The Militiverse

  Good evening my lovely friends, come in, ooh isn’t it just dark out there, wet, windy and beautifully eerie? What can I get you? Tea, lumpy cappuccino, a glass of wine perhaps? I hope that you had a lovely weekend, I’ve been curled up with Lady Cora Cat on my lap and a book in my paw, but I have been contemplative too. Why the reflective mood? Well, it was a conversation with a friend on Friday night. A simple question out on the balcony led me here. The question: What does a writer’s evening entail? Twilight Whispers: Entering the Writing Sanctum   I am a chronic insomniac, and my writing takes place at all hours. There isn’t really a set time… I write when the characters decide that I need to transcribe their story onto the page. Some writers have ritual of opening the laptop and rustling through their outlines or chapter outlines. What I do is, I have pen, a silver body with Tempus Militibus Series engraved on it, with ink as black as midnight. I am very fussy whe...

  Good evening lovies, I am so glad that you could join me this evening. What a week it has been, Lady Cora is languishing by the fire, what a day she had,  cackling at the corvids.   But where are my manners? Sit by the fire, get warm and can I offer you some refreshment? Wine, tea or perhaps a little absinthe? This evening, I want to talk about something that every writer lives but rarely mentions. As you all know I have a book coming out on the 13 th February, yes, Remy’s arc will grace the shelves, and eReaders. So, get comfy and let’s talk about living with two books at once. Two Books, Two Selves My Tempus Militibus Series has been a monumental undertaking, started so long ago now, I can’t remember a time when the characters weren’t a part of my everyday life.  Sometimes a WIP (work in progress) has to live alongside a favourite project that is getting lots of attention. The rewrite is finished. Then emails to and from the editor, the cover artist, the...

  Good evening my lovelies, can you believe it’s mid January already? Gosh where has the time gone? Come in, close the door, and what do you fancy to drink? I’m having a glass of Provençal rose, nicely chilled. I hope you’ve had a lovely New Year and have settled back into the new routine. I’ve been busy with the edits for the new book, which is coming soon, more about that later. Settle in, pull up a chair, ignore Lady Cora, she’s been mischievous all day cackling at the corvids and grinning for the dreamies. Lanterns and Shadows The scriptorium has been a hive of activity between rewrites and edits, and broody vampires giving opinions on past regrets. Seriously though I have been busy with the rewrite and outlining a new book. As a chronic insomniac I write a lot at night, particularly the darker scenes that I put the characters through. During the witching hour at 3:00 AM the lanterns are lit and cast long shadows around the scriptorium where the characters linger and whisper to...

  Good evening my darlings. Can you believe we have wandered to the end of 2025? When one says it like that, it seems surreal. Here we are, another year closing and a new one about to remove its coat and hat, and smile upon us. Tonight let’s raise a glass of champagne and toast to a new chapter.   On the Eve of Becoming Something Else I’ve been away from the Scriptorium for the past week and a half. I know, I am wicked, I should be there with a manuscript open, a gorgeous but dominant vampire keeps telling me to get on with the edits, for his grand entrance. Fear not my gallant officer, you will go to the ball! I always find the eve of the New year, is a magical time. One awaits almost with bated breath, the anticipation of what is a new beginning. I always find the eve of the New Year magical, the kind of night that makes the butterflies flutter as one wonders what the year will hold.. 2026 will see the publication of the final four arcs of the European Tempus...

  Good evening my lovelies, welcome to the Scriptorium . At this time of year, I expect snow. While we wait, let’s warm ourselves with something sweet, perhaps a chocolate, lovingly made by one of the illustrators. Christmas time is a reflective time isn’t it? On the socials I have reminisced about Christmas past. This time though, I find myself about to close the door on the scriptorium for the year and take a walk down memory lane of what I have written, what I have read and most importantly, what I have learned. So, let’s get comfy and have a chat. Not everything survived, but the right things did I have been invested in the Tempus Militibus for ever. I outlined the series about fifteen years ago, and began writing the first books. Sticking rigidly to the outline and as the characters made themselves known, their quirks made me smile, laugh and cry with a certain frustration. As I mentioned I was meticulous with the outline, the plots and the characters. Plans and maps ...

  Good evening my lovelies, come in, let me take your coat, how about a nice glass of sherry or a cup of something inspirational? I hope your day was warm, charming and full of cheer. I have been in the scriptorium since early morning; pens scattered across notebooks and Jo Stafford singing all about the haunted heart . Have you ever taken time out of your busy schedule, just look around at your surroundings and wonder about some of the things that you see, maybe your office has a pencil sharpener that is masquerading as a lighthouse? A coffee cup that suddenly houses pens, pencils, or a ruler. Come closer, let me tell you about the light that glows in the window of the scriptorium….   A Glow in the Scriptorium This time last year the scriptorium had its walls scrubbed down, wallpaper removed and new paint carefully painted onto the wall. Then the bookshelves, my pride and joy, to house the many, many tomes that make up the library of the Militiverse , yes, the pla...

  Good evening my dearest ones, isn’t it biting outside? Well, do come in, take off your coat and warm your hands by the fire. There’s coffee or a little hot toddy if you fancy it. Don’t mind Lady Cora , she has been mischievous all day. You know tonight I want to talk to you about research . Yes, the bane of every writer’s life but a necessary part. I was having a wee chat with two writer friends, one was a playwright , and the other was a military history buff . Both very dedicated to their craft. The subject of research came up, and each of them had definite opinions on it. My friend, Sara , said that though needed, research was a black hole that a writer could get lost in, and she’d prefer just two sources. Her husband Neil , who loves history and particularly military history from World War 1 and 2, agreed that though it was gruelling, he found it stimulating. Both turned to me and with an assumption that because I write a combination of crime and gothic fantasy with a ...