Category Archives: writing

A failure to Beware!

Posted on March 7, 2022 by darrack1

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 | 2 Comments

A Semblance of Hope

Posted on March 4, 2022 by darrack1

This may be a familiar experience, it may not, but I often find myself intrigued by the idea of ‘another perspective’. Everything I write, everything I read, everything I watch, the world it self and every aspect of life in … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, book reviews, books, fantasy, grathic novels, horror, indie novels, indie writers, indiefriday, reads, sci-fi, steampunk, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, art, books, hopeless, horror, reads, sciencefiction, steampunk, tentacles, writing | 3 Comments

A Squid on the Shoulder

Posted on February 28, 2022 by darrack1

Queen Victoria is in the 200th year of her reign, and her Glorious British Empire faces a grievous threat due to the Machiavellian machinations of that most notorious instigator of insurrections Herbert George Wells. No longer an agent of The … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, book reviews, books, fantasy, fiction, goodreads, Hannibal Smyth, Harvey Duckman, horror, humour, indie, indie novels, indie writers, novels, reads, sci-fi, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, amwritingsteampunk, books, Canadian steampunk, reads, sciencefiction, scifi, scifiscarbrough, steampunk, steampunk fantasy, writing | Leave a comment

Occasionally, one is asked why…

Posted on January 17, 2022 by darrack1

Writing is, so E.L. Doctorow would have it, a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia. As quotes go, I find that one just a tad depressing. Mainly because it has a smidgeon of truth to it, for me at least, I … Continue reading →

Posted in indie writers, indiewriter, Uncategorized, writes, writing | Tagged mentalhealth, writer, writerslife, writing | Leave a comment

The Hydrogen Cigar

Posted on December 21, 2021 by darrack1

‘Helium is a bit of a sticky wicket you see. Had you requested Hydrogen that would have been easy,’ Sir Robert had been informed by his chief science officer. The scientist, whom Sir Robert suspected was a man who would … Continue reading →

Posted in books, fiction, goodreads, Hannibal Smyth, indie, indie novels, indie writers, indiewriter, novels, reads, sci-fi, steampunk, writes, writing | Tagged amwritingsteampunk, fiction, indiereads, reads, sciencefiction, steampunk | Leave a comment

A message from The Sanctimonious Order of the Willing Sacrifice

Posted on December 15, 2021 by darrack1

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

Illuminating observations of the perils of an indiscreet life…

Posted on December 5, 2021 by darrack1

For reasons, that have never been explained to me, at Pudsey (the small town between Leeds and Bradford and somewhat merged into both these days), in the large park behind the swimming pool, just up past the aviary, this is, … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, book reviews, books, druidry, fiction, goodreads, indie novels, indie writers, indiewriter, pirates, reads, steampunk, supernatural, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, books, childhood, druidry, druids, fantasy, reads, steampunk, steampunk fantasy, writers, writerslife, writing | 4 Comments

A touch of yellow…

Posted on November 30, 2021 by darrack1

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 darrack1

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

Sailing on an Hourglass Sea

Posted on November 22, 2021 by darrack1

Not too long ago I reviewed Mat MaCall’s The Dandelion Farmer. I was I think now perhaps a little too gushing in my praise of the novel, the first of a trilogy of which the second The Hourglass Sea is … Continue reading →