december
Some more anthology love for December, as Cursed made it to PageOne’s listing of top stories to read at Halloween and beyond (above), alongside titles by the likes of Stephen King, Shirley Jackson and Neil Gaiman. You can read the full list here.
Marie and co-editor Paul also took part in a promo for the Brazilian edition of the book. This included a Q&A and video introductions (above).
NOVEMBER
The anthology Marie co-edited with Paul, Wonderland (above) was given a glowing review last month by Brown Flopsy. Here’s what she had to say: ‘Welcome to a fresh and exciting look at the world of Alice, with an anthology of short stories inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, with an introduction by the editors Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane. I think the first thing to say about this wonderful collection, which holds true for every anthology I have read from Titan Books, is that it amazes me how much variety in style and content there is incorporated in these stories, coming as they do from the same source material – the imagination of a talented author truly holds no bounds and many of the writers who have contributed to this collection are huge literary names.
Here there are stories of Dystopian nightmares full of death; macabre horror tales dripping with blood; fantastical fables with an ironic twist; historical themed magical realism with a quirky look at famous murderers; alien invasions that slice through the notion of the civilised human mind; and even rootin’ tootin’ westerns that will make you think very differently about the white rabbit – and everything in between – exploring a myriad of aspects based on Alice’s adventures and the characters she meets. Some are metaphorical looks at coming of age, some are thought-provoking examinations of the human psyche, and some are profoundly shocking, but each and every one is superb in its own way and will hold you spell-bound…This book is absolutely brilliant and the perfect mind-bending, spine chiller for spooky season, so if you are after a sideways look at a world you thought you knew well then head down the rabbit hole or through the looking glass, and prepare to be gripped! Incidentally, the audio version of this book is astoundingly good too, and is beautifully narrated by a cast of voices who vividly bring these tales alive. Daytime reading/listening recommended!’
You can read the full thing here.
In addition, Waterstones were showing the anthology some love too – placing it on a recommended table and pushing it on their site (above and below). You can buy the book from them here.
AUGUST
Over on Instagram Bea Foster reviewed the anthology Marie co-edited with Paul, Wonderland (above, photo credit by Bea). Here’s what she had to say about that one: ‘Recently found this anthology that centers on Alice in Wonderland, that I did not know existed. This cover. Love it‼️ The illustration is gorgeous and unique... so very pretty. An overall enjoyable collection of stories, especially the ones that were creepy and simply out there in a way only Wonderland could be. If you’re a fan of Christina Henry’s dark retellings, The Chronicles of Alice, you certainly would enjoy this anthology.’
You can pick that book up here or here.
july
Waterstones were pushing the anthology Marie edited with Paul last month, Wonderland, with this terrific recommendation (above). The book is being presented on shelves alongside another of their titles, the bestselling Cursed (below).
ChillerCon UK (formerly StokerCon 2020) which Marie is co-chair of now has new dates of March 10-13, 2022 in Scarborough, and all the guests are still on board. For more information about that, visit the site here.
may
Marie managed to get out to her local bookstores last month, abiding by social distancing rules of course – and was delighted to see copies of the anthology Cursed in Waterstones (below).
She was even more delighted by the fact the book reached the bestseller charts on Amazon last month, hitting #41 in Fantasy Anthologies, and #71 in overall Fiction Anthologies! (below).
April
Marie was delighted to see that Starburst magazine has had lovely things to say about two of Absinthe Books' first batch of titles.
Alister Davison of Starburst has this to say about Laura Mauro's On The Shoulders of Otava: 'On the Shoulders of Otava is an unsettling story that will stay under the reader’s skin for a long time, with the author’s prose almost as lyrical as the poetry that opens each chapter. Mauro has created a world that – although it is our own – also feels fantastical, twisting reality to suit the story, yet somehow making it feel entirely natural. Simply put, it’s stunning.' For the full review, click here.
Alister also loved George Mann's Broken Things, saying: 'Durstan is a strange world, a heady brew of tree gods, dark magic, and noble quests; it’s utterly unique, free from fantasy cliché, and somewhat sinister in atmosphere while also possessing a warm charm. An unsettling tone pervades the entire novella and, as the story progresses, the reader learns more about these three characters and begins to realise that their needs could bring them into direct conflict with one another. Mann has combined fantasy, folklore and the unnerving to great effect in this story. One highlight early on is a visit to the woods that manages to be stomach-churning and compelling at the same time; reading Broken Things is literally learning of a new world, meeting characters and discovering – along with them – their place and purpose within that world.' For the full review, click here.
March
And the first news this month is that Marie's novel Celeste has been accepted by Silver Shamrock Publishing, and will be released on January 25th 2022! More news as it's available.
As part of Women in Horror Month (above) Marie was interviewed over on Lee Franklin’s site. To read what she had to say, just click here.
There was a new review for On the Shoulders of Otava by Laura Mauro last month, one of Absinthe Books’ inaugural releases, and here is what Aurealis magazine had to say: ‘On the Shoulders of Otava is a high concept story grounded in the grime and ambiguity of war, and there is a clever contrast between the grim setting and the wide screen wonder of mythology.’ To buy your copy just click here.
Finally, ChillerCon UK (formerly StokerCon UK) has new dates at last! It will still be largely the same convention Marie has been talking about since before it first had to be postponed last April, just moved now to March 10-13th 2022. You can find out more at the website here.
february
The signed editions of the first trio of Absinthe books were sent out recently, George Mann’s Broken Things, SJI Holliday’s Mr Sandman and Laura Mauro’s On the Shoulders of Otava (artwork from both above). You can find out more about those here, here and here.
In addition, George is on a blog tour this month for his book – details above.
And two more cracking reviews of On the Shoulders of Otava have dropped: an 8/10 from Sci-Fi Bulletin here, and a glowing one from Run Along the Shelves here.
January
Marie was busy all last month promoting her Absinthe line of books from PS, including being interviewed for the Xmas/Winter edition of the magazine Phantasmagoria (above).
She and her authors also took turns being wardens of the Graveyard over at Kendall Reviews and you can see what choices they made by clicking here.
In addition to all this, the first lot of reviews have been appearing, including Sci-Fi Bulletin’s and Gingernuts of Horror’s reviews of On the Shoulders of Otava here and here, plus you can also read what Gingernuts thought of Mr Sandman here.
Finally, Marie’s story ‘Tasty’ was part of the Sinister Advent Calendar line-up in December. You can still read the tale for a limited time by clicking here and see what Rebbie Reviews thought of it by clicking here.
News archive
Current News | 2023 News | 2022 News | 2020 News | 2019 News | 2018 News | 2017 News | 2016 News | 2015 News | 2014 News | 2013 News | 2012 News | 2011 News | 2010 News | 2009 News | 2008 News | 2007 News | 2006 News | 2005 News | 2004 News | 2003 News
