The end and the beginning: CHRIS DABNOR on NIGHTFALLS

A few little plugs before I hand on to Chris - and there's some news here that's definitely worth reading.

Have you seen that Snubnose are offering their titles for 99c/75p?  They have some brilliant titles and I'm pretty sure that all of their books are worth picking up (I mopped up another 6 or so with this offer).  I'm sure you'll know what I mean when I say that and you'll be doing some mopping up of your own.

I'm going to recommend one in particular, but not for the usual reasons.  It's a title I haven't read, Blood On Blood by Jim Wilsky and Frank Zafiro.  The reason for my suggestion is that it's doing pretty well in the Amazon charts in the US and with a little more support might forge itself a position that will nudge the Amazon machine into action. It's not only the good writers we need to support, but the good publishers, so let's go out and make a difference.

And I'm also really pleased to see that McDroll's The Wrong Delivery is now available as a paperback, which might well make someone very happy on Christmas morning if they have the right kind of friends.

Another way to make a difference in the world it to donate to charity.  You can do that and be a winner in 2 ways if you pick up a copy of Nightfalls - you'll get a cracking read and the warm glow of giving at the same time.

Here's a note from Chris Dabnor about his story:

When Katherine invited me to write a piece for the charity anthology 'Nightfalls' (US), I didn''t have to think too long about it.  Since she first decided to publish one of my short stories, she's been supportive of me and my work.  So, I had a theme, I just needed a story.  My first idea was to have a protagonist who keeps hearing songs about the end of the world - REM's - End of the World, U2's Last Night on Earth and so on, and slowly begins to realise that they are portents.  I had the idea, but didn't feel I could tell it as a short story.  It also reminded me a bit of something that Gaiman had done with Constantine in an early Sandman.  I kept thinking about the music and decided on a story about a DJ who decides to host a radio phone-in running up to the end.  REM still make it in there, but only as a brief nod.  I realised, that, for the story to work, I needed a nice, pretty end of the world, something that could be accurately predicted and instant when it came.  So, I began researching extinction level events.  They're generally not as quick or exciting as you'd expect, it seems.  It was whilst researching the end of the world that I received the amazing news that my partner was pregnant.  Realising that you're going to be a father for the first time changes your perspective on the apocalypse.  Suddenly the world meant so much more to me - it had become the place that my baby is going to grow up in, and it is a beautiful and terrible place.

May I take my place in line and offer you and your partner the very biggest wave of warmth Sea Minor can manage here.  Yes, the world will never be the same again for you guys and I'm pretty sure it will never have been quite so wonderful.  Very good luck.

:)