Andrew McAuley
Read the March of the Dragons extract- Chapters 1-3
Haunting Experiences!
Darkest Dartmoor Released
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February 2024 - My anthology of Dartmoor related short stories has been released in paperback and ebook. The This collection of stories should have been available for Halloween 2022, but for various reasons has been delayed.
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The collection is divided into two sections: stories set in the past, and tales set in the present time. Not all of the stories include supernatural elements, all are inspired by either an existing legend, piece of Dartmoor history, or wild landscape of Devon. Within the pages one can find tales of murder, ghosts, superstition, witches, cults, highwaymen, strange beasts and of course the devil himself.
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Most of the thirteen stories appear in print for the first time and have been written specifically for this anthology. Also included are the novella 'The Circle in the Woods' , 'The Grey' which was previously published online, and 'The White' (which appeared in an anthology which I am hesitant to promote as the publisher has made no contact or payment since accepting the story!)
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Check out what I'm currently reading on Goodreads; https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5847011.Andrew_McAuley
Paperback £9.99 + £2 p&p
For UK Customers only. Price includes postage. Copies bought through this site link can be signed if so requested via paypal. International customers please use Amazon.
Darkest Dartmoor is available at the following Dartmoor shops:
Ivybridge Bookshop
Westcountry Books, Newton Abbot
The Old Police Station, Princetown
Pixieland, Dartmeet
Conflict in Devon pre-release video
Latest Blog: What really happened at the Battle of the Little Bighorn?
Darkest Dartmoor
Thirteen tales of chilling encounters with killers, robbers, spirits, mythical beasts, ancient cults, witches and the devil.
In these stories there is no blood splatter, chainsaw wielding lunatics and huge body counts. Instead, these pages are filled with things which lurk on the edge of woods, stalk from the shadows and prey on fears and superstitions.
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A group of soldiers struggle through a blizzard while one of them is haunted by a secret. A young woman is trapped in a bog when a lurking danger emerges from the reeds. A pair of farmers suffering during a famine become suspicious of their neighbour who never wants for food. A family are terrorized by a pair of huge hounds when a stranger offers to help them - for a price. Each of the stories bring a new terror, spanning the breadth of Dartmoor and across centuries. You will think twice before venturing onto the moor alone.
Conflict in Medieval Devon, 614 - 1497
This local history examines every aspect of military conflict in medieval Devon through four ages.
I: The Age of Dumnonia. The ancient kingdom resists aggressive expansion from Wessex through battles at Beandun, Posbury, and Gafulford.
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II: The Viking Age. Anglo-Saxon Devon resists Viking invaders, including the supposed son of the legendary Ragnar Lodbrok. Battles occur at Lydford, Exeter, and Cynwit.
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III: The Norman Age. The remnants of Harold Godwinson's family rally in Devon to resist the Norman conquest at Exeter and return with a mercenary army at Northam. Later, King Stephen deals with insurrection throughout Devon.
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IV: The Age of Chivalry. The Hundred Years Wars brings rampaging pirates to Devon's coast with a huge raid on Devon and battle at Blackpool Sands, then local nobles turn against each other in the warm-up to the Wars of the Roses and a pretender to the throne besieges Exeter.
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Illustrated with over 40 photographs, maps, and illustrations. Each age is accompanied by details on tactics, armour, weapons, and the politics of the age.
The Sampford Slaying
Devon, AD 1402. Wool merchant Robert Wood is not well-liked. He is boastful, gruff, and takes offence as easily as he gives it, but he adores his pious younger wife and constantly seeks social advancement to please her. Robert attempts to bribe the notoriously corrupt sheriff for the position as bailiff but is outbid by neighbouring landowner, William Spiney. The following morning a hue and cry is raised: William has been murdered.
Robert is accused and summarily thrown into the notorious Lydford gaol. Robert’s only ally is Edmund, a shy and cloistered clerk. Together they rush to prove Robert’s innocence while tackling corrupt officials, vengeful relations of the deceased, local thugs, a retainer with a mysterious past, and Robert’s own scheming brother.
If evidence of Robert’s innocence isn’t found within ten days, he will hang. Meanwhile, Robert is unsure if Edmund is really on his side while the clerk remains unconvinced that the volatile Robert is truly innocent.
The Circle in the Woods
Few souls venture to Ferntor Forest. The remote, heavily wooded hilltops cover many acres of bleak, ancient moorland. Little sunlight penetrates the thick canopy. Decaying detritus and moss-covered boulders blanket the steep-sided forest hills where eyes incessantly watch the winding tracks from the murkiest depths of the forest.
Archaeology student Eve thinks she's located a previously undiscovered prehistoric stone circle on recent satellite images of Dartmoor. Eager to make her name as the finder, Eve ventures out alone into Ferntor Forest. She soon discovers that getting to the ancient circle will be much more difficult than she thought, and that she would be lucky to get ever get out alive.
The March of the Dragons
Earth’s oil reserves dwindle. Prices soar as the last known oil fields are tapped. It is estimated there are 230 billion barrels worth of oil in the contested territories of the South China Sea.
When spiralling disputes lead to war, a surprise invasion has the Vietnamese military reeling in defeat. The resistance in an occupied Saigon is left to a new generation of 'Viet Cong' - the youth of the 21st century.
Tuấn, an idealistic university student encourages his friends to band together to fight. Spoilt and unprepared for the realities of war the students face oppression, fear and treachery in the face of the world’s largest army.
A Chinese military officer faces inner conflict over the issues of morality and duty, while a Scottish photojournalist is torn between two women as well as between his pursuit of fame and his conscience.
How much innocence and humanity will be sacrificed in this burning new world?
The Battle of Clyst Heath, 1455.
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