Humber SFF Returns to Beverley

 

Writers in the East Yorkshire and North Lincs region have the opportunity to meet one of the most pro-active publishers in Northern England during their open submission call.

On October 25th revolutionary publisher and Northodox Press will be joining Humber SFF in Beverley.

Writers can discover what to expect in the submission process, while readers can follow the journey from idea to finished book. Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror fans can pick up novels inspired by Yorkshire and other northern counties. Those aspiring for a publishing career can learn how to get started.

Northodox Press have been breaking the publishing norms since 2020. 

An independent publisher based in Sheffield and Manchester, they are on a mission to represent the range and quality of writing from the North of England.

November’s special guest will be Allen Stroud, Author, Game Writer, Musician, and Creator.

Allen Stroud is best known for his sci-fi fantasy novels and video game writing – especially games like Elite Dangerous and Baldur’s Gate III. However, he is also a researcher and lecturer at Coventry University. He was the editor of the British Fantasy Society Journal until 2019, and is now Chair of the British Science Fiction Association. Tickets for 22nd November will be released via the Humber Speculative Fiction website.

The final event of the year will see the return of their popular open mic. Local genre writers will have the chance to share their work.

Run entirely by volunteers, Humber Speculative Fiction is a group of readers, writers, and authors who love Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror. Organised by Michelle Horst, the group has regular guests and Q&As with authors, creatives and publishing professionals.

The events are open to all. Humber Speculative Fiction aims to meet monthly at Chugg Coffee House on Railway Street in Beverley.

Doors open at 6:30 pm, and entry is just £5 which includes a hot drink.

Tickets are available online: Humber Speculative Fiction Presents...

Hornsea Writer, Shellie Horst, On Writing

Give me a 3-word summary of what you will be doing, writing-wise, in the coming year.

Focusing on fiction.

Tell me more:

In the past year, I’ve had to diversify. The cost of living hasn’t gone away. Making writing work around family and caring needs won’t either. Yet somehow written more. It’s difficult to set aside time, but I’ve found that supporting others is a great way to ignite my creativity, and develop my writing.

At the beginning of the year, Femmes-Fae Tales: A Fantasy Anthology by FemaleAuthors was launched. This is another anthology from the team behind the award nominated Distaff: A Science Fiction Anthology by Female Authors. While I didn’t have a story in this volume, I loved creating the cover.

I had the honour of teaching Creative Writing in Adult Education across the East Yorkshire area. Opening the door for other writers to find their way to publication or develop their own writing for personal reasons is magical. 

I’ve been doing this with Humber Speculative Fiction too. Sharing my knowledge of the industry and my network, I’ve worked with the University of Hull Creative Writing Department to bring authors to the students there.

It was my HumberSFF role that brought me back to my writing. Inspired by the local science fiction and fantasy group meet ups, I attended The World Science Fiction Convention in Glasgow.  The event itself had over 9000 attendees, and like the publishing industry, very easy to be overwhelmed in. Hundreds of panels, the announcement of the Hugo Awards, plenty of book launches, readings, parties, and workshops over five days made it intense. Glasgow was fabulous, and even though there were thousands of complete strangers, it was incredibly friendly. Reconnecting with the speculative fiction world was the route back to my fiction. I have work due to be published in late 2025. Of course, Hornsea Writers will be the first to know more as the cover and release dates are finalised.

Tell me about a writing-related event from last year

It’s hard to pick just one! Despite the range of things I have been involved in, I’ve established that writing is what I love most.

I’ve just celebrated my one-year anniversary writing for the Holderness and HornseaGazette. “With great power comes great responsibility.” Yes, an over-used Spiderman phrase, but also true to the role we have as writers. It’s a privilege to capture important stories from the Hornsea area, and boosting awareness of people’s achievements. Every story is unique.

The people I get to meet are passionate, genuine and care. They are an inspiration. I am lucky enough to be able share that with a wider audience.

I’m sure there’s a story in that somewhere.

***

Shellie Horst is a freelance journalist, author of Fantasy and Science Fiction, a Creative Writing Tutor, and Critic for leading genre publications. Follow Shellie on her website: Shelliehorst.com or on social media.

Learn more about Shellie here.

