Books – Page 6

Doctor Who luminaries contribute to new “Pets in Time” collection, in aid of the RSPCA

29 May 2022 admin Comments 0 Comment

The Doctor Who Appreciation Society has just released Pets in Time, a new book supporting the RSPCA, full of both moving and hilarious stories by actors, writers and production crew from the world of Doctor Who, about their own very special pets.

Introduced by Colin Baker, edited by Ian Wheeler, with a cover by Basil Waite (aka Foodoodles), along with the many contributions from actors such as Nicola Bryant, Janet Fielding, Louise Jameson, John Leeson, Katy Manning, Wendy Padbury and Sarah Sutton, the book also features art by Colin Howard, Paul Magrs, Nick Miller, Jey Parks and Raine Szramski.

Doctor Who writers such as Andrew Cartmel and Stephen Gallagher have also contributed, and from the world of comics, creators including me, John Freeman, and Tim Quinn.

Acknowledging the work of all RSPCA staff past and present, Pets in Time is dedicated to the memories of Doctor Who writer Bob Baker, co-creator of K9, who wrote his contribution to Pets in Time shortly before his death last year; and Doctor Who fan Simon Wellings, “both sadly missed”.

“I have benefited from a very early age from the company of animals,” notes Colin Baker in his introduction to Pets in Time. “… In the following seventy or so years of my life we have steadily increased the number of lives that have shared ours for a while.

“Companions are important, as a former Doctor I can attest to that,” he adds, “and I am sure anyone reading this will know what I mean. Animals, I would suggest, often do a lot more for us than we do for them.”

“If you’re considering acquiring a four-legged friend, please think carefully about giving a home to one that has been abandoned or saved from a ghastly life,” urges actress Louise Jameson in her contributions, who, like others, remembers many past pets with fondness. “You’ll never regret it.”

“Animals, especially dogs, have always been such a huge part of my life. I can barely remember a time without one in my life,” says actress Nicola Bryant. “… I cannot imagine why anyone would hurt an animal and so I have the upmost respect for those who work for the RSPCA.”

Alongside stories, and pet memories, we’re also treated to two great items from visual effects artist Mat Irvine and Mike Tucker, revealing some behind the secrets in the making of Doctor Who, including the creation of “Sooty”, the puppet cat featured in the last “classic era” Doctor Who story, Survival.

Colin Howard’s full cover art for Gary Russell’s Missing Adventures novel, Invasion of the Cat-People, is included in Pets in Time.

“As an organisation which investigates and prosecutes people for animal cruelty, we’ll always have enemies, and people’s expectations of us (often, wrongly, thinking of us as the animal police!) will always be far greater than we can realistically deliver,” notes DWAS Publications Manager and RSPCA volunteer Rik Moran in his contribution, outlining the important work of the charity.

“As a charity, the RSPCA have no legal powers and a call comes in every 30 seconds. People often think of the RSPCA – in terms of size – as equivalent to the police force. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The RSPCA has just 287 full-time uniformed officers and inspectors for England and Wales, each one covering on average an area of 172 square miles – compared to the police force, which has a police officer covering an average area of half a square mile – which means that we have to prioritise the animals most in need at the time.”

“One of the positive things to come out of the Covid-19 pandemic is that Doctor Who fans, always generous in nature, have sought to raise money for various charities in various inventive ways,” notes editor Ian Wheeler in his introduction to the collection. “The RSPCA has had a tough time during this difficult period, with its resources stretched to the limit, and I had a hunch that many of the talented folk associated with Doctor Who would love to do something to help. I was not wrong.”

Edited by Ian Wheeler, contributors to Pets in Time include, in alphabetical order: writer Bob Baker, actor Colin Baker, actress Nicola Bryant, writer Andrew Cartmel, actress Linda Clark, TV and radio broadcaster Stephen Cranford, former Coordinator of the Doctor Who Appreciation Society Karen Davies, actress and novelist Janet Ellis, actress Janet Fielding, former Doctor Who Magazine editor John Freeman, writer Stephen Gallagher, director and educator Andrew Ireland, author Will Hadcroft, actor, writer and stand-up comedian Toby Hadoke, performer Mark Barton Hill, artist Colin Howard, visual effects wizard Mat Irvine, actress Louise Jameson, actor and voice artist John Leeson, artist and writer Paul Magrs, actress Katy Manning, actor Derek Martin, artist Nick Miller, DWAS Publications Manager and RSPCA volunteer Rik Moran, actress Wendy Padbury, artist Jey Parks, actor Eric Potts, author Tim Quinn, former Doctor Who Brand Manager Edward Russell, actor and novelist Robin Squire, journalist and editor of Big Finish’s Vortex magazine Kenny Smith, illustrator, cartoonist and writer Raine Szramski, actress Sarah Sutton, actor Mark Strickson, writer and artist Paul M Tams, writer and visual effects wizard Mike Tucker, Basil Waite, and writer Mark Wright

Pets in Time is available here from the Doctor Who Appreciation Society web site price £9.99

The RSPCA is online at www.rspca.org.uk

Two New Books From Candy Jar!

