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From Ruffians to Rescue Rabbits at RainHand Books: A 2024-2025 Perspective

Spoiler alert: 2025 is going to be RainHand's biggest year yet, with some exciting new projects on the way!

Hello again!

There's news to share at RainHand Books, and it's about time I got around to sharing it. For current events, I'll start with the latest from Parallel Universe Publications, with whom I'm excited to be a three-peat contributor! The Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy series is showing no signs of slowing down with the release of volume 9, and though I have enjoyed (and intend to continue) the adventures of Dracht Kar, mighty-thewed and only somewhat deceased Hierarch Warrioress of the Central Tribes (also known as Gor Malin: The Blood of Ten Thousand to her enemies), I was pleased to be given an opportunity to explore a different side of the Sword & Sorcery genre this time around with my latest piece, "The Left Eye of Phun Margat". Our heroine this time around is mighty in no way save for her resolve, and her sightlessness from birth only serves to complicate matters in a land ravaged by the phalanxes of the Great Phun. Left initially with no way to defend herself from the machinations of her usurper, Lannit is forced to play the role of an unwilling pawn in a deadly game of conquest, whilst enduring hardship for a chance to make her move. I truly had an excellent time with it, and am humbled to have been included beside some of the biggest names in the genre today (all of whom would be grateful for your readership and reviews). Links to every volume in the series are embedded above, and you can check out the official Facebook group for the series here. For more information on my individual contributions, I humbly direct you to the 'Publications' tab above.

Read Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy here!Read Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy here!Read Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy here!

The other edge of the blade takes us back to a more contemporary setting, with The Cellar Door series by Dark Peninsula Press. This series is scheduled to be concluded with its next and final release, Phantom Worlds, but I had a great time with "Purgatory's Paradise", my contribution to volume 3, and "Thirty Seconds", in volume 4. The sequel to "Eight Glasses", the grim sojourn of a woman known only as ‘Terry’ through an apocalypse of genocidal rain (aptly titled "Eight Glasses More"), remains a complete and polished manuscript. The original plan was to release it as part of a separate, self-contained anthology of stories in the Eight Glasses world (led into by a reprint of the first story, which was originally published in Negative Space 2: A Return to Survival Horror), but the project has been put on hold from its planned summer 2025 release by the publisher due to unrelated complications. The rights have since reverted to me, and though I feel these stories have a good home with Dark Peninsula, the project is, at the moment, in 'free agent' status, with the potential for negotiation. More information is available in the 'Upcoming Projects' section of the 'Publications' tab.

Read Negative Space 2 here!Read Dark Highways here!Read After Tomorrow here!

SPEAKING of upcoming projects, 2025 is shaping up to be the most exciting year yet for RainHand Books (I'm certainly excited about it)! It starts way back when, in the early days of 2012 when this site was brand new. My goal at the time was to write more than just an isekai-styled fantasy novel (though this term wasn't in wide use back then)--I wanted to create an immersive world, with its own beliefs, traditions, colorful characters, diverse species, and rich history. I furthermore endeavored to look under a different rock, avoiding the commonalities of things like elves, dwarves, orcs, and dragons. The result was The Goldenwealth Light, first book of the Traveler of Ord Saga, followed closely by book two, Everywhere the Road Ends, in 2014. With zero feathers in my cap I picked my way through the self-publishing industry to make these books happen--they remain close to my heart, and though they attracted their own kind of cult following through reviews and reader response, I think it's about time they got their due. Thus I am planning a remastering of this series, with new cover illustratons, updated text, and if I can manage it (I know some of you wanted this so badly the first time around)--printed maps of the World of Ord! Further, though book two did not end on a cliffhanger, I had always intended there to at least be a book three, if not a four and even a five (that's honestly why our hero, Theodore Ellsworth, takes several chapters to become a part of the World of Ord--the story was intended to go on longer and thus benefit from a longer introduction). So here's to making things new all over again, with more to come! P’ith Atlaria Kalar!

Read The Goldenwealth Light here!Read Everywhere the Road Ends here!

There's one last house at the end of this street, and there's nothing least about it. As previously mentioned in the Publications section, I can't express my excitement to see how Enoot, Enchanted has progressed! Enoot's story comes in the form of a children's picture book fairy-tale, as the titular Enoot Cabbage, a loppy misfit harlequin on a quest to find his place, inadvertently becomes the first young hopper to ever interact with humans. A charitable project backed by the support of The House Rabbit Network (New England's largest rabbit education, adoption, and rescue organization), Enoot's tale (tail?) has bunnies aplenty and lessons to teach. With the artistic talents of Jessie Greenhalgh now onboard, the project is in illustration and formatting status, with a projected release date of Summer 2025! Check out some sample sketches below!

Read Negative Space 2 here!Read Negative Space 2 here!Read Negative Space 2 here!Read Negative Space 2 here!

Did I say I was excited? I'm excited, and I can't wait to get down to business. Don't forget that facebook link over there if you'd like to say hello!