Extracts From The Writing Of Penny Grubb

Author Penny Grubb worked as an academic in science, engineering and healthcare but has now retired to a life of crime. She is the author of a private investigator series currently comprising eight books. She has also written a standalone crime novel, Death by Column Inches and two children’s fantasy novels, Horse of a Different Colour and Horse of the Same Colour. 

Below are some short extracts from the novels. 

Like False Money – book 1 (included in the trilogy Falling Into Crime)

The series opens with Annie Raymond, in desperate financial straits, arriving in Hull to take a temporary job with a private investigator. ‘I unexpectedly found the perfect setting for mystery stories when I placed this book in Holderness and on the banks of the Humber,' Penny says. ‘The landscape comes to play a key role in this and several later books.’ 

The opening scene from Like False Money

The film he shot the day before yesterday plays through Terry’s head. A dull, malodorous corridor thick with stale dust. A locked door. That awful close-up. Bile rushes the back of his throat. In the dark and the panic, he must have caught the zoom control. His clenched fists drive fingernails into palms. When he gets back he’ll edit that bit out.

Forget what it shows. Remember only that it’s worth big bucks. Terry peers through the windows of the killer’s house, but it still lies empty. He isn’t in control, can’t threaten someone he can’t find.

Read the full chapter on THIS LINK.

* * *

The Jawbone Gang – book 2 (included in the trilogy Falling Into Crime)

Annie Raymond has stayed in Hull but is getting seriously itchy feet. The book opens on a scene between two shady characters who will later ask Annie to work for them. Penny says, ‘This story explores the role of a PI in the aftermath of a criminal case when the official work is over but not everyone is satisfied that enough has been done. Later books in the series delve deeper into the sometimes blurred line between private and official investigation.’

The opening scene from The Jawbone Gang

Night-time mist lay over the vegetation at the sides of the lane, blurring the contours where the fields melted into darkness.

Peering into a murky landscape that had largely swallowed the light, the woman punctuated the silence with urgent whispers.  ‘There, Ronnie. What did I tell you?  Just look.  It’s her ... No, it’s him ... Is that a wheelbarrow...? What are they doing, Ron...? Can you see...?  Oh God! Keep down. They’re coming this way.’

Read the full scene on THIS LINK. 

* * *

The Doll Makers – book 3 – Winner of a CWA Crime Fiction Dagger (included in the trilogy Falling Into Crime)

In this novel, Annie, who left Hull for a prestigious job in London, is in big trouble. ‘I love this book for winning its Dagger and opening doors for me,’ Penny says, ‘but I also loved exploring Scotland in its pages, and hope to return sometime in another book.’

The opening scene from The Doll Makers 

The words changed on the long drive north. Annie’s determination did not.

In the Ladies at Leicester Forest East, where she stopped to top up – coffee for her, water for the car – she pulled a comb through her hair and practiced what she would say. Dad. I have bad news. It was the antithesis of the old coming-home fantasy, where her short-cropped hair would be a little longer, her five feet two inches would be clad in a smart business suit, and she’d smile as her father said, ‘I always knew you had it in you, Annie’. She’d failed his every expectation since she was eight years old, and now at twenty-eight she was about to turn his life upside down.

Read the full chapter on THIS LINK.

The first three books are available as a trilogy, Falling Into Crime. 

* * *

Where There’s Smoke – book 4

In Where There's Smoke, Annie unexpectedly comes face to face with an adversary from her early career. ‘Feedback from a reader about Like False Money put this idea in my head,’ Penny says, ‘but at the time I didn’t know how to write it. By book 4, I’d figured it out.’

The opening scene from Where There’s Smoke

Waves slapped against the low sides of the boat, saltwater splashing in the darkness, pinpricks on Vitoria’s skin. The night air cut across her, emphasizing her sense of isolation, but she felt no fear, just an exhilaration she held tight to herself. Too soon to celebrate.

Read the full chapter on THIS LINK.

* * *

Buried Deep – book 5

For the first time, one of Annie’s cases lands in the middle of an official police investigation. ‘It was fascinating to weave the reality of a police investigation into the PI’s world,’ Penny says. ‘It led to big trouble for everyone.’

The opening scenes from Buried Deep

Billy inched the tractor forward feeling a flutter in his chest as the giant offside wheel sank in the soft earth. Then it climbed, righting itself, and he blew out a tiny sigh. Razor-sharp judgement kept these beasts standing tall, and this close to the edge the minutest of errors would spell catastrophe.