23 May 2022 admin Comments 0 Comment

Candy Jar Books is pleased to announce The Analysis Bureau written by Tom Dexter with profits going to the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Appeal.

TAB Cover

The book features appearances by Professor Travers (The Abominable Snowmen/The Web of Fear), Tobias Vaughn and Packer (The Invasion) and even a Quark from The Dominators. A team of new characters, operating anonymously for a high ranking government minister, investigate attempted alien incursions as a far greater, darker plot begins to unfurl around them.

Told over three short stories, The Analysis Bureau will also feature a previously lost Lethbridge-Stewart short story from Candy Jar.

Shaun Russell, Head of Publishing at Candy Jar says:

“We previously published a book as part of our Lucy Wilson Mysteries series called Lockdown, which successfully raised funds for NHS charities. So the idea of doing it again, only this time to raise money for the Ukraine Appeal, seemed ideal and gives fans not only the chance to enjoy the stories, but also to help with a desperately urgent cause. I’m delighted to launch this title and utilise Candy Jar’s publishing skills to try and help.”

Tom Dexter, the author, says:

“Shaun has been talking with me about trying to find a different strand of stories to use their licensed characters in, and the opportunity to bring their first book out and hopefully raise money for Ukraine was too good a cause to turn down.”

The Analysis Bureau also sees the return of legendary artist Lee Sullivan to the worlds of Doctor Who, with his first cover art for Candy Jar Books and with more projects with him in development. Sullivan says: “I’m delighted to return to such familiar territory and for such an excellent cause.”

To purchase The Analysis Bureau click here.

Candy Jar Books is pleased to announce the second book in its Brendon Years trilogy of Lethbridge-Stewart novels.

CJ_Legacy of the Dominator Cover

Legacy of the Dominator is the latest novel by Nick Walters, previously responsible for three novels in the Lethbridge-Stewart range, as well as other novels in the Doctor Who universe. It forms the third part of ‘Vaar Trilogy’ and is the fourth Lethbridge-Stewart novel to feature the Dominators, following on from Mutually Assured Domination (2015), Rise of the Dominator (2019) and Domination Game (2021).

Range Editor Andy Frankham-Allen says:

“This is another of those books we’ve had planned for a while. I’ve enjoyed revealing Vaar’s tale out of sequence, starting with the middle section, then the first part and now, at last, the conclusion. Originally Son of the Dominator, to use its original title, was going to be written by me, but as if often the case I got too busy to be able to do so, and so the book was delayed. Even, for a time, removed entirely from the schedule. But with a couple of glitches in last year’s schedule, it seemed a good time to bring the book back. Only, I still didn’t have the time to write it, so I decided the only man for the job was Nick Walters, who created Vaar back in 2015 with Mutually Assured Domination.”

Nick Walters says:

“When I was asked to complete the story of Director Vaar, last of the Dominators (on Earth, at least), I was thrilled and honoured. Though I obviously can’t take all the credit, as the Dominators were of course created by Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln, but I can take credit of the senior echelon of Dominators, that of Director, who sits above Navigator and Probationer. The Dominators in their single TV appearance are brilliant and underrated, in my view; though played straight, there is a very slight aura of camp about them, a delicious touch of the absurd. The way they squabble like an old married couple is hilarious! They are the epitome of the type of Doctor Who adversaries that take themselves far too seriously, and cannot see how silly they look in those massive shoulder pads, or how daft (if deadly) their robot servants are. I developed this aspect of them in Mutually Assured Domination – for example the Robin Day interview – and Vaar as the Big Man in Rise of the Dominator also possesses this quality of the bizarre, though remaining 100% dangerous and threatening. More importantly, I always saw Vaar as not merely a villain, but a more complex character, even a relatable one – despite his plans to destroy the Earth! In Domination Game and Rise of the Dominator, he’s an alien trapped on Earth, doing what he can, what he must, to survive. A sort of dark mirror of Thomas Jerome Newton from The Man Who Fell to Earth.”

Andy says:

“Of course, I tend to give most of my authors a shopping list of various lengths, things they need to include. Legacy of the Dominator was no different in that regard; the difference lies in giving Nick the basic premise of a book I’ve had in my mind for some time. And there’s a lot of joy in that too, since you’re left with ‘what surprising ways can an author take your idea?’. And Nick certainly did that. There was a little toing and froing as Nick got to grips with the story, and he came up with some clever ideas that I may not have considered originally. The end result is a solid and personal drama for the Brigadier and Bill Bishop.”

