Every summer I review my reading over the past twelve months, highlighting the authors I really enjoyed as well as picking out my favourite book overall. If you’re looking for some recommendations on which books to pack for the summer holidays, this is the blog post for you!

The use of generative AI in the creative arts remains a hot topic of discussion, with strongly held views on all sides of the debate. I felt this was something where I needed to make my own position clear, but as I carried out my research for this piece I found it was harder to stick to my initial gut reaction than I expected.

Recently published UK author and freelance editor Ed Crocker is from Manchester, but we don’t let things like that get in the way of people appearing on Author Focus when their book is this good. Ed spends a lot of his time celebrating the work of other writers as a book reviewer, so it seems only right to return the favour and talk about his debut novel Lightfall. He also plays a mean game of bingo and enjoys a nice beefburger.

In an in-depth piece for Author Focus I talk to the multi-talented and highly imaginative writer Livia J Elliot. We discuss her varied work and her Kickstarter campaign, which launches on 6th May 2025.

I’ve reached a decision on which writing projects I’ll be focussing on this year. These are my plans for the remainder of 2025.

Should an author offer their books for free in an era where there so many competing demands for our attention or does this trend only serve to diminish their value?

A brand new year brings with it the delicious promise of books to be read. These are the titles I want to read in 2025!

A look back at how I fared as an author in 2024 and how this compares to the year before.

Author Focus returns for the final time in 2024. To round off the year I’m featuring US writer Sean Crow who has just completed his Godless Lands fantasy trilogy with the release of Blessings of the Devourer.

My latest novel, Broken Brotherhood, has been released and with it The Brotherhood of the Eagle saga comes to an end. This has been a huge part of my writing life and I’m feeling a mix of emotions now I’ve finally reached this point.

Author Focus welcomes David M Barnett to talk about his latest book, the eerie and compelling folk horror novel Withered Hill.

The summer season is the time when I take stock of the books I’ve read over the past 12 months. Here are the books I recommend you should pack for your summer holidays, including my favourite pick overall.

Over the last 18 months I’ve gained a deeper understanding of the strong link between being productive creatively and your wider wellbeing.

I thought I knew what I was doing when I launched the Kickstarter project to fund the production of Hall of Bones as an audiobook back in March. It turns out nothing could have been further from the truth.

Author Focus is back with a feature on HL Tinsley and her newly released standalone novel, The Hallows.

Yes, I know it’s late, but here’s my review of how I did as an author in 2023, and what my plans are for this year.

Over the last few years I’ve discovered some great authors and I’m also keen to try some new writers. These are the books I’m planning to read in 2024!

The run up to Christmas sees the release of a very special fantasy anthology, which I was lucky enough to be able to take part in.

As the Anatomy of Fear fantasy horror anthology goes on general release, I reflect on what it was like to be part of this project.

After a break for the summer, I’m using September’s blog post to reflect on why a positive mindset is so important if you want a long-term career as a writer.