Category: Long Fiction

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Conflux Convention

I’ll be attending the 17th Conflux Speculative Fiction Convention in Canberra from 29th September – 3rd October, 2023.

I’ll be in the Dealer’s Room – All weekend!!

Book Promo — Cursed Shards edited by Leanbh Pearson with Stephen Herczeg, 29th September, Friday 5.30 pm.

I’ll be on 3 panels:

Entrances to Evil: Doors in Dark Fiction – Leanbh Pearson, Lisa Fuller, Joanne Anderton, Daniel O’Malley. Friday 29th September, 7:30pm.

Ditmar Awards Ceremony, Saturday 30th September, 5pm.

Spirits Abroad – Rebecca Hayward, Leanbh Pearson, Americo Alvarenga, Imogen Cassidy. Sunday 1st October, 12:45pm.

Insatiable – Leanbh Pearson, Zachary Ashford, Aaron Dries (18+), Sunday 1st October, 8pm.

Raganrok : A Witch’s Curse Book Launch – Leanbh Pearson with Zachary Ashford, Monday 2nd October, 1:30pm.

Black Fox and Bitterbind Book Launch – Leanbh Pearson with Louise Peiper, Monday 2nd October, 1:30 pm.

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Bluebells Book Launch

A very late posting of the offical launch of Bluebells on October 2nd, 2022 at Conflux 16 Convention in Canberra. The book launch which had been delayed due to my health issues and extended hospital stays. So this was time to celebrate!

@Cat Sparks

We kicked off the launch with Zachary Ashford giving a great introduction to my writing career and focus so far: I’m an LGBTQI and disability author of numerous short stories in the horror and dark fantasy genres. Bluebells was my debut novella.

Zachary had a couple of questions on what inspired me to write Bluebells. The answers ranged from climate change, an interest in WWI, vampires and the Black Death and ‘Spanish fever’. Alternate history had always fascinated me and the question in my mind became what if the world had fallen into a post-apocalyptic state during WWI? What if the future we know, never happened?

@Cat Sparks

Zachary invited me to do a quick reading from Bluebells. I chose a passage near the end where the vampire Nicolas confronts and debates his humanity alongside his vampirism.

@Cat Sparks

A book signing and purchase option for copies of Bluebells followed and I had a lovely time meeting new and old friends while I signed copies.

@Cat Sparks
@Cat Sparks
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1920s Gothic Horror

My current work-in-progress is a gothic horror set in the infamous 1920s Razor Gang era in Sydney, Australia.

Some background on the Razor Gangs of Sydney. The more well-known lawless crime eras of Birmingham, Glasgow and New York had their own gangs and warfare on the streets.

In Australia, it was cities of Melbourne and Sydney that were rife with crime gangs controlling brothels, the ‘sly-grog’ of Prohibition Depression, illegal drugs and police bribery. From the 1920s to the 1940s, Sydney’s harbour-side streets were ruled by two women and their gangs: Tilly Devine and Kate Leigh. Both had their seperate illegal business focuses and things ran smoothly enough until members of the gangs started a bloody war with their weapon of choice: the easily come-by straight razor from any barber shop.

In the years of World War I and World War II saw many immigrants and refugees from war-torn Europe, the multicultural nature of Australian population swelled and my project imagines the supernatural beings that would have fled Europe amid the flow of mortal immigrants.

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Bluebells: Book Trailer & Excerpt

My Australian dystopian horror Bluebells explores queer fiction, alternate history, pandemics, vampires, mental illness, trauma and war. The

There is a post on research background to Bluebells and the folklore of the bluebells flowers which is key to the novella character Anna is here.

A video tour of Bluebells and a reading excerpt is below. Enjoy!

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Background to The Devil & Loch Ard Gorge

In my novelette The Devil & the Loch Ard Gorge, I was inspired by Victorian era Gothic literature and the history of the Australian shipwrecks. You can read more about the history of the Loch Ard shipwreck here.

My initial inspiration for The Devil & the Loch Ard Gorge was a song “The Loch Ard Gorge” by Australian folk singer/songwriter Russel Morris which retells the historical shipwreck event in a magically haunting way.

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Celtic Dark Fantasy

I am in the final stages of editing my draft dark fantasy novel inspired by Celtic mythology and literature (Arthurian, Welsh and Irish Cycles) and LGBTQI themes.

In a portal fantasy where the gods, mortals and legendary Fae courts battle for dominance, the last of the sorceress and Fae bloodlines is lost. A struggle between the Fae Courts threatens to once again spill into the mortal realms where a crumbling stone wall bound by iron, blood and magic will collapse when the last of the witch bloodlines fades. Caught between the Fae Courts are two unlikely champions of the mortal realm – one is stolen into the Otherworld by deception, the other follows to save him.

The following images are inspirational only and don’t represent any specific character but inspire my writing concept.

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The Devil & the Loch Ard Gorge Release!!

My gothic horror novelette The Devil & the Loch Ard Gorge was released on 15 October, 2022 published by Black Hare Press.

Seána McKinnon, daughter of a well-to-do London businessman and his wife, finds love in the arms of a lowly artist. Her parent’s disapproval of their relationship lays heavy on her heart until, borne of frustration, she makes a bargain with the Devil that will be with her for all her years.

When she flees Gravesend on the ill-fated Loch Ard, dark shadows sail with her.

Will Seána ever be free of the horrors that defile her past and haunt her future?

Details on how you can purchase ebook and paperback copies of The Devil & the Loch Ard Gorge here.

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Dark Fantasy & Climate Change

I am in the final stages of editing my draft dark fantasy novel inspired by North American and Canadian First Nations legends and environment and the influence of developing climate change.

In a fantasy world where the gods, mortals and paranormal beings are dependent on the environment for stability and existence, the threat of a dark shaman destroying the land as his power grows is too much for the gods to remain omnipotent. In the involvement with the mortal realms, the balance of the Land shifts dangerously and the environment begins to suffer, fade and die.

The following images are inspirational only and are not intended to represent any specific character but inspire an internal concept.

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Bluebells Book Launch

Conflux 16- Speculative Fiction Conventions from October 1 -3 will be hosting my book launch for Bluebells. After several hospital admission interruptions, I’m looking forward to properly launching my debut novella from Black Hare Press.

Tickets for Conflux 16 are essential. Book here.

Bluebells has its belated official launch on October 2nd at 12:30 pm AEST.

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Reimagining Norse Myths

One of my projects I’m working on at the moment is a reimagining the Norse Myths and involving my favourite Trickster folklore. I’m focusing on the god Loki and the events recounted in the myths leading up to Ragnarok.

I’m also fascinated by the roles of Odín and his selection of the best warriors fallen on the battlefield and how Freyja, goddess of desire takes the other half the best fallen warriors and is a leader of the Valkyries.

My love of Trickster folklore and legends includes one of my favourite Australian Trickster figures, Crow. Together with Loki, there’s a new story added to those known in the Norse myths.

In remaining ragnarok in a new way, I’ve ncorporated Icelandic and Australian-esque natural landscapes to create a new version of a mythos of ice and fire with tales from the Australian Alps to the desert heart.