Nick continues:

“Here we find the Brigadier in the late summer of 1983, still teaching maths at Brendon School, and with a strange, rather disturbed schoolboy under his wing. Not Turlough – he’s long gone by then – but instead the mysterious Damon, who is excellent at games, has a short temper, and dislikes peas. Damon’s secrets propel the story and present the Brigadier with a challenge to his loyalties and friendships. As well as a rollicking good adventure, Legacy of the Dominator is an emotional story for all characters concerned. A story of fatherhood, friendships and loyalty – and how these can be put to the ultimate test.”

The cover is the latest work by ever-popular artist Adrian Salmon, hot off his work on recent Doctor Who animated specials.

Adrian says:

“I was emailed a list of ingredients to choose from, and my first attempt though was too cluttered. It lacked any sense of motion too, which I think my style depends on. Back to the drawing board. When discussing other options, I was reminded that the story at heart is about a tug of war over Damon, so why not show this visually? I think my work is strongest when working with these type of symbolic images (which always make for an eye-catching cover) and I enthusiastically embraced this strong idea. Also of interest in the story was the Quarkoid – a flying Quark-type drone about the size of a bee. This unique twist on the Quark design made for the perfect background image, however working out the gossamer wings was the biggest headache of the cover! Where do they attach? In the end I figured at the back and left the explanations to the writer!”

Blurb:

1983 was turning out to be quite the year for strange, troubled boys at Brendon.

The Brigadier is mentoring Damon, a new boy at school. A boy with problems, and a mysterious past. A boy in danger who needs his protection. The last Dominator on Earth, Director Vaar, plans to make his final play for power – or does he? The Brigadier finds out that all is not quite what it seems.

And meanwhile, the Order of the Seven Suns is rising, with plans that could change the destiny of the whole planet.

Can the Brigadier protect Damon from the forces ranged against him? Can Damon escape the long shadow of his father? What will be the final legacy of the Dominator race?

The next title in The Brendon Years trilogy will be Embrace of the Hiraeth by James Middleditch, a sequel to his 2021 novel, The Overseers. This will be followed later in the year by the final three pre-UNIT novels by Natasha Gerson, John Peel, and Jonathan Blum.

To purchase Legacy of the Dominator, visit here…

Get daily Time Lord meditations in new Doctor Who book

2 May 2022 admin Comments 0 Comment

How do we cope when life gets difficult? What does it mean to succeed, and to fail? The Doctor, after hundreds of adventures through scores of years, has all the answers. And at last they’re in the mood for sharing. To celebrate Jodie Whittaker’s final episode as the Thirteenth Doctor this autumn, a page-a-day collection of The Doctor’s wisdom, musings and meditations, to keep you inspired and living your best Time Lord life.

The Daily Doctor

“How do we cope when life gets difficult? What does it mean to succeed, and to fail? Why do we always argue and think the worst? And what’s the best way to make a banana daquiri?

“The Doctor, after hundreds of adventures through scores of years, has all the answers. And at last they’re in the mood for sharing.”

THE DAILY DOCTOR is a page-a-day guide to living your best life, full of Time Lord wit and wisdom. As days turn to weeks turn to months, stay serene with your daily dose of the inspirational plans, pronouncements and principles that bring order to this crazy and chaotic universe.

With quotes from Gallifrey’s leading philosopher covering the entire history of the show, along with colourful stories and commentary, this is your Tao of Doctor Who – 3651⁄4 tips on life and how to live it!

‘I’m a Time Lord. I’ve been around, you know. Two Hearts, respiratory bypass system. I haven’t lived seven hundred and fifty years without learning something…’ – The Doctor

Steve Tribe is the author of SHERLOCK: CHRONICLES, DOCTOR WHO: THE TARDIS HANDBOOK, DOCTOR WHO: COMPANIONS AND ALLIES and DOCTOR WHO: THE TIME TRAVELLER’S ALMANAC and, with James Goss, of THE DOCTOR: HIS LIVES AND TIMES, DOCTOR WHO: A HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE IN 100 OBJECTS and DOCTOR WHO: THE DALEK HANDBOOK. He has compiled three University Challenge quiz books and edited more than 500 books, short stories and audio dramas.

You can pre-order DOCTOR WHO: THE DAILY DOCTOR – 365 1/4 WHONIVERSAL MEDITATIONS ON LIFE AND HOW TO LIVE IT here, ahead of its release on 22nd September 2022.

Lethbridge-Stewart: THE END BEGINS

5 April 2022 admin Comments 0 Comment

Candy Jar Books is pleased to announce the first book in its final series of Lethbridge-Stewart novels.

The final year of Lethbridge-Stewart novels is split in two halves, with the first a trilogy of novels set during Lethbridge-Stewart’s time as a teacher at Brendon School. This first of these, A Most Haunted Man, sees the return of Sarah Groenewegen to the series, with her first novel since 2017’s The Daughters of Earth, although her most recent short story featured in the UNIT: Operation Wildcat collection.

