Blake’s 7: Chosen

I’m really pleased that my Blake’s 7 audiobook, Chosen, is out today. I’ve been a fan of Blake’s 7 all my life, so the opportunity to write a novel set in that universe was something that I had wanted to do for a very long time.

My love of Blake’s 7 goes all the way back to the original transmission which I saw at the impressionable age of seven. It gripped me from the first episode, and once I saw the Liberator there was no turning back. I’ve been hooked ever since, and I’ve wanted to play in the Blake’s 7 universe for a very long time. I was lucky enough to animate the intros for the DVDs but this is the first time I’ve written for Blake’s 7, so this is a dream come true for me.

Chosen is set between the Season One episodes Mission to Destiny and Duel. The crew is still getting to know each other when the Liberator is damaged in a flight through an asteroid field. Blake thinks a base might be a good idea, somewhere to conduct repairs and hide from the Federation, and he thinks he’s found the perfect planet. While he, Villa and Jenna teleport down to the surface to explore, the others conduct repairs to the failing ship. Cally accidentally activates a dormant defence system and she finds herself sealed on the Flight Deck, her mind flooded with images of a teenage boy growing up in a ruined city on an icy planet. As Cally fights her own personal battle for control of her mind, Avon and Gan struggle to save the ship from destruction. And Blake’s hope of finding sanctuary quickly turns into a battle for survival against a horde of killer robots. 

I completed Chosen earlier this year, and as I also turned 50 this year I decided it was time to get myself a fantastic Liberator handgun and teleport bracelet replica from Century Casting.

You can listen to Chosen here: https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/blake-s-7-chosen-audiobook-2254

Out now: Arkship Prophecy

It’s here! Arkship Prophecy, book 5 in the Arkship Saga is available to read now!

As the Church of the Infinite forces its doctrine on the survivors of humanity, the battle-weary Prince Halstead finds himself torn between his desire for peace and the growing tide of resistance, led by his estranged wife Bara. As the survival of humanity hangs in the balance, Halstead must finally decide what the Infinite Gods want him to do, a decision that could change the balance of power across the Cluster forever.

Meanwhile, the followers of the prophet Gofal, in hiding from the brutal forces of the Church’s Inquisitors, work towards a better future, one that may demand the ultimate sacrifice of their outlawed cult.

Now, I’d better get writing book 6, Arkship Omega.

My week: finishing my 10th book!

It’s been a busy start to 2019, with me frantically working on Arkship Prophecy, the 5th book in the Arkship Saga, and my 10th novel to date! I can’t quite get my head round that, it’s such a weird concept. When did I write ten books? Like any big achievement, its only possible by breaking it down into lots and lots of little tasks. It’s taken me almost ten years to get this far, and it’s been a lot of hard work, but I’m really glad I did it.

Arkship Prophecy, book 5 in the Arkship Saga, is now available to pre-order. It’s due out next week, and you can get 25% off the launch price if you grab it today!

As the Church of the Infinite forces its doctrine on the survivors of humanity, the battle-weary Prince Halstead finds himself torn between his desire for peace and the growing tide of resistance, led by his estranged wife Bara. With the survival of humanity hanging in the balance, Halstead must finally decide what the Infinite Gods want him to do, a decision that could change the balance of power across the Cluster forever.

Get 25% off the launch price of Arkship Prophecy

Out Today: Tobin Artichoke And The Queen Of Heaven

Today’s the day! Tobin Artichoke and the Queen of Heaven is out now, and you can read it here.

What’s it about?
When an ancient artefact – The Queen of Heaven -is found in the junk of a flea market, Tobin Artichoke and his decapitated brother Drake find themselves on a quest that takes them from London to a secret cave under a nuclear power station, to Hell, the Afterlife and beyond.

In a race against time, Tobin becomes the reluctant representative of a distracted deity, and the fate of all humanity rests in his hands. But Tobin couldn’t care less about other people, and saving every living soul might just be the death of him!

Tobin Artichoke and the Queen of Heaven is the first book in a new urban fantasy series. If you like Douglas Adams, Robert Rankin and Terry Pratchett then this might just be your cup of tea!

Meet Tobin Artichoke

Meet Tobin Artichoke, a crypto-cartographer. He maps secret, forgotten places, like the Back Door to Hell, which is actually quite nice, not as hot or as overdeveloped as the more touristy parts of Hell. Or the Faerie City of Finklestone, which only exists for an hour on mid-summer’s eve and smells of fish and plasticine. Or the Tower of Forgotten Things, where odd socks go to die, their passing lamented by dead pens and lost telephone numbers.

Tobin Herodotus Shirley Artichoke is a close personal friend of mine. Well, I say friend, but he never calls me. In fact, I don’t think he likes me. Actually, I know he doesn’t like me, but I won’t let his contempt spoil our relationship. I’ve known him for a long time, almost ten years now, and he’s been living rent-free in the darker parts of my mind all that time, so it’s a relief to finally have him out and earning his keep in the from of my new book, Tobin Artichoke and the Queen of Heaven.

