Salutations all!

I've had a bit of a month.

But, first things first, www.facebook.com/HauntedhouseDerby will now only be used as a professional forum for the artists and creative types that were involved. Its a shame, but it was too much work for too little money. It would still be worth while checking the site out. The artists are a very talented bunch.

But the, I've still had a wonderful time with it and have a few stories I can tell grandchildren on my deathbed. Plus, we're all still friends and plan to work with each other on private projects... including a film of one of my short stories.

Of course, in my last update, I mentioned a long list of subjects that I was researching to write a biography for the exhibition. Well, I still am in one form or another. Not wanting to waste the notes and the chapter plan, I plan to release each chapter as a stand alone article, maybe even in an omnibus form.

In the mean time, I have been editing Deathmasks and Formaldehyde and that's coming along, though I'm still unsure of a publication date (I'll give every one plenty of notice once I've a better idea).

And, I have a sequel anthology all planned out, awaiting my hands to caress the keyboard. In this there'll be agree mobs Joseph Wright, Benjamin Franklin (he visited Derby you know) and possibly even an alien.

Plus there is an Obadiah Morticaine novel in the pipeline with a visit to Edinburgh that involves grave robbers, plenty of mythical creatures of both the Celtish and Frankish variety, a trip to Paris while it was under siege from the Prussian and a visit to Mont St Michel shortly after it was used as a prison. There's even a planned expedition to the Otherworld.

Well I must go, I've the ghost of an engineer to fit into a snuff box.

Good health to you all!

Thadeus Morticaine

Salutations all!

Ah, its been a while since my last blog. But here's a quick update.

I've had a busy time since Christmas. there's an exhibition called 'I Thought I Saw Something Beautiful', check them out on www.facebook.com/HauntedhouseDerby and we've recently had an exhibition where all the exhibits from last October were installed in the Blessington Carriage's function room. it went quite well. those that came were suitably impressed.

But, we've decided that we're to change things a little. but before we discuss how, we need to produce a large stack of background work to set ourselves up as a sort of loose support guild for creative types. there's a documentary of our previous efforts on the way, a lot of concept art and I've agreed to write a biography for our sponsor, The Curator.

The unfortunate thing is that it'll have to be well researched as it takes in roughly 5000 years of history.

Well, I'll leave it there for now and keep the updates coming.

Good health to you all.

Salutations all!

Well, I hope you've all had a pleasant enough Christmas. I have. I came to understandings with relatives - which is always pleasant, and I heard several interesting things.

One of which was a tale from my grandfather about racing halfs of giant centipedes during the Korean War.

Another was an Ambrose Bierce story narrated by the legendary Christopher Lee called The Snake and the Man on BBC Radio 4. This was shortly followed by an MR James story called The haunted Dolls House.

This was pleasant, as that same day, I'd received, as a well thought out Christmas present, the complete works of MR James.

I would like to recommend that both MR James and Ambrose Bierce are researched. MR James is an inspiration to authors like HP Lovecraft and Stephen King and was one of the founders of the modern horror story who trained as a priest and wrote essays on the Apocrypha; while Ambrose Bierce was a veteran of some of the most terrifying battles of the American civil war, reporter, Pan-American fraud combater, author of the Devil's Dictionary and a person whose death still is, after 100years, a complete mystery that'll probably never be solved.

On another note, I am currently working on a plan to write a semi fictionalised biography, of which I will tell you more once I get my head around it. I have a stack of research to trawl through, including several apocryphal texts, Carl Jung's university dissertation, some nuclear physics and a lot more. It could see me working on a twenty year path to writing a complete history of everything since forever! But I assure you, it won't get to be such a wretchedly brobdingnagian  point.

And, just before I leave you, I can assure you that I am still chugging forward with film plans and edits of Death Masks and Formaldehyde. All of which I shall be updating you with anon.

So, good health to you all and a god night!

Salutations all!

I've had a long week this week of disturbed sleep, but, of course, that does come with the benefit of knowing that people now owe me kinship. But that's a bit of a wings that I doubt you'll all will find interesting in the least.

Of course there was a great, almighty, cyclopean meeting that saw me debating points of view for approximately nine and a half hours. The conclusion of which is that I now have my next book partly planned!

