Introspective Retrospective 2023

 So, 2023 comes to an end. It's been a fairly drab one here in the UK, and hopefully 2024 will be an improvement. I've had a busy time making models this year, and here are the highlights.

For me, 2023's big project has been retro Eldar. I've painted a lot of models, including some great Jes Goodwin metal miniatures. I went for colours inspired by old, trippy science fiction, especially the pictures of Moebius, Chris Foss and Roger Dean.

Here are some vehicles.

Converted "Vitriol" skimmers

Converted jetbike squad

Wave Serpent

Another Wave Serpent

And some infantry:

Scouts

Fire Dragons

Swooping Hawks

Harlequins

And a couple of oddities, which aren't GW models but still work for the Eldar:

Not a Grynx

Not a Farseer

*

So, that's the Eldar. I also did some other models. I painted a rather stoned-looking dragon that I'd had knocking around for ages:

I also made a couple of gangs for Mordheim:

Heavily-converted Sisters of Sigmar

Marienberger mercenaries

But really, I save the silliest for last. I made a model of the Black Beast of Aaargh from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Most of it was sculpted by me, except the head.

*

The final thing isn't a model at all. It's a book called Legion of Bones, the third in my fantasy trilogy Dark Renaissance. It's a tale of murder and intrigue, set against a massive uprising by a horde of undead. All three of my fantasy novels are available HERE  - trust me, I'm a much better writer than I am a painter.

So it's been quite a busy year. I'm pleased with the progress I've made in painting. Eldar are rather unforgiving models, and require a "clean" painting style that I find tricky. I've really enjoyed painting them, and making the kind of army that I would have really liked to own thirty years ago!

Here's my favourite model of this year, the leader of the converted Vitriol squad. I hope you have a very happy new year, and lots of enjoyment and success with your models in 2024. 

Cheers!

Toby.

Legion of Bones

 My new novel is out! Legion of Bones is a dark fantasy story with a lot of intrigue. Imagine Mordheim meets Assassin's Creed with a extra helping of undead. It's the third in the Dark Renaissance series and, in my unbiased opinion, it absolutely rocks. 

You can get all three of the Dark Renaissance series on Amazon. Just CLICK RIGHT HERE!

In fact, you can click the above link if you fancy reading my Black Library novel, Straken, or any of the Space Captain Smith books, or my stand-alone novel, The Imposters. I write much better than I paint - that's a guarantee!

Oh, and if you'd like some more free stuff, go HERE and sign up to the mailing list, and I'll send you three free stories. Can't say fairer than that, can you?

The New Book

 Oh and by the way - the proof copy for my new novel has arrived, and it's good. It should be available in a matter of hours!

Here I am with the proof, looking like a character from Gormenghast.

New Book Incoming!

I've been working on a new novel and I'm pleased to say that it will be coming out in the next week or two. It's called Legion of Bones, it's a fantasy novel, and it's about hunting the undead in a magical version of the Renaissance. There's murder, intrigue, animated skeletons, a full-on siege and a lot of plot twists. And the lead character gets to surf a tank (sort of). 

 I'll let you know when it's out, but in the meantime there are two other novels in the same series: Up To The Throne and Blood Under Water. If you liked the old Warhammer, especially Mordheim, these will be your kind of thing.

GET IT HERE

GET IT HERE

And if that's not enough, and you just want some free stuff, click RIGHT HERE and sign up to the mailing list. You'll get three free stories and regular (but not too regular) updates on what I'm doing. 

We Interrupt This Blog...

 As I might have mentioned in the past, my other hobby is writing books. It's the hobby I'm actually fairly good at: I used to write from Black Library, back in the day, and the 40k novel Straken is my work.

Anyhow, in an attempt to get a bit more professional about my writing, I've gone and got a shiny new website. It's at www.tobyfrostauthor.co.uk. The best thing about this is that you can join the mailing list, and I'll send you some free stories and a super (but not too frequent) newsletter about upcoming books. 

