I’m so excited about this month’s new story.
In every iteration—comics, movies, TV series—of Batman that I’ve enjoyed, I’ve always been drawn to Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne’s butler. Often witty and always ready to smack Bruce down, Alfred is much of the wit and soul of any incarnation of the Caped Crusader.
And I’ve always wanted to come up with a character who was a nod to Alfred.
So in this month’s story, “A Tea and Brandy Gig,” I’ve gotten to do just that, with my disgraced butler seeking redemption, Pennyton. I can’t wait to hear what you think.
A Tea and Brandy Gig, my latest Rucksack Universe story, is available now!
The trouble is, kindness is trouble.
Disgraced. Jobless. Kicked out of the butler’s guild. Pennyton believed he had done the right thing. The kind thing. Look where that got him. Yet when he answers a surprise knock on his door, Pennyton finds himself where he least expected: on a one-night gig driving a carriage for a rich journalist who paid in full and up front.
Trouble is, now Pennyton sits on his freezing arse. In the London dark. On a hard carriage seat behind impatient horses. Waiting for hours at the mouth of a dark alley full of bad news. Waiting. And waiting…
Then a terrible sound tells Pennyton that trouble just found him again.
If you love a down-on-their-luck hero with a good twist, then get ready to curl up with your favorite beverage and “A Tea and Brandy Gig.”
The Rucksack Universe series combines alternate history, speculative fiction, myth, adventure, globetrotting, and intrigue—all with well-poured pints of beer. Library Journal says Anthony St. Clair’s storytelling has “universe building reminiscent of Terry Pratchett,” and readers say they love the Rucksack Universe’s unique combination of “quirk, wit, travel, and magic.”
A Tea and Brandy Gig is available wherever ebooks are sold, including:
Enjoy! Thank you for your support of my fiction, and please spread the word about the Rucksack Universe and my Patreon!