Hunter's Game

Last year, I had a lot of false starts and dead ends in the novel-writing game, but I did manage to finish one book.

It was a new departure for me: my first tie-in novel, written for Rebellion’s Sniper Elite Worlds series. And in some ways, it was just what the doctor ordered: never underestimate the power of a cash advance, with the balance payable on delivery, to motivate you into completing a story – or finding one you want to tell in a submission brief. It also got me out of my comfort zone, to tackle a type of story I wouldn’t normally write.

It’s called Hunter’s Game, and is set in the last days of the American Civil War. Originally Rebellion were talking about bringing it out in 2027. Normally there’s a very tight timescale on tie-in stuff, which is why they tend to look for authors who can turn stuff around quickly, but at a guess, with this being my first time, they wanted to leave plenty of room to fix things if I handed in a complete mess.

I guess I didn’t, anyway, because it comes out next month.

Hunter’s Game will be released on 4^th June, and for those of you based in North-West England, there will be a book launch at Write Blend in Waterloo, Liverpool, on Friday 5^th June.

Who will win Hunter's Game?

1865, Texas. The American Civil War is over but a final pocket of defiance remains. Despite the recent surrender of General Lee, a secret plan is hatched for the Texan insurgents to receive a last shipment of deadly munitions that could spell ruin for the Union forces facing them.

Major Sparanero, of the Union, uses one of his undercover agents to discover that the weapons are being sent by train. There will only be one chance to prevent the munitions being put into the field – as the train crosses the fragile bridge over Tophet Gorge. Before his capture the undercover agent sets a bomb beneath the train and marks it for a sharpshooter.

Hunter – a disillusioned deserter – is the only one skilled enough to make that shot. Bribed by Sparanero to return one final time, Hunter is charged with destroying the train. But an enemy colonel with whom Hunter has history discovers the mission, and so begins a deadly game of hide and seek…