One of the stories is set in the retro spies-in-space world of The Imposters, and the other two involve the magical Renaissance city of Pagalia, where the nights are dark and the knives sharp. Think of Mordheim meets Assassin's Creed, with a bit of 40s private eye, and you're pretty much there...

So, that's ww.tobyfrost.co.uk. Right then, I'm off now: I've got some jetbikes to paint and a sequel or two to write...

The Imposters - Out Now!

 The new book is out now! I wrote this and it's jolly good. You should definitely get a copy. Get several, in fact, just in case!

Buy Copies HERE!

Helen Frampton is one of a kind: built for childcare, refitted for sabotage and assassination, she’s one of the Secret Service’s greatest assets. But androids cost a lot to maintain, especially now that the Galactic War is over. Helen needs to prove her worth or die by a thousand budget cuts.

Richard Cleaver has problems of his own: shot, blown up and left for dead after his last mission went wrong, he’s now being hunted by deadly gangsters and a renegade artificial intelligence. Worst of all, he can’t remember past last Thursday.

Together, Richard and Helen must travel to the edge of known space. Only there can they find the keys to unlock Cleaver’s memory and the vault where the galaxy’s most vicious criminal stashed his loot. But their enemies are close behind…

My New Book Is Almost Ready!

 So, the proof of the new book has come through from Amazon. Exciting times!

If anyone's wondering what actually happens in this story, here's the back:

Not long before it's live on Amazon. Tell your friends! Buy many copies! That kind of thing!

I've Got A Book Coming Out!

 Painting miniatures isn't my first hobby: I also write books. I've written a novel for Black Library about the Catachan hero Colonel Straken (it's called Straken, handily enough), and six comedy novels about Space Captain Smith, an enthusiastic and very British space explorer. There's also two self-published fantasy novels, about murder and intrigue in a magical version of the Renaissance, called Up To The Throne and Blood Under Water. All of them can be found HERE, or at all good bookshops. The bad bookshops probably also stock them.

Anyhow, I'm going to self-publish another novel in the next month or so. Here's the cover, as created by Claire of  Autumn Sky designs:

What's it about? Well, it goes like this:

Helen Frampton is one of a kind: built for childcare, refitted for sabotage and assassination, she’s one of the Secret Service’s greatest assets. But androids cost a lot to maintain, especially now that the Galactic War is over. Helen needs to prove her worth or die by a thousand budget cuts.

Richard Cleaver has problems of his own: shot, blown up and left for dead after his last mission went wrong, he’s now being hunted by deadly gangsters and a renegade artificial intelligence. Worst of all, he can’t remember past last Thursday.

Together, Richard and Helen must travel to the edge of known space. Only there can they find the keys to unlock Cleaver’s memory and the vault where the galaxy’s most vicious criminal stashed his loot. But their enemies are close behind…

Not long now!

From Commissar to Rogue Trader

I'm working my way (very slowly) through my huge box of models that seemed a good idea to purchase at the time. One was a commissar-lord that I got cheaply, because he didn't have any arms. Now, for ages I've wanted to make a model of Isambard Smith, the hero of the books I wrote a while ago (which you can buy HERE if so inclined. They're very funny, I promise). Smith looks rather like this:

I thought that with a bit of work the Commissar might be quite good - not as Smith himself, but as a sort of Warhammerised version. With that, I de-skulled the model, so he'd look more like a Victorian and less like a Nazi, and added some arms from the excellent Tempestus Scions kit and a sabre that I cut from a sprue of Waterloo-type people (goodness knows where I got them from).

Then it was just a matter of painting him. It made a change to be painting an SF model in bright colours, but there's a hell of a lot of detail on this chap, and it took ages. Still, I'm pleased with the result, especially his face. He isn't Space Captain Smith, but if there's a Rogue Trader Smithius out there, this is him.

A Fantasy Novel For Free

Being the kind of idiot that I am, I completely forgot to mention that my novel Up To The Throne is currently free on Kindle. It'll be free today and tomorrow, and funnily enough I highly recommend it. So, if any of you fancy reading a Mordheim-meets-Assassin's-Creed type story of murder, magic and revenge, please click the link below.


