The Times They Are A-Changin.

It’s been a funny old time this past couple of weeks in the Confessions office.

Everything is changing. In fact, I am in probably the biggest transitional period of my life. Ever.

A lot of you will know what’s going on but many of you may not. That is the reason for this post.

I have just become unemployed from the day job. This is mostly by choice but also due to enormous changes within the unit I was working in. It seemed a fantastic idea at the time because of life choices, and plans that myself and my wife Jo had in place to totally change the direction our life was taking, and to try and finally make something for ourselves and live out the dreams we have had for many years.

Now the break from the day job has been made, it is scaring the hell out of me. I didn’t expect to feel like this. Maybe it is just the adjustment to not having to get up and spend three hours a day travelling to and from a job I hated with a passion. Maybe it is the fact that now, I have to put in place all the plans I had in my head and for whatever reason, they don’t want to come out of my head and materialise into a workable plan that will make those dreams become a reality. It will happen. I just need to get over the fear of all the new stuff and get on with it.

To that end, I just wanted to let you all know that Confessions may be a bit quiet over this next few weeks. We will still be reviewing and posting as often as possible. It will not be as frequent though until things settle down. I need to use as much of my time and energy in the most constructive way possible to put plans in place to ensure that the implementation of my business ideas and the setting up of Jo’s new business take priority. It is our new livelihood after all.

There are exciting things just around the corner. The new Confessions website isn’t too far away. I thought I would give you a sneak preview of our new logo.

Also, not too far away is a new branch of Confession’s. This is my own new venture that is very exciting for me and that will hopefully have me interacting more with a lot of you author types in trying to help in whatever way I can to promote and manage all aspects of the promotional side of things for you, so you can get on with the important task of writing more stuff for all your fans.

I will let you all know what this is about very soon and post more details as I have them, so keep watching the site for details.

So, I thank you for your patience. If we are quiet for a time, do not panic, we are not going anywhere. Just regrouping and coming back even stronger! This will start tomorrow night with a review of a book that may just be one of my all-time favourites and one that you really need on your shelf!

Thanks again for your continued support and for visiting Confessions of a Reviewer!

Nev.

REVIEW: Michael Bray - The Island

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Severed Press

Publication Date: 4^th October 2015

Pages: 206

REVIEWED BY CHAD

A copy of The Island was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the author, Michael Bray, in exchange for an honest review. This is said review. This book is published by Severed Press.

In The Island, by Michael Bray, we see a society in which reality television has become a performance platform for violence and death. The island itself is a man-made land mass on which a competition has been resurrected to air for the first time as a television series.

Contestants are set loose on the island and only one can survive to the end. Their prize? Whatever it is they desire. All they have to do is make it from one side of the island to the other.

Oh, and they have to make it through an island packed full of dinosaurs.

The main character of the story, Chase Riley, decides to take part in the newly revamped show in order to save his daughter who is suffering from terminal cancer. Against the wishes of his wife, he enters into the show, hoping that a victory will bring in the money they lacked, in order to get their daughter, the treatment she needs.

Putting all my honesty down on the table, I have to admit that I was a little dubious of the concept of this book going into it. My concern was that this was going to just end up feeling like a modern reimagining of The Running Man, but with dinosaurs as an artificial attempt to add an extra element to an already successful story. Still, I was also intrigued by the idea and was willing to give it a go.

I'm glad to say that my reservations were unfounded. I think this book is a good reminder that, regardless of the specific concept, effective writing and characters that can be related to will carry a lot of weight, even if the story has some familiar ring to it.

To start off, I think that the strongest element to this book is that of the characters. It's really easy when you have multiple characters to have trouble keeping track of everyone and they all start to blend together. Despite that challenge, I thought Bray did a really good job making sure everyone was distinct and easy to tell apart from each other. Despite the fact that some of the characters were fairly archetype-ish, I found myself interested in them and engaged in their part of the story.

I also really liked how he explored the dynamic between the characters within the context of the game itself. More specifically, the notion of people who are on one hand contestants but also still feel the urge to help each other. How do you work with and against each other at the same time? How do you deal with the fact that you might care for someone's well-being while at the same time realizing that you may be put in a position where you might have to take that person's life?

