Charlie Runs Rings Around the Earth

The highly regarded eBook and paperback publisher Lyrical Press, Inc. has offered me a contract for my brand new science fiction adventure, Charlie Runs Rings Around the Earth. I'm ecstatic about this one, as it's the kind of deep space odyssey I used to love reading as a teenager.

A descendant of British speed legends Malcolm and Donald Campbell, Charlie Thorpe-Campbell is the world's premier orbital runner. Tonight is the biggest race of his life--the Tonne Run, a hundred laps of the earth. In his futuristic racing vehicle Bluebird, he must outrun the spectre of his father's crash on Europa, while maintaining his eight-year unbeaten streak. At thirty-three, his legs might be tiring, but there'll be no retiring for Charlie just yet.

When a mysterious wormhole appears mid-race, whisking him to the far side of the galaxy, Charlie's adventure begins on a barren, isolated planet where nothing is what it seems. Countless other spacecraft have been abducted, but why? Then there's the small matter of a continent-sized tree, and an elusive civilization with mind-boggling technology. Charlie might have run rings around the earth, but what will he find on his personal odyssey a billion light years from home?


I can't wait to release this short novel. Lyrical Press is really going places in the e-publishing world, so Charlie's in good company. Let's see how far he can go!

http://www.lyricalpress.com/

Sunset on Ramree - WW2 Crocodile Attack

UPDATE!! Sunset on Ramree is now available for 99 cents on Amazon Kindle!!

http://amzn.to/NPEtW9


I've had quite a few inquiries about this one, so I'm proud to announce that this summer, Eternal Press will release my action-packed WW2 novelette, Sunset on Ramree, in both eBook and paperback editions.

For more information on the history behind the book, visit:

www.robertappleton.co.uk/sunsetonramree.htm

To learn more about saltwater crocodiles click here!


Here's the blurb:

It is the deadliest crocodile attack ever recorded. On February 19th, 1945, a thousand Japanese soldiers retreated into the fetid mangrove swamps of Ramree Island. Days later, only twenty were found alive. History has come to know it as the massacre of Ramree, when twelve kilometers of marshland delivered the battalion from their British enemy…straight into a nest of giant saltwater crocodiles.

Inspired by true events during WW2, Sunset on Ramree follows young musician-turned-soldier Shigeatsu Nakadai and his best friend, Kodi, as they head ever deeper into danger. Will friendship be enough to keep them alive in the deadliest place on Earth?


And here's the (in)famous testimony from British marine (and naturalist) Bruce Wright, which became the inspiration for my book:

“That night of the 19 February 1945 was the most horrible that any member of the M.L. [marine launch] crews ever experienced. The scattered rifle shots in the pitch black swamp punctured by the screams of wounded men crushed in the jaws of huge reptiles, and the blurred worrying sound of spinning crocodiles made a cacophony of hell that has rarely been duplicated on earth. At dawn the vultures arrived to clean up what the crocodiles had left...Of about 1,000 Japanese soldiers that entered the swamps of Ramree, only about 20 were found alive.”

You can check out the book trailer here!

And finally, here's a brief excerpt from Sunset on Ramree:

I try to conjure a memory of before the war—something, anything to distract me—but draw a blank every time. I purse my lips to whistle a familiar tune, but nothing comes out. I shut my eyes tight and roll them inward until they ache and release a heavy pulse. The screams and shots and calls for surrender are still there. Kodi and Sobiku are still there. I imagine the reed of a clarinet between my lips and the long, sustained breath given to making sweetly aching music. But nothing comes out. No tune, no melody, no woodwind to soothe the mangroves. Just the damp, cold harmonics of the night. I’m lost without music, and there is no music on Ramree.

http://amzn.to/NPEtW9

Hope you enjoy reading Sunset on Ramree this summer. As far as I know, it's one of only two books written on the subject.

