Debut Short Story Collection STRANGE MATTERS by Bret Allen is Released

With a print edition just being released, fantasy fans can get their hands on both printed and ebook versions of this fresh short story collection.

The debut ebook Strange Matters by Bret Allen is the perfect way to jump into new fantastic worlds and stories. Ranging from urban tales of Ethiopian hyenas in London to classic sword-and-magic wielding warriors, this 20-strong collection of tales and poems explores the uniting factor between all sub-genres of fantasy: the strange.

From ancient British gods in the style of Neil Gaiman to a dream diary that becomes far too real, "Strange Matters" looks for new angles and twists for fantasy while retaining a sense of wonder and deep-seated truth. With stories ranging from two pages to two hundred, readers can dip in for a quick read on the Tube (try "They Found Him Weeping" set on the London Underground), or get their teeth into a novella-length adventure (such as "The Firebird," a Slavic fairy tale for a new generation).

This book includes twenty pieces of poetry and fiction (some with mature themes), including among others:

Wordsmith
Kate's night is interrupted by meeting a mute, half-naked Ethiopian boy, which would be fine if he wasn't being hunted through the streets of London by hyenas.

Torc
When a group of bikers get lost in a forest, they find that they are not alone.

The Firebird
Ekaterina wants to be taken seriously by the men of her village, so she sets out to hunt the greatest prey of all... the legendary Firebird.

Arcturus
A nameless criminal explores his capacity for magic- and empathy- when he's forced to make unusual acquaintances to escape justice.

It Wants To Eat Me
The diary entries of a teenage girl who finds an unusual and unwelcome intruder in her dreams.

British Gods
Two strange figures watch the violence of the London riots unfold and do what they can to help, as only forgotten gods can.

Nine
Having just died, Andy's not pleased to find himself in the ancient Egyptian afterlife, where the goddess Bastet wants a word with him.

"Strange Matters" is a journey through many facets of fantasy, all united by a fresh, modern eye for incisive storytelling and magical realism.

Bret Allen is a writer from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. He has written for video games and his blog. Strange Matters represents a first huge milestone in his fiction writing career. The story "It Wants To Eat Me" is featured in the Smashwords Writer's Forum Anthology 2015. Bret has won a txtlit competition for extremely short fiction in the space of one SMS, plus has written for computer games. He also features on the Don't Lose Your Headline comedy podcast.

Reviews of "The Firebird":
- A classic tale of folklore and fable rolled into one, easily devoured in a single sitting!
- After the first few paragraphs you'll be truly hooked! A welcome change from the humdrum vampire and '50 shades' knock offs - a very refreshing change!

Reviews of "Strange Matters":
- These are fantastic, well crafted stories, and they will stay with you a long time after you've finished.
- This is a fantastic collection of short stories and poetry, a must read for fantasy fans.

Neil Gaiman's tweet on "British Gods":
"I think it's great! Makes me homesick for the UK, in odd ways."

"Strange Matters" is available as an ebook on Amazon, Smashwords, Google Play, iTunes, Barnes and Noble and Kobo for £1.99. The print edition costs £8.99 on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and more.

A free sample- "The Firebird and Other Extracts from Strange Matters" is available in all formats except Amazon (coming soon).

Find links to all the major ebook retailers at http://bit.ly/1HWsgsD and www.bretallen.info.

A quote from Bret Allen:

"What is there to say? I'm Bret Allen and I'm a writer!

"In fiction, my favourite genres are fantasy, scifi and supernatural. There's something fascinating about the comparisons drawn between real life and the fantastic; in a contrary fashion, they can be more profound than those drawn by real-life stories.

"Most of all, I try to put a new spin on those genres, which in many cases have become stiff, old shambling corpses. Stitch on a smart new head, put a little truth in the heart, run a 500 megawatt current of strangeness through them and suddenly... they live again!"

Contacts:

Website: http://www.bretallen.info
Email: bret at bretallen dot info
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bretallendoingwords
Twitter: @bretallenwriter
Linkedin: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/bretallen
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B00FAV5XOC
Goodreads author page: https://www.goodreads.com/bretallendoingwords
Phone: 07860670257

Book links:

Strange Matters home page http://bit.ly/1HWsgsD
Strange Matters on Smashwords - http://bit.ly/1Fkfwsw
Strange Matters on Amazon - http://amzn.to/1JbB932
Don't Lose Your Headline - https://soundcloud.com/dlyhl/
The Firebird free sample on Smashwords - http://bit.ly/1QfUKEU

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