There’s a meme that’s been going around for a few years, about the cast of a man who died in Pompeii at the 79CE eruption of Mt Vesuvius. Pundits are quick to point at the posture, with a “haha, he died with a bang!” and other jokes about his own eruption. The reality is that […]
News / Blog
Life of an Author — in Cat GIFs
The good news is that I’ve started reviewing my work on In Victrix (after a three and a half years hiatus), and I aim to finish editing it and publish it. Bad news, is that it will take well into 2024 until you can get your hands on it. Sorry — but it’s definitely coming! […]
Book Review: An Evil Planned, by Theo Faurez
A murder mystery in Roman times but outside of the usual backdrop got me intrigued. What to Expect The story takes place outside Antioch, the capital of the Roman province of Syria. Early in Trajan’s reign, a girl is murdered on the road outside the town and the vigiles are called to investigate. Asking the […]
Indie Book Marketing (or, how to work hard for a decade to become an overnight success)
This was a rant I wrote about 3 years ago, and decided not to publish because it was too rant-y. I’m now running low on character interviews for The Protagonist Speaks, so I decided to temper it down a little and publish. So here you are. A semi-relevant, rant-ish marketing advice from a lapsed author […]
Book Review: The Blood Moon Feasts on My Dreams, by Douglas Lumsden
Alex Southerland is my favourite paranormal detective (after Felix, of course), and I’m always excited to read new installments in this excellent Urban Fantasy series. What to Expect A new case for Alex, starting with a studious teenager who disappears at night without going through the front door. In a typical fashion, Alex is dragged […]
Book Review: Deathless Gods, by P. C. Hodgell
I’ve been following the Kencyrath chronicles series since it first came out 40 years ago, because it’s that good. What to Expect Another adventure for Jame, this time exploring the central lands and their various kingdoms and faiths (more or less). Things on the longer arc are happening in the background, and are nearing the […]
Writing and Polymathy
I’ve recently read Learn Like a Polymath: How to Teach Yourself Anything, Develop Multidisciplinary Expertise, and Become Irreplaceable, by Peter Hollins, and thought it had quite an interesting overlap to do with writing. It’s a short book, covering what polymathy is (and isn’t), the core idea of skill transfer, and how to break knowledge down […]
Books Review: Trapped, Hunted, and half of Besieged, by Kevin Hearne
I’ve been enjoying the Iron Druid series, more or less binge-reading it. What to Expect Trapped takes place 12 years after the previous one, Tricked. Granuaile has finished her training, and it’s time to bind her to the earth and make her a full druid. Nothing goes to plan, of course, and despite Atticus’ best […]
Creative Writing and Day-jobs
No, not quite quitting work to get back to writing (almost, but not quite 😉). I do feel I’m getting there — now that I have a study with a lock on the door — and will be restarting a writing habit soon, but that isn’t the subject of today’s post. I’ve written before about […]
Book Review: Dead Things, by Stephen Blackmoore
This came up as a ‘you might enjoy’, and it certainly intrigued me to try — urban fantasy from the point of view of the necromancer. What to Expect A dark and twisting story, with lots of plot twists and rising tensions. Eric is a fallible human mage with a knack for dead things. That […]
FELIX THE FOX MYSTERIES 