The UNIT Files: Operation Wildcat and Other Stories

Sunday, 12 December 2021 - Reported by Chuck Foster

From early 2023, Candy Jar will begin publishing a series of novels covering the adventures of UNIT – featuring Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Benton, and other characters from the Doctor Who story The Invasion (all authorised by Kate Sherwin and Hannah Haisman). In advance of those novels comes the first short story anthology:

The UNIT Files: Operation Wildcat and Other Stories

Features stories by Tim Gambrell, Simon A Brett, Iain McLaughlin, Sharon Bidwell, James Middleditch, Baz Greenland, Sarah Groenewegen and Jonathan Macho

Cover by Martin Baines

Join Benton and the Brigadier in nine short stories looking at life in the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. Ever wondered what happened on Benton’s first official day in UNIT, or why he left to sell used cars? Ever wondered how Benton earned his sergeant stripes? Or what he got up to on his days off? How Does UNIT select new recruits? And what happens when the clean-up after an alien incursion goes wrong?

In Operation Wildcat and Other Stories, you’ll find these things out – and a lot more.

Compiled by Range Editor Tim Gambrell, it brings together nine adventures.Tim explained further:

Candy Jar has already set a standard for short story collections with The HAVOC Files books. The UNIT Files will continue in that vein. There are a lot of aspects – personal or otherwise – of life in UNIT that haven’t been covered on TV or within spin-off media published to date. That opens up a deep well of potential material that really suits the short story medium. I think we’ve pulled together a collection of pieces for this first UNIT Files that truly reflects that.

Everyone who was able to contribute seemed hugely fired-up by the opportunity and pitched some tremendous ideas. My story in The Benton Files book sparked an idea for a pair of linked situations within Benton’s career, so I’ve used those shorter ‘scenes’ to book-end the collection.

Among the authors contributing to Operation Wildcat and Other Stories are recent Lethbridge-Stewart writers James Middleditch (The Overseers), Jonathan Macho (The Serpent’s Tongue and The Two Brigadiers) and Baz Greenland (Bloodlines: Foreword to the Past), along with the return of popular author Iain McLaughlin (Mind of Stone) and long-standing Candy Jar stalwarts Sharon Bidwell and Sarah Groenewegen. In addition, Candy Jar welcomes new author Simon A Brett. Tim said:

I’ve enjoyed Simon’s work on other projects, and I was keen to introduce some new voices early on in the UNIT range. Simon had a basic concept inspired by a recent trip to the Shetlands Islands. I knew I needed to bottle that inspiration, and we quickly worked out a storyline together (along with a punning title). As expected, what Simon delivered was spot on.

The story that gives the collection its title, Operation Wildcat, is by Sarah Groenewegen. Of the opportunity to contribute to The UNIT Files, Sarah said:

I’ve loved writing for the Brigadier, and when the opportunity came to contribute a story involving more of the UNIT family I leapt at it. Sergeant Benton was, for me, the obvious choice to focus on as an ordinary squaddie facing extraordinary foes.

I grew up with the original UNIT stories, and later spent a fair proportion of my law enforcement career alongside serving and former special forces soldiers. Some of the tales they shared about their training made me wonder about the adventures prospective UNIT soldiers might face and what qualities the organisation would look for in new recruits.

The UNIT Files sees the return of author Iain McLaughlin, whose last book for Candy Jar was Mind of Stone (which is being re-released with a brand new story very soon). Iain explains about his return:

My dad was a staff sergeant, so I’ve always been hugely fond of the UNIT stories on TV. That also means that any time there’s a chance to do a UNIT or Brigadier story I’m happy to join up and do my duty.

My contribution, Shadow, is set early in Benton’s time with UNIT. He’s still learning how things work and the brass at UNIT are still getting to know him. I wanted to do a story that gave him a chance to show there was a lot more to him than just snapping to attention and saying ‘Sir’. He wouldn’t survive – and indeed thrive – in UNIT if he wasn’t resourceful and capable as well as brave. It let me have a bit of a delve into what Benton thought he was getting into in those early days.

Of contributor James Middleditch, Tim said:

I approached James just as he was completing work for Andy Frankham-Allen on The Overseers. He was very buoyed up from the experience and eager for the next challenge.

