Lethbridge-Stewart: Times Squared

Wednesday, 21 September 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books have announced details of the first novel to be released in the third series of Lethbridge-Stewart adventures:

Lethbridge-Stewart: Times Squared (Credit: Candy Jar Books)

Times Squared
Written By Rick Cross
Cover by Martin Bainess
Published by Candy Jar Books end October 2016

When Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, his fiancée Sally Wright, and nephew Owain Vine, embark on a much-needed holiday to New York City, the last thing they expect to find is a puzzling mystery involving coma patients, a stranger from a distant land and a dark menace lurking in the bowels of the city's labyrinthine subway system.

Before long, they're battling an ancient evil pursuing a deadly campaign of terror that could bring Manhattan under its control... and the world to its knees.

The book sees the return of the Great Intelligence, last seen on television during Series 7 and influential to the Lethbridge-Stewart range from the very start. Range Editor Andy Frankham-Allen said:

For (the first novel) The Forgotten Son I was interested in wrapping up the story of the Great Intelligence as seen in Moffat’s trilogy, and exploring something of its origins. So now it’s time to go back to the Intelligence as depicted in the original Haisman/Lincoln stories. Ever wondered what happened to it in those long years between The Web of Fear and The Snowmen, and how the 1995 straight-to-video film, Downtime, fits in? Well, now it’s time to start finding out.

Times Squared, written by first-time novelist Rick Cross, takes place some eight months after The Web of Fear, transferring the Yeti from the London Underground to the underground network of New York. Shaun Russell, head of publishing at Candy Jar, said:

I had the idea of the Yeti roaming through Times Square, plaguing the immense underground of New York. And by throwing in a bit of time travelling shenanigans, the title was an obvious one.

Andy continued:

After Shaun came to me with the basic idea, it was quickly decided we wanted, ideally, an American author to write it. I turned to Rick Cross, an aspiring US author I knew via social media. We talked and he jumped at the chance. We spent a short while discussing story ideas, telling him the elements I wanted, and he came to me with a few ideas of his own. And it has turned out rather brilliantly; the first bona-fide sequel to The Web of Fear, dealing with the Intelligence from that story, as well as a story that brings back Owain, Lethbridge-Stewart’s nephew, last seen in Beast of Fang Rock. A character with a very special relationship to the Intelligence.

Rick said:

It’s been an exciting opportunity. Hard work, trying to remember the British rules of grammar, but I’ve enjoyed telling my story and delving into the relationship between Lethbridge-Stewart, his fiancée, Sally, and his nephew, Owain. Owain in particular has been fun, exploring his freedom of spirit, and his destiny – which is, one day, to be reincarnated into the person who will ascend to be the Intelligence.

On bringing back the Yeti, he continued:

I had this brilliant idea about the rats in the sewers of New York, and their connection to various plagues throughout the years. What if one such plague was the result of the Intelligence? Coupled with that was my desire to explore the origins of the Yeti. Who made them? How did so many of them get to be in the London Underground in The Web of Fear? Remember, in that story it is revealed that Travers only brought one of them back from Tibet with him. Hopefully Times Squared will provide fans with an interesting take on that, as well as expanding the mythology surrounding the Intelligence and Yeti.

The novel also links in to the BBC’s range of Eighth Doctor Adventures from the 1990s by the inclusion of character Adrienne Kramer, the future brigadier-general of the US arm of UNIT who made her official Doctor Who debut in the 1997 novel Vampire Science by Jonathan Blum and Kate Orman. Andy said:

Ever since first reading about this character in 1997 I’ve wanted to use her; indeed, she featured in an unpublished Doctor Who novel I wrote in 1998. Her connection to UNIT, and consequently the Brigadier, has been something I’ve wanted to explore since day one of this series. In particular to show the origins of how she came to know Lethbridge-Stewart and what piqued her interest in all things alien.

Rick added:

It was a wonderful opportunity. Andy set it all up, put me in touch with Jon, who compiled a detailed background document for the character. I had never heard of Kramer, but did my research, and it has been brilliant writing for her, exploring the young woman she was in 1969, long before she became the tough soldier in Vampire Science. I’ve been very blessed to play with all these wonderful much-loved Doctor Who characters in my book, and add one of my own creations to the mythos of Doctor Who.

Cover art is provided by Martin Baines, whose portfolio includes the Wallace & Gromit comic, Commando, The Beano, and more recently Thunderbirds Are Go magazine. Martin said:

As soon I was briefed on the key scene in the book, Yeti robots covered in rats coming out of the New York underground, I was onto a winner with the cover. This horrific, stark image along with the brilliant writing by Rick Cross makes this a worthy continuation to the classic Web of Fear.

The book includes a forward by Terry Molloy, narrator of the first series of Lethbridge-Stewart audiobooks (and best known in Doctor Who for his 1980s/Big Finish portrayal of Davros).

Times Squared can be pre-ordered individually or as part of the Series 3 Bundle (both UK and overseas), which will include the forthcoming novels Blood of Atlantis by Simon A Forward and Mind of Stone by Iain McLaughlin. There is also a subscription deal for those wishing to get six books for the price of five (UK only, covering the series three titles, plus the series four titles released early 2017)! Pre-orders are available directly from Candy Jar Books.

A free digital-only short story, The Wishing Bazaar by Sharon Bidwell, will be given out to all pre-order/subscription customers in October.

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

Lethbridge-Stewart: free download The Last Duty / The Havoc Files 2 update

Friday, 9 September 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books have announced a special free digital release in the Lethbridge-Stewart range, The Last Duty, a tribute to real-life WAF Eileen Younghusband who features in the book.

Eileen Younghusband (Credit: Candy Jar Books)

Born in London, Eileen joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force during WW2 and worked in the Filter Room, the top secret hub of Britain’s air defence. It was during this time that Eileen tracked the first V2 rocket into the country!

A life size figure of Eileen as a twenty-one-year-old WAAF officer stands in a replica of a filter room at the Battle of Britain museum at Bentley Priory. Her advice on the WAAF was sought by historians, documentary makers and even a Hollywood scriptwriter.

Her television appearances included the BBC series, Britain's Greatest Generation, Channel 4’s WW2: The Last Heroes, and the ITV Wales programme, Welsh Heroes of World War Two, as well as BBC’s Breakfast, The One Show and Eggheads. Her book – One Woman’s War – won a People’s Book Prize. Her latest book – Eileen’s War – was written for children and was completed and published only weeks before her death on 2nd September, at the age of 95.

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Last Duty (Credit: Candy Jar Books)

Range Editor Andy Frankham-Allen says

We’ve had plans for a while to bring Eileen into the series, and the news of her death made us decide to make it happen sooner, to pay tribute to this great legend of World War II. It’s not often one meets a bona fide hero in one’s life, and the difference Eileen made to the security of the UK cannot be stressed enough; it was a natural thing to bring her into contact with the Doctor Who legend that is Lethbridge-Stewart.

The Last Duty is set shortly after The Grandfather Infestation and is written by newcomer to the range, Christopher Bryant (editor/contributor to several Doctor Who related charity books like You and Who, Seasons of War and You on Target). He says:

Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart has always been one of my favourite characters from Doctor Who, so it's a privilege to be part of bringing him back to have new adventures.

The PDF story features a cameo by Eileen, immortalised as the cousin of Derek Younghusband, a character created with Eileen’s blessing for The Band of Evil, who appears in The HAVOC Files 2. Christopher continues:

I loved writing this story because it's a great mix of monster-filled action scenes with a more thoughtful examination of how we lead our lives. It's a particular honour to be able to pay tribute to Eileen Younghusband, who lived such an amazing life.

The free PDF, available from the Candy Jar website, also features excerpts from Eileen’s War and One Woman’s War. Shaun Russell, head of publishing at Candy Jar, says:

We have included these excerpts to illustrate how important Eileen was in the defence of Britain. Apart from arguably saving Winston Churchill’s life, spending time with Dylan Thomas and acting as a guide at a Nazi concentration camp, I would encourage all fans to read these excerpts as a fascinating document of our times.

