ill at ease 2 round-up

A round-up of three recent reviews of the PenMan Press anthology "ill at ease 2".

The first, from Anthony Watson at his Dark Musings blog, concludes with the comment "a high quality collection of stories, Ill at Ease 2 is highly recommended".  The review can be found in full at this link.

The second review, posted to Goodreads, comes from Ross Warren and his positive, four-star review can be found in full at this link.

The third review, posted at his website "Welcome to the Hellforge" by Matthew Fryer, is another positive one which can be found at this link.

Shaun's "The Shuttle" and Mark's "The Bureau Of Lost Children" were also mentioned in James Everington's "Best Short Stories of 2013 (Somewhat Biased & Woefully Uncomprehensive)" list, which you can find at this link.

In addition, Ross Warren included "Bureau" in his yearly round-up.  The full list can be found at this link.

Thanks to them all and don't forget, if you've read it, it'd be great if you left a review!

Following on from the critical success of “ill at ease” comes volume 2, featuring seven original horror short stories, all of them guaranteed to give you the chills.

Joining the original trio of Stephen Bacon, Mark West and Neil Williams this time are Shaun Hamilton, Robert Mammone, Val Walmsley and Sheri White.

You will descend into an underground train station to uncover a dreadful secret and watch in horror as a paradise holiday turns sour.  You will see a bullied boy who’s helped by local history and share the anguish of a father, losing his child in a shopping centre.  You will take a trip with a cancer sufferer and share the pain of a couple, desperate for a child.  You will discover that history needs to be kept somewhere.

Seven stories, seven writers and you.

Prepare to feel “ill at ease” all over again.

Available from Amazon - UK

in a print edition, priced £4.99

and as an ebook, priced £1.02

Available from Amazon - USA

in a print edition, priced $6.64

and as an ebook, priced $0.99

cover designed and produced by Neil Williams

ebook built by Tim C. Taylor at Greyhart Press

"ill at ease 2" - review no.2

"ill at ease 2" has just received its second review, from Ross Warren, which was posted to Goodreads.

His positive, four-star review can be found in full at this link.

Thanks Ross!

If this has whet your appetite, the collection is available from Amazon, in print and digital editions

Available from Amazon - UK

in a print edition, priced £4.99

and as an ebook, priced £1.02

Available from Amazon - USA

in a print edition, priced $6.64

and as an ebook, priced $0.99

"ill at ease 2" - a review

The first review for "ill at ease 2" has just come through, from Anthony Watson at his Dark Musings blog.

His review, which he concludes with "a high quality collection of stories, Ill at Ease 2 is highly recommended", can be found in full at this link.

Thanks Anthony!

If this has whet your appetite, the collection is available from Amazon, in print and digital editions

Available from Amazon - UK

in a print edition, priced £4.99

and as an ebook, priced £1.02

Available from Amazon - USA

in a print edition, priced $6.64

and as an ebook, priced $0.99

ill at ease 2 - now available!

Following on from the critical success of “ill at ease” comes volume 2, featuring seven original horror short stories, all of them guaranteed to give you the chills.

Joining the original trio of Stephen Bacon, Mark West and Neil Williams this time are Shaun Hamilton, Robert Mammone, Val Walmsley and Sheri White.

You will descend into an underground train station to uncover a dreadful secret and watch in horror as a paradise holiday turns sour.  You will see a bullied boy who’s helped by local history and share the anguish of a father, losing his child in a shopping centre.  You will take a trip with a cancer sufferer and share the pain of a couple, desperate for a child.  You will discover that history needs to be kept somewhere.

Seven stories, seven writers and you.

Prepare to feel “ill at ease” all over again.

Available from Amazon - UK

in a print edition, priced £4.99

and as an ebook, priced £1.02

Available from Amazon - USA

in a print edition, priced $6.64

and as an ebook, priced $0.99

cover designed and produced by Neil Williams

ebook built by Tim C. Taylor at Greyhart Press

Strange Tales, a collection by Mark West, now available

The Tenth Anniversary special edition of "Strange Tales" is now available again in print, with an ebook coming very soon.

Table of Contents

Infantophobia

Having A Bad Day

Empty Souls, Drowning

Dead Skin

Speckles

Up For Anything

Together Forever

The Darkest Hour

The City In The Rain

Dreaming Of A Black Christmas

Beach

plus - A Quiet Weekend Away

Story Notes
Publishing History

The book is available at Lulu.com for £5 (plus £2.99 post and packing, which is the charge they apply) and that's the same inflation-busting cost (£7.99) as the original edition.

Alternatively copies can be picked up directly from the press, personalised on request.  If you're interested in one of these, please email me at m.west31@btinternet.com or leave a comment below.

About the collection...

Originally published by Rainfall Books in December 2003, the collection was well received and picked up some nice reviews and, more importantly, sold out.  

It hasn't been available since 2004, though second hand copies do occasionally surface and often for much more than the original cost (the author assumes the higher priced ones command such a fee because they’re among the few that are unsigned).

This Tenth Anniversary edition, from PenMan Press, is a facsimile of the original Rainfall Books version, with the addition of an introduction and a bonus short story “A Quiet Weekend Away” (which originally appeared in Terror Tales 4).  In an effort to maintain the original stories, none of them have been updated - so Internet use isn’t widespread, mobile phones are basic and not at all smart and there aren’t many digital cameras - and original artwork has also been carried over.

