Author Guest Post with Mark Towse: Chasing the Dragon

The town needed a hero… it got Reformo.

Welcome to the April 5th stop on the blog tour for Chasing The Dragon by Mark Towse with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, more guest posts, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.

Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means there is no additional cost to you if you shop using my links, but I will earn a small percentage in commission. A program-specific disclaimer is at the bottom of this post.

Author Guest Post

I’ve written 185 short stories and 15 novellas, but ‘Chasing The Dragon’ is my debut novel. This multi-genre romp will knock your socks off and rip your heart out.

Chasing The Dragon was a thrill to write. It is a dark concoction of all the genres I’ve touched on: horror, thriller, romance, crime, fantasy, and mystery, with the staple thread of Towse humour to lighten the load. There’s something for everyone here, and I hope you fall in love with Reformo as much as I did.

N.B. This is certainly not designed to be a self-help book. Oh, and there are no dragons in it. Or are there?

Put simply, this is a tongue-in-cheek story about the long-term effects of trauma and how it never fails to continue shaping us. This is essentially me on these pages, bearing my soul, making it an incredibly cathartic and therapeutic experience.

Life is imperfect, and so are we. 

A bit about the book:

Our protagonist, Simon Dooley, had a strict upbringing. His iron-fisted mother made life claustrophobic and uncomfortable. It didn’t take much to set her off: crumbs on the counter, dishes left out, someone parking outside their house, or playing loud music. “End the chaos,” she used to cry until she passed.

But even when dead, his mother’s voice lives on in Simon’s head. The only way he believes he can finally end it is to have a cape made by the local chain-smoking seamstress, Janice, and take to the streets to “End the chaos.” Introducing Reformo, the superhero we never knew we needed.

I promise a unique and extraordinary ride.

Early ARC reviews:

‘Sublime.’

‘Tragic. Brutal. Hilarious.’

‘Had me laughing out loud one minute and crying the next.’

‘The writing is a tour de force.’

‘Jaw-dropping.’

‘What a debut!’

About the Book

Chasing The Dragon
A Dark Vigilante Justice Thriller Novel
by Mark Towse

Published 23 March 2024
Eerie River Publishing
Cover Artist: Tom Brown

Genre: Romantic Fantasy Thriller
Page Count: 234
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

A town on its knees, dread’s bony fingers wrapping around its throat and squeezing, death rattles soon to follow.

Drugs, filth, and a lack of human decency are starving it of hope.

Introducing Simon Dooley, our trauma-driven wannabe superhero, the relentless voice of his dead mother pleading with him to “end the chaos.” Dressed in a leotard and armed only with a dozen dog poop bags, Simon’s plight will find him falling in love and going head to head with the seediest characters walking the streets.

The town needed a hero… it got Reformo.

Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Books2Read

Excerpt

“This doesn’t have to happen.” I hold my hands out, declaring myself weapon-free. “You could turn your life around. We could unite, start teaching kids about the harmful effects of drugs and clean up these streets. What do you say?”

“Look, I don’t know who the fuck you are, Mister, but I see you ain’t right in the head. But mental or not, you can’t come on my patch and expect not to get shanked.”

Moonlight falls across his face, picking up the few hairs across his lip. Jesus Christ, how old is he? “It’s not too late,” I say. “This town can be good again. We could start a youth centre. Get funding from the council and buy a table tennis table.”

“You’re off your rocker, mate.” He tosses the knife between his hands, finishing with an impressive spin. “That might keep you happy down at the local funny farm, but folks can see angels with the stuff I sell.”

“I just want some order.”

“Well, you’re in the wrong place, mate.” He stares me down, flexing his jaw muscles. “Now, you have two options here: run like the wind, or have that lovely leotard cut to shreds.”

“It’s not a leotard.”

This time, I move first, feigning to the left but attacking from the right. Bum Fluff tries to alter course, but it’s too late, the knife cutting through the air, the blade missing my side by nothing more than an inch. We come together, the flurry of hairs on his lip dancing on the breeze.

About the Author

Mark Towse is an English horror writer living in Australia. He would sell his soul to the devil or anyone buying if it meant he could write full-time. Alas, he left it very late to begin this journey, penning his first story since primary school at the ripe old age of forty-five. Since then, he’s been published in over two hundred journals and anthologies, had his work made into full theatrical productions for shows such as The No Sleep Podcast and Tales to Terrify, and has penned fourteen novellas, including Nana, Gone to the Dogs, 3:33, and Crows. Chasing The Dragon is his debut novel.

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Giveaway Alert!

The author will award a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.