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Havoc Files 2 (Credit: Candy Jar Books)

Meanwhile, the cover for the The Havoc Files 2 has now been revealed, plus news that an additional tale will be included in the anthology. Shaun Russell, says:

With the previous volume we collected the many short stories published in 2015, but it was a little different this time since we have released fewer short stories this year. However, as we like to spoil our readers, we decided it would be nice to produce new exclusive material for the collection, as well as give a couple of extras. And, just to make this collection even more worthwhile, and collector’s item, we’ve decided to add yet another story to the mix.

The Lost Skin is a novella that is set concurrently with the forthcoming Lethbridge-Stewart novel, Times Squared, focussing on several of the regular cast of characters, including the return of journalists, Harold Chorley, Larry Greene and Charlie Redfern. More importantly, it also features the first full appearance of Professor Edward Travers, last seen in 2015’s The Schizoid Earth, who heads to John o Groats to investigate a bit of Scottish lore.

Writer Andy Frankham-Allen says:

The plan was originally to release the novella alongside Times Squared, but time kind of ran away from me, so I suggested instead we release it as part of The HAVOC Files as a three-part story over three volumes. I mean, who doesn’t like a cliffhanger or two?

The cover is by Adrian Salmon, who faced the challenge of how to touch upon the various stories and yet still have a striking image to attract readers’ attentions. He says:

A unifying cover idea for a mix of stories was never going to be easy but the central idea of an incredible shrinking Lethbridge-Stewart made small work of it!

The whole collection is dedicated to the memory of Rhys Rubery, friend of the range editor and Doctor Who fan, a sixteen-year-old who lost his life in a tragic accident in July 2016. You can find out more about Rhys, and how to support the RR81 Legacy by going to this website.

The HAVOC Files 2 is released at the end of September, and is available for pre-order directly from the Candy Jar website.

The next series of Lethbridge-Stewart begins in October with the release of Times Squared by Rick Cross, followed by Blood of Atlantis by Simon A Forward and Mind of Stone by Iain McLaughlin.

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

Lethbridge-Stewart: The HAVOC Files 2

Wednesday, 17 August 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books have announced the release of the second volume of The HAVOC Files, collecting the short stories released during the first half in 2016 originally released as digital downloads.

The collection included the following titles: In His Kiss by Sue Hampton, The Lock-In by Sarah Groenewegen BEM, The Black Eggs of Khufu by Tom Dexter, The Band of Evil by Roger J Simmonds & Shaun Russell, and The Playing Dead by Adrian Sherlock. As with the previous volume, The HAVOC Files 2 also includes new stories exclusive to the book, Ashes of the Inferno by Andy Frankham-Allen, and House of Giants by Rick Cross.

As the new titles might suggest, the stories are related to two of the Doctor's television adventures. Writer Andy Frankham-Allen says of his book:

As the title suggests this story is connected to the 1970 serial Inferno; indeed it begins the same day the Doctor returns from the alternative Earth. A lot of readers have asked how the expanding mythology of the Lethbridge-Stewart series fits into the UNIT era of Doctor Who, and this story goes a little way to explaining that. But it’s much more than just a response to readers’ questions, it’s a story about loss and coming to terms with losing everything that matters to you. A theme that I often come back to, and one that is even more poignant right now as only recently I lost a friend in very tragic accident. This story serves as something of a tribute to that young man, who was not only a friend but a huge Doctor Who fan, and the family he left behind, who are trying to cope with such a monumental loss.

The second brand new story picks up on a thread referenced in the most recent Lethbridge-Stewart novel, The Grandfather Infestation by John Peel, dealing with aftermath of the Doctor Who serial, Planet of Giants: Writer Rick Cross says:

Planet of Giants is a personal favourite of mine, an inventive and unexpected First Doctor experiment that has resonated in my mind since I first saw it, so it’s been fun writing a sort of coda to it. I'm thrilled and honoured to bring the Brigadier and Anne Travers onto the scene of this classic Doctor Who story, and can't wait for fellow fans to see what awaits them there.

Candy Jar’s Head of Publishing, Shaun Russell, comments on the newcomer to the range:

Rick was brought in by Andy, a result of successful networking on Facebook. We’ve been so impressed with Rick’s abilities as a writer that we thought it’d be nice to have him write us a short story while Andy works on his forthcoming novel.

That novel will be Times Squared, written before House of Giants. Cross says:

I'm actually quite pleased that House of Giants will arrive ahead of Times Squared. I hope it will serve as an appetizer of sorts to the entree to come, one that will introduce Lethbridge-Stewart readers to my particular Yankee style, borne of a lifelong obsession with Doctor Who, sci-fi films and Stephen King novels. Hopefully, they'll come away eager to explore the labyrinthine streets of late-‘60s New York City... and what lies beneath.

Two additional extras in the book include the original prologue from John Peel’s The Grandfather Infestation - which reveals why the Ymir brought their Grandfathers to Earth in the first place - and the unpublished interludes from The Showstoppers by Jonathan Cooper. Range editor Andy Frankham-Allen says:

I decided to remove the interludes from the novel because, in my opinion, they slowed the pace of the story down too much. However, the background on Schädengeist and Commander Shepstone was too good to simply consign to the rubbish bin, so it’s a great pleasure to make the interludes available as one short story.

As with the first volume, The HAVOC Files 2 will only be available as a strictly limited edition print run, and is can be pre-ordered directly from the Candy Jar Bookstore.

The next series of Lethbridge-Stewart begins in October with the release of Times Squared by Rick Cross, followed by Blood of Atlantis by Simon A Forward and Mind of Stone by Iain McLaughlin.

The whole collection is dedicated to the memory of Rhys Rubery, friend of the range editor and Doctor Who fan, a sixteen-year-old who lost his life in a tragic accident in July 2016. You can find out more about Rhys, and how to support the RR81 Legacy by going to this website.

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

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Playing Dead

Thursday, 21 July 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

This month sees the release of the Lethbridge-Stewart novel The Grandfather Infestation by John Peel, and Candy Jar Books have announced that this will be accompanied by the latest in their range of free digital-only stories, The Playing Dead, written by newcomer to the range, Adrian Sherlock:

Lieutenant Bishop has survived a dangerous mission in Australia and is looking forward to going home. But he wakes up to find the streets of Darwin are empty; he seems to be the last man on Earth. Until from the shadows come strange creatures. The dead are walking, and they want Bishop. But Bishop has more to worry about than just himself – where is Anne Travers?

Range Editor Andy Frankham-Allen said:

Adrian came to my attention via John - he’s one of the many new voices were encouraging through a short story initiative, although we kind of did it backwards with Adrian. A novel pitch (set in his native Australia) led to this short story.

Keeping with the experimental nature of the free short stories, The Playing Dead is the first story to focus on Bill Bishop, ever-popular adjutant to Lethbridge-Stewart. Adrian Sherlock said:

It's been a long held dream of mine to write a story about the classic era of Doctor Who, and the Lethbridge-Stewart series is a hugely exciting way to do that. It was also personally very exciting to write a story which harkens back to classics like The Twilight Zone and The Omega Man, but with a very Who-ish twist. I'm eternally grateful to Andy for the chance to push the brave but unsuspecting Bishop into a world of shadows and dangers.

I had a lot of fun getting into the mind of Bishop, a character created especially for this series. It’s telling that he is just as rounded and as interesting as Lethbridge-Stewart and Anne Travers. He is a worthy addition to the role-call of heroes we know and love from the classic era of Doctor Who. A joy to write for.

Although set within the current narrative of the book series, The Playing Dead moves the story forward a year. Shaun Russell, Head of Publishing, said:

It’s nice to dip in and out of Lethbridge-Stewart’s life with the short stories, and as we know where the characters will be in a year, namely Australia, we thought it would be fun to give a few hints to our readers.

Cover art is by Richard Young:

How could I say no to creating something a little different from my usual style? It’s always nice to show people your range. Different strokes for different folks. And, of course, a chance to turn the Brig into a zombie... What’s not to love?

The Grandfather Infestation is due out at the end of July, and all subscribers will receive the short story automatically, as will those who purchase any of the bundles for the 2016 series. More details can be found at the Candy Jar website, where readers can also receive a free download of the short story The Band of Evil.

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

Lethbridge-Stewart: John Peel returns to the worlds of Doctor Who

Saturday, 2 July 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books have released details on the next book in their Lethbridge-Stewart range, The Grandfather Infestation, which has been written by long-term Target/Virgin/BBC Book author John Peel.

