P.R.O.B.E. Range Editor James Hornby spoke with his co-editor, Genevieve Clovis, about her work on P.R.O.B.E.: Out of the Shadows. Available to purchase on Amazon. P.R.O.B.E. © BBV Productions, used under license.

Q: How did you get involved with P.R.O.B.E.: Out of the Shadows?
A: Once upon a time, James Wylder did a reading in my bookstore. We got on and have kept in touch. Since then he has asked me to contribute to a couple of his projects and I inevitably say yes because his projects are always interesting. I hadn't even heard of P.R.O.B.E. when he asked me to join but I was soon initiated and glad of it.

Q: What can the audience expect to see from your stories in Out of the Shadows?
A: Not a whole lot I expect. Though I had the option of contributing a story, I decided against it. When we first started working on it, I had other writing projects on the go and I thought it best to stay focussed on the editing aspects of this project. That did not stop me from creating one of the characters on the P.R.O.B.E. team though. 

Q: How did you find the editing process?
A: It was certainly different to what I'm used to. Typically I edit novels or standalone short stories. This was the first anthology with multiple contributors that I've worked on in this capacity. It was a great experience. I've learned a lot and will definitely carry that knowledge forward with me.

Q: What are you most proud of about your stories?
A: Probably that we were able to come up with an overall story idea that allowed the individual writers a lot of leeway for their own stories. I'm a big fan of supernatural stories and those are the sort of issues P.R.O.B.E. traditionally dealt with. I'm thrilled we were able to use that but also expand on it to reflect the changes that the organization has faced.  

Q: Where else can we find your work?
A: I'm afraid you won't have much luck trying to find things I've written (though maybe there will be more of that in the future), but if you'd like to know more about my editing practice you can check out cloviseditorial.com

P.R.O.B.E.: Out of the Shadows is available to purchase on Amazon.
Ebook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HMB1J6V
Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HQ7FDCQ

P.R.O.B.E. Range Editor James Hornby spoke with author James Wylder about his story in P.R.O.B.E.: Out of the Shadows. Available to purchase on Amazon. P.R.O.B.E. © BBV Productions, used under license.

Q: How did you get involved with P.R.O.B.E.: Out of the Shadows?
A: Oh geez, well that's a long story. The short version is that James Hornby and Hunter O'Connell brought the idea of doing P.R.OB.E. to me, and asked if Arcbeatle Press would be interested in working on it. I helped develop the project, and decided pretty quickly it'd be very fun to write a story for it. Writing two (well, three if you count the tiny prologue...) stories for it wasn't even on the horizon then! Along with Genevieve Clovis, Hornby, and O'Connell, we put together the new P.R.O.B.E team members, and I made Maxie Masters as my contribution to the line up. She's a fun lady.

Q: What can the audience expect to see from your stories in Out of the Shadows?
A: Readers can expect to find a wide variety of memorable feelings: from quiet beauty to grotesque horror, I hope to bring you images and characters who will stick with you. You have some exciting stuff to look forward to, including getting to learn more about Maxie from P.R.O.B.E., a team member I'm very fond of. Oh--you'll also be in for a big treat if you're a fan of Arthurian myth. Get excited if so.
My second story is going to be a treat if you're a fan of character drama and... waiting in airports? Ha, that one is harder to describe, but its very special. I think readers will be surprised by both of them in different ways!

Q: How did you find the writing process?
A: It was both very easy and very hard, ha, I know it sounds like a ridiculous answer, but during the depths of lockdown I really struggled to get my story "A Honeycomb of Souls" finished while juggling all my other responsibilities. Which, well, I was very much not alone in struggling, so at least I wasn't alone. Once things got stable though, Honeycomb went very quickly.
"Nowhere Women" was... different lol. But I'll talk about that more later.

Q: What are you most proud of about your stories?
A: I'm really proud of a character in "A Honeycomb of Souls" that you'll get to meet--I'm very excited for readers to learn about her, and I am crossing my fingers that fan art gets made of her. She's very cool, and I hope people like her.
"Nowhere Women" was a surprise, as it wasn't originally planned as part of the anthology, but a writer drop with the pandemic, followed by some strange and boring stuff with the length of the book, meant we needed another story. The idea for it suddenly hit me, I'd been thinking about doing more with Brittany Mordley from Cyberon as she ended being a favorite of both readers and myself, and for some reason that merged with my many memories of waiting in airports. "Nowhere Women" is probably my standout piece of the two, and was one of those stories that came together remarkably quickly. It just flowed out of me, like it was tying to catch a flight itself and needed to hurry. I think you're in for something special with that one.

Q: Where else can we find your work?
A: You can check out my patreon, where I post most of my stuff these days, right here: http://www.patreon.com/jameswyder
I also putter around on twitter at @arcbeatle

P.R.O.B.E.: Out of the Shadows is available to purchase on Amazon.
Ebook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HMB1J6V
Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HQ7FDCQ

P.R.O.B.E. Range Editor James Hornby spoke with author Kylie Leane about her story in P.R.O.B.E.: Out of the Shadows. Available to purchase on Amazon. P.R.O.B.E. © BBV Productions, used under license.

