Happy New Year! Yes, according to my research, it is accepted etiquette to say that till the end of January. I’m cutting it a bit fine, but the sentiment is sincere.

How has my year been so far? Well, I have three major updates for you. Firstly, I’m hard at work writing my next novel (about 43,000 words into the first draft). This is the second in a series of supernatural mystery thrillers that constitute the most ambitious writing project I’ve ever undertaken. My protagonists are an ex-police officer and her young assistant. The latter has a sideline in writing light-hearted short stories that contrast with the darker themes raised by the main narrative. Each novel in the series stands alone (a significant chunk of this one is set on the north Cornish coast, hence the above image), but there’s a bigger mystery that gradually develops. At first, it hides in plain sight, but it becomes clearer as the novels progress. In book two, however, it’s still very much lurking in the background, not drawing attention to itself.

Obviously, I’m not going to spoil the plot or say any more than that at this stage, so let’s move on to update number two. My horror mystery novel The Hobbford Giant has now been fully serialised on Substack, exclusively for those who opt for the paid tier (a mere $5 per month) rather than the free tier. This novel isn’t available anywhere else, nor will it be in the immediate future, so do check that out if you haven’t already. The first chapter is available for free, as a taster. To whet your appetite on this suspenseful nail-biter, click here.

Finally, the Dillon on Film podcast is back. Michael Kenny and I had a break for a few weeks over December, but we’re now recording weekly episodes once more. Do catch up with all we’ve been chatting about here. Our discussions of recent cinema releases are interspersed with many film-related tangents. I hope you enjoy listening.

That’s it for now. I’ll be back next month with further updates, including progress on the new novel, and perhaps an update on when new short stories will be published. Watch this space.

(Image created by author in Canva.)