Long Fiction, Writing

1920s Gothic Horror

My current work-in-progress is a gothic horror set in the infamous 1920s Razor Gang era in Sydney, Australia. Some background on the Razor Gangs of Sydney. The more well-known lawless crime eras of Birmingham, Glasgow and New York had their own gangs and warfare on the streets. In Australia, it was cities of Melbourne and… Continue reading 1920s Gothic Horror

Long Fiction, Writing

Background to The Devil & Loch Ard Gorge

In my novelette The Devil & the Loch Ard Gorge, I was inspired by Victorian era Gothic literature and the history of the Australian shipwrecks. You can read more about the history of the Loch Ard shipwreck here. My initial inspiration for The Devil & the Loch Ard Gorge was a song โ€œThe Loch Ard… Continue reading Background to The Devil & Loch Ard Gorge

Long Fiction, Writing

Celtic Dark Fantasy

I am in the final stages of editing my draft dark fantasy novel inspired by Celtic mythology and literature (Arthurian, Welsh and Irish Cycles) and LGBTQI themes. In a portal fantasy where the gods, mortals and legendary Fae courts battle for dominance, the last of the sorceress and Fae bloodlines is lost. A struggle between… Continue reading Celtic Dark Fantasy

Long Fiction, Writing

The Devil & the Loch Ard Gorge Release!!

My gothic horror novelette The Devil & the Loch Ard Gorge was released on 15 October, 2022 published by Black Hare Press. Seรกna McKinnon, daughter of a well-to-do London businessman and his wife, finds love in the arms of a lowly artist. Her parentโ€™s disapproval of their relationship lays heavy on her heart until, borne… Continue reading The Devil & the Loch Ard Gorge Release!!

reads, Recent Reads

Burnt Sugar

Publisherโ€™s Description Decades after the incident in the woods, Gretel has forged a good life in a small village, running a bakery and taking care of her brother and the stray, bedraggled women who find work as her apprentices. Business is good, and when itโ€™s not, Gretel took more from the witch than a knack… Continue reading Burnt Sugar

research, Writing

Folklore of the Cursed Aye-Aye

In Madagascar, a highly unusual endangered nocturnal lemur is associated in regional as taboo or fady. The bizarre habits, secretive nature and distinctive appearance of the aye-aye fills some Madagascan peoples with the horror and dread at the sight of it. This has often lead to the slaughter of aye-ayes. In other regions of Madagascar,… Continue reading Folklore of the Cursed Aye-Aye

reads, Recent Reads

The Path of Thorns

Publisherโ€™s Description Asher Todd comes to live with the mysterious Morwood family as a governess to their children. Asher knows little about being a governess but she is skilled in botany and herbcraft, and perhaps more than that. And she has secrets of her own, dark and terrible โ€“ and Morwood is a house that… Continue reading The Path of Thorns

research

Isle of Skye: Fairy Glen

The Isle of Skye is rich in fairy lore. One of the most magical-looking is the miniature landscape of grassy, cone-shaped hills and whimsical rock spirals of Fairy Glen. There is no documented folklore linking the landscape to the realm of myth, and there have been no actual sightings of fairies, Fairy Glen is rich… Continue reading Isle of Skye: Fairy Glen

reads, Recent Reads

The Heart is a Mirror for Sinners

Publisherโ€™s Description Welcome to The Heart is a Mirror for Sinners and Other Stories. Slatterโ€™s work has been described by the legendary Ramsey Campbell as โ€œenviably original, and told in prose as stylish as itโ€™s precise. Not just disturbing but often touching, her work enriches and revives the tale of terror.โ€ From the fierce changeling… Continue reading The Heart is a Mirror for Sinners