The Night the Wall had a Heartbeat – The Ideas & Inspiration Behind Cribbins

Ronnie Cribbins is the ghostly antagonist in my novel Cribbins. But who is he? A fictionalised blend of two men I knew in the past. You don’t need to know who. Would it matter if you did? Let’s just say they were both highly unpleasant people. The kind of men who would spit at you … Continue reading The Night the Wall had a Heartbeat – The Ideas & Inspiration Behind Cribbins

How Many Ravens Are in a Storytelling? – The Ideas & Inspiration Behind A Storytelling of Ravens

A Storytelling of Ravens began with the title. I’d bought a new handbag with illustrated ravens on the front. When I opened the flap, I was delighted to see the words ‘A Storytelling of Ravens’ printed in quirky type. It was such a lyrical sentence and gorgeous collective noun, I decided that’s what I would … Continue reading How Many Ravens Are in a Storytelling? – The Ideas & Inspiration Behind A Storytelling of Ravens

Ghosts of a Broken Old Village – The Ideas & Inspiration Behind Emergence

Location played a big role in Emergence. Before I’d even figured out what the story was going to be about, I knew it would be based in Horden; the ex-coal-mining village on the northeast coast of England in County Durham; the place where I grew up. Edged by the cold North Sea and displaying many … Continue reading Ghosts of a Broken Old Village – The Ideas & Inspiration Behind Emergence

Emergence: Hartlepool Central Library & Horden Field Trip

Hey folks, so Emergence has been out almost a month already. On it’s first day of release it climbed up to number 29 on UK Amazon’s best-sellers chart for British Horror! How cool is that? On Saturday, just gone, I hosted an event at Hartlepool Central Library. Thanks to those who turned up, I enjoyed … Continue reading Emergence: Hartlepool Central Library & Horden Field Trip

Welcome…

Welcome to the threshold. If you’ve just arrived, take a moment. Shake the cold from your coat. Let your eyes adjust to the half-light. This is a quiet place, a place for stories with teeth, folklore with long memories, and the kinds of hauntings that linger on the edge of ordinary life. Here, I write … Continue reading Welcome…