I found the pacing of the book to be great. I thought the story moved along at a nice clip and once things really got going, they don’t stop until the book ends. Bray did a great job creating a story that is engaging and that held my interest throughout.

As it is probably to be expected in a story of this type, things are not necessarily as they seem. The twists in the story are well done and are used effectively in order to move things along. There were a few points towards the end of the book where I felt like the twists were starting to stretch the limits of credibility, slightly. However, this did not prevent my ability to enjoy them and I was able to shut that part of my brain up and just watch the book unfold.

If I had one critical comment about the book, it would be that at times I thought the writing style got in the way of the flow of the narrative, somewhat. There seem to be quite a few moments where the writing is a bit dense in terms of the paragraphs being very long. There isn’t anything necessarily wrong with this practice, but I think it can make scenes less effective when there is a lot of action going on. I think it has a tendency to slow down the reader and bring down the immediacy of the narrative. In my opinion, some of the scenes could have been more powerful and effective if some of the longer paragraphs had been broken up. This is just a personal issue of my own and it’s a minor one. It didn’t interfere with my enjoyment, nor did it necessarily make the book any less engaging.

In all, I thought that in a culture that has become rife with dystopian literature, The Islanddoes a pretty good job keeping its head above the water and not feeling like ground that is being re-treaded one too many times. It is a book I enjoyed and would highly recommend.

General rating:

★★★★

Reviewed by Chad.

If you would like to help support Confessions of a Reviewer, then please consider using the links below to buy The Island or any other books from Michael. This not only supports me but also lets me know how many people actually like to buy books after reading my reviews.

Thanks.

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Book Synopsis:

What if the next generation of reality show had your life as the prize?

The island is the largest manmade structure ever constructed. Within its two-hundred-foot high steel walls are savage dinosaurs created for one purpose. To hunt man. In addition, of those who are chosen to enter the island, only one can leave and claim the prize.

As television screens around the world tune in to watch, the six contestants form an uneasy alliance as they battle nightmarish beasts beyond comprehension. When a secret is uncovered which could bring down the entire Lomar Corporation, the contestants find that some men are worse than monsters, and some corporations will stop at nothing to protect that which they tried so desperately to hide.

Michael Bray is a bestselling horror / thriller author of several novels. Influenced from an early age by the suspense horror of authors such as Stephen King, Richard Laymon, Shaun Hutson, James Herbert & Brian Lumley, along with TV shows like Tales from the Crypt & The Twilight Zone, his work touches on the psychological side of horror, teasing the reader’s nerves and willing them to keep turning the pages.

Several of his titles are currently being translated into multiple languages and with options for movie and Television adaptations under negotiation for others, he will look to continue his growth as a full time professional writer long into the future.

And for more about Michael, visit his site or find him on social media:

Website – Facebook – Twitter – Goodreads – Amazon Page

SHOW-OFF AND TELL #42 - Mark Cassell - The Shadow Fabric

#42 in the Show-Off and tell feature brings us, sadly, to the end of a week-long special about its author. Tonight’s book is The Shadow Fabric by Mark Cassell.

I have mentioned a couple of times this week how much of an approachable, decent fella Mark Cassell is. I hope that throughout this week you have picked that up as well and also that you will go pick up some of his books and give him the support he deserves.

If you decide to go and buy this weeks featured book, The Shadow Fabric, this post will give you an idea of what you will have in your hands.

The cover alone gives you an idea of the mysterious happenings on the inside of the pages and indeed, if you meet Mr Cassell at a con, you will be able to see the hourglass in person.

This is my copy:

This was the first ever book I bought at a con so even though Mr Cassell may not know it, this book holds a special place on my shelf. To be able to pick a book up directly from the author and get it signed while you are there is a wonderful feeling for anyone who wants to start their own collection of signed stuff. I can highly recommend it!

You can buy The Shadow Fabric here:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

You can but any of Mark’s other books here:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Mark Cassell lives in a rural part of the UK with his wife and a number of animals. He often dreams of dystopian futures, peculiar creatures, and flitting shadows. Primarily a horror writer, his steampunk, dark fantasy, and SF stories have featured in numerous anthologies and ezines including Rayne Hall's Ten Tales series and horror zine, Sirens Call.

His best-selling debut novel, The Shadow Fabric, is closely followed by the popular short story collection, Sinister Stitches, and are both only a fraction of an expanding mythos. His most recent release, Chaos Halo 1.0: Alpha Beta Gamma Kill, is in association with Future Chronicles Photography.

And for more about Mark, visit his site or find him on social media:

Website – Facebook – Twitter – Goodreads – Amazon Page - Blog

REVIEW: Mark Cassell - The Shadow Fabric

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Herbs House

Publication Date: 18^th October 2014

Pages: 340

REVIEWED BY NEV

The Shadow Fabric is Mark Cassell’s first novel. This book is published by Herbs House.

This book pops a couple of Confessions cherries tonight. Firstly, it is Mark Cassell’s first time being reviewed on Confessions.

Today he becomes a man.

Also this is the first ever book that I bought at a con. I met Mark at Emcon in Nottingham and to be honest I had no intentions of buying any books at that stage, but he impressed me so much with his enthusiasm that I bought them all. And stole a few bookmarks. And sweets.

This is another one that sat on the pile for a while because it wasn’t a direct submission for review. I was struggling to decide which one to read next instead of following the normal strict list. When this one caught my eye, I thought I would give it a go.

This is what I thought.

Leo is confused. He has had a troubling life. The problem is he can’t remember any of it bar the last couple of years. He has just returned from a years traveling around the world and his guardian of sorts, Goodwin, has a job for him. He wants him to go work for his friend Victor as a chauffeur.

Leo soon discovers that chauffeuring will not be the only job he will be doing for Victor. On his second day he witnesses a murder. On his third day he witnesses much, much worse.

What follows, is a race against time. A race against evil. A race against unknown forces. A race against The Shadow Fabric.

This is a race that no one can afford to lose.

In terms of our characters we have a colourful and varied selection. Leo is obviously the main man in this story. He is mysterious and confused. He has no idea of his past and the only person who seems to know about it, Goodwin, isn’t giving anything away. Goodwin himself seems to be the quintessential English gentleman looking out for Leo. A sort of rich guardian who doesn’t need to be doing what he is but does it anyway.

Victor is seemingly a man of wealth as well. He doesn’t seem to want for much but it is clear from the outset that he is searching for something. This is what causes his problems. Stanley is Victor’s brother. The nasty side of the family. We don’t learn too much about him early on but he seems to be one to avoid. Polly is the last one of the group. Polly is blind. She has a helper who looks after her permanently but again seems to stick to the side-lines.

This group, apart from Leo, have known each other for years. They have secrets they are keeping from Leo. They also have secrets they are keeping from each other.

As far as characters go, these ones are all great. You don’t get a lot of back story with them which I love. Especially Leo, because he hasn’t even got a clue about himself. The character’s individual stories all become clearer as the story progresses, but again without overload.

In terms of the plot, this is one of my favourite styles of story. An ancient evil is making a comeback. Some people know a bit about it but not everything. They need to figure things out as they go. There are a lot of secrets and a lot of twists and turns that I, for one, didn’t see coming.

It isn’t a straight horror story. It is very much in the mystery / thriller vain with a lot of horror thrown in. Sort of like Dan Brown but good. And scary. Don’t be fooled by what I’m telling you though. This isn’t done in the Spielberg or Disney styles of those films you could watch on a Saturday afternoon with your two-year-old. This is dark, dark stuff. This is the stuff of nightmares. The sort of thing that a bit of me always wants to believe is happening somewhere in the world but we just never get to hear about it.

So what was the writing like? Well, one thing that struck me throughout this book is intelligence. It’s more literary in the sense that I reckon people who live and breathe extreme horror may not take to this one. It isn’t all blood and guts and gory gratuitous murder and mayhem. It’s extremely well thought out. It’s extremely well put together, to weave a wonderful story that genuinely mesmerised me in parts due to the beautiful descriptive narrative, that gives you a true impression of what particular scenes must look like.

Mark Cassell has a very creative imagination. That is clear from very early in this story. Although the plot theme is something that has been done many times before, I haven’t seen it done like this. I am trying to think of someone or a book to compare it with and I can’t. That must speak for itself.

I have a complaint though. For me, it lacked a bit on the horror side. The true scary bits. The bits that make you read with one eye closed or make you close it for a while because you don’t want to read what happens next. It’s the sort of story that you get the feeling from the beginning that the good guys are all going to ride off into the sunset, smoking big cigars and drinking tequila. They don’t by the way. Or do they? You have to read it to find out.

One thing is for sure. I will definitely be reading more of Mark Cassell. His writing is extremely good. The way his words flow should put many other authors to shame and to be honest, there are a few who should read this book to see exactly how intelligent writing is done. I think they will pick up some valuable tips.

To summarise: a mysterious and thrilling tale of modern day misfits chasing an ancient evil to save themselves, and mankind. A bit light on the horror for me but definitely worth a read to sample some very intelligent writing.

General rating:

★★★★ practically perfect.

Horror rating:

★★★.5 just needed more scares for me.

If you would like to help support Confessions of a Reviewer, then please consider using the links below to buy The Shadow Fabric or any other books from Mark. This not only supports me but also lets me know how many people actually like to buy books after reading my reviews.

Thanks.

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Book Synopsis:

Leo remembers little of his past. Desperate for a new life, he snatches up the first job to come along. On his second day, he witnesses a murder, and the Shadow Fabric – a malevolent force that controls the darkness – takes the body and vanishes with it. Uncovering secrets long hidden from humankind, Leo’s memory unravels. Not only haunted by the past, a sinister presence within the darkness threatens his existence and he soon doubts everything and everyone...including himself.

Now Leo must confront the truth about his past before he can embrace his future. But the future may not exist.

THE SHADOW FABRIC is a story revealing the unknown history of witchcraft and the true cause of the Great Fire of London. A supernatural horror novel of sins, shadows, and the reanimated dead.

Mark Cassell lives in a rural part of the UK with his wife and a number of animals. He often dreams of dystopian futures, peculiar creatures, and flitting shadows. Primarily a horror writer, his steampunk, dark fantasy, and SF stories have featured in numerous anthologies and ezines including Rayne Hall's Ten Tales series and horror zine, Sirens Call.

His best-selling debut novel, The Shadow Fabric, is closely followed by the popular short story collection, Sinister Stitches, and are both only a fraction of an expanding mythos. His most recent release, Chaos Halo 1.0: Alpha Beta Gamma Kill, is in association with Future Chronicles Photography.

And for more about Mark, visit his site or find him on social media:

Website – Facebook – Twitter – Goodreads – Amazon Page - Blog

INTERVIEW: MARK CASSELL - PART TWO

Welcome back to Part Two of Confessions interview with Mark Cassell.

In tonight’s session, Mark tells us all about his book The Shadow Fabric and takes on The Ten Confessions.

It’s only Tuesday but go grab some pizza and a beer, sit back, and mostly……enjoy!

CoaR - Moving on to The Shadow Fabric, what is that all about? What did you want to achieve with it?

MC - It's a tale of a sentient darkness, of 17th-century devices, and deceit among old friends, following one man's struggle to unravel his past. I wanted to write a book that I needed to read. Having been bored to death of vampires and werewolves, of zombies and goblins, I had to devise a new evil and so I created the Shadow Fabric.

I've never read a book that strips down witchcraft and demonology and turned it on its head, so I wrote it myself. Not once did I expect it to expand into the mythos it's become, and I still get demands for more stories.

CoaR - It is very dark. Is this the sort of horror you like to read and write rather than say, the out and out blood and guts?

MC - Yep, I've never been one for gore and graphic violence, not mankind's horror. We're reminded of that too often when switching on the news. I prefer the supernatural or even alien horror, the stuff that's on the other side of what we believe is real. It's my escape from reality.

CoaR - Without giving anything away of the story, it is not really the sort of theme that you can research too much. Does this make it harder or easier to write?

MC - It makes it so damn difficult. Tearing apart the fact and fiction we've all grown up with takes time to develop, building the foundations for a whole new mythos. With demonology and witchcraft there's a certain amount of grounding, but it takes many drafts to make a new angle actually work. Even some of the short stories in the mythos have taken a ridiculous amount of drafts to perfect.

CoaR - I know from reading your site that you have more plans for the Shadow Fabric Mythos.Will this mean more novels? Even a series?

MC - I am currently scribbling notes for a sequel and a prequel, yes, and the mythos will certainly continue as a series. However, each novel or novella will be a standalone story.

CoaR - What is it about prequels? Why not just write it first?

