January birthday and blues

Celebrating another whirl around the sun. January is always a crap month, and this year epically so, but it’s also birthday month for me. Hurray. Cue firework: pop, fizzle.

Celebrating another whirl around the sun

I can already count two major life stressors this month on two fingers, but if I held those digits up, it wouldn’t make a very nice gesture. Nevertheless, such a gesture might befit both situations.

But, let’s focus on the positives. I had a lovely birthday evening with my family. Chinese food and wine. Can’t beat it. I probably have five new grey hairs from the stress already this month, but let’s look on the bright side: I got some super-sweet prezzies and cards from my hubby, kid and friends and birthday wishes from the very few people who actually remembered it was my birthday without needing Facebook to tell them so.

So, a toast to another year. Should I cut down my alcohol intake? Maybe. As of December 2022, I’ve been cake and chocolate free. There’s got to be some joy in life. Nope, caffeine and alcohol stay on my shopping list. In moderation? I’ll try.

As with anything else in life, I’ll try. I’ll try my best? Hmm. Writing-wise, the stress has cooked my brain this month, so no… I haven’t been too productive over the past couple of weeks on that front. Guess ‘I’ll try’ doesn’t work for everything.

Is this a depressing post? I don’t think so. Philosophical, perhaps, but not quite verging on depression. If there was a ghost of January-past for every year of my life (yikes, that’s a lot of Januarys. Say no more) then I’d be haunted by one from almost a decade ago, ready to hit me over the head with its gavel.

January blues, eh? If I didn’t laugh, I’d cry. This week, after breaking out in hives from stress, I did actually laugh. Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you cry alone. Where does therapy fit in with that? Self-therapy works for me. Ha ha, bottoms up.

Two weeks until Love you to Death is released

The fourteen day countdown is on!

Love you to Death: ghost stories for Valentine’s Day is coming on 1st February 2025. Fancy some twisted romance between the ethereal and corporeal? Grab yourself a copy for pre-order from any of these online bookstores:

Goodreads challenge for 2025

This year I’ve set another Goodreads challenge of 25 books for 2025. Such a goal has been manageable for the previous two years, so it’s something I think I can achieve again. I use my author account for this challenge, and the books are either related to writing research, books related to GCSE English at work, or those I’ve been reading in the library where I work part-time (I don’t spend all my time reading books in the library, I promise – ahem!)

Is it necessary to do a Goodreads challenge? I don’t think so, but I personally enjoy having a reading goal. Reading is just as important as writing for an author, and I personally try to read outside of my comfort zone in genres that I normally wouldn’t read as much, in addition to ghost horror. There’s something to be learned from everything. Plus, it keeps the cobwebs off my middle-aged brain; and that’s no bad thing.

Besides, isn’t it good to model reading to the younger generation? At home I try to have my head in a paperback instead of just sitting on my phone all the time, and at work, I model reading to those using the library. Of course, I make time for eBooks too on my Kindle at bedtime, as it’s easy to read a screen in the dark. From time to time, I’ve been known to fall asleep while reading my Kindle app and dropped the screen on my head. Ever done that? Maybe I’m not cultivating as many brain cells as I’d like to think from all that reading after all, lol.

An exciting new Bindweed anthology is open for submissions

Submission call!

Bindweed anthologies is seeking Christmas ghost story submissions for a new anthology coming out in November this year. Check out the guidelines at:

https://bindweedmagazine.wordpress.com/submission-guidelines

Haven’t heard of Bindweed anthologies? Fear not…

Bindweed is a literary publication that my hubby, writer/poet Joseph Robert and I started in April 2016 as ‘Bindweed Magazine’, as we were disheartened by the amount of magazines that were closing and we wanted to provide a market for fellow writers and poets to showcase their work. In particular, just like Bindweed flowers, we wanted to attract the ‘literary weeds’: experimental, offbeat and one of a kind submissions to spread all over the fence of life.

Bindweed magazine quarterly print issues 2016-2018:

Bindweed Magazine produced the following quarterly print issues, all given nicknames for convolvulus arvensis (common Bindweed):

Issue 1: Morning Glory (2016)

Issue 2: Bellbine (2016)

Issue 3: Creeping Jenny (2016)

Issue 4: Waywind (2017)

Issue 5: Wild Lily (2017)

Issue 6: Robin-run-the-Hedge (2017)

Issue 7: Lady-jump-out-of-Bed (2017)

Issue 8: Laplove (2018)

Bindweed Magazine annual online issues 2019-2022:

Bindweed then became a yearly ezine for issues 9 to 12 (2019 to 2022)

Bindweed Anthologies biannual issues 2022-2024:

We relaunched as biannual publications, Midsummer Madness and Winter Wonderland in 2022, producing eBook and print anthologies on June 21st and December 21st of each year.

