Category Archives: mental-health

Dear Edgar 42 ~ The Black Cat

Posted on October 1, 2025 by Mark Hayes

Pluto the cat was not named for Pluto the planet. Pluto the planet was not discovered until 1930 (though one suspects it was always there…) which was almost ninety years after this story was written. Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, Dear Edgar, fantasy, horror, mental-health, reads, retro book reviews | Tagged amreading, book-review, books, edgar-allan-poe, horror, poetry, reads | Leave a comment

Quote the darkness, Evermore

Posted on July 9, 2023 by Mark Hayes

We are in the midst of summer, darkness is hard to find when the nights are short and the days are long. Sleep is hard to come by, the rhythms of the body match the seasons. Now is not the time to sleep, now is the time to hunt, to gather, to partake of the rich bounty of the summer and prepare for the what will inevitably come once more.. This is not a time to think of darkness, this is the time to celebrate the light… So here are some quotes about darkness, in all its many forms. Continue reading →

Posted in 2020 quotes, amreading, humour, mental-health, opinion, quotes, reads | Tagged amreading, quotes, quoting, reads, writerslife | Leave a comment

Playwriting

Posted on July 8, 2023 by Mark Hayes

So this is me, a writer of novels and short stories who doesn’t perform…

Then for reasons I wrote a play and even more weirdly I performed in it. I’d deny everything, but it was filmed and someone put it on You tube. So enjoy the one and only time I will be caught performing, and my sole and last venture in to Play writing. Continue reading →

Posted in amwriting, Lovecraft, mental-health, rites, steampunk | Tagged humour, steampunk, writer, writerslife, writing | 2 Comments

The place I write from…

Posted on May 24, 2023 by Mark Hayes

I like my anger, without it I am not sure who I am
I bottle it up in tight little jars. Seal it within myself.
Turn it, mould it, hammer it and temper it.
Then, when it can not be held down any more. When it has been refined to a glowing edge. I use it, and poor it into words.
My anger becomes creation, focused it becomes a positive force Continue reading →

Posted in amwriting, big questions, depression, mental-health, opinion, writes, writing | Tagged depression, mentalhealth, samaritans, worldmentalhealthday, writer, writerslife, writing | 1 Comment

When a chap is not a chap…

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Mark Hayes

An internet friend reminded me the other day of an important lesson we all need to take on board and remember. When I say all I am talking about 49.9% of the population though the core message applies to us … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, depression, Hannibal Smyth, mental-health, writes, writing | Tagged depression, despression, mentalhealth, reads, writer, writerslife, writing | 2 Comments

Dear Edgar

Posted on February 23, 2023 by Mark Hayes

About a year ago I published a book that started out as a series of blogs in which I read the complete works of HP Lovecraft. A project I started as ‘filler’ posts for the blog. I’d expected the project … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, book reviews, books, Dear Edgar, Goth, horror, humour, indie, mental-health, opinion, publication, quotes, rant, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, Dear Edgar, Poe, reads, writerslife, writing | 4 Comments

Wyrd particles and Spooky Runes

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Mark Hayes

A Book review of Wyrd by Kieth Healing. A book on the the concept of the Wyrd and the ancient Anglo Saxon Runic alphabet, its use in divination, as well as the runes connections to the Wyrd. Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, big questions, book reviews, books, druidry, goodreads, indie, indie writers, mental-health, pagan, publication, reads, rites | Tagged books, druidry, druids, magic, new-age, pagan, reads, runes, writing | 6 Comments

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

Dinosaur wisdom

Posted on June 22, 2022 by Mark Hayes

When you grow up, people stop asking you what your favourite dinosaur is. They don’t even care. This is perhaps the most heart breaking, horrific, and depressing things you can realise as an adult… Okay that maybe an exaggeration, but … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, dyslexia, errol the bookcase dragon, fantasy, fiction, humour, indie, indie novels, indie writers, indiewriter, mental-health, opinion, pointless things of wonderfulness, rights, writing | Tagged amreading, fun, humour, life, lifehack, patreon, reads, steampunk, steampunk fantasy, writerslife, writing | 1 Comment

An interruption to normal service…

Posted on February 16, 2021 by Mark Hayes

It may not have escaped regular readers of this occasionally profane whiterings that I have been somewhat absent for some time. It’s also quite possible no one noticed, as my absence from the blog has by definition created a lack … Continue reading →