MC - From what I've discovered about storytelling, it's the background that matters. When fleshing out a novel, especially when dealing with something as complex as this particular sentient darkness, a writer needs to know not only what is happening, but also the how and why of it.

Having filled a couple of notebooks with scribbles, be they random sentences or entire scenes that lost a place in the novel, they can all be used somewhere else. Whether in a prequel or sequel.

I know precisely what you mean about prequels though, and of course the Star Wars saga is recognised for that. Actually for me, it was a fan (I'll give him a shout here: Mark Green, hi!) who came to my table at a convention. He mentioned two characters from The Shadow Fabric, asking of their hostility and history. I'll answer him soon.

CoaR - Where in the hell did you come up with the scenes for this? It is very involved and imaginative.

MC - I laid out plans from the very start, knowing the beginning and end, and wanted to avoid every cliché there was. It took time. Some scenes were lifted straight from dreams whereas others took a great deal of shaping. For instance, I needed to develop a device with which to stitch the Shadow Fabric, and even after creating a 17^th-century hourglass complete with wrist harness, I still had the issue of bringing it into the 21^st century.

When it came to precisely how the stitching occurs, that's when I truly had fun.

CoaR - So none of this is taken from anything similar in legends or folklore? This is all out of your imagination?

MC - Entirely from my noodle, yes. I think that's why it took so damn long to lay down the groundwork. I think I scribbled and scrawled more than I ended up typing, no joke.

I didn't realise it at first but as the plot evolved, it was necessary to reshape witchcraft and demonology into something more than a standalone novel.

CoaR - Naming your lead character Leo – was this paying tribute to your hero Leo Sayer?

MC - Dammit, man! Ha! No, Leo was actually named after a cat we once had.

The poor guy was killed out on a main road. He was my little buddy, and was in fact one of the black cats mentioned in the dedication.

CoaR - Was Leo the cat named after Leo Sayer?

MC - Haha! No. No, he wasn't. He was Leo long before I met him.

CoaR - What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

MC - I'm a gym-goer, and love cooking. I aim to be healthy inside and out.  Also, I'll admit to being a tree-hugger at heart. I love the outdoors, hiking, etc. In fact, my wife and I just got back from Madeira; beautiful walks through the mountains with our heads in the clouds. That's pretty much what we’re about.

Our honeymoon was the Inca Trail up to Machu Picchu, incidentally.

CoaR - Have you ever been to China? Walked the Great Wall? I was there once and could swear I saw someone like you there. Thought that was where I recognised you from.

MC - Perhaps it was my evil twin.

Closest place to China I've visited is Hong Kong, and it is more British than Chinese. Given the roads and signposts are the same as here, it was surreal to see such familiar markings beneath looming skyscrapers supported by bamboo scaffold. Fantastic vibe though, don't get me wrong. The atmosphere there was incredible. As for the Great Wall, that's a walk I intend to one day dirty my boots with.

CoaR - What’s coming in the future from Mark Cassell?

MC - I'm working on a bunch of horror stories based along the south coast. As for a longer project: I'm in the process of writing a novella—the prequel I mentioned earlier—that features the history of Lucas and Victor, two characters you may recognise from The Shadow Fabric novel. It'll be based in the 80’s when they both were younger. The way it's evolving, think Indiana Jones meets The Grudge.

THE TEN CONFESSIONS

1 Who would you view as your main competitor in the writing world?

This is something I have never thought of. There's so many of us out there. So I guess I'm still trying to find the fucker.

2 What book or author have you read that you think should never have been published?

G.P. Taylor's debut novel, Shadowmancer. It's terrible. I hated it so much yet still read it to the end because I was determined to understand how and why I felt this way. Reading the reviews, I saw I'm not alone.

3 Are any of the things your characters have experienced in your books been based on something that has actually happened to you? What was it?

As mentioned earlier, the main character of The Shadow Fabric has a knee injury, and the book opens with him returning from travelling the world. He also wears combats. His attitude and mannerisms reflect mine, too. He is me.

CoaR - Does he owe people money too?

Maybe that'll pop up in a prequel. Just for you, Nev.