James explained:

Doctor Who, while rightfully focusing on the Doctor and his companions, leaves us some tantalising clues about what UNIT and its troops are up to in the background – including how personnel are managed, trained and promoted. Although he holds a number of positions across his various appearances, usually Benton is referred to as sergeant – it’s the rank he seems stuck with! At last, we can find out how he took on this mantle and what challenges he had to overcome.

Jonathan Macho first came to Candy Jar’s attention as a runner-up in the second South Wales Short Competition. He then went on to write the short story The Two Brigadiers, as well as the hugely creative Lucy Wilson book, The Serpent’s Tongue. He said:

When Tim kindly asked me to contribute to the first UNIT adventures at Candy Jar, my head flooded with bonkers ideas for the Brig and Benton. Where I ended up was Bong Joon Ho’s The Host in West Wales and the most fun I've had writing a story in a long time. I can't wait to see what my fellow writers have in store for the team too!

Baz Greenland’s first novel, Foreword to the Past, closed the Lethbridge-Stewart: Bloodlines series in 2020. He said

I was delighted to be asked to contribute to The UNIT Files and to have the opportunity to write for the Brigadier once again. Not only that, I got to write for one of my favourite characters from Doctor Who – Sergeant Benton – in a story that explores just how the members of UNIT are considered by their armed forces peers.

The cover for Operation Wildcat is by ever-popular Lethbridge-Stewart artist Martin Baines. Shaun Russell, head of publishing at Candy Jar, said:

It’s always a pleasure working with Martin. His creativity is second-to-none and our readers seem to appreciate his style.

The UNIT Files: Operation Wildcat and Other Stories is a hardback anthology, similar to the recent Lethbridge-Stewart books Downtime: Child of the New World, Kiss of the Ice Maiden and the illustrated Beast of Fang Rock. It will come with a postcard of the cover art and an exclusive short paperback book: The Benton Files II, featuring two new Benton short stories by

The Benton Files II

Written by George Ivanoff and new author Kenton Hall

Cover by Richard Young

It’s all in the mind… Or is it?

Retired Sergeant Major John Benton recounts two more tales of his experiences serving under Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart in the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. In The Lady Jessica Affair, by George Ivanoff, Benton and the Brigadier take tea with an apparently harmless elderly lady at her stately home – and end up defending the world. In Kenton Hall’s Life Assurance, life has apparently thrown a different set of circumstances John Benton’s way. But will he be able to find a path back to his true calling?

On the cover, Shaun continued:

As always Richard has done us proud. His work just gets better and better.

The UNIT Files: Operation Wildcat and Other Stories will be available exclusively through the Candy Jar website - note, this is not included in any subscription or multi-book deal.

FILTER: - Books - Candy Jar Books - UNIT

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Overseers / Short Story Collection 3

Sunday, 17 October 2021 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books has announced the second book in it’s ninth series of Lethbridge-Stewart novels:

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Overseers
Written by James Middleditch
Cover by Adrian Salmon

The Fifth Operational Corps is preparing for the future, but are horrified to see the shape of things to come.

A new form of surveillance is spreading across the South Coast of England. The British people are being shown a new kind of peace, but at what cost? Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and his team fear it may already be too late when this revolutionary method of control extends its reach through the ordinary city streets.

There are other secrets at work too, stretching from the past through the hidden world beneath the surface.

With nowhere to hide, Lethbridge-Stewart, Anne Travers, Bill Bishop and Samson Ware must find new allies. With their own histories part of the pattern and the fate of the country at stake, can they resist a force that’s closing in from every direction?

The Overseers is the first novel from author James Middleditch after two previous short stories for the series. Range Editor Andy Frankham-Allen said:

From the first time I read James’ first short story, Piece of Mind, I knew I had found a very good author. And it was after his second short, Latent Image for The Laughing Gnome anthology, that I knew it was time to test him on a novel. By that point plans were underway for the final eight Lethbridge-Stewart novels, which meant if I was going to use James, there would be no better time. James’ inventiveness is matched easily by his enthusiasm, and that shows in his writing. It took a few attempts to break his story, slotting in a few new elements and characters, but when the idea was locked down, James’ true skills came on full display.

James said:

I’ve loved spending time reading about these characters over the past few years and was thrilled to be able to write a couple of short stories featuring some of them. I was then asked to pitch a story for a full novel, and was quite overwhelmed to be selected. This will be my first published novel. Nothing quite prepares you for the task, so I’m grateful for the guidance Andy has provided throughout.

