I write a newsletter…
…with the intention of keeping people up-to-date with my writing and anything else I think might be of interest. For example, the last couple of months I’ve included bits and pieces that might be of value to other writers. The newsletter doesn’t really follow a set format, it’s just stuff that I hope entertains or informs you.
If you’re interested, just let me have your email address here. If it’s not what you were expecting, you can unsubscribe with one click and you won’t hear from me again.
Here’s an extract from this month’s edition (June 2026).
If I’d been following the intended once-a-month-ish schedule, this newsletter should have been out a couple of weeks ago. However, I’ve got a good excuse…
Remember last month I talked about working on The Clockwork Heart? Well, it’s done. Sharpe and Rufus are out in the world, fighting fights, righting wrongs… well, kinda. Here’s the blurb:
It starts at the detailers, with a client who isn’t quite what she seems. But then neither is the guy the other side of the counter. The two of them form an unlikely alliance in pursuit of an item that has been lost for a century… if it ever existed in the first place.
It’s a clash of creatures with a long history of distrust and very different personalities. On one side is a vampire using modern technology and a long-established network of contacts to uncover a dangerous secret. On the other is a short-tempered werewolf. He’s old-school, which she finds testing, but he can work in the daylight.
At the heart of the tale is a remarkable automaton and a gothic mansion owned by a girl who has spent a lifetime looking for revenge.
The Clockwork Heart is a short story. A 60-minute read that’s a whole different take on ‘bite-size’. It’s the perfect length for a train or plane trip or any time you want a quick jolt of entertainment and can’t wait for the drama to unfold.
You can grab yourself a copy at Amazon for only 99 cents or read it for free if you’ve got Kindle Unlimited. Let me know what you think!
So what about my weird west story, The Cost of Redemption? That’s with the publisher for final edits. Hopefully coming in July, but it’s a business where schedules can change, and sometimes the writer has no control. When I know more, you’ll know more.
Right Now I’m Working On…
I’ve just started the next 60-minute case for Sharpe & Rufus. This one’s called The Arcadian Sextant, and the werewolves are gonna be in big trouble…
The way I handle the whole publishing deal…
Last time I wrote about the various ways of getting yourself published, and I said this month I’d tell you the way I do it. So here goes.
At the moment I don’t have an agent, and I’m not particularly looking for one. If one were to come knocking, I’d talk, of course, but I’d need a pretty good reason to give up 15% of my book income.
I’m not for one moment suggesting you shouldn’t go that route if you think it’s right for you. You definitely need an agent to get into the major publishers, for example. That said, getting one is no guarantee your book will be picked up. If an agent knows their stuff, they’ll help develop your manuscript and should improve your chances, but it’s still a tough gig. By the way, no reputable agent will charge you anything up front. If they want a fee for editing, for example, look elsewhere…