4 Have you ever blatantly stolen an idea or scene and adapted it for one of your own books? If so, care to share?

No blatant rip-off, but one scene from a Dean Koontz novel has stuck with me for years. That man tricked me with a very clever twist, a subtle warp of perception that worked beautifully. I loved it so much that I wrote a short story with that in mind. It's completely different yet the surprise factor—I hope—has a similar impact. In fact, this particular story of mine will soon be published in an upcoming anthology.

5 Have you ever anonymously left a bad review for someone else’s book? If so, care to share?

Nope, never. Even G.P. Taylor's book remains untainted by my hatred.

6 What’s the one thing you are least proud of doing in your life and why?

Allowing people to walk over me. Back when I was employed, working in supermarket retail and then the print industry, I let management and salesman, and even customers, take me for a proper ride. I wish I'd had the backbone to tell them to fuck off.

We live, we learn. And now I can write each and every one of them into a story.

7 What’s the one thing you are MOST proud of doing in your life and why?

My round-the-world travels saw me bungee jump in New Zealand. Against all reasoning and if only to prove to myself that I could (temporarily) overcome my fear of heights, I set out to DO IT the moment I landed in that country.

There I stood, on the edge of a wooden platform looking out over a ravine and wondering just what in hell I was playing at. Then I stepped off. A freefall combined with fear, stomach knotted, cool wind rushing past my ears…and bounce, bounce, bounce. Awesome.

8 What’s your biggest fault?

I take on far too many projects and get distracted far too easily. I tackle many short stories at once and also jump between several larger projects, often leaping from genre to genre. My DIY projects are the same, and even day-to-day stuff is just as messy.

I'd be in one room, doing one thing, get distracted and start something else, then drift into another room and do exactly the same thing. Eventually, there'd be drawers and cupboards open, stuff on the bed or on the desk, things piled on the sofa waiting for my attention…all the while the fridge door remains wide, begging me to grab the milk to make that tea.

But…oh! I didn’t even put the kettle on. Plus, I would've been needing a pee for at least half an hour and now busting.

9 What is your biggest fear?

Can you guess? Please see Number 7: Heights. The older I get, the more that leg-tugging, stomach-churning moment steals my reasoning when looking over an edge.

I seriously doubt I'll ever bungee jump again.

10 If you had to go to confession now, what would be the one thing you would need to get off your chest?

Back when I was a kid, at a friend's house, I wondered how it would sound if I smacked his little brother over the head with a cricket bat. A disappointing sound, if I recall.

Am I sorry now? Not sure. Though I am sorry that I can't remember the sound in detail. Could've used it in a story.

Howzatt!

Well boo hiss but that’s your lot for the interview.

I want to personally thank Mark for giving up his valuable time to take part in this interview. He has been an absolute gentleman throughout this whole process and it has been a pleasure to get to know him over this past few weeks.

This one has been pretty involved with a lot of toing and froing and I thank him for his patience.

Please remember to come back tomorrow night for the Confessions review of The Shadow Fabric and I will include all the links you need to go and buy this little wonderful story.

Thanks again for visiting Confessions of a Reviewer!

Mark Cassell lives in a rural part of the UK with his wife and a number of animals. He often dreams of dystopian futures, peculiar creatures, and flitting shadows. Primarily a horror writer, his steampunk, dark fantasy, and SF stories have featured in numerous anthologies and ezines including Rayne Hall's Ten Tales series and horror zine, Sirens Call.

His best-selling debut novel, The Shadow Fabric, is closely followed by the popular short story collection, Sinister Stitches, and are both only a fraction of an expanding mythos. His most recent release, Chaos Halo 1.0: Alpha Beta Gamma Kill, is in association with Future Chronicles Photography.

And for more about Mark, visit his site or find him on social media:

Website – Facebook – Twitter – Goodreads – Amazon Page - Blog

INTERVIEW: MARK CASSELL - PART ONE

Welcome to Part One of Confessions of a Reviewer’s interview with an author who is, quite possibly, one of the nicest men you will ever meet at a con.

Tonight, we present Mr Mark Cassell.

I first met Mark at Emcon in Nottingham earlier in the year and was immediately impressed by his manor and his set up at the con. This has developed into meeting him a couple of times now and we have had quite a lot of contact putting this together and I have to say my initial impressions were spot on.

In Part One, tonight, Mark talks about himself and his writing in general. He also talks about his obsession with seventies singing star, Leo Sayer, and gives us some info on what he’s doing and how he does it.

