3.5 stars out of 5 Available from CLASH books, Amazon.co.uk, and Amazon.com This modern, feminist, short Gothic horror fiction collection will bring you out in goose-bumps. A CREAK IN THE FLOOR, A SLANT OF LIGHT – There were some quirky details that put me in mind of Holly Black’s work. The tale had a delightfully gory legend about three girlsContinue reading “Another Review: Les Femmes Grotesques by Victoria Dalpe”
Tag Archives: books
Dracula’s Guests (curated by Dr. Chris McAuley)
Available from HellBound Books, Amazon.co.uk, and Amazon.com 4 out of 5 stars This collection of vampire horror tales in celebration of Dracula’s 125th birthday will sate your bloodthirst. These are the stories that stood out for me: Dracula in Recovery – Michael Zemecki: I loved this darkly humorous story featuring all the characters from the original Dracula inContinue reading “Dracula’s Guests (curated by Dr. Chris McAuley)”
Review: Bleak Midwinter: The Darkest Night
Edited by Damon Barrett Roe and Cassandra L. Thompson Available from Quill & Crow Publishing, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com 4 out of 5 stars This collection of dark Gothic horror tales will make your skin creep off your flesh and slither under the door to hide somewhere – in a GOOD way. The Utburd, Robyn Dabney – A disgraced nature photographerContinue reading “Review: Bleak Midwinter: The Darkest Night”
Review: Blood Coven (Blood Bound series Book One) by Sabrina Voerman
Available from Quill & Crow Publishing & Barnes & Noble Sabrina Voerman’s stunning novel “Blood Coven” is set in a believable world where we see the story of Red Riding Hood stretched and distorted and grown into something other, both the main characters – Red, an abused child and descendant of a witch, and Matthias, also the son ofContinue reading “Review: Blood Coven (Blood Bound series Book One) by Sabrina Voerman”
How To Know If You Are A Writer
Like practically every creative person under the sun, writers are visited by Imposter Syndrome every now and then. They stare at a blank page (or a page with a few words on it) and wonder how they ever got themselves into this situation where everyone thinks they can — and expects them to — churnContinue reading “How To Know If You Are A Writer”
Final Part of The Dark Rider and Who Was Morgan Le Fey?
“The summer evening passed in a slow, bad dream for Warren. He suspected it was like pushing through the heavy sludge of a nightmare for all of them. Gran had been the one to help Iain into a standing position and support him into the kitchen, where she let him collapse into a chair. WarrenContinue reading “Final Part of The Dark Rider and Who Was Morgan Le Fey?”
The Dark Rider part 22 and Who is Gwyn ap Nudd?
“Iain Dyfed’s bent back came into view on the other side of the hedgerow, yellow polo shirt covered in mud-stains from his fingers. He whistled an old hymn through his teeth that Warren had forgotten the name of. “Dad!” he yelped. “Hi!” Iain straightened and glanced over his shoulder. “Afternoon. Hello, who’s this?” Mr. Rye’sContinue reading “The Dark Rider part 22 and Who is Gwyn ap Nudd?”
