I am pleased to announce that Eerie River Publishing has accepted my short story ‘Bloodthirsty’ as part of their Year of the Tarot horror series! This is my first ever paid publication! It will feature in their ‘Blades’ issue.

Inspired (vaguely) by the legendary Lady of the Lake and mythical sword Excalibur, ‘Bloodthirsty’ is a short horror story about violence and sacrifice. It’s a tragic tale of a scared teen and his encounter with a merciless and sadistic entity.

After discovering a penknife at the bottom of a lake, the bloodthirsty blade compels Flynn to commit violent acts against those who anger him. Unable to get rid of the cursed knife and scared for the safety of those around him, Flynn returns to the lake and resorts to the only solution he can think of…

My short story ‘Untouched’ was accepted into an anthology!

I am pleased to announce that for a third year running, one of my stories has been accepted into Aberystwyth University’s MA Anthology.

Alongside other talented authors, ‘Untouched’ is now available to read–only 100 copies printed, so availability is limited! Purchases can be made from The Bookshop by the Sea in Aberystwyth.

Inspired by the phrase “take only memories, leave only footprints”, my story ‘Untouched’ uses the popular horror idea of a “zombie fungus”—as seen in books such as ‘What Moves the Dead’ by T. Kingfisher and video games such as ‘The Last of Us’—to explore human hubris and nature’s adaptation to the modern man-made world.

Following Kaija and Callum as they find themselves lost on a hike, the pair discover an abandoned cottage that has been reclaimed by nature–including a strange fungus springing from the ancient stone. Wandering inside for shelter from the rain, Kaija unwisely collects a sample of the unusual mushrooms…