Category Archives: Uncategorized

Miscast in petticoats

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Mark Hayes

Lucifer Mandrake, Arcanist to the court of St James, by appointment of Queen Victoria Saxe-Coburg, is not having his best day. Someone has been resurrecting dead peers of the realm. The House of Lords is now inhabited by the undead. Sooner or later, someone is bound to notice. Well probably. Is this just a plot to derail The Witchcraft Bill? Or is it something more insidious, such as a plan to remove Victoria as head of state and replace her with the King of Hanover? Continue reading →

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The Unleashening of Ben Sawyer

Posted on March 20, 2025 by Mark Hayes

Ben Sawyer is a fellow Harvey writer and novelist. His Holly Trinity novels are unique, delightful and set in the ancient ghost haunted city of York, a place for which I have no small affection. It has been something of … Continue reading →

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Holly Trinity and the apocalypse

Posted on October 8, 2024 by Mark Hayes

Ben Sawyers ‘Holly Trinity’ is a wonderful creation, the protector of York who sleeps below the city until needed, then raises her umbrella and does battle with the supernatural forces that plague the city. Often, of late, listening to Kate … Continue reading →

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A Gentleman

Posted on September 24, 2024 by Mark Hayes

“It seems to me, that the use of lockpicks should fall under the remit of a gentleman’s valet, rather than the gentleman himself.” Benjamin West grumbled just after he snapped his second pick in quick succession.  Continue reading →

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Jessica Law

Posted on July 2, 2024 by Mark Hayes

A well thought out piece by Jessica law about her patreon, which I am sharing because I mentioned her patreon in a previous post. I mean I also liked it which is more than she did with my post, honestly, … Continue reading →

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By St Elmo’s Bowels

Posted on May 22, 2024 by Mark Hayes

Occasionally, on a morning at work, with my coffee, when it quiet and there is no major crisis to deal with I have too much time on my hands… Then Jessica Law (or someone else, but it is nearly always … Continue reading →

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Men in Dark Tweed 8

Posted on April 4, 2024 by Mark Hayes

The Men in Dark Tweed were created on a whim while I was working on my current WIP novel, a Victorian Urban Fantasy entitled ’Lucifer Mandrake and the Hanoverian Proxy’ The new, somewhat nefarious Home Secretary sets up a plain clothes … Continue reading →

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The Maggot of Salamanca

Posted on January 29, 2024 by Mark Hayes

Occasionally while happily writing away, you write yourself into unexpected corners. For example, in my current main work in progress ‘Lucifer Mandrake and the Hanoverian Proxy’, the plot requires a hole in the arcane wards protecting Queen Victoria’s court. As … Continue reading →

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Larceny of Countenance

Posted on December 29, 2023 by Mark Hayes

I felt the sting of remorse. This face I had stollen for my own, now looked haunted and here I was to pay witness to its end. An end I had brought him to. Oh, I could rationalise it all … Continue reading →

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Pagan Books (of the year and otherwise)

Posted on December 21, 2023 by Mark Hayes

Fellow author, blogger, musician, poet, worshipper of trees, insightful guru, druid, and all round wonderful person,Nimue Brown started a Facebook group called Pagan Book News. If you are interested in paganism, belief structures, and humanities connection to the wider universe, … Continue reading →

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