Read the first two chapters on THIS LINK.

* * *

Tiger Blood – book 6 

Uniquely in the series, in Tiger Blood, Annie and her colleagues are minor characters. The action moves to York and focuses on the police team first introduced in Buried Deep. ‘I enjoyed the challenge of writing about a police investigation in Buried Deep and took things a step further in this one, making the police action the main event,’ Penny notes, but goes on to add, ‘After this, I returned to the world of private investigation.’

Read the start of Tiger Blood HERE, or get the book HERE. 

* * *

Syrup Trap City – book 7 

Annie returns both to a lead role and to Hull just as the city is preparing for its 2017 City of Culture year. ‘The most problematic part of this book to write,’ Penny says, ‘concerned Blade, a City of Culture art installation. I wrote about these problems in a postscript to the book.’

Read the first chapter on THIS LINK.   

* * *

Boxed In – book 8 

A character who hasn’t been seen in a lead role since The Doll Makers makes a comeback in this book, bringing a major push for change, but there are choppy waters to navigate along the way. Talking about the book’s setting, Penny notes, ‘It’s a difficult task to hide, lose, or steal a giant shipping container, especially in a country like England, but although the crimes are fictional, the things that happen to the shipping containers in this book are all based on fact.’

Read the first chapter on THIS LINK. 

* * *

Death By Column Inches

If you are a fan of something different in the crime genre, check out Death By Column Inches. This is an adult crime novel which follows the fortunes of a group of 11 year olds, in the early 1990s, who study a murder trial as part of a school project.

The book’s opening scenes can be read HERE. 

* * *

Pre-teen Fantasy Series

Penny, writing as Melodie Trudeaux, has also written two books of a pre-teen fantasy series. When asked if there are more to come, she says, ‘I was going to tell you that when I wrote the words “The End” on the second book, I felt that the adventure was done and had nowhere else to go. However, your question reminds me that I felt exactly the same after I finished the first book. It was about a year later that the sequel came to me, so I guess the real answer is that I don’t know.’

The opening chapters are available to read on these links:

• Horse of a Different Colour 
• Horse of the Same Colour   

Learn more about Penny and her writing HERE. 

Extracts From The Writing Of Karen Wolfe

 

Author Karen Wolfe spreads her writing talents across a wide range. Although she has four novels to her name - two comic fantasy & two comic crime (with dogs) - when asked if she has a favourite genre, she notes a preference for writing short pieces, saying, ‘Flash fiction is one of my favourite genres.’

Two things that characterise Karen’s writing are dogs and humour. She admits to being an inveterate eavesdropper and notes that, ‘Other people’s conversations can be literary gold.’

The first extract is a flash fiction chiller:

 

Killing The Light

Sunshine penetrates Millicent Codd’s bedroom, sneaking through a tiny gap in the curtains. It’s young, pale, inexperienced, but keen to shine.

   Slipping over the windowsill, inspired by the challenge of ice on the inside, it ventures further, spreading itself around. Daring, it touches Millicent’s cold face, and recoils.

     Millicent’s eyes snap open. They burn with fury. She sits up, glaring into the intruding brightness…and still the innocent sunshine pokes around, illuminating dark, hidden corners, beaming and thawing as it goes. But it hasn’t a chance against Millicent. Her feet hit the icy lino, and she’s across the room in an instant, swishing the curtains together, snuffing it out.

    No light. There must be no light. And most certainly no warmth. Slipping back into bed, she strokes David’s stiff, frigid brow.

     ‘There now,” she whispers, “cold and dark again, my darling…just the way we like it’

***

The second extract focuses on Karen’s love of dogs. She writes a regular canine column in a local newspaper, The Hornsea Community News, and is an active member of the Hornsea Dog Owners’ Club. Her articles aim to be informative and touch on serious topics but her style is light and humorous. ‘I have a Thing with dogs,’ she tells me. ‘Quite often, we exchange glances, and an understanding passes between us.’

 

Small dog SYNDROME

The everyday scenario unfolds. There we’ll be, me and dogs, following our usual route, let’s say we’re walking up Witty’s Passage, when from somewhere nearby there’ll be an outbreak of frenzied yapping, accompanied by shrieks of: “POPPY! STOP IT! No! Be NICE....” My dogs will roll their eyes: we’ll look at each other and sigh, knowing what’s round the corner.

