novels.
Candy Jar Books launched the fully licensed
Lethbridge-Stewart series in February 2015, with
Andy Frankham-Allen’s
The Forgotten Son kicking off the venture in style. It was trailered by a free short story in the pages of
Doctor Who Magazine, and every subsequent novel released throughout 2015 was accompanied by a free short story available direct from Candy Jar Books.
Head of Publishing,
Shaun Russell says:
Our free short story incentive has proven to be very popular with our readers, and have met with many rave reviews, and so we’re very happy to announce that we’re continuing that incentive throughout 2016 with stories too intimate for the larger books.
The latest is
The Lock-In by newcomer to the range,
Sarah Groenewegen. Sarah was born in Sydney, Australia, but now lives in London. She has had essays published in various anthologies including the Hugo-nominated
Queers Dig Time Lords. Most recently she contributed over twenty entries in
1,001 TV Shows You Must Watch Before You Die. Her short fiction has won awards (
Scarlet Stiletto, 2002) and been published in Big Finish’s
Doctor Who line, including the award winning
Short Trips: Zodiac.
Sarah says:
I grew up with the Brig. I am of that Aussie generation who enjoyed multiple repeats of Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker stories, many of which included UNIT. Writing for Candy Jar has been fabulous, letting me dive into the character and bring to light some different facets of who he is. I loved exploring the relationship between him and Pearl, a slightly older woman who has a lasting effect on him and his life.
The Lock-In takes the form of a series of letters between Pearl and Sir Alistair, a man at the end of his life, as they reminisce over an adventure they shared just after he graduated from Sandhurst in 1956. It is a story of the impact one man can make, a story of perception of history and the importance of those who pass through our lives.
Range Editor Andy Frankham-Allen says:
As well as the usual romps, I thought it would be fun this year to use the short stories to explore the more intimate moments of our characters’ lives, the kinds of stories that would never work in a full length novel. Sue Hampton’s In His Kiss was the first of this new type of story, and Sarah’s is the second. I love what Sarah has done with her story, the personal tone to it all. So impressed was I, in fact, that one the back of this story Sarah is now writing a Lethbridge-Stewart novel for us.
The short stories now form part of a new initiative by Candy Jar Books to bring new talent into the worlds of
Doctor Who. Frankham-Allen continues:
Short stories are a perfect testing ground for new, untried, authors. A way to introduce them to readers, who may not normally be willing to part with hard-earn money on authors they have not heard of. And, if the reception is positive, we then talk to these new authors about possible ideas for novels.
Shaun Russell agrees:
Candy Jar has always been about encouraging new authors, and we regularly publish novels by first-time authors, including the children’s favourite, Anthony Ormond, and World War II hero Eileen Younghusband. So it seems a natural thing to extend this to our Lethbridge-Stewart range. Continuing the work pioneered by such people as Andrew Cartmel and Peter Darvil-Evans in the late ’80s and early ’90s.
The
Lock-In will be given free to every person who pre-orders the first of the new series of novels,
Moon Blink by
Sadie Miller, which is due to begin shipping
13th May. All subscribers will receive the short story automatically, as will those who purchase any of the bundles for 2016 series.
Shakespeare Live, the celebration of the bard's work, hosted by David Tennant and Catherine Tate, is to be screened in US movie theatres later this month. 
The actor 
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