Popped into the library to swap my book and got a mince pie and a mug of sherry!

New Review - two excellent novellas in one volume for you exploring choices Wiz Duos 3 - The Sheltering Flame by Ruthanna Emrys and Walking A Wounded Land by Andrew Knighton is strongly recommended! Out now via @wtpress.bsky.social www.runalongtheshelves.net/blog/2025/12...

Once again, an amazing fantasy bundle by @aptshadow.bsky.social here. What a deal.

You've waited all year for this. My 2026 Predictions! donna-scott.co.uk/witterers-ar...

I've loved drawing this evening. Howard is a colourful boy! Side by side, with and without grass. He did do a wee in the pub on Thursday, but he's mostly a good dog!

Fun treasure hunt and chazza Secret Santa party yesterday with Northampton Alt Book Club. In the pub, I thought I saw Danny-John Jules walk past. I refused to chase the Cat down to check for my fellow readers but I did Google image search him in the same hat. I'm so lazy these days.

Can anyone recommend a good book or books on crime and punishment for a politically interested teen? I read loads of very specific wrongful conviction advocacy books, but want to give some more general recs to my nephew.

Book Quote Wednesday's word is 'follow' #BookQW Dan's been down this road before and he knows it can lead to interviews under caution in a police station. He and Fin need to find some leads to pursue and right now, they're on their own. Contemporary fantasy rooted in British myths and folklore.

Call me sceptical, but given the hoo-ha when Amazon broke transfer capabilities a few months ago that I think they may have ulterior motives for wanting to break DRM all of a sudden, and I smell AI tools. Meanwhile, you can still buy Kindle and e-pub from my Payhip. payhip.com/TheSlabPress

Still got some copies in stock if anyone needs a great book gift, but don't wait too long...

Huzzah! I have put on my big business trousers and done many irksome bits of paperwork today. Definitely going to have some tea and chocolate. Okay so my admin power hour was more like half a day but it was so worth it. Might even read something 'off list'! Woooo!

Wish we'd known about this tool from @conradgodfrey.com when we made our last episode of Map Men. Instantly visualise where place names are across Britain. Excellent stuff! (See if you can make it show where the Danelaw is.) conradgodfrey.com/grep_britain/

If you haven't read Magic, Maps, and Mischief yet, then now is the perfect time to pick up a copy! Read for found family, fully fleshed out characters who rarely get their moment to shine and a story filled with kindness and hope. Shares welcome! Https://mybook.to/magicmapsandmischief

It's odd posting about awards eligibility & asking please consider me when my book's barely out so not many of you have read it. But I have one sole eligible thing this year, and I'm proud of it in all its briny strangeness. So hey, please consider THE SALT ORACLE if you're nominating? 🖤🖤🖤

I just want to say @robinince.bsky.social is the very best of humans. How the BBC could have a problem with him is beyond me. The IMC will wither on the vine without the rich, nutritious value of Robin's brain. Go see him perform, and buy all his books. Your soul will feel like it has been hugged.

I guess it's fitting that it's a reimagined, worse version of someone else's artwork

I need another 7 followers to be 666. Can this metal fan wake up to see this realized in the morning?!🤘🤘🤘

Credit ghostwriters! Be transparent! (Appropriately enough...) #Ghostsarereal #Ghostsaretransparent Guidelines here for authors and publishers: societyofauthors.org/resource/gho...

"I can't afford to support my favorite author right now, I—" Reviews. Reviews are free AND they are a gift to authors that can keep on giving (i.e., exposure, marketing, algo boosts, etc.) Please, give the gift of reviews to your authors this holiday season. It really can make a difference!

I keep thinking about all of the people who were NOT hired as part of this exercise. All the real world production crew. The actors. The caterers supporting real world shoots. So many people with real skills not being paid. So. Many. Creative. People. Not. Being. Paid.

Something I often wonder. SKS gave his maiden speech in 2015 having been catapulted into a safe seat 2014. A remarkably quick turnaround from MP to PM. I think many voted for the McLibel-fighting, pro bono-working barrister but why does politician Keir seem such a different beast to political Keir?

Book Quote Wednesday's word is 'blue' #BookQW Our latest anthology Hiding Under the Leaves is full of spooky reads, perfect for Christmas. Order from the usual places or check out more options at theslab.press/store/

Book Quote Wednesday's word is 'blue' #BookQW Clear skies and fluffy clouds make a nice day for a white wedding, but Dan's concerned there could be storms ahead, in all senses. He's not wrong... The Green Man's Holiday is now available. Contemporary fantasy rooted in British myths and folklore.

I don't have kids or use ChatGPT, but I know the reason your 8-month-old child keeps dropping his pizza is because there's no way he's eating that yet.

Good points here from Boze who also seems to be channeling Afro Man and that song he did with Jay and Silent Bob in the video. la-la-ta, ta-ta-ra-ra

The internet: A rockstar lady got annoyed at someone with a beach ball. Precisely how many of us telling her we think this was an overreaction would be the correct amount of admonishment? Okay, let's make sure no more than 3 of us let her know. But how to choose...? Oh, you all went already.

