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Writing the battle of Menai Straits. Druidesses cause the XIV Legion to halt their crossing through fear. Agricola will lift them to a resounding victory. Hammer: coming in the Autumn.

One question I am frequently asked is, “where do you get your inspiration?” or couched slightly different, “why was I drawn to write about Naples?” I suppose answering those types of questions will be different for each writer. I have knocked together a couple of responses I gave during the recent blog tour of TheContinue reading “Inspiration”

Whenever I get revisions back from my editor, her cover letter says something like, “Overall, Phil, I think the plot of The Alcoholic Mercenary is excellent – you’ve brought in all the key elements of the noir genre, combined them with tight writing…” (actual). In this instance, Georgia noted my “tight writing”. The tightness isContinue reading “Editing”

The local proverb, “Vedi Napoli e poi muori” (See Naples and then die), appears on the cover of The Alcoholic Mercenary. I use it as a running theme throughout the story. Both the protagonist and the antagonist touch on it. Rachel hears it at her leaving do, a joke in poor taste from one of herContinue reading “Vedi Napoli e Poi Muori”

I Got Lost in a Book It is said that once you have seen the city of Naples, you can die peacefully since nothing else can match its beauty. Well, that is not the case in this book! Yes, the characters face death head-on, but there is not a lot of beauty in the underworldContinue reading “TAM 5⭐️ Review”

Four Reviews, Four 5 ⭐️s Reviewer: I Got Lost in a Book “I thought this story was wonderfully narrated. At times it felt like I was watching a movie rather than reading a book.” “I think this book would certainly appeal to those who like historical crime fiction. It was certainly a good read andContinue reading “The Alcoholic Mercenary- What the Critics Have To Say”

*** They said, “See Naples and then die!” Rachel had thought it was to do with the natural beauty of the place. A misconception she soon lost after … The Alcoholic Mercenary by Phil Hughes / #Extract #BlogTour @maryanneyarde @Phil_Hughes_Nov

Oh Look, Another Book! Are you ready for a road trip back to the late 70s? Hold onto your hats as Phil Hughes turns back time and takes his readers to Naples, a place where crime lords rule the streets. Things are not much better at the Nato base where those in charge seem moreContinue reading “Another 5 ⭐️ Review for TAM”

In this post, I outline the process I follow when writing a novel. It is not intended as a writing lesson but could be used by new writers to decide how they will write. Not the dos and don’ts — there are already far too many of those books — but the process. Stephen KingContinue reading “That Writing Thing”

The Book Bandit’s Library The historical mystery genre is one that I always enjoy, so I was very much looking forward to reading The Alcoholic Mercenary by Phil Hughes. The blurb of this novel was very convincing and I suspected that as soon as I started to read I would soon become swept up inContinue reading “5 ⭐️ Review of TAM”