Marching Forward

Hello there, and welcome to my July newsletter. This is the monthly update from horror and dark fiction author, Kev Harrison. If you’re new here, it probably means you’ve signed up via my website or by downloading my supernatural horror novelette, Warding. If you haven’t managed to get your copy yet, reply to this message and I’ll get it to you right away.

So July is here, and that means holidays from the teaching job for me. It also means a lot of (mainly self-inflicted) pressure to get this book drafted, as well as finishing final edits on some other books I’m planning to get out towards the end of the year and at the beginning of 2027.

‘How’s it going?’ You might ask. Well, thanks for asking. Pretty darn well. Since July 1st, I’ve added about 11,000 words to the manuscript and I’m firmly into the middle of act two. As you may know, my previous books have been short. This one is on course to be something like a 60k - 70k novel. I’m excited about that (and depressed about the editing phase).

That 11k of extra wordage has come despite my spending the days from the 6th to the 13th of the month on the Spanish island of Menorca. After a thoroughly exhausting schedule this year, I really needed a flat out break and this trip was that. Aside from a one afternoon visit to the cute, historic city of Ciutadella, I spent pretty much all of the daylight hours in the sea or on the beach, reading. I did manage a few writing sessions, though, and have been back at it, hard since Monday.

I hope that, if we’re in the same hemisphere, you’re not suffering too much with the heatwaves many of us seem to be experiencing, and that you get a little downtime. And, if you’re in the southern half of the world, that you’re not working too hard.

Back to writing news and there’s an event coming up tomorrow. If you’re in Lisbon or the surrounding area, I’d love to see you at Bookshop Bivar for an author reading. I’ll be reading from Pyres or Shadow of the Hidden (I’ve practised scenes from both, but am still deciding!) alongside three other authors, starting at 6:15 pm. We’ll also be signing and selling copies of our books. No need to reserve, just show up. All the details are on the insta post, below.

Coming up next week, I have a trip to the UK on the schedule. With my decision not to do my usual university job, it looked like I wouldn’t be seeing any of my family or friends for the whole of the year. As such, and thanks to a glut of air miles I received when I flew to Japan last September, I’ve been able to book a budget trip to Norfolk to see my sister and her kids, as well as a whistle stop tour of a few other UK cities to see friends, uncles, etc. Keep an eye on my insta for details over the next week or so, and do give me a yell if I’m in your neck of the woods and you want to have a cup of coffee or something.

I’ll be taking my laptop, naturally, and writing on planes, trains, in cafés and budget hotel rooms. My intention is to ensure I get something like a thousand words done every day of the trip. It might mean some early mornings here and there, but if I want this book done by the end of September, and I really do, I just have to make sure it’s an every day habit, or as close to it as possible.

Another thing I need to get to is the short story I owe to an anthology. The deadline is August 17th and while I wouldn’t quite yet refer to that date as looming, it’s not far off.

I’m really happy with the concept I’ve chosen for the story. It’s just that, when I’ve sat down and written it, it’s felt too distant from the situation. I tried shifting the start point forward, but I think I might have to shift it again, or change tenses or POVs, or something, as it just isn’t quite right yet. I’ll get there. This is one of the joys and sorrows of writing fiction. Sometimes, the idea is there, but the path from brain to page is a complex one.

Before we move on to Recommendations and all that jazz, a quick reminder that you can read my latest, Pyres, absolutely free if you are a Kindle Unlimited subscriber. And, if you prefer physical media, I’m delighted to tell you that Amazon have recently introduced the option for groundwood paper for their paperbacks. The great thing about that is that they are both cheaper to produce, and better for the environment, while still retaining the off white/cream shade which helps dyslexic folk to read the text more easily. This means I’ve been able to reduce the cost of a paperback to $10.99 in the US and £7.99 in the UK, without any dropoff in the royalties I receive. I want my stuff to be read, not to make megabucks, so grab yourself a bargain here, or by clicking the image below.

On a similar note, I’m taking part in the Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale for July. There isn’t much time left in the sale, but two of my books are featured. My collection, Paths Best Left Untrodden can be picked up for $0.99/£0.99, while my novelette, Alone with Myself is absolutely free, throughout the month. Get yourself a free or very cheap ebook here or by clicking the image below.

Recommendations

Reading - The Hill in the Dark Grove by Liam Higginson

This book was recommended by author Adam Nevill on the day I needed to choose my new audiobook for June. I took the plunge and soon found out that my writer friend Dan Howarth had recommended it to me previously. What a great story this was. Set in Wales, and with superb delivery by a Welsh-speaking narrator for the audiobook, it has everything you want from a folk horror. Isolation, an us vs them mentality (among some characters), and a deep, pervasive connection to something immeasurably old. I read my audiobooks mostly while driving and, my word, there were times when the tension of the story stressed me out so much, I had to take a pause while I negotiated traffic, etc. Dig up something ancient for yourself, but beware of what you might find in those hills, here..

Listening - Prince of Failure by Prince of Failure

This self-titled album appeared in my K-Scope newsletter at the end of last month. As a big fan of Daniel Tompkins, I spun it right away and was surprised at what I heard. Electronically-infused, at times very heavy prog metal with Tompkins’ alternately excoriating and sonorous vocals? Yes, please. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but you should give it a spin on your chosen streaming service, and see what you think, here.

Watching - Hokum - Cinema

I thought I’d missed this in the movies, as it came out in much of the world in May or something. It turns out that, with it being a relatively low budget production, it had just taken a while to get ready with Portuguese subtitles, etc. Some people have talked about the flaws of this movie and, doubtless, there are some. Some elements of the story don’t hang together as well as you might hope. But as a lesson in building atmosphere, it was terrific. If, like me, you like your horrors to be unsettling from the very start and until the bitter end, this one is for you. Bonus points for creepy folklore. My favourite. View the trailer here.

Bargains and Freebies

Raghu P is up to their old tricks and gathering together dozens of books from the horror, thriller, mystery and suspense genres, including three of my books. Take a look at the full list here.

The mighty Newton Webb has once again curated this promo with over fifty horror stories at bargain prices, or available free on Kindle Unlimited. Grab a spooky bargain read here.

Writer and editor friend of mine, Robin Knabel, has assembled a dozen of the finest free horror stories, including my witchy scarefest, Warding. Check out the full list and grab a free horror, here.

Well, that’s what my July looks like. Thanks so much for reading and, remember, if you know someone who you think might like my books or this newsletter, forward this on to them.

This month’s missive took a little longer to write, owing to my editing assistant, Marple:

And finally, if I might ask a favour of you. If you have read any of my books, whether you liked them or not, I would love you to leave a review for them. Anywhere will do, but Amazon, because of the accursed algorithm, is best. I cannot communicate how much of a difference it makes. So, if you’ve read one. And if you have a spare minute or five, literally three words will do. Thanks a million!

Anyway, catch you in August. In the meantime, stay safe, especially with the crazy summer weather, and do reach out to me on Bluesky, Xitter, Instagram, or even TikTok. I’ll see you next month.

Kev