After Tomorrow: The Cellar Door Issue 4--Now Available!

Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 6Ten dark tales of humanity versus the apocalypse!
Find After Tomorrow: The Cellar Door Issue 4 on Amazon, Amazon UK, and Goodreads!


So releases the next issue of The Cellar Door, the biannual series of themed horror anthologies from the prolific Dark Peninsula Press! After Tomorrow features ten suspenseful tales with a unique twist on the theme, for they have not to do with humanity's initial reaction to the apocalypse, but how we cope after it has already happened. I am excited to return to this series with an all-new tale, and humbled to be included alongside the talented authors who have once again helped to bring the project to life.

My contribution, "Thirty Seconds", takes place in a little town called Juniper at the edge of the Everglades, where the incessant howls of misshapen things that have been rising from the swamp every night for weeks now chill the soul of beleaguered survivors. The number of townsfolk decreases every day, and inverse to their numbers is the grim specter of insanity that claws at the threshold of their minds. Only Edith, a young lady with an edge, feels empowered enough to save her family, but the strange clock in her possession only turns reality back for "Thirty Seconds" at a time. Where did it come from, and can one really challenge fate in so little time?

If post-apocalyptic thrillers be your cup of tea, pick up a copy today!


After Tomorrow: The Cellar Door Issue 4 is compiled and edited by Dark Peninsula's own Aric Sunquist, with Mikio Murakami returning to provide cover art. Visit Dark Peninsula Press for additional information.

The new RainHand Books is Live!

RainHand Books has been revamped, retooled, retoodled, and is ready to go. The action is all over at the 'About the Author' section, so please check it out while you're stopping by. Thanks for visiting RainHand!

Under Construction--Please Excuse the Mess!

May 21, 2024 -- RainHand Books is currently undergoing a major refit. I'm updating policies, adding new published works, and altering some portions of the layout in order to facilitate a clean experience where everything is easy to find. I ask your patience while I spend the next few days on a deep dive into HTML code. The place may look a little odd for now, but things will shape up soon!

REVIEW - Stingers (T M McLean & Noel Osualdini)

Lapse"A Nightmare at 20,000…Micrometers!"
RainHand Rating:
Find Stingers on Amazon, and Goodreads!

(Review appearing for the first time on Rainhandbooks.com!)
It’s certainly hard to go wrong mixing bugs with fear. I could say that this book went for the lowest hanging fruit in that regard, but then I read it, and found that I could not. If you’re going to make purple by mixing good old red and blue (where everyone expects purple to come from) then you need to do it well if you want your shade to come out above the level of humdrum. I’d say this book did a fine job of exceeding those expectations—it certainly kept me reading.

As an anthology of short stories, a book like this is bound to have high points and low. Not being subject to arachnophobia myself, “They Just Know” didn’t do a whole lot for me, since there wasn’t much to go on other than the general fear of spiders. (Perhaps if said spiders had done something more than just a bit of terrorizing—maybe if they flexed their eight-legged muscles a bit by dragging in effigies of small animals they’d swarmed to show the poor protagonists what was to become of them? Or maybe they weren’t doing anything at all, and the whole tale was just a question of succumbing to paranoia?) On the other hand, “Sex, Death, and Professor Lockwood” was an excellent journey for me. It was easy enough to tell that our good professor would end up somehow doomed in this story just for his disturbing thoughts regarding inappropriate attractions, but the way it actually played out was enough to make me pat myself down at the end to see that nothing had leapt out of the pages to latch on. Fear factor way up, well done!

“The Gold Bug” had me expecting something out of Poe. It didn’t work out that way, but it didn’t need to, as what I received instead was enough to have me wishing the story had been long enough to explain itself (so yes, I was into it). Meanwhile, in “The Bastard or Are You Not Entertained” I found that I could relate to the sheer size of the wolf spider, which is a very common sight where I live. So this was one story I could not only visualize well, but really wanted to see how it turned out for so mighty a combatant…or its abusive captor. Sandkings, anyone? (Also…my money would have been on the spider. Let me tell you, I’ve measured them at three inches before, with enough photogenic detail to look them right in the eye with nothing so high-resolution as a cell phone camera. They don’t always fit in StarBucks cups, either.)

I’m personally not a fan of putting author’s notes immediately after a story—especially a nerve wracking tale of terror—as they tend to take me out of the moment. I don’t really want to know how the shock came to be, if indeed I have been sufficiently shocked (or at least, not right away). That said, I suppose the very fact that I mention it means I was sufficiently involved in the moment, which is a good thing. Still, I’d rather keep the real-life bits about how stories were conceived and various related musings to the back of the book in their own section so they can be addressed (or not) at the reader’s leisure, not as speed bumps on the road.

Anyway, I had a good time, and if you hate insects? This one’s for you. It’s probably for you if you love them, too!


