Solstice - Scene 1. Draft 1. Completed.

New Cover Designs For My First Four Folk-Horror Novels

March 03, 2020

Here they are - the new cover designs for my first four folk-horror novels. My fifth (Berserk!) was only published a few month ago, so I am still happy with the cover for that book. To celebrate the relaunch of these titles, they will be offered for sale at just 4.99 for the entire month of March. :)

Click on the image of the book you are interested in purchasing to be taken to the appropriate Amazon page:

March 1st 2020 - Time to Crack On

[Background reading] Well, I made it to the other side of winter. Just. Time to get back on track and also try and get my health back in some semblance or order...

March 1st also sees the end of my month long break from writing. I did use the time productively, however, and produced three photography zines during February. But although I enjoy photography, my real passion is definitely writing and it was with relief when my month-long abstinence from working on my next novel came to a close and I opened up my writing bureau this morning to continue work on Solstice. 'Tis time to crack on...

Oh, and in case you were wondering what that red and green thing is on top of my writing bureau, it's this Manor Ware ornament from the 1970s - one of my fondest items from my childhood:

Piscies fishing in a boat. A Manor Ware ornament from the 1970s

Folk Horror Titles Relaunch New Cover Designs!

February 29, 2020

Having looked through my back catalogue of books on Amazon with fresh eyes, I have come to the conclusion that the cover design of my first novel appears a little tired. And so I have started work on a classy new relaunch of my folk-horror titles. Look out for these spanking new cover artworks on heading your way soon...

Working on a classy new book cover for Crawley ~ an adult faery tale

Working late into the night on the new cover of Pixie-Led

Storm Jorge

All I seem to have recorded on my Tascam DR40 this year is the rain and the wind. It will be lovely when the weather finally improves and I get to do some rambling and record some less inclement sounds... Still, there's nothing quite as atmospheric as listening to a storm when you are chilling at home in the warmth, so here we go - Storm Jorge, recorded from my living room this afternoon. As usual, this is best appreciated whilst wearing a good pair of headphones (by the way, you can see the audio recorder to the right on the mantelpiece in the accompanying photograph to the audio):

Storm Jorge

All I seem to have recorded on my Tascam DR40 this year is the rain and the wind. It will be lovely when the weather finally improves and I get to do some rambling and record some less inclement sounds... Still, there's nothing quite as atmospheric as listening to a storm when you are chilling at home in the warmth, so here we go - Storm Jorge, recorded from my living room this afternoon. As usual, this is best appreciated whilst wearing a good pair of headphones (by the way, you can see the audio recorder to the right on the mantelpiece in the accompanying photograph to the audio):

Perfect Balance!

My favourite character amongst our garden birds. He has been visiting us for the nearly seven years we have been living in our house and is always a welcome sight.  Given his chunky size, he is still a bit of an acrobat. Look at those balancing skills!

Perfect Balance!

Given that he is a bit of hungry fella, and that we have known him for so long, he has earned himself a nickname. Here is is arriving, and lingering, on our birdfeeder the other day. He added to his girth quite considerably on this visit, and continued to eat until an impatient starling came and chased him off (caught at the end of the following video):

Sparrow

When we first moved into our house, nearly seven years ago now, the only birds we saw here were jackdaws, magpies, pigeons and seagulls. All lovely birds. But we really missed the smaller birds that used to frequent our previous garden. 

Despite setting up a bird table and keeping it well stocked, it took several years before we finally managed to attract smaller birds into the garden. But then, a couple of summer's ago, these little fellows, House Sparrows, suddenly arrived en masse in our garden. Not only did they feed from our bird feeders and enjoy the water from our bird-bath, they also nested in our privet hedge.  And last summer, the colony of house sparrows expanded again when the little birds nested for a second time in our hedge. Now, our garden is abuzz with the birds and their constant chattering from our hedge is a real joy to behold :) All great news given the population of these precious little creatures are in decline nationally.

House Sparrow Atop Our Garden Birdfeeder

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

The amount of seed and suet these guys get through on our birdfeeder is incredible and we sometimes have to restock it twice a day!

To further encourage the House Sparrows and retain them as residents in our garden, we have also installed a communal nesting box on our house. More news on the hopeful success of this if and when it happens...

Solstice Ghost Story...

My month-long break from writing is coming to a close. I am so looking forward to opening this writing bureau again on March 1st and cracking on with my Christmas ghost story...

Sweyne's Eye - Bish Bash Bosh

Whilst I have taken a break from creative writing this month, I have kept myself busy producing these three zines for my new Sweyne's Eye photography range:

Sweyne's Eye  -  Issues 1-3

The first three issues of my new Sweyne's Eye Photography zine

It's been an interesting month putting these zines together and there will definitely further issues in the range published soon. Watch this space...

You can purchase copies of this zine here:

Hand ̶i̶n̶ Glove
The Bay
Chronological Series 2014-2015

Working on Sweyne's Eye ~ Chronological Series 1

Working on the third issue of my photography zine, Sweyne's Eye. The zine manifests itself as two entities - as a series of focussed projects and as a meandering chronological diary of images, featuring the scenes that caught my eye as I navigated my home town during my day-to-day life. This issue will be the first in the new chronological series of Sweyne' Eye.

Working on Sweyne's Eye ~ Chronological Series 2014-2015

To help differentiate the two concurrently running strands of Sweyne’s Eye, the featured projects and chronological series are published in variant styles. However, both strains of the project can and should be seen as a whole. All three current issues of the zine should be available to purchase any day soon - watch this space...

Sweyne's Eye ~ The Bay (Ancient Forest Remains)

My last few pics from the second issue of my photography zine, Sweyne's Eye, which is titled The Bay and explores the natural beauty and diversity of my local beach:

Ancient tree remains

Ancient tree remains, believed to be over 7,000 years old

The above photographs show the scant remains of an ancient forest that one stood on the site now occupied by Swansea Bay. The forest remnants are believed to be over 7,000 years old and have been preserved in the old estuarine mud that was formed at the same time when this forest existed and still remains in situ in this portion of the beach.

Sweyne's Eye ~ The Bay (More Sunset Shots)

Two more sunset shots from the recently published photography zine Sweyne's Eye ~ The Bay:

Sweyne's Eye ~ The Bay (At Sunset)

The best time to be on the beach has to be sunset, right? Three more images from Sweyne's Eye ~ The Bay

I hope you enjoy this edition of Sweyne's Eye, whose price, in keeping with the spirit of zine printing, I have kept as low as Amazon allowed. :)

Sweyne's Eye ~ The Bay (Seaglass Finds)

Some of the seaglass finds from my local beach, including a very rare piece of pink seaglass :) Pictures from the recently published zine, Sweyne's Eye ~ The Bay: