The Fantastical Art of Jim Pitts and The Ever More Fantastical Art of Jim Pitts

For those of you who love the art of Jim Pitts in the Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy volumes as well as the Elak of Atlantis Trilogy by Adrian Cole, we have books dedicated to Jim's artwork: The Fantastical Art of Jim Pitts and The Ever More Fantastical Art of Jim Pitts, available as paperbacks and in hardcover.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BG62QY9D?binding=hardcover...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BG62QY9D?binding=hardcover...

 

Amazon Page Now Set Up for Parallel Universe Publications Short Story Collections

 

We have now set up an Amazon Page for all our short story collections, which will give easy access for anyone wanting to see what we have available.

short story collections for those available in the UK

short story collections for those available in the US 

Vote for favourite stories in Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 10

Well, there wasn't massive response to my question on Facebook as to whether or not to have a poll about readers' favourite stories in the last volume of Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy, but the majority of those who did vote were favourable.

 

So I'll see what response an actual request for votes goes.

 

In order no writers will suffer the ignominy of getting nil points (viewers of the Eurovision Song Contest will know what I mean), the overall voting will not be public and only the names of the top three favourites will be published by me. 

 

Please send only your votes for the best three stories in Volume 10 at paralleluniversepublications@gmx.co.uk

 

The stories in Volume 10 are, in order of appearance:

 

MASKS FOR THE MADNESS Harry Elliott

SAFE AS BANKS Geoffrey Hart

DEATH ABANDONED Virgo Kevonté

CAVERN OF STONES Phil Emery

BAD MOON RISING Robert Mammone

THE SALT OF TILANTOKKA Gregory D. Mele

SHANGLOR A Stranger Tale Jay Litwicki

A CONFUSION OF RENEGADES Adrian Cole

 

 

Continuing stories in Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy

What has been really interesting to see in the ten volumes of Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy published so far are some worthwhile and fascinating series of stories that follow on from each other like a serial.

One of the first of these was Dev Agarwal's Stone Snake stories, which started off in Volume 2 with "Stone Snake", "In the Iron Woods" in Volume 4, "Bridge of Sorrows" in Volume 5, and, finally, "Land of the Dead" in Volume 6.

 

Another series is Harry Elliott's Under-Valley stories: "Skulls for Silver" in Volume 5, "Trials for Treasure" in Volume 6, "Blades for a Bounty" in Volume 7, "Masks for the Madness" in Volume 10. 

 

We have also Geoff Hart's humorous play on Ffafrd and Gray Mouser with his female protagonists Mouse and Freya, which starts with "Chain of Command" in Volume 1, "At Sea" in Volume 4, "The Quality of Mercy" in Volume 8, and "Safe as Banks" in Volume 10.

 

Of course Adrian Cole has switched from one continuing character to another, from Elak of Atlantis to the mysterious Voidal. And Andrew Darlington's Eternal Assassin.

 

I am sure I have missed some, but it's fascinating how many continuing characters there are in sword and sorcery which, much like detective stories, seems made for them.

A new advert designed for Sword & Sorcery books published by Parallel Universe Publications

 

SWORDS & ROCKETS: TALES OF FUTURES PAST

I have now created a page on the Parallel Universe Publications website dedicated to Swords & Rockets: Tales of Futures Past

A 5-star review of Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 10 on Goodreads

An interesting, in-depth review of Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 10 has been posted on Goodreads by Richard Fisher. Check the review here.

Parallel Universe Publications Newsletter for May 2025

 

The latest PUP Newsletter was emailed yesterday. If you would like to read the pdf of it now please click on the following link: Parallel Universe Publications Newsletter May 2025

Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 10 now available as a paperback and eBook

 

Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 10 is now available as a paperback and kindle eBook. 

amazon.com

amazon.co.uk

This is the tenth volume in our popular Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy series of anthologies in the footsteps of Robert E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith and other pioneers of the sword and sorcery genre.

The stories and authors included this time are:

Masks for the Madness by Harry Elliott
Safe as Banks by Geoffrey Hart
Death Abandoned by Virgo Kevonté
Cavern of Stones by Phil Emery
Bad Moon Rising by Robert Mammone
The Salt of Tilantokka by Gregory D. Mele
Shanglor: a Stranger Tale by Jay Litwicki
A Confusion of Renegades by Adrian Cole

The artwork on the covers and in the interior are by award-winning artist Jim Pitts.

 

 

Crimson Quill Quarterly #6 now available as a paperback and eBook

I am pleased to announce that Crimson Quill Quarterly #6 is now available as a paperback and eBook.

The latest issue contain the first of a two part story by me called Lies and Treachery, which details a further adventure of my on the run mercenaries led by Horbeck, who first appeared in The Demon from Another World last year in Anthology of the Damned: Necromoirrium. 

From this issue's description on amazon:

"Heart of the Depths by Ethan Sabatella: In this Stone Age Slasher, five youths break the rules of their tribe and stay out in the wilderness after nightfall. The superstitions of their people prove all too real as a terrible darkness creeps out from the Earth and stalks them one-by-one.

The Saga of the Stew by Randall Madden: Trolls have ravaged the mountainside around Ravian, and all but the hardiest have fled. Yet two brave souls travel toward the danger, in search of an ancient book near the mountaintop. Damica, the aging singer, finds an unlikely ally in Morgho the swordsman. Together they move for Ravian itself—the very source of the troll attacks—so that Damica might complete the most important ritual of his long life.

The Forbidden Land by Mike Adamson: In an ancient land, legend warns of the dire fruits of trespass. Not for nothing does taboo keep the tribes away from the northern woods, as Jareth the Hunter and Sho’nee the Beautiful discover when the girl flees the warrior to whom she is promised...into the embodiment of all mortal terror.

Lies and Treachery (Part 1 of 2) by David A. Riley: After having escaped death in the Great Desert as they fled from their pursuers, Horbeck and his fellow mercenaries are hoping for some time to recover in the small, stockaded town they reach beyond the desert’s edge, little realizing they will be betrayed and forced to grapple with creatures of appalling evil, some demonic and some human.

Dark Secrets Entombed by J. VanZile: Balthen Verdugo wants to hunt monsters and make money. If he can gain a bit of notoriety and fame along the way then all the better. A rich purse leads Balthen to a town with a beast who has been killing by night and hiding in a graveyard by day. When Balthen learns the beast may be linked to the town and its people in ways he wouldn’t have expected, he must decide what he values more; truth and justice or his business.

Choir of the Mad Anatomist by Logan D. Whitney: Wayward rogues Indryk and Cor find themselves embroiled in the aftermath of one man’s musical obsession…and another’s greed.

Snowblind by Shephard W. McIlveen: Onyx the Tigerheart stumbles upon a bizarre murder scene when he finds four men half-buried in the snow, each with their eyes burned out through the backs of their skulls. As he examines the bodies, he is set upon by a small order of armored men each dressed in a uniform matching the corpses at his feet. To clear his name and show good faith, Onyx agrees to aid the men on the search for the real killer, but how long will it take for the hunters to become the hunted?"