CM Simpson: Writer & Gamer

Shadow's Rise is in the process of being released on Smashwords, Kindle and CreateSpace. Here is the first paragraph to tide you over while it goes live: Gilzereet caught the carriage just after it left Duke Graglecrock’s city mansion. He tipped the driver, paying him for his silence and the risk he took, and easing the man’s terror with a single golden coin. Skill and secrecy was what he paid for, loyalty was what he inadvertently bought. The coachman gave him all three. Shadow's Rise is the first book in the Shadow series . Shadow Trap and Shadow Fall are scheduled for release later this year.

Peace Flower is the sixth short story in An Anthology of Those Who Walk Among Us , the third Simpson Anthology, and it starts like this: Shoru fell amidst the fighting. Her basket flew from her hand and disappeared beneath booted feet and metal-shod hooves. The peonies were trampled and the scent of crushed herbs mingled with the smell of blood.   can be found in Peace Flower is a fantasy short story set at a time of battle, where the future of a race of hereditary sorceresses rests on the outcome of the war. It is approximately 4,500 words in length. An Anthology of Those Who Walk Among Us was released in late July 2012.

Treaty Time is the fifth short story in An Anthology of Those Who Walk Among Us , the third Simpson Anthology, and it starts like this: Ariel had been frantic when she found Varian gone. She had searched the house, then the stables and the work sheds. She had searched the gardens and the kennels and then she had called Grey.   can be found in Treaty Time is another science fiction story, set on the same world as Nothing, albeit a few years later. In this tale, humankind has established a foothold on the planet, but tensions between the humans and shapeshifters remain. Treaty Time is approximately 3,320 words in length. An Anthology of Those Who Walk Among Us was released in late July 2012.

Nurse is the fourth short story in An Anthology of Those Who Walk Among Us , the third Simpson Anthology, and it starts like this: The nurse stood by the edge of the bed and glanced at her patient. She took the young man’s hand and began to bandage his mangled finger. It was the least gruesome injury she’d seen that day and he was her last patient. It had been a long and particularly busy day, and the nurse was looking forward to the end of a long shift. Her name tag called her Alison; the hospital records knew her as Alison Glaze.   can be found in  Nurse is a short horror story in a contemporary urban setting, and features a secretive species of vampire and its newest recruit. Nurse is approximately 2,540 words in length. An Anthology of Those Who Walk Among Us was released in late July 2012.

Nothing is the second short story in An Anthology of Those Who Walk Among Us , the third Simpson Anthology, and it starts like this: It was dawn on the prairie. The sun rose, red-gold, in a sea of pale blue sky, and was reflected in apricots and peaches on a sea of ice-green grass. The soft morning wind did nothing to ease the winter cold from the air.   can be found in  Nothing is a science fiction tale in which humans and shapeshifters find themselves locked in a battle for supremacy after a colony ship crashes. Nothing is approximately 1,250 words in length.

Shadow Life is the first short story in An Anthology of Those Who Walk Among Us , the third Simpson Anthology, and it starts like this: I took a short cut down the alley. The moon was full, the night was late and I was alone. None of these things worried me.   can be found in Shadow Life is a contemporary paranormal urban horror which opens with Denie discovering the murder of Nicola, her lover. While Denie was sworn not to reveal the secrets of the night to Nicola, others were not so bound, and with Nicola’s death, Denie discovers just how much of a free spirit Nicola truly was. Her need for vengeance overrides her scruples about crossing the line between life and undeath, and Denie joins with the vampires in order to wreak justice on Nicola’s killer. Shadow Life is approximately 5,250 words in length.

‘Dragon Coast’ is a short piece of speculative, near-future paranormal fiction. It was written way back in 1994 for a local library competition. It starts like this: Critics described ‘Dragon Coast’ as “a vibrant, young company whose flamboyant style in garment design had already won the minds of the rich and famous”. Jessica saw the description and dismissed it with a snort.     can be found in    An Anthology of Dragons has been uploaded to both Smashwords and Kindle, and is awaiting release.

This is the oldest of my novels and, since self-publishing should happen as a progressive activity, I thought it would be most appropriate to post this book first. It is, after all, my first completed book, and I’ve come a long way since I completed it, but it forms the basis of the series. Never fear; I will be revising it first, and I will be acting on my beta-reader’s comments before I do. A taster? Sure.  Gilzereet caught the carriage just after it left the Graglecrock city mansion. He tipped the driver, paying him for his silence and the risk he took, easing the man’s terror with a single golden coin. Skill and secrecy was what he paid for, loyalty was what he inadvertently bought. The coachman gave him all three. This one will take a couple of months to revamp. I’ll let youall know when it goes live.

I know it’s hard for people to develop a connection to a work titled as generically as CrimeNovel1, but bear with me, it’ll get better. CrimeNovel1 is an old project; I shudder to think of how many years ago I started it. To say this was a new genre for me and that I struggled with it is an understatement, but I think I’ve got my head around it, or my version of it, at least. I’m going to go over each chapter again, proofing and editing. At this time, it is currently 48,889 words long. I probably won’t start adding words to it until I’ve finished doing the chapter-by-chapter revision, and *then* we’ll be cooking with gas. A taster? Here’s the first paragraph. Feel free to let me know if you’d read on. The girl’s mouth was open, screaming. Her lips were stretched around the gag blocking her cries. Mascara tears formed thick rivulets that disappeared into the band of cloth pulled tight across her face. She seemed to be leaning forward, straining against something as thoug...