Category Archives: opinion

The strange foray into afterglow

Posted on March 25, 2022 by Mark Hayes

In less than a month I have managed to publish two books. Admittedly I expected to publish both of them last year and then didn’t… But still its been a busy time with years worth of work coming to fruition … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, book reviews, books, fiction, goodreads, Hannibal Smyth, Harvey Duckman, indie, indie novels, indie writers, indiewriter, Lovecraft, mythos, novels, Nyarlathotep, opinion, pointless things of wonderfulness, reads, sci-fi, self-publishing, steampunk, supernatural, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, books, call of cthulhu, cthulhu, Lovecraft, reads, sciencefiction, steampunk, writer, writers, writerslife, writing | Leave a comment

A failure to Beware!

Posted on March 7, 2022 by Mark Hayes

A year ago I discovered an oddly entertaining fact. I was born on the day Howard Philip Lovecraft died. Why I found this oddly entertaining is a long story, but in essence, I’ve joked for a long time that I … Continue reading →

Posted in amwriting, book reviews, books, cthulhu, dreamlands, goodreads, horror, humour, indie, indie writers, indiewriter, Lovecraft, mythos, Nyarlathotep, opinion, publication, reads, sci-fi, supernatural, Uncategorized, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, books, call of cthulhu, cthulhu, Lovecraft, lovecraftian, mythos, Nyarlathotep, reads, sciencefiction, writer, writerslife, writing, writingtips | 3 Comments

And sometimes you just need to hear it…

Posted on January 21, 2022 by Mark Hayes

This morning, as I got in the car to drive to work, the radio told me Meatloaf had died. Meatloaf, particularly when in combination with Jim Steinman’s lyrics, has long been part of my life. My older sister bought Bat … Continue reading →

Posted in opinion, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Micro Fictions

Posted on January 19, 2022 by Mark Hayes

I don’t like micro fiction. I say this not to denigrate it as entertainment or indeed as an art form. It is simply a personal thing. If pushed as to why I don’t like it then I will admit that … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, book reviews, books, dystopia, fantasy, fiction, goodreads, Harvey Duckman, horror, indie, indie novels, indie writers, indiewriter, opinion, reads, Uncategorized | Tagged amreading, bookblog, books, flashfiction, Harvey Duckman, reads, writerslife, writing | 2 Comments

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

A message from The Sanctimonious Order of the Willing Sacrifice

Posted on December 15, 2021 by Mark Hayes

We, The Sanctimonious Order of the Willing Sacrifice, must regrettably start this annual meeting by apologising, but once again, for the tenth year running, we have failed to secure a year king. While there are of course be those who … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, cthulhu, dreamlands, druidry, fantasy, fiction, goodnews, goodreads, horror, humour, indie, indie writers, indiewriter, mythos, opinion, pagan, pointless things of wonderfulness, rant, reads, rites, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, druids, fantasy, fiction, newreads, pagan, reads, writer, writers | 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

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 →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, big questions, book reviews, books, Esqwiths, fantasy, fiction, goodnews, goodreads, Hannibal Smyth, Harvey Duckman, horror, indie, indie novels, indie writers, indiewriter, novels, opinion, Passing Place, publication, reads, sci-fi, self-publishing, steampunk, supernatural, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, books, fantasy, newreads, novels, reads, sciencefiction, speculative fiction, steampunk, urban fantasy, writer, writers, writerslife, writing, writingtips | 1 Comment

Fact Vs Fiction, by Dr Tamara Clelford

Posted on November 17, 2021 by Mark Hayes

Todays offering on Guest Post Wednesday, the first of a new series of guest posts I’ll probably manage to put out on Thursday’s, is from a fellow Harvey Duckman writer and tapdancing physicist, Tamara Clelford, who’s has one of those … Continue reading →

Posted in #amwriting, amreading, amwriting, blogging, books, fiction, goodreads, Harvey Duckman, indie, indie writers, opinion, reads, sci-fi, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, books, harveyduckman, reads, writer, writers, writerslife, writing, writingtips | Leave a comment

From small acorns…

Posted on August 26, 2021 by Mark Hayes

The English language in its never ending colonial expansionism co-opted many years ago. A word that was originally Turkish, though it had deeper roots in Persian and Arabic. Like so many words of other languages who’s vowels my mother tongue … Continue reading →