Cyber Monday SALE from Darren Dash!

It's Cyber Monday, and I decided at almost the very last minute to do a Cyber Monday sale. Up for grabs is the ebook of my most recent Darren Dash release, An Other Place, a sci-fi novel like no other, that (much to my surprise, because it's a WEIRD little number!) has had lots of great critical reviews and found an ever-growing and enthusiastic fan base. It's a strange, disturbing, darkly funny story about a guy who winds up in a nightmarish, fantastical city, where the rules of our world are turned on their head. Definitely NOT for children! For 48 hours only, from 00.00am Monday to 11.00pm on Tuesday (PST in the States, GMT in the UK), the ebook of An Other Place will be on sale on Amazon USA for just $0.99 (a third of its normal price), and Amazon UK for just £0.99 (half its normal price). This is the first time I've offered this book at a reduced price, and I don't do sales like this very often, so act quick if you want to nab a bargain! Here are the buying links. Amazon USA: https://www.amazon.com/Other-Place-Darren-Dash-ebook/dp/B01MXNBE8O/ Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Other-Place-Darren-Dash-ebook/dp/B01MXNBE8O/

PRE-ORDER: "An Other Place" by Darren Dash

An Other Place by Darren Dash​ (the alter ego of Darren Shan Official​), is available for pre-order! It will go live December 1st and is so, so worth the read! Definitely the best book of 2016 in my opinion.

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Other-Place-Darren-Dash-ebook/dp/B01MXNBE8O/
Amazon UK:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Other-Place-Darren-Dash-ebook/dp/B01MXNBE8O/

There is An Other Place... where time and space are fluid... where the moon changes colour and savage beasts run wild... where love is a perilous proposition and the dead are swiftly forgotten... where sandmen offer sanctuary and the Alchemist rules over all.
When Newman Riplan’s flight into the unknown turns into a nightmarish slide between worlds, he must explore an unnamed city where unpredictable terrors are the norm. By the end of his first day adrift, his life has spun completely out of his control, but the most mind-twisting and soul-crushing revelations are only beginning. As he desperately searches for a way out, he starts to realise that the city isn’t in the habit of releasing its captives. And it seems to have a plan for him...

“This is, by far, the best book of 2016, possibly the best book of this decade... the bastard love child of Kafka and Rod Serling, throwing in a dash of Ray Bradbury for good measure. 5/5 -- brilliant. Just brilliant.” Kelly Smith Reviews.

“Darren Dash has opened a new artery of terror... unlike any book I have ever read... hints of The Twilight Zone, Pines, and Station Eleven.” The Literary Connoisseur.

“This book really did blow my mind... each page turn was both chilling and thrilling in equal measure... the conclusion left me with goosebumps. 5/5!” Rachel Hobbs, author.

"An Other Place is a deliciously quirky novel that is surreal and powerful in equal measure. This is by far Dash’s best work to date. It is challenging and absurd, artistically brave and politically conscious, but this abstract painting of a novel is one thing above all else… completely original." Books, Films & Random Lunacy.

“You can try and try but you will never guess the ending nor even 5 pages ahead as to where the story is going to take you.” Daniel Davies, Goodreads.

“This story had me hooked from the get go... an ending that sent my mind into a spin. 5 stars.” Reviews And Randomness.

“This book is utterly unique... I was amazed at how well Dash could create this baffling world from scratch and draw me into it so completely. 5 stars.” A Place In Which Jessie Writes.

"I have never read anything like An Other Place. It is truly a one of a kind... twisted and very disturbing in some parts. 5/5." Jessica Boehm, Amazon.

RELEASE DAY (BOOK REVIEW & AUTHOR INTERVIEW): "Sunburn" by Darren Dash

When three friends go on holiday to Bulgaria, protecting themselves from sunburn is their only concern. But when they run into a beast unlike any they've ever imagined, it becomes a savage fight for survival. They will burn in the day... but the night holds even darker terrors in store.

