Two more advents have been revealed by Candy Jar Books.
Day 18 is a brand new free story from Alyson Leeds, who previously authored the short story, All the Kings Men, in The HAVOC Files 4, and the novel, The Laughing Gnome: Fear of the Web.
Download A Funny Turn here: http://www.candy-jar.co.uk/books/freebrandnewstory.html
Day 19 is seven episode of Kangazang, written by Terry Cooper and read by Colin Baker.
Download here: http://www.candy-jar.co.uk/books/freekangazang.html
Every day leading up to Christmas, Candy Jar Books is offering free stuffing in their Advent Calendar.
Today, December 16th, it’s a whole book! Beware of the Mirror Man is written by Benjamin Burford-Jones, the author of 2017’s Lethbridge-Stewart novel, The Dreamer’s Lament.
Get your free book HERE!
As we near the end of 2018, we’d like to share with you are release schedule for the first half of 2019.
Please note: these dates are provisional, and subject to change.
Candy Jar Books is pleased to announce a very special book for 2019, the first of its standalone Lethbridge-Stewart novels. Downtime: Children of the New World by Andy Frankham-Allen.
In co-ordination with Reeltime Pictures, Downtime: Children of the New World is a sequel to their straight-to-video film, Downtime, which introduced the Doctor Who world to the Brigadier’s daughter, Kate Lethbridge-Stewart. Both are reunited in this new novel, appearing together in a full novel for the first time in over twenty years!
Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, as played by Jemma Redgrave, became a semi-regular feature in Doctor Who following her appearance in 2012s The Power of Three by current-series showrunner, Chris Chibnall. She continued to appear throughout Peter Capaldi’s time as the Doctor, and currently enjoys her own series of UNIT adventures with Big Finish. But she first appeared in Downtime in 1995, played by Beverley Cressman, which was produced under licence from Mervyn Haisman by Reeltime Pictures Ltd, and was written by Marc Platt. Kate went on to make a few minor cameo appearances in Doctor Who novels and short stories through the remainder of the 1990s. Cressman returned to the role in 2003 for another Reeltime Pictures straight-to-video film, Dæmos Rising. Downtime: Children of the New World will be her first starring role in a novel since Marc Platt’s own novelisation of Downtime in 1995.
It’s not only Kate who is returning. Downtime: Children of the New World also features the return of her son, Gordy, who was first introduced in Downtime. Along for the adventure are other alumni from both Downtime and Dæmos Rising, including ex-UNIT captain, Douglas Cavendish. Picking up the story nine years after the defeat of the Great Intelligence in Downtime, Kate, Gordy and the Brigadier will be joined by further members of the Brigadier’s family, including his eldest grandson Conall Wilson, who first appeared in Candy Jar’s Lethbridge-Stewart series.
Range Editor Andy Frankham-Allen, and author of the book, explains how it came to pass: “When I first heard of Reeltime’s forthcoming film, Anomaly, which would see Beverley returning to the role of Kate, I contacted Keith Barnfather. Initially it was simply to express my interest in Kate’s return, and how I’d be open to us working together to cross-pollinate our two ranges. Keith was very open to the idea, and before we knew it the conversation turned to prose and the idea of doing a sequel to Downtime. It took a while to work out when to set it, and after watching Dæmos Rising it became clear the book needed to be set after that film. The only proviso Keith gave me was that I needed to “set up” Anomaly.”
Set in September 2004, Downtime: Children of the New World picks up the story told in Downtime, which saw the Brigadier and his daughter join forces with Doctor Who companions Sarah Jane Smith and Victoria Waterfield to defeat the Great Intelligence’s plan of world domination through New World University. Although a sequel, the novel is intentionally written to stand on its own.
Andy explains: “All background details from Downtime will be treated the same way one treats background detail in a normal standalone novel; the reader will be told everything they need to know for the story to work. Of course, further insight can be gained by picking up Downtime, but it won’t be essential. Children of the New World is its own story. The basic idea came to me fairly quickly, but it wasn’t until I rewatched both films and had a chance to look through Marc Platt’s novelisation that the main plot point presented itself. I was determined to write a solid standalone tale, but one that was a logical continuation of Downtime, while at the same time bringing Kate and Gordy fully into the fold with the Brigadier’s extended family. The chance of having the Brigadier’s two grandsons together was too good to pass up, and that quickly became the crux of the plot.”
The striking cover art is by popular Doctor Who artist Adrian Salmon, who has done work for Doctor Who Magazine, Big Finish, the Doctor Who animated DVDs, and Candy Jar previously. He says: “Great to be asked to draw a cover for the new look Lethbridge-Stewart range! Andy and I had a lot of fun with this cover; as soon as he told me what the book was about, I knew the kind of thing I wanted to do. He gave me an open brief to redesign the Yeti, to make it more of a simian creature, and less like the way they’ve previous been depicted in Doctor Who. I wanted to incorporate silver into the design, initially as a kind of harness, before we settled on a fearsome face mask, to suggest the controlling intelligence and to make it clear these are not the Yeti fans have previously seen.”
