Happy Friyay, y'all. I got to drink far too much coffee with my amazing literary agent Bieke today.

I'll be on a panel at this year's Comic Con with a bunch of other awesome authors. Come join us at the Pop-Taku stage on May 2 at 5pm when we discuss why fantasy fiction is absolutely vital!

Is anyone else's KDP been down for a "scheduled two-hour maintenance" that has lasted more than a day?

Who's joining us on May 15 for the THE CRAFT OF WORLD BUILDING WORKSHOP at this year's Franschhoek Literary Festival? My workshop, starting at 2pm is SOLD OUT! Can you believe it?

I'm proud to announce that my speculative short story created with input from researcher Annette Hübschle is now available to read. appliedafricansf.com/a-shadow-in-... With thanks to the British Science Fiction Association for providing the opportunity.

I can finally let slip that Isobel, the dark folk project I contribute to with Terminatryx vocalist Sonja Ruppersberg, will be opening for No Friends of Harry at the World Goth Day celebration happening on May 23.

“You gotta learn AI or get left behind!” is a bit galling given that the entire purpose of AI seems to be to steal our work and fuck our brains and shit up the planet, which is to say, its GOAL is to leave us all behind. That, in order to make its owners rich.

Review for the new Sauútiverse Terrors anthology that has my story "Endling" in it and honestly, I needed to see this review. I'm in a dark place at present so this gives me great joy.

A Sooty update. We are now on a varied diet of live feeders, soft fruit, hand-rearing formula and cat food.

Tuesday

Immortalised in art, film, and fiction, Cleopatra VII, the last queen of Ptolemaic Egypt, is familiar to and beloved of many. But how many of us knew that she had four children with two of the most powerful men in Rome?

Some photos are just perfect. It was absolutely swell to see one of my oldest friends and co-conspirators and her partner. Robyn and I go way back to high school days. We have Seen Things.

Ignyte Award! 🙏🏾🥂 @bloomsburyacademic.bsky.social, @fiyahlitmag.bsky.social, @aniyonsenga.bsky.social, @dilmandila.com.web.brid.gy, @nerinedorman.bsky.social, @nuzo.bsky.social, @shingai-be-like.bsky.social, @stephenembleton.bsky.social, @suyidavies.com, @tobiogundiran.com, @xanwriter.bsky.social

While I wait for line edits to come back for Call the Fire, I'm happy to report that Tame the Ocean (book 2 of The Scatterlings of Fate) is well underway.

A Sooty update. He's decompressed beautifully and is quite a cheeky little bugger.

Meet Sooty the redwing starling. They were found emaciated and dehydrated in a roof during the heatwave, the parents having abandoned the nest.

Can't wait to get stuck into book 2 of the Palimar Saga by author KR Solberg. Gunpowder fantasy FTW.

It is done. I've just handed in the revisions for Call the Fire. This book has broken me in all the right places.

This makes me happy. And yes, this one is available internationally – TWD meets GoT but sans the gratuitous schmexxors.

I've had a long day. I am comforted by my current view.

Welp. I am gonna be $50 poorer soon. www.superherohype.com/movies/65306...

Garyn has perfected the Resting Inquisitor Face.

These two...

So excited to be starting this one by my very favourite person Cat. Highly recommend.

It's finally here! A Million Points of Light, the sequel to The Shape of Monster, is now live. Get more of that woke cannibal erotica you e been craving ;) Or, yanno, mages and monsters and betrayal. Listen to A Million Points of Light by C L Hellisen on Audible. www.audible.co.uk/pd/B0GMRMJTR...

Your reminder to join us at the V&A Waterfront Exclusive Books on Saturday for the release of the first two Winter Mage books.

I'm having far too much fun putting in little notes for each of my chapters.

Not only were the ancient Egyptians master architects, but they also had a great love of beautifying the body. Discover their array of cosmetics, from lipstick, rouge, and kohl to skincare routines and hair products.

Cover reveal time, my preciousnesses... The cover illustration is by none other than the amazeballs Daniël Hugo. This is book one of the five-part Scatterlings of Fate series releasing in April via Mirari Press.

"Wuthering Heights"

Went for a hike, encountered some bears, and got to hang out with my hot Vint BF, my uptight Nevarran Seeker, and a lying sack of faux-Grey Warden.

Who's found this spot on the Storm Coast?

Today's sonic pleasure.

Off to see some live music. It's been a while.

Join me and co-author Catriona Ross, where we will be in conversation with our publisher Marius du Plessis (Mirari Press), in celebrating the release of the first two novels in a new science-fantasy series – Winter Mage.

3.

5.

Very little rivals this – a science-fantasy series that is unconcerned with chasing trends. Co-authoring with Catriona Ross has been fantastic, and books 1 and 2 release on February 21.

Congrats to Nerine Dorman @nerinedorman.bsky.social (ZamaShort#2) on the forthcoming release of the co-authored with Catriona Ross two book beginning of the Legacy of Obsidian novel series, releases 21 Feb, pre-orders up:

Solas, as always rocking his hobo chic look acting the big shot when closing the Breach. Garyn at this point is completely clueless while Nerine is shouting LIAR! LIAR! LIAR! Repeatedly.

Well, hello there...

This month's subscription release is now all out to subscribers, if you'd like our publications delivered to your inbox before the retail release and at a lower price consider becoming a subscriber! #AfricanLit #AfricanSFF #booksky 📚💙

My extremely elegant son. He's legit just sitting like this, staring blankly, like he forgot what he was doing. My sweet stupid son.

This lad... He breaks me. I'm quite fond of Garyn Lavellan – and he had some rather tough convos with Dorian about Tevinter and their attitude towards elves.

February with Valentine's Day is the month of love and our story ZamaShort #10 ‘Vibrating Particles’ by Daniel Joe is a pure romance of second chances set to warm your heart. #AfricanLit #Romance #booksky 💙📚💙

#AICouldNever At the third stop where paths cross, you pause Leave fears behind, let fall all masks Where you are headed, they’ll be of no use The burden lightens, but heavy is the trail ahead www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEiz...

So, I can say with relative certainty that for the last year that I've been struggling with severe eczema on my lips – it's been due to an allergic reaction to the Raid vaporiser that I've been using to repel mosquitoes.

I'm working my oud back into my music schedule again. I just need to figure out whether I'm going to keep the Syrian tuning or go with another setup.

Another one of these spamsters... Fetch my spatula, my eyeballs have rolled onto the ceiling again and I need to scrape them loose.