William Meikle

[williemeikle]

Very chuffed to get a mention on the Lovecraft ezine list of recommended novels
http://lovecraftzine.com/2012/02/28/lovecraft-influenced-novels-i-recommend/

[williemeikle]

THE CREEPING KELP paperback edition launches today. Get in early and get one of the 100 signed copies.
http://www.darkregions.com/products/The-Creeping-Kelp-by-William-Meikle.html

[williemeikle]

The March 2012 HORROR FICTION REVIEW includes a review of CARNACKI: HEAVEN AND HELL as well as reviews of work by Ray Garton, Dan Keohane, Lucy A. Snyder, Carlton Mellick, Tonia Brown, Vince Kramer, Linda D Addison, J. F. Gonzalez and others.

http://thehorrorfictionreview.blogspot.com/2012/03/march-2012-reviews.html

[williemeikle]

CRUSTACEANS is coming in print on 12th March. Enter here for a chance to win a signed paperback
http://www.darkregions.com/win-a-free-copy-of-the-novel-crustaceans-by-william-meikle/

[williemeikle]

An interview with me about CRUSTACEANS
http://www.darkregions.com/pages/Blog.html

[williemeikle]

Twenty years ago, right around this time of the year, I had an idea for a story… I hadn’t written much of anything since the mid-70s at school, but this idea wouldn’t leave me alone. I had an image in my mind of an old man watching a young woman’s ghost.

That image grew into a story, that story grew into other stories, and before I knew it I had an obsession in charge of my life.

So it all started with a little ghost story, “Dancers”; one that started by winning me 100 pounds in a ghost story competition, then ended up getting published in All Hallows, getting turned into a short movie, getting read on several radio stations, getting published in Greek, Spanish, Italian and Hebrew, and getting reprinted in The Weekly News in Scotland.

So, the first story came easy. It was only after that the rejections started to come in. But I’m nothing if not stubborn. I’ve been at this for twenty years and can’t see myself stopping now.

[williemeikle]

Crustaceans launches in 2 shiny print editions today. There is a limited (13 only) signed, leather bound deluxe hardcover edition, and a trade paperback edition (first 100 signed)

http://williammeikle.com/wp/2012/03/crustaceans-launches-in-print-today/

[williemeikle]

My old newsletter got nuked in a virus attack on my domain provider. If you signed up before, please do so again at the new version at the link. There's a free ebook of Watchers: THE COMING OF THE KING available to all subscribers.

http://williammeikle.com/mailman/listinfo/newsletter_williammeikle.com

[williemeikle]

It's been a great start to the year on the writing side.

Firstly I sold the audio rights to THE MIDNIGHT EYE series to Seven Realms Publishing. Look for three seperate audio books coming later this year and next year. These will be my first full length audio works, and I'm excited to see how they turn out.

I've also sold the audio rights for THE CONCORDANCES OF THE RED SERPENT to Seven Realms, and the WATCHERS trilogy to Crossroads Press, so look out for them coming soon.

          ~o00|00o~

Secondly, Dark Regions Press are proving to be very good to me. The hardcover of THE CREEPING KELP has been such a success that it has now also been brought out in a trade paperback edition. The paperbacks of SHERLOCK HOLMES: REVENANT and THE INVASION/THE VALLEY double feature are also doing well.

Now there are two new books. CARNACKI: HEAVEN AND HELL is my first hardcover short story collection, and has been picking up some great reviews. And new this week is CRUSTACEANS, available in a very limited (13 only) deluxe hardcover, or a signed paperback edition.

Dark Regions have set up a page for my books, so head on over and have a look:

http://www.darkregions.com/william-meikle/

Keep an eye on that page, as I will have more books coming later this year, including a new hardcover Lovecraftian short story collection.

Dark Regions Press will have a table at the 2012 World Horror Convention in Salt Lake City (starting on March 29th). Which is good news for me, as it means my books will be there, even if I am not.

          ~o00|00o~

Also coming up, in June, is a new horror novel, THE NIGHT OF THE WENDIGO, which will be coming from DARKFUSE / DELIRIUM in signed, limited hardcover and ebook. I really like the stark cover they've gone for, and I'm excited to see the finished product.

http://www.darkfuse.com/production-schedule.html

          ~o00|00o~

And last but by no means least on the news front, I sold one of the Carnacki stories, THE SISTERS OF MERCY, to Nightland magazine in Japan. It will appear, in Japanese, in issue 4 which will be a special Occult Detective issue. And I'll be alongside a reprint of a Robert E Howard story, which makes the fanboy in me very excited indeed. All that, and a nice big pay day on top makes it one of my favorite sales of my career to date.

          ~o00|00o~

As ever, details of all recent sales and links to buy publications are at my website. It's had a wee spit and polish recently, so come on over and have a look.

http://www.williammeikle.com

[Des Lewis]

Great news, Willie. You deserve this success. Great to see an 'old' co-habiter of mine in the Small Press mags of the 1990s doing so well.
des

[williemeikle]

Thanks Des.

I "met" another of the old guard this week on Twitter, Dave Logan, the editor of Grotesque from the mid-Nineties.

[Des Lewis]

Thanks Des.

I "met" another of the old guard this week on Twitter, Dave Logan, the editor of Grotesque from the mid-Nineties.

I remember David Logan's Grotesque during the early to mid nineties. He always said he didn't like my stuff (he called them little devils or demons?), but he still published my work a few times.
I hope he's well.
des

[williemeikle]

Just when I needed cheering up... a stellar review of CRUSTACEANS at Famous Monsters of Filmland

http://famousmonstersoffilmland.com/2012/03/21/book-review-crustaceans-by-william-meikle/

[williemeikle]

I've been interviewed, about phobias, religion, sin and big beasties.
http://www.gryeates.co.uk/?p=727

[williemeikle]

I’ve been doing some serious thinking recently about my writing. Again.

Up front, let me say I have few pretensions. I’m not a literary writer. I don’t spend days musing over “le mot juste”. I just get on and tell the story to the best of my ability. That has led to me being called a hack, but if a hack is someone who values storytelling above literary merit, then I suppose that’s what I am.

I know I’m capable of producing readable fiction, quickly. I’ve written eighteen novels in the last thirteen years, and had fourteen (so far) published in the small press.

And there lies one of the things I’ve been thinking about.

I’m unsure about my eye for the market. I write what I want to write, producing books that I would want to read. But I’m a fifty-something man steeped in pulp fiction from an early age. I want the big deal, to see my books on shelves in shops all over the world. That’s always been the dream, but my obsessions just don’t cut it in the marketplace.

I’m not dissing my small press publishers. I’m eternally grateful to them, and they make me warm and fuzzy happy.

But there’s still that big dream to keep pursuing. Over the last couple of years I tried to write in different genres, different styles, but I was never comfortable. Once I realised that it wasn’t working, and went back to more pulpy horrors, it felt like meeting an old friend. But pulp doesn’t bring the big dream any closer to reality.

So I have this dichotomy in my brain… writing pulp makes me happy. Having the big dream depresses me.

I still have the gap between them to fill. And I’m still unsure if there’s a way to close it.