Coming May 1st 2024…
Image: Narrator, Kevin Redson
Keep your eyes peeled for my interview with Narrator Kevin Redson, coming soon on the ‘This Month’s Guest Author Page,’ right here on S P Oldham, Author!
I am also excited to showcase author Alice B. Sullivan, writer of the Aftermath series!
“The Aftermath series, a zombie apocalypse series full of conspiracy, deception, betrayal, redemption, desperation, and will… https://bookgoodies.com/a/B09HNB72DS “When the world falls apart, it doesn’t matter how. It’s who’s left to rebuild.” -Sadie Gallagher A world ravaged by a virus. An endless war against the infected. Crudely built walls to force them out. Humanity has won for the most part. Too bad there's more to the virus than meets the eye.”
Alice B. Sullivan was born and raised in a quiet town in upstate New York, where she spent way too much time pondering zombie apocalypse scenarios. When she isn’t chasing things that go bump in the night, Alice is writing about different ways the world could end.
The ‘Wolf’ in ‘Sleep, Think, Die:’ My Response to a Reviewer’s Question.
Image credit: Unsplash. The ‘Wolf’ in ‘Sleep, Think, Die.’ My Response to a Reviewer’s Question. S P Oldham
After reading Book One in the Mindless Trilogy (thank you to the reader) someone commented in their review that wolves are not native to the UK. This is an excerpt from the part of the story that prompted that comment:
“Who knows?” She shrugged, “Never seen one before, though God knows we’ve seen plenty of other weird things round these parts,” she and Harry exchanged a look.
“What if it’s infected?” Lavender suddenly piped up, a worried expression on her face.
“What, like zombie-infected you mean?” Glenda paused, chewing her lip thoughtfully, “I don’t know. I’ve never seen any zombie-like animals. Have you?”
Carson and Lavender both shook their heads no.
“Did it act like it was some kind of four-legged zombie before it came at you?”
This to Carson, whose response was immediate, “No way! It was very much alive, believe me, when it was standing on the bank, snarling! But what the hell is it? It looks wolf-like, but its fangs and face are something else,”
Bumper, who had sat down awkwardly to lean against the guard around the manhole cover, said, “Maybe it is the result of a wolf mating with some kind of big domestic dog, a guard dog even. When the outbreak first began, I don’t think people’s first thoughts were for their animals! There was no time. What if, sometime since then, a wolf mated with, oh I don’t know, a mastiff, or a Cane Corso or something? That would be one hell of a canine to deal with!””
As I said, the reader is absolutely right to point out that wolves are not currently wild in the UK, though of course, historically they did exist here. However, what I was trying to get at in the story, admittedly somewhat obliquely, is that in the event of a zombie apocalypse it is very likely that animals held in captivity, such as zoos, rescue centres, sanctuaries, animal hospitals and so on, might well suffer neglect, abandonment or worse due to their keepers being turned, eaten or simply running the hell away! If they are lucky, perhaps they would be released into the wild to survive on their own. Everyone for themselves, type of thing. One last good thing their keepers could try to do for them before turning to matters of their own survival.
I admit that I don’t go into that in depth in the story, it is only briefly implied, but I didn’t think it was that big a deal. I never imagined a reader might expect me to expand on the existence of this Wolfdog species further (Wolfdogs do exist in the UK by the way. This from the PDSA: In the UK, F1 generation Wolfdogs where one parent is a wolf are subject to the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 and require a licence to own. It is legal to own a Wolfdog as long as they are three generations (F3) away from the original parent wolf. )
So, the wolf-like dog that attacks Carson on the riverbank could well have been a Wolfdog that had somehow got free and was surviving alone in the apocalypse. Perhaps it was a combination of a Wolfdog with another breed, as suggested by Bumper. Or some other wolf-like breed altogether. What do you think the dog could be? What kind of breed? Where could it have come from?
I am afraid that I must let this reviewer down here and now (spoiler alert) and say that there is no further reference to wolves in the story, though wild dogs do feature later in the trilogy.
I don’t normally respond to observations in reviews. Everyone is entitled to their opinions and honestly, I am just grateful to anyone who takes the time to read my stories and then review them, whether they like my work or not. To the reader who reviewed with the comment about the wolf, thank you so much for taking the time and effort to comment, to read the book and to address the appearance of something wolf-like in the story. I appreciate your interest and the fact that you gave my story such thought and attention. I really hope you go on to read the other two books in the trilogy and that you enjoy them. I look forward to any more observations and I am sincerely flattered that anyone took the time. Thank you.
Should anyone be interested in the potential rewilding of wolves in the UK, perhaps take a look at this link. At present, there seems to be no projects underway to rewild wolves, because “society is not ready.” Quote from Rewilding Britain’s website: https://www.rewildingbritain.org.uk/reintroductions-key-species/key-species/eurasian-wolf
PDSA, The Vet Charity for Pets in Need, has some interesting advice for owning hybrid dogs and cats, including Wolfdogs, here: https://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/all-pets/hybrid-breeds
Lastly, should you happen to love wolves and are interested in helping them or simply learning more about them, take a look at Wolf Watch UK’s website here: https://wolfwatch.uk/
Image Credit: Wolf Watch UK (as featured on their website.)
