Greetings to you on this fine, fine day!

I know. It's raining and miserable, but tomorrow morning my 14 days of government-imposed self-isolation come to an end, and I shall once more be free...

Getting back on track now...

Unlikeable Heroes

If you've read a few of my stories, you'll have noted that most of my heroes have flaws.

Mostly they're very human flaws, like egocentricity, intolerance of certain people or lack of patience. Emily Voss is a case in point: Sure, she has good reasons for being the way she is, but that doesn't make her a very pleasant person to be around most of the time.

It's true that in fiction you can often do away with subtlety - we don't care that the villain is doing things for the right reason, they're still a terrible person who deserves their comeuppance. But what if that isn't always true?

Most real-life villains aren't evil. Psychopaths aside, most criminals don't get up in the morning pondering how enjoyable it will be to ruin someone's life while they butter their toast. Their life has brought them to the point they're at, and they feel justified in their actions, even if we (and the law) see those actions as unacceptable.

Why do I tell you this? Because of the next section in the email, in which I'm going to introduce you to Darius Cricket, who is about as unlikeable as they come.

A New Series - World of Skills

In honour of my first ever Patreon subscriber, I'm launching World of Skills. You can read the first instalment here for free, the rest will be on Patreon on a more-or-less monthly basis, along with some other exclusive content.

I did mean to get slightly further ahead in the writing before launching, and by doing this I put myself under a little more pressure than I originally intended, but I'll keep up with the one-a-month publication schedule even if it takes a little more work that I'd expected.

WHAT IS WORLD OF SKILLS?

Darius Cricket is an insurance investigator who specializes in cases where a Skilled individual may have been involved. Since Skills - unusual abilities that are manifesting randomly in the general population - are poorly-understood, feared and rare, his knowledge and expertise is precious. Molly is his assistant, the latest in a long line. She's desperate to impress, but Darius isn't easy to get on with.

When a gang of burglars keep pulling off the exact same heist again and again, Darius is brought in to understand how it's being done. Can he figure it out, or are these thieves just that good?

If Sherlock Holmes lived in the same world as the X-Men, he'd be Darius Cricket.

Let me know what you think, and apologies for not having a cover.

Click to Download "Only the Wicked"

Free Books for You

If my writing isn't doing it for you, and even if it is, I might be able to introduce you to other writers you'll enjoy..

This week I'm showcasing two books and I have a collection of "beach reads" for you to choose from. I'll let the authors introduce the books in their own words.

The first is by Dean Bryant who is releasing his debut horror novel "The Stairwell" through publisher Darkstroke. You can pre-order it from Amazon by clicking on the cover or the button.

Here's Dean:

Brandon Chapman and Alice Hamilton, unbeknownst to each other, both begin to experience horrific, violent visions that bleed into reality.

Brandon is repeatedly visited by a mysterious man who knows more about Brandon’s life than he does himself. He holds a strong manipulative power over Brandon, but can he be trusted?

Alice’s boyfriend Niel is involved in a terrible accident. In an attempt to save his life, Alice makes a deal with a voice that echoes inside her own head and must face the consequences.

Can Brandon and Alice ever escape their waking nightmares?

Click to See the Book on Amazon

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The second novel is by James Batchelor, and we're back in the wizarding world, but with a darker twist:

If you've grown up with Harry Potter, prepare for a darker take on a wizarding world in this page-turning urban fantasy thriller.

This book is available immediately from Amazon by clicking on the cover or on the button below.

Click to See the Book on Amazon

If you're looking for a larger selection, below is a list of books that are available for free if you want to try out a new author. This list covers a broad range of genres, so you'll be leaving the narrower confines of science fiction and fantasy where you found me.

While it may be a bit late here in Northern Europe to spend time at the beach, that shouldn't hold you back from trying out some of these authors and seeing if there's something you like. Click on the banner to view the promotion.

As always, thank you for reading and see you next week!

Nick.