The next inventions up from The World of The Procurement of Souls are patented serums from The Inventors' & Engineers' Guild of Bio-Alchemy. Morpheuserum High strength sleeping draught designed by Fellow and Master of The Guild, Professor Clarence Malahide. Veriform This truth serum was designed by Baron Magnus Drinkwater under commission from... Continue Reading →
From the World of The Procurement of Souls: VIVISALVE
VIVISALVE Formulated by Baron Magnus Drinkwater under commission from the king and part-funded by the Sovereign Armaments Division, Vivisalve is a paste compound primarily formed of propolis and the coagulant accelerants vitamin K, Mandragora officinarum, and Guaiacum officinale. The balm is capable of greatly accelerating the healing time of wounds and temporarily boosting the... Continue Reading →
From the World of The Procurement of Souls: VIROSCOPE
Exploring the world of Victorian inventions for #inventorsmonth got me reflecting on all my own devices and creations within the world of The Procurement of Souls. So, I thought I'd do a series of vignettes showcasing a few. I start tonight with the viroscope, used in the story by Clementine in an attempt to track... Continue Reading →
World Beard Day: When Facial Hair Invades Gothic Literature!
Well, as a self-confessed beardy of late (you can't deny it when it's on your face, after all!) I felt I had to mark World Beard Day this year. It would appear that I have endowed a number of my characters in The Procurement of Souls with a moustache at the very least! Here's a... Continue Reading →
Victorian Inventions: A Whistle-Stop Tour Part II
I must begin the second part of our whistle-stop tour in 1863 when, on 10th January, the world’s first underground steam-train line opened in London between Paddington and Farringdon, serving six other destinations in between!1 The thought of these steam-powered locomotives squealing through the dark, carrying gas-lit carriages behind them conjures quite the gothic scene!... Continue Reading →
To celebrate the wonder of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein this 'Frankenstein Day', here's an extract from my novel, The Procurement of Souls. Have you concocted fiendish machines in your own fiction or have a favourite monster in literature? I'd love to hear from you: leave a comment below!
Victorian Inventions: A Whistle-Stop Tour Part 1
What better way to celebrate #Inventorsmonth this August then to take a whistle-stop tour of some of the astounding discoveries and marvellous inventions that came out of the Victorian era? The period was awash them, not least because of the technologies that were precipitated by the Industrial Revolution that preceded it and the boom of... Continue Reading →
On Publishing a Debut
Well it’s taken about 8 years and a lot of blood, sweat and tears, but my debut, The Procurement of Souls, finally went on pre-release this week in anticipation of my official launch on 1st July. It’s a funny mix of excitement and trepidation as one enters into this next phase of the journey but... Continue Reading →
The Shadow of the Wind
Genre: (Gothic) Mystery Publisher: Phoenix (Trade Edition 2004) Barcelona. 1945. Upon taking The Shadow of the Wind by Julián Carax from the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, Daniel is drawn down a dangerous path of discovery to find the truth behind the author’s life. The shadowy backstreets and crumbling mansion settings ooze gothic atmosphere and Zafón’s... Continue Reading →
The Procurement of Souls Chapters 1-3
Preview chapters 1-3