Competition Winner!
Winner of S P ldham’s Mystery Bumper Prize March 2024
I am very pleased to announce that the winner of my most recent competition for a bumper prize including two Audible codes is...
Champaklal Lad!
Congratulations!
Thank you to everyone who entered. I run regular competitions, so keep checking back. In the meantime, why not take a look at Wakeful Children, Hag's Breath or any of my other books? On Kindle and Audible, Wakeful Children is also available in paperback. Or, drop me a line on my blog!
Thanks everyone, have a great day/evening/night, wherever you are!
Winner picked by random name picker wheel spinner.
Wakeful Children on Audible!
To celebrate the release of Wakeful Children: A Collection of Horror and Supernatural Tales on Audible, we are running a competition! To be in with the chance of winning a mystery bumper prize plus a free code for the book on Audible, just comment below with 'Me Please!"
Winners will be chosen at random. Closes Midnight GMT Saturday 9th March 2024. In the event that the winner does not claim their prize, it will be rolled over after one week to a runner up.
Okay, goals…
I am keeping them small, because I am small, after all.
Last week I hit my little goal of 2 more sales of my audiobook 'Hag's Breath: A Collection of Witchcraft and Wickedness.' Those two sales brought the total so far to 30.
My aim for February is to make 5 more sales. I don't want to to harass, bully or bore people into reading or listening to my work, nor do I want to put out endless sob stories and prey on people's sympathies. We all have our troubles.
All I ask is, if the blurb, the cover, the premise, anything at all appeals to you about my work, please give it a try. An honest review afterwards would be wonderful. If you hate it, fair enough. If you love it, wonderful. If you think it's ok, that's good too. I appreciate your time and your thoughts.
So, going from 30 sales to 35 is my February aim. Whether I achieve that or fail miserably, I will update you all at the beginning of March, (well, I won't be around at the beginning of March, so maybe the first week in.)
Thanks for reading. Whatever your goals may be, large or small, I hope you achieve them. If you want to share them in the comments, feel free. Let's just all remain respectful, kind and supportive of one another.
Sue
(S P Oldham)
Guest Author - Baileigh Higgins!
I am very excited to announce that this month’s Guest Author will be the talented Bailiegh Higgins, author of Primordial World and Apocalypse Z, among other things! Check out the newsletter for details of when and where you can read Bailiegh’s interview and maybe get your hands on some of her work!
Image@ Baileigh Higgins’ Primordial Earth: ‘This is their world and we are the prey.’
Get it here: Primordial Earth
Well, we’re back! Happy New Year everyone!
I have got lots planned in terms of writing this year. Last year was a bit messy in more than one way. I am hoping that 2024 will turn out a little better. Nobody move or breathe!
Some of my writing plans are in genres other than horror and dark fantasy, though I of course have projects underway for that. So how was your New Year? Did you celebrate big time or have a quiet night in? We did the latter and I must be getting old, because I relished every second of it.
Let me know what your plans are for the New Year. Good luck!
An Interview with Ghost Hunting Group ‘Phase Paranormal.’
Published on 31st December 2023. Happy New Year everyone!
Bumper Christmas Competition Winners!
Thank you to everyone who entered my Bumper Christmas 2023 Competition. I am very pleased to announce that the winners are:
Ron Nickerson
Andrew Ferris
Congratulations! I will be in touch very soon to arrange delivery of your prize.
Keep coming back for more competitions, giveaways and more in the new year. There is an interesting interview with a paranormal group coming up, plus guest author interviews, news on new releases and lots more. In the meantime you can always browse the free reads and Silly Sunday Zombie Limericks on my site, or perhaps take a look back through my blog at some interesting articles and posts you may have missed.
Thanks everyone. I hope you all have a very happy and peaceful Christmas.
S P Oldham
First time buyer of an Audible book?
If you are a living in the USA and are new to Audible, maybe looking for your first listen, why not give 'Hag's Breath: A Collection of Witchcraft and Wickedness' a try? Written by S P Oldham and narrated by Paula Hines, this is a collection of short, witchy tales for grown ups. Treat yourself or someone else to some dark magic this festive season. If you use this link for your first ever Audible purchase, I will get a small bonus payment at no extra cost to you. Thank you and I hope you enjoy your listen! (Hag's Breath is also available on Kindle.)
UK Link: https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/B0C6V7PJDQ/?source_code=AUKFrDlWS02231890H6-BK-ACX0-353596&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_353596_rh_uk
Local Paranormal Group
Image: Unsplash via SquareSpace
Met with a representative from a very 'spooky' and interesting local group today. More to come on that very soon. Sign up to the newsletter to keep in the loop.
Image from Unsplash. I do not own rights.
Bumper Christmas 2023 Competition Time!
To be in with a chance of winning a mystery bumper prize, simply answer the question: In my short Christmas ghost story 'Silent Night' which ghostly character haunts the pub?
