Happy Blog Day Everyone!
Well another short story anthology has hit the wild (a best selling one at that!) but before we talk about that, let's catch up with other business first!
The Comic Tales of Brennan and Riz
This was a fun one for sure. I do like it when I make a speaking-lite one work. I think my favourite part is definitely the expression on the snake zombies face there.
We'll have to see what Gallows thought of this next week!
Phantom Dawn: Memories of a Rose
(First posted 12th June 2021)
"Oh we're all dead now! Eros will kill all those who see that symbol!" Mason shouted in panic.
Rose looked around for the shooter and spotted him a fair bit aways. A tawdry looking man lowering a sniper rifle. He looked the #envy of any Prince.
(First posted 13th June 2021)
While Rose kept an eye on the distant figure of Eros, who hadn't raised his gun again, Kurz wanted answers.
"Who the hell is Eros! I know all of Finch's lackeys, he's not one I know," he held Mason up.
With no choice, Mason quickly started talking.
(First posted 14th June 2021)
"Eros," Mason spluttered out. "Finch's head assassin. #Hungry for the next target and the bling he takes from the victim. He doesn't just kill folk like your parents, he guts those that fail Finch as well!"
"What was that about my parents?"
(First posted 15th June 2021)
Meanwhile Neal had propped up the men that Kurz had ko'ed, all still alive and looking #lazy.
At that moment, Eros lifted his gun again, Rose screamed out in warning. Neal watched helplessly as three bullets ended the lives of those Kurz spared.
(First posted 16th June 2021)
Eros had Rose in his sights, his buzzer went off before he could pull the trigger, causing him to groan as he answered. What he heard, shocked him. Rose watched him leave, not knowing fate's #chains were already moving towards the next tragedy.
(First posted 17th June 2021)
"We're going after him," Kurz announced, stunning everyone.
"Wha-what!" Mason stammered.
"That man tore apart my life, I don't care how strong he is, no one deserves to get such an easy #ride through life after crimes like his!"
(First posted 18th June 2021)
"You can't be serious!" Mason cried out. "Eros is the Grim reaper! We should be getting the hell out of here!"
Kurz stared back, his eyes a #sword cutting through the pathetic excuses.
"Rose, get Mason on his feet, he can help track Eros down."
(First posted 19th June 2021)
"Kurz, you don't have to do this," Neal pleaded.
"For my parents, I have to bring him down," Kurz replied.
"We're ready," Rose said softly, with Mason stood behind her.
"Being bound by her should be a #dream! But this a nightmare!" Mason cried out.
(First posted 20th June 2021)
Elsewhere, Eros's relentless march was interrupted by a man begging for help, a #tattoo marking him as Finch's slave labour.
"Please, they took my daughter..."
Eros wasted no time in breaking his spine and continuing on. Leaving the man to die.
There's a small break here as I happened to catch covid during the original run. Thus this us a fitting place to leave it this week. I think we'll reach the end in 3 weeks (give or take).
More Malarkey!
Have you read Malarkey's Imaginomnibus Volume 1 yet? (Link here)
You have?
Great!
What's that...you want more?
Well, have I got news for you!
Introducing Malarkey's Imaginomnibus Volume 2!
Now go and read it, no don't worry, it's fine, it's fine, I can wait.
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Oh? Did I forget to mention that this best selling anthology was also free? Yeah, you heard that, go and read it!
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Okay, you read it? Good as I'm now going to issue a spoiler warning for my story "The Last Job" so heed it if you haven't read it yet!
Spoiler Warning! Spoiler Warning!
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Still here? Okay then I can begin:
Feels a bit weird to be talking about this story as I've done a couple of posts talking about it already, earlier this year.
The seed for the story came from the prompt that the Malarkey's authors were given. I knew that after writing a lighter tale in the first Malarkey (Ghost Duty...who will be returning very, very, soon), I knew I needed something darker, someone darker...Enter Gabriel stage right.
The prompt was Fade to Noir which I only read one thing into at first, Noir style. The idea of a private investigator, struggling against the system and their own personal demons, is one I've toyed with before. Like with Brennan and Riz in places and their first sci fi incarnation. How was I going to add Gabriel in though?
My first idea was that the story would revolver around a investigator watching the world fall apart around him, till Gabriel appears, offering one last job, with the reward being salvation, a trip to a 'better' world (better is subjective to Gabriel).
This idea didn't last long as I struggled with the finer details, so it was back to the drawing board. I looked at the prompt again and a song kept trying to force itself into my brain. The 80s song Fade to Grey that is. Like that I had a fresh idea. The investigator stayed, Gabriel stayed but the setting shifted to the beginning of the 80s.
I choose to write in first person, allowing me better access to my protagonists mind (who went a little while without a name!). I also chose to start the story at the end, utilising that classic trope, before going back to the beginning.
Gabriel’s involvement varied over the drafts but he (technically) gets two moments to shine in the text, once I figured out what he wanted from this endeavour, and that brings me nicely to my next point.
In the early drafts, the only recurring character to appear in the story was Gabriel, because his nature made it easy to put him in places. However, a 2nd character from my other works got to make an appearance. One who is often referred to as a 'favourite' by those who've beta read for me. Reason as to why I needed them? To be the person Gabriel wanted distracted, to be the person the investigator was looking for.
That person will be a complete unknown to 99.99% of everyone reading the book. However, to me, she's the Daemon Soul, Serena. This story marks the first time since 2005 that those words would see print. Gabriel had seen print once before, but while his prior appearance hinted at plans, he was removed enough that no one would care if that was it. Serena however, is part of a legacy, one that I intend to see out there, one way or another.
I dropped a few other terms in there, hooks if you will, and left it to that, after all, this is the detectives story, and he did finally get a name...after I looked at a certain 80s movie and combine two actor's names, Robert Nielson.
Everything was going well, till a week or so before deadline and there was parts of the story that weren't clicking. Part of this was the conversation between Robert and Serena. In this context, he'd just seen demons for the first time, and a lot of dead bodies (that he made reasons to not tell the police about...I tried to change that as well) but it was making it hard to write what was needed versus what would have happened. Luckily the change here was easy to make and also shaped Roberts backstory. Now, he knew about demons, he'd tried to specialise in demons so that other families could avoid the fate his had suffered. Not original I know but it worked. This became why Gabriel had sought him out, preying on his past, tormenting him that much more, and at the end, turning him into what he hated most.
This freed the conversation with Serena, allowing them better questions. Now Robert could get to the heart of the matter quickly (like asking what she was!). This was the final version I'd submit before editors started catching all my mistakes, and offering suggestions on how to improve things.
Overall, despite the mishaps along the way (seriously, go back and look over my blog posts from the time I was writing this back in the spring. I'd never restarted a manuscript so many times!), I am proud of this story, and it allowed a small window on two of my favourite characters to write, and I'm eager to do more.
Has any of this inspired you to write for Malarkey? Well here's your chance as submissions are open for a 3rd book!
Check out this thread on twitter (or X if you prefer... It's twitter to me and always will be!)
Anyway, that's enough talking for this week!
Till next time,
Keep on writing!
Peter James Martin
Quick Links
The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Volume 1
The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Book 1: A Boy and A Rat
The Strange Tales of Brennan and Riz Volume 2
Malarkey's Imaginomnibus Volume 1
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