Blurb:
Kate Lethbridge-Stewart joins her father, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, in a mission to save her son’s life!
For the last nine years Kate’s life has been a happy one. Other than a minor blip in 2003, she hasn’t had to worry about aliens bothering her or her son. Indeed, her biggest concern is Gordy’s first girlfriend. But it all changes when a face from her past appears, bringing with him a warning.
Gordy and his cousin Conall are kidnapped by a radical group calling themselves the Followers of Maitreya!
The Brigadier and Kate join forces with Douglas Cavendish and Anne Travers on a mission to save Gordy and Conall, which leads them to the ruins of Det-Sen Monastery in Tibet where deadly Yeti roam, and a prophecy is about to fulfilled!
What connects the Followers of Maitreya to a developing online school, Asteroid 4179 which is heading towards Earth, and the Brigadier’s family?
NB: DOWNTIME: CHILDREN OF THE NEW WORLD IS NOT COVERED BY ANY SUBSCRIPTION OFFER.
Downtime and Dæmos Rising are available directly from Reeltime Pictures Ltd.
http://timetraveltv.com/programme/87
http://timetraveltv.com/programme/480
There will two editions of Downtime: Children of the New World, both now available for pre-order:
Standard paperback edition (limited to 500 copies) for £10.00 (+ p&p).
Limited hardback edition (FIFTY COPIES ONLY) for £25 (+ p&p). This edition will be signed by Andy Frankham-Allen and feature an exclusive forward by original Kate Lethbridge-Stewart actor, Beverley Cressman.
It’s Christmas time, the season of goodwill, and Candy Jar Books, the independent publisher of the popular Lethbridge-Stewart series, is entering into the spirit of things by releasing a special advent calendar. Every day until the 25th, Candy Jar will be giving away standalone Lethbridge-Stewart short stories, book samplers, wallpapers and more, completely free, on their website.
Candy Jar have already given away the Lethbridge-Stewart short story collection The Xmas Files, a Cardiff ComicCon chapter from the children’s book The Book Spy, The Lucy Wilson Mysteries wallpaper for your computer, the first chapter of God Bless Hooky Street: A Celebration of Only Fools and Horses, the complete books Lethbridge-Stewart: A Very Private Haunting, The New Unusual, Lost in Christmas by Michael Sloan (creator of The Equalizer) on Kindle, and a short story from Britain’s Got Talent’s Lorraine Bowen’s whimsical book The Crumble Lady. Candy Jar has also started its Christmas sale. Added to this, Candy Jar is offering all customers 20% off everything (except Downtime 2). And that’s just the first seven days.
Subscribers to Candy Jar’s newsletter will receive daily updates containing their prizes, but the calendar is available to everyone at http://www.candy-jar.co.uk/books/adventcalendar
Children’s Digital Assistant, Keren Williams, explained the thinking behind the advent calendar: “It’s a Christmas tradition that we give away some short stories to our loyal readers, and this year I thought, why don’t we go the whole hog and really spoil everybody? We have enough unseen material, as well as some hidden gems in our back catalogue, to fill Santa’s sack several times over. Whatever your tastes, and whether you’ve been naughty or nice, we have something just for you.”
With the Lethbridge-Stewart series about to enter its fifth year, Candy Jar wants to thank its loyal readership, who have supported the new adventures of the Brigadier since day one.
As Head of Publishing, Shaun Russell, explains: “In our series, the Brig has gone from a beloved, but somewhat forgotten part of Doctor Who history, to an alive and kicking, vital part of the ever-expanding canon. Here at Candy Jar, we’re fans first and foremost, and we’re forever grateful to our readers for embarking on this journey with us. We wanted to give a little something back to everyone who has helped make the series possible. We hope that it will make this a Candy Jar Christmas to remember!”
Candy Jar Books is pleased to announce this year’s free Christmas short story!
The Case of the Missing Fairy by Steven Walton is now available free on the Candy Jar website.
Talking about The Case of the Missing Fairy, Range Editor Andy Frankham-Allen says: “When Shaun told me he wanted a Christmas story, I groaned and said, ‘well, I don’t have time to write one,’ but then I re-thought and realised that I may have a man who did. So I turned to a young writer I know who wanted to write for the series. Enter Steven Walton. He jumped on board with barely a second’s hesitation, and I then tasked him with sending me a few ideas set within the period that Lethbridge-Stewart served as maths teacher in Brendon School, a period of his life we’ve not really touched upon yet. Steve sent me a few ideas, but that one that appealed to me the most was the whimsical notion of Lethbridge-Stewart investigating the disappearance of a Christmas tree fairy.”
