MIND OF STONE SPECIAL EDITION – STRAIGHT AS AN ARROW

Candy Jar Books is pleased to announce Mind of Stone: Special Edition by Iain McLaughlin, and sees Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart sent to prison for destroying a rural English village! It also brings back fan favourite, Captain Knight, from the 1968 Doctor Who serial The Web of Fear.

Shaun Russell, head of publishing at Candy Jar, says:

“In 2016 we released Mind of Stone and it was immediately obvious that book was something special. In my opinion the combination of comedy and drama is near perfect. In particular, I was fascinated to find out what happened to Stanley after he was released from prison. In this new edition Iain delivers an apt final chapter, Straight as an Arrow. In this chapter Iain moves the story forward to UNIT times, so it seemed appropriate to release the book alongside UNIT: Operation Wildcat and Other Stories and The Benton Files 2.”

Iain McLaughlin is a Scottish author well-known for his Doctor Who audios scripts and creating Erimem, the Egyptian pharaoh companion for Peter Davison’s Fifth Doctor. His Doctor Who debut came in 2001 with the Big Finish audio drama, The Eye of the Scorpion, which introduced Erimem. He went on to write several audio plays and short stories for Big Finish, as well as a novel called The Coming of the Queen, the origin story of Erimem. In 2015 he launched his own Doctor Who spin-off series of fiction, based on the now amnesiac time travelling Erimem. In 2004 he also co-wrote two scripts in Big Finish’s UNIT series, both of which featured Nicholas Courtney as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.

Speaking in 2016 Iain said:

“At Big Finish I was lucky enough to write for the older Brigadier. That was an absolute joy. It was an older, wiser but always resolute Brig. Passing years hadn’t diminished his sense of duty or his willingness to risk everything to do what needed doing and do what was right. Writing those scripts was as big a buzz for me as writing for the Doctor.

I wanted Mind of Stone to start with a bang – and so we go straight into the Brig being sent to jail. From there… well, life inside Britain’s prison system wasn’t easy. I’d read about Wormwood Scrubs having been used as a military installation during WW2 and that helped me shape the story and plan how it would unfold. Using the Scrubs made me think of TV and films from the 60s and 70s that had a real edge. McVicar, Get Carter, Target, The Long Good Friday… suddenly the Brig in jail had some edge, and it was the kind of situation we’d never seen him in before. But he’s clever and he’s resourceful… the Brigadier isn’t Colonel Blimp. He’s a damned good soldier, and he’s a dangerous man in the right situation. I hope that’s the Brig you see in this book.

The cover for Mind of Stone is updated artwork by Colin Howard, who recently worked on the Evil of the Daleks and The Power of the Daleks animations. The book also features a forward by Doctor Who script editor, and author of the classic Fury from the Deep, the late Victor Pemberton.

Blurb:

‘You will be taken from this court and remanded in custody until your trial.’

Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart has been remanded to Wormwood Scrubs Prison, and his team have no idea why. Secrecy surrounds his case, but his team barely have a chance to process anything before they are sent on a mission to Egypt.

Why does it seem like Lethbridge-Stewart is going out ofhis way to court trouble from the prison’s most notorious inmates? And what does it have to do with well-known gangster Hugh Godfrey?

In the Ptolemaic Museum of Cairo, Anne Travers and her team are trying to uncover the mystery surrounding some very unusual stone statues. Statues that resemble those held in a secure military facility in Berkshire.

One thing connects these events; the mysterious cargo transported by Colonel Pemberton and Captain Knight in August 1968.

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UNIT: OPERATION WILDCAT

Candy Jar Books is proud to announce that a brand-new anthology of UNIT short stories is now up for pre-order directly from the Candy Jar webstore.