Andy continued:

It had been some time between finalising the outline and the first pass edit of the completed novel, time during which I had worked on a lot of other projects, so in many ways it was a nice surprise to read James’ book. I recalled only bits of the outline. What I discovered was some very sharp writing, in a book that exemplifies the what Lethbridge-Stewart (and indeed Doctor Who) does best, telling a good adventure story by playing on common fears and issues with modern culture. An even more clever task, considering the book is set in 1971.

James added:

Chapter planning was a great intermediate stage, although I’ve learned that these have to evolve as things progress and new ideas emerge. Spending an even more immersive time with these characters has been a pleasure. They have always felt so real, especially in the face of extraordinary things, and I feel privileged to have contributed one of their full adventures, especially as the series heads to its conclusion.

As well as keying into some of the more disturbing sides of popular culture, The Overseers highlights some of the more interesting aspects of the South Coast of England. James explained:

I’ve taken the chance with The Overseers to show off (and embellish!) some of our own local history here on the South Coast of England, while also exploring some very contemporary debates about surveillance and control. A few news stories have even broken during the time I’ve been writing that seem frighteningly close to the fiction. That blurry boundary between reality and speculation is an ideal one for our team of familiar characters to navigate. Likewise, the point between the past and the future, where each exerts a pull, is a great one to have taken them, and I hope readers enjoy going there too.

The cover sees the return of popular artist Adrian Salmon, hot off his work on the latest Doctor Who animation, The Evil of the Daleks:

I loved the ICUs the moment I read the brief – it's such a brilliantly simple idea, yet incredibly creepy: big brother on legs. I felt there should be a big bold drawing of an ICU with gun arm raised to catch the readers eye, whilst the rest of the montage hinted at scenes from the story. The speeding Volkswagen T2 Camper gave the cover a sense of movement, and all that was needed was Anne and Lethbridge-Stewart to complete the design.

The Overseers is due out at the end of October 2021, and can be pre-ordered now either on its own or as part of the series 9 bundle from the Candy Jar website.

The next book in the series will be Blue Blood by Chris Thomas.

Lethbridge-Stewart: Short Story Collection 3 (Credit: Candy Jar Books)

In 2017, 2019 and 2021 Candy Jar offered aspiring writers and fans of the Lethbridge-Stewart series the/ opportunity to pen their own story. Notable entrants included Jonathan Macho (who has since written several short stories and The Lucy Wilson Mysteries book, The Serpent’s Tongue), Richard Brewer (the author of the recent Lethbridge-Stewart anthology, The Ever-Running) and the 2019 winner Megan Fizzell (who co-wrote Domination Game with Aly Leeds).

Candy Jar Books is pleased to announce that the winner of the third Lethbridge-Stewart Short Story Competition is Peter Frankum.

Head of publishing, Shaun Russell, said:

It’s always a privilege going through entries and, as you can imagine, it was extremely difficult choosing a winner, but we felt that Peter’s stories were outstanding.

Peter’s two winning stories are called Prologue and Epilogue, and sit at the beginning and end of the book.

Will Rees, editorial co-ordinator at Candy Jar Books, said:

We have always offered entrants the opportunity to send in two stories, but not until now have we felt obliged to use both of them. Peter’s stories were both equally brilliant that we didn't really have a choice. Peter instinctively understands the characters of Professor Travers and Anne, and offers a new perspective on their lives. We look forward to working with him in the future.

The runner-up story is by Susan Brand. Shaun said:

In the Lucy Wilson books we usually include a flashback prologue; basically Lucy sitting on the Brig's knee as he recounts a fantastical story from his action-packed past. Susan has taken this concept and lovingly expanded it. As a co-creator of the series, I felt that this story was a joy to read!

The idea for the Lethbridge-Stewart Short Story Competition came from the company’s commitment to shedding light on fresh writing talent. Since 2015 the Lethbridge-Stewart novels have championed previously unknown authors such as James Middleditch and Gareth Madgwick, alongside famous writing names in the Doctor Who universe including John Peel, Nick Walters, Simon A Forward and David A McIntee.

The Lethbridge-Stewart Short Story Collection features eight exclusive short stories featuring Lethbridge-Stewart at various stages in his life (as well as one story from the wider LSverse). This is a chance for fans to see the Brigadier like they’ve never seen him before!

