Category Archives: amreading

Breaking Reality in Gloucester by Nimue Brown

Posted on October 18, 2023 by Mark Hayes

Introduction by Mark Nimue Brown is one of my favourite authors and one of my favourite people. Despite this I invariably mispronounce her name, I’m a bit useless like that, I read a word and how it sounds in my … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, book reviews, books, fantasy, fiction, indie novels, indie writers, indieoctober, reads | Tagged amreading, books, guestposts, reads, sciencefiction, steampunk, writer, writerslife | 1 Comment

Observations… by Roz White

Posted on October 13, 2023 by Mark Hayes

As is my want in October I have opened up the blog to guest posts, in part to encourage those shy retiring beasts writers to leave there shells and case a little light on the thoughts that pass for what … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, fiction, indie writers, indieoctober, steampunk | Tagged fiction, guestposts, reads, steampunk, steampunk fantasy | 1 Comment

Are you ready for the apocalypse? by Liz Tuckwell

Posted on October 12, 2023 by Mark Hayes

Introduction by Mark : Elizabeth Tuckwell is a fellow Harvey Duckman writer and the aunt of an old friend of mine. These two things are not connected and we were unaware of the second connection till the old friend read … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, big questions, Harvey Duckman, indie writers, indieoctober, indiewriter, opinion, reads | Tagged amreading, amreadinghorror, enviroment, reads, sciencefiction, writers, writerslife | Leave a comment

Dear Edgar ~14: Four Beasts in One

Posted on October 7, 2023 by Mark Hayes

‘Glory of the East,’ thou art in danger of mastication! This is clearly either on of the finest sentences ever written, or a really odd typo to find in the middle of an Edgar Allen Poe story. So lets go … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, book reviews, Dear Edgar, Poe, reads, retro book reviews | Tagged amreading, books, Edgar Alan Poe, Poe, reads, writing | 1 Comment

Short Review Friday

Posted on October 6, 2023 by Mark Hayes

In a effort to get on top of the list of books I have read, intend to review, but have not reviewed yet pile, here is a short review lacking my normal wittering preamble, you will probably not be disappointed … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, book reviews, reads, steampunk | Tagged amreading, books, reads, steampunk | 2 Comments

Whispered Wisdom’s of the Wise

Posted on October 4, 2023 by Mark Hayes

According to Pliny the Elder, ‘The only certainty is that nothing is certain’ I’m not sure about that… But it is a philosophical quote of which I am somewhat fond. Here then are some more. Life is really simple, but … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, big questions, pointless things of wonderfulness, quotes, writing | Tagged amreading, philosophy, quotes, reads | 2 Comments

The Kraken’s of Venice…

Posted on September 20, 2023 by Mark Hayes

A review of the Clockwork City by Shelley Adina

This is a delightful read, it keeps you turning pages, as it gently moves along, and then makes you turn them as things start to go badly for our two heroines. Because when things go bad, they go down hill quickly. And once that starts happening it hard to put the book down as you care about the characters, which is the real strength of the novel. It makes you care. Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, book reviews, books, steampunk, writing | Tagged amreading, books, newbooks, newreads, reads, sciencefiction, steampunk, writers, writerslife | 2 Comments

The Telling Deck: A Guest Post from Will Nett

Posted on September 8, 2023 by Mark Hayes

Will Nett, not the one who ran away form the Spanish armada, the other one… with a guest blog on tarot cards, possibly, or just general Will Nett witter, which is good witter we have to say. Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, druidry, fiction, indie writers, pagan, reads, supernatural, writes | Tagged arcane, reads, sprirtualisum, tarot, writers, writerslife, writing | Leave a comment

Dear Edgar #13 Shadow – A Parable

Posted on August 22, 2023 by Mark Hayes

YE who read are still among the living; but I who write shall have long since gone my way into the region of shadows. For indeed strange things shall happen, and secret things be known, and many centuries shall pass away, ere these memorials be seen of men. And, when seen, there will be some to disbelieve, and some to doubt, and yet a few who will find much to ponder upon in the characters here graven with a stylus of iron. Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, Dear Edgar, fiction, goodreads, Goth, opinion, Poe, quotes, reads | Tagged amreading, amreadinghorror, books, classic reads, Dear Edgar, Edgar Alan Poe, read, reads | 3 Comments

Dear Edgar #12 King Pest

Posted on August 9, 2023 by Mark Hayes

King Pest is also a bit of an odd ball, even amongst other Poe stories. It reveals in description and the grotesque to a far greater extent than even Poe’s usual work. While the story is something akin to a nightmarish romp through a plague ridden London. Think of it as the literary equivalent of a Hieronymus Bosch painting. Continue reading →