From early 2023, Candy Jar will begin publishing a series of novels covering the adventures of UNIT – featuring Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Benton, and other characters from the Doctor Who story The Invasion (all authorised by Kate Sherwin and Hannah Haisman). In advance of those novels comes the first short story anthology: The UNIT Files: Operation Wildcat and Other Stories. Compiled by Range Editor Tim Gambrell, it brings together nine adventures.

Tim explains further:

“Candy Jar has already set a standard for short story collections with The HAVOC Files books. The UNIT Files will continue in that vein. There are a lot of aspects – personal or otherwise – of life in UNIT that haven’t been covered on TV or within spin-off media published to date. That opens up a deep well of potential material that really suits the short story medium. I think we’ve pulled together a collection of pieces for this first UNIT Files that truly reflects that.”

“Everyone who was able to contribute seemed hugely fired-up by the opportunity and pitched some tremendous ideas. My story in The Benton Files book sparked an idea for a pair of linked situations within Benton’s career, so I’ve used those shorter ‘scenes’ to book-end the collection.”

Among the authors contributing to Operation Wildcat and Other Stories are recent Lethbridge-Stewart writers James Middleditch (The Overseers), Jonathan Macho (The Serpent’s Tongue and The Two Brigadiers) and Baz Greenland (Bloodlines: Foreword to the Past), along with the return of popular author Iain McLaughlin (Mind of Stone) and long-standing Candy Jar stalwarts Sharon Bidwell and Sarah Groenewegen. In addition, Candy Jar welcomes new author Simon A Brett.

Tim says:

“I’ve enjoyed Simon’s work on other projects, and I was keen to introduce some new voices early on in the UNIT range. Simon had a basic concept inspired by a recent trip to the Shetlands Islands. I knew I needed to bottle that inspiration, and we quickly worked out a storyline together (along with a punning title). As expected, what Simon delivered was spot on.”

The story that gives the collection its title, Operation Wildcat, is by Sarah Groenewegen. Of the opportunity to contribute to The UNIT Files, Sarah says: “I’ve loved writing for the Brigadier, and when the opportunity came to contribute a story involving more of the UNIT family I leapt at it. Sergeant Benton was, for me, the obvious choice to focus on as an ordinary squaddie facing extraordinary foes.”

Sarah goes on further to explain the background to her story:

“I grew up with the original UNIT stories, and later spent a fair proportion of my law enforcement career alongside serving and former special forces soldiers. Some of the tales they shared about their training made me wonder about the adventures prospective UNIT soldiers might face and what qualities the organisation would look for in new recruits.”

The UNIT Files sees the return of author Iain McLaughlin, whose last book for Candy Jar was Mind of Stone (which is being re-released with a brand new story very soon). Iain explains about his return:

“My dad was a staff sergeant, so I’ve always been hugely fond of the UNIT stories on TV. That also means that any time there’s a chance to do a UNIT or Brigadier story I’m happy to join up and do my duty.”

“My contribution, Shadow, is set early in Benton’s time with UNIT. He’s still learning how things work and the brass at UNIT are still getting to know him. I wanted to do a story that gave him a chance to show there was a lot more to him than just snapping to attention and saying ‘Sir’. He wouldn’t survive – and indeed thrive – in UNIT if he wasn’t resourceful and capable as well as brave. It let me have a bit of a delve into what Benton thought he was getting into in those early days.”

Of contributor James Middleditch, Tim says:

“I approached James just as he was completing work for Andy Frankham-Allen on The Overseers. He was very buoyed up from the experience and eager for the next challenge.”

James explains:

“Doctor Who, while rightfully focusing on the Doctor and his companions, leaves us some tantalising clues about what UNIT and its troops are up to in the background – including how personnel are managed, trained and promoted. Although he holds a number of positions across his various appearances, usually Benton is referred to as sergeant – it’s the rank he seems stuck with! At last, we can find out how he took on this mantle and what challenges he had to overcome.”

