Andy J Kirby
Andy Kirby is the author of four novels; Perfect World (2011); Bully (2009); The Magpie Trap (2008), and Paint this Town Red. His published fiction also includes two volumes of collected short stories, Mix Tape (2010) and The Art of Ventriloquism (2012), and three novellas, The Haunting of Annie Nicol (2012), The Black Book (2011) and Bed Peace (2011).
His prize-winning short stories have featured in a wide number of publications, both in print and online. Award recognition has come from Huddersfield Literature Festival, Ilkley Literature Festival, Mere Literary Festival, the H.E Bates Short Story Competition, and in writing competitions run by Cinnamon Press and People in Action. He received an honourable mention in the worldwide Best Horror of the Year 2008/9, judged by the esteemed editor, Ellen Datlow and in 2011, he was shortlisted for the Paperbooks ‘Tale of Two Halves’ competition, and was awarded runner-up in the Dog Horn Publishing Fiction Prize. He also won the genre fiction prize in the Big Issue in the North’s Short Issue.
Andy lives in Leeds, UK with his girlfriend Heidi and his lucky black cat, Eric. He started writing after losing out in a game show hosted by Les Dennis. To find out more, visit Andy’s website: www.andykirbythewriter.20m.com
“A deep psychological thriller…The book constantly keeps you on your toes…Kirby does an excellent job of describing the tiny hamlet and the various idiosyncrasies. The world building and characters are very well done…Bully is fast paced and a quick read. It reminds me a little bit of Stephen King’s IT.” ~ Speculative Book Review, by Tyson Mauermann, 30 Nov 2010
“The work of a talented writer. There are moments of genuine intensity in the horror scenes.” ~ Andrew McQuade, in Gorezone Magazine, Issue 60
“A fierce, impassioned and very powerful piece of writing. It’s bloody good, basically…” ~ Simon Bestwick, Author of Pictures of the Dark & Tide of Souls
“Reading this book is like trying to get to sleep after drinking too many vodka red bulls; you feel his anxiety and distress. But where Kirby erally shines is his naturalistic, boisterous dialogue. It is rare to read speech that is written as it should sound and it has worked to tremendous effect in this novel. On picking up BULLY, I could tell I was in store for something sinister. But it was more than that; it was horrific, bitter, twisted and aggressive.” ~ Hannah Glick, Books Editor, Leeds Student Newspaper
“A talented writer…genuine intensity in the horror scenes.” ~ Gorezone Magazine
“Like Jaws on land…” ~ Cassandra Parkin, author of the Scott-Prize winning New World Fairy Tales
“Reading this book is like trying to get to sleep after drinking too many vodka red bulls…” ~ Leeds Student Newspaper
Small Man Syndrome
What Dale Lightwood lacks in inches he more than makes up for in attitude. Dale’s misanthropy manifests itself in his poor relations with his family, a persecution complex at work, a conviction that the rest of the world is talking down to him.
All his life Dale Lightwood has been searching for that ultimate comeback. He longs to come up with the ultimate retort which will force the world to shut up about his size once and for all.
When Dale finds himself stuck behind a cyclist on a lonely road in France one obscene gesture is all it takes for the monster inside him to be released.
This one snap decision is all it takes to send the lives of Dale Lightwood and his family into a terrifying downward spiral.
SMALL MAN SYNDROME explores the consequences of his fateful action – for Dale and his family; it journeys into the heart of darkness of Dale’s guilt as he tries to cope with what he’s done as sinister external agencies try to force his hand.
Paint The Town Red
WELCOME TO LIMM, TWINNED WITH HELL
Limm is a small town on a picturesque tidal island. For much of every day it is cut off from the rest of civilisation. Its people are insular. Self-sufficiency runs in their blood. Myth and superstition have become their currency. But what will happen to this close-knit community when the deepest, darkest of these myths starts to come to life, red in tooth and claw?
What happens when the island comes under siege from external forces, hell-bent on tearing the place apart? The moon waxes. The tide of Darkness swells. Soon it will reach high-tide, and all the pretty Dark things which have heretofore remained hidden will come out to play. Only the unlikeliest bunch of reluctant heroes stand in its way. Will they discover their bravery in time?
Bully
They say you should never go back. But sometimes you don’t have a choice.
After Gary Bull’s miraculous survival from an explosion in Afghanistan, he is compelled to return to the small town where he grew up, a place that he thought he would never set his eyes upon again. Memories of a past long buried come back to him and he finds himself forced to face the horror of what he did when he was young. It started with the bullying…
Newton Mills appears normal enough on the surface, but scratch the surface and there is something far more sinister. It has more than its fair share of graveyards and the skeletons are liable to walk right out of the closet.
Newton Mills is the scene of a despicable crime.
No one gets out alive.