I have been asked to write a biography. But, of course, that does come with a down side. I shall have to cross reference: theology, the apocryphal texts, nuclear physics, Dr John Dee, the habits of the creative type, psychology and a variety of other bits and bobs.

So, I shall be having a busy Christmas, but, I SHALL be enjoying it.

So good healthy and fair safe. Especially to my new found American, Indian, German, Australian, British and Alaskan readers. I hope this blog is suitably intriguing for you.

Good health! Thadeus Morticaine

Salutations all!

Its all been busy, busy, busy for me up here. There have been many meetings to go to without much to show for, it which is shame.

But some good news! One meeting I've recently had over the last weekend (nine and a half hours long, over two days... I might take up laudanum), has been with the good folk at the 'I Thought I Saw Something Beautiful' exhibition - check them out on www.facebook.com/HauntedhouseDerby. There are many new and exciting things planned there, so watch that space. And I, of course will keep you updated myself.

But, I digress. I have a little Christmas present for you all, a video, with one of my poems concluding it. Follow the I Thought I Saw Something Beautiful link at the top of the page and... make sure you view it by candle light...

Good health to you all and a happy Saturnalia!

Salutations all!

Has it really been a week since my last post? Well I have nearly been crushed with falling masonry this passed week... twice. But I'm fine, so there's no need to worry.

Also, I have been trying to get my head round uploading three short stories that I hope you'd all enjoy. Try them, there on the top bar. But pressing the 'home' button will return you this page, so beware.

The Recluse is a piece I had written and had the dis/honourable merit of being published in the Derby Evening Telegraph. It's a piece heavily inspired by Lovecraft (Google him and see what you think, he's inspired so many from Batman to the Psycho author, as well as working with the legendary Harry Houdini), its title for instance was the single issue magazine that his length Supernatural Horror in Literature took up 60 pages.

The reference to the man dressed as a ghost, that was mostly true. It was found in The Illustrated Police News - the so called 'worst newspaper ever'.

Lost in the Wood, is much in a similar vein, allowing myself to doff my cap to many historical, and fictionally historical references. Can you spot them? message me if you can.

But, A Death in the Family is Different. This is an extract from my up-and-coming book Deathmasks and Formaldehyde, I hope you enjoy it and that its thrilling in a suitably self contained way.

Plus, you will also notice the book's cover. This was done (insert another hat offing here) by a illustrator/graphic designer/tattoos cum around genius named Ian Wadsworth. And that really is him in that bottle... he got better though.

But no, he really put a surprising amount of effort into its making. That really is him for instance, with a lot of water effect. He even deemed it necessary to be photo-ed while stood on his head for that truly strained look. Well, I'm pleased with it immensely.

Well anyway, I'm currently researching apocryphal texts and their real world application, their direct inspiration on parts of Buddhism and Dr John Dee. Its really intriguing. In a round-about way, its even inspired Iron Maiden (listen to Montsegur).

Well I must be back to the crumbling parchment, inducing hallucinations on myself from the paper mould... it really can!

So I'll leave wishing you all a good health - and no hallucinations!

Salutations all!

I found a very intriguing book the other day that's still entertaining me no end. Its called the Historia Rerum Anglicanum, or History of English Affairs. It was written by a monk called William of Newburgh up until his death in 1198.

Its a really easy and engaging read from a proper academic who dismissed both Geoffrey of Monmouth and the Venerable Beds as hold opinions about the English peoples that were too extreme. I've found that William really does hold a neutral position and that all his accounts can be historically verified, archeologically or from other accounts. Even the episodes of revenant activity and the green child can be verified.

His agreeable neutrality and uncertainty about such episodes is only countered by the fact he had evidently done his research. He'd journeyed across Britain interviewing peasants, soldiers, the clergy and the aristocracy alike. And by reading accounts wherever they were possible to find.

If you can find a copy, I encourage you to get it. Its an incredible read.

It has intrigued me to the point that I will be working on writing a few short stories from his point of view in the near future...

And with that, I will sign off with the promise of regular updates and to wish you all good health!

Thadeus Morticaine