LETHBRIDGE-STEWART’S LIFE WILL CHANGE FOREVER!

As well as introducing a new writer to the range, The Showstoppers plays out a major turning point in Lethbridge-Stewart’s life, as he is rewarded for all his hard work since the Doctor Who serial, The Web of Fear.

Range editor, Andy Frankham-Allen, says:
Author, Jonathan Cooper, agrees:
The Showstoppers taps into the booming television industry of the 1960s, in particular the popular super-spy thrillers such as The Saint, Danger Man and The Avengers, blending it with more than a hint of the b-movies of the 1950s, all revolving around a secret Nazi plan left over from World War II.

Jonathan Cooper continues:

The book also features an introduction by David George, son of Dr Strangelove writer Peter George, focusing on the conspiracy theories that tie Dr Strangelove to the Kennedy assassination.

A fourth lead character of the range is also introduced in this novel. Head of Publishing, Shaun Russell, says:

Jonathan Cooper is no stranger to Doctor Who, having once served as Doctor Who correspondent for The Mirror and The Independent online papers. He has previously written two novels for Space: 1889 series, co-writing one with Lethbridge-Stewart range editor, Andy Frankham-Allen.

Andy Frankham-Allen says:

Candy Jar Books is pleased to announce the release of their latest free digital-only short story, The Band of Evil.

Lethbridge-Stewart editor Shaun Russell has joined forces with Candy Jar author Roger J Simmonds to pen this story of rock music aliens on the rampage in Wembley.

Shaun said:

The book also contains a preview chapter of Roger’s autobiography Standing on the Sidelines. Roger’s life has been a rock ’n’ rollercoaster of a journey. Highlights of his remarkable career include playing the 2is club in Soho at the height of its popularity, being part of the only Welsh group to play The Cavern Club, working alongside the influential record producer Joe Meek, getting drunk with The Krays, and being present when Tom Jones got his name.

Roger J Simmonds, who was once of touring member of The Honeycombs, said:

Hayley Cox, senior publishing coordinator at Candy Jar Books, feels that Roger was the perfect choice to collaborate with Shaun. She said:

The Band of Evil will be given free to every person who pre-orders The Showstoppers by Jonathan Cooper, which is due out at the end of June. All subscribers will receive the short story automatically, as will those who purchase any of the bundles for the 2016 series.

Candy Jar Books launched the fully licensed Lethbridge-Stewart series in February 2015, with Andy Frankham-Allen’s The Forgotten Son kicking off the venture in style. It was trailered by a free short story in the pages of Doctor Who Magazine, and every subsequent novel released throughout 2015 was accompanied by a free short story available direct from Candy Jar Books.

Head of Publishing, Shaun Russell says:

The latest is The Lock-In by newcomer to the range, Sarah Groenewegen. Sarah was born in Sydney, Australia, but now lives in London. She has had essays published in various anthologies including the Hugo-nominated Queers Dig Time Lords. Most recently she contributed over twenty entries in 1,001 TV Shows You Must Watch Before You Die. Her short fiction has won awards (Scarlet Stiletto, 2002) and been published in Big Finish’s Doctor Who line, including the award winning Short Trips: Zodiac.

Sarah says:

The Lock-In takes the form of a series of letters between Pearl and Sir Alistair, a man at the end of his life, as they reminisce over an adventure they shared just after he graduated from Sandhurst in 1956. It is a story of the impact one man can make, a story of perception of history and the importance of those who pass through our lives.

Range Editor Andy Frankham-Allen says:

The short stories now form part of a new initiative by Candy Jar Books to bring new talent into the worlds of Doctor Who. Frankham-Allen continues:
Shaun Russell agrees:

The Lock-In will be given free to every person who pre-orders the first of the new series of novels, Moon Blink by Sadie Miller, which is due to begin shipping 13th May. All subscribers will receive the short story automatically, as will those who purchase any of the bundles for 2016 series.

Richard is well-known for his photo realistic work. Watching him painstakingly create his artwork with thousands of dots is incredibly impressive. His design for The Showstoppers really evokes the early Target covers.

Doctor Who has been a big part of my life since I was a kid. The classic series is extremely close to my heart and I always wanted to draw a cover for the Target books... but they didn't like my style when I was ten. So to have the chance to contribute a cover for a book featuring one of the most iconic characters of Doctor Who is not only a huge honour but the realisation of a thirty-four-year old dream.

I had fun flexing my Photoshop muscles for the (free book) The Black Eggs of Khufu cover, but I jumped at the chance to return to my roots and work on a hand drawn cover, echoing the wonderfully surreal Kubrick movie.

I’ve always been a fan of Dr Strangelove and Doctor Who, so when Candy Jar Books asked me to meld the two together into a Lethbridge-Stewart novel, I could not resist. Who would?

We really thought that Tom Dexter had reached his peak with The Fright Before Christmas. That was until we read his story about the pyramids.

I did play with calling this one The Many Brigadiers, as we are in the unique position of being able to deal with the dating issues that plagued Lethbridge-Stewart during his time in Doctor Who. And, to break with tradition, this story is set outside the normal Lethbridge-Stewart narrative, taking place in 1990. It will, hopefully, prove to be a very different kind of story.

It was exciting to get to know a young Alastair, haunted by his brother's death and painfully in love for the first time. I really savoured the challenge of exploring beyond my comfort zone – and for the Brig-to-be, things are certainly anything but comfortable!

We had already released Mark’s Space, Time, Machine, Monster book based on science fiction in general. It seemed a natural progression to concentrate on Doctor Who. It was also great to welcome Jon Chase to the fold. His credentials are second-to-none; having worked on the BBC Bitesize Science TV series.

Doctor Who was originally created to teach history and science. Even though the show has changed, I feel fundamentally that the Doctor’s adventures have something to teach us about our own world. My mission was to explore concepts from the series and see how they feature in our everyday lives.

It was an honour to be chosen to draw Sadie's cover for Moon Blink. We went for something emblematic echoing the great Target covers of yore. I ended up sending two colour versions which Shaun brilliantly combined to make the final cover.

We are delighted with this latest piece of work from Adrian. And this time, not only do we highlight our co-stars Lethbridge-Stewart and Anne Travers, but we get to show the world Lance Corporal Bishop, a fan favourite from three of last year’s titles, now a regular in the series.

We wanted to do something different this year, and the revamped logo and background colour reflects that. Colin Howard has done a fantastic job of giving Simon Williams’ original design a bit more weight.

Terry has done a brilliant job in bringing these stories to life, adding a whole new dimension to them with his skilful renditions.

People have really been excited about the range, and have continually asked for audio versions of the titles. This was something we’ve always wanted to do, so when Fantom Films got in touch we jumped at the opportunity. It’s a great pleasure to finally be able to announce this new avenue for the series. I am thrilled that Terry Molloy’s narration/performance really reflects the vision the writers had for the characters. We couldn’t be happier with the result.

The fans asked, and we listened! It’s a real delight to hear Terry Molloy bring the book, and indeed the characters, to life. Even though I wrote the first book, I found myself listening and wondering what was going to happen next. Such is the power of Terry’s rich performance.