And Publications

March 2019

It’s happened. I’ve taken the plunge and published a collection of short stories mostly from this blog. Here’s a pic. The real thing is available from Amazon.

Exciting times.

The blurb on Amazon reads as follows:  “Welcome to this collection of short and shorter stories designed to make you laugh or cry or both. Hopefully some will make you angry, some will have you punching the air with joy. Here you can read about James Bond in retirement, a hitherto unreported Hendrix concert, the first international emoji conference, and the building of the ark. Say hello to Hatman Hatman, heavy metal’s smelliest singer, Petal Cornglimer, three lucky widows, some hipster cowhands, an evil city mayor, and many more characters, some likeable, others not so.

Expect drama, comedy, politics and a whole bunch of philosophical challenges; no reason why you shouldn’t have to work as hard as has the author.

Of course it’s all fiction, but only just. Only just.

The few poems you’ll come across are really bad but have been included to feed the writer’s vanity and to confirm his overall shallowness.”

Most of the 100 word stories found in the collection will have appeared in Friday Fictioneers; the longer stories not so. The story WordPress Noir is a nod in the direction of all the FF-ers.

January 2014

I’m, alas, not yet properly published, but do have some of my pieces in some local collections. The first is Macc Writes: A Selection of Poetry and Prose by Macclesfield Writers.

This is an anthology of work by the writing group I belong to.   We meet every Thursday afternoon at 2.00pm in Macclesfield Library for the usual –  workshops, talks by visiting poets and novelists, readings, tea and biscuits. You know the sort of thing. Very informal. If you’re ever in town on a Thursday, do pop in. Macc Writes can be had from Amazon. Here’s the link.

And then there’s Poems for Oxfam – Change, a collection of poems by poets in and around Macclesfield. Part of a charity project.I managed to get a piece in. Soooo proud! Also from Amazon. Here’s the picture:

Watch out for Phil Poyser’s Peacock Butterfly!

And now, Cloudbursts, another anthology from Macclesfield Writers. I’ve got two pieces in this one. Hooray. My favourite piece (apart from my own) is Margaret Holbrook’s Crow Road. But also great reads from Sandy Milsom, Charles Heathcote and Joy Winkler. Plus others. Here’s the link to Amazon.

Cover copyright: Karen Ross

November 2014: This is for Phil Poyser, fellow member of the Macc Writers, who has just published his first book of verse.

The Amazon blurb reads: This is an unusual debut anthology. The verse is by turns light, refreshing, quirky and colourful. There’s a pinch of nostalgia, offset with a dollop of word play and humour. Subjects range from Eric, the gardener with possible Viking ancestry to the origins of the wheel; from spending an evening with Kylie Minogue to what might have happened if Sir Isaac Newton had been Australian or if Herman Melville hadn’t misheard “quail” for “whale”.

An eclectic collection of verse you’d be happy to have on your bedside table.

June 2015

And now from Charlie Heathcote, secretary of our Macclesfield Writers, here’s the long awaited Our Doris. Read and enjoy. Try a northern accent this time.

Get it on Amazon.

It’s April 2016 and Phil Poyser has brought around a copy of his latest anthology, Seconds Out, the title of the first poem in this book of delights. I read and think, no wonder Phil is considered to be a modern day King Lear. A great follow up to Eric Bloodaxe!

And so to drabbles, or Dabbles with Drabbles, the title of the 100 drabble collection of 100 word stories & poems written by members of the Macclesfield Writers and the Bridgend Writers of Bollington brought out in June 2016. Here’s a picture:

It includes a few of my 100 word pieces, I’m delighted to say. Unfortunately it’s not available through Amazon which means you, dear reader, will have to go without.

June 2016: Margaret Holbrook

Here’s a link to Margaret’s blog: http://margaretholbrookwrites.weebly.com/

Margaret is a leading light in the Macc Writers Group as well as being an increasingly recognised writer, poet and playwright in the region. Now her books are on Amazon. And on my bookshelf. Here’s one of them: