Tag Archives: steampunk

Cogkneys, Minoan’s and Devilish Preludes

Posted on June 11, 2025 by Mark Hayes

Anyone following this blog over the years will be aware my taste in reading can be a tad ecliptic. Well buckle up buttercup, ecliptic was three turns back. Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, book reviews, druidry, fantasy, humour, pagan, steampunk, urban fantasy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Researching Lovecraft

Posted on May 12, 2025 by Mark Hayes

So here me, back up to my neck with old tentacle hugger, getting annoyed at him. Just like old times… thus here are a few ‘notables’ which will probably find the cutting room floor in the end but have amused me for one reason or another in the meantime. Continue reading →

Posted in books, cthulhu, fantasy, horror, Lovecraft, sci-fi, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Quiddling for Quizzels

Posted on May 9, 2025 by Mark Hayes

(This is originally something I wrote for Hopeless Vendetta, in November last year. It is something of an autumn story, so entirely out of place mid spring… But I republish here because I want to, and readers of my blog … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, fantasy, fiction, humour, reads | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Research and the novel

Posted on April 5, 2025 by Mark Hayes

Research is one of the most important aspects of the fiction writers toolbox, I am aware this may seem counterintuitive, after all its fiction. We just make it up don’t we? Well yes. But when ‘just making things up’ research is often far more important than you might imagine. Continue reading →

Posted in amediting, amwriting, books, fantasy, indie novels, indie writers, indiewriter, novels, reads, sci-fi, steampunk, supernatural, urban fantasy, writes, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in amreading, book reviews, books, indie, indie novels, indie writers, novels, rites, sci-fi, steampunk, supernatural, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Cocktails in the Cosmos

Posted on March 3, 2025 by Mark Hayes

I am to blame, at least in a small way, for something delightful. This has been known to happen before… Occasionally I think people just need someone to blame and I am convenient as I have an occasionally loud personality, … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, book reviews, books, fiction, indie, indie novels, sci-fi, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Post-Newtonian Magic

Posted on February 14, 2025 by Mark Hayes

When writing fantasy, be it high, low, grim dark, romantic, steampunk, urban or whatever, a writer can’t just throw words at a page and see what sticks. Well, that is not entirely true, that is in fact quite often the … Continue reading →

Posted in #amwriting, amreading, amwriting, books, fantasy, Harvey Duckman, indie, indie novels, indie writers, indiefriday, indiewriter, reads, steampunk, supernatural, urban fantasy, writes, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Esoteric Cricket Ball…

Posted on February 10, 2025 by Mark Hayes

Well its finally here, 3 years after the original short story, The esoteric Cricket Ball is pitching down the leg side… The novel started out as half page of dialogue between two unknown participants written about ten years ago. It … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Harvey Duckman, indie novels, indie writers, indiewriter, men in dark tweed, reads, sci-fi, steampunk, supernatural, urban fantasy, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

As days grow lighter… coming things

Posted on December 27, 2024 by Mark Hayes

We have past into winter, and the sun has begun its return and the writer within me is excited for the new year to come. My literary year of 2025 is going to begin early with a new Harvey Duckman … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, books, fiction, indie novels, indie writers, indiewriter, publication, sci-fi, steampunk, writes, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A semblance of Truth

Posted on December 9, 2024 by Mark Hayes

I am a bit of a fan boy when it comes to the work of Nimue and the esoteric creation Hopeless Maine (and Nimue’s writing in general). So when I was given the chance to read a early copy of Semblance of Truth I jumped at the chance. Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, book reviews, books, indie novels, indie writers, sci-fi, steampunk | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment