Hello guys and ghouls. It’s the spooky month of October and when I’m not hanging around the *Wizards Den or up to my welly tops in mud on the allotment I actually write.


I thought I would let you know that I have two pieces coming out in the foreseeable future.
‘F is for Fear’ is being released by Red Cape Publishing on the 28th October, but is available for pre-order now if you’re eager. My story, ‘The Cemetery Birds‘ is in there, so give it a go, especially if you suffer from ornithophobia.

I also have a piece in a new anthology, called ‘Tick Tock’ being release by Black Hare Press. My story is called, ‘History Lesson‘. It will be available in November.

I would also like to mention a book I have got my paws on, ‘Japanese Ghost Stories by Lafcadio Hearn Edited By Paul Hearth.

I read the ‘blurb’ (horrible word !) and was hooked.
‘The dead wreak revenge on the living, paintings come alive, spectral brides possess mortal men and a priest devours human flesh in these chilling Japanese ghost stories retold by a master of the supernatural. Lafcadio Hearn drew on the phantoms and ghouls of traditional Japanese folklore – including the headless ‘rokuro-kubi’, the monstrous goblins ‘jikininki’ or the faceless ‘mujina’ who stalk lonely neighbourhoods – and infused them with his own memories of his haunted childhood in nineteenth-century Ireland to create these terrifying tales of striking and eerie power. Today they are regarded in Japan as classics in their own right.’
I have an interest in Japan, and read a lot of Japanese literature. Hope it’s good.
May I just mention the death of magician and ‘sceptic’ James Randi? I’m a massive magic fan. Love it. So when I heard of his death I was a little sad and then thought, ‘Hang on! He was 92!’ He brought happiness to many as well as sorting through the human stench left by the shysters who pretend they have a ‘gift’ etc. I won’t say “Rest in Peace”, because he didn’t believe in any of that kind of thing, so I’ll just say ‘Thanks for the Magic!’



Stay safe. Wear a mask. Wash your hands. Buy the books.
*The Wizards Den was a popular shop that sold magic tricks, fancy dress costumery etc in Liverpool. It is legendary. It was a remarkable shop full of amazing things, not that that mattered much to my brother who only ever bought ‘fake dog poo’ there, but takes great delight in telling the story. Brothers …