Red Phone Box

I've just finished reading Red Phone Box. It's a 'story round' by my publisher Ghostwoods. It took three years to complete, and involved twenty-eight different authors. 

Shatter a mirror, and rearrange the pieces. What shapes will you find in the splintered glass? Sinister forces roam London's streets, skulking through the neon-lit rain. 

Everything centres around red phone boxes, a recurrent theme throughout. They link alternate realities. If you hear the phone ringing, you'd be wise not to answer.

What drew me to this book was pure curiosity. It includes stories by my editor, Salomé Jones, Ghostwoods' head honcho Tim Dedopulos, Rosy Hours' cover designer Gábor Csigás and fellow Ghostwoods author Kate Harrad. I know the first three professionally, so it was a real pleasure to get to know them creatively. There's something tingly about reading the work of someone you know.

Another bonus was discovering the work of Remittance Girl (@remittancegirl). I think she only wrote one story for it, but, for me, it really stood out. Every now and then you discover a writer whose style just sings for you. Apparently she's an erotica writer. I'm definitely checking her out. 

More than anything else, I want to tell you these stories. I want to rub these words against you, smear you with the pollen of possibility, infect you with nostalgia for places you’ve never been, experiences you’ve never had or have forgotten. That is what books have done for me since I was old enough to read. They made me a carrier of a strange sickness and now I have to pass it on. (keep reading)

I also appreciate her promotion of smaller booksellers ahead of the big boys on her sales page.