Steven Walton says: “I’ve always considered the Brigadier to be the Doctor’s Watson, but as this range has him in the lead role I thought why not make him Sherlock Holmes? Set in a time when he can’t remember the Doctor, the story focuses on those mini adventures in his everyday life. And what a better time to do a silly but fun detective story than at Christmas.”
Shaun Russell, head of publishing at Candy Jar, says: “Our seasonal short stories have become something of a tradition, and it was important to me that this year be no different. Steven had produced a lovely, and amusing, little ditty for Christmas, and in quick time, too. Perfect reading after a hearty Christmas dinner!”
The Case of the Missing Fairy will be available for free on the Candy Jar website over Christmas.
Candy Jar also has a Christmas sale on at the moment, covering many of their varied titles, including several Lethbridge-Stewart titles. Perfect for Christmas presents!
A limited edition range of series five novels will be available early 2018, beginning with A Very Private Haunting by Sharon Bidwell. And later in the year the novella range continues with The Lost Skin by Andy Frankham-Allen. Pre-order A Very Private Haunting and The Lost Skin here.
Recently Candy Jar Books announced that, for the forseeable future, there will be no new editions of The HAVOC Files. Editor Andy Frankham-Allen issues this statement those who submitted story ideas through this year’s open submission window: “There are several logistic and legal reasons behind our decision, however, please note we are not cancelling the range, just resting it for the forseeable future. So to anybody who submitted a story idea to us, please be aware that there are two options open to you; you can either retain your idea and repurpose it for other use, or you can allow us to hold on to it and look at it again if/when we do another HAVOC Files release. Please drop us an email at havoc@candyjarbooks.co.uk to let us know which option you wish to take.”
The Lost Skin by Andy Frankham-Allen, features Professor Edward Travers, Harold Chorley and Samson Ware, in a mystery that takes them to John o Groats and the Orkney Islands.
Originally intended as a novella, Candy Jar previously published parts one and two of The Lost Skin in The HAVOC Files 2 and 3, and will now be completed (with 50% new material) as the novella was original designed to be. Read More →
Travers & Wells features, as the title suggests, Edward Travers teaming up with the grandfather of sci-fi, HG Wells in what may be the first in a series of adventures exploring the inspiration behind many of the Wells’ classics. Read More →
Award-winning independent publisher Candy Jar Books is pleased to announce that the world of Lethbridge-Stewart is getting bigger, with the launch of its brand new website just for fans!
Website designer at North East Design Consultants, Richard Young, says: “Creating a website for Candy Jar is one of the most enjoyable projects I have ever been involved with. There are so many different elements to the site. It’s something you can easily get lost in and thoroughly enjoy exploring.”
Candy Jar’s Publishing Coordinator, Lauren Thomas, said: “With the fifth Lethbridge-Stewart season due soon, Richard has managed to create a website which celebrates our beloved Brigadier. The site contains interviews, forums, and never-before-seen material, and the chance to sign up to a newsletter and download a variety of free stories.”
Constant updates on the upcoming books in the series will be added as the site develops. Alongside this, information about The Lucy Wilson Mysteries, a separate series about the Brigadier’s granddaughter, is also available.
Editorial Co-ordinator, Will Rees, says: “Since we launched the books we’ve had lots of questions and comments from fans about the Brigadier’s time in Doctor Who, as well as our novels. We wanted this site to keep readers completely up-to-date with every aspect of the series, explore the mythology of the Brig, and act as a news portal for new releases.”
The Lethbridge-Stewart novels are set just after the Doctor Who serial, The Web of Fear and feature the characters and concepts created by Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln. Lethbridge-Stewart is one of Doctor Who’s longest running characters, and is better known to Doctor Who fans as the Brigadier. Between 1968 and 2008 he was played by the late Nicholas Courtney, whose death was paid tribute to in popular series finale, The Wedding of River Song.
Head of publishing, Shaun Russell, says: “With the fiftieth anniversary approaching we wanted to do something special for the fans. This website collects together everything you need to know about the Brigadier and we plan to add much more content as the months roll by.”
To celebrate the launch of the website, Candy Jar Books is offering readers a chance to win a one-of-a-kind Lethbridge-Stewart original painting created by Richard Young. To enter the competition, just CLICK HERE and enter Candy’s Jar poll to vote for your favourite book, short story and cover design, and then you will automatically be entered into the prize draw.
To celebrate our new website, we are giving YOU the chance to win a one-of-a-kind piece of original artwork featuring the Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart! Created by Richard Young, one of the main artists for the Lethbridge–Stewart series, this piece is a unique collector’s item and a must-have and for any fan!
As a reader-led brand, this competition not only presents readers with a chance to win a prized piece of artwork, but also gives us the opportunity to understand the minds of our readers. Your opinions really do matter to us!
To enter the competition, just fill answer the questions below to cast your vote for your favourite book, short story and book cover.
You will automatically be entered into the prize draw, giving you the chance to win your very own original piece of artwork to complete your Lethbridge-Stewart collection.
[qsm quiz=1]