What’s it about?
When an ancient artefact – The Queen of Heaven – is discovered in amongst the junk at a flea market, Tobin Artichoke and his decapitated brother Drake find themselves on a quest that takes them from London to a secret cave under a nuclear power station, to Hell, the Afterlife and beyond, as they try to find the artefact before it falls into the wrong hands. For the mythical Queen of Heaven is the key to possessing all of creation, including every soul on Earth.

In a race against time, Tobin becomes the reluctant representative of a distracted deity, and the fate of all humanity rests in his hands. But Tobin couldn’t care less about other people, and saving every living soul might just be the death of him!

Tobin Artichoke and the Queen of Heaven is the first book in a new urban fantasy series. If you like Douglas Adams, Robert Rankin and Terry Pratchett then this might be for you.

Pre-order Tobin Artichoke and the Queen of Heaven here!

The verdict is in!

Hello there!

Book three in the Arkship Saga, Arkship Alliance, has been out for just over a week and I’m relieved and delighted that the feedback has been amazing. If you read my newsletter that I sent out just before publication, you’ll know I was a little bit nervous about how it might be received, but I needn’t have worried. Here’s some of the reviews I’ve had so far:

“Bushnell has scored the perfect triple with Arkship Alliance. The House of Draig is hell-bent on becoming master’s of the galaxy and only Wynn and his few allies are left in the way. Bushnell weaves a complex plot with more twists and turns than a Boa Constrictor! There are stunning victories and heart-breaking losses along the way, but Wynn and company try to find creative solutions. Just when you think that you have figured out Bushnells plot twists, here comes another startling curve from left field.”

“Niel Bushnell’s Arkship Saga truly gets epic with book 3, ARKSHIP ALLIANCE. After their battle in the last book, rivalry between houses Kenric and Draig continues to simmer as more houses join the conflict to muddy the waters. Like a well planned game of chess moves, Niel’s writing and familiarity with his characters shows.”

Have you read Arkship Alliance? What did you think? You can post a comment below, or leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads.

Arkship Obsidian is out now!

Hello there!

It’s finally here! Today is publication day for Arkship Obsidian and I can’t wait for you to read it. You can get it as an ebook or as a paperback right now. To mark the launch I’m extending the pre-publication price for another few days, so you can still get the ebook for just 99 cents/pence. But don’t hang around, that price will be history very soon.

I’ll be going out tonight with my wife for a celebratory meal and a glass or two of wine, then it’s back to writing book two, Arkship Vengeance, due out in December. Thanks for your support during the development of Arkship Obsidian, it’s made a huge difference to have you along for the ride.

Altitude: 24 hours to publication

I’m a bit excited! Tomorrow is Publication Day for my third book, Altitude. Tomorrow the e-book goes live, and the paperback is already available to order, so this is your last chance to get 25% off the e-book price. On Thursday the price will go up, so if you’re thinking about getting Altitude (and why wouldn’t you? You’re a person of obvious charm and taste) then today really is the day to do it. Don’t delay any more, just click this link and wallow in your good judgement:

Buy Altitude ebook edition now!

And thank you all for your support during this entire process, it’s great to have so many of you on board for this.

Here’s a short video where I babble about my new book:

One week to go!

Yes, it’s almost here. Altitude comes out next Thursday the 6th of July. Right now you can get 25% off until publication day, so do jump in now and save on the launch day price. Don’t miss out.

Buy Altitude ebook edition now!
And if you’re a paperback person you can buy Altitude in physical form right now from your favourite online or physical bookshop!

 

Want to read the first three chapters for free? Click here for a PDF version. Or click here for other options.

13 months

Yesterday I completed my final edit of Altitude. I made my last few small changes and stepped away from the book, declaring it finished. This is always a bittersweet moment for any author, it’s exciting to finally finish your novel, to put it to bed and move on to the next project, but it’s also a sad moment when you walk away from the playground that has been your metal home for an age. You cheer at your achievement, but you worry that it’s no good, that you could make it better, that you should give it just one more read through…

There’s that famous saying by Leonardo da Vinci: “Art is never finished, only abandoned.” It’s so true. We’re never fully happy with our work, we just run out of time, or enthusiasm and step away. Or we tinker until the project rots.

Looking back over Altitude I realised that, even though it feels like I’ve been working on it for ages, it’s been just over a year from start to finish: 13 months, give or take a week. The idea dates further back, maybe another year, but I started jotting down my initial ideas in June 2016. That first file contains a rough synopsis, which I’m surprised to discover is very close to the finished book. I wrote the first draft over the summer, finishing it in mid September 2016. The rest of the time between now and then has been taken up with editing and re-writes, although I’ve also been working on other projects at the same time.

Now the book is done and out of my hands, ready for readers to discover in just over a week’s time. It’s the fastest project I’ve done so far, and that’s probably because it’s my first venture into self-publishing. I’ve not turned my back on traditional publishing, I just wanted to give this a go. The faster timeline is very appealing. Sorrowline took three and a half years from that first page to publication. Timesmith was about the same. It’s a long time to live with a project. 13 months is like travelling at light-speed in comparison! I like the challenge of the quick turn-around. The question is, can I do it faster? It seems the key to a prosperous career as a novelist is productivity – the reader wants the next book NOW, not in a year’s time. So, I’m about to start on my next project and see if I can get it out there this side of Christmas. Watch this space…

Click here to pre-order Altitude from Amazon now!

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