Part Two, tomorrow night, features chat all about the new book, some more general stuff and of course The Ten Confessions where it turns out Mr Cassell has one or two demons of his own hiding in closets!

Wednesday sees the Confessions review of his book The Shadow Fabric followed by showing it off on Thursday.

Nothing left to say at this point other than go grab some nibbles and a drink and sit back, and most of all……enjoy!

CoaR – So, tell everyone a bit about yourself in general. Who is Mark Cassell and what is he about?

MC - I'm a guy who lives on the south coast of England with my wife, a cat, a rabbit, and a guinea pig. And I have far too many apocalyptic dreams featuring Sean Bean.

CoaR - Do you have a boring pay the bills job or are you a bone fide writer?

MC - I'm part-time scribe, part-time driving instructor. Twelve years ago I dropped the yes-sir-no-sir shit to embrace self-employment. Becoming an instructor has proven invaluable, now giving me a flexibility to write. It's only recently I've dropped to around fifteen hours a week, leaving me more time for writing.

CoaR - Why writing? Why decide on that as a career?

MC - I need to get the weird stuff out of my head. I can't draw or paint, so I did the word thing.

CoaR - That it? No long winded story about how your family always wanted a writer in the family and because you were the last hope they made you write short stories on the back of toilet paper?

MC - I could give you some profound bollocks about one day discovering the written word where inspiration slapped me across the face and I began writing.

But no, nothing like that.

I've always enjoyed writing, certainly, and I've always loved telling stories and letting my imagination wander. It's a bonus that I'm able to pour it out in written form. Plus, it's a bonus that there are people out there who enjoy my work. Then on top of that, those readers demand more. That's why I'm chasing this.

CoaR - Take us through your process for a story. How do you start it and follow it through to the final product?

MC - Often it'll be a title that I work from, or perhaps even an opening line, then I free-write a first draft where it spews out like a kid's written it. I'll build and sculpt the story rather than write it linear, often going back to delete chunks, shift stuff around and cringe. For me it's a slow process whatever the word count. There are many, many drafts.

CoaR - You seem to be one of those quiet men in the indie horror world. There isn’t much info out there about you, including your own site. Is this how you like it or is it all for show?

MC - Perhaps it's both for show and the way I like it!

CoaR - What’s it worth for me to keep some of the secrets to myself?

MC - A free copy of my next book? I'll sign it and give you a bookmark. In all honesty though, I guess my fiction gives you a good insight into what makes Mark Cassell tick. Not only that, I'd rather write a story than write stuff for my website.

CoaR - How do you keep track of your ideas? Do you carry a notebook with you everywhere or write stuff on the back of your hand?

MC - Notebooks. Everywhere. In every room. That's why I wear combats pretty much all the time, so damn handy with their many pockets.

CoaR - Music seems to play a big part in your life. As I type this I know you are at a festival. How did it go? Who did you like best? I know you were excited to see Leo Sayer!

MC - Haha! Leo bloody Sayer! I was there for the camping and the company, not really the music. Adam Ant headlined and although I think I was keen to see him, I spent the duration of his set necking beer outside our tents. The whole weekend consisted of me emptying beer cans.

CoaR - In case there is someone out there who is unfamiliar with Leo Sayer, Mark asked me to add this video. It’s one of his personal favs.

CoaR - On a serious note, I noticed a Dream Theater quote on your site. Do you reckon, like me, they went to hell when Mike Portnoy left?

MC - Absolutely hell all the way. I often play their albums, and the one I always bounce back to is Images and Words. What year was that produced? '92 I think (I'm not Googling it, can’t be arsed). I reckon my music tastes are stuck in the early 90’s. I often try to tune into new stuff and of different genres, but I always lean on rock and metal of that decade.

CoaR - It was 1992. You Googled it, didn’t you?

MC - Believe me, I didn't! I also know their Awake album was released in 1994. Back when music came in plastic cases rather than clickable links onscreen, I would read—no, I'd devour—the inlay cards. Remember when those inlays featured lyrics, too? Does that still happen?

CoaR – I believe it does but I am a Spotify man now!

CoaR - Can you tell us if any of the characters in your books are based on people you have come across in your life or maybe even yourself?

