Genre: Epic Fantasy Publisher: Gollancz (this edition, 2019) (Masters & Mages Trilogy #1) One fateful night, student Aranthur is quick with his sword. It earns him respect but changes him too, landing him amidst a dangerous, political quagmire that penetrates deep into the City and beyond. This coming-of-age saga has top-notch world-building, from the magical... Continue Reading →
Recommendation in 60 Words: Kraken
Genre: Urban Fantasy / Weird Fantasy Publisher: Pan Books (2010) A giant squid disappears from the Natural History Museum and curator Billy Harrow’s life spirals into madness. This heady ride into London’s underbelly is rife with warring cults, nefarious magic-wielding killers and the down-right strange. Weird fantasy it is, with cast and plot so darkly,... Continue Reading →
The Gaia Collection: the Dystopian Trilogy with Heart
It was back in July 2018 that Claire and I wrote a dialogue piece reflecting on our writing processes and the formulation of our respective debut novels. In our writer timelines, following the award-winning success of The Gaia Effect, Claire was at the final hurdle of completing draft one of her sequel, and the second... Continue Reading →
Genre: Dystopian / Sci-Fi-Adventure Publisher: Kyanite Publishing (2019) In a post-nuclear apocalypse, Alex wakes from his Cryo-Pod and embarks on a dangerous journey, determined to find out what became of his parents. Prescott weaves an entertaining and easy-read narrative with super-beasts and nifty gadgets galore, offering up a coming-of-age tale that combines adventure, humour, heart-break,... Continue Reading →
Publisher: Angry Robot, October 2017 Genre: Gothic When Catherine Helstone’s missionary brother, Laon, fails to send word from Arcadia, the land of the Fae, she sets out to find him, disembarking into a sinister world beyond her imagination. This is a slow burn that conjures a fully realised world and literary history, parallel to that... Continue Reading →
Short Story Publication: One for Sorrow, Two for Mirth, in: ParABnormal Magazine, June 2019
I'm thrilled to confirm that my fantasy short story, One for Sorrow, Two for Mirth, has been published in Alban Lake Publishing's ParABnormal Magazine, June 2019. It is the story of two sisters and the lengths they must go to in order to protect the youngest from a soursmith who would prey on her soul.... Continue Reading →
Celebrating eBooks with Smashwords’ Read an eBook Week: Get Involved!
In my book, if you'll pardon the pun, Smashwords is a fantastic ebook platform. For those self-published authors out there, it offers an exceptional tool and service for publishing and formatting your ebook outside of Amazon. Amazon is, of course, also undeniably brilliant in facilitating the self-publishing process but it is limited to their own... Continue Reading →
Recommendation in 60 Words: The Ravencrest Chronicles, Book 1 – Seahaven
Publisher: Kyanite Publishing (February 2019) Genre: Flintlock; Dark Fantasy When Hillcrest Manor is left unguarded, burglar, Gareth Vann, seizes his opportunity. But it’s more than riches that greet him. Clean prose and a well-realised world, of ale-houses, choked back-alleys and sewers, deliver an enjoyable read, enriched by a punchy plot and cast of humorous and... Continue Reading →
Publisher: (this edition) Fantasy and Horror Classics Genre: Gothic Horror; Ghost; Fantasy M R James’ ghost stories have a foot firmly placed in the dark romantic gothic story telling traditions from the 18th century (which later saw a revival in the Victorian age with the likes of his contemporaries, Bram Stoker and Dickens, and with... Continue Reading →
Recording an Audio Book: Practical Top Tips for Ensuring a Dynamic and Engaging Delivery
While I’m in the midst of self-producing the audio-book for my novel, The Procurement of Souls, I thought I would put together a blog on things other writers might like to consider when producing their own. I don’t pretend to be a technical whizz, although I will be making a software recommendation in a follow-up... Continue Reading →