I published a merry bloody book!
And now that we’ve got Halloween and Bonfire Night out of the way, I’m finally able to flog it. It’s Christmas-themed, y’see. Yes, sensible old me thought it would be a cracking idea to make my first foray into the self-publishing world with a seasonal book that folks will only ever want to buy for around 6 weeks of the year. I mean… you live and learn, right?
Merry Bloody Christmas is a multi-genre short story collection which I originally wrote and posted on this blog last year. I was reasonably chuffed with the stories then, but I knew they weren’t as polished as they could be. Not only that, but they soon got buried as I continued to post new stories and book reviews. So, I pulled them from the site, dusted them off, whipped them into shape, and published them.
With 24 short stories, all of them set on Christmas Eve, Merry Bloody Christmas could make it a nice alternative to a choccy advent calendar if you’re swearing off sweets in the countdown to Christmas. Who am I kidding? Nobody swears off sweets when December comes around. But the book could be a fun little addition to an advent calendar if you like, or you could simply read all 24 stories in one sitting with several bottles of mulled wine to keep you company – who am I to judge?
The stories overlap and intertwine, Father Christmas himself makes an appearance, and you’ll meet aliens, bears, a right little shit of a cat, and a total bastard of a boss. There are sad ones, happy ones, funny ones, ridiculously daft ones, and some gory ones, too. It’s everything I do here on my website, but with more references to Christmas candy than you can count.
I’ve put a lot of love into these tales and I really hope it comes through in the reading. The collection is available as an eBook and a paperback, and if you’re subscribed to KindleUnlimited you can read it for free.
Now, excuse me while I go and pour myself a very large gin in celebration of the fact that I actually birthed a book into the world. And then I’ll go and plan some more stories because I have another, brand new collection already brewing in the back of my mind…
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Congrats! Just bought the ebook 🙂
Thank you so much! Hope you enjoy it 🙂
Just finished the 2nd story 🙂 There’s a link to your blog at the end of it that is broken though (you have ‘deep kiss’ linked to your blog). Is there a blog post that goes with the story?
Oh no… it’s an old hyperlink that shouldn’t be there. Thanks for letting me know, I’ll get it fixed!
In story #6, the carolers are singing Good Kind Wenceslas. Is that the UK name for it (instead of Good King Wenceslas)?
I just posted my review. Great collection 🙂 https://hwbookreviews.wordpress.com/2018/11/12/merry-bloody-christmas-a-short-story-collection-review/
Thank you so much for your review!
You’re welcome 😀
Bought the ebook! Why wouldn’t I?
Thanks, Chris! I really hope you enjoy it!
Congrats. That’s awesome. Good work 🙂
Thanks!
Well done Ellie! I, too, started self-publishing last year on amazon…and so I say congratulations!!! All the best with the marketing. I’ll definitely get a copy 🙂
Thanks, Vivian! I just bought Waxing Lyrical, looking forward to reading it 🙂
Thanks Ellie! That was my first- ever collection of my first- ever poems. I’ve grown since then….. so I’ll apologise now if it reads like an amateur’s🤓. I’ll be getting yours today and leaving a review when I’m done😊
Yay!!
Actually, I like the idea that its seasonal. Every year you can promote ( just like those Xmas songs by our favorite singers) it along with any new material.
True, and it means I won’t be annoying people with “buy my book!” marketing messages all year round!
Hi Ellie! I’ve just bought the book. Great job!
That is awesome! Congratulations! I’m looking forward to reading it