Tim Lebbon – horror and dark fantasy author

Publisher Spectra

Availability

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Book Depository

Summary

From Beacon Hill to Southie, historic Boston is a town of vibrant neighborhoods knit into a seamless whole. But as Jim Banks and Trix Newcomb learn in a terrifying instant, it is also a city divided—split into three separate versions of itself by a mad magician once tasked with its protection. Jim is happily married to Jenny, with whom he has a young daughter, Holly. Trix is Jenny’s best friend, practically a member of the family—although she has secretly been in love with Jenny for years. Then Jenny and Holly inexplicably disappear—and leave behind a Boston in which they never existed. Only Jim and Trix remember them. Only Jim and Trix can bring them back.
With the help of Boston’s Oracle, an elderly woman with magical powers, Jim and Trix travel between the fractured cities, for that is where Jenny and Holly have gone. But more is at stake than one family’s happiness. If Jim and Trix should fail, the spell holding the separate Bostons apart will fail too, and the cities will reintegrate in a cataclysmic implosion. Someone, it seems, wants just that. Someone with deadly shadow men at their disposal.

The Secret Journeys of Jack London – Book Two: The Sea Wolves

Tim Lebbon and Christopher Golden

Illustrations by Greg Ruth

Publisher Harper

Availability – Out now in Hardcover

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Book Depository

Summary

The world knows Jack London as a writer who lived his own real-life adventures. But there are some parts of his life that have remained hidden for many years, things even he couldn’t set down in writing. Terrifying, mysterious, bizarre, and magical—these are the Secret Journeys of Jack London.

Clinging to life after he is captured in an attack by savage pirates, Jack is unprepared for what he faces at the hands of the crew and their charismatic, murderous captain, Ghost. For these mariners are not mortal men but hungry beasts chasing gold and death across the North Pacific. Jack’s only hope lies with Sabine—a sad, sultry captive of Ghost’s insatiable hunger. But on these waters, nothing is as it seems, and Sabine may be hiding dangerous secrets of her own.

The second installment in the adventures of the young Jack London is a masterpiece of tension and emotion. Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon, along with illustrator Greg Ruth, have crafted a tale for readers of all ages, an action-packed, romantic, and suspenseful descent into the darkest desires of men and beasts and the hell that awaits them.

Dueling Minds

Publisher:- Cemetery Dance - Forthcoming

Availability

Limited Edition Hardcover

Edited by Brian James Freeman

featuring stories by Brian Keene, Gary A. Braunbeck, Tom Piccirilli, Tim Lebbon, Jenny Orosel, and Gerard Houarner!

Cover artwork by Alan M. Clark

Interior artwork by Erin S. Wells

About the Book: Where do you get your ideas?

It’s probably the most common question an author gets asked during his or her career.

This anthology isn’t meant to answer that question, but it is designed to give readers a glimpse into how the imagination works.

These talented authors were shown a haunting piece of artwork by acclaimed artist Alan M. Clark and then asked: “What worlds do you see hidden inside this painting?”

The stories collected in this book are their answers

Contains the story – Falling off the World – previously published in the 2nd Humdrumming book of horror and Best New Horror #20

On May 6th I’m running my first marathon in North Dorset.  26.2 miles … that sounds a long way.  It IS a long way!  I’m training hard, and hope you might be able to sponsor me.  I’m raising money for the Sparkle Appeal, and you can read all about it here.  Thanks!

Many moons ago, Gavin Williams and I wrote a novel called HUSH.  Razorblade Press published it in a font so small it could hardly be read, but with a beautiful cover by the very excellent Chris Nurse.  Then it went out of print.

Now, you can buy it again for you Kindle.

Here’s the USA link.

Here’s the UK link.

Check it out …. and please let us know what you think!

“With HUSH, Tim Lebbon and Gavin Williams deliver a chillingly horrific tour-de-force that is at the cutting edge of the genre… A masterfully written book… HUSH is, quite simply, a modern masterpiece.” – Brian Keene, author of TAKE THE LONG WAY HOME and TEQUILA’s SUNRISE.

“HUSH weaves a bizarre narrative filled to bursting with paranoia and rife with heart-pounding madness. There are twisted visions here that will get inside your heart to root and flourish.” – Tom Piccirilli, author of EVERY SHALLOW CUT and THE COLDEST MILE.

And I’m in it!  This spectacular double-volume anthology from Cemetery Dance Publications, edited by John Pelan, includes one story from each year of the last century, and my story ‘Reconstructing Amy’ creeps in for the year 2000.

