On several occasions recently (lecturing writing groups and chatting online) I was asked about my writing process, about anything from using pen and paper vs typing to ideation. And it hit me that a lot of it is inter-connected. I’ve talked about the tools I use and where I sit on the plotting-vs-pantsing scale, but […]
News / Blog
Ancient Trivia
Did you know that the word “trivia” originates in Latin? Trivia is based on trivial, which in turn comes from trivialis. That pertains to trivium — three roads, or a crossroad, as something very commonplace that can be found anywhere. Of course, Trivia was also an epithet of Diana, goddess of the hunt, wild animals, […]
Book Review: Cthulhu Armageddon, by CT Phipps
I like genre mash-ups, have loved Lovecraft’s work (and have role-played the old Call of Cthulhu RPG), and although I don’t read much dystopian works these days I was in the mood for something darker. Cthulhu Armageddon was it. What to expect The author notes in the preface that he set out to mix Mad […]
The Soul of Tech
This is a real-life-inspired, near-future science-fiction(ish) flash fiction I wrote recently. I find it poignant to our modern existence, especially after my own social-media-detox last year. Mailing list subscribers got a chance to read it already, but for those who missed it here it is for your edification and consideration. Megan had a problem. Automatic […]
TV Series Review: Chelmsford 123
I’ve mentioned this TV series plenty of times, and I re-watch it every couple of years (yes, it’s that good). I’ve even put in some pop-references in my novels (an homage, not plagiarism 😜) So here’s a formal review, in case you needed encouragement to watch it. What to Expect Set in the year 123 […]
Book Review: By Demons Possessed, by P.C. Hodgell
As anyone who read my previous review of the series up to this point can imagine, I had this one on pre-order. As soon as it arrived I delved in (and the world could burn while I read — though see below how I handled it in between!). What to expect If you’ve read the […]
The Art and Craft of Writing (or, the worst and best advice you’ll ever get as an author)
I’ve recently been invited to talk to a few writing groups, about the experience of transitioning from a reader, to a budding writer, to a published author. This column comes as a result of thinking about that journey, from the advice I gave and the questions I answered, plus a few interesting discoveries on the […]
Book Review: Black City Dragon, by Richard A. Knaak
Black City Dragon is the third installment in the series, one I have been waiting for since I first came across it. Nor was I disappointed. (Well, apart from the special announcement at the bottom of this post 😉 I’ve previously reviewed of Black City Saint (book 1) and Black City Demon (book 2), and […]
Milestones (or, the art of blogging as a key to a successful author platform)
In a twist that should surprise no one, last week’s post was the 200th post on my blog — and that milestone went past to the sound of crickets. I thought I’d take a moment to speak about milestones (besides putting in a big, actual, stone at the side of the road — for that […]
More from FutureLearn: Classics and Literary
I’ve mentioned FutureLearn before, as an excellent resource for no-stress, free-time further education. I’ve had the chance to do some more courses over the past few months, and thought I’d share my experience. Classics The first course I’ve done at FutureLearn was about a complete virtual model of ancient Rome (see here). It was an […]
FELIX THE FOX MYSTERIES 