The eight stories are:

Prologue by Peter Frankum
The Grotesque by Tim Beeley
The Dulcians by Dallas Jones & Roger Reynolds
And... Cut by Robert Kilmister
Feeding Animals in the Zoo by Peer Lenné
A Master of Perception by Alan Darlington
Perfect Day by Susan Brand
Epilogue by Peter Frankum

Fully licensed by the Haisman estate, and featuring concepts and characters created by Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln, the Lethbridge-Stewart Short Story Collection is a must for fans new and old. Readers are advised that this book will be a limited edition release, only available to purchase directly from Candy Jar Books.

FILTER: - Books - Candy Jar Books - Lethbridge-Stewart

The Long Game: trailer

Sunday, 17 October 2021 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Ten Acre Films have released a trailer for their forthcoming book The Long Game, by Paul Hayes.

The book looks at what happened within the BBC to take Doctor Who from the aftermath of the TV Movie in 1996 to the recommissioning of the series in 2003, and includes material from more than thirty new interviews – audio clips from three of which are heard in the new trailer; Lorraine Heggessey, who was the Controller of BBC One when Doctor Who was recommissioned; Mal Young, who was the BBC’s Controller of Continuing Drama Series at the time; and Young’s former number two and Head of Development, Patrick Spence, who held the BBC’s first meeting with Russell T Davies about potentially writing Doctor Who in late 1998, and who tells his side of that story for the first time in the book.

The Long Game trailer on YouTube

The Long Game is released on November 1 and is available to pre-order via Ten Acre’s website.

FILTER: - Books

New Book Tells the Story Leading Up to Doctor Who’s 2005 Return

Saturday, 25 September 2021 - Reported by Marcus

Ten Acre Films, the publishers of recent reprints of Andrew Cartmel’s memoir Script Doctor and Richard Marson’s biography of Verity Lambert, Drama and Delight, have announced a new Doctor Who book to be published in November.

The Long Game tells the story of Doctor Who from May 1996 to September 2003 – from the aftermath of the first attempt to revive it, to the point at which it was finally recommissioned as an ongoing series by the BBC. The book, written by Doctor Who Magazine writer and former Doctor Who News contributor Paul Hayes, looks at the changes which took place within the BBC to allow the revival to happen, how the careers of those involved got them to that point, and some of the failed attempts at bringing the Doctor back to film and television along the way.

Hayes told Doctor Who News.

It’s a book I always wanted to read, but it didn’t seem to exist so I decided to write it myself!. There are of course many interviews, articles and documentaries from down the years which tell assorted bits of the story, but it never felt like there was anything which pulled it all together in one place, or reflected the wider context what was going on at the BBC through those years. I hope the book will appeal to anyone interested in the history of British television, particularly BBC television drama around the turn of the century, and give Doctor Who fans a real insight from many of those who were there.

The book has been assembled from extensive research and over thirty interviews with those involved in various stages of the story, including Julie Gardner, Jane Tranter, Mal Young, Lorraine Heggessey and Alan Yentob. It will be available in November from the website of Ten Acre Films

FILTER: - Books

The Lucy Wilson Mysteries - The Children of January

Sunday, 5 September 2021 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books has announced the latesrt instalment of The Lucy Wilson Mysteries,

The Lucy Wilson Mysteries: The Children of January

Written by Tim Gsmbrell

A new calendar year. A new term. A new set of challenges for Lucy Wilson and Hobo Kostinen.

The two of them discover they’ve been selected to represent their school at a national team event, that weekend.

But why such short notice? Who are the other seven children making up their team? And why are none of them bothered by the prospect of searching out concealed aliens on the frozen wastes of Dartmoor in January 2020?

Pretty soon, Lucy and Hobo realise that no one is quite what they seem on this particular weekend away.

The Lucy Wilson Mysteries is a Lethbridge-Stewart spin-off adventure inspired by characters created for Doctor Who by Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln. It also features Sergeant Benton, created by Derek Sherwin.

Lucy is the granddaughter of the iconic Doctor Who favourite Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart, and the last four years have seen her contend with a succession of extra-terrestrial threats drawn to her home in the seaside village of Ogmore-by-Sea, Wales.

