De-blog

Photo: https://pixabay.com/en/users/AKuptsova-1176597/ I rejected capitalism. I'm not sure exactly when - it could be as much as ten years ago. Not that I've ever embraced it. Being a working-class northern-English person, embracing capitalism is like lying in front of a steamroller and watching hopelessly as it advances and then flattens you. Unless you own capital - and I'm talking about more than being a homeowner, having a good income that allows for the purchase of further capital, and/or a decent inheritance of capital coming your way - if you 'embrace' capitalism, you're supporting the system that ensures you will never achieve equality. Karl Marx - and others - call this 'false consciousness'. It's a way of thinking that stops us from seeing what our social/economic position really is. Here's an example, which is a bit long-winded, but I'll get to the point eventually. In England after WWII, the welfare state was created wit...

I read an interesting post about sensitivity readers over the weekend, and by interesting, I mean more than a bit offensive and - accidentally, I'm quite certain - an excellent demonstration of why sensitivity readers are important if an author/editor/publisher wants to avoid a public trouncing. (I'll come back to why I have phrased it this way.) For those reading this post who don't know already, a sensitivity reader is someone a publisher/author asks to read a manuscript to check for potentially offensive/problematic content. This includes the deployment of discriminatory/offensive language, events that may act as psychological triggers and anything else that may be considered a 'sensitive subject' for some readers. Sensitivity readers have specific expertise, either through professional affiliation and experience (e.g. a nurse in palliative care fact-checking a book dealing with the treatment of terminal illness) or because they are part of the political mi...

When Skies Have Fallen received an honourable mention in the 2015 Rainbow Awards! What the judges said: "Exceptional historical accuracy and sense of setting: the novel rings with authenticity. The characters are strong and the plot tension comes not just from the war but their own desires and the demand for secrecy. Pacing is sometimes a bit slow. Extremely strong historical romance overall." (http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org/4656033.html) When Skies Have Fallen is available as a free ebook - also available as a paperback (not free): beatentrackpublishing.com/whenskieshavefallen For many in war-torn 1944, love blossoms in the dance hall, and airman Arty Clarke is no exception. He's a thinker and a dreamer; however, it's not the beautiful, talented dancer in his arms-his best friend Jean-who inspires his dreams. For when his gaze meets that of Technical Sergeant Jim Johnson, Arty dares to imagine a different dance. Their love is forb...

My new novel, When Skies Have Fallen is out today - 8th July, 2015. It's  free!  I'll explain why in a moment, and just mention that there is also a paperback edition available (for £8.99) - you can order it from Beaten Track directly now. It will appear on other retailer sites in due course. Buy When Skies Have Fallen Paperback (£8.99): Beaten Track  •  Amazon UK  •  Amazon US Waterstones Download When Skies Have Fallen eBook (free): MMRomanceGroup  •  Beaten Track  •  ARe  •  Smashwords (it will be available on Kindle soon) Story Post on Goodreads (MM Romance Group members only) Also available: Checking Him Out Paperback! Buy  Checking Him Out  Paperback (£6.99):   Beaten Track  •  Amazon UK  •  Amazon US B&N  •  Waterstones Download  Checking Him Out  eBook (free): MMRomanceGroup  •  Beaten Track  •  ARe  •...