October will soon be here, and it’s a busy month for conventions. All the more so these days, now that online participation has become an integral part of SF&F events. Enabling people who cannot attend in person to take part in genre gatherings and events is an excellent development. Of course, that doesn’t happen by magic, so let’s remember to thank convention committees and volunteers for organising the tech and taking on this extra work.

I’d love to be travelling to Cork for Octocon over the weekend of 3rd-4th October but since that’s not possible, I’ll be part of their online programme. I’ll be discussing the complexities of writing satisfactory endings at 10am on Saturday morning, followed by a conversation at 1pm on the importance of writing support networks. One of the interesting aspects of this panel is it’s also being run in person with different contributors. I’m curious to see where the two groups agree and where opinions vary.

Sunday afternoon’s panel on Retelling Fairytales and Folktales is similarly being run online as well as at the convention itself. Once again, it’ll be fascinating to compare and possibly contrast conclusions.

The following weekend sees Fantasycon 2026 in Glasgow, from Friday 9th to Sunday 11th October. My personal schedule for Saturday 10th is packed, with two publisher’s launches, a reading slot, panels on working with folklore, and on the merits or otherwise of joining societies and organisations for writers, as well as contributing to a live podcast.

Happily, I am free of commitments on Friday, apart from attending the BFS AGM, and I have just the one panel on Sunday afternoon, on realism in writing fight scenes. So those are the better days to find me for a chat or to get a book signed, if you’re there all weekend. If you’re only there on Saturday, catch me before midday.

24th-25th October will see me at Bristolcon. I am particularly looking forward to this, as one of the Guests of Honour is Cheryl Morgan, the driving force behind Wizard’s Tower Press, and without whom the Green Man series would never have seen the light of day in print or pixels. Programme details will be forthcoming when I have them.

I did say I was busy when I last posted an update … and very productively so. I’m very pleased to report The Green Man’s Debt is now written and edited with the invaluable assistance of Editor Toby, and with the benefit of input from several expert consultants, most notably talented writer and valued friend, C.E. Murphy. As those who heard me read a taster at Eastercon will know, this new story takes Dan and Fin to Ireland. As many of you will be aware, I’ve visited Ireland regularly for years. That gets me so far, but I still need folk closer to daily life there to take a look at what I’m writing. Quite simply, I don’t know what I don’t know.

Ben Baldwin is working on the cover art right now, and the preliminary sketches are as good as you would imagine. I’ll be sharing the finished cover soon, along with details of September’s publication date. Can you believe this is the ninth book in this series?! And that this success is entirely thanks to enthusiastic readers spreading the word? I am hugely grateful to everyone who has supported me and Wizard’s Tower Press as this series has unfolded.

The Riven Kingdom, my new epic fantasy from Angry Robot is now finalised and will be published in ebook and paperback on 27th October 2026. Audiobook production is underway. I’ll post updates on that, and promotions, interviews etc as I have them.

My next opportunity to talk about both books will be a week today. On 25th July 2026, I’ll be taking part in the British Fantasy Society’s BFS Online event, exploring power in speculative fiction, its manifestations, imbalances and consequences, both intended and unforeseen. The event is free to BFS members and £5 to non-members – and these online days are a great introduction to the BFS.

Throughout the day, an international roster of panellists will bring a wide range of perspectives to discussions on how individuals handle power, how oppressive power can be resisted, and whether or not power really does corrupt? At 12.15, I’ll be talking to Shona Kinsella about power dynamics in my own work and elsewhere, in fiction and reality.

Looking ahead to other dates in the diary when I’ll be talking about these books and no doubt, many other things, I’ll be at Fantasycon in Glasgow 9th – 11th October, and Bristolcon (in Bristol obviously) 24th – 25th October. There are a couple of other potential upcoming events, and I’ll post updates on this as and when details are confirmed.

Between now and then, I have a very interesting short story commission to work on, which is what I’ll be doing once I’ve posted this. It’s been a good year for my short fiction. I was tremendously honoured to be invited to contribute to an absolutely stellar anthology celebrating David Gemmell’s work in commemoration of his untimely death twenty years ago. The Iron Code will be published on 28th July by Newcon Press – and you can get your preorders in here

You can also read my contribution to the splendid anthology from Wizard’s Tower Press, Fight Like A Girl Volume 2 in The 2026 Best of British SFF Bundle, available to the end of the month. This fifth annual Best of British SF/F bundle is bigger than ever, and honestly, I read the roster of titles thinking ‘read that, it’s great, ooh, and so’s that, and that, and that…’ The Green Man’s Heir is also in there, so if you know someone you think would enjoy reading that, or any of the other excellent books on offer, do send them the link.
Click here for full details.