The 2022 series was put back a little when it was discovered the book planned to open the year was a little too close to the events at play in Ukraine. Thus, Spheres of Influence has been put on indefinite hold. Hopefully it will see the light of day at some point but, for now, and to make up for the delay, Candy Jar Books have also decided to reprint the very first Lethbridge-Stewart novel, The Forgotten Son: Special Edition, with a brand-new cover by Richard Young.

Forgotten Son

Head of Publishing Shaun Russell says:

“When it became apparent that the themes and events depicted in Spheres of Influence too closely echoed current events, Andy Frankham-Allen and I quickly came to the decision that to release it at this time would be, at the very least, insensitive. Putting it on hold did mean bringing forward the rest of 2022’s books, and finding a replacement. Fortunately, Andy quickly solved that problem by commissioning a third Brendon novel, turning the first three titles into a loose trilogy. For myself, I decided it would be a nice idea to reprint The Forgotten Son with a new cover, to hopefully make up a little for the delay. I must stress, however, that the content remains the same from the previous revised version.”

A Most Haunted Man Cover

A Most Haunted Man is set two years after the Brigadier’s traumatic encounter with his future self in the Doctor Who television serial, Mawdryn Undead.

Range Editor Andy Frankham-Allen says:

“This is another of those books which started an idea that came up through discussions with Shaun – a good two years ago, at least. It was a while before I realised it was the perfect fit for Sarah. I’d been wanting to do another novel with her, and she came back for a short story in The Laughing Gnome: The HAVOC Files, so it was great when she agreed to do another novel for us. The only real prerequisite, other than the core idea, was that it had to be set during the Brig’s time at Brendon when he’d lost all memory of the Doctor.”

Sarah Groenewegen says:

“I adore writing for the Brigadier, and being able to explore different facets of this much-loved character has been great fun. When I was offered another novel in the series, this one set in 1979 and during the Brig’s post-army career as a school teacher, I immediately said yes. It’s an honour to be asked to contribute a novel to the final season of Lethbridge-Stewart novels, which has proved to be a terrific series of stories.”

Sarah’s previous novel, The Daughters of Earth, dealt with the breakdown of his relationship with his then-fiancée. In this book, Sarah’s dealing with a breakdown of a different sort.

Sarah says:

“I wanted to explore how he deals with strange goings-on when he has forgotten so much, and when he doesn’t have his soldiers to call on to help. My brief was to write a psychological thriller, in which the Brig’s identity and life is stolen from him. The novel allowed me to explore the nature of identity theft, and memory loss, and the combined uneasiness of not being able to trust your own mind. I added a set of identical twins to the mix, a boy at Brendon, and a girl at a local comprehensive. They are at the cusp of their own change from creepy kids who enjoy playing tricks on people, to young adults facing choices.”

Setting the book in 1979 also freed Sarah up from the ongoing narrative, and gave her a chance to explore a different facet from the usual setting of the early-70s.

Sara continues:

“The setting was apposite because of the feeling of being on a cusp of change, but without knowing its direction. In that, it parallels much of today’s politics. I found it cathartic to explore similar themes of being seduced by the apparent certainty of authoritarianism — even with the attendant feeling it could turn on its own to destroy at a moment’s notice. 1979 proved to be a watershed year in Britain. The full assault on the unions, LGBTQIA people, and appeals to jingoism of the worst kind were all yet to come; and for a while the political turmoil that brought much of the UK to a standstill ceased. It’s hard to think that in this day and age of TV-on-demand, the stations that are now ITV were off air for much of the year. 1979 was an amazing year for British pop music. Punk began to segue into the New Romantic movement, and rap, reggae and disco attracted huge numbers of fans. It was fun delving into the music of the time through a few of the kids who are important during the story.”

The cover is by popular artist Martin Baines, returning from the success of his recent cover for UNIT: Operation Wildcat.

Martin says:

“I was partially inspired by a German poster of a classic British film. My last Candy Jar cover I did was for the UNIT anthology, Operation Wildcat. It was very flash, bang, wallop. Because of this, I enjoyed tackling a more psychological concept for this book.”

Blurb:

In 1977, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart suffered a shock so great that he was hospitalised. Not that he can remember what happened. Teachers found him, knocked out cold beside the obelisk on the hill. No signs of an attack. No bumps on his head, and no memory of why he lay where he fell, who he’d been with, and great chunks of his past torn from his mind.

It wasn’t like any form of amnesia described in the textbooks. The clinic discharged him back to Brendon Public School and he resumed his duties as a teacher of mathematics and rugger.

Two years later and a series of nightmares send him back to the clinic. Then come the pranks played by identical twins, his own erratic behaviour and short-term memory loss leading to a breach of the Official Secrets Act. Someone else is living in his house, driving his car, and making changes to the school he loves.

It seems that the demons haunting him prove too big for him to fight on his own.

