Category Archives: big questions

I’m not good, but who is.

Posted on September 28, 2022 by Mark Hayes

When I was a kid at Pudsey park on the outskirts of Leeds, just across from the abandoned Traction Engine steam roller, in the main play ground there was a Helter-Skelter. It was a proper Helter-Skelter, a huge wooden construction. … Continue reading →

Posted in big questions, depression, dystopia, insomnia, mental-health, opinion | Tagged depression, mentalhealth, opinion | 1 Comment

A bit of genealogy and the Dutch

Posted on September 2, 2022 by Mark Hayes

I don’t know what my paternal Granddad did for a living. I’ve never known. It never occurred to me to ask my dad what his dad did for a crust. Genealogy has never really been much of a thing for … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, big questions, book reviews, books, fantasy, fiction, goodreads, indie, indie novels, indie writers, indiewriter, novels, pirates, reads, steampunk, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, amreadingscifi, books, newbooks, newfiction, newreads, reads, steampunk, writers, writerslife, writing | 1 Comment

Valuing the craft

Posted on July 29, 2022 by Mark Hayes

This is about the third time I have published this particular blog. I feel it remains relevant, indeed is more relevant with every revision of it. It is just an opinion, and just mine, it does however feel as important … Continue reading →

Posted in amwriting, big questions, books, indie writers, IndieApril, indiefriday, indiewriter, reads, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, amwriting, amwritingscifi, amwritingsteampunk, bookblog, books, reads, writer, writers, writerslife, writing, writingtips | Leave a comment

Mandolins and the 0.2 percent

Posted on July 23, 2022 by Mark Hayes

For complicated reasons, this is a bit of a rant. If you are offended by rants about politics, you may want to read other, more entertaining posts, like the last one I posted with fictional rules for tea duelling earlier … Continue reading →

Posted in big questions, blogging, depression, humanrights, humour, pointless things of wonderfulness, politics, rant | Tagged humour, mentalhealth, music, politics, rights | Leave a comment

The Anti-social Butterfly

Posted on May 27, 2022 by Mark Hayes

I have jokingly referred to myself as an Anti-social Butterfly for years. It’s not really a joke of course, its is more of an apt description. I find people difficult at times because on some level I have always found … Continue reading →

Posted in amwriting, big questions, writing | Tagged mentalhealth, writer, writerslife, writing | Leave a comment

Levelling down…

Posted on May 24, 2022 by Mark Hayes

I don’t do political posts very often. There are a number of reason for this, one of which this is a writing blog, not a political activism blog. I write escapist fiction, there are other places you can go to … Continue reading →

Posted in big questions, humanrights, politics, rant, rights | Tagged foodbanks, humanrights, politics, rants, reads, Trussell trust | Leave a comment

Bohemians of the Severn

Posted on December 30, 2021 by Mark Hayes

Gloucestershire is, I have come to believe, a strange place. Maybe it’s something to do with the waters of the Severn, or the wind blowing out of the Malvern hills, or maybe it’s something in the soil and the roots … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, big questions, book reviews, books, indie, indie novels, indie writers, opinion, pagan, reads, supernatural | Tagged amreading, bookreview, books, indiebooks, magic, reads, romance, supernatural | 4 Comments

Nostradamus Poe

Posted on December 8, 2021 by Mark Hayes

This blog is many things, most of them literary. Occasionally it touches on important subjects like depression, traction engine’s (though this is a new development and will probably be a passing phase), life in general, racism, sexism, other ism’s, and … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, big questions, horror, humour, indie, opinion, politics, reads, Uncategorized | Tagged amreading, classic reads, covid, politics, reads, writerslife, writing | Leave a comment

A touch of yellow…

Posted on November 30, 2021 by Mark Hayes

Those who have followed my blog previously will know that aside from the odd post about writing in general, book reviews, talking about my own work, and the occasional pondering on the inner workings of the universe, mental health and … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, big questions, book reviews, books, cthulhu, goodreads, horror, indie, indie novels, indie writers, novels, reads, rites, sci-fi, steampunk, supernatural, Uncategorized, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, books, horror, newbooks, newfiction, newreads, reads, steampunk, supernatural, writer, writers, writerslife, writing, writingtips | 3 Comments

Five years of Passing Place

Posted on November 29, 2021 by Mark Hayes

Five years ago my personal favourite of my novels, and the one I will grudgingly admit to being most proud of Passing Place was release. I say grudgingly because all my novels are little slithers of my soul and, excepting … Continue reading →