Tag Archives: urban fantasy

Monsters in the to-read pile

Posted on October 2, 2025 by Mark Hayes

I have little doubt one day the police will break in my house after i have been ‘missing’ for several weeks to discover my body, under this pile of books.
There are worse ways to go. Continue reading →

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Turning Widdershins

Posted on September 29, 2025 by Mark Hayes

Three turns windleshin’s

Around the Lochfa’ston

Three turns windleshin’s

an’ call the other’s names Continue reading →

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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 →

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Extra-dimensional conjurer…

Posted on May 28, 2025 by Mark Hayes

An interesting on fellow Harvey writer Ben Sawyers blog in which he accuses me of being an extra-dimensional conjurer… I’ve been called worse ( and I may add that to my BlueSky handle…)

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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 →

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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 →

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What’s in a name

Posted on December 5, 2024 by Mark Hayes

I do like a good title. For example ‘The Long Dark Tea Time of the soul’ is one of the finest titles ever devised, despite the fact its is my least favorite Douglas Adams book. Admittedly that is like saying a particular orgasm was your least favorite orgasm. Its still a fucking orgasm, ‘The Long Dark Tea Time of the soul’ is still a fabulous Douglas Adams novel. Its just not quite as brilliant as ‘The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy’… Continue reading →

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Necromantic Pontifications

Posted on November 30, 2024 by Mark Hayes

All of this is of course unpalatable to any gentleman of moral fortitude. But moral fortitude is not a prerequisite among your average magus, unlike a degree of nihilism which almost certainly is. More than one magus, once they feel the bite of age upon them and see the first grey hairs among there ravenlike locks, will be tempted to use a little necromancy to ‘rejuvenate’ themselves.

‘What, when it comes down to it, is the point of having acolytes other than so they can lend aid to your designed. Lend you their power. Lend you a year or two of their life perhaps… Well, would they really miss it?’ Continue reading →

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Here Today, Scone Tomorrow

Posted on July 29, 2024 by Mark Hayes

Folk law is full of places that don’t entirely exist. Places that slide off the map, and give cartographers a headache. Continue reading →

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Love, Death and Witchcraft

Posted on November 22, 2023 by Mark Hayes

A couple of short reviews for sequels to books I have previously reviewed. That is the brief here. No waffling on about anything, just do the reviews… Have I ever mentioned I hate sequels. As a writer that is, not … Continue reading →

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