The final series of Lethbridge-Stewart will be split in two parts over 2022, the first half is the Brendon trilogy and will continue with Legacy of the Dominator by Nick Walters, and The Overseers II by James Middleditch. The second half will be the final in the road to UNIT narrative which began in 2015, with novels by Natasha Gerson, John Peel, and Jonathan Blum.

Dr. Who & The Daleks: The Official Story of the Films

25 March 2022 admin Comments 0 Comment

From Titan Books this September 6th 2022 Dr. Who and the Daleks: The Official Story of the Films.

Dr. Who and the Daleks: The Official Story of the Films is the definitive guide to the making of Dr. Who and the Daleks and Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. The first and only big-screen adaptations of the long-running TV series, the films, starring Peter Cushing as the titular time-traveller, are beloved by fans – and the Daleks, in glorious Technicolor, have never looked better.

Author and film expert John Walsh has unearthed a treasure trove of archive material, interviews and stunning artwork, and takes us through the whole process of translating the metal monsters from small screen to big. In-depth information on the production, design, casting and special effects is accompanied by full-colour illustrations, including props, posters, and behind-the-scenes photography – making it the perfect gift for fans of the films.

WHO: A HISTORY IN ART

22 March 2022 admin Comments 0 Comment

Who: A History in Art by Ken Tarling is published with the help and support of Candy Jar’s self-publishing partner imprint Jelly Bean Books. It is a personal artistic excursion into the history of Doctor Who.

jb_whoahistoryinartwrapcopycopy1

Ken has always been a fan of Doctor Who, and like most fans of the 1980s, he thoroughly enjoyed drawing characters from the series. One such favourite was the Terileptils from the Peter Davision story The Visitation. Over the years he has considered compiling a book of his art, but life has always seemed to get in the way.

In 1994 Ken had a major accident, which left him with no left thumb and bone cancer of the left hand. Ken says:

“Sadly I was left handed and I had to learn to write with my right hand. As you can imagine, this took quite a bit of time before I could master it (bit of a shame considering I wanted to become an art teacher). It took me two years before I could write again, let alone draw. I didn’t draw again for another eleven years. I guess it was a lack of confidence.”

When Doctor Who returned in 2005, Ken’s enthusiasm for art returned. Ken continues:

“I tried again, and then this time I couldn’t stop drawing until 2010. In particular, I really wanted to sketch a Slitheen from Aliens of London/World War III. Once finished, I thought it wasn’t too bad.”

Ken continued to draw, and then in 2019 he got some devastating news.

“2019 was the year I died. I kid you not. I had a AAA aneurysm (Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm). It’s when the main blood vessel that runs from the heart, through the chest and the tummy bursts, causing life threatening internal bleeding. This can happen in men and women over seventy. Odd really because I was fifty. I had a five percent chance of surviving. Five has always been my lucky number. I was in surgery for eight hours and had received thirty-six litres of blood. I was lucky to survive.”

“Then a week after coming out of hospital, I had a bad reaction to the blood thinning tablets and had a nosebleed that would not stop. I had a cardiac arrest. I actually died for seven seconds and slipped into a coma for about a day. My family were told that if I did not wake up by a certain time, they would have to turn off the life support machine. I woke up an hour before, thank goodness.”

Ken is keen to stress that this is a passion project to share with like-minded fans. He concludes:

“I hope people enjoy my interpretation of some of the Doctor Who stalwarts. My collection includes the Cybermen, Ice Warriors, Sea Devils, Omega, Morbius and the Toclafane. I hope it will encourage the next generation of fans to pick up a pen and draw.”

As Ken has suffered from cancer twice in his life and survived, he will donate a percentage of the profits to Cancer Research as a token of his gratitude for the help he received on both occasions.

First draft for tactile Doctor Who book delivered to visually impaired fan

15 March 2022 admin Comments 0 Comment

Visually impaired fan Louis Moorhouse has received the first draft of the first book of Doctor Who Living Paintings for review.

Blind since he was 18 months old, 20-year-old Moorhouse from Bradford, England spearheaded a fundraising campaign to help the publisher Living Paintings create Doctor Who Touch-to-See books which would help blind fans like him enjoy and engage with Doctor Who on a whole new level. The publisher agreed if Moorhouse could raise the funds for research and development. Doctor Who Touch to See books will be sent out across the UK to blind youngsters like Louis — completely free of charge.

With the support and help of many generous people and a very special contribution from Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall, Moorhouse reached his fundraising goal and the books are now in the development stage.

“It was absolutely mad to wake up this morning and see that Chris Chibnall had given a donation! And a very generous donation too! To have such recognition from the man who literally runs Doctor Who at the moment means a lot. Thank you Chris, I really appreciate your support.”

As he ran his fingers over the tactile illustrations, Moorhouse marvelled at the detail in each one, exclaiming that he never before knew what a Sontaran looked like.

