Publications Update - New Books for 2020

Since our last post we have been busy planning the release of our new website (April 2020) and working on upcoming fiction titles.

Two new book releases are set for 2020.  The first was our fantastic anthology, a selection of dark short stories completed by students of The Priory School in Hitchin.

Not only was this a student-led education project, the book was also an experiment in fast fiction; the project started in November 2019 and was completed by February 2020, bypassing many of the extended waiting times that books usually go through in the publishing world.

This project was a great calling card for us as a publishing house and our hybrid-publishing business model.

Here is the link to the book and a copy of the excellent cover design, created by a 16 year old A-level art student.  The book was released on World Book Day 2020, March 5th, and is just £6.99 - check it out!

The first anthology release from Burton Mayers Books

In other news, another exciting adult title has been added to our growing list.  Owen W Knight's novel, Another Life, is due to hit the shelves at the start of May.  This excellently written novel explores one man's obsession to find a woman he met during a chance encounter 30 years prior, taking him on a mystical journey where folklore and reality collide.

Here is the link to the novel which is released 1st May 2020 for £8.99 

Imagine if we could create a world where dreams and reality collide.

Check back mid April where you will see our new look website and all content from our blog will be transferred across.

The Evolution of Spikez

On the 1st October 2012, Spikez was published on hardback and paperback.  The first title from Burton Mayers Books, Spikez was packed full of ideas and technology, including QR codes that linked to interactive content, bonus chapters, and secret files linked to the book.

The Evolution of the Iconic British Hedgehog

Spikez taught us so much about the world of publishing and we are very much still developing and growing our portfolio of books and authors using our knowledge gained from the production of the title.  In October 2019, seven years later, we finally got round to releasing the second edition.  We took out about 20 pages, reformatted, and adjusted much of the online content - which will not just be hosted on one platform: www.animalcyborgs.com from 29th November 2019; this will coincide with the re-release of Spikez: Titanium Edition, a sleeker, faster version of the book.

Spikez: Titanium Edition is in a sleeker, silver look format and released on 29th November 2019. 

In seven years, printing costs have changed and expectations of booksellers and the wholesale discounts available to them have also forced many independent publishers to only sell their books privately.  To counter this, we've had to adjust our pricing to remain competitive.  Both books are available to buy worldwide, with Spikez (390 pages) now at £9.99 whilst Spikez: Titanium Edition (318 pages) is available to purchase for £8.99.

The look and design of each book have changed over the years with the images below showing the noticeable comparison between both books.  We're delighted with the outcomes and are sure that you will agree that they are even better than before.

Spikez: Titanium Edition comes out on the 29th November and the 2nd Edition of Spikez is back in stock on 4th December 2019 - just in time for Christmas. 

Publications Update - Summer 2016

New titles are planned for release by the end of this year.

In 2015 we announced that the sequel to Spikez was in production, and then John Michaelson - aka The London Vampire - expressed a desire to share some of his secretive work with us. That left us feeling very excited about what 2016 might bring!

Promotion for Making Trakz is drawing to a close, with author Richard Mayers visiting the final schools and libraries across Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire this summer.  The book has proven to be very popular with children and adults alike (see reviews) and the concept remains ahead of its time. 

Spikez: Red Dragon carries on where Spikez left off and sees the animal cyborg branch of MI6 travel halfway across the world to prevent a global apocalypse.  Can Windar's misfit team prevent an army of self-aware animal cyborgs being released across China? 

Back in London, John Michaelson has been busy tracking down the Ants and uncovering their involvement in human trafficking operations. Recently, he took up an invitation to write for a horror magazine (SQ Magazine), sharing his dark experiences and casting light on the modern vampire phenomenon affecting Europe.  We predicted a release of Nuptial Flight on Flying Ant Day but that didn't sit too well with him, so we will have to wait, but anticipate an October 2016 release - although according to his latest article, Michaelson hints that we might see some excepts in the run-up.

Michaelson has written two articles in recent months

Plans for a picture book were put on hold due to artist commitments so we are actively scouting for new talent to join our growing team of authors and illustrators. There are plans to widely expand the title into digital platforms so watch this space.  Lavender the Hedgehog will appear in her own adventure, hopefully some time next spring when she comes out of hibernation.

All the titles from Burton Mayers Books are available (paperback and Kindle) from major retailers worldwide, including Amazon, Waterstones, WHSmith, and Barnes & Noble.  Please check out the reviews and follow us on Twitter to receive all the latest news, offers and deals linked to our titles.  For all media enquiries related to our authors, please contact them directly through Twitter.

@Spikez_Novel - Richard Mayers (Spikez, Making Trakz, Spikez:Red Dragon)

@TheLondonVamp - John Michaelson (October's Son: The London Vampire Diaries, Nuptial Flight)

Publications - 2014 Update

Burton Mayers Books are pleased to announce that Making Trakz and October's Son will be published internationally by the end of 2014.

Making Trakz is a prequel to the Spikez series of books about an unlikely group of animal cyborgs, built by the British Military to thwart global terrorism.  The book focuses on the creation of Trakz, a domestic mouse who is transformed into a super-intelligent being by the eccentric Professor Windar.  Copies of the 2nd Draft were given to Year 6 and 7 students at Ashlyns School in Hertfordshire to read; parents and a select group of school librarians and academics also read the draft.  The feedback was extremely positive, with students commenting that they found the characters engaging, funny and believable; the narrative was described as exciting and original with great pace. 

The final draft has now been approved and work has begun on formatting for publication.

 October's Son is at the final stages of editing.  Burton Mayers Books have been in contact with the elusive author, John Michaelson, by Skype to clarify and refine the work into a publishable novel.  The book is written in a diary style with references to people and places in London; there will be photographs, links to the London Vampire website and much more.  Readers will not be disappointed, although their perceptions of underground life in London and their definition of what a vampire is in today's world will change.

More details will follow during the coming months.  Stay tuned for pictures, sneak peeks and much more.