Is everything terrible? Are you too poor to do things? Does the internet keep hurting your eyes? You can fight back! Subscribe to excellent comedian YouTubes. Sometimes they have whole shows on there FREE! Use BorrowBox/Libby/Go to your nearest library. Review the things you like. Tell more people!

Love novellas? How about two in one book? In Wiz Duo 2, Juliet Kemp sends a reluctant knight on a quest, while E M Faulds gives her heroine a superpower that totally sucks. wizardstowerpress.co...

We have a few copies of all our paperbacks in stock, so you can still order in time for Christmas. Last date for posting from our stocks is December 18th (UK only). US readers can order from our POD links, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble. E-books also available! theslab.press/store/

Did a comedy gig last night. I broke my 5 month duck. Went pretty well. Probably gonna do more soon. I hope breaking a duck is an actual saying now, because my head does sometimes make these things up to trick me.

Applications are now open to take part in the BFS Mentorship Programme in 2026. Find all of the details, including how to apply, here: britishfantasysociety.org/about-the-bf...

Currently absolutely loving the song "Occupy Your Mind" by Grace Petrie: gracepetrie.bandcamp.com/album/this-i...

Hey it's *Bandcamp Friday* again. The best day to go find that artist who was top of your Spotify unwrapped and actually buy their music, because all the proceeds go to them today. And by god do musicians need it.

Submissions are open for our Welsh folklore anthology, They Are Still Here: wizardstowerpress.co...

Still living in chaos as the DIY continues so my house is going to remain unChristmassy for a couple of weeks at least. Christmas feels like a sparklier deadline at most. By then I hope to have one edit done, two reviews written, and one ToC decided. Plus some more paid work, please, Santa!

I'm not sure what it says about these two establishments but the McDonald's Grinch seems much more... unkempt than the Asda Grinch. Plus McDonald's Grinch undresses to play the sax and order food for some reason.

Calling British short science-fiction writers who have had stories published this year - window closing soon for Best of British Science Fiction 2025. Get your story in under the door!

SWANAGE Mitch Benn brings his electrifying one man version of A CHRISTMAS CAROL to the Mowlem Theatre this Wednesday (3rd) #AChristmasCarol #MitchBenn #OneManShow #ChristmasShow #ChristmasReels #FestiveReels #Dickens #UKTheatre #TheatreReels #Storytelling themowlem.com/event/a-chri...

I don't like AI. Also I'm grateful to 404 for being one of the only technologically literate media companies covering tech without the breathless, uncritical (despite so much evidence!) excitement. You know. Like a journalist. Give em $ if you can so they can keep reporting.

A fantastic review of Hiding Under the Leaves from Stephanie Ellis in Horror Tree. I'm very happy with this. 😀 Featuring shout-outs for @kevrooney.bsky.social @laurenwrites.bsky.social @ivorkhillauthor.bsky.social Tom Wren and Matt Thompson!

A dark Old-Fashioned pairs well with dark magic and folk horror. Read my murdr-ballad inspired story Muddy Water here. This anthology is widely available, including Barnes & Noble! @theslabpress.bsky.social

www.waterstones.com/book/vivid-w... Last chance to buy paperbacks online from Waterstones for Double/Triple stamps today. They sell The Slab Books too! www.waterstones.com/book/laughs-... www.waterstones.com/book/hiding-... www.waterstones.com/book/dark-ho...

If the remaining Best of British Science Fiction stories in my inbox were an advent calendar, I would run out too soon, because like the mince pies, I have consumed so many already. You have only 2 weeks left to send me stuff. Come on, keep me busy! www.newconpress.co.uk/info/book.as...

So many great books from Solaris this year. Note to self: get Beauty by Jade Linwood ASAP. 2026: Most looking forward to: Homesick by @rhiannonagrist.bsky.social

In anticipation of Volume 3 hitting shelves at Easter, why not give yourself the gift of creativity this year? linktr.ee/specficforne...

"...Spotify, which spent well over a decade completely unprofitable until it had basically re-written the way humans consume music and how labels distribute music. OpenAI is trying to achieve a similar result on a far, far larger, and potentially far more damaging scale." Culture yourself better!

Black Friday? Relax! The best deals last more than one day, and don't sell things you didn't know you didn't want at "savings" artificially inflated so they can be reduced back to what they were anyway. Pop the kettle on and buy a book! @northodoxpress.bsky.social / @theslabpress.bsky.social

Programming suggestion. 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown Does Sunday with Laura Kuensberg. Mainly because there would be a big clock to time questions and a board for Rachel to help Laura understand maths. Swap Piers Morgan for Jimmy Carr to raise the morality level of guests very slightly.

The death of browsing is part of the reason art is the way it is now. Our opinions are largely fed to us by algorithms. Spending a spare 15 minutes wandering around a bookstore or comic shop or video rental place was how you found stuff you wouldn't ordinarily pick up and thereby expanded your taste