2019 felt different from our previous years. I knew that by the end of it Luna would be turning 5 (not the beagle, the press. The beagle is barely 2 and I cannot imagine what her terrible-twos will be like...). It was a mighty year: 7 conventions, in the UK and abroad, 17 books published, including our first hardback, 4 longlisted and 7 shortlisted books from the 2018 publications. And, as a small business owner, I am delighted that Luna is still marching on and growing, after 5 years. There is a lot going on behind the scene of a small business, believe me. Those of you in a similar position will know what I'm talking about.
#LunaProudParents is still my favourite ashtag: our authors are family.
Today I would like to remind you of our titles for 2019: if you have enjoyed them, perhaps you could consider nominating them for an award this year, or leave a review. I know that our authors would be very grateful for it!
And so we start, in order of release... oh! You can click on the cover to find out more...
Release date 5 March 2019
Author: Paul Kane
Cover: Ben Baldwin
One man’s ability to travel in the astral realm leads to a terrifying discovery: powerful beings who manipulate lives and events for their own mysterious ends. It’s his, and our, first encounter with The Controllers, but far from the last. After reading this collection of six tales – two of them brand new – which take you from the past, through the present and into the far future, you’ll understand just how little influence you have over your own destiny.
Release date 25 March 2019
Editor: Anna Milon
Cover: Becky Green
This volume of proceedings contains papers from the largest and, perhaps, most diverse Tolkien Society Seminar to date.
Following a much-contested Call for Papers, ‘Tolkien the Pagan? Reading Middle-earth through a Spiritual Lens’ explores Tolkien’s complex use of religious ideology, the readers’ approach to their beloved fictional world via unusual spiritual and philosophical channels, and how Middle-earth almost became a faith unto itself.
Release date 9 April 2019
Author Marie O'Regan
Cover: Daniele Serra
The Last Ghost And Other Stories is the latest collection from Marie O’Regan. Here you will find “The Last Ghost”, a young girl’s tale of loss; “In The Howling of the Wind”, a small boy waiting for his parents in a house suddenly grown strange; “Someone To Watch Over You”, the story of a protective phantom; “The Cradle in the Corner”, a slightly different haunting; “Play Time”, a cautionary tale on the dangers of playing out alone at night; “Sleeping Black”, a tale of vengeful spirits awoken by a house’s new tenants, and “Suicide Bridge”, a love story with a difference.
Release date 16 April 2019
Author: Elizabeth Priest
Cover: Bede Rogerson
Alana the Teenage Witch is trying to lead a normal life... fixing doors to the fairy world, fighting the monsters that emerge through them, handing in her A-Level coursework, casting spells, and trapping pixies. Her new best friends have their own problems too, with a doppelganger changeling in their midst.
Another job is waiting for Alana, though. It’s all in a day’s work for the Piper’s protege.
The Troutespond Series is a YA fantasy, working on the premise that if the supernatural did exist, inquisitive teenagers would be the first to notice, and absolutely the worst people ever to interact with it.
Release date 18 April 2019
Author: Daniele Azara
Cover: Ilaria Licci
Children of Mu is a Young Adult Urban Fantasy with elements of the rich mythology of Atlantis and Mu. It is a story of growth and friendship, set among giants and ancient creatures.
Fifteen-year-old Andrew Fawcett is a difficult student, forced to enrol at Saint Paul’s, a re-education institution. There, he meets Adam, a boy who is living with his grandparents in a house overrun by an unkempt garden and a web of creepers. His new friend is elusive, but wise, and yet he barely knows anything about TV and the internet. The two become inseparable, until a single evening full of anguish and confusion changes everything forever.
Release date 7 May 2019
Author: Stephen Bacon
Cover: Ben Baldwin
“Stephen Bacon has a keen instinct for the horror of the ordinary, his prose is considered, his voice distinct. But what also distinguishes his fiction is the ability to startle readers; to instigate the re-reading of sentences to make certain that something that disturbing was actually intended. Bacon prods with pins.” Adam Nevill author of ‘The Ritual’ and ‘Some Will Not Sleep’
Release date 4 June 2019
Author: Wole Talabi
Cover: Joey Hi-Fi
From the bustling streets of Lagos to the icy moons of Jupiter, this debut collection of twenty stories from the vivid imagination of the award-winning Wole Talabi explores what it means to be human in a world of accelerating technology, diverse beliefs, and unlimited potential, from a uniquely Nigerian perspective.
Release date 7 June 2019
Author: Gareth L Powell
Cover Design: Francesca T Barbini
Currently longlisted for the BSFA Awards - Non-Fiction
Gareth L Powell is an award-winning and widely lauded author at the forefront of current speculative fiction. His passion for the genre, along with a refreshingly open and honest relationship with his fans, shows why he is such a unique talent.
In About Writing, Powell shares his insights and tips from the world of fiction. More than just an instructional how-to, this is a practical, inspirational field guide, and a unique, invaluable insight into what it takes to be a successful author.
