It’s not my new tagline yet, but I love the way 'ghost stories for people who don’t believe in ghosts' sums up what I write - nothing tied 'neatly, nothing fully explained, the reader left to decide for themselves. Does that sound like something you enjoy? Out 27 July books2read.com/photographs-...

With a book coming out in a couple of weeks, and another on submission, I've got the hint of an idea forming. It's one of those distant rumbles at the moment, awaiting a lightning bolt ⚡

Too hot inside, but found a good cross breeze in my garden 😎

Does anyone use Books2Read universal links? I'm trying to add one and it's just ignoring me. I've been trying for 2 days, on and off.

I've started to comment on this so many times, but I'm lost for words. I grew up in the 80s. I was told robots/technology etc would take over the menial tasks & leave us to create art & indulge our passions. This seems like the start of the exact opposite. I call for a boycott!

FFS.

A beautiful afternoon after work.

Pre-orders for my next book are live. It's real! No matter how many books I write, seeing it out in the wild is exciting, exhilarating, and extremely scary! Kindle only, at the moment, but more markets on their way. www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0H7NCG375 #AuthorSky #WritingCommunity #Novella

I've just dropped a 100g bar of chocolate on my foot (yes, it's bruised already), so now I'm cross with chocolate 😡

Oh England...

Today I almost made a decision. Then immediately questioned myself and retracted it. Maybe tomorrow, I'll try again.

I've got nothing to do. Both my writing projects are paused, either waiting on other people or waiting for time and distance. I could write something new, but my brain is still full of those other characters. So I'm... drinking tea and eating chocolate... And waiting...

Today I am mostly feeling sorry for myself after tweaking my back at the gym. I never usually go on a Sunday. I shan't again. Currently sitting very still waiting for it to stop hurting when I breath 😧

Atticus formatting software is having a right moment! I think the heat has got to it. It's not keeping my blank lines, even when using the shift+enter command that usually works. And it's far too hot but I really wanted to get it done today before I move on to my next task.

I'm in the market for a new novel idea. I'm currently listening to songs on the radio for inspiration.

What a wonderful way @nomad-sw18.bsky.social has with words. A wonderful story, heart breaking and tumultuous.

If I want my books to appear in local-ish independent book shops, is it ok to just wait for them to come to me, or do I have to... you know... talk to people? (Am I alone in wanting to be an author, right from childhood, because I'm a secret recluse and it seemed perfect?)

I know what I need to do but not how to approach it. So, time for a cuppa, I suppose.

Writing day cut short. Too hot, and feet have kinda swelled up just a little. Bit uncomfy now.

All of my author friends: if you haven't submitted your book for an IPPY (Independent Publisher Book Awards), consider doing so in the next year. They are a true supporter of independent authors and small press books and have been for decades. They just awarded me my second medal! #award #authors

The bots are learning. One of the common ways to recognise a publishing scam email is the gmail.com address, and today I had a little note on the bottom of a scam... #WritingCommunity #AuthorSky

Today's outdoors and sun-filled editing session. Until it got too hot and I had to come back inside #AuthorSky #heatwave #summer

When your editor makes you cry because her comments about your writing are just so darn lovely. One step closer to publication!

As a sporadic insomniac, why do I feel more groggy after a full night's sleep than when I wake up at stupid o'clock?

This Week's Stories yoursuddenflash.blogspot.com/2026/06/june...

We realize some people (like us) really prefer the feel of print. That's why all our magazine's are available in print via Amazon, Bookshop.org and via order from your local bookstore. buff.ly/vrTiOEo

It's annoying that I wanted to try taking both collagen and creatine, and can take neither due to immediately getting horrible side-effects. Everyone else I've spoken to has hyped the benefits they're getting and no one has mentioned any negatives 😕

Sunday celebrations for a fellow author!

Facebook is down on the day I scheduled to reveal the cover of my new novella/short story collection so I guess I'll do it here instead. This feels a bit like standing in the middle of a high street with a billboard rather than welcoming people into my house to have a peek, but hey-ho.

A few years ago, I fell into an academic diary buying trap and now I can't escape because of all those wasted months if I changed to a whole year one! But every time I'm near (or in) the shop that sells them, I forget to buy one.

Wasn't sure I'd get everything I want to do this morning done before I leave the house to meet a friend. Turns out my brain thought the same, and woke me at 4am. I've got loads of time now 🤨

Writing ghost stories for people who don't believe in ghosts since 2012 ☺️

I'm happy to announce that my novel, The River Is Everywhere, is now available as an audiobook. It can be downloaded via Audible, Amazon and Apple Books, with other options coming soon. A huge thank you to Wordwooze Publishing and the book's narrator, John Eli Brewer. www.audible.com/pd/The-River...

Random question for people who went to a British school in the 50s: did you get homework? Once again Google claims to have an answer then goes off on a tangent.

The oldest pub in town has been offering solace and comfort to those in peril for centuries. For Quinn, Ella, and Rona, The Boatman is the perfect place to hide. books2read.com/TheBoatman

Book sales seem slow this month. Just putting that out there, for my own sake. Feel free to ignore. I sometimes find when I say things aloud a boost happens, even when it's not a direct response to the thing I said.

How I tell a story - Headline, important details, fluffy fillers. How my mum tells a story - 10 years of backstory, important bit, "sorry, gotta go".

Scrolling through BlueSky with a cuppa in my hand, liking all the positive posts I can find. An uplifting way to start the day. Publication successes, stunning photos, and dog birthdays so far. Happy Sunday ☺️

Google is being rubbish, so I'm going to ask here instead... and apologies, I'm going to mention the C word, in JUNE! Can you remember when you/your parents if you were young bought an artificial Christmas tree for the first time? I'm writing about characters in 1966. #Research #AuthorSky

Did a bit of analysis on a recent Matt Goodwin post for this one...

My mum always makes too many Christmas cakes. She's just dropped off our fifth and final one of the year. May her maths skills never improve! 😋

I had such a crush on him in Buffy, because librarians are cool, and he was awesome 💔

UK publishing generated £7.4 billion in revenue last year. Compare that to: Premier League football: £6.6 billion Home entertainment: £5.6 billion UK film industry: 2.8 billion Now tell me again why authors don't deserve fair contracts and better pay.

Blond or blonde for a male hair colour? It used to be differentiated, but is it still?

Today's scam email states: "Most psychological fiction either explains itself too much or withholds so aggressively that the reader never fully lands inside the experience. Yours does something much harder: it holds just enough back to keep the mystery alive" 1st thoughts? No, most hold back... 🙄

I've just said yes to a book cover design. Eek! #AuthorSky

This is the kind of success that the likes of Farage, Badenoch and Blair would have destroyed. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Yes, I got very wet coming home from an appointment. Yes, I am in my pyjamas at 4.30pm. Yes, I am much happier than I was 😊

Finalising the cover of my next book 😱 Does it look ok? Does it suit the genre? Am I the only one who will like it? So many doubts... #AuthorSky #WritingCommunity