Jonathan Macho first came to Candy Jar’s attention as a runner-up in the second South Wales Short Competition. He then went on to write the short story The Two Brigadiers, as well as the hugely creative Lucy Wilson book, The Serpent’s Tongue. He says: “When Tim kindly asked me to contribute to the first UNIT adventures at Candy Jar, my head flooded with bonkers ideas for the Brig and Benton. Where I ended up was Bong Joon Ho’s The Host in West Wales and the most fun I’ve had writing a story in a long time. I can’t wait to see what my fellow writers have in store for the team too!”

Baz Greenland’s first novel, Foreword to the Past, closed the Lethbridge-Stewart: Bloodlines series in 2020. He says:

“I was delighted to be asked to contribute to The UNIT Files and to have the opportunity to write for the Brigadier once again. Not only that, I got to write for one of my favourite characters from Doctor Who – Sergeant Benton – in a story that explores just how the members of UNIT are considered by their armed forces peers.”

The cover for Operation Wildcat is by ever-popular Lethbridge-Stewart artist Martin Baines. Shaun Russell, head of publishing at Candy Jar, says:

“It’s always a pleasure working with Martin. His creativity is second-to-none and our readers seem to appreciate his style.” The cover for The Benton Files 2 is by Candy Jar favourite Richard Young. Shaun continues: “As always Richard has done us proud. His work just gets better and better.”

The UNIT Files: Operation Wildcat and Other Stories is a hardback anthology, similar to the recent Lethbridge-Stewart books Downtime: Child of the New World, Kiss of the Ice Maiden and the illustrated Beast of Fang Rock. It will come with a postcard of the cover art and an exclusive short paperback book, The Benton Files II, featuring two new Benton short stories by George Ivanoff and new author Kenton Hall. It will be available exclusively through the Candy Jar website. Please get your pre-orders in early to ensure you have a copy of what will undoubtedly be a popular anthology.

Blurbs:

The UNIT Files: Operation Wildcat and Other Stories

Join Benton and the Brigadier in nine short stories looking at life in the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. Ever wondered what happened on Benton’s first official day in UNIT, or why he left to sell used cars? Ever wondered how Benton earned his sergeant stripes? Or what he got up to on his days off? How Does UNIT select new recruits? And what happens when the clean-up after an alien incursion goes wrong? In Operation Wildcat and Other Stories, you’ll find these things out – and a lot more.

Features stories by Tim Gambrell, Simon A Brett, Iain McLaughlin, Sharon Bidwell, James Middleditch, Baz Greenland, Sarah Groenewegen and Jonathan Macho.

The Benton Files II

It’s all in the mind… Or is it?

Retired Sergeant Major John Benton recounts two more tales of his experiences serving under Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart in the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. In The Lady Jessica Affair, by George Ivanoff, Benton and the Brigadier take tea with an apparently harmless elderly lady at her stately home – and end up defending the world. In Kenton Hall’s Life Assurance, life has apparently thrown a different set of circumstances John Benton’s way. But will he be able to find a path back to his true calling?

The UNIT Files: Operation Wildcat and Other Stories is up for pre-order now for £25 (+ p&p) directly from Candy Jar Books.

NB: The UNIT Files: Operation Wildcat and Other Stories is not included in any subscription or multi-book deal.

UNIT: Operation Wildcat and Other Stories – Candy Jar Books (candy-jar.co.uk)

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Counter Measures Return With New Author

Candy Jar Books is pleased to announce details of the first of two new books for the Counter Measures team!

Birds of Passage is the first book in a two-novel event that sees the Counter Measures team return to print for the first time in many years.

Counter Measures, featuring characters Group Captain Gilmore, Professor Rachel Jensen and Dr Allison Williams, was created by Ben Aaronovitch for Doctor Who back in 1988. The characters were expanded on in Aaronovitch’s later novelisation of their debut story, Remembrance of the Daleks, and made the odd appearance in Doctor Who prose fiction throughout the 1990s. The team has enjoyed a long life in audio dramas from Big Finish Productions since 2012, and Gilmore made a cameo in one of Candy Jar’s Lethbridge-Stewart short stories. They even appeared in a recent comic written by Andrew Cartmel.