The raised illustrations will eventually be painted to enable the books to be shared and enjoyed with sighted friends, family and classmates. Touch- to-See books include raised tactile pictures and Braille, accompanied by atmospheric, educational and entertaining audio guides. The audio guides, often narrated by famous people, help fingers explore the tactile images, tell the stories of the pictures and describe their features. In this way, the senses of touch and hearing combine to make up for the missing sense of sight.

Moorhouse’s wonderful campaign officially ended on Monday 16 August, 2021 but this is not the end of his journey. Living Books will continue to involve Louis throughout the tactile and audio book production process, which will culminate in the publication of 3 Doctor Who Touch-to-See books provided free to visually-impaired children.

The Latest Titles From Candy Jar Books.

30 January 2022 admin Comments 0 Comment

UNIT: OPERATION WILDCAT

Operation Wildcat Cover smaller

Candy Jar is adding a further four stories to the line-up in the previously announced UNIT Files: Operation Wildcat and Other Stories.

Range Editor, Tim Gambrell, has recruited some tried and tested hands, in John Peel and Chris Lynch, as well as two writers new to Candy Jar.

Tim explains the thinking behind the changes:

“I love situations like this, because they focus everyone’s creative energies. It started with a quick conversation with Shaun Russell just before Christmas. Shaun felt we needed to add a bit more value for our readers, and I was keen to make sure we weren’t just replicating the (successful) formula of the Lethbridge-Stewart HAVOC Files books. So, the collection has expanded from 9 stories to 13. But we didn’t want to delay the publication, as it had already been announced for pre-orders, so I had to work quickly.”

Tim turned first to John Peel, a regular contributor to the Lethbridge-Stewart and Lucy Wilson Mysteries ranges for Candy Jar, who had most recently penned (with Tim) the first Benton Files book.

John says:

“What are a writer’s second-favourite words to hear? Would you like to write me a story about…? (The writer hopes that they are attached to his absolute favourite words: Here’s an inordinately large amount of money, but they so rarely are!) So, when I was asked, Would you like to write a UNIT story, with dinosaurs in it?, how could I refuse? (As you can see, I couldn’t.)”

John explains further:

“Then came the inevitable dance of what the editor liked and what I felt happiest writing. “Would you include this?” “Can I use that instead?” That continued until we were both comfortable. Then it was time to buckle down and do the actual writing – which, for the writer, is where the fun really begins. Getting into the mood, resurrecting beloved characters and doing horrible things to them…”

Tim says:

“I had an idea for a story to act as a coda to Invasion of the Dinosaurs. John, being the great writer he is, turned that on its head and came up with Here We Go Again, set just before Invasion of the Dinosaurs! However, Ian Ball – who is the second of three new writers in the collection – ran with some of the ideas I’d pitched to John, while developing some threads set up in Here We Go Again. Ian has written The Ptower Bridge Pterror, so we’ve ended up book-ending Invasion of the Dinosaurs.”

The next story in Operation Wildcat and Other Stories is Honourable Discharge by Chris Lynch – who recently wrote the free Lucy Wilson Christmas download story, The Gray Lady of Martyr’s House.

Chris says:

“It’s simple. When UNIT calls, you answer! Honestly, what writer could resist the chance to craft their own corner of this world and leave a footprint in the sand next to the Brig? For my story I wanted to explore what happens in the aftermath of a UNIT adventure, the price paid by ordinary soldiers who defend Earth alongside the extraordinary heroes we know about, and what happens when one of them doesn’t quite measure up to the high standards we expect. It’s a little dark, a little weird, but hopefully a part of the world of UNIT you’ll enjoy discovering.”

Tim adds:

“Chris immediately came back with a cracking idea that put the Brigadier centre stage. It felt like I’d lit the blue touch paper – he produced the goods really quickly! As with John’s and Ian’s stories, I was also able to ensure some minor continuity between Chris’ Honourable Discharge and Martin Parker’s Old Fowlkes’ Home”.

Martin is the third new name in Operation Wildcat and Other Stories. He had pitched a story for the Lethbridge-Stewart range, which was unused. It became clear the story could be adapted relatively simply to work as a UNIT story instead.

Tim says:

“It’s not always easy to adapt stories in this way. You’ve got two choices, basically: you adapt / re-write as you go along, leaving alone what already works – which can be fiddly and frustrating, or you put aside everything you’ve already written and start the piece again from scratch. Neither option is necessarily any quicker to deliver. But there was a lot I liked about the story as it was, and I was keen not to lose that. So, I encouraged Martin to concentrate on the aspects we agreed needed wholesale re-writes.”

Martin says:

“It’ll be great to get my story out there with readers. It’s a bit longer than the others in the collection, I think, but we’ve worked to keep it tight and focused. I had to learn not to be precious about the story as it already was. Best of all, I can imagine it being on TV. I think when you’re writing material like this, with established characters, that’s the most important thing – to be able to picture it easily in your head. I hope the readers will, too.”