Release date 9 July 2019
Author: Tim Major
Cover: Daniele Serra
Strange stories about houses, homes and families
A sentient house is overprotective of its occupants, a husband and wife cope with loneliness on a lengthy space flight, a Greenland shark mounts a supernatural attack on a mother and son, two sisters live in fear of the destroyed world beyond their walls, an engineer sabotages a post-apocalyptic holiday village, a camping trip turns a family feral, a man defragments his mind and another splices a rival’s brain patterns onto his own.
Release Date 16 July 2019
Author: Elizabeth Priest
Cover: Bede Rogerson
Teb Nandi is having dreams about being an owl. Every time she wakes, she hears voices calling her name. Could this be goblins at work? And then there’s the Piper telling her to stop complaining and do her job - easy to say when you’re not Goddess of the Hunt.
Prom night or Wild Hunt? Teb finds dealing with her constituents, and their idea of a good time, is a whole mess of weird. Never mind getting ready for a boring school dance and managing her date.
Unfortunately, she asked for it...
Release date 30 July 2019
Author: Tero Mielonen
Artist: Pentti Otsamo
Fresh from gaining a PhD in atmospheric sciences, Paavo moves from Finland to the Netherlands to study ozone with the use of satellite measurements. Life in a new country isn't without its hiccups but, then again, nothing worthwhile ever is. Armed with keen wits, a trusty bicycle, and a healthy passion for science, join Paavo for this fish-out-of-water tale with a difference.
The Ozone Diary is a truly unique graphic novel, offering a refreshing perspective on how science is put into practice, and the adventure of starting a new life abroad.
Release date 6 August 2019
Author: Ian Whates
Cover: Chris Baker - Fangorn
Currently longlisted for the BSFA Awards - Shorter Fiction
Currently longlisted for the BSFA Awards - Cover Art
A war-zone theme park; sentient suns; an intelligent car AI with ulterior motives; an enigmatic scent heralding imminent death.
These are just some of the intriguing themes explored in this collection from Ian Whates. Bringing together for the first time a decade-spanning selection of Whates’ heralded short stories, including three all-new tales, this is a must-read for fans of intelligent speculative fiction.
Release date 8 August 2019
Author: Oronzo Cilli
Cover: Jay Johnstone
"As this book shows, there is a way to bridge that gap which has not been previously attempted: a fact which makes this work by Oronzo Cilli arguably the work with most potential for giving us a truer understanding of Tolkien; a work which, besides its own immediate effect, points the way for many further studies. What Oronzo has done is, quite simply, to collect what is known about the books Tolkien owned and read. The best guide to an author’s mind is through his books, and in the work of Oronzo Cilli we have now the best and most valuable guide to Tolkien’s books." Tom Shippey.
Release date 13 August 2019
Author: Nina Oram
Cover: Bede Rogerson
Sixteen-year-old Jasmin has just moved to the seemingly idyllic west of Ireland with her mother and stepfather. Weird things soon begin to happen around her, though. There’s the strange man with black eyes who seems to be following her around Ireland, a local farmer who takes an unusually strong interest in her, and a cryptic warning from a man who carves Irish myths into wood.
When a visit to a Megalithic tomb propels Jasmine into a world of supernatural power, something ancient awakens inside her. But it also attracts evil, as a druid, shunned by his order, craves her power too.
The dangers of her awakening will affect all around her, taking its toll on everyone she holds dear.
Release date 14 August 2019
Editor: Francesca T Barbini
Cover Design: Francesca T Barbini
A Shadow Within: Evil in Fantasy and Science Fiction is the third Call for Papers of Academia Lunare, the non-fiction arm of Luna Press Publishing. The papers focus on the theme of Evil, a constant in human history, one that shifts with every passing decade. Evil isn’t a static presence confined to any one given time, but rather something that evolves under the influence of the author’s own experience, society, the technology of the period, and even their understanding of humanity.
Release date 18 October 2019
Author: Nick Wood
Cover: John Cockshaw
“Nick Wood’s short stories are powerful, impassioned visions of worlds and worldviews remade by way of redemptive engagement with the spirits of the earth and the earth of the spirit. Joining ancestral wisdom and transformative technologies, combining searing self-scrutiny with joyous awareness of the Other, Learning Monkey and Crocodile is a book for Africa and for all of us.”
Nick Gevers
Release date 3 December 2019
Author: Anthony Laken
Cover: Jay Johnstone
After the events of the previous weeks, which led to the decimation of an entire city, Lady Bellina Ressa must return to the man she once called father, with more questions than answers. The most powerful cognopath of the Estrian Empire is now trapped in a game of political strategies and power struggles, unsure of who to trust.
They made her do it. They removed her restraint. They turned her into Death. And now Death is coming for them.
And here we are! I hope you've enjoyed our books! You can also find more info and reviews on the Shop page as well as our e-books!
Thank you so much for journeying with me, Luna and our family. Bring on 2020!