For this month’s list I had help from a number of humans. My thanks to Heather Lynn, Alexandra Peel, Cheryl Burman, Fi Phillips, and Ann Littler In each case the person making the recommendation is named in brackets after the title.

Since I last interviewed you, The Maddox Verdict has gone out into the world. How does it feel to have written a whole series? Lily, I don’t know yet. When I started all this almost ten years ago, I had no intention of writing a series. I wrote Adam’s Witness to basically save my sanity. Then people asked, “When is the next book coming out?” And I said, “Sorry . . . what?” Did I have another book in me? Well, I decided to give it a go. I suppose after the second one, I had be

When I last interviewed you in 2023 you had published three books, now it’s six. Can you update me on your books? Since 2023, I’ve written my Lightbody Mystery duology, telling the story of the fictional Martha Lightbody, a woman subjected to ‘trial by drowning’ in 1645. Before being thrown in the lake, Martha curses the men responsible. Her body is never found.

This month's list was put together with the help of Heather Lynn. (Skywatcher_HL on socials) https://linktr.ee/HeatherLynn_author. Author of the Skywatcher series. There are four books so far with a fifth on the way.

Tell me about your books. Following the Future World Prize shortlisting, I was contracted to write for the popular children’s series The Magical Unicorn Society and wrote eight short stories for their 5th book, The Dark Heart Unicorns edition in 2024. The book is filled with beautiful illustrations, fact pages and a quiz for readers aged 8 upwards.

This is everyone’s favourite story from Sandcastles … Love, Andy which was originally written for an online magazine.

These small presses were recommended to me. I am defining Small Press as presses that you submit to who publish in a similar traditional manner to the big five whose human numbers (as far as I can tell) are in single figures. It’s only my definition but I sometimes say if you fit in one regular sized car.

Yesterday I found out Sandcastles, my short story collection, had been awarded a red ribbon being one point shy of being a finalist.

As an Indie author and a fan of Indie and Small Press books I am always keen to encourage others to read them. Throughout 2026 I will be sending a monthly newsletter with some examples you might want to take a look at. I have read or am reading the novels listed below. Having looked at this list I think I need to say I don’t always need a dead body in it to enjoy fiction!