Nocturnal Quarry Archives

The cover of Three Graces has three women in silhouette, two standing and one sitting, her hand resting on a cane. All three are wearing clothes from during the Second World War, against a deep brown cover with a map. An astrology chart to the back left has the Moon and Venus picked out in brighter gold.

Cover design : Land Mysteries

July 3, 2024 / Land Mysteries, Writing and publishing

Let’s explore the cover design for the Land Mysteries series – with a look at some hidden elements you might not have noticed!

Best Foot Forward, Illusion of a Boar, Nocturnal Quarry, Old As The Hills, The Magic of Four, Three Graces, Upon A Summer's Day

Grown Wise: A silhouetted man and woman in 1940s clothes, walking together as he reaches for a branch full of apples. The background is a muted green and brown, scattered with a swoosh of golden light. Shown on a wooden table with a mug of tea.

What’s after The Land Mysteries

May 29, 2024 / Writing and publishing

What made me want to write the Land Mysteries series, and what’s coming next.

As The Ground Shifts, Best Foot Forward, Illusion of a Boar, Nocturnal Quarry, Old As The Hills, The Magic of Four, Three Graces, Upon A Summer's Day

Nocturnal Quarry displayed on a tablet lying on a bed of smooth river rocks.

Idea to Book : Nocturnal Quarry

February 7, 2024 / Ideas to books

The ideas behind Nocturnal Quarry are all about Alexander Landry. Well, Alexander in his element, tying up a few loose ends, and family of choice and blood.

Best Foot Forward, Nocturnal Quarry

Old As The Hills displayed on a tablet, in a stone arch with a glowing purple night sky behind it. The cover of Old As The Hills has a man with a can and a woman silhouetted on a green ground with a map. She holds out her hand, he is putting something into it, forming a doorway between them. An astrological chart behind them shows the symbols for Venus, the Sun, Jupiter, and Saturn highlighted behind a splash of glowing stars.

A look back at 2023

December 28, 2023 / Albion, Writing and publishing

Let’s take a look back at 2023: books that came out, things written, what’s been happening on the Patreon and Discord, and some website and wiki notes.

Bound for Perdition, Four Walls and a Heart, Illusion of a Boar, Nocturnal Quarry, Old As The Hills, Shoemaker's Wife, Three Graces, Treats And Extras, Upon A Summer's Day

Copy of Best Foot Forward lying on a bed of sand, covered by an enamelled Horus medallion. The cover has a deep red background with map markings in a dull purple. Two men in silhouette stand, looking up at a point in the top left. An astrology chart with different symbols picked out takes up the left side of the image, with glowing stars curving up to the title.

Up for a 2024 reading challenge?

December 18, 2023 / Reading

Ideas for 2024 reading challenges (with some help about which of my books fit some prompts.)

Best Foot Forward, Carry On, Chasing Legends, Facets of the Bench, Fool's Gold, Forged in Combat, Four Walls and a Heart, Illusion of a Boar, In The Cards, Magician's Hoard, Mistress Of Birds, Nocturnal Quarry, Outcrossing, Pastiche, Sailor's Jewel, Shoemaker's Wife, The Fossil Door, The Magic of Four, Three Graces, Upon A Summer's Day, Wards of the Roses

Nocturnal Quarry is in flight

March 10, 2023 / Announcements, Land Mysteries

Which is to say, if you wanted some more Alexander in your life, here it is! (This novella is an enjoyable read on its own, but will make much more sense in context if you’ve already read Best Foot Forward.) In 1938, Alexander is sent off to American to tend to some diplomatic matters on behalf of the Council. While there, he hopes to tidy up some loose ends – figuring out what’s happened with Geoffrey’s long-term nemesis, see what information he can get from American magical connections, that sort of thing. America has plans for him, in the form of several unexpected meetings. Want a copy of your own? (Kobo and Barnes and Noble Nook are still in the process – I’ll send a note to my newsletter and update here when those two stores are available.) Oh, and if you’re curious about the art Alexander looks at while at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, there’s a post here for you!

Nocturnal Quarry

My plans for 2023

December 29, 2022 / Announcements, Writing and publishing

Now that I’ve talked about what I got up to in 2022, it’s time to look forward into 2023. I’m incredibly excited about my plans for 2023. There’s quite a lot to come! Publication dates may shift a little, but I expect them to be fairly close to the following. Coming out in 2023 This year, I’m alternating between a series of 1920s books (Mysterious Arts) and books dealing with the Second World War (the Land Mysteries series).

Best Foot Forward, Bound for Perdition, Carry On, Illusion of a Boar, Nocturnal Quarry, Old As The Hills, Shoemaker's Wife, Three Graces, Upon A Summer's Day

What I got up to in 2022

December 22, 2022 / Land Mysteries, Mysterious Powers, Novellas

It is the time of year where a roundup of what I did seems useful for a variety of reasons. (Come back next week for what’s coming in 2023!) What came out in 2022 I put out four novels, two novellas, and a substantial extra in 2022. That’s a lot! Links here that aren’t the title (in the header) will take you to my public wiki. There you can see more details about people and places.

Ancient Trust, Best Foot Forward, Bound for Perdition, Forged in Combat, Mistress Of Birds, Nocturnal Quarry, Old As The Hills, Point By Point, Shoemaker's Wife, The Hare And The Oak, Upon A Summer's Day, With All Due Speed