Books

On this page you can learn about the novels that I’ve written or other books, anthologies and so on that I’ve written or that feature my work. Also, don’t forget to check out the Dark Shorts page to read some of my short stories and check the Bibliography at the bottom of the About page for a full(ish) list of publications.

Click on the book covers for a page of information all about them, free sample chapters, reviews and so on, plus details of where to buy them.

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REALMSHIFT – My debut dark fantasy thriller – A race against time and the Devil.

Isiah is having a tough time. The Devil is making his job very difficult.

Samuel Harrigan is a murdering lowlife. He used ancient blood magic to escape a deal with the Devil and now he’s on the trail of a crystal skull that he believes will complete his efforts to evade Lucifer. But Lucifer wants Samuel’s soul for eternity and refuses to wait a second longer for it. Isiah needs Samuel to keep looking for the crystal skull, so he has to protect Sam and keep the Devil at bay. Not for Samuel’s sake, but for all of humanity.

RealmShift is an engrossing Dark Fantasy thriller; a fascinating exploration of the nature of people’s beliefs and their effect on the world around them. Magic, action and intrigue, from dank city streets to the depths of Hell and beyond.

Published by Gryphonwood Press. “RealmShift is phenomenal. If it’s not already on your bookshelf it should be.” – Midwest Book Review.

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MAGESIGN – The sequel to RealmShift – Believe in the Blood.

Three years have passed since Isiah’s run in with Samuel Harrigan and the Devil. He has some time on his hands – a perfect opportunity to track down the evil Sorcerer, Harrigan’s mentor. It should have been a simple enough task, but the Sorcerer has more followers than Isiah ever imagined, and a plan bigger than anyone could have dreamed.

With the help of some powerful new friends Isiah desperately tries to track down the Sorcerer and his cult of blood before they manage to change the world forever.

In this long-awaited sequel to the highly acclaimed RealmShift, Baxter once again keeps a breathless pace and blistering intensity with gods, demons and humans entangled in magic and conflict. This is dark fantasy at its best.

Published by Gryphonwood Press. “Alan Baxter takes the reader right to the edge and then pushes us over. And I thank him for it.” – Bitten By Books

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GHOST OF THE BLACK: A ‘VERSE FULL OF SCUM

Ghost is possibly the best bounty hunter in the universe and he always gets the job done. At least, that’s the reputation that he rides on. When the DAP employ him to track down and capture a rogue Magicker that’s running across the galaxy killing anyone that gets in his way, Ghost realises that this is a job that could cost him his reputation. It’s also a job that could cost him his sanity.

The first novella in what I hope will be a series, following the trial and tribulations of a galactic Bounty Hunter know only as Ghost. This was originally published as a serial here on The Word and is still available to read in that format. There were some demands for a print copy, so I made that available. Click on the cover image for details.

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FLASH FICTION 40

In May 2009, Editor Unleashed and Smashwords co-sponsored The Flash Fiction 40 Contest. Writers submitted stories of 1,000 words or fewer on the Editor Unleashed forum. Maria Schneider, with the community’s input, selected the winners. More than 280 writers took up the challenge and posted a story. Here, for your reading pleasure, are the top 40 stories.

My story, Parklife, is one of them. It’s a dark fantasy/horror yarn. This is an ebook, published in partnership between Smashwords and Editor Unleashed.

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SEIZURE 04

Guest starring dark fantasy author Alan Baxter and continuing on with our regular contributors. Seizure is a literary magazines like no other. Rufi Cole’s “The Violin Face” continues to push our emotional buttons as we read from the perspective of Mandy, Thora’s mother. Stephen Ashworth’s “The Broken” expands his new world of epic fantasy; and David M Henley vampire piece heats up as our vampire hunter catches up with his target. The story never ends, and the story always continues: in Seizure.

My short horror story Deep Sea Fishing is featured in this issue of Seizure. This story was my homage to the Lovecraftian style of horror story. While it’s really not very similar to anything Lovecraft would have written (if only I could write like HP!) it was inspired by his work.

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M-BRANE SF 13

Incredible tales of science fiction by the brilliant new writers of the new decade.

My short sci-fi story Trial Not Required is featured in this issue of M-Brane SF. It’s a sci-fi story, not like other stuff I’ve written. Possibly even less dark than most of my stuff, but I guess that’s debatable. This is a magazine that consistently produces issues with quality short fiction and I’m glad to be a part of it. You can also get PDF copies of the magazine – do a search for M-Brane SF to find them.

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FLESH & BONE: RISE OF THE NECROMANCERS

Twenty-one dark short stories about the undead, and the persons who raise them…

My dark fantasy short story The King’s Accord is featured in this anthology from Pill Hill Press. This is a dark fantasy yarn about the lengths a Queen will go to in order to save her Kingdom, and the consequences of her actions. I had fun with this one, writing in a pure fantasy genre, rather than urban style fantasy like my novels and other stuff I’ve written.Pill Hill Press are developing a reputation for quality anthologies and this is another one I’m very proud to be a part of.

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Non Fiction publications:

Miscellaneous Voices: Australian Blog Writing #1

Inside Miscellaneous Voices: Australian Blog Writing you will find reflections on love, loss, literature, and how our lives are being affected by the shifting methods of communication in this digital age.

My blog post “Ebooks Are The Future” was selected for inclusion in this collection from Miscellaneous Press. It’s an interesting volume that collects blog posts on a wide variety of subjects from an equally wide variety of Australian bloggers. It really makes for some interesting reading.

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Books published by me:

While I’m first and foremost a writer, I also run a small publishing outfit called Blade Red Press. I hope to publish quality dark speculative fiction as often as possible, plus I get to make print copies of my own stuff available from time to time, like the Ghost Of The Black novella above. Here’s what I’ve published so far:

DARK PAGES – VOL. 1

A collection of dark stories to delight and disturb, including tales of fantasy, science fiction and chilling examples of the macabre.

Blade Red Press has gathered some of the best writing talent in the world to compile an anthology of sublime quality. It is full of exquisite tales of disturbia that will leave you unable to put the book down. When you finally do, you’ll never look at people the same way again.

“The stories within can and will make you feel things you may prefer stay buried…” – Paul Haines, award-winning author of Slice Of Life.

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SOULS ALONG THE MERIDIAN – by Bill Congreve

Each story bears Congreve’s hallmark style – dark, prosaic and thought-provoking. From contemporary ghost stories to apocalyptic futures, from a deserted amusement park in an isolated town to the claustrophobic depths of the London Underground to the heat-drenched brutality of the Australian outback. These are tales of things we all hope and fear might just exist, somewhere, far from the safety of our lives.

Souls Along The Meridian is a book of dark futures and dreams. As the title story shows us, it is also a book about staying true to oneself in the face of whatever the world might throw at us.

Prepare to be provoked and entertained.

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