This time, however, Lucy is packed off on a school trip to Dartmoor, where to her surprise she encounters seven other young defenders of Earth.

Head of publishing at Candy Jar, Shaun Russell, said:

Lucy and Hobo have really grown as characters since Sue Hampton masterfully introduced them in Avatars of the Intelligence. Since then we’ve seen them thwart an invasion of Mirror Clowns, end the TV career of Billy Bandrel, meet the Quarks, help the Brigadier save the universe, visit Fang Rock, and even witness Lucy’s birth. But now Lucy and Hobo are taking on their greatest challenge – and this time they need help!

Enter Joshua Benton, Reisha Travers and many more – the Children of January!

Tim Gambrell, the author of The Children of January, is thrilled to be kicking off this new phase of the Lucy Wilson saga. He said:

For one reason or another, I seem to have spent a lot of time with Lucy Wilson and Hobo over the past two years! It wasn’t planned that way, that’s just how it’s worked out. For me, at least, it’s been a joy. Lucy and Hobo are great characters to write for and build stories around. But since The Brigadier and the Bledoe Cadets was published, the next planned step for me was always The Children of January.

The book is set in January 2020 (hence the title), before the impact of COVID-19. Lucy and Hobo are sent off to Dartmoor to represent their school, alongside various other pupils from schools nationwide. This adventure ties up a few loose ends from the previous books, and establishes a brand new mystery for our heroes. Tim continued:

The Children of January was never going to be just another Lucy Wilson Mysteries book. Shaun gave me the title and a shopping list of things he wanted the book to contain. This included quite a large cast of characters. In fact, there’s even a guest appearance from a certain well-known warrant officer! Shaun then left me to turn his shopping list into an engaging Lucy Wilson Mysteries book. It was a challenge, for sure, but hopefully I’ve succeeded.

The book is now available for pre-order exclusively from the Candy Jar and Lethbridge-Stewart websites. You csn read a free chapter from the book via our website.

FILTER: - Candy Jar Books - Books - Lucy Wilson

The Life and Legacy of Verity Lambert

Friday, 3 September 2021 - Reported by Marcus

Drama And Delight: The Life And Legacy Of Verity Lambert has been reprinted by Ten Acre Films.

Richard Marson's acclaimed biography of Doctor Who's first producer has had a limited reprint.

For five decades, the name Verity Lambert appeared on the end credits of many of Britain’s most celebrated and talked about television dramas, among them Adam Adamant Lives!, Budgie, The Naked Civil Servant, Minder, Edward and Mrs Simpson, Eldorado, G.B.H. and Jonathan Creek.

She was the very first producer of Doctor Who, which she nurtured through its formative years at a time when there were few women in positions of power in the television industry. Later, she worked within the troubled British film business and became a pioneering independent producer, founding her own highly-successful company, Cinema Verity.

Within her profession, she was hugely respected as an intensely driven, sometimes formidable but always stylish exponent of her craft, with the stamina and ability to combine quantity with quality. Many of her productions have had a lasting cultural and emotional impact on their audiences and continue to be enjoyed to this day.

But who was the woman behind all these television triumphs and what was the price she paid to achieve them?

Combining painstaking research and interviews with many of Lambert’s closest friends and colleagues, Drama and Delight captures the energy and spirit of this remarkable woman and explore her phenomenal and lasting legacy.

The book can be ordered here

FILTER: - Books

UNIT - The Benton Files

Sunday, 29 August 2021 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books is pleased to announce a very special book for 2021, the first of its standalone UNIT books:

The Benton Files

Written by Tim Gambrell and John Peel

Cover by Richard Young

Rifleman John Benton finds himself summoned to London, to the HQ of a brand-new organisation – UNIT – under Waterloo Station. There, he meets an old barrack room buddy, Major Bill Bishop, and UNIT’s Commanding Officer, one Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.

The young rifleman is about to learn that not everything is as innocuous as it appears. Major Bishop has specially selected Benton to assist him on a mission – a mission that could change Rifleman John Benton’s life forever.

Featuring two UNIT stories…

Into the fire by Tim Gambrell

Car Wars by John Peel

The book features the very first meeting of the Brigadier and Benton, followed by Benton’s very first ever UNIT adventure.

Taking over as range editor from the hard working and very talented Andy Frankham-Allen is the equally assiduous Tim Gambrell. Tim said::

The Brigadier and Benton meeting for the first time seems such a momentous occasion in the Doctor Who universe. And we never saw it on screen. Of course, the Brigadier has a history of meeting much-loved characters off-screen. We never see the moment he first meets the Doctor in The Web of Fear, for example. And Benton is already a UNIT corporal when he shows up in The Invasion. But how did Benton join UNIT? The first story Into the Fire helps bridge that gap.

UNIT: The Bention Files (Credit: Candy Jar Books) To mark this occasion, Candy Jar recorded an audiobook version with John Levene. This will be released simultaneously with the paperback

The second story has been written by popular Doctor Who author John Peel, and is quite literally a race against time around the streets of Birmingham. Shaun Russell, head of publishing at Candy Jar, said:

As we approach 2022, we will soon be wrapping up the Lethbridge-Stewart range of novels. It’s been a great journey, but it’s time to move on to our planned next phase.

Authorised by the Sherwin estate, these UNIT new books will move the story onwards, to after The Invasion and beyond. Tim continues:

Launching a series of books based around UNIT, and featuring the Brigadier and Benton, is by far my biggest creative challenge yet. But what an amazing opportunity it is! When Shaun telephoned and offered me the role of range editor, I remember thinking, "If I turn this down I know I’ll always regret it." So here I am, excited, enthused, immersed and loving every minute of it.

The series will be launched in 2022, although The UNIT Files (similar to The HAVOC Files) will be released later this year.Tim, who has written for both the Lethbridge-Stewart and Lucy Wilson series, is indebted to the outgoing range editor, Andy Frankham-Allen. He continued:

UNIT owes a debt to the work of Andy, and everything he established with the Lethbridge-Stewart books. UNIT won’t be a direct continuation of these novels, largely because the cast will change, and we don’t want new readers to feel they need to have read the Lethbridge-Stewart books first, but I hope the two ranges will complement each other. And if we get new readers jumping onboard with UNIT, it would be great if they feel they want to check out what else Candy Jar has done previously. Personally, I want to tell stories that will appeal to fans of Doctor Who, but also to readers who enjoy action-adventure stories in general. Character-driven narratives, grounded in their contemporary world, but with a modern inclusive awareness.

Tim concludes:

How wonderful it is to have The Benton Files narrated by Benton himself, the fabulous John Levene.You can hear John’s love and enthusiasm for the character of Benton as he narrates Into the Fire and Car Wars. I really hope people enjoy both versions ofthis release. Also, I’d like to thank Richard Young for such a gorgeous cover. He has really done us proud this time.

The Benton Files novella and accompanying audiobook are available to pre-order from Candy Jar Books. and will be released in the next few weeks.

From the worlds of Doctor Who U.N.I.T. The Benton Files - Coming Soon!
An introduction to a brand new series of Doctor Who spin-off novels featuring the characters created by Mervyn Haisman, Henry Lincoln and Derrick Sherwin. Licensed by Hannah Haisman and Kate Sherwin.

FILTER: - Candy Jar Books - UNIT

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Ever-Running

Monday, 21 June 2021 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books has announced a new collection of short stories in their Lethbridge-Stewart series:

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Ever-Running (Credit: Candy Jar Books) The Ever-Running
Written by Richard Brewer

Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart, the stoic and ever dependable defender of Earth, is about to discover that reality is under attack from an enemy that strikes from beyond the boundaries of space and time. The Ever-Running have vowed that they must never be caught, and to prevent capture they are willing to destroy all that Alistair has sworn to protect.

Explore six new adventures throughout Alistair’s life and beyond, including a desperate battle for survival on a distant ice planet, General Lethbridge-Stewart facing the outbreak of World War 3 in the 1980s, a young girl escaping a remote Hampshire village where the sick never return from an idyllic island, and three further adventures that take the Brigadier to the far future, and a realm beyond the universe itself.

The Ever-Running is written by Richard Brewer, the author of the short story File# 161229 and Shadows in the Glen. Profits from this book will be donated to the Brain Tumour Charity.

If you are a fan of dystopian melodrama or futuristic space operas, then this collection is just for you. However, this book offers something for everyone, especially if you are fond of the classic Doctor Who stories The Daemons or The Android Invasion.

