept into London's heaving streets in search of food. We ended up, as always, at a Spaghetti House then ran to Victoria. I fell asleep on the train home with a big smile on my face and was tucked up in bed before midnight.

News


Oh, and I have some exciting news! Hopefully I'll be able to reveal more on that soon.

Tuesday 9 September 2014

FCon, The Asylum Novel and Killer Bees From Outer Space!

In a week that saw me stalking attendants of FantasyCon 2014 from afar (Twitter), I managed a couple of achievements that I'm pretty proud of, thank you very much!

FantasyCon 2014

Firstly though, on the FCon front, despite not being able to rub shoulders this year with the likes of Phil Sloman, Steven Chapman, James Everington, Mark West, Jan Edwards, Simon Marshall-Jones, Gary McMahon and (sniff) Joanne Harris it was great to keep up with all the news and awards.

In particular, a huge congratulations to Jan Edwards and her team, as The Alchemy Press won the British Fantasy Society Award for Best Independent Press 2014. Well deserved.



The 'Asylum' Novel

I've been needling away at the currently untitled 'asylum' novel for a while now. And THE END is nigh!

The milestone word count of 80,000 words has now been tipped and I'm on the final run towards the last 15k or so words of the first draft.

Thank you to so many of you for your support - and patience. More news soon, and fingers crossed it'll be good news.



Killer Bees From Outer Space!

I'm thrilled to announce that my B-movie story BITE OF THE HORRORCANE has been selected from over sixty submissions to be included in KILLER BEES FROM OUTER SPACE. 

This is a new anthology from Knightwatch Press and is due for publication in 2015. KWP's inspiring owner and MD, Theresa Derwin is the editor of this antho. I'm really looking forward to finally working with her.


Saturday 26 July 2014

OUT NOW - The House of Three: A Short (Ghost) Story


Full cover of The House of Three: A Short Story by Lily Childs
The House of Three: A Short Story by Lily Childs

Mentioned in my last post (but without the trumpets), my short ghost story, THE HOUSE OF THREE is now available to buy from Amazon:


A Little Background

I'd alluded to the fact that The House of Three is set in a considerably more dilapidated version of my own house. Since I wrote it over two years ago, the story has taken a morbid hold on me. Something has always stopped me from submitting it to open markets, as though it had stitched itself into the very bricks and mortar of my Victorian home (and the cells of my brain) and was refusing to let go.

Sometimes though, you simply have to cut the ties that bind.

I decided to release it through my own publishing platform, Ganglion Press. Whoosh! Gone.

The story is a slight detour from my usual writing 'style', less arty-farty poetic horror and more straightforward storytelling, slapped about with a hint of crime and given an unhealthy dose of the supernatural. There. Did that sell it to you?

I hope you like it. Do let me know.

_______________________________________


Monday 14 July 2014

The House of Three, Phobophobias and digging up old Bones

And now for the latest news (shuffles papers)...

THE HOUSE OF THREE:
A Short Story by Lily Childs

To be released in late July on Amazon, in both paperback chapbook and ebook  formats. This short ghost story has a rather personal connnection - the 'house' of the title is loosely based on my own little abode, and for that very reason I've never felt able to let it go out to another publisher. I'm finally allowing it to break loose through Ganglion Press.

Here's the back cover blurb:

An ordinary Victorian house in an ordinary English town. A house that smells of roses. A house that stinks of death.

32 Cherry Street is rotten to the core after years of neglect. When its owner dies in a freak accident successful entrepreneur Sarah Bayliss wastes no time in coming up with the cash to buy the small terraced property - her former childhood home.

Reunited with her estranged younger brother Johnny, Sarah summons the courage to unveil the secrets the house has kept hidden for so long, but nothing can prepare the siblings for the horrors they are about to uncover. Or who they're going to meet.
*-*-*-*-*-*

  • Keep your eyes peeled for a Facebook competition to win a signed copy of THE HOUSE OF THREE chapbook
  • Ganglion Press is now on Twitter! Why not pop by and follow: @GanglionPress
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PHOBOPHOBIAS - Cover Reveal

I'm very excited that my story, BAD EXPOSURE (or 'I' is for Ipovlopsychophobia) is included in Dark Continents Publishing's forthcoming Phobophobias anthology. 

The excellent cover, by uber-talented artist James L. Powell has now been revealed!

