A year of Hoffing – what the Wim Hof Method has done for me: PART 1

In between all the publishing turbulence, I wanted to share with you some experiences of a more personal nature. My life isn’t just about books – even though that’s often my focus. Alongside my publishing journey, there’s the dance of my inner experiences, which can be equally stormy. I’ve lived with depression, anxiety, panic attacks […]

THE PLAN…

Following the recent responses to Gallashan from my agent and from editors at four of the smaller houses, I’ve been asking myself these questions: Has publishing really changed so much in the last 10-15 years? Was I just lucky that some of my earlier works made it into print in the traditional way? Or is […]

Publishing – what it’s done to me, the writer, and you, the reader.

Ugh. Yes, you understood that correctly. A mahoosive, monosyllabic, barely linguistic grunt, expressing a profound feeling of resignation. Or perhaps you’re reading too much into it… Whatever the case, ‘Ugh’ is as much expressivity as I can gather under the circumstances. Those of you waiting for news of a new JD’L novel are going to […]

switches brain off

I’m not kidding; sometimes I wish I’d been a plumber. Endless work, a predictable and reasonable wage, instant reward for effort expended: the laws of the universe unfolding harmoniously on a daily basis. It’s not like that with writing. Apart from the endless work, obviously. Last count, I’ve written fourteen novels. I think half of […]

October

As there’s no writing news to report – and there won’t be any until well into 2019, I suspect – here’s an autumnal poem… October October leaves Fading shreds of giants’ sleeves October suns Kinder than the winter ones October leaves Forgetful of abandoned trees October skies Sapphire of the wisest eyes October leaves Skip […]

GALLASHAN

A year has passed since setting down the opening lines of a new work; the windblown seeds of which first drifted into my consciousness more than twenty years ago. At the time, I’d fasted for four days and nights in a grove of moss-cloaked, lichen-fronded oaks, nestled in the hills overlooking Barmouth, North Wales. The […]

The Veil – 99c Kindle deal for a limited time!

What do you mean, you haven’t read The Veil yet? These are two of the creepiest apocalypse tales ever told! Don’t let me spoil them for you, though. Just zip over that well known online book dealer and own the end of the world for only 99c!