The collection of stories form an arc taking the Brigadier into situations and locations that he has never encountered before, and is written by Richard Brewer, who previously penned Shadows in the Glen for the first Lethbridge-Stewart Short Story Collection.

Candy Jar’s Head of Publishing, Shaun Russell, said:

I was very impressed with the quality of Richard’s work, and after he submitted A Message from the Brigadier – a companion piece that featured alongside the free Lucy Wilson story Copy/Paste during lockdown in 2020 – we began to talk about him writing a full book.

The book introduces a new enemy for the Brigadier,one who has the ability to manipulate his timeline and beyond! Richard said:

I wanted to take the Brigadier to places that he has never been before, It was tremendous fun to drop him into unknown territory!

However, the book had been written whilst Richard had received terrible news:

I started writing The Ever-Running during a particularly difficult time. My wife was diagnosed with a brain tumour at the beginning of last year. At first, she and I shared a deep sense of powerlessness and frustration at the news. But after the initial shock, and following some investigation into the current state of research into brain tumour treatment, we both knew that we desperately wanted to raise some money. I approached Shaun about writing a selection of short stories to raise funds for this urgent cause and he readily agreed.

Shaun found himself working on The Ever-Running under similar circumstances, as his daughterwas knocked down by a car, fracturing her lower back and pelvis on both sides leaving her unable to walk:

COVID restrictions meant that I had to stay with her as she recuperated in hospital, so as she was sleeping (or playing on her Nintendo Switch) I edited Richard’s book, and I am so grateful that I was able to do this during the obvious worrying times I was facing. As a cancer survivor, I wholeheartedly support this book and encourage all readers to support Richard, either by buying this book, or donating to the Brain Tumour Charity.

The Ever-Running is available to pre-order via The Candy Jar website and will be released in early July 2021. Please note this book is not covered by any subscription offer.

Every year some 16,000 people are diagnosed with a brain tumour; a disease which is responsible for more deaths of children and adults under the age of forty than any other cancer. Sadly, despite this startling fact, the funding into research is very low, as is evidenced by the fact that the prognoses for brain tumours have not changed in forty years. The Brain Tumour Charityhelps lead the fight against this devastating and indiscriminate disease.

You can find out more and donate via their website at www.thebraintumourcharity.org

We are delighted to be able to present Richard's short story Shadows in the Glen for readers as a PDF; click on the cover image below to read it!

FILTER: - Candy Jar Books - Books - Lethbridge-Stewart

New paperbacks from Penguin Random House

Sunday, 13 June 2021 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Penguin Random House have announced two new paperback collections in their Puffin brand, aimed at children.

The first features a new combination of Doctor Who with much loved classic works, merging iconic literary worlds with much-loved Doctors in adventures across time and space:

The Wonderful Doctor of Oz (Credit: BBC/Puffin Books)

The Wonderful Doctor of Oz
Written by Jacqueline Rayner
(buy now from Amazon UK)

The thirteenth Doctor meets The Wizard of Oz in a strange and enchanting adventure, filled with old foes and monsters.

When a sudden tornado engulfs the TARDIS, the Thirteenth Doctor and her fam find themselves transported to the magical land of Oz. With a damaged TARDIS and an unexpected stowaway from the 1930s, their only hope of getting home is to follow the yellow brick road. But when an army of scarecrows ambushes them, they quickly realise that everything is not as it should be, and they're thrown into a fight for survival against a mysterious enemy.

As each of her companions becomes a shadow of their former selves, only the Doctor is left standing. Desperate to save her friends, she must embark on a perilous journey to seek help from the mysterious Wizard of Oz - and stop whatever forces are at work before she and her friends are trapped in the fictional world forever.

Jacqueline Rayner has written many books, audioplays and comic strips, many of them set in the world of Doctor Who, including the number one bestseller The Stone Rose and two 'Quick Reads' for World Book Day. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked at BBC Books as an editor on their Doctor Who range.

Legends of Camelot (Credit: BBC/Puffin Books)

Legends of Camelot
Written by Jacqueline Rayner
(buy now from Amazon UK)

Doctor Who meets King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table, featuring fan favourite, the tenth Doctor as portrayed by David Tennant.

While investigating a strange energy in Carbury, the Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble are pulled into a different dimension, smashing a giant hole into another world in the process. As the magic of the hidden dimension slowly seeps out, the Doctor and Donna find themselves in Camelot, where a young squire, Arthur, comes to their aid, and when the Doctor is mistaken for Merlin, they are swept up in the glamorous and daring legends of the Knights of the Round Table.

