The Post Thief II - The Characters Bite Back

It seems I’m surrounded by imaginative and wonderful bloggers that I can’t resist stealing from. First off we had the post about your 10 favourite stories and now Danielle Ferries has blogged about her five favourite characters – ones she created, of course (her Tallulah Todd sounds perfectly awesome). So, not one to be left out, here are mine…

Tobias Tribute
Tobias Tribute is a grim reaper with emphasis on the grim. I feel sorry for him (is that a bad reason to like a character?) despite the fact he is nasty, selfish and doesn’t care that the people he murders (in many varied and gruesome ways) are young and happy (or even old and grumpy). All that matters is that he reaches his quota. Tobias can be found within the pages of my novel, ‘The Midnight Motel’. Unfortunately, you’ll never get to meet him.

Frog
Frog just wants someone to love him. Well he did until he met his mail order bride. Frog can be found in the obviously titled short story, ‘Frog & the Mail Order Bride’, and I very much hope you get to meet him.

Uncle Joe Kendrick
A supporting character in ‘The Poisoned Apple’, I think he is a sweet, bizarre man who doesn’t see the world quite as we do. Plus, he talks to garden gnomes.

Wolfram Lavoisier
Wolfram (who sometimes doubles as the not-so-ferocious Wolf Dude) has not yet been fully realised. He makes a brief, but very important, appearance in the rewritten ‘The Poisoned Apple’, and his fate is balancing on the acceptance of TPA. He is on the brink of starring alongside his daughter in the unimaginatively titled ‘Red’. Red is about a girl who is to become a werewolf on her eleventh birthday and who would rather be a chiropractor even though she hates feet. Especially hairy feet. I guess I really like Red too.

Swan Ecklund
Swan is a selfish, preening, anti-hero. What’s not to love about that? He’s one of my soldiers in the ‘Theatre of Curious Acts’.

If I disappear from the internet for any length of time it means one of my characters has escaped and snared me in a real-life net for not naming them amongst my favourites. I would like to reassure them now that I love them all too.

ScaryCircusActs results

The Wolf Dude has some words for you all. He would first like to announce the winners and then he would like to threaten thank the rest of you for trying to persuade him not to run off and join the circus. He understands now that circuses are evil places.

First Place: Aaron Polson for his 'Living Carousel'.

Aaron wins a copy of Malpractice and a signed novella from PS Publishing - 'The Cosmology of the Wider World' by Jeffrey Ford with an introduction by Jeff VanderMeer.

The idea of having a pole jammed up his butt sent the Wolf Dude screaming out of the study. He threw his suitcase out of the window and hid under the bed. Adding to the horror was the idea that my niece and nephew would sit on his back - they scare him.

Second Place: Jamie Eyberg for his 'Poodle Act'.

Jamie wins a copy of Malpractice.

Wolf Dude hates poodles, in fact he hates pampered pooches of every description. And he wouldn't be seen stuffed in pink. He could have coped with a lime green tutu as that is Luna's favourite colour.

Booby Prize: Katey Taylor's name was picked out of the hat.

She wins a used copy of Neil Shushterman's 'Unwind' (you're going to love it), and a signed novella from PS Publishing - 'Fishin with Grandma Matchie' by Steven Erikson with an introduction by Graham Joyce.


Can all the winners please send their address to me at firemaiden (at) blueyonder (dot) co (dot) uk.

Now a special thank you from the Wolf Dude for most of the losers...

Natalie, thank you for making me laugh. You are cordially invited to tea and a slumber party on June 12th at a secret location.

Silver bullets, Jeremy? I'm going to find out where you live.

My brain doesn't work too well anyway, Danielle, so losing bits of it is no bad thing. I almost ran off to join the Freaktaculars there and then.

Brendan, I've never seen that movie, but from the clips Cate showed me on You Tube, I will have to rent it sometime.

Kim, I always wondered where the Woodsman was hiding. Thanks for showing me his axe act, I'll have to visit him sometime.

Thanks for the suggestion Barry, I could do with a shave.

So Katey, you know Madame Aconitum too. Is she still as cute?

Justin - ouch! You came in a close third.

Thomas, Luna was a bearded lady. Sob! Thanks for reminding me that she's gone. Sob! Sob! Sob!

And don't forget. If you didn't win you can still purchase a copy of Malpractice, or take out a Necrotic Tissue subcription at the Necrotic Tissue store. And if you are feeling inspired by circuses, why not write something for Sideshow Fables.

The Wolf Dude Presents

The Wolf Dude and I have a competition for you. He has decided he wants to form a band - despite being unable to sing (shush! I never said that) - and he would like you all to choose a suitable name for that band. Now of course we wouldn't expect you to do that for nothing so we are offering a few prizes for the winners.


First prize:

The WolfSongs Volume 1 anthology which is edited by MH Bonham and includes my story 'The Graveyard of Dead Vehicles'.

The Sand: Strange Tales anthology edited by Edward Lupak (cover art by Aaron Polson) and including my story 'Through the Warped Eye of Death'.




Second Prize:

Wolfsongs Volume 1 anthology








Third Prize:

Sand: Strange Tales anthology










Here are the rules and other bits and bobs:

1. Leave a comment stating the name you think the Wolf Dude should give his band.
2. Competition is open from now until Midnight Saturday 13th December 2008 GMT.
3. You can enter as many times as you like.
4. The winners will be chosen by two teenagers, my mother and a three year old who prefers princesses and hates the Wolf Dude - I will have nothing to do with the judging process.
5. Check back on Sunday 14th/Monday 15th when I will be posting the names of the winners along with my email address so that you can contact me re receiving your prizes.