So excited to reveal some of the unseen artwork for ‘Tales of the Manor’. You will get glimpses inside the gothic suites the five friends are staying in… which coloured chamber would you choose? Comment below! 🙂

Stay tuned for more artwork coming your way, that corresponds with each of the 5 stories in ‘Tales of the Manor’! Release date *3rd Dec!* ❤

It’s a gloomy old, wet Monday here in UK! The temperature has plummeted and it surely feels like winter has arrived. Comment below something good that’s happened in your life recently? 🙂 For me, I can finally hold the official copies of my new book in my hands, and that’s a cause for celebration ~ For those of you who have shown interest already in the collection- THANK YOU! ❤

The time for release is almost upon us * 3rd of Dec * and the weather already suits the vibe lol >.< perfect if you want to curl up nice and cosy and dip into a collection of gothic, short stories! 

If you missed the floor plan & snippet of the first story, you can find it under my tabs above! I actually can’t wait because some of the stories are based on true events, (as unsettling as that is) and I’m excited to see if you can guess which they are! 

Synopsis:

“In these five stories the gothic awaits. 

From eerie oil paintings that come alive, devilish dolls and a sinister game of hide and seek; there are more than creepy crawlies that lurk in the crevices of Hartshaw Manor. The secrets this structure holds will keep anyone up at night. But is it the work of mischievous spirits, or are they merely horrors conjured from their own frenzied imaginations?  

Join Dinah, Peter, Kary, Tony and Violet as they each spend an unforgettable night deep in the folds of the British countryside. 

Read on if you dare, because we’ve saved the best till last…” 

Have a great Monday friends! ❤ If you’d like to continue to follow the process and journey of publication, and receive new artwork in the next post, press ‘Follow’ to get updates directly to your e-mail 🙂

Until next time…here’s a little preview for what is to come:

Eek! I do love a good hardcover and these are so beautiful! 😍🤩 If you missed my cover reveal (tab above) it’s a gothic short story collection set in a spooky manor house in the British countryside! Perfect for my fellow gothic loving pals who want something dark and eerie, (yet cosy!) and can be read in one sitting- perfect for the coming chilly winter months! Brrrr! ❄️🥶☃️🧣

It has a super soft matt cover, a floor plan inside and chapter title art 🤪 If you want to receive more artwork in the coming weeks, or extra unseen before materials, please feel free to press FOLLOW on this page! We already have a fair few friends here, and I can’t wait to share more of my journey with you!

“In these five stories the gothic awaits.

From eerie oil paintings that come alive, devilish dolls and a sinister game of hide and seek; there are more than creepy crawlies that lurk in the crevices of Hartshaw Manor. The secrets this structure holds will keep anyone up at night. But is it the work of mischievous spirits, or are they merely horrors conjured from their own frenzied imaginations?

Join Dinah, Peter, Kary, Tony and Violet as they each spend an unforgettable night deep in the folds of the British countryside.

Read on if you dare, because we’ve saved the best till last…”

I’ll be posting more goodies in the coming weeks, so stay tuned! ❤️

It’s been a while, but I’m back with another instalment – this time with our final protagonist ~ Orion! He may be considered our side character, but he’s had his fair share of adventure: kidnapped in one of Alden’s ice caskets, trapped in a prison cell in a book; “The Count of Monte Cristo”, meeting all sorts of unseemly villains & ruffians in the process!

He has a story to tell, being older (and wiser? 😝) than the other protagonists. And the road is never easy. So without further ado, let us give him his moment!

Extract from Chapter 2 ~ The Devils Within.

And there you are ~ an extract from each character from the series. If you enjoyed this, don’t forget to send a msg or comment below if you’d like to hear more ☺️

Click on the other tabs for other short stories & access to my poetry & more! 🫶🏻

Of course I will say each extract gets better and better! But here’s the action packed scene you’ve all been waiting for!

For those of you who grew up as an only child and had imaginary friends in their heads ~ this next character is for you! ❤️ I can’t say when or how I dreamt up Peter’s character (ok, I was most likely in Yr 9 and writing stories during IT class…)

However many years later, and here we are! Peter hasn’t changed much.

Always optimistic, cheeky, talented and loyal to a fault. He undeniably draws the short straw in this tale so I was always kind writing him ~ because being trapped in your own hell loop with the tyrannical General (no matter how beautiful the ‘Arabian Nights’ is) will be enough to drive anyone mad!

And he handles it admirably.

Extracts from chapter 16 ~ The Devils Within.

