Author Archives: Mark Hayes

Unknown's avatar

About Mark Hayes

Writer A messy, complicated sort of entity. Quantum Pagan. Occasional weregoth Knows where his spoon is, do you? #author #steampunk http://linktr.ee/mark_hayes

10 years down the Lane

Ten years ago this month I published my first novel. I wrote it in July the year before, then spent a year redrafting it several times, while trying to convince myself it wasn’t just a mid-life crises project. I had always wanted to write a novel, I been writing for the better part of three decades, but now I had actually written one. It was finished it was done , it was as good as I could make it. The only thing left to do was to send it out into the world. It was terrifying… Continue reading

Posted in amwriting, big questions, cider lane, depression, reads, writes, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Dear Edgar 36 – The Masque of the Red Death

In the world of art there are many indisputable masterworks. True masterpieces that transcend the art world. Van Gothe’s Sunflowers. DeVince’s Mono Lisa. Vermeer’s Girl with a pearl earring. Goya’s The nude Maja, Giorgione’s The Sleeping Venus, that one by … Continue reading

Posted in horror, Poe, reads, retro book reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Dear Edgar 35 ~ The Oval Portrait

On occasion, when you spend time in the company of dead authors, you come across an obscure little story that inspired something far more well known. Occasionally the original feels like it is a pastiche of the more famous work. … Continue reading

Posted in amreading, Dear Edgar, Poe, reads | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The post-con collapse

Working a convention is exhausting. I am not alone in this. Almost every author I know has much the same story. Conventions are draining, much I suspect because writers tend not to be the kind of people who are naturally … Continue reading

Posted in amreading, books, cthulhu, Dear Edgar, humour, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Dear Edgar 34 # Three Sundays in a Week

Occasionally, amid explorations of obsession and madness, horror and satire, existentialism and human frailty… You just need to tell a ridiculous tall tale or two to keep yourself amused. Nothing could be even slightly problematic about that could it… Well… … Continue reading

Posted in humour, Poe, reads, retro book reviews, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

New Book, Conventions, and an update

Occasionally, just occasionally, everything all comes at once. Which is why I have an ear infection, am currently deaf on my left side, feel like curling up in a dark room under a blanket, just as I have the busiest … Continue reading

Posted in fantasy, Harvey Duckman, indie, indie writers, steampunk | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Dear Edgar 33 – Eleonora

The One remains, the many change and pass;Heaven’s light forever shines, Earth’s shadows fly;Life, like a dome of many-coloured glass,Stains the white radiance of Eternity, Our dear Edgar, as you are doubtless aware, was something of a romantic, or at … Continue reading

Posted in Poe, reads, retro book reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Still Researching Lovecraft

I am still engaged in a project involving a book about the worlds of H.P. Lovecraft. I originally mentioned this just over a month ago, in a post called Researching Lovecraft… This as you may have guessed is a follow on from that post, as people liked it and because I failed my sanity rolls, so had to crack on with writing the book…. Continue reading

Posted in Nyarlathotep, opinion, reads, writes, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Maybe Tuesday

In another universe, where a man in a small lab in China didn’t drop a non-descript vail on the floor (allegedly) on a Tuesday in late 2019, the release of my 2020 novel ‘Maybe’ might have gone differently. It must have been a Tuesday when he dropped the vial, these things always happen on a Tuesday. No one ever accidently changed the course of history on a Monday. Continue reading

Posted in fantasy, goodreads, indiewriter, reads, sci-fi, steampunk, writes, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Dear Edgar – 32 : Never Bet the Devil Your Head

Toby’s mother was sinister handed and used to flog him with her left hand. Apparently, this is considered to be most improper. This unfortunate parenting has driven Dammit to become overly fond of making spurious bets and the expression “I’ll bet the devil my head”. Continue reading

Posted in amreading, Poe, reads, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment