My novel Gutterbreed comes out June 21 (and is available for pre-order now!), so I really should do a bit of promotion, I guess! I’m conflicted though, due to the current state of the world and with so many people out of work due to that bloody virus. Still, perhaps this nightmare will take your mind of the real one for a bit.
There a giveaway on Goodreads right now, where you could win one of 50 free copies. It’s easy to enter – just click HERE and, er, enter! That’s it. That’s all you gotta do, and this grim, dark book could be yours for free!
Gutterbreed is indeed a dark book, though. Be warned, there is sadism in it, necrophilia, rape (not of the kind you’d expect), and all sorts of other nastiness. It’s far darker and way more violent than anything I usually write, but this was a story that unfortunately called for it.
That awesome cover is by Francois Vaillancourt, who nailed the tone of the book.
Did I enjoy writing it? No. Certainly not. Some chapters were extremely hard to write, and done so with a large glass of scotch and blaring death metal music through the headphones.
But stories tell the writer where they need to go, and how they need to get there, and Gutterbreed was no different. The end result is what it is, and it’s one of which I’m extremely proud.
Even better, my pal David Schembri has contributed some awesome artwork for the book! Some great, gritty pieces that really compliment the book well. Here’s a sneak peak:
That’s Skinner. He’s the big bad dude, and I mean that. He’s a freakin’ nightmare. One of the worst characters I’ve ever written. The Writing Show’s Paula Berinstein said this of the guy;
“I’m really enjoying it but honestly, how do you sleep at night? I’m pretty open-minded about what I read but that Skinner is really disturbing.”
But Skinner’s up against Detective Jennny Ashton, and she’s fucking fearless. A little insane too, but that’s part of her armour. She won’t back down, not against Skinner. Not after what he did to her partner…
Here’s Paula’s 5 star review:
“Gutterbreed is to my mind the definition of dark fiction. It takes a strong stomach to read, but you will be rewarded for your efforts, as the writing is filled with lyrical beauty. Employing his elegant style, the author manages to makes wrenching ugliness and utter despair gorgeous—no small feat.”
Here’s the blurb:
Bi-polar has ruined Detective Jenny Ashton’s life, but when she gets the chance to use the disease for good, she takes it, even though it leads her into a world that shouldn’t exist, filled with monsters of the very worst kind.
Something lurks within the dark alleyways of Parkton, preying upon the Gutterbreed forever trapped there. A naturally evolved predator, one the town itself doesn’t want – and one Ashton has already faced before.
Byron James knows these alleys and the Darkness they contain. He’s spent a lifetime walking them. A lifetime trying to escape. His skin is marked with the passage of his trespass – but he’s never encountered anything like this.
As Byron guides Ash deeper into insanity on the hunt for a killer, they discover far worse than Albert ‘Skinner’ Reynolds waiting for them in the dark. A growing nightmare festers in the shadows of Parkton, its madness eager for the real world.
Only Ash stands in its way – but is this a battle she’s willing to fight?
Gutterbreed will be released on June 21, and is available for pre-order now. Are you insane enough to brave the forever alleys of Parkton..?