COMING JULY 7th from Eternal Press

http://www.eternalpress.biz/

New Cover Art - Fruitless

The ever-imaginative Dawne Dominique has finalised this cover art for my upcoming Esther May Morrow story, Fruitless. It's elegant and mysterious, hinting strongly of danger and seduction. I'll post more about this unusual tale nearer the release date (March 7), but I can say it's a fascinating personal odyssey about a down-on-his-luck man whose chance for fame and fortune comes from the unikeliest of places--a glass fruit bowl. It's a supernatural, limitless bringer of wealth...and must be treated with caution!

New Release Today - Lot 62!

Today marks the release of my brand new Esther May Morrow mystery, Lot 62, at Eternal Press. It's a personal favourite of mine, set in the glamorous world of high-class auctions and undercover spies.

Blurb:

Julie Blalock is approaching thirty and has an unfulfilling job with an accountancy firm. But she also has a secret—she was once an MI6 Agent. A personal tragedy forced her to quit eight years ago, but a chance offer to return for a one-time op is too tempting to ignore. Her mission: to pose as a rich socialite at Sotheby's, to gain critical intelligence during the most anticipated high-class auction of the year—Esther May Morrow's sale of antique treasures, featuring Lot 62, a prize that has even the Ministry of Defence worried. What secrets will Julie discover on her impromptu return to espionage?

Excerpt #1

Unzipping and dropping her skirt, Julie rolled her eyes at the thought of any colleagues from the accountancy office seeing her now. She undid the buttons of her blouse with supple yet steady fingers. Where had the nerves gone? Had her little feminist barb deflated that momentary anxiety? She threw off the neuroses with her blouse; as it landed on the bed, she checked to see if Northam and Entwistle were watching. They weren’t. Each was leant over the sideboard; pen in one hand, mobile phone in the other. Julie felt a slight pang of regret. She was in superb physical shape, and she wanted them to know it.

“What have you got for me…sorry, what was your name?” she asked.

The petite girl cleared her throat, concentrated on the clothes rack. “Maggie. Hmm, let me see…we did say this at first.” She held up a garish, tight-fitting number with zebra stripes and multiple slits down each side. “But HQ found a photo of her wearing it a few weeks ago. Problem one, she never wears the same dress twice in public. Hmm.” She unhooked another design from its coat hanger and, after straightening her neck and tilting her head to imagine a figure inside the dress, held it up to Julie. “I’m with Northam. I think this one.”

It was a brand new, black silk cocktail dress by Chloe, with gorgeous jet beading on the shoulder straps, a low-cut neckline with a ruched bust, and an unfinished black silk trim. It closed on the side with a concealed zipper. A romantic and elegant number. Julie warmed to it immediately. “Try this one?”

Maggie clicked her fingers for the men’s attention. She handed Julie one side of the dress to hold. Without hesitation, both men gave the OK signal before resuming their studious note taking.
“That was easy!” joked Maggie. “We argued about this for ten minutes before you arrived. Right…” She fetched a laminated portfolio from the bed and opened it to a snapshot of Dorothy Buchan labelled ‘Marseilles, February ‘08’. “This should be no trouble.”

Julie remained silent. She knew she’d fraternised enough for one dressing session, and it was almost dark outside.

http://www.eternalpress.ca/esthermaymorrowLot62.html


Excerpt #2

Northam drove the limo slowly through gaudy canals of high street stores. Late-night shoppers watched wide-eyed. He didn’t say a word. As they turned onto New Bond Street, Julie saw a line of cars and limos blocking the road, then an awning over the red carpet at the entrance to Sotheby’s, and finally, ranks of paparazzi held at bay by suited security personnel. She swallowed hard, wondering what she’d be doing right now if she had turned down the assignment—enjoying a drink with friends? Snuggling up on the settee to watch a DVD? She’d be perfectly entitled. But no, she was at the mouth of the lion’s den, shipped first class to the auction to end all auctions.

Sotheby & Co.
Sale of
An Eclectic Array of Antique Treasures
And
‘The Archangel’ by the Mayan king, Vichama

Courtesy of Esther May Morrow
Admit one to the Main Sale Room
Mrs. Dorothy A. Buchan
Thursday, 3 September, at 8.30 pm precisely

For a few moments, her mind spun like a Catherine wheel as she stepped out into the chilly night air. Northam tipped his chauffeur’s cap and got back into the car. He’d be waiting for her outside after the auction, he’d assured her. My hero, she thought sarcastically.

