December 4, 2025

Cold Moon Rising – life is full of phases

Beaver Moon over Belfast on 5 November (check out the resident grey heron on the River Lagan)

Today marks the third and final supermoon of 2025. In case you weren’t aware that there had been any supermoons, nevermind one, we had a Harvest Moon on 7 October, a Beaver Moon on 5 November and now, a Cold Moon on 4 December. The reason they were dubbed supermoons is because of the moon’s orbit around earth, making the moon appear bigger, brighter and higher in the sky than normal when the moon is at its perigee (closest to the earth in its elliptical orbit).

I really ought to know more about the moon and its phases than I do. It’s an important celestial body that affects everything from our tides to the axial tilt of our planet. I have tried to memorise the moon phases, but I don’t seem to have a brain for the information – retaining it, at least. Maybe I’ll treat myself to a moon phases notebook for my Yule present to myself.

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Posted by on December 4, 2025 in Biography, Random stuff and tagged , , , , .

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December 1, 2025

My ghost books and ghost authors I’m reading

Here are my ghost books and here are the ghost authors I’m reading at the moment. I’m a ghost and psychological horror author of books:

The Blue Man (my scariest novel)
Matthew’s Twin (my goriest book and personal favourite!)
Love you to Death (dysfunctional romance between ghosts and humans)
Diabolical Dreamscapes (my strangest and most surreal book)
The Fairy Lights (my most fantastical novel)

At the moment I’m reading on my Kindle, books by:


Sherry Ellis
G.K.Wilson
Tina Vantyler

As a reader as well as a writer, I try to read widely across a variety of genres, but I always find myself gravitating back to my favourite ghost horror reads. You’re probably going to find this odd, but nothing comforts me more than lying in bed snuggled up with a scary story. I can’t think of a better way to drift off to sleep.

Sweet spooky dreams…

Posted by on December 1, 2025 in Reading and tagged , , , , , .

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November 28, 2025

99c and 99p eBooks for Black Friday

Since it’s Black Friday, I’m having a $0.99/£0.99 eBook sale for my books published in 2025: Love you to Death, The Wabi-sabi Doll and White Witch’s Hat & other Yuletide ghost stories. As The Wabi-sabi Doll is a sequel, The Buddha’s Bone is also included in the promotion. Make sure to grab all of them while the discount lasts.

Remember, the promotional price is for today only, so make sure you don’t miss out on a Black Friday bargain.

Posted by on November 28, 2025 in promotion and tagged , , , , .

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November 24, 2025

Writing news this week: new novel draft started

I’ve been rather quiet on this blog for the past week, mostly because real life has kept me quite busy. Library and teaching work aside (like the majority of writers, I need a day job to keep a roof over my head) my writing life has been full steam ahead. While taking a break from ghost novel WIP#7, which has been stuck at 63k words for what feels like an infinity, I decided to start working on my next novel draft. Why not?

It did cross my mind that while taking a hiatus from one novel draft, it might be better to work on a short story rather than starting a new novel, mainly because working on two novels at once can significantly slow down progress on both. Since I’ve already hit a wall with ghost novel WIP#7 anyway, there really is no barrier to me starting a new project or worrying that progress will be slow. I decided to completely rewrite one of the peripheral characters in WIP#7 and this affected not only the plot, but the interactions with all of the other characters; this has caused me to totally lose the thread with characterisation of my protagonist. My solution for this was to order a print draft from Lulu, so that I can read it in book format, essentially to get the story back in my head in order to move it forwards to the end.

All of the above has left me free to start my next novel draft. Like most of my other books, this one is going to be a ghost story. That’s all I’m going to say about it for now. More updates as they happen. For now, I’m away to get more coffee and crack on with this new draft, while the excitement lasts!

Posted by on November 24, 2025 in Writing and tagged , .

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November 18, 2025

Write, edit, publish, read, teach creative writing… repeat!

What happens when your life revolves around books? It’s funny, but I’ve been a writer of some description for so long, I can’t think of my life without writing or books.

My latest video sums up my bookish journey in a snapshot that takes less than a minute to watch, but the reality is a lot more involved. I try to write everyday, though admittedly my latest novel WIP has stalled – again. Yes, I wrote a blog post back in February about writer’s block and it has happened again with the same project. I’ll write more about that saga in another post, as I have already worked out a solution, and I’ve been taking steps towards that.

Teaching creative writing is going well. My students, a group of seventeen year olds at the grammar school where I work, are a highly motivated group. I don’t need to badger them to hand in work at the end of each session; when I give them writing prompts, they produce so much for me that I could seriously do with more hours in the day to read and critique it all.

Bindweed Anthologies, the literary publication that I’ve been running since 2016 with my fellow writer hubby, Joseph Robert, has been going from strength to strength too. We recently launched our latest publication, White Witch’s Hat & other Yuletide ghost stories, and we’ve opened submissions for our next anthology for 2026, which will have a harvest theme.

As for promoting my own books, marketing is always an ongoing effort. Newspapers, radio, social media, paid advertising: the list goes on.

Write, edit, publish, read, teach creative writing… repeat!

Posted by on November 18, 2025 in Writing and tagged , , , , , .

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November 13, 2025

Publication day for White Witch’s Hat & other Yuletide ghost stories

Happy release day for our latest Bindweed Anthology, White Witch’s Hat & other Yuletide ghost stories! It’s now available as a Kindle eBook and in paperback: Here’s the blurb: White Witch’s Hat & other Yuletide ghost stories is a collection of spooky seasonal stories by 21 authors just in time for the short days and […]

Publication day for White Witch’s Hat & other Yuletide ghost stories

Posted by on November 13, 2025 in Writing.