Q: How did you get involved with P.R.O.B.E.: Out of the Shadows?
A: I've known James Wylder for quite some time now. It's a marvelous thing about the internet, getting to know writer's around the world. I was really honoured that he contacted me to be involved in such a great project.

Q: What can the audience expect to see from your story in Out of the Shadows?
A: I like ghost stories - but not scary ghost stories, or horror stories, but stories about forgotten memories, about lives once lived, and history slowly being erased as time goes by. It fascinates me as a concept and I tried to capture it within this story.

Q: How did you find the writing process?
A: So, I am known only for long books. So I was a little bit worried about writing a short story - since it isn't my strong point - but I decided to apply a technique the editor of my novels was teaching me to try and reduce the length of my novels. It worked really, really well in enabling me to structure a short story. In the end, I greatly enjoyed the experience and found it very beneficial to my growth as a writer.

Q: What are you most proud of about your story?
A: Ah, that it's actually short.
And also I was really worried about writing someone else's characters and doing them justice, and I feel I did okay in the end.

Q: Where else can we find your work?
A: You can find my work at kmlpublishing.com


P.R.O.B.E.: Out of the Shadows is available to purchase on Amazon.
Ebook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HMB1J6V
Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HQ7FDCQ

P.R.O.B.E. Range Editor James Hornby spoke with author E Southern about their story in P.R.O.B.E.: Out of the Shadows. Available to purchase on Amazon. P.R.O.B.E. © BBV Productions, used under license.

Q: How did you get involved with P.R.O.B.E.: Out of the Shadows?
A: James brought me on board after I wrote a short story for another anthology of his. I both love working with him and anything related to Doctor Who, so I couldn’t say no! 

Q: What can the audience expect to see from your story in Out of the Shadows?
A: Mind-bendy angst. I love putting interesting characters in tough situations where their personal life can’t help but sneak into every turn of the plot. 

Q: How did you find the writing process?
A: Really fun! I had a lot of freedom to explore whatever themes I wanted, which is all a writer can ask for! I really love writing stories with lots of different threads that twist together at the end. It can be hard to keep track of every thread and make sure they all get woven together properly, but the end result is worth it. 
 
Q: What are you most proud of about your story?
A: The characters. I feel like they get put through the ringer and come out the other side changed. 
 
Q: Where else can we find your work?
A: I actually just earned my MFA in screenwriting so I've added a ton of new work to my collection! You can find more information about those projects at my website.

P.R.O.B.E.: Out of the Shadows is available to purchase on Amazon.
Ebook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HMB1J6V
Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HQ7FDCQ

P.R.O.B.E. Range Editor James Hornby spoke with author Steve Lyons about his story in P.R.O.B.E.: Out of the Shadows. Available to purchase on Amazon. P.R.O.B.E. © BBV Productions, used under license.

Q: How did you get involved with P.R.O.B.E.: Out of the Shadows
The editor, James, got in touch to ask if he could include a cameo by the Selachians – a race of monsters I created for a Doctor Who novel many moons ago. One thing led to another, and I ended up writing a Selachian story for the book.

Q: What can the audience expect to see from your story in Out of the Shadows?
Two members of the PROBE team travel to the West Country to investigate sightings of a lake monster – one that seems to have come through a time anomaly. If you’ve read my answer above, then you already know where this is going...
 
Q: How did you find the writing process?
Easier than I expected – which isn’t something I’d normally say! Writing other people’s characters is always a challenge, especially when there isn’t much existing material to go on – but the new PROBE team were so well defined in the guidelines and samples I was sent that I soon felt as if I knew them.
 
Q: What are you most proud of about your story?
I think what I’m most proud of is just that people are still asking to see my silly armoured sharks after twenty-odd years. I’ve written them into two novels, an audio drama and a comic strip, so this is an exciting new medium in which to parade them. It’s also the first time I’ve brought them to the present day, which opened up a few new possibilities for them.
 
Q: Where else can we find your work?
I’ve recently script-edited and written for Big Finish’s Avalon audio series, a spin-off from Blake’s 7, which I’m very proud of. I’ve also been back working in the Doctor Who and Warhammer universes, on projects hopefully soon to be announced.

P.R.O.B.E.: Out of the Shadows is available to purchase on Amazon.
Ebook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HMB1J6V
Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HQ7FDCQ

P.R.O.B.E. Range Editor James Hornby spoke with author Stuart Douglas about his story in P.R.O.B.E.: Out of the Shadows. Available to purchase on Amazon. P.R.O.B.E. © BBV Productions, used under license.

Q: How did you get involved with P.R.O.B.E.: Out of the Shadows?
I was talking to Hunter about something else entirely and he mentioned that there was a PROBE collection in the pipeline. I've obviously always been interested in the Wilderness Years of Who, so I asked if I could be involved. And James got back a couple of days later to say 'yes'! 
 