Strutting along the red carpet, she felt the warm stings of flash photography on her legs and gaping cleavage. It lifted her confidence. When the uniformed commissionaire asked to see her invitation, she scoffed and snatched the catalogue he offered her. A mixture of strong tobacco and perfume filled the broad staircase. Not that anyone was permitted to smoke inside, but no doubt the limos all had ashtrays. The exquisite gallery led into the main auction hall itself—a room sleepy as Victorian England, kept awake by two brilliant chandeliers and about a hundred guests being shown to their seats, while a blind covered the glass roof for the night. About the size of a tennis court, the hall was adorned with traditional paintings and, on one side, a striking mural depiction of the Battle of Trafalgar.

http://www.eternalpress.ca/esthermaymorrowLot62.html

New Review For Grandiloquence

Whitney at FAR gave Grandiloquence FOUR Fallen Angels! Here's the link:

http://www.fallenangelreviews.com/2008/December/Whitney-Grandiloquence.htm

and here's the buy link for the eBook at Eternal Press:

http://www.eternalpress.ca/grandiloquence.html

'Cafe' nominated in P&E Awards

Cool way to start the New Year. Eternal Press nominated my sci-fi short Cafe at the Edge of Outer Space in the Predators & Editors Readers' Poll 2008. It's in the sci-fi/fantasy short fiction category, which you can reach (and vote in) at the following link:

http://www.critters.org/predpoll/

Add this to the great sales figures I recently saw for Cafe, and it's a stellar showing for the little coming-of-age tale set in Earth orbit.

The Trilogy Complete!

Quite a lot's happened since I first jotted down my rough outline for a sci-fi survival trilogy in early 2006. I remember it seeming insanely ambitious at the time, perhaps because of the word 'trilogy'. But I was adamant that each book should be no more than novella length, and that the setting for each installment should be vastly different than the other two. Kate Borrowdale is an interesting character to build a series around because she doesn't tend to say much. And when she does, it's often terse. A survivor through and through, Kate is as close to an American pioneer woman as I'll probably ever get to write. She's stubborn, single-minded, and endlessly resourceful. The unforgiving alien planet of Kratos is in some respects her home turf--it calls into action all of her considerable physical and mental attributes. And as she has the man of her dreams to look out for as well, let's just say it's going to take more than Red Indians to stop her.

Eternal Press released the The Eleven-Hour Fall as an eBook in April 2008. It did solid business, ending up in the top five bestsellers for that month. In November, it received a nomination for Best Short Fiction 2008 at the Red Roses For Authors Christmas Awards.

Part two, The Elemental Crossing, is set on a vast ocean. Kate and Jason must try to cross it if they are to procure long-term survival on Kratos. It's a harrowing journey, but with this being an alien ocean, the creatures and scenarios they encounter provided many fascinating passages. Of the three books, I think this is the most consistently imaginative. Sea survival stories carry an inherent sense of scale and isolation, and there's a strong element of fate, in that there's only so much a person can do on a tiny raft. The rest is up to chance.

Eternal released The Elemental Crossing in September 2008. I've now signed a contract for the third and final installment, Kate of Kratos. This is a longer novella (29,000 words), but there are also more characters. The forest and mountain setting sets it apart from the previous books in every possible way. There's finally a chance of finding a permanent abode on Kratos. But there are also fresh mysteries to solve, deadly new creatures to contend with, and personal questions Kate must ask herself if she is to live within a family unit. This was the quickest book to write, and easily the most enjoyable. There's a sustained chase sequence half way through that I think will have readers chewing the screen in excitement (I know I did while writing it). All told, this is the strongest installment in terms of plot and character. It pays to be critical of your own work when looking back, but I'm genuinely proud of what I did with Kate of Kratos. It's such a relief to know that I didn't screw the whole thing up at the final hurdle.

I can't wait to share the last part of Kate's adventure with you next year. It's been a great ride on Kratos!