Some of you may remember an e-serial I wrote back in 2002, entitled MASTER OF THE MOORS, a kind of a cross between THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES and THE FOG. Driven by the frustration of being unable to complete a full-length novel, I decided the best way to keep the momentum going and actually get the damn thing finished was by ensuring there was enough pressure on my shoulders to do so. And what better way than to have a couple of hundred readers following its progress week to week. The e-serial proved popular, contained introductory essays by some of the genre's luminaries, and featured weekly prizes courtesy of Subterranean Press.

And of course, though it took somewhere in the region of 22 weeks, I managed to complete the novel.

Then I promptly shelved it. In the intervening years, one of the more common questions I was asked was: "Are you ever going to publish MASTER OF THE MOORS as a print title?"

My memories of the book dissuaded this, as I believed, like many first novels, it was riddled with clumsy writing and silly errors. Plus, considering the e-serial's forward momentum, I hadn't been able to go back and change anything, so surely there were contradictions and plot holes galore.

And when I took it out and reread it, I discovered I was right.

But...

I also found the book immensely enjoyable and not nearly as bad as I thought. So I went through it, cut, edited, rewrote, spitshined and polished it, then once again stuck it in a drawer and forgot about it, preoccupied with other projects-in-progress.

Until one night, Don Koish at NEP asked me if I had any plans to do anything with the book.

I'm proud to share with you now the result of that lengthy phone conversation:



A new novel from Kealan Patrick Burke to be released this fall which will feature new cover and interior art by Steve Gilberts.

Limited edition: $45 US
Lettered edition: $250 US -SOLD OUT

Sixteen-year-old Jane Mansfield and her blind brother Neil live in a manor on the edge of the Brent Prior moors. It is a dreary place populated by the dispirited and the disillusioned, where the young nurture desperate dreams of escape. And Jane is no different. But her plans to run away to the city are crushed one very ordinary morning when the quiet in Brent Prior is shattered by an inexplicable act of violence.

In the wake of the tragedy, Jane's beloved father is stricken by a strange illness, and she and her brother fall under the care of the manor's caretaker and maid.

Then, as if attuned to the melancholy that has stricken Mansfield House, a fog rolls in. Villagers begin to vanish. Lithe fleeting shadows are glimpsed in the mist, and a disfigured man arrives in Brent Prior.

A man who has come back to settle an old score.

A man who calls himself the Master of the Moors.

* * *

450 Limited numbered hardcovers signed by Kealan Patrick Burke.

26 Lettered deluxe hardcovers with a metal traycase signed by Kealan Patrick Burke and Steven Gilberts.

(Each lettered copy will come with a page from the draft of the story signed by Kealan Patrick Burke)

For ordering information, click .

* * *

_________________
http://www.kealanpatrickburke.com

Will you be publishing this on Smashwords as well?

I just saw a hardcover copy on ebay for $100. Yikes!

Oops, that was Ravenous Ghosts that was $100. Master of the Moors was currently at $21.50.

Craig:

MASTER OF THE MOORS would have been available in e-form a long time ago if I hadn't lost the file for the novel in my last hard drive crash. I had hoped to get a copy of the file from Don at NEP, but he has been incommunicado for quite some time. What this means is that I'm going to have to type the novel by hand from the hardcover into a Word document. It's not a project I'm looking forward to, to be honest, but I aim to have it done over the next few weeks, so you should see the book soon...

Kealan

_________________
http://www.kealanpatrickburke.com

This is available on Smashwords now, and on Amazon in a few days time...

_________________
http://www.kealanpatrickburke.com

I picked up a copy of this from Steve Gilberts at Necon this year. I finished it today and really enjoyed it. I'll post my thoughts in a day or two.

Thank you, TML! I look forward to reading your thoughts on it.

Kealan

_________________
http://www.kealanpatrickburke.com

One of the major things I liked about Master Of The Moors is that it kept moving forward. When you have a book like this, a lot of times there are chapters where characters think about what's happening but it really doesn't move the story forward. There are chapters like that here, but something is learned or shown that propels the story along. I think part of that comes from the fact that it was originally an e-serial, where a slow chapter might kill any momentum the story had.

Another thing I liked was that, while this took place in a small village on the moors, it really wasn't about the village, but about certain people, and that focus was never lost. There are no little side stories about this person or that person, who only touch the story briefly. Every character in this novel has a role to play and something is learned about each of those characters as the novel progresses. A good example of this is Sarah, who is a fairly minor character but has a scene with Grady (one of the main characters) that adds some depth to her emotionally.

And while you may expect this to be a quiet novel, there's some action with good physical horror that offsets the quieter moments very well.

I say this was a very good read. I recommend it.

Downloaded it onto my Kindle. Gotta find the time to read it. Got to.

You and Craig are the ones who turned me onto Kealan. And I'm very thankful that you did!

I'm delighted to hear you guys are enjoying the books! And thanks TM for posting your review!

Kealan

_________________
http://www.kealanpatrickburke.com