Q: What can the audience expect to see from your story in Out of the Shadows?
Hopefully, a story grounded in real people, in real locations, dealing with seemingly unreal events. It's set in Manchester, for the main, and has elements of both sf and horror in it.
 
Q: How did you find the writing process?
Pretty straightforward. The basic idea was one I'd had in my head for a while and when it came to writing it, it felt like it was a story which wanted to be told (which isn't always the case!)  
 
Q: What are you most proud of about your story?
I've wanted to use the final setting for 'The 262' in a story for a long time, so I was delighted finally to get the chance! 
 
Q: Where else can we find your work?
I've written several Sherlock Holmes novels for Titan Books, as well as published well over a hundred books as part of Obverse Books (obversebooks.co.uk), covering everything from Doctor Who to Christmas stories about David Bowie, many of which I variously edited, appeared in or just generally messed about with.

P.R.O.B.E.: Out of the Shadows is available to purchase on Amazon.
Ebook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HMB1J6V
Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HQ7FDCQ

P.R.O.B.E. Range Editor James Hornby spoke with author John Peel about his story in P.R.O.B.E.: Out of the Shadows. Available to purchase on Amazon. P.R.O.B.E. © BBV Productions, used under license.
 
Q: How did you get involved with P.R.O.B.E.: Out of the Shadows?
A: I was approached to see if I'd be interested in contributing a story. I have to confess, I'd not heard of P.R.O.B.E. before, but when I read the proposed outline it sounded like something I could have fun with, and the characters sounded intriguing. My main writing rule is that anything I do has to be fun, so that was a good start!

Q: What can the audience expect to see from your story in Out of the Shadows?
A: Odd aliens! I really enjoy creating species that don't think like we do. They have what seems to them to be perfectly intelligent reasons for whatever they do, though these reasons aren't likely to be ones we'd think are important. Also, I've created an intriguing background character (at least, I hope he's intriguing!) who will show up again in the future in small roles.

Q: How did you find the writing process?
A: Very enjoyable, which goes back to my answer to the first question. I believe that the more I enjoy writing a story, the more fun it will be for the readers.

Q: What are you most proud of about your story?
A: Well, I'm very fond of the title. But, then, I do have an odd sense of humour...
 
Q: Where else can we find your work?
A: I'd like to say "Everywhere", but that's not quite true. Maybe not even a little bit true. I've been busy on a few books in the Lethbridge Stewart series from Candy Jar, and I have a new "Dracula" novel out shortly (written with Dacre Stoker, great grandnephew of Bram Stoker, and Chris McAuley), "Dracula's Bedlam".

P.R.O.B.E.: Out of the Shadows is available to purchase on Amazon.
Ebook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HMB1J6V
Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HQ7FDCQ

​P.R.O.B.E. Out of the Shadows Press Release
1 October 2021, for immediate release
 
Arcbeatle Press are proud to announce the lineup for the upcoming short story anthology P.R.O.B.E. Out of the Shadows, set in the worlds of Doctor Who.
 
Continuing from the BBV spin off films, readers will follow a new team of P.R.O.B.E. members as they delve into a hidden world of monsters, ghosts, and aliens.
 
The book contains stories by authors old and new to the Doctor Who universe, including John Peel (War of the Daleks, The Grandfather Infestation), Steve Lyons (Conundrum, The Stealer of Dreams), and Stuart Douglas (Iris Wildthyme and the Celestial Omnibus).
 
The rest of the book’s 12 stories are rounded out by James Hornby (The Roc’s Feather), Kylie Leane (Key), James Wylder (10,000 Dawns, WARS), Hunter O'Connell (Cwej: Down the Middle), E Southern (10,000 Dawns: Poor Man’s Iliad), and Aristide Twain (The Crew of the Copper Colored Cupids).
 
“With Out of the Shadows we're hoping to take the P.R.O.B.E. series to a new generation,” said editor James Hornby, “and to do that, we’ve gathered together both veteran writers and exciting new talent. The anthology is a great jumping on point for those new to the series, and for die hard Doctor Who fans we have some lovely treats in store. Some readers may recognise familiar monsters like the Selachians pop up in the book, in addition to a few other surprises to make our stories sparkle...”
P.R.O.B.E.: Out of the Shadows will be released 12 October 2021 in print and ebook formats and will be available to purchase on Amazon. 

Available on Amazon US at:
Ebook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HMB1J6V
Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HQ7FDCQ

Available on Amazon UK at:
Ebook: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09HMB1J6V
Paperback: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09HQ7FDCQ
 
PROBE: Out of the Shadows
Edited by James Hornby and Genevieve Clovis
Arcbeatle Press
316 Pages
ISBN: 9798486254918

Logo by Lucas Kovacs, cover by Callum and Stuart Brown. P.R.O.B.E. © BBV, used under license.