Crime Fiction with a Dark, Swampy Twist First published in Strand Magazine, March 2025 Noir has always been about shadows—the ones cast by streetlights on a rain-slicked pavement, the ones lurking in alleyways, and most importantly, the ones inside the human soul. It’s a genre built on corruption, moral ambiguity, and the idea that justice…

Writing a Killer’s Evolution in a Long-Running Crime Series First published in Crime Time Magazine – April 2025 Crime fiction thrives on mystery, suspense, and the chase between detective and killer. But what happens when the past refuses to stay buried? In my latest novel—Book 8 of the DI Rob Miller series—I found myself returning…

First published in Writers’ Narrative, September 2025 The publishing landscape is shifting, and as always, it’s the indie authors leading the charge. While many of these trends are now being adopted across the industry, from traditional publishers to hybrid models, it’s independent authors who consistently set the pace. Agile, entrepreneurial, and deeply attuned to their…

Let’s be honest, being an indie author isn’t just about writing books anymore. It’s about wearing every hat in publishing, often all at once. We’re supposed to (amongs other things) write the actual books (no small task), hire and manage editors and cover designers, keep track of beta readers and reviewers, format books for multiple…

Stepping away from the outline…  😱 I like to think of myself as an organised writer. Before I start a novel, I outline the story. I map the beats, sketch the arcs, and tell myself I know exactly where we’re going. The structure feels reassuring, like a well-folded map on the passenger seat. But here’s…

When Trust Protects The Guilty There’s a certain comfort in trusting the people who hold authority. The local police chief. The community leader. The familiar neighbour who’s always first to help when a storm knocks the power out. We like to believe that people in these positions are exactly who they claim to be. But…