Category Archives: amreading

Dear Edgar #7 The Assignation

Posted on May 30, 2023 by Mark Hayes

This is not so much horror, as it is often coined to be despite note having any traditional elements of horror within it, but a romance for bored housewives. There is an odd, and somewhat convoluted line but there is a line all the same, between this story and 50 shades of gre Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, book reviews, Dear Edgar, goodreads, horror, Poe, reads | Tagged amreading, books, Dear Edgar, Edgar Alan Poe, horror, Poe, reads, writerslife, writing | 5 Comments

And then the ride is over…

Posted on May 28, 2023 by Mark Hayes

Craig Hallam asked me to tell him what I thought of the ending, in that nervous not entirely sure of himself manner of his. The answer to that is simple, I loved it. It is what I expected it would be at the time, masterful. The ending his hero deserved. Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, book reviews, books, fiction, indie, indie novels, indie writers, indiewriter, novels, reads, steampunk | Tagged amreading, bookreview, books, plup, reads, scifi, steampunk, writing | 1 Comment

A Duckman’s Odyssey

Posted on May 22, 2023 by Mark Hayes

I have personally been far more involved with Harvey 13 than any Harvey previously. the bulk of the work is still being done by the ever wonderful Gillie Hatton of 6E publishing, but I am one of a triumvirate of submissions editors curating the collection to an extent… So I have a degree of pride wrapped up in this one and more skin in the game. It is however a great collection of stories. Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, books, fantasy, fiction, Hannibal Smyth, Harvey Duckman, horror, indie novels, indie writers, indiewriter, Lovecraft, novels, Passing Place, pointless things of wonderfulness, reads, sci-fi, steampunk, supernatural, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, books, reads, sciencefiction, steampunk, writer, writers, writerslife, writing, writingtips | 2 Comments

Books of magic and the magic of books

Posted on May 20, 2023 by Mark Hayes

Sometimes such books are written to be just that, a joyous fun read that wiles away the passage through the clouds, or the click clack of rails. Books you can not take your time with because there is a unurgency to them that wants to be read all at once. Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, book reviews, books, fantasy, indie novels, indie writers, reads, writes | Tagged amreading, book, bookblog, reads, urban fantasy, urbanfantasy, writerslife, writing | 2 Comments

Strange drafts

Posted on May 19, 2023 by Mark Hayes

Inspired by a conversation late night in the pub, mostly centred around advice to prospective writers and how best to get started with the whole being a writer thing… Starting with the single most important piece of advice you can give any writer…

Write Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, editing, fiction, humour, quotes, writes, writing | Tagged quotes, reads, writer, writerslife, writing, writingtips | Leave a comment

Reading Maybe…

Posted on May 17, 2023 by Mark Hayes

This blog is just to say to anyone who wants to write but is dyslexic, don’t let that stop you. Don’t let anything stop you. Continue reading →

Posted in amediting, amreading, amwriting, dyslexia, Hannibal Smyth, indie novels, indie writers, indiewriter, novels, reads, steampunk, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, books, reads, steampunk, writer, writers, writerslife, writing | Leave a comment

What is it about Alyssa?

Posted on May 13, 2023 by Mark Hayes

apparently all female main characters in Chic lit Urban Fantasy’s are called Alyssa, its a rule apparently, who knew… Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, book reviews, books, fiction, indie novels, indie writers, novels, opinion, pagan, reads, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, bookblog, bookreview, books, pagan, reads, urban fantasy, urbanfantasy, writer, writers, writerslife | 2 Comments

Dear Edgar #6 MS Found in a Bottle

Posted on May 10, 2023 by Mark Hayes

Poe scholars are apt to say it was this story that truly launched Poe’s career. Certainly its is the first tale to read the way you expect Poe to read, with an ominous intensity wrapped in poetic language, creeping with ever more intensity towards a dark grim conclusion. In this tale then, you can see all that is to come late in Poe’s career. Continue reading →