Hello all,

A bit more of an update on things. Today I had a bit of a chat with a Viking re-enactors, which was really fun and it was really nice to make such a bond over common ground. They have their own Viking history blog called Northworthy Sagas and Stories and they're based in Derbyshire. They are telling Viking myths and folklore, as well as history and fighting techniques. There is so much that they have planned.

Also, on another note, my short story that I've tentatively named the Mystics and the Maid - see my last post for a sample of this story - is coming along nicely. A new scene developed today that was totally unexpected and I hope it'll be as much a joy to read as it will be to write. It's a Penny Dreadful style ghost story set at the Old Bell in Derby. Watch out for the ghost of a maligned veteran of The Battle of Culloden.

Hello all,

Yes, I've sort of had a few ups and downs with my writing recently and I just really wanted to share this. Its the introductory part of a short story I've been working on recently. I will point out that it is a first draft, so this won't be near the point I'll feel comfortable sending out, so cue the occasional spelling mistake or cliche, but I felt that I should share something with you, so here it is, the opening part of a penny dreadful ghost story with a Gothic flavour called The Maid and The Mystics:

The Maid and the Mystics

I slumped over the dark wood bar in the Tudor Room, reached the jug down and levered a couple of gobbets of beer into it. I'm sure it would settle by the time that we were ready to drink it. We could always go back for more anyway. We'd a long standing agreement with the landlord. We'd provided a service for him many moons ago and now he had graciously provided us with a safe haven for our little monthly meetings. An undisturbed room, no staff or customers to overhear us and permission to help ourselves to drink. As long as we kept the spirits away from the spirits.

I climbed down, being careful not to slosh the beer everywhere and straightened my shirt front as I returned to our usual table beneath a faux-antique tapestry depicting a medieval hunting scene. Bragi Cartwright had his pocket watch in his stoat fist and stared intently at it through wire rimmed lenses.

“Madame Claire Smythe's late once more,” he stated and dropped the watch back into the unbuttoned scarlet waistcoat to relieve pressure from his huge stomach. “She always does this. Five minutes here. Half an hour there.” His finger started wagging at me like an irate woodpecker as I stood beside him, jug still in hand. “It's not on, I tell you. She'll only give us excuses again and it really cuts into the club meeting's itinerary.”

Bragi's once hyperactive hand reached out and clenched the corner of the dark wood table top just in time for the heavy oak door on the opposite side of the room to creak open and the mourning-dressed figure of a middle aged woman entered. She swept casually passed the maze of tightly packed chairs and tables and delicately eased herself onto the maroon cushioned pew lining one side of our table.

“Ah, I see that everyone's arrived. Once we're all sat comfortably, we can begin,” Madame Smythe said as Bragi gave me a knowing look that Smythe was oblivious to. “A port and lemon for me please Obadiah.”

I placed the jug on the table and as I passed Bragi to the 'staff only' door for access behind the bar, I rolled my eyes. He patted me on one elbow in sympathy.

Behind the bar, I struggled to find the port bottle in such a tight space, but in a handful of moments, I was splashing a dollop into the bottom of the nearest wine glass I could lay my hands on. A few more moments of searching, I found the lemon and a knife and was carving off a slice to drop into the deep liquid that matched the room's wood furnishings and panelling.

I returned to the table, placed the glass down before Madame Smythe and lowered myself into a chair opposite her. She'd raised her veil while I was pouring her drink. She looked at it, grimaced and then looked at me.

“You really must try wearing something other than that tired old black suit, my dear,” she stated. “You look like an undertaker's long deceased assistant. Now look at that.” She pointed at my elbow. “The jacket's completely worn through at the elbows, and my, I daren't even think what that dark stain on the front might be!”

“And the grey shirt front, and the fraying shirt sleeves…” I nodded my head along with each point. “You mentioned those the last time we met, and the time before that. In fact, you've mentioned them every time we've met up over the last three years. They come with my trade. They're the downside of the practical work I'm employed to do.”

Taken aback, Madame Smythe opened her mouth to berate me once more.

“Stop this nonsense at once!” Bragi's voice rumbled about the room. “The pair of you, You both go through this rigmarole every time we meet and I'm sick of it. Now, to business. Or would you both care to provide me with enough refreshments to withstand you're verbal boxing?”

Madame Smythe gulped. “You're right of course Master Cartwright.” Her breath audibly hissed as she let out a calming breath as she backed down from the argument. “We're here to cover any points of outstanding business from last month.”

Hello all,

I'm quite excited. Last night I found that the Blakiana website had had a revamp and a handful of Sexton Blake stories of old had been put up for visitor's perusal. It can be visited here.

Sexton Blake cover

There is even a twitter account that you can follow at @BLAKIANA.

There are many pages on this site regarding Sexton Blake and his adventures since 1893 as well as there being a look into Blake's adversaries and companions, his writers and all the different types of media that have documented his endeavours.

This site has been maintained for many a year by the brilliant Mark Hodder who I admire immensely and I have greatly enjoyed his two Burton and Swinburne trilogies that bring historical depth to the steampunk genre. His site can be found here.

The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder

Mark Hodder has even written a Sexton Blake novel called Sexton Blake: The Silent Thunder Caper which is an excellent barn stormer of a book that I hope you will enjoy. I certainly did.

I hope that the Blakiana website will encourage you to be as big a Sexton Blake fan as I am and support the site. Sexton Blake is a partially forgotten franchise of detective stories that follow in the vein of Sherlock Holmes and I've marvelled at how Sexton Blake hasn't received the same applause despite the stories being continuously publish from 1893 to 1969.

Under Secret Orders, a Sexton Blake story

From my own potted history of Sexton Blake, follow the link here.

I hope you enjoy what you read. It would be great to see Sexton Blake's popularity rise once again. Blakiana has a Patreon page and with support, more and more original Sexton Blake stories will be able to be uploaded and with a rise in interest in Blake.

Hello,

A couple of things for you today that I wanted to share with you. The first is the first draft of a short story that I'm about to start typing up as a second draft which I'm excited about. This is the one that'll be sent out to magazines in the hope that it'll be published. If it isn't, I'll rework it and try again. Otherwise, it can always go towards an anthology. It's for an Indiana Jones pulp fiction background where German had invaded Britain after Dunkirk and where the supernatural and super science exist. It's been called The Wolf Hunter's Ride. Can you guess what supernatural gribbly beastie is on a rampage?

The Wolf Hunter's Ride, short story

Next up is the start of a novel, a fast paced military sci-fi novel, set on a volcanic world filled with underground forge shops that has been invaded by an army of degenerating alien clones who require human stem cells and DNA for their species' survival as it's key to their inadequate cloning techniques. Cue a regiment of pissed off army vets returning home, the secret police and bio-engineered super soldiers.

Finally, this one is going to perhaps be a longer writing project as its going to be especially close to my heart. It is going to be inspired by the works of M R James and Arthur Machen, as well as by Celtic fairy tales. It'll be set in a county that spans the Material World as well as the Other Realm and will be heavily influenced by hermeticism, gnosticism and alchemy and will incorporate some things from meditation and other similar things. The writing of this novel will pretty much be a spiritual excercise for me as it'll also be helping me to get my head around a few things.

This also brings me to another point. I have started a new blog. One that I will be using as a sort of spiritual diary. If you are interested in mystical things and would like to keep abreast of my thoughts on that kind of thing, you can find the link here, or on my About Thadeus Morticaine page of this very site. I will say though, that I have only recently started the blog, but there'll be plenty of things on the way.

Hello all,

I know I haven't written much up on here recently, despite my intentions to. But here's a little update. After life got in the way a touch, I have written two first drafts for short stories. One, a warning against using a cursed ancient tarot deck that one would sacrifice one's whole life to obtain; and the second, a pulp fiction style, World War Two set story about a commando that gets kidnapped for sport by a group of werewolf led brigands in the English countryside. Both will soon go through the editing stage and will be sent off to magazines with an eye towards them being published.

With that in mind, I have started writing the novel mentioned last post inspired by my love of Celtic myths and the stories of both MR James and Arthur Machen. It's taken quite a bit to research it and there'll be much more work needed on that front, but I'm sure it'll be a wondrous journey through an English county straddling the borders between our material world and the Netherworld, filled with many an eccentric character.

But, there is another novel in the pipeline as well. This will be a rip roaring sci-fi adventure storming across a frozen industrial planet, eager to repel its deformed alien clone invaders.

I have even in talks with a heavy metal band called Malleus to produce a short story or two to accompany their up and coming new album.

I am also in talks about doing some editing work for an RPG game as well.

All in all, I'll stay in touch.

Hello all,

One thing I have been doing alongside planning a selection of action adventure stories set during the English Civil War is to plan the background for a couple of other novels. Yes, I know, I know, I need to sit and finish off some of these works in progress, but things are in hand.

English Civil War guard duty

I have taken up an interest in folklore and fairy tales and I plan to base a novel and possibly some short stories on what I've learnt. I have had a love for myths, legends and folklore for many a year now and I would love to incorporate some of these in my writing. I also love the stories of Arthur Machen, M R James and Algernon Blackwood and the way that they have utilised their love of the old ways into their writing. The Angels of Mons anyone?

Well, anyway, with this novel I would like to explore the folklore and fairy tales of the Celts, as well as the myths and legends of the British Isles through the eyes of a pompous professor of history as he travels through a county that straddles our material world and the realm of the Fae.

Ancient Norse Standing Stone

The Fairy Realm

Another background I have been working on is that of a classic style pulp fiction series. If you like Indiana Jones and the old boys own adventure stories, then I think this will be for you.

With this, I wanted to explore what it would be like if the Nazis had managed to invade Britain during their Operation Sea Lion - a very real set of plans that saw the powers of Germany want to exploit the events of Dunkirk that were eventually cancelled - and to through into the mix a good selection of super sciences and mythical monsters. Cue Commandoes go into battle alongside werewolf brigands against vampires with laser death rays.

A Mad Scientist's work is never done.

World War Two werewolf attacks!

I hope to keep you updated with my progress.