IFWG February 2013 Newsletter

I thought that over the next few newsletters I would revisit some of our earlier publications, in the hope that you, the reader, would consider reading them, or at the least help pass the good word. We are proud of our catalogue of titles, and what makes our earliest novels unique - apart from them being our first - is that we published a higher percentage of non-speculative pieces than at any time thereafter (and now, we only publish non-spec work for a select number of authors who have published with us previously).

In this newsletter, I want to focus on 2010 titles still available today.

Blood Contract was Biola Olatunde's first novel published by IFWG Publishing. It was a pleasure to publish as it introduced a wonderful diversity to our catalogue, a story written with a strong Nigerian English tone, and an exotic location - Nigeria. What's more, while one could read the novel as a contemporary African adventure, a discerning reader would quickly understand that it is a social commentary on all manner of issues that affect Nigerian society. A wonderful work, and one well worth reading prior to delving into Biola's much more complex and sophisticated work, Numen Yeye.

The Devil Came East, by Geraldine Fitzsimmons and Andy Stephenson, is a crime thriller, and packed with adventure and an immersive insight into a serial killer's mind. We were impressed with the story, and even more so with the quality of the writing skills. We were pleased indeed with having Geraldine continue her professional relationship with us, with the publication of the chap-ebook, To The Battle Born, and her latest novel, Unlikely Hero (again, in the crime thriller genre).

Knorrasky: The Deception, by our own R.A. Knowlton, was our first speculative fiction title, and devoted to the long respected heroic fantasy subgenre. This novel, the first of the Knorrasky series, introduces the reader to a well-crafted fantasy world, where Noman, the King of Knorrasky, is deceived in his own camp, and overthrown by his enemies. While a classic story of good versus evil, the strength of this novel is its study of a man's struggle against the black dog of depression - a topic unusually presented here. Knorrasky: The Earth Blade is R.A. Knowlton's second book (already published), the third will be out over the next year.

The Okapi Promise is the first of many titles written by Paula Boer for IFWG Publishing. This book is a travel adventure, largely taking place in Africa. Paula adds depth to her story, and considerable tension, by overlaying a conspiratorial subplot over it. Since publishing this, Paula has focused her efforts with illustrator Rowena Evans, on their Brumbies series, a children's horse adventure set in Australia, where the pair live. Two books have thus far been published.

Linda Penhall, our delightful author based in South Africa, published They Never Gave Up with us, a story set in Ireland following the lives of two young girls with disparate backgrounds but a devoted friendship. This story is rich with humor, tragedy, love and insights into the human condition. A sequel is planned for the near future.

I had the fortune of being able to publish my young teen contemporary fantasy novel, Guardian of the Sky Realms.

Finally, we come to Elizabeth Lang, who published her first book of The Empire series (with the same name), which combines riveting and exciting science fiction with an undercurrent of romance. Elizabeth has been given very good reviews for her first novel, and we are very pleased to have shared its publishing. Her sequel was recently published, The Rebels, and we are expecting soon to publish the final of the series, The Andromedans.

Next month I will describe the 2011 titles.

Gerry Huntman
Chief Editor
IFWG Publishing