MC - I'm a horror writer and I kill people. Every one of my stories contains characters sharing traits with those I've met and yeah, even family members. As for myself, the main character of my debut novel has a knee injury, and that's just one example among many where a character's life parallels my own.

CoaR - Did you get embarrassed when you came back from your pee at Horror Con and realised I had sold all your stuff while watching your table? Were you even more embarrassed at the fact I had to give people their change out of my own pocket?

MC - I never get embarrassed; I'm emotionally stunted. Besides, you know I desperately needed that pee. I did consider doing it under the table, you know?

CoaR - Yeah, I had a look under the table. What was with all the masks?

MC - Those, my friend, are the faces of my enemies. Seeing that you still have your face intact and it is not now a leathery feature in my collection, shows you're not an enemy. Let's keep it that way.

CoaR - Are you ever going to give me that change back?

MC - Dude! Did I not pay you back? Sorry, man. How much do I owe you?

CoaR - It was 50p. I was 50p short for my taxi to the train station so I had to walk. Was the pee worth that?

MC - I'm outta change right now, so it'll have to be an I-owe-you. That okay? Besides, walking's good for you; keeps the blood flowing.

CoaR - Tell us about Chaos Halo?

MC - It's an ongoing dystopian cyberpunk saga inspired by the images of Future Chronicles Photography, first published in their zine. I often attend conventions with them, and their cosplayers and models have proven invaluable for ideas.

Only released a couple of months ago, Chaos Halo 1.0: Alpha Beta Gamma Kill is already pulling some fantastic reviews. Someone recently said it's like "Blade Runner meets Mad Max…with a cyborg chick."

CoaR - So this is definitely going to continue?

MC - It will. I have a whole notebook dedicated to the protagonist, Abigail, and what she learns of her origins. Right now however, the Chaos Halo series is taking a back seat so I can concentrate on the Shadow Fabric Mythos.

CoaR - Who would be the authors you would give the credit of being your influences and who do you just not “get”?

MC - Brian Lumley is up there among my top influences, with his awesome Necroscope series where he perfects the crossovers between horror and fantasy. There's a slice of Sci-Fi in there, too. Next, I have to say the boundary-leaping Clive Barker: his supernatural stuff is off the chart.

As for an author I do not get, I have tried countless times to read Terry Pratchett. I fail every time.

CoaR - What’s the most difficult part of writing for you?

MC - Shoving aside the procrastination demon, that sneaky bastard. Social media is a time drainer, but you gotta be seen to be active right?

CoaR - Talking of social media, why do you have a website, and a blog?

MC - Sad as it is to say, these days I hardly ever blog. I just want to write! My hits are pretty low and I rarely add content.

However, my website does lead directly to a Free Story subscriber list, and that's where the attention goes (www.markcassell.com). I'm actually amazed at how that list has grown since I first started handing out those freebies. I guess everyone loves free stories, right?

Plus, I have a Shadow Fabric page (www.theshadowfabric.co.uk) where all things to do with the mythos exists. It even features fan art, and some of that is astounding. One fan has actually had the Shadow Fabric sigil tattooed on her foot. The website is slowly growing, but it needs a keen eye for expansion.

Again, I'd rather be writing.

CoaR - What would your ultimate wish be with your writing?

MC - Simply a healthy readership, a committed following, and I know I'm blessed with those I have already. On top of that, I'd love to see the Shadow Fabric Mythos become a role playing game, or even adapted into graphic novels. You know, to really expand the concept. I'm already in talks with some artists.

Well unfortunately that is it for Part One of the interview. Please remember to come back tomorrow night for Part Two.

And please remember to tell your friends.

Thanks again for visiting Confessions of a Reviewer.

Mark Cassell lives in a rural part of the UK with his wife and a number of animals. He often dreams of dystopian futures, peculiar creatures, and flitting shadows. Primarily a horror writer, his steampunk, dark fantasy, and SF stories have featured in numerous anthologies and ezines including Rayne Hall's Ten Tales series and horror zine, Sirens Call.

His best-selling debut novel, The Shadow Fabric, is closely followed by the popular short story collection, Sinister Stitches, and are both only a fraction of an expanding mythos. His most recent release, Chaos Halo 1.0: Alpha Beta Gamma Kill, is in association with Future Chronicles Photography.

And for more about Mark, visit his site or find him on social media:

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