Welcome to the short story section of my website. I’m a huge fan of short stories, both writing them and reading them. They’re a fantastic discipline for authors as they’re such a concentrated form. It also gives me a fantastic opportunity to work in a different genre. They can, in some instances, be a springboard for other things. Winning the Gothic Fiction Prize in 2019 really helped me in taking my career as a writer forward and finding a publisher for my books.
I’m currently working on a collection of dark tales called A Rook-eyed Heart. I’m excited about this project as it represents almost two decades of work. As with most short story writers, the majority never see the light of day! So these are a distillation of all those years of work.
Short Story Collection released – Unlocked is a collection of short stories by the D20 authors
In a fabulous update on this collection, the story I wrote with my daughter has been shortlisted for a CWA Dagger. It has been a dream of mine for so long and I didn’t think anything could make this more special but to be shortlisted with my daughter is all the more special. I’m not sure we’ll get much further as it really is very much David and Goliath(s) but it has been fabulous to even get on the shortlist.
Back in Spring 2020, I was getting ready for my debut novel to be published. Like many authors, I had no idea what to expect. Then the pandemic hit and we went into lockdown. I couldn’t meet with authors, or go to any festivals or events as we normally would. I had no idea how to connect with other people in the industry to try and learn about it. Then I found a group on Facebook, called the Debut 2020s, a group of authors who all had their first books out in 2020 – into lockdown. They were an absolute lifeline. We zoomed every Friday afternoon, we chatted online and, when the lockdowns were over, we met in real life. It’s no exaggeration to say that these people transformed my journey into becoming a writer. We still meet and many of us have become firm friends. We have shared ups and downs, laughed a lot and cried. We have gone through publishing highs, with awards being won and best sellers achieved. There have been the downs too when things haven’t gone according to plan. But through it all, being able to share these things with people who have gone through them and know how it feels, has been invaluable. The support and love there is between this group is something I feel very fortunate to have found.
It has been an absolute joy to be part of this short story collection put together by some of the authors from that group. The diverse nature of the pieces reflects the very different genres we work in but each is a fabulous example of the talent in the group. I feel very honoured to be part of this. All the proceeds go to the Trussell Trust, a fabulous charity providing much needed food banks. Here’s the link to buy and I hope you enjoy these wonderful stories.
Today was a gloriously sunny morning for my live reading of Soul Repository. This is a short story that has previously been published in Dream Catcher, a very lovely literary magazine and one I also read at Bath Lit Festival. It’s a bit of a departure for me as it’s a dystopian story, so no ghosts and not that much crime… just a little bit. I hope you enjoy it. Here’s the link to the reading.
Some of the publications I’ve had work in.
The Ghastling – Book 17. The Catafalque. Which is available here
GoldDust magazine issue 35 available from here http://www.lulu.com/shop/individual-authors/gold-dust-issue-35/paperback/product-24115907.html
Between These Shores literary and arts annual Issue 2 available to buy from https://www.betweentheseshoresbooks.com/bts-literary-and-arts-annual and good independent bookshops.
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