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I read Darren Dash's alter-ego ever since I was twelve. That's nearly a decade of dedication. When he moved into the adult horror genre and I was privileged to review The Evil And The Pure, I was so excited. When he contacted me to review his next book, Sunburn, I might have fangirled a little bit. Just a little!
I read Sunburn over three days, savoring each word, each scene. Not because I am biased by my longtime fandom, but because it was just that good.
Rarely in a horror novel does the reader get the chance to really get to know the characters like you do in Sunburn. You know every crevice of their souls, what they like and what they hate; what their hopes and dreams are; who they love. Usually, when a horror novel takes almost halfway through to get bloody, I lose interest. But the beginning isn't just fluffy filler, it's important. It's important that you get to know and love (or hate) the three main characters before the "creature" finds them.
Throughout the book, you get short chapters from the "creature's" POV, which is unique and extremely intriguing, making you want to read on and know just what this thing is, what it wants, and what it has to do with Martini, Newt and Curran.
I cannot go on enough about the book, how great it is and how entertaining. This is an author who knows his stuff, knows how to make the readers laugh, cry and scream in terror, whether he's writing for adults or teens.
To call this a must-read is an understatement!

5/5--introspective, interesting horror!





Purchase Sunburn via:

Amazon
Goodreads




My EXCLUSIVE Interview With Darren Dash:

1. What was the inspiration behind Sunburn?

I have pale skin and get sunburnt very easily, and I never seem to learn my lesson! After yet another scorching, I found myself wondering what it would be like to be stranded in the middle of nowhere, with a monster on the prowl, while completely naked, defenseless and terribly sunburnt. And it all grew from there.

2. You spent a good part of the novel taking us through the characters' daily life, letting us get to know them before getting into the action. What made you decide to do that?

Let's be honest here -- this is a schlocky story. I make no apologies for that -- I wanted to write a fun, over the top monster tale, that does what it says on the tin. At the same time, there's no reason why a schlocky story shouldn't be as carefully plotted and peopled as a more realistic, serious tale. The mistake many horror writers and movie people make is in assuming that the characters are unimportant, only there to be terrorised and torn apart by the monsters. I wanted to write a book where readers would grow to know and side with the main characters, where they would be interested in what happened for them, and rooting for them when the worst came to pass. As Stephen King has often proved, it IS possible to tell a throwaway story that manages to be a decent read at the same time, and this was my attempt to do that.

3. The "beast" is introduced to us slowly and vaguely, at the beginning of each section. Was that done to build anticipation for the reader?

Actually, in the first draft I didn't mention the beast at all, but the introduction of it was then too jarring. There needed to be a build-up and a gradual reveal, not least so that readers would know the nature of the story that they were committing to -- I didn't want to trick people into thinking this was going to be a gently-paced character study, only to suddenly drop them into the middle of a hellish man vs beast scenario.

4. How did you decide exactly what kind of creature you were using in the story?

I knew it was going to be some sort of Bigfoot-type creature, but I didn't have the specifics clear in mind when I started. They grew out of the storytelling.

5. Would you like to see this as a film? How would you want a studio to execute it?

It would be lovely to see it adapted, especially as I think it's a story that would lend itself neatly to film, except maybe for the nudity angle -- I suspect he'd keep his boxer shorts on in the movie! I won't be holding my breath, but hopefully it will happen one day...

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Joe Walker

1. When/why did you decide to become a writer?

In my teen years I was always impressed by books, films and series and I remember even then wanting to read and see so much that I would inspired enough to one day add my own work to the genres I love.

2. What authors inspired you when you were younger? What books do you enjoy reading today?

J. R. R. Tolkien and J.K Rowling. Benard Cornwell and David Gemmell. Conn Iggulden and R. A. Salvatore. Eric Nylund and George R. R. Martin. Today I'm enjoying the works of many indie authors as well as A Song of Ice and Fire. 

3. What was the inspiration behind your novel Blood Bonds?

A long list of many works have led to a love of fantasy and a need to add something to the magical genre. The two most predominant authors who inspired my work have to be J. R. R. Tolkien and George R. R. Martin. Many themes in fantasy are shared and although there are some who criticise this fact the majority of people appreciate it and understand that the underlying themes are invincible and should be harboured and expressed in as many ways as possible by as many authors as possible.