   Sure enough, we will then come upon a harassed, red-faced woman ( sad to say that it usually is a woman ) pressed up against the nearest wall/hedge/fence whilst desperately trying to restrain some pint-sized monster intent on shredding everything in sight. Said pet, about the size of a domestic cat, will usually turn out to be a terrier or a hybrid Something-Poo. It will also, whatever the weather and however thick its fur, be wearing an embarrassing coat, or maybe a novelty bandanna. It will be tenuously attached to an extendable lead, or a no-control harness. My dogs, heard it all before, will walk on, unimpressed, but that won’t stop Ms Gobby, who’s out for a set-to. Hackles up, teeth bared, gargling defiance and snapping wildly at the nearest target (quite often the owner’s legs) ‘Well, come on, Big Boy! Do ya feel lucky???’

   I’ll often get an accusing glare. “She’s scared of big dogs!” (well, no, love, she plainly isn’t) or failing that, the owner will attempt negotiations. “Poppy. POPPY! Nicely!... Sit! Wait! Lie down! BISCUIT!” ( Interesting, but futile, given that the only two words Poppy recognises are her name and ‘biscuit.’) This might sound amusing, but it’s not, because it doesn’t have to be like that. Welcome to the reality of Small Dog Syndrome.

  How do these situations come about? Is it that all small breeds are snappy, antisocial have-a-go fiends? Of course not. Chihuahua, Yorkie, or Pomeranian, Wolfhound, Westie or Tibetan Mastiff, a dog is a dog is a dog. But each breed does have its unique characteristics: Chihuahuas make terrific ‘alert’ dogs, miniature Schnautzers and Pomeranians tend to be extremely vocal and quite territorial, while Jack Russells, bred as ratters, are brave, feisty little creatures who will stand their ground. Some dogs are gobby, but that doesn’t have to mean aggressive.

   And neither does small=horrible. Human beings are hard-wired (or should be) to protect the small and vulnerable. So of course, you take no risks with your cute, big-eyed fluffball. There’s a big, bad world out there, and she’s soooo tiny! Problems begin when you forget that she’s a dog. Carry her everywhere, she’ll lap it up! Let her up beside you while you watch Corrie...share your bed with her, pick her up whenever another dog approaches, just in case. Wrong! Wrong, because you’ve raised her profile. She’s now become your equal, no, pack-leader, and she’s in charge! Which does her no favours at all. Dogs, large or small, are world-class opportunists: if they can get away with it, they will. And if they keep getting away with it, you’ve got yourself a problem, or more likely, a syndrome.

  Meanwhile, back in the alleyway: Poppy may well be scared of bigger dogs. But if that’s true, then she has no confidence in her owner to sort out the problem. Therefore it’s down to Poppy to protect both of them the only way she knows how. Poor Poppy, nowhere to hide.

  Arguing with her achieves nothing beyond giving her attention (albeit the negative kind.) And as for that biscuit-offer.....reward for bad behaviour, anyone? Would you hand out chocolate to your mid-tantrum toddler? Maybe Princess Poppy has ruled the roost since puppyhood: that’s misguided leadership. Or possibly she came from a lovely home with a darling old lady who showed love by giving in to her: it’s all the same. Dogs need boundaries, guidelines, and ultimately, they have to know who’s the Boss.

   So, if you live with a mini-dictator, socialise him/her as much as possible ....do you have a friend/relative/neighbour with dogs he can run with? If he needs it, book him into a training-class: a great leveller, because it takes the fear out of meeting dogs en masse. And work on the home-situation: show her/him you’re the leader.. My house! My furniture!...(invitation only.) My bed!...(you’ve got your own.) My doorways (which I cross first, thank you) My food, My biscuits (I eat before you, sunshine) and most of all, My rules. Small, subtle things that can help change bad behaviour. Welcome to Nice Dog Syndrome. 

***

On writing, Karen lists 3 mantras:
‘One: Diversionary tactics are fun, but deadlines are proper grown-up. Two: Clichés are the devil’s tools. Three: Never drink wine whilst operating a keyboard.’

Learn more about Karen and her writing HERE.