In a big house in the English countryside, a reclusive and increasingly unstable author toils over a book which will close the best-selling trilogy of Jade Nexus fantasy novels.  Speculation and rumour are rife among hardcore Jade Nexus fans that their heroine will die at the hotly-anticipated novel’s conclusion – a possibility against which they have begun to loudly protest via social media as the release date nears. How do you deal with such intense pressure? How do you cope with distractions to your work such as a violent intruder, panicked messages from your agent and a potential love interest moving into the cottage across the field? And far worse than any of those problems… what do you do about the Beast in your basement?  Occasionally I like to throw caution to the wind and take a chance when it comes to my reading. I have a long list of authors whose work I enjoy, but I am always on the look out for new names to add. One of the best ways I’ve found to indulge this devil may care attitude is with short fiction and novellas. Its low risk, has a quick turnaround and every so often you’ll come…