On this page you can learn about the novels that I’ve written or other books, anthologies and magazines that I’ve written or that feature my work.
Don’t forget to check out the Dark Shorts page to read some of my short stories and check the Bibliography 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.
If you’re looking for my Write The Fight Right book for writers, scroll down to the Non-Fiction section or see the left sidebar.
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NOVELS
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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NOVELLAS/NOVELETTES
DARK RITE
A small mountain town hides a dark secret…
When the death of his father brings Grant Shipman to the tiny Appalachian town of Wallen’s Gap, he believes his biggest problem will be dealing with the slow pace and odd townsfolk. But something sinister is at work. A dark power rises, an echo of the town’s bloody past. A book of blood magic offers an unspeakable horror a gateway into the world of the living, and only Grant stands in the way of their Dark Rite.
Click on the cover image for details.
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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 trials 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, but that’s now out of print. The ebook is still available, so click on the cover image for details.
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THE DARKEST SHADE OF GREY
David Johanssen’s drinking problem goes beyond the usual need for self-medication. He sees things he shouldn’t be able to see, things no one could handle seeing. And he has no one but himself to blame.
When a chance encounter offers the possibility of answers, he follows the bloody trail in spite of his own fears. It could be the big story he needs to keep his job. It could be the meaning of life. Or it could be the end of his world.
This is a novelette from the Red Penny Papers and is also available as an ebook from Amazon and Smashwords.
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SHORT STORIES
MIDNIGHT ECHO MAGAZINE, issue 9
This Myths & Legends themed edition of the official magazine of the Australian Horror Writers’ Association features my story The Fathomed Wreck To See.
URBAN OCCULT
This anthology of urban occult stories features my tale, A Time For Redemption.
DREAMING OF DJINN
This anthology of Arabian Nights inspired romantic Orientalism features my story, On A Crooked Leg Lightly.
A KILLER AMONG DEMONS
This anthology of supernatural crime features my story, The Beat Of A Pale Wing.
BLOODSTONES
This anthology of mythologically inspired urban fantasy features my story, Cephalopoda Obsessia.
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THE RED PENNY PAPERS Vol III, Issue 1, Fall 2012
This edition of RPP features my story, Crossroads & Carousels, which was inspired by a Dire Straits song.
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DARK PLACES 2
This is the second annual Halloween anthology from Gryphonwood Press and features my story, The Seven Garages Of Kevin Simpson. This story was a Pseudopod original in episode 242 and this is the first time it’s been available in text.
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FROM STAGE DOOR SHADOWS
This is an anthology of stories inspired by the lyrics of the song, Tiny Dancer, and features my dark 30s-era Depression yarn, Fear Is The Sin.
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DAMNATION & DAMES
This fantastic anthology of paranormal noir, or as I call it, paranoirmal, short fiction contains my first ever fiction collaboration. The story is called Burning, Always Burning and was co-written with world-class horror writer and my great friend, Felicity Dowker.
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MONSTRES!
My story Deep Sea Fishing is reprinted in this French monster anthology. My first foreign translation.
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MYTHIC RESONANCE
This anthology contains my modern twist on the fairy tale, The Everywhere And The Always. Read it to make sure you don’t fall foul of the fey folk!
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THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY
An anthology of crime fiction, where the perpetrator gets away with it. Features my story In The Name Of The Father.
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MIDNIGHT ECHO #6
A sci-fi horror special issue of the official magazine of the Australian Horror Writers’ Association. This issue includes my short story, Trawling The Void.
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ANYWHERE BUT EARTH
An anthology of science fiction stories that all take place anywhere but Earth. It includes my short story Unexpected Launch.
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HOPE
An anthology from Kayelle Press with all proceeds going to suicide awareness charities. This one features my fantasy short story, Duty & Sacrifice.
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WINDS OF CHANGE
An anthology from CSFG Publishing, with all stories somehow interpreting the theme of Winds Of Change. This one features my urban fantasy/horror short story, Dream Shadow.
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THE GAME
An anthology from Seven Realms Publishing, with all stories based on the classic Richard Connell short story, The Most Dangerous Game. It features my story, Running Wild With The Hunt, which is an Isiah (from RealmShift and MageSign) story.
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YEAR’S BEST FANTASY AND HORROR, 2010
This is my first inclusion in a Year’s Best collection and I couldn’t be happier about it. My story The King’s Accord from the Rise Of The Necromancers anthology is reprinted here. Due out mid-2011.
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100 STORIES FOR QUEENSLAND
This is a charity anthology from eMergent Press, with all proceeds going to help survivors of the terrible Queensland floods in early 2011. It features my short story The Speaking Tree.
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DEAD RED HEART
An anthology of Australian vampire stories from Ticonderoga Publications, featuring my story Punishment of the Sun.
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MURKY DEPTHS, #16
Murky Depths is a brilliant UK spec fic magazine and this issue features my story, Mirrorwalk.
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NIGHT-MANTLED: THE BEST OF WILY WRITERS, VOL. 1
My story Stand Off, originally published and podcast by Wily Writers in 2009, is reprinted in this great Best Of anthology, along with a selection of other stories from a fantastic selection of writers. I’m very proud to be included in this one, my first Best Of reprint.
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FLESH & BONE: RISE OF THE NECROMANCERS
My dark fantasy short story The King’s Accord is featured in this anthology from Pill Hill Press.
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52 STITCHES, v2
My short story Jeff Newman’s Headaches is included in this collection of 52 flash fiction horror yarns.
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M-BRANE SF 13
My short sci-fi story Trial Not Required is featured in this issue of M-Brane SF.
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DARK PLACES
A Halloween anthology from Gryphonwood Press featuring reprints of two of my short stories, The Night Bus and Cemetery.
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BEST OF FRIDAY FLASH, VOL. 1
An anthology of Friday Flash yarns, including my story Decennial General Meeting.
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FLASH FICTION 40
In May 2009, Editor Unleashed and Smashwords co-sponsored The Flash Fiction 40 Contest. My story, Parklife, was one of the winners.
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SEIZURE 04
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.
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NON-FICTION PUBLICATIONS:
Write The Fight Right
A fiction writer’s resource for creating realistic, convincing fight scenes.
As an author and martial arts instructor, I’ve written a short, ~12,000 word, ebook describing all the things a writer needs to consider when writing fight scenes. My experience from decades as a career martial artist makes this book a valuable resource for writers who want to understand what fighting is all about – what it really feels like and what does and doesn’t work – and how to factor those things into their writing to make their fight scenes visceral, realistic page turners. I won’t tell you how to write, but I will tell you what makes a great fight scene.
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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’ll occasionally use the press to release my own stuff, 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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