Category Archives: books

Passing Place – a review

Originally posted on Druid Life:
(Nimue) Passing Place, by Mark Hayes is a beautiful, bonkers sort of a book. This is speculative fiction, with a story that isn’t easily explained at all without spoilers. What I can say with some…

Posted in amreading, amwriting, book reviews, books, fantasy, fiction, indie novels, indie writers, novels, opinion, reads, sci-fi, steampunk, writes, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

And then the ride is over…

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 , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Duckman’s Odyssey

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 , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Books of magic and the magic of books

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 , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What is it about Alyssa?

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 , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Dear Edgar #6 MS Found in a Bottle

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

Posted in amreading, book reviews, books, cthulhu, Dear Edgar, Goth, horror, Lovecraft, Poe, quotes, reads, retro book reviews, supernatural, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Dear Edgar #5 Bon-Bon

Look too long in to the abyss and the abyss will make you an offer on your immortal aspect… Apparently. Continue reading

Posted in amreading, book reviews, books, Dear Edgar, Goth, horror, opinion, Poe, quotes, reads, retro book reviews, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What is Steampunk? A Guest post by Matt McCall

Mat McCall, a bulldozer of joyous exuberance and invested enthusiasm who manages to drag unsuspecting people into a whirlwind of frivolity. I love this man… He has some thoughts on ‘What is Steampunk’ he is something of an expert on the matter, though he would never claim to be. Continue reading

Posted in amreading, amwriting, books, Hannibal Smyth, indie, indie novels, indie writers, IndieApril, reads, retro book reviews, sci-fi, steampunk, Uncategorized, writes | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Now That’s What I Call Rubric: Guest Post by Will Nett

He’s squatting in his underwear with arms raised after a night of prodding and bullying our heroic author into finishing the 3-foot high tome, much the same way that modern day blog editors do now. Apparently written entirely in one evening, the author was of course largely undistracted by Love Island, social media and the goings on across the road at no. 91. Aside from the romantic ideal of an isolated monk hounded into action by a belligerent sprite such as Satan… Continue reading

Posted in amreading, amwriting, books, humour, indie, indie writers, IndieApril, opinion, pointless things of wonderfulness, reads, writes, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Eating the Livers of my Lovers: A guest post by Nimue Brown

The full title of this blog is ‘Eating the livers of my lovers and other poems I now have to write because Mark gave me a title’ Which was a writing prompt I gave to the ever wonderful Nimue Brown when she asked the world to do so. Having supplied this title I abdicate all responsibility thence*. The rest is all Nimue… Continue reading

Posted in amreading, amwriting, blogging, books, druidry, fiction, IndieApril, indiewriter, pagan, reads | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments