First Love: Another short story coming soon

I have some more exciting news on the publishing front. Dragon Soul Press has selected my short story Papercut for inclusion in their upcoming romantic anthology, First Love.

The theme for this anthology is self-explanatory, but with elements of fantasy. My story, Papercut, concerns a lonely teenage boy living with his ultra-strict Jehovah’s Witness mother. One night a mysterious girl made entirely of paper appears in his dreams, and… Well, you’ll have to read it to find out what happens.

First Love is released on the 28^th of February. Watch this space for further updates.

Happy New Year 2019!

Happy New Year!

Last year was a hugely significant year for my writing, not least because my first novel to be published by a traditional publisher, Spectre of Springwell Forest, has now been released. If you haven’t picked up a copy yet, what are you waiting for? Click here (for the UK) and here (for the US) and dive into a nail-biting ghostly mystery that will brighten up your January with page-turning suspense.

So what are my writing plans for 2019?

For a start, I have submitted a short story entitled Paper Cut for inclusion in the upcoming Dragon Soul Press romantic fantasy anthology First Love. More to be announced on that front in due course.

Aside from that, I have started writing my first novel for 2019 – an as yet untitled ghostly tale which is lighter on the terror than Spectre of Springwell Forest and The Thistlewood Curse, yet still falls neatly within the psychological/supernatural thriller/horror spectrum in which I greatly enjoy writing. I will keep my lips sealed on details so far… suffice to say it involves a famous dead actor, his rather less famous actress widow, a large sinister house, a medium, and a big mystery.

Also this year, I intend to finally stop procrastinating and write the science fiction novellas I have put off since mid-2017 (when I opted to write Echo and the White Howl instead). Those I really will say nothing about for now.

On top of that, I hope to have at least one other novel released this year, possibly horror mystery The Irresistible Summons which I wrote back in 2015, depending on what my publisher makes of it. Watch this space for more updates on that and other writing related matters throughout the year. Here’s hoping it’s a good one.

2018 in review

At the risk of sounding like a nauseating Oscar acceptance speech, 2018 has been an extraordinary year for me, and I am very happy to have made a number of significant breakthroughs with my writing.

Novels and Short Stories

Firstly and most emphatically, my first novel ever released by a traditional publisher is out now. Courtesy of Dragon Soul Press, Spectre of Springwell Forest, is a ghostly gothic nail-biter with a creepy central mystery guaranteed to keep you turning the pages… until the horrible truth is revealed. You can order your copy here (in the UK) and here (in the US).

Dragon Soul Press is a US based independent publisher specialising in fantasy, science fiction and horror. They also publish anthologies. One of these, a horror anthology called All Dark Places, featured my short story Once in a Lifetime. They’ve got another anthology coming soon, a romantic fantasy volume called First Love, for which I have sent another short story entitled Paper Cut. I am waiting (fingers crossed) to see if I made the, er, cut…

Works in progress

I have also been occupied with these two novels, outside of my “comfort zone” thriller/horror genres. I didn’t write these concurrently, because obviously my poor brain can only cope with one thing at a time (walking and talking can be a challenge). Anyway,  fantasy I find particularly tricky. I love to read it, but writing it requires a very different level of focus.

Said fantasy novel, Ravenseed, is a brooding, melancholy tale of knights, sorcerers and enchantment, set in the Dark Ages, simmering with love, lust, betrayal and revenge.

The other genre I’ve dabbled in this year, is dystopian future-shock. Peaceful Quiet Lives is set in a future America, satirising both sides of the so-called culture wars. I’m going to stay tight-lipped on further details, for now.

On the blog

This year I’ve enjoyed covering lots of different topics. It’s always great to write on subjects I am passionate about, and hopefully spark a bit of debate. If you fancy giving any of these a re-read or missed them the first time round, here are some of my favourites.

The Lord of the Rings: book versus film
My Five Favourite Gothic Mysteries
Book reviews: the good, the bad and the ugly
Horror and Weepies: Two sides of the same coin?
The Power of Resurrection Narratives

The Tangent Tree

 

If you hadn’t already heard, I co-host a film podcast called The Tangent Tree, with Samantha Stephen.

You can find the website here, and you can listen on iTunes, Spotify, Podcast Addict and so on (or on the website itself).

There have been many people who helped and supported me this year. Thank you. You know who you are. 🙂

It only remains for me to wish you all a Merry Christmas!