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Black History Month Reads

Black History Month (1 February - 1 March) recognises and celebrates the struggles and vibrancy of African-American authors. Some of the issues tackled in the books I've read or currently reading include the slave trade, war, refugees, social inequality and marginalisation. So check out all these amazing books from gothic horror, speculative fiction, dark academia,… Continue reading Black History Month Reads

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BSFA Awards Longlists

Excited to annouce my collection Three Curses & Other Dark Tales and edited anthology Cursed Shards are both longlisted for the 2024 British Science Fiction Association Awards! Here's the longlisted works for 2024 BSFA Awards: https://www.bsfa.co.uk/bsfa-awards-longlist Great to see so many Australasian authors across all categories too! Cursed Shards is published by IFWG Publishing International… Continue reading BSFA Awards Longlists

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Urban Legend: Amazon Vampire

๐Ÿ“ท = Reportedly Camille Monfront Urban legends are strange folklore borne from rumour, fascination and eventually, legend. That's what seems to be the case with the urban legend surrounding 'Camille Monfort' or the "Amazon Vampire," where this striking female figure became a legend in 1896 in Belรฉm, Brazil. In the late Victorian era, Brazil was… Continue reading Urban Legend: Amazon Vampire

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The Night Ends With Fire

** I received an ARC for an honest review ** โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ Description The Three Kingdoms are at war, but Meilinโ€™s father refuses to answer the imperial draft. Trapped by his opium addiction, he plans to sell Meilin for her dowry instead โ€“ but when she discovers that her husband-to-be is violent and ill-tempered, she decides… Continue reading The Night Ends With Fire

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An Education in Malice

โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ Description Deep in the forgotten hills of Massachusetts stands Saint Perpetuaโ€™s College. Isolated and ancient, it is not a place for timid girls. Here, secrets are currency, ambition is lifeblood, and strange ceremonies welcome students into the fold.    On her first day of class, Laura Sheridan is thrust into an intense academic rivalry… Continue reading An Education in Malice

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A House with Good Bones

โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ Description "Mom seems off."  Her brother's words echo in Sam Montgomery's ear as she turns onto the quiet North Carolina street where their mother lives alone. She brushes the thought away as she climbs the front steps. Sam's excited for this rare extended visit, and looking forward to nights with just the two of… Continue reading A House with Good Bones

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My Fav 3 Reads 2024!

You can check out my top 3 favourite reads for 2024 here on Shepherd.com 2๏ธโƒฃ0๏ธโƒฃ2๏ธโƒฃ4๏ธโƒฃ ๐Ÿ’•๐Ÿ“š You can see more of books that inspire me here ๐Ÿ“šโฌ‡๏ธ

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New Release: Haunting Anthology

Black Beacon Book of Ghosts Cover Art Red Wallflower In time for Halloween reading The Black Beacon Book of Ghosts anthology is out now! Featuring an international suite of authors, there are some eerie tales to keep you up late at night! Featuring my haunted house tale of a different kind and the horrors that… Continue reading New Release: Haunting Anthology

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The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Gustave Dorรฉ's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner illustration "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" is one of the great epic poems by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, an English poet, written between 1797โ€“1798 and published in 1798. For me, this endures as a haunting poem about the consequence of actions and respect for an equilibrium, especially… Continue reading The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

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Irish Myth: Cliodha

Artwork by Tammy Wampler In Irish mythology, Cliodha is often now known as the Queen of the Banshees but once she was the most beautiful women in Irish mythology and the Tir Tairngire (Isle of Promise). In County Cork, Cliodha is firmly established as the patron of the land. Here, her mythology survives where she… Continue reading Irish Myth: Cliodha