The Militiverse

  Good evening my friends, I hope that you had a fantastic weekend filled with sunshine, good books and company. I was hiding in the shade on the agora with my hands wrapped around a mug of French roast and pondering the long hot summers that live in the imagination of the past. Thinking about summer, as I read in the armchair, my mind turned to my favourite season of all, autumn. Sit back, relax and let’s discuss the golden season and how it lives in the heart all year.   A Season of Reflection There’s no season that brings on reflection about the closing of a year as much as autumn. There’s something about the closing of one season and the beginning of another. Where winter falls into spring and rebirth, growth all around, and a softening of the cold. Autumn hits differently.  Summer has been long and full of warmth, flowers are in full bloom, pastel colours and scent fills the air. People tend to be in an adventurous spin. Holidays are exciting and full of discove...

  Good evening my friends. Please sit down make yourself comfortable, the ceiling fan is working overtime to cool us. Lady Cora Cat and Mouse are lounging somewhere in the Scriptorium so let’s not disturb them. Let me ask you something, if you were granted a seat in a time machine and could spend one day anywhere in history, where would you go? I’ve thought about this a lot, and I know where I would feel right at home.  The Library of Alexandria Sit back, enjoy something cold and let’s talk about the day ahead.  The Heart of the Ancient World In the heart of the ancient world there was a place by the Mediterranean that holds mystery, knowledge and romance. Imagine, the cool breeze blowing in from the sea, the gulls with their piercing keow. In 332 BC, a ship sails into the port. A man with a reputation that will become legendary. But for now, he comes ashore and as he glances around, it is said that he fell to his knees and on the sand drew the plans of what would be the ...

  Good evening my lovely friends. Can you believe it’s the end of June already? I have been tucked away in the Scriptorium hidden behind towering printouts of the manuscript and I’m delighted to say the rewrite is progressing nicely. During a quick break as I was perusing the bookshelves and I was drawn to one book in particular and as I removed it from the shelf, a small scrap of paper fell to the floor. I picked it up and looked at the old fountain pen ink, almost a sepia colour. One word written on the paper: Soon . So, my friends, pull up a chair, help yourself to some lemonade and let’s talk about the secrets that live between the pages. Paper Time Travellers Over the years on my travels, I am drawn to vintage stores, market stalls, and old book shops. I can’t resist perusing in a second hand bookstore. Honestly if ever, I am missing, look inside a book shop. Yes, that’s me at ancient history, wearing a cloche and looking like I stepped out of the 1920s. The book I ment...

Good evening my lovely friends. I hope that you are enjoying the beautiful weather. In the Militiverse, thoughts have turned to holidays. I love city breaks and discovering cobbled streets and hidden bookshops with secrets that make you go ‘Wow…’  This evening in the Scriptorium, I am joined not by Mouse or Lady Cora, both have scarpered because of the two egos who have decided that they haven’t harassed me enough today. LOL.  Please my lovelies, let’s make Emile and Remy feel welcome as they take us on a tour of their Lutetiae. Remy: Bonsoir les amis. It is a pleasure to show you around Paris.  Emile: Bonsoir Chérie. We have lived in Lutetiae a long time. We know it intimately. So, join us on a tour of the dark side. Remy: The dark side? Emile: Oui. Remy: Emile, you don’t want to scare them before they even come to the city. Emile: Mael, who knows the city better, you or me? Remy: Well, you were here before me, but I know the better side of the city- Anna: Gentlemen...

  Good evening my friends. What a day it has been. I finished the first rewrite of the first draft, lol getting complicated I know. What is great when you reach the end of the first draft is the story has finally made itself known and the rawness is on paper. I never write a tidy first draft, in fact the story is full of grammatical errors, omissions and a missing word here and there. I was going through some emails, and DMs when I came across a lovely message from a lady in Manchester. She asked about what a typical day was like for a fantasy writer, how do I plot, plan and begin writing. Well, my friends, sit down and help yourself to a glass of wine and settle into your favourite chair and I’ll tell you what a typical, and not so typical day is like in the Scriptorium.   Coffee, Quiet, and a Blank Page I always have a cup of coffee before I open the PC. But I tell you this, nothing beats that first cup of French roast before the day begins. It’s two years since...

  Good evening my lovelies, hasn’t it been a lovely weekend? I hope that you enjoyed yourself. Here in the Militiverse, it was, shall we say eventful. There is a new addition to the citizens who reside here, an orange-and-white goblin that we affectionately call Mouse. Though I suspect Lady Cora calls her a menace.  Over the weekend I was listening to some favourite music, out on the agora while I was reading some Maupassant. I absolutely adore his writings. The music I chose was Chopin's Spring Waltz. It's atmospheric, with just the right amount of melancholy, don't you think?  So, my friends, grab a seat, get comfortable and let’s discuss music, and music that suits gothic literature.   The Sound of the Gothic When you think of something gothic, you imagine dark castles, draughty rooms, and a dying fire in the hearth. Have you ever really thought about the sounds that enter your imagination when you pick up a book? A melancholic violin perhaps, or a brooding p...

  Good evening my lovely friends, did you have a lovely weekend? I had a very relaxing time, it’s another bank holiday weekend here. The weather in the Scriptorium is like the sirocco wind heavy with memory and longing. On Saturday afternoon, I opened the old photo album and gazed upon the cities that shaped my love of gothic literature. Places I went to that though they were new to me at the time, it seemed that I had already been there. Lady Cora cat has claimed the chaise longue, so do make yourself at home and let’s talk about gothic cities that you already know and love. Prague: The City That Watches You Back On a recent trip to Prague, I was enthralled by the beauty of the architecture, the narrow streets with cobble stones that hold many secrets. Feet walked silently there once, yet their footsteps still seem caught upon the breeze drifting in from the Vltava. Walking along it is easy to get sidetracked by the magnificent buildings, the crowds but for the gothic soul, a twis...