That’s all for the moment. Now that I’ve got two novels off my desk, hopefully I’ll be able to blog a bit more frequently. No promises, mind you. I still have plenty to keep me busy, not least supporting the Society of Authors’ ongoing defence of writers’ rights against predatory techbros and others!

I had an excellent weekend at Eastercon, where I offered a couple of readings from this year’s forthcoming books, and revealed the title of the next Green Man story with eager readers. The Green Man’s Debt will be coming from Wizard’s Tower Press in September 2026. More news and artwork will be shared in due course.

The Riven Kingdom will be published by Angry Robot on 27th October, and I see Amazon UK are already taking pre-orders if that’s of interest. Regardless, you can click through to see the cover art from Alice Coleman.

I have now added The Tiny Book Case pin badge to my convention lanyard, as I thoroughly enjoyed writing a short story for Ben and Nico, and then hearing and discussing their stories – all very different even though we were working from the same single-word prompt of ‘Whip’.

Click here for Podlink or go to wherever you get your podcasts from.

The next episode will be our highly enjoyable, more general chat about writing, books and more besides.

This coming weekend, I’ll be at Iridescence, the Eastercon in Birmingham. My schedule is now as follows:

Friday, 3 April
16:30 Book launch: Wizard’s Tower Press
Sussex, 60 mins

Saturday, 4 April
09:00 Considering Anne McCaffrey
Sandringham, 60 mins

13:30 Appropriation of Greek Culture in the Anglophone world, and how to reclaim it
Salisbury-Wellington, 60 mins

15:00 Introduction to Fantasy Kingdoms
Salisbury-Wellington, 60 mins

Monday, 6 April 2026
10:30 Author Reading III
Salisbury-Wellington, 60 mins
I’ll be reading alongside Aliette de Bodard, and sharing the title of this year’s novel in my Green Man series, along with a short reading from that work in progress. I’ll also be offering a new taste of The Riven Kingdom, my epic fantasy novel coming from Angry Robot this autumn. Since keen readers are asking if this relates to my previous fantasy writing, you may be interested to know the story is set in the same world as Shadow Histories of the River Kingdom but these events unfold some centuries earlier…

As always at conventions, feel free to say hello, get a book signed, ask a question about my writing or writing in general.

In haste as I am working flat out on various things at present. Alongside everything else, I’ll be recording interviews with a couple of podcasts later this week. More details when those are available for a listen.

The weekend after next is Iridescence, the Eastercon in Birmingham. My schedule is as follows:

Friday, 3 April
16:30 Book launch: Wizard’s Tower Press
Sussex, 60 mins

Saturday, 4 April
09:00 Considering Anne McCaffrey
Sandringham, 60 mins

13:30 Appropriation of Greek Culture in the Anglophone world, and how to reclaim it
Salisbury-Wellington, 60 mins

Monday, 6 April 2026
10:30 Author Reading III
Salisbury-Wellington, 60 mins
I’ll be reading alongside Aliette de Bodard and Robin CM Duncan, and sharing the title of this year’s novel in my Green Man series, along with a short reading from that work in progress. I’ll also be offering a new taste of The Riven Kingdom, my epic fantasy novel coming from Angry Robot this autumn. Since keen readers are asking if this relates to my previous fantasy writing, you may be interested to know the story is set in the same world as Shadow Histories of the River Kingdom but these events unfold some centuries earlier… 

Speaking of The Riven Kingdom, today and tomorrow this week, Barnes & Noble Premium and Reward members can get 25% off on preorders. I appreciate this will mainly be of interest to those in the US, but it does mean that everyone can now admire the fabulous cover art 😊

I’m taking the day off after a very busy weekend, which was most enjoyable and ticked all the professional requirements for such activity, especially publicising my work ahead of The Green Man’s Holiday being published on Thursday.

We had 100+ people attending our panel on Saturday at Comic Con at the Excel in London – which is vastly easier to get to these days, using the Elizabeth Line. It is the first time I’ve seen so many cosplayers in an audience, as keen and engaged with our discussion as everyone else. The signing session afterwards ran the gamut for me personally, from a reader of long standing getting their copies of earlier books signed and buying The Cleaving, to one who hadn’t came across my work before, buying The Cleaving after hearing me talk. So that’s a win all round.