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Grandfather Infestation, by John Peel (Credit: Candy Jar Books)

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Grandfather Infestation
Written by John Peel, foreward by Simon Clark
Cover by Colin Howard
Published by Candy Jar Books, July 2016

The late 1960s and pirate radio is at its height.

Something stirs in the depths of the North Sea, and for Radio Crossbones that means bad news.

Lethbridge-Stewart and his newly assembled Fifth Operational Corps are called in to investigate after the pirate radio station is mysteriously taken off the air, and a nuclear submarine is lost with all hands.

John Peel has a long affiliation with Doctor Who prose fiction. In the late 1980s he was personally picked by Dalek creator Terry Nation to novelise the remaining 1960s Dalek serials, including the epic twelve-part story The Daleks’ Masterplan and Patrick Troughton’s debut, The Power of the Daleks. He was also the author chosen to launch the very first original Doctor Who prose novel, Timewrym: Genesys in 1991, and twenty-five years later he’s back!

John Peel says:

There's always been something rather special for me when I'm writing in the worlds of Doctor Who. When I wrote Timewyrm: Genesys twenty-five years ago, I was excited the entire time – I couldn't wait to get to work on the story each morning. And here I am, a quarter of a century later, and the same excitement is still there.

The Grandfather Infestation is inspired somewhat by the plant horror stories made popular by the likes of John Wyndham. Author Simon Clark, who wrote the official sequel to The Day of the Triffids, says:

Plants are on the march – at least in our imaginations, they are. Doctor Who embraced the theme in The Seeds of Death and The Seeds of Doom, and, no doubt, you can identify many more. And now John Peel gives us The Grandfather Infestation, a fantastically entertaining, and horrifying novel, which suggests that everything that’s green and grows from the earth might not be as harmless as we think.

Range Editor Andy Frankham-Allen says:

I’ve always been a huge fan of Wyndham’s work, and I knew I wanted something in a similar vein. I asked John to give us something Triffid-esque and he did exactly that. He’s created a nice blend of genres, mixing the best elements of storytelling that you’d find in the works of Robert Banks Stewart and Wyndham, giving it Peel’s own distinctive twist. And John is no stranger to twisting tales, make no mistake. He’s been writing prose fiction beyond Doctor Who continuously for over twenty-five years, and you don’t do that without being good.

Despite his long association with Doctor Who, this is the first time John Peel has written for the character of Lethbridge-Stewart:

Being allowed to create a new adventure for that stalwart character, Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart was both an honour and a truly great pleasure. Even writing revisions didn't seem too much of a chore!

The Grandfather Infestation is now available for pre-order from the Candy Jar Books website, with discounted pre-order bundles and a new subscription deal for those wishing to get six books for the price of five.

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

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Showstoppers

Saturday, 11 June 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books have released released further information about the second Lethbridge-Stewart release of 2016, The Showstoppers by Jonathan Cooper:

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Showstoppers (Credit: Candy-Jar Books)

LETHBRIDGE-STEWART’S LIFE WILL CHANGE FOREVER!

As well as introducing a new writer to the range, The Showstoppers plays out a major turning point in Lethbridge-Stewart’s life, as he is rewarded for all his hard work since the Doctor Who serial, The Web of Fear.

Range editor, Andy Frankham-Allen, says:

It’s something we’ve been working towards – a pivotal Lethbridge-Stewart moment.

Author, Jonathan Cooper, agrees:

It’s genuinely a massive honour to be given this responsibility; to dramatise the events leading up to something that most fans would certainly like to see. I wish I could say what it is, but that would ruin what’s going to be a big surprise.

The Showstoppers taps into the booming television industry of the 1960s, in particular the popular super-spy thrillers such as The Saint, Danger Man and The Avengers, blending it with more than a hint of the b-movies of the 1950s, all revolving around a secret Nazi plan left over from World War II.