Midsummer Madness 2022

Winter Wonderland 2022

Midsummer Madness 2023

Winter Wonderland 2023

Midsummer Madness 2024

Why did we relaunch a new Bindweed anthology?

After June 2024, a slight career change, day-job-wise meant that I was unable to manage reading open submissions for Bindweed as well as teaching creative writing and starting a new library position. As a result, Bindweed went on a temporary hiatus for the rest of last year.

As a horror fan, particularly of ghost/supernatural/paranormal stories, I decided on a relaunch to encourage more scary story submissions coming our way for a new Christmas ghost themed anthology.

So, for any horror authors out there looking for a home for your scary seasonal shorts, hope to read your spooky stories soon!

Here’s to health and a Happy New Year 2025!

Happy New Year! We’re now a quarter of the way into the twenty-first century. What a mind-blowing thought that is.

My posts lately have been reflective of my back catalogue books, and life generally, but isn’t that the way of things when seeing the old year out and ushering a new year in?

For 2025 I’ve decided to set intentions rather than goals. Making resolutions that I can’t keep only makes me feel bummed out. Instead, here are my intentions:

Mental health

I’m a fan of letting go of things that no longer serve me. Recently I made huge progress with tackling some old scripts running in my head that are no longer a part of my current life. This year, I intend to keep moving forward with that by acknowledging the present when dealing with the past; in other words, using mindfulness and meditation to keep grounded. Compartmentalising has been really useful for me and I’m going to keep a lid on the things (pun intended) that no longer have any bearing on the present.

Physical health

I have decided that there is no point in trying to stick to a rigid diet and exercise regime when we’re still in the thick of flu season. I spent my two weeks off work for the Christmas and New Year break quite ill with a chesty cough/flu/nasty sinus infection, bingeing carbs while in my jammies. Did you see the videos I posted over the holidays? Notice how I used music instead of speaking? That’s because I had lost my voice. What’s that I hear you say – that I didn’t look sick? Makeup works wonders. A splash of red lippy and a dash of eyeliner works wonders for a pallid face.

I will restart my diet and exercise plan in spring. When the world awakens from its winter sleep, so will I.

Writing intentions

I plan to keep chipping away at ghost novel WIP#7 and psychological novel WIP#8 on a regular basis. As much as I’d like to set a more fixed target of, say finishing the final drafts of both, if I were to fail to meet such a goal, well that would be… Expletive deleted! So, I’m setting some general intentions rather than rigid targets with these drafts.

Marketing intentions

Last year more of my book sales were organic rather than from sponsored ads. I’m hoping to wean off paid advertising even more this year and see if I can keep my back catalogue sales floating along through online promotion via social media. More about the breakdown of those stats and what I’ve learned in more detail in another post.

In summary

Focusing on the journey rather than the destination will make for a much healthier and happier 2025.

Happy New Year everyone!

End of 2024 reflection – on books, life, and stuff

Woah, are we really at the end of another year? Have we really spun around the sun one more time? No wonder I’m feeling dizzy…

As has become a recent tradition on my blog, here’s an old year summary of books, life and stuff that helps me to reflect on where I’m at going forward. Do you do something similar? Perspective keeps a lid on reality, I find. Especially for a dreamer like me.

Novel WIP progress in 2024

This year it felt like I hadn’t made much writing progress, but looking back at my word count in January compared to December, it seems I was wrong.

Ghost novel WIP#7 was at 27k words at the start of the year and is now at 59k = 32k words written.

Psychological novel WIP#8 (which is the sequel for The Buddha’s Bone) was at 23k words in January and ends the year at 56k = 33k words written.

Will either be finished in 2025? Hmm. Maybe I’ll go visit a fortune teller for a prediction on that and get back to you.

Books published in 2024

Dust jacket wrap for the hardcover

One book is better than none! I released Pseudologia Fantastica on 20th June in time to celebrate the summer solstice.

Manuscripts finished in 2024

In November I completed my final draft of Love you to Death: ghost stories for Valentine’s Day. This collection is about 55k words, so the length of a short novel and will be released on 1st February 2025. Happy dance.

Available as an eBook, in paperback and hardcover in Feb 2025

My bestselling books of 2024

My short story collection, Diabolical Dreamscapes, sold the most copies out of my back catalogue this year, followed by my Christmas ghost novel, The Fairy Lights, and my other short story collection, Pseudologia Fantastica in third place.

My year in books 2024
Continue reading

What’s in the Boxing Day bag? Love you to Death ARCs

What does an author want for Yuletide? Why, book bloggers, of course.

