For Queen and Country
From the Beyond the Asylum steampunk compilation
For Queen and Country tells the tale of Flight Lieutenant Thomas Laine, a mutineer in Her Majesty’s Flying Corps, as he attempts to overthrow the government of Victorian England.
I was approached in late 2010 by a small publisher looking for new writers to create stories in the steampunk style for an upcoming compilation set in a pre-existing world, the second to be set in this universe. Based on my previous work in games and theatre, he invited me to submit a short story for consideration based on certain thematic constraints.
As a games writer, it was easy enough to bring myself up to speed and write to a specification. I turned in the first draft a couple of weeks after the conversation, which was accepted and passed to the editor for proofing and feedback.
It was published in September 2011 and is available on Amazon.
Eye of the Believer
From the Lost Souls of the Asylum steampunk compilation
Eye of the Believer follows the life of the Rt. Hon. Edward James Smith, Member of Parliament for Buckingham and newly-appointed Minister for Metaphysical Defence. Unaware of the little-known position right up until his appointment to it, Smith learns of the cold war between the magically-aware nations and must work with the enigmatic Mr Leyton to ensure the safety of Great Britain in the difficult years ahead.
Following the positive reaction to my story in the previous book, I was contacted by the publisher to submit a second tale to what was now set to become a trilogy. Again, I was to use the world previously described to me, but this time with a different overarching theme to the tales. It was similarly well-received when it was published in September 2012 and I was invited to create a third tale for the fourth volume, which was released in September 2013.
Midway Upon The Journey
From the Ghosts of the Asylum steampunk compilation
Midway Upon The Journey sheds light on the background of the inscrutable Mr Leyton, defender of the British Isles from magical threats and mentor to the former Minister for Metaphysical Defence, Edward James Smith.
This book represents the third in a series of collaborations with publisher The Last Line and its editor, James Snee. While there is talk of a fifth compilation, there are currently no plans to contribute a fourth story to the series.