Working alongside Andrew Cartmel, a deal was secured between Ben Aaronovitch and Candy Jar Books to bring the team to prose in a proper adventure, set in the mid-1970s at the height of the Cold War. Cartmel and range editor Andy Frankham-Allen worked on ideas together, to come up with a story that would explore the characters in new ways. Originally intended for release in 2020, the first book was unfortunately delayed by the global pandemic, resulting in a new author being brought aboard to make Cartmel’s and Frankham-Allen’s ideas a reality.

Andy explains:

“It’s been a joy working with Andrew, coming up with new ideas and new directions for the characters, taking them in different ways from those explored by Big Finish. As a fan of the audio series (and indeed having written one myself) I didn’t want to tamper with what they have achieved, and so Andrew and I decided to do something different. Explore a path not taken, as it were. We’d made some good headway with our assigned author, but unfortunately the global pandemic struck and, as with so many things, we had to adapt and find a new way when the author had to step down. Enter Robert Mammone!”

Robert Mammone is no stranger to Doctor Who related fiction, having written for Candy Jar’s Lethbridge-Stewart range and the opening book in the Travers & Wells series.

Andy continues:

“It’s always a challenge to find the right author for the right project. Whenever we do something new, I need to think about which author is best suited. And Robert has proven himself good with the political-thriller type of story I was looking for. Robert jumped at the chance once I explained it to him, and after batting around ideas, him taking on board mine and Andrew’s and coming up with some of his own, off he went to write it.”

Robert Mammone says:

“When I, Alastair was published by Candy Jar to a lot of positive commentary, I was happy to lie back, avoid Covid-19, and bask in the afterglow of a job well done. Andy soon put paid to that when he approached me with an offer to help resurrect the Intrusion Counter Measures Group. Of course, after picking myself up off the floor and agreeing, I was suddenly faced with the realisation that I’d agreed to write a novel inspired by one of the most highly regarded stories of the 1980s! Remembrance of the Daleks is really when the McCoy era proper begins, and packed as it is with great visuals, compelling characters, and a moral tone that makes you sit up and take notice, I knew I had to work my damndest to come close to Ben Aaronovitch’s vision.”

Birds of Passage underwent some changes in the careful hands of Robert, with quite a different story emerging from the one first suggested in the original promotion.

Robert continues:

“While first and foremost it’s an action thriller, I’ve also tapped into some of the concerns of today to inform my social commentary of the 1970s. It’s true when they say some things never change. It was a great deal of fun to revisit the wonderful television serial and the equally wonderful novelisation, to help bring to life in prose Ian Gilmore and Professor Rachel Jensen. They’re a little older and greyer, but their dedication to each other and their country is closer than ever.  It’s now 1975, the world has moved on, but the need for Counter Measures has never been greater. I hope I’ve done Ben’s creations proud, and I hope the readers enjoys my take on them.”

Blurb:

 The Cold War is in full swing as the British Government, in partnership with Woden Armaments, launches the Cerberus satellites into orbit, transforming worldwide communications.

 But all is not as it seems. Retired Air Vice Marshal Ian Gilmore is reluctantly drawn into helping an embattled government. Despatched to a divided Germany, he soon finds himself on the wrong side of the Berlin Wall as he helps a Soviet engineer with a terrible secret defect to the West.

 Back home, Professor Rachel Jensen discovers her work at Cambridge has been perverted by Woden Armaments. When the Cerberus launch team, including Allison Williams and Anne Travers, goes missing, Rachel begins an investigation that unearths a terrible conspiracy at the heart of the British Establishment – a conspiracy that threatens the entire world!

 The second book in the two-novel event, Birds of Prey, will be released in 2022.

 These books are not covered by any subscription.