BAIT is available to buy now!

"Great fun - the Children's Film Foundation with a whiff of Arthur Machen"

Greetings Badger Fans!

After several months of preparations, the day is finally here; my first self-published book, BAIT: A Badgers Crossing Novella is now available to buy and I’ve got the first copy in existence to prove it!

If you pre-ordered Tales From Badgers Crossing last year, you were sent an eBook version of this story, but this new edition has been updated and expanded with new scenes and more character development, not to mention a bonus short story at the end. More on that below.

You can get it as a paperback and eBook from Amazon. It can also be borrowed if you are a member of Kindle Unlimited. I’ll also have a limited amount to sell directly from my website paulchilds.co.uk. These will of course be signed and if I can find the time, there might be one or two other little Badgers Crossing goodies thrown in too.

From the back cover

"Great fun - the Children's Film Foundation with a whiff of Arthur Machen." Bob Fischer, Haunted Generation

For over seventy years, Bert Smallwood has cared for the wildlife and flora of Penlock Forest. Now he’s too old and infirm, he asks ten-year-old Debbie Carter, the closest thing he has to a granddaughter, to take on the responsibility.

Tania Hunt has lived her entire life in the shadow of her legendary jewel thief father. When she hears that the forest, and one valuable asset in particular, is no longer protected, she seizes the opportunity to make a name for herself in the criminal underworld.

As Debbie and her school friend Ty Grant make their way to Bert’s cottage for the night, they’re unaware of the dangers - both human and otherwise - that lie ahead.

An exciting adventure with a supernatural edge.

About the bonus story

Eleanor Culpepper and the Crossroads Book was written last year for a charity Folk Horror storytelling night in aid of The Trussell Trust. As with the main story, Eleanor has also been extensively rewritten since that night. This version has new passages to give the characters’ back stories a little more depth, as well as more detail on the history and folklore of Badgers Crossing, bringing it more closely into line with existing and forthcoming stories.

Anything else?

Yes! There is also new artwork, both for the cover and the illustrations inside. Most of it is by me, but there’s also a piece called Beware The Conductor that was created by my artist friend, Christopher Fieldhouse.

Here’s an example of one of my illustrations from inside:

There is also a two-page abridged excerpt from the next Badgers Crossing novella, The Convergence, at the back. That will be out later this year (date to be confirmed, but late September is the most likely candidate).

Here’s one final image to end on. This is an image of BAIT’s two main protagonists, Debbie Carter and Ty Grant: both the early drawing with black fineliner pens, and the finished product which was coloured in Photoshop. I’ll be doing more character art over the coming weeks.

One Last Thing…

Before I sign off, I’d like to thank the Fortean Times columnist and former Radio Tees presenter Bob Fischer who took the time last week to read the final proof copy and provide a quote for the back. Children’s Film Foundation and the writing of Arthur Machen, although very different, are strong influences on BAIT, and Badgers Crossing as an entire body of work. Not everybody notices them but Bob said that he got a sense of Machen’s influence right from the start.

Please visit Bob’s website, The Haunted Generation, for articles, features and reviews that focus very strongly on the spooky side of growing up in the 70s and 80s.

Here are those links again, to save you from scrolling back up to the top:

You can get BAIT as a paperback, eBook and Kindle Unlimited from Amazon and signed copies will be coming soon to paulchilds.co.uk.

Until next time…

Keep badgering on!

Paul C