Up To The Throne on Amazon

Giulia Degarno returns to the city-state of Pagalia with one intention: to kill the man who scarred her and left her for dead. But Publius Severra is no longer a mere criminal, and has risen to become a powerful politician - and perhaps the only man who can save Pagalia from anarchy. Now, as Severra stands poised to seize the throne, Giulia must choose between taking her revenge, and saving her home.

I can't see how you would regret it.

I Wrote Another Book!

Yes indeed! I have written another fantasy novel and it comes out today! It's a story of murder and revenge set in a magical city a bit like Venice. If you liked Mordheim, you'll probably like this.

Giulia Degarno thought that coming to Averrio would be the start of a new life. But when a renegade priest turns up dead in a canal, the City Watch needs somebody to take the blame. And who better than a woman with a dark past and an even darker future? Now Giulia has seven days to clear her name and find the killer. But as the violence mounts and the danger rises, she comes up against a conspiracy founded on gold, murder and evil magic. Giulia must deal with a cunning, ruthless enemy - and friends she may no longer be able to trust.

Go to Amazon, buy many copies, and enjoy*!


AMAZON

(*I actually hate it when people say "enjoy". Consider it a suggestion rather than an order)

Blood Under Water - coming soon!

I've been working on a sequel to Up To The Throne. It's called Blood Under Water, and it's a story of revenge and conspiracy in a murky, waterlogged city where corruption and murder hold sway. When a priest shows up dead in a canal, Giulia falls under suspicion. Will she clear her name and find the killer?

Only one way to find out - buy a copy. Coming soon!

My Fantasy Novel In Paperback

This has been a busy year so far in terms of hobbies. As well as the miniatures, I write books, and for the first time I've tried self-publishing a novel on Amazon.

Anyway, I'm delighted to announce that my novel, Up To The Throne, is available in paperback as well as for Kindle.

Copies have been purchased and they're looking good! You can buy copies from Amazon here:

Click HERE for paperbacks!

And you can read the first chapter for free here:

Click HERE to read Chapter 1!

And, what's more, here's me reading the first chapter out loud:

Click HERE to listen to Chapter 1!

Of Lead and Plastic - an article I wrote on wargaming

I almost forgot to post this.

My main hobby isn't miniatures: it's writing. One of the things I do is write articles for the website Fantasy Faction. They predominantly cover science fiction and fantasy novels, but they review a lot of other geeky things.

I did a short overview of tabletop wargaming for them. No doubt there are loads of things I've got wrong and left out (although I hold to my view that the Age of Sigmar setting is nowhere near as good as the old one), so feel free to let me know. Anyhow, here it is.

Of Lead And Plastic: Tabletop Wargaming in 2018

My Big Dark Fantasy Novel

So, slightly different post here.

Both of you who read this blog will already know that I write books. More particularly, I wrote the Warhammer 40,000 novel Straken, about Colonel Straken of the Imperial Guard killing a lot of space orks, and the six Space Captain Smith books, about Captain Isambard Smith of the British Space Empire killing a lot of space ants.

Now I've got something else planned. In December 2018, I'll be releasing a new book onto Kindle. It's called Up To The Throne, and it looks like this:

Giulia returns to her birthplace to kill the man who scarred her and left her for dead - only to find that he is no longer a gangster but a powerful politician, and may be the only person who can save Pagalia from its enemies. As she carves her way closer to vengeance, it becomes clear that her revenge may destroy the entire city.

It's a dark fantasy story, a sort of revenge thriller set in a magically-supercharged Renaissance, full of clockwork tanks, haunted ruins, flying machines and a lot of menace and intrigue. I'm not that keen on the term, but if you want to call it Grimdark, feel free.

This is a first expedition into the world of self-publishing, and I'll update you guys as I go along. It's pretty daunting, to be honest, but I'm looking forward to it too!