Sker House – Cover Reveal

I have a new book coming out on March 1st (bonus point if you know why I chose that particular date). Sker House is a traditional haunted house story, with a contemporary twist and a distinctly Welsh flavour. Damn thing took over five years to write, though I was doing other things in between, obviously, like sleeping, eating, and the day job.

Out on DeadPixel Publications, Sker House will be available for pre-order soon. Further details will follow imminently. But first things first, I wanted to share the all-important cover with you. The cover and the blurb are probably the two hardest things to get right. Below is a collaboration between myself and my good friend Greg Chapman. I think it fits the bill, and sums up the mood perfectly.

Sker House is a real place, situated on the Welsh coast near Bridgend. It has a very long and chequered history, which I will tell you more about in a series of blogs after the book’s release. The cover is based on an old postcard I found online. There’s something about this particular image that I love. Looking at it, how can the place NOT be haunted?

2016 – The year of the Reboot

It makes me a little sad that the big Hollywood studios are so reluctant to at least try to break any new ground, and would much rather spend their resources tapping into a pre-existing market. That said, I’m pretty excited about some of the movies being served up this year. Here’s my top five. Just don’t judge me on the last one.

Cabin Fever

Who could be so bold as to remake Eli Roth’s 2002 classic? Eli Roth, obviously. For the reboot he’s using the same script, with different characters and presumably a bigger budget. The first one cost just $1.5 million, and went on to gross over twenty times that amount. It also made Roth a star. This time he’s moving upstairs to executive producer while Travis Zariwny takes over directing duties. Nope, I don’t know who he is, either. You have to wonder why it’s being made with the same script, when this could be the perfect opportunity to expand on certain elements a little. But this is Eli Roth, and I’m sure as fuck not going to argue with him.

Ghostbusters

This is one film that isn’t staying true to the original. In fact, it seems to be doing everything it can to distance itself from the original by employing an all-female (including Melissa McCarthy) cast in place of Bill Murray and company, who are all too old to get in those jump suits anyway. He and Dan Ackroyd do get cameo’s, though. It’s being marketed as a reboot of the franchise, rather than the film, which either means there’s going to be a slew of sequels or we aren’t going to see a giant marshmallow man this time around. It’d be a shame if that’s the case.

Point Break 3D

How can you make a remake sound new and exciting? Stick ‘3D’ in the title, that’s how. But this is Point Break, ya’ll! The original was one of the defining films of the 90’s and made Patrick Swayze’s career what it was. Well, that and Roadhouse. We don’t talk about Dirty Dancing. The 2016 version stars Edgar Ramirez and Ray Winstone, and will probably be one for adrenaline junkies everywhere. Being a joint American and Chinese production, expect more than a passing nod to our friends in the far East.

The Magnificient Seven

As far as ‘man’ films go, the original 1960 shoot-em-up starring Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, and just about everybody else who could point a gun, is right up there with Rambo and Jaws. Well, the truth is, it wasn’t original even then, but a remake of the legendary Japanese flick Seven Samurai. Still, of all the reboots and remakes planned for 2016, this is the one I’m most wary of, even if the Daily Mirror reports are right and it does have Vinnie Jones in it (doubtful).

Dad’s Army

I warned you about the last entry on this list. Yes, if you’re British Dad’s Army is something you probably remember from your childhood, or those endless Sunday afternoon repeats, but 2016 sees the wartime comedy about a group of disparate individuals given a momentous overhaul, and it’s set to be one of the biggest Bricoms of the year. Let’s face it, how can anything with Catherine Zeta Jones in possibly not be worth a watch? She’s magnificent.

The Bookshelf 2015

A list of every book I managed to read, cover-to-cover, in 2015.

Extreme: Why Some People Thrive at the Limits by Emma Barrett & Paul Martin (2014)

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King (2013)

Social Media Monsters: Internet Killers by RJ Parker & LL Slate (2014)

Elemental: A Book of Poetry by Hanna Elizabeth (2015)

This is a Call: The Life and Times of Dave Grohl by Paul Brannigan (2011)

The Day the Leash gave Way and Other Stories (Reissue) by Trent Zelazny (2014)

State of Horror: Illinois edited by Jerry E. Benns (2014)

Their Cramped Dark World and Other Tales by David A Riley (2015)

Defriended by Ruth Baron (2013)

The Urban Survival Tin by Anson Bond (2012)

Journeymen: The other Side of the Boxing Business by Mark Noble (2014)

Sex, Peanuts, Fangs & Fur: A Practical Guide for Invading Canada (2015)

Innocence: A Novel by Dean Koontz (2013)

Will Anyone Figure Out This is a Repackaged First Collection? By Johnny Mains (2015)

The Dead Lifeguard by RL Stine (1994)

Sea Sick by Iain Rob Wright (2013)

Nightmares & Dreamscapes by Stephen King (1993)

Vaudeville & Other Nightmares by Greg Chapman (2014)

Getcha Rocks Off: Life & Death on the Rock n’ Roll Road by Mick Wall (2015)

Mr Mercedes by Stephen King (2014)

Foo Fighters: Learning to Fly by Mick Wall (2015)

Rescue Pilot: Cheating the Sea by Jerry Grayson (2015)

Ghost Camera by Darcy Coates (2015)

Check out last year’s list here