4. How many books will the series span?

The Thundous Saga will be comprised of two trilogies, Ethriel and Nariel.

5. Why elves and orcs instead of vampires and werewolves?

I absolutely love vampires and werewolves, especially where Darren Shan is involved. But it is my preference and always has been that I prefer elves and orcs. That said, why not merge the two? Forgotten realms proved it works every time.

6. Were any of the characters personalities or emotions taken from real life?

I believe that all characters and all emotions in all books will only add to an author's success if they are based on real life experiences, otherwise they will be unbelievable and difficult to develop.

7. What other genres would you like to try your hand at?

Sci-fi and horror... maybe a sci-fi/horror.

8. What would you do if you were one of your characters in the book? Van or the princess, for instance?

If I was a character in my books I would trust in my friends. The sense of unity with the four main characters is unshakable and they should hold on to that at all costs.

9. You are an English teacher in China. What made you decide to duo that as a career and has it been influential to your writing career at all?

I'm a big fan of creation and I think it is a teacher's duty to emphasise the need to create to children everywhere. If I preached that belief without being creative myself I'd be a hypocrite.

10. Would you like to see Blood Bonds as a film? If yes, who do you want to see play your characters?

I would want Blood Bonds to be a film and I would want new and undiscovered actors to play the roles as I totally believe that everyone deserves a chance in life and if Blood Bonds were to hit the big screens I'd want that to be theirs.

11. Where do you see yourself and your career in the next ten years?

I try not to speculate where I will be and where I hope to be as they can fundamentally disagree at the best of times, but for honesty's sake I'd like to be comfortably settled as a full-time writer (cough cough).

12. What would you be doing if you weren't writing?

Perhaps I'd spend the time learning an instrument or drawing.

13. Can you tell KSR what you're working on next?

The next stop is the final instalment of Ethriel - Freedom. Then it will be onto Nariel.

14. What authors, dead or alive, would you like to collaborate with?

I'd like to make a sci-fi with Tolkien - he could create worlds and I would go live on them.

15. Thank you for participating in the interview. Can you please leave the readers with three things that may surprise them about you?

Thank you for having me; it's been a pleasure :) A lot of people tell me that I'm young at 22 to have two books up for sale and a third one well on the way. I want to learn Latin, Elfish and Dwarfish... oh and Orcish. I wish I had been born in Roman times.

Follow Joe Walker on Twitter.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Darren Shan

1. You never wrote unless it was for homework until you purchased your first typewriter at fourteen years of age. What changed to make you want to start writing fiction?

I had always wanted to be a writer, and had actually started writing stories in my spare time the year or two preceding my purchase of the typewriter. But having a typewriter spurred me on to work even harder. I found I could write more quickly when typing, and also it felt more “legitimate” – I now had the possibility of submitting my work to publishers, since it was typed, whereas I knew I could not send in handwritten work.

 
2. You completed your first novel when you were seventeen, but it was never published. Do you think that your fans will ever get to see some form of that novel for sale one day?

Possibly. I’ve written lots of unpublished novels, especially early in my career. I plan to return to many, maybe even all of the books, and re-write and edit the, then publish them for readers to read, even if only in an eBook format. But I can’t guarantee that I will return to them all. I will only publish them if I think they are strong enough to justify publication, and I suspect some of them might not be.

 
3. You started writing adult horror (I  myself particularly enjoyed The City Trilogy's Hell's Horizon) but transitioned to children's and young adult novels with your Cirque du Freak series. What made you make that transition?

I liked children’s books, even in my late teens and early twenties. (Indeed, I still do.) I had planned to try writing a book for children at some point, purely because I thought it would be fun. Then I had the idea for Cirque Du Freak. I didn’t see it as a career-changer at the time, but I really enjoyed writing it, and after I’d finished it I had more ideas for books for young adults, and it all just grew from there.