And there you have it! It was between this and a romantic segment with Dinah, (I wouldn’t be able to keep a straight face!) so hopefully you aren’t too disappointed ha…! 🤣

It might come as a surprise that I find Dinah the hardest to write for. To get her voice right ~ a version of ‘me’ I aspired to be when I was younger, mixed with something entirely her own; fiercely loyal, determined, elegant, and more than a match for whatever horrors she encounters in the dreamworld. And sprinkled with a bit of childish glee when she encounters rose gardens, hot air balloons and little critters hiding in forests (especially talking hedgehogs!) ~ okay, maybe we are more alike after all 😂🤪

Here is an extract from chapter 1 of “The Devils Within.”

And there you have it, the beginning of everything that is yet to come… for it’s not easy travelling into books to save people when you have no idea where to start ~ and with nothing but a Dream Devil in your mind for company!

Alden may be our OG Dream Devil, but all villains have an origin story, and I just had to listen to everyone’s clamour for a prequel, which is where my second novel comes in! So here we are, a little extract from our soon to be- pretentious, snarky collector of souls. He is a true appreciator of beauty, centuries spent, dedicated to preserving his beloved caskets of ice. His way into people’s dreams – through the fine threads of dream catchers. So you’d better check, for if you have one, you might be expecting a little visit tonight …👀

Listen on, for more than darkness lurks in the shadows.

“Labyrinth of Souls” ~ Chapter 41

Hope you enjoyed this one! It was extremely hard to find just ONE sample ~ especially if you have a devil standing over your shoulder dictating! Stay tuned for the next extract coming soon.

Our main protagonist Dinah, Alden’s protege in the making…and a girl close to my heart.

Over the following extracts spanning all three novels, you’ll be getting glimpses into all our protagonists ~ Alysia, Alden, Dinah, Peter & Orion. I have tried to select some fun passages that also express their personality ~ but to find out more, you’ll have to keep reading for yourself (full links can be found in my novel release tab above!)

So without further ado, let’s get into our first audio and let Alysia take over with her introduction! From 17th Century Britain to the dream world, to Hong Kong, and finally to the UK; she becomes quite the traveller. Despite all that she’s been through, her resourcefulness and consistency has made her a favourite among readers! She may seem like a fairytale damsel, but one thing remains when facing the Dream Devil. Her quest for retribution is unwavering; a beacon that guides her even on the darkest of nights …

And what nights they are 👀

“Caskets of Ice” ~ chapter 11 (in 2 parts)

Hope you enjoyed that! Who doesn’t love a good old witch 🥴 Thanks to Anita for brainstorming all things dark and visceral with me, especially where nightmares come in.

Stay tuned for our second protagonist. Beware of your dreams, for a devil is coming….

Since a lot of you have suggested that I do ‘audiobook’ readings (of my novels and other short stories) I’ve decided to do a little test run to garner interest first! I have also included a little father – daughter session, where my father has very kindly recorded a dramatic reading of the fairytale, “The Three Wishes.” Go show it some love! If this collaboration turns out to be a success, I’m sure we can record more in future for you.

Keep your eyes (and ears) peeled for more updates by pressing subscribe! 🙂

Below is the short Victorian ghost story “Room in the Tower” by E F Benson, which I love for a variety of reasons (and… you will soon find out the reason why!) This story can be found in the British Library collection- Tales of the Weird. Without further ado, curl up in your favourite armchair, get a cozy blanket and arm yourself with a steaming hot drink … and let us begin…..👀

“The Three Wishes.”

Hope you enjoyed them!

Do let me know if you’d like to hear more of these audiobooks! Especially for teaching purposes, it’s wonderful to help students with accent and reading practice. If you’d like to support my writing, or any other free materials you find on this site, my ‘welcome friends’ page gives you the option to donate 🙂 Thanks all and stay safe!

Kate x

My novel revamped in this brand new dual edition! 😲😍 Introducing an entirely new cover design with full, unseen illustrations inside! It also includes INTERACTIVE COLOURING IN PAGES! 👀😲

I still can’t get over it. I’m in love! ✍🏼 A sequel (or is it now considered a trilogy? Lol) is in the works, and I can’t wait to bring the next chapter of Dinah & Alden’s journey to life!

~ this book is for people who are interested in lucid dreaming, fantasy and dark fairytales!

I want to specifically thank @missgrace for her wonderful colouring page designs (scroll to see), and being through the editing process of the novel with me! @krbowman I couldn’t have done without your advice! 💕 thank you @illustrasu for once again creating such a stunning cover that combines both elements of my novels together! 🙌🏻

🌹Purchasing info:

You get 2 books in 1 in this new edited version! If you fancy having the older first edition covers they are still available to order too☺️

🌹For those who want signed copies, you may DM me (excluding p&p costs to your country!) ✨

🌹BETA readers:

If you’re interested in being a reader in exchange for a Goodreads/IG/Amazon review, I’d be happy to send you a copy! Please also DM me! 🙏🏻

If you want to support me, all books are available through Amazon (link below!) Scroll to read the blurb, thank you friends!!😘