The story line up for The UNIT Files: Operation Wildcat and Other Stories is as follows:

Benton’s First Day, part one, by Tim Gambrell

Norwegian Would, by Simon A Brett

Shadow, by Iain McLaughlin

Operation Wildcat, by Sarah Groenewegen

The Gift, by Sharon Bidwell

Parasite, by James Middleditch

How to Negotiate with a Sentient Tree in Shoreditch, by Baz Greenland

The Aftermath of Aberbuwch, by Jonathan Macho

Here We Go Again, by John Peel

The Ptower Bridge Pterror, by Ian Ball

Honourable Discharge, by Chris Lynch

Old Fowlkes’ Home, by Martin Parker

Benton’s First Day, part two, by Tim Gambrell

The UNIT Files: Operation Wildcat and Other Stories, is available to pre-order now, exclusively from Candy Jar. It comes with an art card and a free copy of The Benton Files 2, with new stories by George Ivanoff and Kenton Hall. The Benton Files 2 can also be ordered separately.

To order, please visit UNIT:

The Benton Files II

It’s all in the mind… Or is it?

The Benton Files 2

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.

Lethbridge-Stewart: – BLUE BLOOD

Candy_Jar_Blue Blood cover

Candy Jar Books is pleased to announce the final book in its penultimate series of Lethbridge-Stewart novels.

Blue Blood is the first Lethbridge-Stewart novel by Chris Thomas, who previously wrote Vampires of the Night for The HAVOC Files 2: Special Edition.

Born in Perth, Western Australia, Chris Thomas is a writer, actor, journalist and broadcaster. His writing includes the novel Journo’s Diary for defunct publisher Metropolis Ink, the Doctor Who short story One Step Forward, Two Steps Back (published in Short Trips: Defining Patterns), the plays Which One?, Reality Matters, and Appetite for Destruction.

Range Editor Andy Frankham-Allen says:

“I enjoyed Chris’ short story at the time, and was amused to find he originally ended it in the ‘present’, setting up a sequel. A common thing among new authors – trying to set up some future work for themselves. I remember removing that end scene and telling Chris that if we’re gonna do a sequel, let’s do one properly instead of simply setting it up. Also, by removing the set-up in the short story, we leave things open for new ideas to develop in the meantime.”

Author Chris Thomas says:

“After Candy Jar Books released my short story in late 2019, Andy got in touch when he was mapping out the latest Lethbridge-Stewart series and asked if I would like to submit a pitch for one of the stories. Vampires of the Night featured Professor Travers and was set during World War II, and I originally had a short scene thirty-odd years later with Lethbridge-Stewart and Anne, discovering something that hadn’t been quite resolved at the end of the story. The scene got cut but, about six hours after I got the initial email from Andy about the novel pitch, I think we had both reached the same conclusion – he followed up, asking if I wanted to do the sequel I had previously hinted at.”

As the final book in the penultimate series, this book serves a bit as a preamble to the final days of the Fifth Operational Corps.

Chris says:

“Given the United Nations is a global organisation, I wanted to create a problem that had its focus in the UK but was also happening around the world. Being an Aussie, I did throw in a couple of things from Down Under, but the core of the story is set in England’s north, so the focus remains on the Lethbridge-Stewart characters with sojourns to other countries to show similar things happening elsewhere.”

Andy says:

“It’s all about laying the foundations for the end of the series, as the band finally starts to break up (in a very dramatic sense), which the final series will build upon as things on the international stage start to become even more precarious. But Blue Blood does much more than that; it tells an exciting story, a bit of a mystery, introducing some fun new characters to the LSverse and, eagle-eyed observers will notice, a nice link back to a popular Doctor Who story from 1989.”

The cover is by postman and popular part-time artist Paul Cooke, back for his fourth Lethbridge-Stewart novel cover.

Paul says:

“When I got the brief, I decided to produce an atmospheric piece, but one that was still vibrant and colourful. I went for bright sidelights and a sunset rather than night sky, and pushing the colour on the radio telescope in a non-realist but striking way (I hope!).”

“It was really important to me to get Samson right on this cover. I really like his character and I wanted to create a good portrait. One of the things Candy Jar have been really successful with is introducing strong (I hate this term) minority characters but treating them in a realistic period-way without denigrating them or making them in any way ‘token’. I hope I’ve done Samson justice.”

“It was fun creating the other characters, too. The female character had to be fairly scary without being too gory and not falling into the titillation trap with the tears in the dress. Merrin had to look alarmed without becoming a caricature, so I hope I struck the right balance. An enjoyable commission and I’m really looking forward to the book.”

Blurb:

People go missing every day. It’s an unfortunate part of life, and tragic for the families involved. But when bodies of the missing start turning up, as if ripped apart by wild animals, the Fifth Operational Corps is called in to investigate.

Sergeant Major Samson Ware and Captain Bill Bishop head to Newcastle, after a spike in the missing persons’ reports, and form an alliance with young photographer Gary Merrin in an effort to uncover the truth.