What others had to say at the time...

Mark West’s crisp economic style reels you straight in, and the horror hits you hard and quickly and refuses to lay off.  He writes from the dark underside of our everyday human existence, calling on the sort of personal demons one could easily imagine lying in wait for any one of us.  Tread here at your peril…”
- Paul Finch, author of “Stalkers” and “Sacrifice”

Mark West is an excellent, young writer.  His compelling stories have a well-crafted, slowly-increasing sense of tension and dread, sometimes with a hint of creepy paranoia reminiscent of Phillip K. Dick mixed in, the endings always abrupt and chilling, like an unexpected splash in the face with ice water.
- Gene O’Neill, author of “The Burden Of Indigo” and “The Taste Of Tenderloin”

Mark West is a powerful and unique voice in horror literature.  ‘Strange Tales’ is a chilling masterpiece of spine-tingling stories!
- T.M. Gray, author of “Feast Of Faust”

Mark West's Strange Tales are stronger, more gristly meat. His simple, unembellished style belies the often visceral subjects, imparting compassion and logic to a series of abnormal psychopaths and deranged souls. If you're at all squeamish, look away now...
- Simon Morden, author of “The Samuil Petrovitch Trilogy”


Pick up the book from Lulu.com here

ill at ease 2 - soon...

A new publication - Strange Tales

Mark West writes, on his blog

Having discovered the small press in 1998 (via Dark Voices 5, an anthology edited by David Sutton & Stephen Jones), I began publishing in it during 1999.  Back then, Internet use wasn’t widespread so all of my appearances were in print zines, which was a wonderful experience for a newly published writer (I wasn’t new at the game though, I started writing stories at the age of eight).

My successes began to build and in early 2003 I approached John B Ford at Rainfall Books with the idea of him publishing my first collection.  He agreed and gave me a 30k word limit, so I selected my stories and lightly revised them.  He also agreed to me designing the cover, which I was keen to do after experimenting with software I got with our first digital camera.  I talked over ideas with Alison and, in the end, she agreed to be my model.  I still - ten years later - think it’s a great image and it’s still the header for my website.

I first saw the book (in proof form) in October at a Terror Scribes gathering in the Cittie Of York pub in Holborn and when John handed it to me I had to sit quietly for a few moments, just turning it over in my hands.  The collection was launched (along with four other Rainfall titles) at a BFS Open Night at the Princess Louise, Holborn, in London, in December 2003.  I did a reading (“The Thief Of Road Signs”, since it’s short), then caught up with old friends and signed loads of copies, whilst slotting my home-made bookmarks into them.

Thankfully, the collection was well received and picked up some nice reviews and, more importantly, sold out for Rainfall Books, which I was really pleased about.

As it is, “Strange Tales” hasn’t been available since 2004 though second hand copies do occasionally surface and often for much more than the original cost (I assume the higher priced ones command such a fee because they’re among the few that are unsigned).

To that end, I’ve decided to re-publish the collection - as a Tenth Anniversary edition - through PenMan Press.  This ‘special edition’ will be a facsimile of the original Rainfall Books version, with the addition of an introduction and a bonus short story “A Quiet Weekend Away” (which originally appeared in a Rainfall Books anthology).  I have resisted the urge to update the stories - so not much Internet, mobile phones are basic and not at all smart and there aren’t many digital cameras - and I’ve also carried over the original artwork (if it ain’t broke…).

The Special Edition will be available in October and I hope that if you decide to pick it up you’ll enjoy the tales (and the me that was writing back then).  These stories have been good to me and I’m pleased to see them have a new lease of life.

Mark West is a powerful and unique voice in horror literature.  ‘Strange Tales’ is a chilling masterpiece of spine-tingling stories!

- T.M. Gray, author of “Feast Of Faust”

Mark West is an excellent, young writer.  His compelling stories have a well-crafted, slowly-increasing sense of tension and dread, sometimes with a hint of creepy paranoia reminiscent of Phillip K. Dick mixed in, the endings always abrupt and chilling, like an unexpected splash in the face with ice water. 

- Gene O’Neill, author of “The Burden Of Indigo” and “The Taste Of Tenderloin”

Mark West's Strange Tales are stronger, more gristly meat. His simple, unembellished style belies the often visceral subjects, imparting compassion and logic to a series of abnormal psychopaths and deranged souls. If you're at all squeamish, look away now...

- Simon Morden, author of “The Samuil Petrovitch Trilogy”

ill at ease 2

The collection is due to be published on November 30th.

Keep watching the website...

ill at ease 2 book trailer

Freshly produced, please feel free to share!

"ill at ease 2" - August 1st 2013

Due for publication on August 1st, from PenMan Press and available as an ebook and paperback, this will feature all-new stories from Stephen Bacon, Shaun Hamilton, Robert Mammone, Val Walmsley, Mark West, Sheri White and Neil Williams, superb artwork by Neil and revealing afterwords, by each writer.

For more details, keep checking back here.

This is going to be good...

"ill at ease 2"

With all-new stories from Stephen Bacon, Shaun Hamilton, Robert Mammone, Val Walmsley, Mark West, Sheri White and Neil Williams, superb artwork by Neil and an introduction by Monica O'Rourke, this is an excellent companion piece to the acclaimed "ill at ease".  Also including revealing afterwords, by each writer.

Available very soon, in print and as an ebook.

For more details, keep checking back here.