The Dark Rider part 21 and the Horn of Plenty
“Two years ago, when Warren started at the grammar school, two friends from his old Year Six class came with him – Robbie and Sam. Rob was a boy a head shorter than Warren with wild, sandy hair and a penchant for fixing badges on his long, beige coat and school-bag, mostly band logos andContinue reading “The Dark Rider part 21 and the Horn of Plenty”
The Dark Rider part 20 and a cupfull about cauldrons
“‘Dad, um, this is, er, Billy. You know… the one I lent Carlton to,” Warren lied. He glared at Kay meaningfully. Kay stood and scratched his head, his eyebrows furrowing together. He was clearly at a loss for what to say or do next but was present-minded enough not to contradict Warren or to askContinue reading “The Dark Rider part 20 and a cupfull about cauldrons”
The Dark Rider part 19 & one or two things about swords
“I don’t understand,” Warren said. His skin was slick and his upper lip tasted of salt. He swiped his forearm across his stinging eyes and stuck the spade upright in the soil. “Don’t the nymphs – or whatever they are – mind us digging around like this?” “Yes,” Merlyn said. He looked a little lessContinue reading “The Dark Rider part 19 & one or two things about swords”
The Dark Rider part 18 and a note about disrespectful writers
“Warren leaned against the wall and scowled. It wasn’t fair. It was as if there was some hidden conspiracy to keep him from meeting Arthur, as if he wasn’t good enough, or as if the King was too dangerous. It rankled. Lyons showed no signs of coming back. Nobody had come to relieve the guard.Continue reading “The Dark Rider part 18 and a note about disrespectful writers”
The Dark Rider part 17 & Susan Cooper
“A man was struggling with a horse near a stone monument – an old, Gothic-style cross carved out of thick, white stone but too large for a grave-marker. The horse – a big, black stallion with a white star in the centre of its forehead – refused to stay still while the man tried andContinue reading “The Dark Rider part 17 & Susan Cooper”
The Dark Rider part 16, Arthurian myth, and Thomas Malory
“George strode behind Mr. Peterson’s desk and broke open the drawers, riffling through them and pocketing a couple of items. He moved around the benches, calm and methodical, turning on the gas taps one by one. “Ready?” he said. “But… what…?” “Office now, yes? Let’s take a peek at those filing cabinets.” He shut theContinue reading “The Dark Rider part 16, Arthurian myth, and Thomas Malory”
The Dark Rider part 15 (excerpt) & shout-outs
“One warrior halted them. He stood the same height as Merlyn, which wasn’t tall, with a wild red beard and a helmet that looked like it had been beaten out of scrap iron. There was a round bundle slung over his shoulder, and as he saw Merlyn, his beard broke into a mischievous grin. “Merly,”Continue reading “The Dark Rider part 15 (excerpt) & shout-outs”
The Dark Rider part 14 (excerpt)
They paused on a landing with three doors leading from it. Merlyn smiled. “Victory is almost here.” “Who are the people besieging Arthur?” Warren asked. “There were loads of people out there, all putting up tents. Some of them sounded Scottish.” “Many. King Lot of Orkney, Arthur’s half-brother Carados of Cornwall, Clarion from Northumberland, Eskand,Continue reading “The Dark Rider part 14 (excerpt)”
The Dark Rider part 13 (excerpt) & other whatnots
He wasn’t sure how long he sat there, rigid, staring every now and then into the patient, amber eyes of his dog. There were no clocks, and he hadn’t put his watch on before going through Merlyn’s door. The temperature crept lower, enough to make the hair on his arms stand up, and the lightContinue reading “The Dark Rider part 13 (excerpt) & other whatnots”
The Dark Rider Part 12 (excerpt) and “Terminal”
George stayed in bed all the next morning. Warren rolled out of his blankets and tugged one of his brother’s legs, which was dangling over the side of the top bunk. “Off,” George mumbled into his pillow. “About what happened last night–” “Eh?” “About the Land Laid Waste–” “There isn’t such a thing as aContinue reading “The Dark Rider Part 12 (excerpt) and “Terminal””
The Dark Rider part 11 (excerpt)
Warren peeked out. Men in armour, some helmeted, others not, sat in lines along two tables large enough to fill the hall. They were eating and drinking and some were obviously drunk. The only one who looked bored was a masked man lounging in a separate chair against one wall. The chair was covered inContinue reading “The Dark Rider part 11 (excerpt)”
Part 10 of the Dark Rider (excerpt)
“The night was warm, though not as warm as it had been in Warren’s bedroom. The way they followed narrowed, more sand and dust and debris encroaching on the track, until suddenly the dunes fell away to reveal a dried-out moat. On the other side of it, a couple of lights shone in a dark,Continue reading “Part 10 of the Dark Rider (excerpt)”
Part 9 of The Dark Rider (excerpt)
A huge, round rock stood in the middle of the lawn, shaped like the grinding stones used in old flour mills, except this was carved. There were letters around its edge. Warren stared, ringing silence filling his ears. He called out for his father, asking what the stone was for, but there was no answer.Continue reading “Part 9 of The Dark Rider (excerpt)”
The Dark Rider part 7 (excerpt) and some good news…
“The storm rumbled on throughout the night until it was directly over the farm, coughing and bellowing and sending vibrations through the furniture. It had pelted with rain hard enough to sound like lead pellets being shot at a tin roof and hail fell in the early hours. All the family were heavy-eyed and irritable,Continue reading “The Dark Rider part 7 (excerpt) and some good news…”
The Dark Rider: Snow, Time, Bones Part 6 (excerpt)
“I know he’s here. He’s bound to have come after us. Where is he?” Warren understood. “He’s the school guidance counsellor now. But what are you going to do? You can’t harm him.” “I can try, look you. He has a blimmin’ body, and bodies have nerve endings!” “YouContinue reading “The Dark Rider: Snow, Time, Bones Part 6 (excerpt)”
The Dark Rider Part 5 (excerpt)
At last, as Warren was busy talking to Lyons at the gate, Ulfeus came. Ulfeus was a heavyset man with jowls and fair hair. His eyelashes were long and faint. He breathed hard when he walked. “I’ve come to offer King Ythr’s hand in marriage to the Lady Egrayne, on his behalf,” he wheezed. HisContinue reading “The Dark Rider Part 5 (excerpt)”
The Dark Rider Part 4 (excerpt)
The kitchens were devoid of people awake. A couple of servant-boys lay huddled in blankets near the long fireplace. Not wanting to disturb them, he crept around a large cauldron and hunched in its shadow, wishing he had asked the Duke for something warmer to wear when he had the chance. Warren dozed, woke andContinue reading “The Dark Rider Part 4 (excerpt)”
The Dark Rider: Part 3 (excerpt)
Silence stretched between the man and the boy, punctuated by the sounds of people shouting and moving in the courtyard below. “Are you afraid?” Gorla asked conversationally. “Of what?” “Of pain. Injury. Death.” “Isn’t everybody?” “True. What of the Dark Rider? Does he instil fear in you?” “How can I be afraid of something whenContinue reading “The Dark Rider: Part 3 (excerpt)”
The Dark Rider Part II (Excerpt)
They sat on a grey rock at the side of the path for her to regain her breath. Warren placed the palms of his hands on the cool stone, and as he did so, the air blew cooler and harsher. Leaves skirled above them, red and brown and dry. The sky shone grey. He loweredContinue reading “The Dark Rider Part II (Excerpt)”
A new story begins: The Dark Rider (on Wattpad)
I have joined the community of writers and readers on Wattpad, serialising a YA fantasy novel that retells some old Arthurian myths and tales through the time-travels of a thirteen-year-old boy and his eccentric twin-lifed grandmother. An excerpt from The Dark Rider: Warren slept until the early stretches of morning. He opened his eyes, suddenlyContinue reading “A new story begins: The Dark Rider (on Wattpad)”
All About the Plentyn-Aderyn
One of the oldest and most mysterious of the tribes of wandering, outlawed mages roaming Thosea’s Northern wastes, especially in the region of Karak (or World’s End), their favourite haunt being the shimmering, nebulous Hiraeth mountains, which tend to flicker between worlds in response to loud noises. The mages take this odd existence inContinue reading “All About the Plentyn-Aderyn”
I am still alive… I think.
I am recovering — slowly — from abdominal surgery, which happened at the end of December. Having a connective tissue disorder, this caused problems with having retention and needing to be catheterised, but as I am resistant to local anaesthetics it took them over an hour to get it in and I was screaming. PrettyContinue reading “I am still alive… I think.”
Update: Reading, Reviews, and the Ethics of AI
What has been going on over the past few weeks? In my capacity as main editor (and sole editor, though it hasn’t anything to do with flatfish) of Once Upon A Crocodile e-zine, I have been reading and writing reviews of people’s books (usually anthologies, though I am open to novels / novellas too). UnlikeContinue reading “Update: Reading, Reviews, and the Ethics of AI”
All About the Muryans
The Muryans are an ancient race of beings who came into existence shortly after the birth of Noran’s world (the Empire of Dal-Rhiatah). They first lived in the planet-wide, sentient forest named Panko – before Homo sapiens began – and they had a symbiotic relationship with the plants and trees, and later on, withContinue reading “All About the Muryans”
What and Where are the Hiraeth Mountains?
