MEDIA

Saturday, 29 August 2026

Picking up the Pieces

Long before pumpkins and trick or treating took hold, ancient Celtic communities gathered for Samhain (sow-in).

Originating over 2,000 years ago across Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man, this crucial Gaelic festival marked the end of the harvest and the onset of winter. Celebrated from sunset on 31 October to 1 November, it functioned as the Celtic New Year.

Historically, Samhain was considered a “liminal” time, when the boundary between our world and the supernatural Otherworld grew thin. To navigate this, communities engaged in certain rituals:

• Extinguishing home hearths to relight them from a central, communal bonfire for protection.
• Wearing disguises and masks (guising) to blend in with wandering spirits, a precursor to modern costumes.
• Leaving food to honour returning ancestors and placate fairies.

During the 8th century, the Christian Church designated 1 November as All Saints’ Day (All Hallows). The previous evening became All Hallows’ Eve, which in time morphed into “Halloween”. While the festival evolved, its foundations remain firmly rooted in ancient British and Irish history.

Wednesday, 30 September 2026

Casting a Pod

In an ambitious bid to escape literary obscurity, we’ve decided to embrace the crowded world of guest podcasts by being ourselves. We’ve always leaned into the “people buy people” concept, and we’re excited to build a brand in that way.

For independent authors, marketing can become be a gruelling second career. Writing the book is the beginning, then comes the editing, and thereafter, the relentless pursuit of reviews, social-media attention, newsletters, algorithms, influencers and, it seems, anyone with a microphone and a podcast.

While guest appearances won’t transform us into household names overnight, we remain hopeful that somewhere between the promotional posts, awkward self-promotion, and letting listeners discover the madness behind the manuscripts, readers might subscribe to our emails, land themselves a prequel novella crammed with wacky and wit, and who knows, buy and become fans of our work?

In publishing, luck is blind, but marketing never sleeps. Read more about our latest gambit on our blog.

Wednesday, 30 September 2026

Casting a Pod

In an ambitious bid to escape literary obscurity, we’ve decided to embrace the crowded world of guest podcasts by being ourselves. We’ve always leaned into the “people buy people” concept, and we’re excited to build a brand in that way.

For independent authors, marketing can become be a gruelling second career. Writing the book is the beginning, then comes the editing, and thereafter, the relentless pursuit of reviews, social-media attention, newsletters, algorithms, influencers and, it seems, anyone with a microphone and a podcast.

While guest appearances won’t transform us into household names overnight, we remain hopeful that somewhere between the promotional posts, awkward self-promotion, and letting listeners discover the madness behind the manuscripts, readers might subscribe to our emails, land themselves a prequel novella crammed with wacky and wit, and who knows, buy and become fans of our work?

In publishing, luck is blind, but marketing never sleeps. Read more about our latest gambit on our blog.

Saturday, 29 August 2026

Picking up the Pieces

A car that still doesn’t go‽ Yes, that darned car still sits outside until someone deigns to tow it away, but at least there are a couple of positives, despite the grief of our sweet girl Lula rolling on. We’re working through it, picking up the pieces as it were.

After a hiatus, Wen has restarted the editing of Horrid Herbs and making sound progress to ensure plenty of suspense and build up to the murder abounds. Something about sage smudge sticks, feathers, the winds of change, and am-dram gone wrong. It’s all so mysterious, but what’s it all about? You must wait for the launch to find out.

Meanwhile, Ark’s developed a series of video shorts for our new socials hustle, Wenark in the Wardrobe. “The Whinge Tolerance Factor” or WTF (the letter choice isn’t coincidental) introduces a series of common bugbears that induce whining fodder. Accompanied by the introduction, “The Whinge Tolerance Factor. How long can you tolerate something before you moan about it?”, expect everything from a plethora of potholes and exorbitant motorway service stations to copious Christmas stock in early September and horrid holding music while waiting an eternity for someone, ANYONE to speak to you on the phone.

Has the mere thought triggered your WTF? Can you find a soap box big enough‽ We’re with you every bleeeeep of the way. Go on … rant, rave, and turn the air blue. We don’t mind if you do.

Saturday, 25 July 2026

In Loving Memory of Tahlula

With heartbreaking sadness, on 8 July, Tahlula, Mark’s beautiful 17-year-old tuxedo cat left us. 💔

Lula had lived with arthritis in her hips and hind legs for a while, but declined rapidly in her final days. Her breathing was laboured, she was barely eating, and was struggling with the litter box. She’d stopped grooming, and her once-glorious coat became dull and matted. The vet found severe muscle wastage and a mass in her stomach, likely cancer, told us she was suffering, and it was best to be kind. Mark made the heartbreaking decision to let her go, and we bawled our final goodbyes. We’re utterly broken.

