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My Prologues

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This Monday morning, my mind is on prologues, due in part to the latest drama in the indie space. Seriously, people are still hating on them. Weird. More than one way to skin a cat in storytelling. But I don’t intend to argue the toss, I just want to have a quick chat about the prologues you’ll find in my Hartmouth Horrors novellas. First and foremost, I see them as hooks rather than explainers. I’m not providing you with essential context, backstory, a potted history, or the foundations of a world. No, I’m showing you a page or two of something I hope is entertaining and showcases my writing style, as well as the type of content you can expect. Second, I’m presenting you with a little bit of mystery. A puzzle piece, so to speak. The prologue is a short scene cut from later in the story, and the more observant or engaged reader should have the pleasure of an aha moment, where it becomes clear exactly how the piece fits into the whole. And third, my prologues are non-essential, in the s...
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The Town of Hartmouth

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This Monday morning, my mind is on the fictional town of Hartmouth (heart in mouth), venue of my Hartmouth Horrors series. And I just want to expand a little on how it came about. When I started writing Eyes Wide Open —which I had no idea was going to be part of a series—I wanted a setting that felt familiar to me. Somewhere I didn’t have to spend too much time and energy rendering and researching. So it made sense to stick to my roots and base it on the places I know from growing up in South West England. I have a feel for the lay of the land, the pace of life, the way the people act and speak. So I basically cherrypicked the things that would serve the story, a seafront, a harbourside, a train station, some older properties, a small town centre, a graveyard, a hospital, a university, and so on. Then, when I started writing The Devil in Mia and decided to use the same setting, I simply added to what I already had. Cliffs and coast to the south west, houses over by the rail embankment...
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TBR Amnesty

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This Monday morning, my mind is on still feeling a bit rough after getting sick this Christmas. And on questioning the decision to live in a city that becomes a tourist hotspot (read orgy of pathogens) every holiday. And, on a brighter note, my mind is on the completion of my 2025 to be read pile. At least, I sort of completed it... But there’s always a but,  and the more I think about it, the more I’m sure some titles have slipped through the cracks along the way. Those cracks may be my spotty memory, where I brashly declared I’d be reading this or that book then never got around to it, and they may be that I realised the book just wasn’t my cup of tea and quietly put it down. (And yes, I’m one of those who reads and reviews only what I enjoy—I’ll leave the criticism to others.) Either way, I can’t very well unring a bell, but I can put my hands up and apologise to any indie/self-pub writers I misled or disappointed this year. Not my intention, but next year I’ll be more circumspe...
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Bargain Schmargain

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This Monday morning, my mind is on book pricing, discounts, and freebies, specifically in relation to getting self-pub titles in the hands of people who’ll read them and, with any luck, leave a review or a rating. Yesterday, I ran a poll on Twitter, asking about the likelihood of heavily discounted books garnering more reads and reviews. Of the 95 respondents, roughly 55 per cent said there would be no difference, 22 per cent said there would be more, and 23 per cent said there would be fewer. All very scientific, I know—vast sample size, masses of quality data—but at least it shows that people have opinions on the matter. And with almost half believing that pricing does affect what buyers do with these books, I’m clearly not alone in thinking it important. My own take, having run various deals and giveaways, is that they may be attractive to potential readers, but that doesn’t guarantee that they’ll be read. At the very least, in the wake of some bonanza or other, I’ve never seen a no...
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The Devil in Mia Video Reviews

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Couple of great reviews here for The Devil in Mia , my second Hartmouth Horrors novella, courtesy of Josh (Already Overbooked) and Arron Hook. Both of these guys are excellent supporters of indie writers and have some pretty great YouTube content, so p lease check out their channels. Common to both reviews are compliments on the relationship dynamics between the two main characters, as well as the intensity and psychological nature of the horror, and I ’ m really pleased I was able to hit the spot with two perceptive readers. Fingers crossed I can raise the bar even further next time and really make them squirm. Josh ’ s Review (8:55 to 11:05) Arron ’ s Review
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Putting the Ew in Book Reviewing

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This Monday morning, my mind is on some iffy behaviour from book reviewers in the indie writing space. If you’re looking for something light and uplifting,  I suggest you read no further, but  if you also have some gripes with reviewers, please be my guest. (Let it be known, by the way, that most reviewers seem to be doing great things. Pretty sure I speak for other indies when I say we appreciate you and are thankful for the love and attention you bring to our work.) Okay, so with that said… Gripe one, why announce you’re reading a book (or planning to) if you’re going to go quiet about it afterwards? It only makes writers wonder what the hell is wrong with their work, and they’ll probably end up thinking a whole lot less of you. And yes, we’ve all made the mistake of speaking too soon then finding the story or prose or whatever isn’t to our liking. But doing this on the regular? Come on. Gripe two, why seek favours, or even some form of compliance, from writers by dangling a...
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Fill Yer Stocking with Something Shocking

Well, my horrible harties, here we go: a cheeky little promo video. Fill yer stocking with something shocking this year. Two grisly novellas, full of fun and nastiness, with another two slated for 2026. Click here for the series sales page.
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