Bristolcon was fun as always, both taking part in my panels and sitting in the audience for others. It was also a pleasure to spend time with established friends and to make/improve other acquaintance with like-minded folk. Being surrounded by people with shared interests and enthusiasms is one of the best things about SFF conventions. The reading I offered from The Green Man’s holiday was well received, so that’s sorted for World Fantasy.

And finally, I’d like to share this absolutely wonderful gift from Penny Hill, skilled needlewoman and expert on embroidery, fabrics and much more besides. If you’re at World Fantasy Convention 2025 more of her work will be in the art show, and I highly recommend you make time to see it – along with everything else.

Tomorrow I’ll be doing my World Fantasy panel prep and other such stuff.

I have two busy weekends ahead!

On Saturday 25th October,  I’m joining RJ Barker, Dan Coxon and Alex Pheby to discuss Dead Ink’s new non-fiction anthology of essays on Writing the Magic. Our panel is from 11am-11.45am at the Writers Block Stage, followed by a signing session from 11.45am-12.45am.

On Sunday 26th October, I’ll be at Bristolcon. After a reading at 12.50, I’ll join J A Mortimore, David Green, Jo M Thomas/Journeymouse, and Anna Smith Spark, to discuss Lost Cities and Legends at 1.00pm.

At 3.00pm, J E Hannaford, David Cartwright, Jonathan L. Howard, Carolyn Dougherty and I will consider possible solutions when Your planning application for a lair has been declined.

I’ll be arriving at the World Fantasy Convention in Brighton on Thursday 30th October. My schedule is as follows:

Friday, 3:00 pm-4:00 pm : Reading, with Ai Jiang and Christopher Caldwell

Friday, 7:00 pm-8:00 pm : Meet the Author: Juliet Mckenna. Sign up at the Registration Desk

Friday, 8:00 pm-10:00 pm : Mass Autograph Session. Feel free to say hello if you’re passing on your way to get something signed by another author

Saturday, 11:00 am-12:00 pm : Writing Fighting With Anna Smith Spark, Steve McHugh, Miles/Christian Cameron

Saturday, 3:00 pm-4:00 pm : Launch: Wizard’s Tower Press. Wizard’s Tower Press are launching my new novel, The Green Man’s Holiday, alongside Of the Emperor’s Kindness by Chaz Brenchley and Wiz Duo Book 3 by Ruthana Emrys & Andrew Knighton.

Saturday, 4:00 pm-5:00 pm : Launch: Dead Ink Books launch two new anthologies: Writing the Magic and Unquiet Guests.

I will also be attending the British Fantasy Awards and the Aldiss Award presentations, from 7.30pm on Saturday. The Green Man’s War is a finalist for the Best Fantasy Novel, and I have a story in Fight Like A Girl Volume 2, a finalist for Best Anthology.

I’m looking forward to these autumn events, and discussing the fiction and non-fiction I’ve been working on with readers and fellow writers. And perhaps I’ll have more to share about future plans?

20th September – Edge Lit, Derby.

25th October – MCM Comic Con, London – I’ll be here on Saturday morning…

before hopping on a train to get to …

26th October – Bristolcon, Bristol

followed by …

30th October – 2nd November – World Fantasy Convention, Brighton UK

If our paths cross somewhere, feel free to say hello!

I will be at Bristolcon this coming weekend, where Cheryl and I will be celebrating the forthcoming publication of The Green Man’s War. For this convention, ebooks will be available for purchase direct from Wizard’s Tower Press. Click here for the Wizard’s Tower page of purchase links for pre-orders.

As ever, Ben Baldwin has given us an absolutely stunning cover.

What’s the story this time? Well, for a few years now, the Green Man has sent Daniel Mackmain to resolve clashes between ordinary people and the supernatural world. Dan has found allies among folk from myth and met other humans who can see the uncanny. He has also made dangerous enemies. Someone has decided to put a stop to this interference once and for all. Dan and his friends are about to find themselves in the firing line.

The actual publication date will be 15th November for hardback, paperback and ebook editions through the usual retailers. This year has been a challenging one for me personally, and unforeseeable events threw my writing schedule into chaos. This landed the rest of the team, publisher Cheryl, editor Toby and artist Dan, with the knock-on effects which had to be managed alongside their other commitments. Believe me, everyone has done their utmost to bring Dan’s latest adventure to eager readers as soon as humanly possible, and I am hugely grateful.