For years, Lula filled our lives with love, purrs, trills, meows, and headbutts. She adored boxes, bags, cosy pillows, and loved the warm sunshine on her body, especially in those golden years when arthritis came calling. She hid her pain so well.

Mark rescued Lula as a four-month-old kitten, and she was, is, and always will be the light of his life. Wen was privileged to know and love her for 11 years and became her human mother. Her absence is immense, and we know healing will take time, yet beneath the unbearable sadness is comfort in knowing she’s now free from pain. We will miss her forever, and love her even more.

Run free at Rainbow Bridge, darling Lula. You deserve every happiness. Thank you for bringing love, light, and joy into our lives. 🌈🐾💗

Saturday, 25 July 2026

In Loving Memory of Tahlula

With heartbreaking sadness, on 8 July, Tahlula, Mark’s beautiful 17-year-old tuxedo cat left us. 💔

Lula had lived with arthritis in her hips and hind legs for a while, but declined rapidly in her final days. Her breathing was laboured, she was barely eating, and was struggling with the litter box. She’d stopped grooming, and her once-glorious coat became dull and matted. The vet found severe muscle wastage and a mass in her stomach, likely cancer, told us she was suffering, and it was best to be kind. Mark made the heartbreaking decision to let her go, and we bawled our final goodbyes. We’re utterly broken.

For years, Lula filled our lives with love, purrs, trills, meows, and headbutts. She adored boxes, bags, cosy pillows, and loved the warm sunshine on her body, especially in those golden years when arthritis came calling. She hid her pain so well.

Mark rescued Lula as a four-month-old kitten, and she was, is, and always will be the light of his life. Wen was privileged to know and love her for 11 years and became her human mother. Her absence is immense, and we know healing will take time, yet beneath the unbearable sadness is comfort in knowing she’s now free from pain. We will miss her forever, and love her even more.

Run free at Rainbow Bridge, darling Lula. You deserve every happiness. Thank you for bringing love, light, and joy into our lives. 🌈🐾💗

Sunday, 21 June 2026

A long, hot summer?

Hail the solstice, marking the astronomical start of summer and bringing with it the year’s longest day and shortest night here in the northern hemisphere. At Stonehenge, thousands gather before dawn to watch the sun rise in alignment with the ancient stones, while modern Druids and other pagan communities welcome the season with ceremonies celebrating nature, renewal and light.

The gradual climb in temperature has been impossible to ignore, each passing week nudging the mercury higher until reaching levels once unimaginable in the UK. What began as welcome warmth intensified into sweltering heat, with thermometers recording highs considered extraordinary. Long, sunlit evenings remain a seasonal delight, but this year’s relentless rise serves as a reminder that Britain’s summers are no longer as predictable as they once were and will only get hotter.

Saturday, 23 May 2026

Bee elementary

What a funny old month. The good, the bad, and the ugly, wrapped up in 23 days of May. The good: World Bee Day, a beautiful beach trip, and catching up with some old friends. The bad: scant progress editing Horrid Herbs. The ugly: still in the clutches of the clutch complaint. When will it end?

Today, was up there with the goods on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s birthday, when we made a pilgrimage to the Sherlock Holmes statue in Edinburgh, a short trip from home.

Standing near the famous detective on Picardy Place, it’s impossible not to feel inspired by the city that shaped both Holmes and his creator. As mystery writers living nearby, we often wander here when plotting twists, chasing clues, or untangling stubborn storylines. Edinburgh’s shadows, history, and atmosphere seem to whisper fresh ideas every time we visit. There’s something timeless about Holmes watching over the capital, reminding writers that every mystery begins with curiosity.

Saturday, 23 May 2026

Bee elementary

What a funny old month. The good, the bad, and the ugly, wrapped up in 23 days of May. The good: World Bee Day, a beautiful beach trip, and catching up with some old friends. The bad: scant progress editing Horrid Herbs. The ugly: still in the clutches of the clutch complaint. When will it end?

Today, was up there with the goods on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s birthday, when we made a pilgrimage to the Sherlock Holmes statue in Edinburgh, a short trip from home.