About the Author: T M McLean lives in the Netherlands with his wife and twin sons. He has something of an obsession with short stories and considers himself extremely fortunate to have shared pages with some of speculative fiction's leading voices. His latest release, co-authored with Noel Osualdini, has been shortlisted for the prestigious Shadows Award. Tim likes to put real people into crazy situations. He is currently working on what he hopes will become his first novel, a coming-of-age military adventure set in the turbulent times of the Hundred Years War. Much of Tim's inspiration comes from his life experiences, including parenthood, travel, and a love of philosophy.
('About' info abridged from amazon.com.)

Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 6--Available Today!

Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 6Over 300 pages of Grim and Gritty Action!
Find Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy on Amazon, Amazon UK, and Goodreads!


It is with the honor of the ancient gods that RainHand Books announces the release of Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 6, by our friends at Parallel Universe Publications. As the weightiest tome in the series yet, volume 6 boasts more than 300 pages, with twelve highly detailed treks through the grim veneer of vicious demons, gray warlocks, and the barbarians who love slay them, told in the footsteps of frost giants like Robert E. Howard and Clark Ashton Smith. Some of the finest names in the genre today are included...and they even let me in, too!

My contribution to this project, Golden Witch of Adzelgar, is a tale of deceit and revenge told from the perspective of a deceased hierarch warioress, wrenched back from death to serve her once-mortal enemies in a world turned upside-down. To date it is the longest of my traditionally published works, and my first official foray into the world of Sword & Sorcery. I'm excited by the opportunity to be a part of Swords & Sorceries, and honored for the chance to share a tale alongside such excellent names!

If it be your pint of mead, pick up a copy today! (And when you're done reading, crush some monster's head with it--it's a nice big book!)

Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy

"Crom count the words!"


Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 6 is compiled and edited by Parallel Universe's own David A. Riley, featuring art by the prolific Jim Pitts (with additional art for the story Raiding the Graveyard of Lost Ships by its author, Tais Teng. Click here for technical/additional information, or visit Parallel Universe Publications.

REVIEW - Life Force Preserve: Anna and the Resurgent of the Precious Blood #1 (Courtney Leigh Pahlke)

Life Force Preserve“A thrilling premise in need of TLC.”
RainHand Rating:
Find Whiplash on Amazon, and Goodreads!

(Review appearing for the first time on Rainhandbooks.com!)
To be fair, I’m going to say off the bat that I had a little difficulty with this book. As I’m not in the habit of providing an opinion without elaborating I’ll certainly do so, but first, let’s talk about the strengths of Life Force Preserve.

There is most certainly a compelling story to be found in this book. You’ve got suspense, tension, danger, and conspiracies; all focused around our intrepid protagonist and her secret bloodline. The storyarc makes reference to a great span of human history dating all the way back to ancient Egypt, and has a healthy dose of “Ancient Aliens” to boot (if you’re into that). If you’re patient, there’s a reward to be found here.

Now, my elaboration. First and foremost, I’m quite concerned regarding the frequency of technical errors in this book. The fact that there’s a grammatical error in the *title* was the first warning sign: “resurgent, precious blood” or “resurgence of the precious blood”—not “resurgent of the precious blood”. The punctuation error in the short plot description posted to both Amazon and Goodreads was the second sign. In reviewing the text itself, I found myself subject to myriad errors in everything from spelling, to grammar, to tense, and back again, to the point that I can’t bring myself to believe that this manuscript was passed under a solid proofreader microscope before it saw publication. As a reviewer of fiction I’m well aware that even the most well-polished books by the most careful professional publishing houses will always have an error or two—it’s just not possible to catch them all. With that in mind I maintain a certain threshold of acceptability, but this book went way over my limit, to the point that I found myself unable to reconcile myself to the idea that this is a finished piece, ready to be enjoyed by the reading public. The fact that the story is described as ‘gripping’ and ‘able to draw readers in’ despite the fact that almost nothing action-packed happens in the first four chapters (until chapter five I wasn’t even sure what the plot was) doesn’t help, especially when combined with such jarring inconsistences as a shifting perspective that goes from first person, present tense, all the way to to third person, past tense (without the presence of our narrator at all).

Don’t get me wrong: Life Force Preserve has potential. Additional beta-testing and a solid proofread would do wonders for bringing this story to life. Unfortunately, in its current state, I can’t in good conscience recommend it to discerning audiences. As for the award the book won, I can’t speak to that, other than to work from the assumption that I may have been given a draft version of the manuscript? That doesn’t appear to be the case, but if there is a more polished version out there, I’d be willing to give this book a second chance!

About the Author: Courtney Pahlke graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in psychology and a secondary in creative writing. She worked at the Crisis Center in Iowa city leading to graduation day, where she went back home to Illinois with a plan. Courtney hoped to gain her masters degree in forensic psychology at a school in Chicago, while working for her dad, to pay for school. After the first year working for her dad’s company, she decided not to continue on with school and grow the family business instead.
('About' info abridged from amazon.com.)