 
4. What made you decide to write a four book spin-off of Cirque; The Saga Of Larten Crepsely?

I hadn’t planned to write about Mr Crepsley’s early life. But after I’d finished the Cirque Du Freak series I kept thinking about him and wondering what his life was like before he met Darren, and what had happened to him over the space of two hundred years. My interest in his story grew, even though I wasn’t actively pursuing it, and eventually I felt compelled to sit down and start writing.

 
5. I must ask, why vampires? While in recent years the monsters have become popular in modern fiction worldwide, you took them on when fewer people were interested, which i give you a lot of credit for!

They’ve always been my favourite monsters, ever since I was five or six years old. I never think about the market when I’m writing. I just go with stories that I feel interested in.

 
6. What made you decide to adapt Cirque du Freak into manga? Are you, personally, a fan of Japanese entertainment?

I love Japan, its movies and manga and anime, but my Japanese publishers were the ones who instigated the manga adaptation. My books were hugely popular out there (they regularly topped the overall bestseller charts) and they thought the story would work well in manga form. I chose the artist, but after that I had nothing to do with it until it was later translated into English for its release in the USA and UK. When that happened, I went through the translation and made some tweaks to the text where I felt it was appropriate.

 
7. What was it like seeing Darren, Larten and everyone else come to life in The Vampire's Assistant movie?

I always like seeing how people interpret my characters and the world I create, whether that’s as fan art, a manda, or a movie. Nobody ever captures all of the characters exactly the way I picture them, but that’s what’s so special about books – every reader creates a unique visual world inside their own head. I enjoyed the movie. It wasn’t very faithful to the books, but on its own terms I thought it was a quircky, fun little film that served as a neat introduction to the world of my books for those who had now read them.

8. Though you often travel to London for inspiration to "get the juices flowing", you normally only write when you're at home in Limerick, Ireland. Why do you choose to do that instead of write on the fly?

I’m a creature of habit, and I prefer to write when I’m “in the zone.” Of course a writer can write anywhere, at virtually any time, but I like to lock myself away at home and do most of my writing there. I find it focuses me – “This iswork time!”

 
9. You're a self-professed film buff. Would you like to see any of your other novels portrayed on the silver screen in the future? If yes, which ones?

I’d love to see ALL of them filmed!  I’m always open to TV or movie adaptations, as it’s a great way to reach new readers and entice more people to give the books a try.

 
10. What made you love horror and things that go bump in the night so much?

It’s just something I’ve always enjoyed, ever since I was a young child. The darkness – not just physical darkness, but the darkness of the human mind and soul – has always fascinated me.

 
11. Each of your YA stories, from Cirque to The Demonata and even Zom-B are so different from each other, yet all are so frighteningly wonderful. Aside from trips to London, where do you get your inspiration?

From all over the place – books, comics, movies, music, travel.

 
12. If you had to choose, would you write children's books or adult horror for the rest of your career?

If I had to choose only one, I would choose children’s books. But thankfully I am able to work in both fields, and I plan to continue juggling them as I go forward, although I will probably start relasing my adult books under a different name from this point forward, as I’ve never felt overly comfortable writing for adults and children under the same name. Expect an announcement about that to be forthcoming on my web site in the very near future...

 
13. What would you be doing if you were not a hugely successful horror writer?

I would be trying to be a hugely successful horror writer!

 
14. Where do you see yourself and your career in the next ten years?

Hopefully I’ll continue chugging along nicely on the children’s front – it will be another couple of years before the last Zom-B book is released, and I have had some ideas for a new series after that. I also want to release more adult books and get things moving on that front – I’ve written lots of books for adults which I never published because I didn’t have the time to go back and work them up into final shape. Now I’m making that time, so I hope to release a lot of those over the next few years, and then continue onwards with new material.

 
15. Thank you again so much for agreeing to do the interview, Mr. Shan! Can you please leave the readers with three things that may surprise them about you?

I love Disney and Pixar movies. I love karaoke, even though I’m a terrible singer. And even though my books have been translated into more than thirty different languages, I only speak English – I was always terrible at languages in school!

Find Darren Shan online via:

Official site (has links to all of his social media and purchase links)