Compiled and edited by Dean M. Drinkel, this is the second in the Phobias series and includes stories from Barbie Wilde, Tim Dry, Phil Sloman, Raven Dane, Sam Stone, Mark West, David Youngquist, Jan Edwards, Nerine Dorman, Andy Taylor, Mike Chinn, Christine Morgan, John Prescott, Daniel I Russell, Rakie Benett, Peter Mark May, Amelia Mangan, John Palisano, John Gilbert, David T Griffith, Adrian Chamberlin, Lisa Jenkins, Christopher L. Beck, Christine Dougherty, Emile-Louis Tomas Jouvet and Dean M. Drinkel.

The book is due out in August. For a taste of the horror you'll discover in this new anthology, you can still buy the first in the series, PHOBOPHOBIA in ebook or paperback from Amazon UK and Amazon.com

_________________________________________________

OLD BONES

Lastly, in 2013 my story THE OSSILLATRICE SHIFT won the Editor's Choice Award in James Ward Kirk Publishing's anthology, BONES.

James is now compiling his 'Best Of 2013' anthology and has kindly asked if he could include The Ossillatrice Shift. Unsurprisingly - I said yes! More details as soon as I hear news.

_____________________________________

Saturday 5 July 2014

Review: The Brittle Birds by Anthony Cowin

The Brittle Birds by Anthony Cowin is now available on all Amazon platforms
Anthony Cowin’s The Brittle Birds is a beautifully written story, painted with creeping webs of horror and despair. 

The underlying tale recounts the damaged relationship and lives of two brothers, their unique view of the world and their methods of dealing with its challenges – all stemming from the consequences of a harrowing childhood event. The depiction of this journey in itself is an articulate masterpiece, with Cowin addressing psychoses and trauma in a raw and almost tender way, but the overarching power of this short book is the impact of the brittle birds themselves.

The author compels readers to question myth then forces you to disregard everything you have ever perceived as truth when the terrifying brittle birds take poetic flight across the pages and into our psyches (at the very least).

The brittle birds – you’ll have your own name for them, I'm sure – are dread incarnate. And if you are as affected by the possibility of them as I, then you’ll never see the world in the same way again.

Excellent.
_______________________________

The Brittle Birds, an 18 page ebook written by Anthony Cowin and published by Perpetual Motion Machine is now available on all Amazon platforms.


Read more about Anthony at: www.anthonycowin.com

Monday 10 March 2014

Buckets In Southwark - up at Thrills Kills 'n' Chaos

A little while ago I wrote a new, twisted crime tale for the lovely David Barber's Thrills Kills 'n' Chaos ezine. And it's now up! It's called BUCKETS IN SOUTHWARK and is somewhat unpleasant, if I say so myself.

Please take a read. I'd love to hear your thoughts so do comment if you have time. Here are the opening lines...

Buckets In Southwark by Lily Childs

Cold wrists and a cold heart that barely dared beat, lest he think her willing. She let it tremble – he wasn't here today and for that she was truly grateful.

They peppered every spare space in the poorly-lit basement. She’d given up trying to count them because whenever he came down and did what he did to their tiny corpses, he’d throw them back into the room afterwards, discarding them, forgetting them until the next time he got the urge. Some lay at her broken feet now, gazing at nothing; once demure.


____________________________________


A Sad Goodbye - A.J. Hayes

It was with incredible sadness that I learned of the death of one of Noir's great writers, poets, editors and mentors yesterday - A.J. Hayes, or 'Bill'. He had been privately struggling with cancer for some time, and was dealt a wicked blow when he developed pneumonia - which stole him from his loving family and friends.

I missed the opportunity to meet up with Bill a while ago and now regret it even more. Bill was a superb writer who generously took the time to read, comment on and encourage the work of others. His was the kindest of souls, and I'm sure wherever he has passed on to he'll be making 'em laugh, making everyone feel better about themselves, as he always did in life.

It was my great pleasure to publish Bill on Thrillers Killers 'n' Chillers, particularly the poetic and sublime tale 'DARK GENESIS' - you can still read it at http://thrillskillsnchills.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/dark-genesis-by-aj-hayes.html

We (the former TK'n'C editors) have also posted a TK'n'C tribute to this lovely man, and the comments that are pouring in there, and also across Facebook are testament to how he touched so many people's lives.

Bye bye Mr Bill. I'll miss you and will never forget your words, your warmth and your honesty. Good night. x

Tuesday 25 February 2014

New 5* Review for Cabaret of Dread

Kevin Bufton put on his dancing shoes and re-entered the CABARET OF DREAD, where he tipped his hat and paid tribute to my first collection of horror.

He was kind enough to offer a generous five star review which you can read at his excellent review site, THE BLOODY, BLOODY BOOK REVIEW as well as Amazon where you can, of course, buy the book!

Here's a little excerpt.