Bristolcon will also see us celebrating Fight Like a Girl Volume 2, and similarly ebooks will be available for direct purchase. This is a second anthology of excellent short stories looking at different interpretations of this phrase, and offering sound reasons why it’s a big mistake to think that particular comment is a remotely valid put-down. My story is titled Civil War.

Oisin McGann has done us proud with this gorgeous cover art, and the publication date is 21st November. My fellow authors are Danie Ware, Gaie Sebold, Dolly Garland, Cheryl Morgan, Anna Smith Spark, K R Green, Julia Hawkes-Reed, K T Davies, S. Naomi Scott and Lou Morgan.

In December, Newcon Press will publish Different Times and Other Places, the tenth collection in the Polestars series where editor Ian Whates has invited writers to offer a selection of their short fiction. Since the other authors are Jaine Fenn, Teika Marija Smits, Emma Coleman, Justina Robson, Cécile Cristofari, Aliya Whiteley, Liz Williams, Fiona Moore and Patrice Sarath, you will understand how honoured I am to be asked.

Reading through stories I’ve written over the past twenty-plus years was an illuminating experience, and choosing which ones to include was a fascinating challenge. The process showed me aspects of my own writing which I haven’t noticed before. That was as unexpected as it was intriguing. I also had the opportunity to write a brand new Green Man short story, prompted by a comment my husband made as we walked around an ornamental National Trust garden. Reading a book about tapestries had also given me an idea for a story some while ago, and now this collection will give you the chance to read that. Click here for pre-orders.

So while 2024 has included a lot that I’ll be happy to see the back of, October, November and December are putting plenty into the plus column!

This coming weekend, I’ll be at the Queen in Chester hotel for the British Fantasy Society’s Fantasycon. For full details, click here.

As well as enjoying seeing friends and colleagues, I will be discussing reinventing Arthurian myth, considering underused fantastical creatures, and deciding how muppets can make everything better. I will also be doing a reading, and there’s a good chance that will be readers’ first chance to learn a bit about the forthcoming new Green Man book…

Then I get a weekend off, before Bristolcon on 26-27th October. The Guests of Honour are Peter F Hamilton and Joanne Harris who are lovely people as well as terrific writers – and this is a wonderfully friendly convention, so that will be another great couple of days. More details TBA.

The weekend after that, I’ll be in Sweden, where I am one of the Guests of Honour at Fantastika, the 2024 Swecon. As well as reflecting on my own work in an interview and various conversations, I’ll be discussing the challenges of writing across different genres, and blending aspects of different genres in a piece of writing, with the other guests. I’ll also be considering the role of forests in fantasy fiction, and the challenges that old supernatural forces face in the modern world.

After that I’m having a week’s holiday in Stockholm with my husband, since for various reasons, we haven’t had any sort of break so far this year!

That’s a lot of conventions! Especially in a year that’s had the Worldcon in Glasgow as well – which was excellent, by the way. So what do I get out of these events that makes committing the time, effort and expense worthwhile? The BFS is currently asking various members to remember their first Fantasycon across social media, and that reminded me I’d written up my recollections back in 2006, for a BFS publication back then. I dug that out of the archive here, and yes, it still holds good.

My First FantasyCon in 2000 – looking back in 2006

I won’t say I was apprehensive travelling to my first FantasyCon in 2000 but I had come prepared with a good book, in case I found myself with time on my hands, or eating alone. After all, I didn’t know anyone else who was going to be there. As it turned out, the organisers had anticipated people like me. There was a designated table where ‘virgins’ could meet each other, and be warmly welcomed by David Howe. All relieved not to be the only newbie, we consulted our programmes and agreed to meet up at various panels.

The next thing to make me feel welcome was several people recognising my name on my badge as the author of The Thief’s Gamble. Even better, they said they’d enjoyed it! That was thrilling but there are more important things I remember from the weekend. I made good friends whom I look forward to meeting each year now. All the established authors extended a generous welcome to a rookie, together with helpful advice and useful, cautionary tales. Notably Stan Nicholls and Anne Gay made sure I certainly wasn’t left eating dinner alone with my book.

Doug Bradley’s illustrated talk on movie makeup and masks was utterly fascinating and as well as doing my bit on panels, I went to others and to the GoH interviews. I came away from every session with intriguing questions to ponder and inspiration for developing my own writing. I also went home with a list of books to find that I might never have considered reading. The book I’d brought with me went home unopened, by the way.