The previous year was my most productive period of my writing career, publishing tons of short stories, poems and a few film reviews for a forthcoming book on Eighties British horror films. But, I needed to direct my career to the next level, and therefore my main aspiration for 2012 was to have my first ever book released.



This is what happened.



Novelettes, REFUGE and STRANDED were completed and submitted to a few publishers. One of them did like REFUGE and it made the shortlist, but failed to make the final cut.



After a long discussion with fellow horror/fantasy author, GR Yeates I made the bold decision of self-releasing them as kindle eBooks. The result was exciting and successful, launching two eBooks just in time for Halloween.



Horror readers flocked to download them and read them with pleasure. To me, writing and having people purchase your work and enjoying them is the greatest reward for any writer or artist. It shows their appreciation, and it's proof that there's always a reward for hard work and dedication.



So far my sales figures are building steadily in the UK, America and have just sold a unit in Germany this week. My other half always says, "mighty oaks from small acorns grow". And she is damn right!



To add to this, I have appeared in many interviews/blogspots and have had four short stories and a poem accepted for five different anthologies.



I would like to thank the following people who have made this happen:



Dolores Harrington

GR Yeates

Paul Mudie

Teri (Edit Fairy)

Tim Marquitz

Jim Mcleod (Ginger Nuts of Horror)

Simon Marshall-Jones

Arcevia Services

Dean M. Drinkel

Adrian Chamberlin

Mark West

Mandi Lockley

David Bernstein

Anna Taborska

Dave Jeffrey

Emma Ennis

Dark Gothic Resurrection Magazine

Dorothy Davies

Static Movement

George Wilhite

Patricia Anabel

Dale Eldon

Jaidis Shaw

Mallory Anne-Marie Haws

Ironhorseformatting.com

David Fingerman

Sheri A. Wilkinson

Christopher A. Ridge

Steve Blackwell



Please accept my apology if I've forgotten anyone.



Fast forward 2013. I plan to release a few more books, which will explode the scene as both traditionally published and self-published. So you have all been warned.