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An extract from Chapter 16 of 'Harry Lampeter and the War with Scotland'

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Dear Aileen,  We suffered heavy losses during the attack on York and our airship, the Noltland Castle, has been ferrying the wounded back to Glasgow. I’ve witnessed terrible scenes in our hold: blood everywhere, soldiers screaming, nurses wheeling transfusion bottles around and doctors performing emergency operations. I don’t think I’ll ever get the pictures out of my head, those poor young people, the best of Scotland. We made several bombing passes, each one lower than the last. Captain McIndoe drew the line when English bullets began popping through the floor and one of them hit the helmsman’s foot.  The chap was totally stalwart, though. He flinched and then said, ‘Permission to speak, Captain?’  The Captain said, ‘Aye, helmsman.’ The helmsman said, ‘I think the bastard English have just shot my toe off, sir.’  Captain McIndoe looked down at the pool of blood forming around the poor chap’s foot, relieved him of his post, and took the wheel himself. It was Scottish sto

'Dead People on Facebook' is newly published on Audible

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  An anthology of speculative fiction. Artificial Intelligences, Space Elevators, Time Travel, Robots, Steampunk, Fantasy, Horror, Magic and Romance. The stories in this book were published, podcasted, and broadcast by various e-zines internationally. The book  features various speculative genres: fantasy, horror, humor, science fiction; there is also a little magic and one romance. Link to Audible US Link to Audible UK

An extract from Chapter 13 of 'Harry Lampeter and the War with Scotland'

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  The village was a scene of destruction centred on the remains of the lorry, which stood wrecked and burning in the middle of the road a hundred yards away. They approached it carefully. The man who’d threatened them was in the driving seat, virtually decapitated by the blast. His companion, horribly burned, was attempting to crawl out of the other side of the ruined cab and onto the road. He was mewling piteously.  Tom did his best to help him to the ground, but he screamed from the pain of his injuries. Tom laid him down in the road, spoke gently to him, telling him that everything would be all right and that they’d get him to a hospital. Harry saw Tom slide a pistol from the man’s holster. There was the sound of a gunshot. Tom placed the pistol in the dead man’s hand and stood up. ‘Best thing for him, I did him a mercy,’ he muttered. Seeing Harry’s shocked expression, he added, ‘Sometimes it’s better to ask for forgiveness than to ask permission. That was one of those times.’ An

An extract from Chapter 4 of 'Harry Lampeter and the War with Scotland'

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  On the show’s farewell night at the pub, as Harry sat at the entrance to the music room selling tickets, a strange figure approached. From the build and height, he guessed it was a woman, but she wore a pin-striped suit, with wide lapels, turn-up trousers, a trilby hat, shiny black brogues and what looked like a regimental tie. She carried a silver handled Malacca cane, which Harry suspected was a sword-stick. The monocle through which she stared unblinkingly at him made the costume even more incongruous as he fumbled for her change.  ‘I haven’t got all f***ing day, you know,’ she hissed as he handed the coins over.  An extract from 'Harry Lampeter and the War with Scotland' Amazon code ASIN ‏ : ‎ B095KN13N2 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B095KN13N2 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B095KN13N2

An extract from Chapter 3 of 'Harry Lampeter and the War with Scotland'

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   The collapsed, rusting pipework of the oil terminal looked like the brown entrails of some long dead robotic monster, and the source of the signal was at its very centre. He steered the airship closer and could see a figure lying supine beside some collapsed ductwork. It raised an arm and waved; Telford waved back. He manoeuvred the airship over the spot and dropped a grapple into the metallic jumble below. He stopped the engine and vented a gush of steam from the boiler. Holding onto his top hat, he leaned over the gondola’s gunwale and called down.  ‘Telford Stephenson, at your service, can I be of assistance?’  ‘Of course, you can be of assistance, ya numptie. I’ve broken my bloody ankle,’ the figure called back.  Golly, thought Telford, it’s a woman, and a Glaswegian by the sound of her. I wonder what she’s doing here? An extract from 'Harry Lampeter and the War with Scotland' Amazon code ASIN ‏ : ‎ B095KN13N2 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B095KN13N2 https:

An extract from Chapter 2 of 'Harry Lampeter and the War with Scotland'

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  ‘Hello, Harry,’ said Emma, looking up as he walked through the door and into the saloon bar of the Bear and Penguin. Emma was standing behind the bar, washing glasses. She had a tea towel over her shoulder. ‘I got your message. Would you like a drink?’ Without waiting for an answer, she dried her hands and took down a pint glass from the shelf above her.  ‘Thanks, Em, it’s good to see you. Yes, a pint please.’ He sat on a bar stool, dropped his ditty bag on the floor, and sniffed the air. There was nothing quite like the smell of an English pub: yeast, coal smoke, tobacco, and a slight chemical tang from the still in the backyard. An extract from 'Harry Lampeter and the War with Scotland' ASIN ‏ : ‎ B095KN13N2 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B095KN13N2 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B095KN13N2

An extract from Chapter 1 of 'Harry Lampeter and the War with Scotland'

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  Two days later, the Francis Holmes had latched onto a mooring tower at London City Airport. The passengers disembarked while the new ones were being processed. The ship would shortly uncouple, motor back to Heathrow Airport and pick up cargo for the next transatlantic run. Harry stood at the foot of the mooring tower and looked up at the patched grey hull of the “Old Bag” as all aircrew affectionately referred to their airships. An extract from 'Harry Lampeter and the War with Scotland' ASIN ‏ : ‎ B095KN13N2 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B095KN13N2 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B095KN13N2