To even begin listing the other authors included would be a finger-numbing task, but everyone you’d expect is represented.  And as you’ve come to expect from CD, the books themselves are beautiful objects, graced with cover art from Alan M Clark and each volume containing 50 stories.  Epic.

And after appearing in several volumes of The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, and then The Mammoth Book of the Best of Best New Horror, it’s now a real honour to have a story chosen as one of the best of the last century.

Happy New Year!  Hope you all had a great Christmas break.  We had fun … lots of socialising, some walking, and I even fitted in a few runs (one on Boxing Day, only a few miles but utterly quiet and peaceful).  So now it’s 2012, and no, the world’s not going to end.  Believe me.  If it does, call me a liar.

So what’s in store for 2012?  I’ve already talked about new books of mine that will be released this year.  And it was naughty of me not to mention my novelisation of The Cabin in the Woods, which is due for release imminently.  Check out that stunning cover!

I’m writing a script for a kids’ spooky animated movie, which should be a huge amount of fun.  Itching to get stuck into that one, for sure.  I’m also writing a solo script called The Silence (which might also be a novel), and just recently had a great idea for a new novel which I’d love to write this year called Endure.  My script Hell Came Down will be off to my agent very soon (weird, apocalyptic, and I like to think pretty original).  And there are more novels I want to write, including an exciting new fantasy novel called The Wolves.  But we’ll see which one surfaces first.

I’ll also be starting a new blog pretty soon, talking about my running and training (marathons this year, triathlons next year), getting fit in my 40s, and lots of associated stuff.  I hope you’ll try it out when it launches … check out here for details.

Meanwhile, I hope 2012 is lovely for you, full of love and fun, great food and drink, lots of sex, and a few nice surprises.  What more can we ask?

I did something in 2011 that I’ve been wanting to do for years. Many years. I got fit.

On January 1st 2011 I weighed 14st 9lbs. For my American friends that’s 205 pounds. I’m 5′ 8″ tall, and by anyone’s reckoning, I was way overweight.

I’m now 12st 4lbs, which is 172 pounds. I’ve lost 30 pounds, and gone from barely being able to run a mile to regularly running 10 miles, and racing half-marathons. I haven’t been dieting to lose weight, though I have consciously been trying to eat an improved diet. And now that I feel better than I have in decades, and am booking races and other mad adventures (more on that in a minute), I’m trying to shake the regrets that I didn’t do this years ago. No point regretting, because the past is the past. But I’m definitely making up for lost time.

The trick was to find something I love, and it turns out that’s trail running. I’m exercising because I love it, not simply for the point of exercising. As I write this it’s pissing down with rain outside, but I’m still itching to lace on my trail shoes and get out there, running through the woods, across fields, along the canal towpath, getting muddy and wet and feeling bloody great!

My mate Peter Lyons helped me a huge amount. He got fit the year before, and seeing him do it really inspired me to work harder. We’ve raced together, and frequently exchange details on runs we’ve done, and things we want to do. He’s been a massive help.

And committing to something mad was the kickstarter. Earlier this year I agreed to do the national Three Peaks Challenge with Pete and a few friends. This comprises climbing the tallest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales within 24 hours (including travel time between them). It’s something that a lot of people do every year, but it’s certainly not an easy undertaking. We did it … and if you want to read about our adventure check out my blog post here.

After that, I didn’t want to let things slip, so I started running more and entering races. This year I’ve done a few 10k races and a couple of half marathons, quickly discovering that I much prefer running off-road, whether it’s on my own or racing. And next year…

A 10k, a couple of half marathons, two full marathons. And a 140 mile, 2 day coast to coast race across Devon on foot, bike and kayak (that’s the biggie for 2012!). And they’re just the things I’ve signed up for.

Madness? Some people think so. A couple of people tell me I’ve lost too much weight. Many claim not to understand the enjoyment I get out of doing stuff like this. But there’s no downside to being fitter than I’ve ever been (and I’m not done yet), losing excess weight, and enjoying getting out into the open.

It’s helped my writing a huge amount … running really gives me the headspace to work through plot problems, and feeling better physically and mentally means I can plunge into writing projects with more energy than ever before.

It’s all good. 2011 year has been a good one, and I hope 2012 will be even better. My first marathon! My first multi-sports race! And lots, lots more running through the woods.

So, that was my 2011. Happy Christmas to you all, whether you believe in the Big Man himself or not. Be nice to each other. That’s what it’s all about.