I enjoyed running those Random Giveaways. They were good fun - you are an inventive bunch! I am missing them. Time to run my bumper Christmas competitions I think.
To be in with a chance of winning a mystery bumper prize, simply answer the question: In my short Christmas ghost story 'Silent Night' which ghostly character haunts the pub?
All correct answers will be entered into a draw and two winners will be picked at random. Competition ends Midnight GMT December 15th. If winners do not come forward, runners up will be chosen. In no way associated with Meta. UK ONLY! Good luck!
Hint: A Jester.
'Silent Night' is a short Christmas story featured in 'Wakeful Children: A Collection of Horror and Supernatural Tales.' Available on Amazon and from all good book stores.
Return of the Guest Author page.
I am very pleased to say that I will be starting a fresh new Guest Author page, featuring fellow authors of Horror, Dark Fiction, Dark Fantasy and of course Zombie Apocalypse fiction on a monthly basis. There’s already an interesting new interview lined up for this coming December. If you want to know who is to be featured and exactly when, just sign up to the monthly newsletter and never miss out on your favourite indie author interviews again!
I usually run Christmas competitions too, so keep your eyes open for that. Lots to come in the follow weeks, right here on S P Oldham, Author. See you soon!
Winners - Random Giveaway #7
Thanks to everyone who took part in my Random Giveaways. The winners of Audible Codes for ‘Hag’s Breath: A Collection of Witchcraft and Wickedness’ are:
Joseph Jones
Laura Pritchard
Congratulations winners! I will be in touch very soon with your codes.
That’s it for Random Giveaways for now. Keep coming back though, because there may just be a Bumper Christmas Competition coming up very soon…
Halloween is almost upon us!
If you haven’t tried any of my writing yet, now is a great time to give me a go, so to speak! All links are here: S P Oldham, Author - Welcome
I am running a competition on my blog which ends Midnight October 31st GMT. You can enter here: Random Giveaway #7
There are plenty of free reads here, to give you a taste of my writing style: Free Reads
Plenty of SSiZLes - aka Silly Sunday Zombie (or not) Limericks here: Silly Sunday Zombie Limericks If you would like me to attempt a limerick written about you or a friend or family member, just let me know and I will do my best, just for fun!
Also some horror poetry here, to get you in the eerie mood for Halloween. Horror Poetry
It doesn’t have to cost you a penny to try my writing out for size. If you like anything you read, please let me know or even better, spread the word.
Thanks everyone. Keep safe and Happy Halloween!
N.B: All the above pages can be found under Assorted Work Just click the link and enjoy!
Random Giveaway #7 - Audible Download of Hag’s Breath!
Giveaway #7 and this time two Audible Downloads of ‘Hag’s Breath: A Collection of Witchcraft and Wickedness’ are up for grabs.
As ever, take a look at the cover for Hag’s Breath, created by FrinaArt: SelfPubBookCovers.com/ FrinaArt
What do you think the book/audiobook is about, based on the cover art? As usual, right answers or ridiculous wrong answers will all be considered. Have some fun! Competition closes Midnight GMT 31st October 2023.
‘Hag’s Breath: A Collection of Witchcraft and Wickedness’ was written by myself, S P Oldham, and is narrated by the talented Paula Hines.
Winners to Giveaway #6 are…
We have winners from the latest round of Random Giveaways! Round of applause to:
Facebook Winner:
Dawn Jones
Website Winners:
George
Alison
The next round of Giveaways is going to be a little different. The prize will come in the form of an Audible download. Make sure you can access Audible on your device before entering. Details coming soon!
Let the Random Giveaways Continue! Giveaway #6!
So far I have shared all of my book cover art with you, to get you guessing and pondering over possible story lines. I have had great fun reading your responses. You are a creative, imaginative bunch! Now, I am looking for answers for what this story could be about, judging by the cover art.
This time, the artwork for the cover was done by vikncharlie on SelfPubBookCovers
So, over to you. What is this book about, based on the cover?
Right answers or ridiculous wrong answers - it’s up to you. Just let your imaginations go! I look forward to reading more highly entertaining responses!
Competition closes Midnight GMT on Friday 13th October - ooh er, the thirteenth!
Feel free to share and spread the word.
Good luck!
Winners - Random Giveaway #5
Thanks once again to everyone who has entered my random giveaways. I have genuinely been enjoying reading your ideas and comments, both here and on Facebook. If you haven’t won a giveaway yet, don’t despair. Random Giveaway #6 is coming soon. Get your answers in and feel free to share with friends, too.
Anyway, with further ado, here are the winners of Giveaway #5. Congratulations to:
Website Winners:
Maya Russell - for a ridiculous answer about HobNobs on noses, which I loved!
Alex Porter - for another ridiculous answer about custard pies, but with a decidedly unpleasant edge, which I also loved!
Facebook Winner:
Lyn Bosomworth. All the fun of the fair indeed!
I will be in touch with the winners to arrange delivery of prizes very soon. In the meantime, please consider signing up to my newsletter. It’s once a month and you will be the first to get news, competitions, horror tidbits and more if you do.
Thanks! Keep your eyes peeled for Giveaway #6…