But something far more menacing has been awakened. Caught in an ancient battle for power, Donna and the Doctor are sucked into a dangerous game. As each move is made and time spins faster, the Doctor must find a way to seal the rift before an unimaginable power is unleashed and the universe is laid to waste.

The second collection features illustrated adventures fallling under the banner of the Team TARDIS DIaries:

The TARDIS Diaries: Paper Moon (Credit: BBC/Puffin Books)

Team Tardis Diaries, Volume 1: Paper Moon
Written by Louie Stowell
Illustrated by Robin Boyden
(buy now from Amazon UK)

The first in a brand new series of illustrated adventures for the Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor and friends.

The Doctor and her friends find themselves in terrible danger in a psychic forest, and discover a threat as old as time itself, in the first of four linked adventures for Team TARDIS. Written in the form of a diary, with entries from Ryan, Graham and Yaz, and illustrated throughout, this new series is perfect for young fans of Doctor Who.

Louie Stowell started her career writing carefully-researched books about space, Ancient Egypt, politics and science but eventually lapsed into just making stuff up. She likes writing about dragons, wizards, vampires, fairies, monsters and parallel worlds. She lives in London with her wife Karen, her dog Buffy and a creepy puppet that is probably cursed.

The TARDIS Diaries: Ghost Town (Credit: BBC/Puffin Books)

Team Tardis Diaries, Volume 2: Ghost Town
Written by Susie Day
Illustrated by Robin Boyden
(buy now from Amazon UK)

The second in a new series of illustrated adventures for the Thirteenth Doctor, as portrayed by Jodie Whittaker.

Something has gone wrong with time, and the Doctor - alongside her friends Yaz, Ryan and Graham - is determined to investigate. The trail leads to a dusty mining town at Hallowe'en - and something scary is lying in wait for them ...

Susie Day grew up by the seaside in Penarth, Wales, with a lisp and a really unfortunate choice of first name. Between books, she works as a copywriter in Birmingham, crochets ridiculous jumpers and inhales tea.Susie now lives in Coventry, England with her partner and a black cat named Pantalaimon.

FILTER: - Books

The Who Adventures

Wednesday, 14 April 2021 - Reported by Marcus

Telos Publishing has announced a new book from writer and researcher David J Howe.

The Who Adventures looks at the ranges of Doctor Who titles published by Virgin Publishing in the early 1990s and contains a history of the range, as well as many pieces of the cover art, reproduced as full-page items.

It also includes sketches and unused art and covers everything you could want to know about the Doctor Who fiction published by Virgin.

David J Howe explained

This book started life as a series of articles for Doctor Who Magazine. I still had all that material available. Plus, when Virgin closed their doors to Doctor Who and fiction generally towards the end of the 1990s, I was lucky enough to get to go through their Who files and to pull out and copy anything which seemed interesting, and so I had a pile of sketches and other information just begging to be compiled together in a book!

Last year, in lockdown, and with the absence of anything else to do, I started going through and organising all the material, reviewing the text, and generally pulling it all together into something which could be released as a new book!

'It's the ultimate guide to the Virgin New Adventures and Missing Adventures ranges of books, which saw several authors, including Russell T Davies, Ben Aaronovitch and Mark Gatiss publishing early works of original fiction!

Stephen James Walker, Director of Telos Publishing, said

David J Howe's The Target Book has been one of Telos Publishing's most successful and acclaimed titles, and we are delighted to have this opportunity to publish a follow-up covering Virgin's Doctor Who novels ranges.

The New Adventures books are one of my own personal favourite 'eras' of Doctor Who, and I know that many other fans have very fond memories of them and hold them in the highest regard. Not only does The Who Adventures give an authoritative account of the books' history, with a lot of fascinating information, but it also presents a wealth of superb images, including full-page reproductions of many the original cover paintings, plus preliminary design sketches and ideas, and much additional material.

A sumptuous coffee-table-style book in full colour, it aims to be the ultimate celebration of a hugely important part of the Doctor Who phenomenon.

The book is available to preorder now direct from Telos Publishing - telos.co.uk - and is expected to be available in December 2021.

FILTER: - Books

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