Hiraeth is a word in the Old Tongue (and it is a Welsh word on Earth), loosely translated as “homesickness.” This name is fitting as Logan Bartholom spends most of his time wanting and wondering about a home he once had but can no longer remember. This extensive range of mountains in Karak (sometimesContinue reading “What and Where are the Hiraeth Mountains?”
WHO AND WHAT ARE THE HIGH MADRE?
These three prophetesses are the leaders and main teachers of the Kendra, a convent of egoless prophetesses who revere Saint Agrimond, along with the ancient benevolent magic that their world was created with – Foundational magic. Somewhat inspired by the Fates from Greek myth or the three witches from Macbeth, these three women are aContinue reading “WHO AND WHAT ARE THE HIGH MADRE?”
WHO AND WHAT IS ULFRYD SPIRN?
A minor character in “A Dark Heritage: The Nighthunter” who goes on an almost fairytale-style quest and meets an unfortunate end. An apprentice to a travelling merchant, Ulfryd is fourteen years old and having an affair with a girl at an inn when an old song people are singing in the marketplace enters his head,Continue reading “WHO AND WHAT IS ULFRYD SPIRN?”
Who and What is Uncle Edwyn?
Noran Cadwallader‘s Uncle Edwyn is a best friend, benevolent authority figure, and mentor to the boy from birth until age six, when something very unfortunate happens to the old man. He and his wife, Noran’s Aunt Adyah, keep a small farm on the outskirts of Little Beddin, amongst the hills. Aunt Adyah is a practical,Continue reading “Who and What is Uncle Edwyn?”
A Dark Heritage: The Documentary
Many of the characters from “A Dark Heritage: The Nighthunter” have been (ahem…) “interviewed” alongside the author (um, me) in a series of little videos. The first five are on this playlist on YouTube: Here’s one as a taster: Other than the frequent forays into social media (which can be a distraction from writing, IContinue reading “A Dark Heritage: The Documentary”
All About The Kendra
On the continent of Thosea, where magic and the use / teaching of it is still legal, there stands an old, ruined abbey on the banks of the river Eridan. This river is a mysterious remnant of something that poured out of the constellations, and its waters burn like acid, possibly because of its trueContinue reading “All About The Kendra”
All About the Griny-Plinth
These anthropomorphic beings first came to me in a dream. They were eccentric and fascinating, yet dangerous in a concentrated, stubborn, hive-mind sort of way, and they were galloping after me upon tiny, prehistoric horses, trying to catch me. They looked like the Leptictidiums from the non-fiction TV series “Walking with Beasts” – like kangarooContinue reading “All About the Griny-Plinth”
All About the Nephisiati
Throughout the lands of Ossyan, Thosea, and Dal-Rhiatah, stories and myths of the Nephisiati echo down the generations. No one has clapped eyes on them and lived to tell the tale, save for a select few who lost their minds and were institutionalised as a result. In some legends, they look like hideous monsters withContinue reading “All About the Nephisiati”
All About the Selki
Selki are a half-legendary, half-prehistorical terror of the oceans. They are rarely seen, but there are tales of them aplenty among travelling merchants, smugglers, pirates, and other people who make a living on the high seas. There is always someone who returns from sailing with a missing hand or leg who swears it was bittenContinue reading “All About the Selki”
All About The Cetians
The Cetians are an ancient humanoid race that lives in the extreme depths of the White Ocean. Their city is encased inside a gigantic, magical air-bubble, as they mostly breathe oxygenated air. However, they did evolve with gills as well as lungs, although their gills can’t function so well. Their underwater appearance is frightening, theirContinue reading “All About The Cetians”
All About The Forysrhacos
This gigantic and ancient bird is the stuff of myth, prehistory, and legend. Humans from Earth would likely recognise it as The Phoenix, a bird that lays its egg in a nest of flames and is then reborn from the ashes. However, The Forysrhacos (known as “The Foe” in old texts found in the underseaContinue reading “All About The Forysrhacos”
Nightwalks 