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Kingdom Horror Collective

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This Monday morning, my mind is on the fantastic Kingdom Horror Collective, the writers’ group I’ve been helping to set up these past few months. It was finally launched on Friday and I’m ready to crow about it now. First, a few words on the group and our ethos. We are six British authors united by our love of gritty horror with a focus on integrity, honesty, and the bravery needed to tackle tricky topics regardless of the fact some readers might be offended. We aim to promote one another’s books, get our faces and stories out to a wider audience, and become known for the quality of our work. Second, I want to thank everyone who helped set the group up, including the website and Discord servers, who offered their support and enthusiasm throughout the process, and who had a hand in launching and promoting Kingdom Horror Collective. You are greatly appreciated, every one of you. The launch itself was announced on our friend Saffron’s stellar Booked podcast, and you can find the episode i...
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Blood in the Water

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This Monday morning, my mind is on  my current work in progress. You’ll have to forgive the dramatic blog title, by the way, as the blood in question refers not to the story itself but a shark’s killer instinct, the same one I’m feeling right now as I sniff the end of this opening draft. So yeah, sorry, not going to be writing much today as there ’s a thrashing swimmer who needs gobbling up, but I suppose the situation does raise a few writerly questions… What do you do when the end of your story comes swimming into view? Do you maintain your discipline, keep it steady, hold the line? Do you go hell for leather and pick up the pieces later, hoping your enthusiasm translates into a suitably breathless finale? Or do you have a secret third approach? Feel free to let me know in the comments. And that’s my penny’s worth for today. Until next week, happy writing to you all.
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Announcement

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This Monday morning, after a longish hiatus for some hardcore editing work, my mind is on next Friday. Or to be more precise, on some indie horror news due to be announced on a friend’s podcast. This of course gives me precious little to write about here, since I don’t want to spoil said announcement, but suffice it to say I’ve been working with some other indie authors and am excited as a Gen-X Brit can be (think lowercase yay) for horror fans to know what we’ve been up to. If you want to find out what it is in real time, be sure to tune in to the wonderful Booked podcast at 3pm CST on Friday 08 May (YT channel link here ), at which time host Saffron and Northern Irish horror writer Eamonn Bradley will be making the announcement. And that’s my penny’s worth for today. Until next week, happy writing to you all.
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Thank You

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This Monday morning, my mind is finally moving on from Drudge , which has now been released in paperback, with the eBook just around the corner. But, and there’s always a but, I do have one more thing to say on the matter, and that’s a huge and heartfelt thank you to all the people who helped along the way. First, my alpha readers, who not only read the first draft and gave me some great suggestions to work with but also kept encouraging me and were always there if I needed a sounding board. Second, my beta readers, who made the time and effort to read the second draft and share their thoughts, as well as catch some little glitches here and there. And third, my ARC team, who were kind enough not only to read the final draft with a ticking clock in the background but to post some truly generous and insightful reviews. The indie space is much maligned, and it’s true that it attracts more than a few bad actors and insincere types, but there are also people like you, those mentioned above....
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Prologue Preview

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This Monday morning, my mind is on the upcoming launch of Drudge , which I recently put up for pre-order on Amazon. Unfortunately, the pre-order system doesn’t allow for any previewing of a book’s content. So what I thought I’d do is share a wee sample here instead, namely the prologue of my third Hartmouth Horrors novella. Of course, it’s always a bit risky posting book content for public consumption, as I open myself up to unsolicited critique, especially from the prologue disdainers of the world, but anyway, here it is, and I hope it gives you a ‘pleasant’ taste of what’s to come. DRUDGE - PROLOGUE I tell him it’s delicious, knowing that anything less will only get me into trouble. And God knows, once you’ve been on the receiving end of his ministrations, for want of a better word, you’re not in any hurry to relive the experience. “Do you mean it, Jacob?” “Of course,” I mumble, the left side of my mouth still in a world of pain. “It’s really… excellent.” “Excellent, eh? I like that....
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The Story So Far

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This Monday morning, my mind is on my Hartmouth Horrors novellas, which I don’t plug anywhere near enough. To wit, I’m going to show them off below and you’re going to be so dazzled you won’t be able to resist picking up a couple. Or at least that ’ s the plan. So without further ado, let ’ s take a quick look at the three suspects. EYES WIDE OPEN This is the first Hartmouth novella, the tragic tale of eight university students living in a shared house. When a night of drunken high jinx brings an evil presence into their midst, things go Pete Tong for them pretty damn quick. Think slasher vibes with a supernatural bent, and a slow burn that leads to explosive mayhem in the closing third. THE DEVIL IN MIA The second novella, a foul-mouthed possession tale, focuses on an alcoholic husband and his depressed, beleaguered wife. Can they survive the hellish hand grenade that’s just been dropped into their marriage? Maybe yes, maybe no, but one thing’s for sure, there’s going to be plenty of ...
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On to the Next

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This Monday morning, having finally finished Hartmouth Horrors novella number three, the dark and somewhat harrowing Drudge , my mind is firmly on the next. I already have a title, a cover, and a loosey-goosey blurb, so now it’s time to get things underway. Being a fairly extreme pantser, that’s pretty much all I need. I’m going for a backwoods vibe, setting this one on the moorland to the north of Hartmouth and aiming for a cast of five poor souls to put through the wringer of witchcraft, unhinged locals, and rusty old farm tools. So without further ado, I’m going to get started. With any luck, at the lightning pace of a few hundred words per day, I should have a first draft ready by the end of the summer. And that’s my penny’s worth for today. Until next week, happy writing to you all.
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