GRIMM TALES

GRIMM TALES is a collection of stories by some of the top names in online crime fiction, all based on classic fairy tales. As novelist Ken Bruen writes in his introduction, "Ever imagined what would have come down the dark pike if The Brothers Grimm were more Brothers Coen and wrote mystery?" The collection is edited by John Kenyon, editor of Grift magazine, and contains 17 stories by Patricia Abbott, Absolutely*Kate, Jack Bates, Eric Beetner, Nigel Bird, Loren Eaton, Kaye George, Blu Gilliand, Seana Graham, Eirik Gumeny, R.L. Kelstrom, John Kenyon, BV Lawson, Evan Lewis, B. Nagel, Sean Patrick Reardon and Sandra Seamans.

I read these tales when the competition was running and, I have to say, there's a lot of talent in this collection.

Ken Bruen says, 'The stories all display not only marvellous invention, turning the whole concept of fairytales on its mysterious head, but breathing new life into a genre that has become, if not familiar, certainly stale.'

I'm with Mr Bruen with this collection, but not in relation to the familiarity of the traditional tales; to me the best fairytale still have an immense freshness at every reading and I'm glad that as a teacher and a father I get to visit them often. 

As Christmas comes near, Darren Sant have put together an offer you can't refuse.  Well, you can, but you should at least think about it.

Smoke, three times chosen in Best 5 reads of the year, has been dropped to 86p / 99c.  Trestle Press are offering a free book for every purchase of Smoke if you contact me (nigel.bird7@btinternet.com) with proof of purchase.  Darren and I would like to go further.  If you buy a copy between now and New Year, you'll not only get the other Trestle book, but a copy of Flashes Of Revenge (and vice versa), a very entertaining read indeed. 

I'd take me up on that.  The rest is up to you.

And three more sleeps.

Favourite fairytales, by the way...love Snow White for the sipping from the wine goblets; Rapunzel for it's shocking brutality and romance; The Tinder Box for those dogs under the tree roots; Shockheaded Peter and the moral tales; Rumplestitlskin for it's all over the place twists and turns... we've all got them.  Here's a list from the Guardian to remind you how good they can be.

While you're buying Grimm Tales, by the way, why not get yourself a free download of the original sinners.