This page on my website will act as a report of my writing progress, and at what stage my various horror books are in production. The plan is to try to keep it updated at least once a month.
Writing is still a part-time pastime for me currently. I still need the day job (civil engineer – highways) to put bread on my table and scatter rat food on the floor.
My current writing strategy is to work on 3 horror books at once. This might not be a smart strategy, but it’s the one I’m adopting. (Update 14th May 2025 – have decided 2 rather than 3 longform books at once works better, but with maybe a short story or reader magnet also being worked on instead of the 3rd novel. Three is too much!)
I’m going to try to work it so that one project is at 1st draft stage; another at 2nd+ draft stage (pre-editing); and the 3rd is at the post-editing stage. That might not always be possible, but that’s the cunning plan.
I don’t currently use beta readers, but if anyone reading this who has subscribed to my mailing list would like to beta read for me, please drop me a line.
So, here’s my current horror writer’s progress: (14th June 2025):
Devil Catz N’ Evil Witches – short story anthology
Current Status: (pre-publication)
Update 14th June 2025: Renamed Catzapped to Devil Catz. Finished story, apart from needing to insert a few proofing errors. Have decided to include it as an anthology of short stories that will be available as a free reader magnet.
Update 14th May 2025: Finishing off a short story reader magnet related to Catz of the Undead called Catzapped that should be included in the next newsletter as a free download.
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The Rats of the Isle – this is another rat horror book, novella length, but not related to Ratstrike.
Current Status: 2nd draft (pre-editing)
Update 14th June 2025: Chapter 7, 2nd draft of Queen of The Rats.
Update 14th May 2025: Beginning 2nd draft of what’s now a 75,000 word novel
Update 12th May 2024: 36,000 words. It’s written in first person. Renamed Queen of the Rats.
Update 14th April 2024: I think this will be a novel. Currently, the first draft stands at around 27,000 words.
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Do I Look Plastic To You? – short horror novel
Current Status: post-editing
Update 14th June 2025: Post-development editing completed. My editor did ask for quite a lot of changes with the result that the book has gone from a long 41,000 word novella to a 48,000 word short novel. Usually, rewriting shortens drafts, but there you go! The book is much stronger as a result, expecially in terms of character and theme. I’ve added four new chapters, plus a scene, and several new paragraphs. When you add fresh material like this, you have to run through it again as if you were writing new drafts. So, I’m currently ensuring the extra 7,000 words meets the same standards as the rest of the MS. (I’ve so far been through the extra material the one time).
Update 14th May 2025: new title Do I Look Plastic To You? -Currently going through post-editing. Should be out by summer 2025. Likely a 46,000 word story, which makes it a novel rather than a novella (but a short one).
Update 14th April 2024: new title The Old Doll Factory (from Dolls at your Throat). Another novella, this time about a creepy doll factory. It’s quite a long one at about 38,000 words. I’m currently working through the second draft.
(Update 12th May 2024: about to begin 3rd draft.
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COMPLETED PROJECT – Catz of the Undead
This is a full novel, around 88,000 words. I’m working through my editor’s revisions. It’s witchy, but with zombie cats! Hopefully out this summer. Stay tuned.
Update 14th May 2025: COTU finally came out in March 2025 at 90,000 words. It’s the longest novel I’ve written. Finishing off a short story reader magnet related to it called Catzapped that should be included in the next newsletter as a free download.
You can buy Catz of the Undead here, or read more about it here.
I also commissioned (yet) another cover for Ratstrike from 100 Covers.