Jonathan Cooper continues:

It was initially inspired by the film Dr Strangelove. At the pitching stage we even had Strangelove as the primary villain, along with a neat little twist to tie the Kubrick film into the world of Lethbridge-Stewart. But we soon moved beyond that, which gave the book a wider scope and allowed me to have a lot more fun with it. There’s still a couple of sly references in there though – including one bit towards the end that I hope readers are going to find
particularly chilling.

The book also features an introduction by David George, son of Dr Strangelove writer Peter George, focusing on the conspiracy theories that tie Dr Strangelove to the Kennedy assassination.

A fourth lead character of the range is also introduced in this novel. Head of Publishing, Shaun Russell, says:

From day one it has always been our intent to build up something of an ensemble cast of characters, with four main characters leading the way. That started with our licensed characters, Lethbridge-Stewart and Anne Travers, complimented by our very own Corporal William Bishop, who first appeared in our initial release, The Forgotten Son. Now we’re very pleased to introduce Samson Ware to our readers. A very different character to any seen in the range before, and someone quite unique for a series set in the late-‘60s, early-‘70s, a man of Bajan origin.

Jonathan Cooper is no stranger to Doctor Who, having once served as Doctor Who correspondent for The Mirror and The Independent online papers. He has previously written two novels for Space: 1889 series, co-writing one with Lethbridge-Stewart range editor, Andy Frankham-Allen.

Andy Frankham-Allen says:

Jon first came to my attention back in 2007 when I was running the eZine, Pantechnicon. He submitted one of the best short stories I have ever read, and ever since then I have tried to give him as much work as possible. The world can never have too much of Jon’s writing. His sense of humour, and great instinct for twisting a tale on its head, has always been a hallmark of his writing, and it’s this skill that he brings to Lethbridge-Stewart.

The Showstoppers is now available to pre-order from Candy Jar Books, and those who do so will also receive the free digital-only short story, The Band of Evil, by Roger J Hammond and Shaun Russell.

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

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Band Of Evil

Monday, 6 June 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books has announced a new digital-only short story, The Band Of Evil, which is free to all subscribers to the 2016 range of Lethbridge-Stewart novels, and those who order the next novel, The Showstoppers:

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Band Of Evil (Credit: Candy Jar Books)

Candy Jar Books is pleased to announce the release of their latest free digital-only short story, The Band of Evil.

Lethbridge-Stewart editor Shaun Russell has joined forces with Candy Jar author Roger J Simmonds to pen this story of rock music aliens on the rampage in Wembley.

Shaun said:

Although I’ve had a hand in establishing the direction of the series it’s been my goal to write a Lethbridge-Stewart story myself, but this has always proved difficult due to health and work commitments, so when the opportunity to work with Roger on this short story presented itself I jumped at it. The story is a classic ‘base under siege’ tale with a rock ‘n’ roll twist.

The book also contains a preview chapter of Roger’s autobiography Standing on the Sidelines. Roger’s life has been a rock ’n’ rollercoaster of a journey. Highlights of his remarkable career include playing the 2is club in Soho at the height of its popularity, being part of the only Welsh group to play The Cavern Club, working alongside the influential record producer Joe Meek, getting drunk with The Krays, and being present when Tom Jones got his name.

Roger J Simmonds, who was once of touring member of The Honeycombs, said:

I met some of the most influential performers during the ‘60s including George Harrison, Brian Jones, David Bowie and Tom Jones. My autobiography captures the glamour and sleaze, the hedonism and idealism and the sights and smells of the British rock scene. It was great to transfer these experiences to the world of Lethbridge-Stewart.

Hayley Cox, senior publishing coordinator at Candy Jar Books, feels that Roger was the perfect choice to collaborate with Shaun. She said:

Currently the Lethbridge-Stewart stories are set in the tail end of the swinging ‘60s and who better to draw upon these exciting times than someone who was actually there. I believe that Roger and Shaun have captured the rock music scene perfectly.

The Band of Evil will be given free to every person who pre-orders The Showstoppers by Jonathan Cooper, which is due out at the end of June. All subscribers will receive the short story automatically, as will those who purchase any of the bundles for the 2016 series.

The Showstoppers is now available for pre-order directly from the Candy Jar Books website.

In addition Candy Jar has created a Spotify Lethbridge-Stewart and Standing on the Sidelines playlist.

