First Chapter Published!

Dear England, I'm pleased to say that online publisher Word Riot has kindly published the first chapter of my novel, The Pride and the Sorrow, with a nice endorsement at this link...Very nicely laid out too. Word Riot currently have about 9000 hits a month, so it's definitely pleasing to be part of their venture!

You can also download the first chapter for free here at Bookhabit.com, the New Zealand company currently promoting my book through their website. If you really want to hear me talk nonsense about the book, there's also an interview directly accessible here and at Review Yak.

Word Riot - good writing. no remorse!

Thanks Word Riot!

Matt wins Unpublished Novel Competition!

Bookhabit.com is pleased to announce the winner of the inaugural Bookhabit Unpublished Competition is Matt Fullerty's The Pride and the Sorrow. Matt receives a US$5000 prize and is "thrilled" about winning the first Bookhabit competition. We will be posting an interview with Matt on Bookhabit.com shortly. Congratulations from Bookhabit!

You can see full details with an endorsement of the novel at http://bookhabit.com/competition/

The Pride and the Sorrow is the story of Paul Morphy (1837-1884), born in New Orleans as a chess prodigy, his famous journey through Europe and his ultimate downfall on and off the chessboard. He is celebrated in fashionable European society, honored by Napoleon III of France and Queen Victoria of England and returns to New Orleans a local celebrity, only to find Civil War looming, a storm brewing in his family and his own mind coming apart ...

The novel itself is available at http://bookhabit.com/book_details.php?book_id=459

Novel's first interview - thanks Clare!

A 23-minute interview with Matt is now available through http://www.reviewyak.com/ with Clare Tanner of the Bookhabit Show. "Every month over 20,000 listeners download our podcasts for The Bookhabit Show where we tell the author's story behind the story."

The direct link is http://yaktivate.s3.amazonaws.com/reviewyak/audio/Matt%20Fullerty.mp3

Novel's first review - thanks Geoff!

Geoff Cush, a member of the judging panel, had this to say about THE PRIDE AND THE SORROW :


"What made Matt Fullerty's writing stand out, from the very first sentence, was an unusually strong and individual way with words. Taking us into the vanished world of old America and Europe he uses a highly textured language to give an almost physical experience of being in that place and time. Drawing subtle lines between a society top-heavy with leisure and the profligate genius it produced in Morphy, he holds back the historical and personal reckoning while letting it gather and brood like the storm that finally washes away New Orleans. In my view this makes THE PRIDE AND THE SORROW a stand-out all rounder in the craft of literary fiction."


This serious-looking chap is Paul Morphy. You can follow this link to find out more about his nutty family. And to learn more about his formidable chess opponents with slideshows of the players click here!

New Site (If You Like Chess and Murder)

Check out Matt Fullerty's new website and novel The Pride and the Sorrow about the life of chess world champion Paul Morphy at www.mattfullerty.com

The Pride and the Sorrow

Please visit The Hangman and the Murderess's sister pages, The Pride and the Sorrow, the story of boy genius chess player Paul Morphy who became chess champion of the world aged twenty-one. After touring and conquering Europe, Paul is drawn back to New Orleans and a self-destructive love for the red-light district girl Clarabelle. See the full blog at http://theprideandthesorrow.blogspot.com/

The Murderess and the Hangman

I am currently researching The Murderess and the Hangman, a novel about the famed but forgotten hangman William Marwood, inventor of 'the long drop' for ensuring a swift capital punishment, and the true-life story of murderess Kate Webster, hanged by Marwood in London for killing her landlady for a few pieces of furniture.

Mugshots: executioner

This is William Marwood, looking worn and sad. His eyes are very odd, ghostly, one strangely inert and the other eerily cruel. A man of science, he spent his career as exeuctioner trying to quicken the 'dance of death' at the end of his hangman's rope.

Mugshots: killer

This is Kate Webster, looking both proud and mournful, and frightening.

The Long Drop

This is the gallows at Wandsworth Prison, London, similar to the ones used to execute Kate Webster in 1879. Note the nearby lever to activate the 'long drop.' The room was a self-enclosed execution chamber, and portable. It was known affectionately as "The Cold Meat Shed."