"...she [Lily] paints with broad and sweeping colours, splattering her literary canvas with words that she has selected with such precision as to evoke the bleakness of her uniquely grim vision. It is an exercise in grandiosity, as if Books of Blood era Clive Barker went out for drinks with Trent Reznor and Ken Russell and decided to keep a journal of the occasion."

"Cabaret of Dread remains a beautiful and hideous thing, and is all the better for the re-reading."


________________________________________________


Sunday 23 February 2014

Musing on Mint - You Know it Makes Scents

A hot hibiscus bloom in  Crete
I recently read an article about the importance of teasing a reader's senses by evoking taste, smell, sounds and more in fiction. I wholeheartedly concur. No point in 'this happened', 'that happened' without wailing sirens gaining pace and assaulting your ears as you slip on spilled kebab meat in a filthy street, gagging on the stench of human waste from open sewers... that kind of thing.

Using the senses should come naturally when you get totally involved with creating a character, with the places they occupy and the scenes you set. But I do occasionally read fiction that seems to lack sensation (for want of a better word) and I genuinely wonder if some writers, laziness aside, simply don't experience sensory responses the same way others do? I'm throwing that question out there...

Describing the heat of Crete, for example, comes easily to me. As soon as I start to even contemplate it my skin starts to prickle. It's like being stroked with breathless sunshine, sultry and enticing with the risk of flames. An indelicate bloom of perspiration breaks out around my hairline, tickling my forehead, dampening the nape of my neck.

With this comes a dry tongue, waiting to salivate at the sight of squid and tzatziki on an over-sized plate, a glass of chilled rosé at its side, cool condensation rising in bubbles before dripping onto the tablecloth. And most of all - it's the scent of the place that accompanies the heat; wild thyme crushed beneath your boots as you wander the raw land of the island's hills, the omnipresent salt from the sea - you can even smell it up in the mountains, and the freshness of rain evaporating after a freak summer storm.

Tzatziki and Mint
Can't you see it?

Can't you smell it?

Can't you taste it?

Indeed it is smell that is most powerful for me. They say that an unexpected waft of some long-forgotten smell can make you giddy with nostalgia, trigger distant memories - happy or otherwise. That 'involuntary memory' - Proust's well discussed madeleine from 'À la Recherche du Temps Perdu'.

I passed the open door of a community hall the other day where they were polishing the wooden floor; I was instantly taken back to my childhood - dancing away at a holiday camp on Barry Island (crackin'). And last month a decrepit truck blasted me with dirty diesel-laden exhaust fumes but it got me thinking about the old Mr Whippy ice-cream van that used to tour our streets when I was a kid; you could smell the chugging engine before the discordant song announced its arrival.

But what about the bad memories? The stink of piss - thankfully not a common assault of the senses these days - reminds me of getting stuck in a public toilet at the age of thirteen or so, when two men came bundling into the cubicle beside me, beating each other to a pulp, their blood splattering over the cold tiles between our booths. Terrifying - I still feel traumatised by it even now.

And you'd think a pleasant fragrance should evoke equally pleasant memories but I came to regret buying a well-known brand's Raspberry Handwash because it smells of Cinzano (I've never had a real raspberry that smells of that weird old vermouth), and Cinzano was the first booze I ever puked on. A silly 16-year old, hanging out of my friend's bedroom window, making a mess (sorry J.) So this soap immediately makes me feel stupid and not a little humiliated. That's the power of a single whiff of (probably horribly chemical) scent.

All that said, I have what I'm told is an uncanny ability to actually smell/taste any scent you might care to mention. Immediately. Name a flower, for example, and its flavour is right there, in my nose, at the back of my throat, on the tip of my tongue - bringing all the emotions and qualities I associate with it too. I sometimes wonder if I have a mild form of olfactory synaesthesia. It's come in handy - I used to practise as an aromatherapist - but was using oils, herbs, gums, essences etc for years before taking any qualifications.

I've been making incense for meditation and other spiritual work for decades. Getting the blend right is a skill, but I find it comes naturally; there are rules about which perfume 'notes' blend best with others, and of course curative properties are also a consideration.
Ancient rose

