‘Freaks’ By Caroline Smailes & Nik Perring, illustrated by Darren Craske is released today and can be purchased in print (looking forward to my copy arriving) and e-book on Amazon (Amazon Affiliate sponsored links).

From the Press Release:

Dedicated ‘To all who, if only for a moment, felt that they didn’t belong’, FREAKS is a unique collection of short stories with comic book style illustrations.

Darkly humorous these stories explore the more disturbing consequences of ordinary, flawed human beings obtaining superpowers.

A bizarre collection of short stories, each featuring a character with an unusual superpower.

FREAKS taps into the current growth in popularity of short stories and fascination with imperfect super heroes, as seen in recent film Chronicles and Channels 4’s cult series Misfits.

Meet The Photocopier, a woman who can reproduce herself at will and attempts to teach her daughter to do the same. The man who can break his way into his lovers dream and the woman in My Little Pony pants who likes to be ridden like a Pony.

Over fifty freaks and misfits feature in this unforgettable book. A unique collaboration between three popular writers, the stories are written by Caroline Smailes (Like Bees to Honey) and Nik Perring (Not So Perfect) and illustrated by Darren Craske, a comic book artist and author of The Cornelius Quaint Chronicles. Stories aren’t credited so the reader is left to guess which is written by Caroline or Nik.
FREAKS will appeal to contemporary fiction, short story and graphic novel fans alike.

The cover has been designed by leading movie poster designer Sam Bennett.

…

Did you read the first line – it’s been dedicated to me! I recognise that feeling.

Today my lovely blog readers I can share with you one of the stories and an illustration as a taster of what lies in store.

Invisible 

[Super Power: The ability to make oneself unseen to the naked eye]

If I stay totally still,

if I stand right tall,

with me back against the school wall,

close to the science room’s window,

with me feet together,

pointing straight,

aiming forward,

if I make me hands into tight fists,

make me arms dead straight,

 if I push me arms into me sides,

if I squeeze me thighs,

stop me wee,

if me belly doesn’t shake,

if me boobs don’t wobble,

if I close me eyes tight,

so tight that it makes me whole face scrunch,

if I push me lips into me mouth,

if I make me teeth bite me lips together,

if I hardly breathe,

if I don’t say a word.

Then,

I’ll magic meself invisible,

and them lasses will leave me alone.

…

My favourite story so far is ‘Betty’ (The ability to travel through time) but ‘I want you to ride me like a pony’ means my childhood self will never be able to look at My Little Pony in the same way again (I loved the film with the smooze).

Over on Nik’s blog is a competition that will be run on Twitter today asking you what your ideal superpower would be.

My answer was:

My ideal super power would be to write stories that would combat any problem – my words would fly from the page and sort out whatever was up. They would plug a leak, create an opportunity when everything seems hopeless etc.

I will also be interviewing the wonderful Nik about this in the near future so please do pop back – but in the meantime click on the picture below (or links at the top of the post) to get your copy.