Candy Jar Books are pleased to announce the release of its latest free digital-only short story, United in Blood by Mark Jones.

Mark Jones was taught how to write a television script by Gerry Anderson, the legendary creator of Thunderbirds. Mark was also co-creator of the Jon Pertwee and Patrick Troughton TV project, Starwatch, and has written for the Guinness Encyclopaedia of Popular Music, as well as penning the bestselling book about the film and TV location, Aldbury – where the likes of The Dirty Dozen, The Avengers, Bridget Jones and Midsomer Murders have been filmed.

Mark said: “One of favourite TV shows was the ITV programme Shillingbury Tales, a series also filmed in Aldbury. As a location it has always been presented as an idyllic English village, but what if dark forces were at work behind the scenes? My story combines this rural peace with an underbelly of violence.”

Range Editor Andy Frankham-Allen said: “I remember reading about Starwatch in Doctor Who Magazine a few years back. So when Mark started working with Candy Jar on a new project, we grilled him about this. During these conversations he pitched an idea for a short story: Shillingbury Tales meets The Tomorrow People, with a hint of Children of the Stones. I told him to go away and write it.”

Mark continued: “I wanted the story to feel as much like the early 1970s as possible. I’m old enough to remember how grim it was. In particular I remember how frightening football violence could be. This story transfers the fears of the terraces to a rural village and throws Lethbridge-Stewart into the mix.”

United in Blood is only available to readers who order the novellas bundle (comprising The Life of Evans, The Flaming Soldier and Day of the Intelligence).

Shaun Russell, head of publishing at Candy Jar, said: “People who have ordered the bundle already will automatically get the free story, but I would advise those readers who plan to buy all three to do it as soon possible. We only have fifty bundles left and a handful of copies of the individual titles.”

The cover art is by Richard Young. He said: “I’ve really enjoyed the detailed work on the novellas, especially as the schedule has been slightly more relaxed. However, I have missed the fun of a tight schedule. And this one was certainly tight! Anyway, nothing brings out creativity better than a tight deadline. I put the artwork together in record time and I am rather pleased with it. It’s like A Clockwork Orange meets Jossey’s Giants.”

Blurb: New Year 1970 and Lethbridge-Stewart decides to visit an old school friend. In the village of Aldbury something strange is going on. An unexplained increase of violence spreads across the town, and Lethbridge-Stewart finds himself caught up in the middle of it. So much for a short New Year break!

Candy Jar is also pleased to announce that The HAVOC Files 2 & 3 have just been made available on Kindle for £4.99.

The Novellas Bundles are available directly from www.candy-jar.co.uk.