Here are some of my favoured, and some more traditional ingredients for incense and oil blends, and what they mean to me:
  • Frankincense: soft, rich yet mellow, the oil is thick... viscous. The hard 'tears' - like little sugar-coated rocks of ginger which release the warm, heady fragrance as you grind them with your pestle. Frankincense heightens spiritual and sensorial awareness; it's meditational ambrosia.
  • Chamomile: has to me the pungent, unpleasant scent of banana skins in a rubbish bin, dropped onto the detritus of an emptied ashtray. Many therapists swear by it but I find it hard to work with. We're not keen on each other.
  • Mint: sharp peppermint is cooling in hot weather - of skin and of temperament. Sweet spearmint helps lift the soul, gently waking the tired and softly soothing the tearful.
  • Cedarwood: graveyards in Autumn (Fall), a smokiness to its perfume, a cleansing, decluttering quality to its intent
  • Cypress: coniferous pleasure; sweet and bold. It's all about breaking free, taking flight, soaring into empty blue skies. Letting go.
  • Rose: we all know what rose smells like... this most wondrous of flowers offers the deepest of meanings for me; ancient healing, visions of vaults brimming with petals. A restorative in - and for - every sense. Forget love, rose is for the self, for feeding your blood - your life-force, for nurturing the darkest corners of your spirit, bringing you the confidence to 'be yourself'.

    True attar of roses, or 'rose absolute' costs a fortune - but is worth a thousand times more to the soul than monetary value.

    And if you like your food spicy, use Rose Harissa in couscous, or to marinate meat/vegetables - allowing you to ingest this blessed bloom. Ah, I can smell it just thinking about it.

I'm rambling, as I am wont to do, but the point I'm trying to make from a writing perspective is that using the senses to reach your reader is not only an important but a powerful tool.

Whether prosaic and wistful or in-yer-face grit, whether summoning that oddly-cheesey stench of blueberry flesh as it bursts on the tongue, or fielding the foetid, death-breath reek of rotting gums as a zombie bears down on its victim... if you can smell the fear, let your readers in on the sensation too - don't make them sniff it out for themselves.

Monday 17 February 2014

OUT NOW! February Femmes Fatales - the Book!

Ooh, this month has been an exciting one with a frenzy of work going on to make sure February Femmes Fatales - the book - would make it onto Amazon's shelves before February itself was over. And we did it!

I owe the astoundingly sharp-eyed Absolutely*Kate Pilarcik a massive, public THANK YOU for her perfect proofreading. Thousands of miles apart we may be but we worked together to make sure everything sparkled.

"So where can I buy February Femmes Fatales, with its sixty-eight morsels of darkest fiction and poetry by twenty-three mistresses of crime, horror, noir and the supernatural?" I hear you scream.

Well, I shall tell you...

BUY FEBRUARY FEMMES FATALES IN PAPERBACK



BUY FEBRUARY FEMMES FATALES FOR KINDLE


The book is available in both formats across all Amazon platforms.

Thank you to those who've already bought the book - if you enjoyed it, we'd love to read your Amazon review!

____________________________________


Monday 27 January 2014

February Femmes Fatales - Cover Reveal!

At last! The final cover for the forthcoming FEBRUARY FEMMES FATALES paperback is ready.

I hope you like it!

The cover of the February Femmes Fatales paperback

More about February Femmes Fatales on Facebook and at Ganglion Press.

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Tuesday 14 January 2014

FEBRUARY FEMMES FATALES - Get the Latest News!


Coming soon from Ganglion Press and edited by Lily Childs (that would be me) - a collection of dark and wicked words from twenty-three women, the FEBRUARY FEMMES FATALES.

From short, sharp micro-fiction to full-length stories; from poetry to a novel tease, 'February Femmes Fatales the book' dishes out fear by the bucketload.

Noir, horror, crime, myths. Travel in time... Be reborn... Take revenge.

Meet demons. Dally with ghosts. Fight gun totin' kick-ass gals with gumption... and dig deeper where you'll encounter war crimes, murder and foul-play. Not to mention a deadly dose of darkest humour.

How Can I Possibly Get all the Latest News - Do Tell!

'Like' and follow the February Femmes Fatales Facebook page for updates, events, interviews, podcasts, reviews, author info and launch details. There's lots to come!

You can also use the #febfemmesfatales Twitter hashtag.

We look forward to sharing the darkness with you.

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The February Femmes Fatales are: Absolutely*Kate, Asuqi, R.S. Bohn, Lily Childs, Erin Cole, Dorothy Davies, Sandra Davies, Marissa Farrar, Ellie Garratt, Sue Harding, Anna Harris, Helen A. Howell, A.J. Humpage, Susan May James, Rebecca Kovar, Veronica Marie Lewis-Shaw, Jodi MacArthur, Marietta Miles, Laurita Miller, Katherine Moriarty, Tania Redd, Icy Sedgwick and Lou Treleaven.

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Lily Childs is a writer of horror, esoteric, mystery and chilling fiction.

If you see her dancing outside in a thunder storm - don't try to bring her in. She's safe.