Meanwhile, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and Anne Travers try to find the recently returned Professor Ted Travers, who himself seems to have disappeared. Their investigations lead them to a World War II veteran, who is a shadow of his former self.

How are the disappearances linked to an experiment from the past? And just what is the connection with the missing Professor Travers?

The final series of Lethbridge-Stewart will be split in two parts over 2022, beginning with three novels; Spheres of Influence by Violet Addison & David N Smith, The Most Haunted Man by Sarah Groenewegen, and Legacy of the Dominator by Nick Walters.

If you have subscription with Candy Jar Books, Blue Blood is covered by this. – To order, please visit

A new Target novel collection is coming July 2022

25 January 2022 admin Comments 0 Comment

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Penned by the original scriptwriter the late David Fisher and adapted from his 2011 and 2014 audio novelisations, The Stones of Blood, and The Androids of Tara are now being released as two glorious Target books for fans to add to their collections. These will be accompanied by a Target edition of The Fires of Pompeii by James Moran, as well as The Eaters of Light by Rona Munro and The Zygon Invasion by Peter Harness.

For Doctor Who fans, the range of novelisations published by Target Books in the 1970s and 1980s hold a special place. There was a novel published for almost every Doctor Who serial between 1963 and 1989, with a very few (five, actually) notable exceptions. Since 2012, BBC Books has been successfully reissuing these classic paperbacks and expanding the Target range to include all-new novelisations of modern-era Doctor Who episodes.

The Stones of Blood by David Fisher – An ancient stone circle becomes a battleground as the Fourth Doctor must outwit the deadliest alien criminal this side of hyperspace.

The Androids of Tara by David Fisher – The Fourth Doctor and Romana’s search for the fourth segment of the all-powerful Key to Time leads them to the planet Tara.

The Fires of Pompeii by James Moran – It is AD 79, and the Tenth Doctor and Donna arrive in Pompeii on the eve of the town’s destruction. Mount Vesuvius is ready to erupt and bury its surroundings in molten lava, just as history dictates. Or is it?

The Eaters of Light by Rona Munro – The Twelfth Doctor takes Bill and Nardole back to 2nd century Scotland to learn the fate of the ‘lost’ Ninth Legion of the Imperial Roman Army. 5,000 soldiers vanished without explanation – how?

The Zygon Invasion by Peter Harness – It took three Doctors to broker a fragile peace between Zygons and Humans. Now the Twelfth Doctor must face the fallout alone. With his allies compromised and his companion believed dead, can he stop the world from plunging into war?

These latest additions to the collection, all by the original writers of the TV episodes, will help Target fans complete their classic and modern-era collections.

James Moran said:

‘I’ve been watching Doctor Who and reading the Target books for as long as I can remember. The books were an essential part of my childhood, examining the amazing cover art, and “seeing” stories that aired before I was born. I loved learning new words from them, like “capacious”, and am beyond thrilled to become part of this publishing legend!’

Rona Munro said:

‘It’s wonderful to have another chance to revisit the ideas of my last Doctor Who story, Eaters of Light, they are ideas that have been with me for a very long time and Doctor Who, as always, proved to be the largest and most exciting world in which to realise them.’

Peter Harness said:

‘Like many, many others, I learnt to read and to love books by reading Target novelisations. The Saturday afternoon journey to Garland’s bookshop in Bridlington to see if any new Doctor Who stories had materialised on their shelves. Scouring markets and second-hand shops in hope of finding an old copy of Doctor Who and the Sea Devils. Desperately pestering my poor cousin until he finally lent me his copy of Doctor Who and The Doomsday Weapon. Making my Grandad read me The Enemy of the World when he would’ve much preferred to fall asleep with the newspaper. There is a sense of magic and excitement about Target books which has stayed with me my whole life. And I can’t begin to tell you how wonderful it feels to be writing my own Target book of one of my own Doctor Who stories.’

BBC Books will publish all five Target novels on 14th July 2022. You can pre-order them here:

The Stones of Blood by David Fisher
The Androids of Tara by David Fisher
The Fires of Pompeii by James Moran
The Eaters of Light by Rona Munro
The Zygon Invasion by Peter Harness

The John Nathan Turner Production Diary 1979-1990

5 January 2022 admin Comments 0 Comment

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BREAKING NEWS FROM TELOS PUBLISHING.

If you thought everything was known about the production of DOCTOR WHO in the eighties?.. think again!

The John Nathan Turner Production Diary 1979-1990 – Written by Richard Molesworth.

This book draws on documentation from the late John Nathan-Turner’s personal archive to present virtually a day by day breakdown of what the Producer was doing, who he met, where he went and why and putting it all in the context of the show at the time.

It’s a superb time capsule of some of the elements of the Producer’s job which have previously been overlooked.

“We are working hard on these titles, prepping them, and as soon as we have confirmed publication dates for them, then we will get them up for pre-order on the Telos site“.