A new story in Weird Tales plus Iron & Frost # 2

Kicking off with some news this week!

I'm really excited to say I have another story coming up in Weird Tales. Issue 372 comes out later this month and is a Cryptids and Urban Legends special!

I'm also happy to exclusively reveal for you, my fabulous subscribers, that my story, The Grave Marker, is set during the English Civil War. 1647, to be precise, in the fictional county of Harkenshire.

After being invited by editor Jonathan Maberry to submit a second contribution after last year's Sins Will Find You Out, I wanted to write something that had a slight Solomon Kane flavour, not knowing that a few months later I'd be asked to write an official Kane novelette.

I submitted the story in February and have been sitting on the news ever since, but here's the cover – plus the pre-order link so you can grab your own copy!

Thanks to Jonathan for having me back!

IRON & FROST #2 OUT TODAY

It's new comic book day, and you can pick up Iron & Frost #2, which continues where we left off with the chilling revelation that Tony Stark has mutated into the sinister Iron King!

Let's have a look at the covers and the first few pages:

Dad? Who is Landslide talking about?

Find out in issue two of Iron & Frost!

Have you been enjoying Iron & Frost so far? Then let me know by leaving a comment below!

THINGS THAT HAVE MADE ME SMILE THIS WEEK

1. A GOTHIC GRAVE

By complete accident I stumbled upon a memorable grave during a flying visit to Bournemouth this week – none other than Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley!

I had no idea she was buried there – or that the heart of her husband, Percy, rests in the same family tomb. Apparently, his heart wouldn’t burn when they tried to cremate his body, so it was rescued from the flames, preserved in wine, and treasured by Mary until her death in 1851.

Their son, Percy Florence Shelley, kept the calcified organ safe after she died, until it was finally laid to rest with Percy Jr, when he too shuffled off this mortal coil.

Could the story get any more gothic? I don't think so.

Frankenstein is never far from my thoughts, but especially so after seeing Guillermo Del Toro's stunning new version over Halloween. As both a Del Toro and a Frankenstein nut, it'll come as no surprise that I loved it. True to the spirit of the novel while unafraid to try new things, it's full of lovely nods to both the Universal and Hammer versions.

In all honesty, I can't wait to watch it again.

2. K9 & COMPANY MARK II

I've not seen many people talking about Big Finish's recent Smith and Sullivan box set, which is a crying shame.

I've listened to the first two stories so far (The Caller by Tim Foley and Union of the Snake by Roland Moore) and they're an absolute treat. It feels like a lost 1980s Saturday-night action series – what might have been if K9 & Company had resulted in a full show.

Sadie Miller and Christopher Naylor are now really settling into their roles as Sarah and Harry. Sadie, of course, is Elizabeth Sladen's daughter and also joined here by Annette Badland, who is simply wonderful as Sarah's abrasive Aunt Lavinia. It's a crime that she's only in one of the stories. Here's hoping she plays a bigger part in future series.

And then there's John Leeson as the best of best boys, K9. Listening to these stories is like being a kid all over again, remembering a show that never was!

Bravo to producer Mark Wright, director Jonathan S. Powell, script editor Peter Anghelides and everyone involved! I need more!

In the meantime, I'll just have to make do with my festive K9 & Company rewatch in a few weeks' time! Does anyone else travel back to Moreton Harwood every December?

3. PROUD DAD MOMENT: SEVERED FINGER EDITION

Following my recent Crispy Witch Proud Dad Moment, my youngest, Connie, has completed another college project... making a severed finger!

A girl after my own heart, that one. Or should that be after my own digits?

That's everything for now! Don't forget to let me know what things have been making you happy in the comments!

Until next time, look after yourself and each other!

WHERE TO FIND ME ONLINE

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