It’s been an exciting year work-wise for me. First, The Secret Journeys of Jack London: The Wild hit the shelves. Written in collaboration with my good friend Christopher Golden, this is the first volume in a trilogy. Fox2000 optioned this mid-2010, and the book itself is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever had published, with wonderful artwork from Greg Ruth and such fine attention to detail from HarperCollins. The exciting news just in is that Fox has re-optioned the book, and 2012 should see a lot of progress on this front!

My novel Echo City was released by Orbit in the UK (it was out from Bantam in the USA last year). It’s had a great reception and some lovely reviews, and I hope this is the beginning of a long relationship with Orbit. They’re wonderful to work with, and their covers are all works of art. I never understood the true science of book covers until I worked with Orbit.

My 2010 novella The Thief of Broken Toys was nominated for World Fantasy, British Fantasy, and Shirley Jackson Awards. It won none of them, but I was thrilled with it

being on such prestigious awards lists.

I was a guest at Horrorfind in Gettysburg, and had a great time catching up with loads of friends and making many new ones. It was my first US convention in several years, and it made me realise how much I miss them. Especially the breakfasts. Cake for breakfast. Oh yeah.

2011 also marked 5 years since I’ve been writing full-time, and I took a moment to reflect on whether or not it had been the right decision. A moment that lasted about 6 milliseconds. Of course it was the right decision!

So after such an exciting year, can 2012 be any better? You bet. In fact, it might well be the most exiting year of my career to date. Here’s what’s happening:

February will see the release of The Secret Journeys of Jack London: The Sea Wolves in hardback, and The Wild will be out in paperback. And Fox2000 will be progressing the movie of The Wild, of course! These books have also sold in Germany, France, Brazil, and Hungary, so we’ll see releases in those countries too (in fact The Wild is already out in Germany).

In August, my new fantasy novel The Heretic Land will be published by Orbit in the UK.

October will see two releases. Firstly, my huge apocalyptic zombie thriller Coldbrook will be released by Hammer/Arrow in the UK. And London Eye (Book One of The Toxic City) will be released by Pyr in the USA. This is the first in a YA trilogy that I’m just so excited about.

There’ll also be various short stories and novellas, as well as some forays into the ebook market.

Other stuff, equally exciting … I’ve been commissioned to write a screenplay, and more of that soon (when contracts are signed). Mark Morris and I hope to complete our collaborative YA novel in 2012. I’m working on a Top Secret collaboration, and Chris Golden and I are throwing around ideas about what to work on together next. I have a script that will be ready to go out early in 2012 called Hell Came Down, and I’m itching to get stuck into a new script called The Silence, which I’m really excited about. Stephen Volk and I hope to collaborate again next year, too. And there’s also a novel I want to write which … well, I can’t tell you anything about it. It’ll be different.

So that’s a recap of 2011 for me, and a little peek forward into 2012. If you’ve read this far that might mean that you quite like some of the words I write. If you do, I thank you, because I couldn’t continue writing so many of them without your support. I hope you’ll stay with me. Things are getting exciting.

Have a great Christmas, a safe and enjoyable New Year, and let’s have some more adventures together soon.

(coming soon, a personal look back on 2011 … the year I got fit!)

Five years ago today (30th November) was my last day in work.  Five years!  And in truth … it feels like a lifetime ago.  I spent that last day walking around the office saying goodbye to people — and receiving bottles, cards, and well-wishes in return — and then having a presentation (they bought me a coffee maker which I still use to this day, every day).  And that evening, a big bash in my favourite pub.

Since then I’ve hardly thought about my old place of work at all.  I catch up with some of my old friends from there, sometimes, and I still think about the people I used to work with with fondness.  But it was definitely a case of moving on.  And I haven’t once looked back.  It’s all going well, and this past 12 months have been good.

I spent years wanting to be a full-time writer, and even for the couple of years before I quit, I never quite believed I’d get here.  Now, it doesn’t seem as if I’ve ever done anything else.  It has its ups and downs, but is definitely what I’m here to do.

I quit work to write 5 months after my dear mum died.  I remember calling Dad to tell him what I was doing, and the first thing he said was “Your mum would be proud.”  That sealed the decision for me.

Back to work, now.  I’m currently editing a new book for Orbit UK, and writing the second in a YA series for Pyr in the USA.  Other exciting stuff going on too, which I’ll be able to reveal soon.  Books.  Movies.  All the good stuff….

A big thanks to everyone who continues to buy and read my books.  Without you … well, that doesn’t bear thinking about.

Thanks!

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