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November 9, 2025

Ghost books aren’t just for Halloween

Is anyone else feeling post-Samhain blues? I admit that when 1st November arrived, I had to keep going with my horror-movie-a-thon just to cheer myself up, lol. Of course, I tend to read horror, watch horror and wear my Halloween clothing and jewellery all year round; it’s just that during October it’s deemed socially acceptable. Not that I care much what’s socially acceptable or not when it comes to celebrating Samhain.

Next week sees the publication of White Witch’s Hat & other Yuletide ghost stories just in time for the winter solstice coming up on 21 December. The ancient Celtic story of the Oak King defeating the Holly King, and light returning to the world, is something to look forward to. Summer is my favourite season, even if Halloween/Samhain is my favourite themed season. I’m a total sunworshipper. I will be celebrating Saturnalia on 17th December and Yule on 21 December with my family, as we do every year by lighting candles, as people did in times gone by to mark the return of the sun. We’ll be adding our own modern twist by lighting sparklers too.

Yule is actually a better time for ghost stories than even Samhain, and more traditionally when scary stories would be told. My own books are proof that people love ghost stories in the run-up to Christmas, as copies of The Fairy Lights, book 2 in my Belfast Ghosts trilogy, always fly off the virtual shelves between Black Friday and Crimbo. I’m hoping that White Witch’s Hat & other Yuletide ghost stories will be similarly popular as a Christmas favourite among my books.

As a horror author, all I can say is that I’m glad ghost stories aren’t just read at Halloween and are enjoyed all year round, particularly in the long, dark winter months. Who doesn’t love a ghost story at Christmas?

Posted by on November 9, 2025 in Books and tagged , , , , .

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November 6, 2025

Unboxing the proof copy of White Witch’s Hat & other Yuletide ghost stories

The proof copy of White Witch’s Hat & other Yuletide ghost stories arrived in the post. I always love getting my hands on my latest paperback publication, but this one is extra exciting as it’s also one of our Bindweed Anthologies. That means my short story will be published alongside my hubby Joseph Robert’s and 19 other ghost horror authors in the anthology on 13th November. Exciting stuff.

White Witch’s Hat & other Yuletide ghost stories is a collection of spooky seasonal stories by 21 authors just in time for the short days and long nights as the winter solstice draws ever nearer. Reader beware: this book will give you nightmares. If you’re looking for chilling short stories that are more Krampus than Christmas, full of supernatural scares and denizens of dark nights, Yule not be disappointed. Read at your peril…

Pre-order White Witch’s Hat & other Yuletide ghost stories

Amazon UK
Amazon US

Posted by on November 6, 2025 in Books and tagged , , .

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October 31, 2025

Halloween Thriller Dance Mob at Writer’s Square Belfast

Zombie pose at Writer’s Square Belfast

Today was so much fun as I took part in the Halloween Thriller dance mob at Writer’s Square in Belfast. It really was such a fun Samhain event and the rain held off. The event was a first for Belfast, and when I saw it advertised, I signed up right away. The money was for a good cause to raise funds for Young at Art, a company providing entertainment for local children.

I’ve been off work this week since it’s half-term break from school, so I spent everyday practising the Thriller chorus while watching easy YouTube tutorials. I haven’t danced in a long time – I did Salsa lessons long ago – so this was a lot of fun, and a great way to get in the spooky spirit. The dance mob was hosted by Q Radio in Belfast and we went through a rehearsal led by professional dancers before the main event.

Like my makeup? I bought temporary ‘Day of the Dead’ facial tattoos and then shaded in the rest with some Halloween makeup in black, green and white shades. My son said I looked unrecognisable, which I take as a compliment; I was trying to look creepy, so I think that worked.

Anyway, that’s all for now. Happy Halloween everyone, and have a spooky Samhain! See you on the other side of the veil (ie. November 1st, lol)

You can watch the Thriller Mob video posted by Amazing Belfast at: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNdTLuSs5/

Posted by on October 31, 2025 in Random stuff and tagged , , , , .

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October 27, 2025

Great chatting to Kathy Clugston on BBC Radio Ulster show ‘The Ticket’

On BBC Radio Ulster’s show ‘The Ticket’ on Friday 24th October 2025

It was lovely to be on BBC Radio Ulster last Friday evening as part of NI Book Week to chat with host Kathy Clugston during her Arts and entertainment show, The Ticket. I was invited to discuss my ghost and psychological horror books since the countdown to Halloween is on, and to read an excerpt from Belfast Ghosts trilogy book 3: Matthew’s Twin.

Photo credit: Owen McFadden at BBC

Speaking live to thousands of listeners is nerve-wracking, but Kathy was such a fabulous host and really put me at ease. It’s only the second time I’ve appeared on the radio; back in 2009 while I was working in Cambridge, I had been on 209 Radio Cambridgeshire’s show ‘Who are you?’ hosted by Dominic Hall-Smith to talk about my poetry. I suppose for people who regularly appear on radio talk shows, it becomes second nature once you’re doing it all the time.

On 209 Radio Cambridgeshire’s show ‘Who are you?’ on Thursday 29th October 2009

If you missed the live show on BBC Radio Ulster, the episode of The Ticket featuring me will be available for a month to listen to on BBC Sounds, so if you have an account, feel free to check it out at this link.

Posted by on October 27, 2025 in promotion and tagged , , , , , , , .

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