FILTER: - Candy Jar Books - Lethbridge-Stewart

Candy Jar Books Sarah Jane Smith Competition

Thursday, 26 May 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books have launched a competition to tie in with the release of their latest Lethbridge-Stewart novels, Moon Blink. People who order the book between today and 09:00 GMT on Tuesday 31st May will also entered into a competition to win a complete set of the Sarah Jane Smith audio series released by Big Finish, which as well as starring Elisabeth Sladen in the title role also features her daughter as Natilie Redfern - a certain Sadie Miller who is, of course, the author of Moon Blink! As a bonus, the author will also sign the set of CDs.

In addition, Candy Jar has created a Spotify playlist of music inspired by the books of Lethbridge-Stewart playlist.

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

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Lock-In

Saturday, 7 May 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books has announced a new digital-only short story, The Lock-In, which is free to all those ordering the regular books in the 2016 range of Lethbridge-Stewart 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.

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Lock-In (Credit: Candy-Jar 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.

FILTER: - Candy Jar Books - Lethbridge-Stewart

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Showstoppers

Friday, 29 April 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster

Candy Jar Books have released the cover art for the next book in their Lethbridge-Stewart series, The Showstoppers.

The Showstoppers
Written by Jonathan Cooper
Cover by Richard Young

‘Nuzzink in ze vorld can schtop me now!’

There’s a new TV show about to hit the airwaves, but Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart won’t be tuning in. With the future of the Fifth Operational Corps in doubt he’s got enough to worry about, but a plea from an old friend soon finds Lethbridge-Stewart and Anne Travers embroiled in a plot far more fantastical than anything on the small screen.

Can charismatic star Aubrey Mondegreene really be in two places at the same time? What lengths will ailing entertainment mogul Billy Lovac go to in order to reach his audience? And is luckless journalist Harold Chorley really so desperate that he’ll buy into a story about Nazi conspiracies from a tramp wearing a tin foil hat?

There’s something very rotten at the heart of weekend television, and it isn’t all due to shoddy scripts and bad special effects.

Shaun Russell, head of publishing at Candy Jar Books, said:

Richard is well-known for his photo realistic work. Watching him painstakingly create his artwork with thousands of dots is incredibly impressive. His design for The Showstoppers really evokes the early Target covers.

Richard Young said:

Doctor Who has been a big part of my life since I was a kid. The classic series is extremely close to my heart and I always wanted to draw a cover for the Target books... but they didn't like my style when I was ten. So to have the chance to contribute a cover for a book featuring one of the most iconic characters of Doctor Who is not only a huge honour but the realisation of a thirty-four-year old dream.

I had fun flexing my Photoshop muscles for the (free book) The Black Eggs of Khufu cover, but I jumped at the chance to return to my roots and work on a hand drawn cover, echoing the wonderfully surreal Kubrick movie.

The movie in question is Dr Strangelove Or: How to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, with the book echoing the same world; writer Jonathan Cooper commented:

I’ve always been a fan of Dr Strangelove and Doctor Who, so when Candy Jar Books asked me to meld the two together into a Lethbridge-Stewart novel, I could not resist. Who would?

The book also features an introduction by David George, son of Peter George, focusing on the conspiracy theories that tie Dr Strangelove to the Kennedy assassination.

The Showstoppers is the second release for 2016, following on from Moon Blink by Sadie Miller.

To help pave the way for the new series of books, Beast of Fang Rock will be available for free on Kindle for three days from Saturday 30th April. Andy Frankham-Allen, range editor of the Lethbridge-Stewart novels, said:

Both Moon Blink and The Showstoppers are strong Anne Travers stories, and since Beast of Fang Rock really introduced her to the range, we thought it would be nice to offer up this book as a free chance for the uninitiated to catch up on her back story.

The usual discounted pre-order bundles will be on offer from Candy Jar, with a new subscription deal for those wishing to get six books for the price of five.

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Showstoppers by Jonathan Cooper is due to be released soon. It can now be pre-ordered (individually, or as part of a bundle/subscription) from Candy Jar Books.

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

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Lethbridge-Stewart: John Peel returns to the worlds of Doctor Who

Lethbridge-Stewart: The Showstoppers

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