ARCs for book bloggers (like my silly yuletide hat?)

Since Love you to Death is due for release on 1st February 2025, I ordered these ARCs before Christmas in order to give my reviewers plenty of time to read and post on Goodreads and online retailer websites. With any new release, I like to have at least 5 reviews ready to go within the first couple of weeks, as I find it boosts sales. Most of my sales are in the UK, but I do like to get reviews posted in the US too as it boosts sales for readers across the pond.

For my reviewers in the UK, I tend to post paperback copies. As a reader myself, I prefer physical books, so I always sign the copies that I post to book bloggers with a personal dedication. For reviewers further afield it’s neither practical nor economical to send postal copies, so I email an epub or PDF copy instead.

Here’s a fun little Boxing Day promo that I did, just for the heck of it. Enjoy!

Would you kiss a ghost under the mistletoe? A spooky excerpt for Chrimbo Eve

We’re on the other side of the solstice now, but the nights are still long, the days are still short and the shadows dark. The veil between the living and the dead is traditionally thin on the solstice as it is on Samhain. Can you tell I’m pining for Halloween? How did you guess, lol.

Here’s a short, spooky excerpt from my Christmas ghost novel, The Fairy Lights. What happens when you fall in love with the ghost haunting your house? In Aisling’s case, a kiss from beyond:

Romance with a ghost – an excerpt from my Christmas ghost novel, The Fairy Lights

You can grab a copy of The Fairy Lights here, if you fancy some fantastical yuletide fun that is more metaphysical than spooky:

If you like a little spectral loving, get ready for some more ethereal~corporeal romance coming your way in 2025. Love you to Death, my ghost story collection for Valentine’s Day, will have plenty of paranormal liaisons between the living and the dead. No necrophilia needed…only ectoplasm orgasms, lol. The question remains: how does a living human get it on with a spectre? Find out on 1st February 2025…

Yuletide cover reveal! My next book is coming in February 2025

Due for release on 1st February 2025

Happy Yule!

It’s the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, so we can look forward to longer hours of daylight as the sun returns to the world from tomorrow. To celebrate, I thought I’d share the cover reveal for my forthcoming book: Love you to Death.

It’s a collection of Valentine’s Day ghost stories of approximately 52K words and 195 pages. Here’s the blurb:

Love you to death: ghost stories for Valentine’s Day

Do you love ghost stories? Of course you do. Do you love romance? Who wouldn’t? What if the love stories were between the living and the recently deceased; or even with the ghosts of those dead for thousands of years…

From the disturbing imagination of Leilanie Stewart, author of the award-winning Belfast Ghosts trilogy, comes eight new spine-tingling tales of ghostly romance. These original and previously unpublished tales of affairs that blend the ethereal and the corporeal, all set on or around Valentine’s Day, will satisfy your morbid curiosity for paranormal liaisons on the most amorous day of the year.

But the question remains: if bonds can exist between those in the world of the living and ones who walk among the dead, could such romance really Love you to Death?

Coming soon in eBook, paperback and hardcover

You can pre-order the eBook for £1.99/$2.99:

If you want to hear a sample reading from Love you to Death, here’s an excerpt from the first story, White Day Whispers:

Yule, here is the Northern hemisphere, was officially at 9.20am this morning, but it was so rainy that we couldn’t see dawn because of the rain clouds. Ha ha, typical temperamental winter weather. Since Yule is our big festive celebration, we’ll be celebrating indoors today by lighting candles and having a huge seasonal feast. This is also the day when we do our family Secret Santa and the kiddo gets prezzies – one a day for the twelve days of Yule – up until New Year’s Day, delivered by either mummy or daddy Santa (yes, I wear the beard too. Why not?) Hurray!

Yuletide blessings to all!

Happy Saturnalia! Paranormal suspense books for your stocking

We’re getting closer to Yule, and that means things are starting to feel more festive. As a fan of all things paranormal, here’s my recommendation for books to fill your stocking with. Amanda Sheridan’s fantastic Rapid Eye Movement quadrilogy is a paranormal suspense series with a good dose of romance that will keep you turning the pages over the holiday season. Here are links to buy the series:

Books for your stocking: Rapid Eye Movement quadrilogy by Amanda Sheridan

Today is the date of the ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia, a celebration in honour of the god of agriculture, Saturn. It was traditionally celebrated on 17th December, though in medieval times was apparently celebrated around 23rd to coincide with the solstice.

Anyway, Saturnalia and the Solstice both celebrate light returning to the world at the darkest time of year. What better way to enjoy the long, dark nights than with a page-turning book series with a dash of steamy romance just for some sizzle…

Io Saturnalia, folks!