Standing near the famous detective on Picardy Place, it’s impossible not to feel inspired by the city that shaped both Holmes and his creator. As mystery writers living nearby, we often wander here when plotting twists, chasing clues, or untangling stubborn storylines. Edinburgh’s shadows, history, and atmosphere seem to whisper fresh ideas every time we visit. There’s something timeless about Holmes watching over the capital, reminding writers that every mystery begins with curiosity.

Friday, 10 April 2026

A Clutch of Contradiction

The past few weeks have been a curious mix of frustration, slow progress, and the stubborn optimism required when life prefers the helter-skelter to a smooth track. Chief among our ongoing sagas remains an unresolved clutch complaint, rumbling away (the grievance, not the kaput car) like a hated full-time job. On the brighter side, after endless delays, we have new wheels. Nothing fancy, but they do what wheels should. Get us from A to B without incident. A modest victory, well-earned.

We’ve chosen to keep Deadly Dough and Fatal Fungus self-published. Why? Because limited reviews mean agents/publishers won’t touch us, which means upping the marketing and settling on content that works for our brand. Setbacks remain, but, as ever, optimism reigns.

Friday, 20 March 2026

Hello, Spring Equinox

Spring in the UK arrives twice, depending on how you measure it. Meteorological spring begins neatly on 1st March, a fixed date used by scientists to track seasons and climate patterns. Astronomical spring, however, starts at the vernal—spring—equinox, when day and night are nearly equal, typically falling around 20th March but shifting slightly each year.

This difference reflects two ways of understanding nature: one practical and calendar-based, the other tied to Earth’s orbit and tilt. In early March, signs of spring—daffodils, lambs, lighter evenings, and milder air—often appear before the equinox, making the season feel underway even before astronomy officially marks its beginning across the country.

Friday, 20 March 2026

Hello, Spring Equinox

Spring in the UK arrives twice, depending on how you measure it. Meteorological spring begins neatly on 1st March, a fixed date used by scientists to track seasons and climate patterns. Astronomical spring, however, starts at the vernal—spring—equinox, when day and night are nearly equal, typically falling around 20th March but shifting slightly each year.

This difference reflects two ways of understanding nature: one practical and calendar-based, the other tied to Earth’s orbit and tilt. In early March, signs of spring—daffodils, lambs, lighter evenings, and milder air—often appear before the equinox, making the season feel underway even before astronomy officially marks its beginning across the country.

Sunday, 15 February 2026

It’s in the Bag

February’s here and, like years before, 2026 is zipping by at an alarming pace. And so, another story brews. Brutal Beans—coffee beans, that is … or is it?—the fourth outing in the Windy & Darling mystery series.

The intriguing plot, partially inspired by our friend’s nano roastery, Eclectic Coffee Roasters, sees a favoured brew at the head of perilous proceedings. Ark, who loves a cup or ten while tromping through Treetonshire, has been glugging Eclectic’s exquisite dark Torino roast ground coffee blend and reacquainting himself with Treetonshire and Linkville’s crock of eccentrics. WinDarl are in the village of High Flatt for a Moka of murder and mayhem, where beans play to win.

If you live in the UK and quality independent coffee’s your bag, we recommend Eclectic Coffee Roasters. You won’t be disappointed with this “oil for the soul.”

Thursday, 1 January 2026

Happy New Year

Greetings from two upbeat authors armed with stubborn trust to fulfil our goal in 2026 and knock on the doors of agents/publishers in the hope they take us seriously. Not because it’s easy, but because it matters. We’ve revised through doubt, cheered tiny wins, and learned persistence is a creative muscle. As authors, we’ve grown, and yes, the market’s crowded, but every story finds its champions.

So we’re ready to choose optimism, trust the work, and press send. To gatekeepers, fellow writers, or readers rooting for underdogs, thank you for being part of this moment. We’re betting on craft, courage, and community, and look forward to sharing what we’ve made. Here’s to the nerve and pages turning. Together, we write forwards, always.

Thursday, 1 January 2026

Happy New Year

Greetings from two upbeat authors armed with stubborn trust to fulfil our goal in 2026 and knock on the doors of agents/publishers in the hope they take us seriously. Not because it’s easy, but because it matters. We’ve revised through doubt, cheered tiny wins, and learned persistence is a creative muscle. As authors, we’ve grown, and yes, the market’s crowded, but every story finds its champions.

So we’re ready to choose optimism, trust the work, and press send. To gatekeepers, fellow writers, or readers rooting for underdogs, thank you for being part of this moment. We’re betting on craft, courage, and community, and look forward to sharing what we’ve made. Here’s to the nerve and pages turning. Together, we write forwards, always.