All the blogs
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Branwell: The Political Brontë
An excerpt from The Life and Work of Branwell Brontë, describing Branwell’s political activity in 1837: Branwell also became a political figure that year. On 27th January he established a Haworth Operative Conservative Society, the objectives of which were to ‘maintain loyalty to the King attachment to the connection between church and State respect for the…
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What is Skerry Books?
If you’ve ever closely examined the information on a product page for one of my books, you’ll have noticed that the publisher is listed as Skerry Books. If you’ve ever wondered what that is, here’s the answer. It’s me. Independent publishing is a funny old game. Each vendor seems to do things slightly differently. They…
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Fantastic Insights
What fantasy readers really think People with telepathic powers will already know what fantasy readers think. For everyone else, there’s the Fantastic Insights survey. What is the Fantastic Insights survey? I wanted to know more about readers’ attitudes and opinions towards the books they read, so I polled over a thousand readers across age, gender,…
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How to draw fantasy maps
If you’ve read more than a handful of fantasy books, you can easily deduce that fantasy authors love maps. We assume that fantasy readers love maps too, which is why we keep putting maps in our books. I think it’s a safe assumption but, if it isn’t, fantasy maps are here to stay anyway; of…
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On Peaceful Death and Painful Life by Branwell Brontë
Why dost thou sorrow for the happy dead? For if their life be lost their toils are o’er, And woe and want can trouble them no more; Nor ever slept they in an earthly bed So sound as now they sleep, while dreamless laid In the dark chambers of the unknown shore, Where Night and…
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Letter from a Father on Earth to His Child in Her Grave by Branwell Brontë
From Earth, –whose life-reviving April showers Hide winter’s withered grass ‘neath springtide flowers, And give, in each soft wind that drives the rain, Promise of fields and forests green again– I write to thee, the aspect of whose face Can never change with change of time or place; Whose eyes could look on India’s wildest…
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Black Comb by Branwell Brontë
Far off, and half revealed ‘mid shade and light, Blackcomb half smiles, half frowns; his mighty form Scarce blending into peace; –more formed to fight A thousand years of struggles with a storm Than bask one hour, subdued by sunshine warm To bright and breezeless rest; –yet even his height Towers not o’er this world’s sympathies–he smiles,…
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Noah’s Warning Over Methuselah’s Grave by Branwell Brontë
Brothers and men! One moment stayBeside your latest patriarch’s grave,While God’s just vengeance yet delay–While God’s blest mercy yet can save. Will you compel my tongue to say,That underneath this nameless sodYour hands, with mine, have laid to-dayThe last on earth who walked with God? Shall his pale corpse, whose hoary hairAre just surrendered to…
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The Poetry of Branwell Brontë
A drunk. A drug addict. A wasted talent. These are often the words used to describe Branwell Brontë. But did you know that Branwell was a published poet long before his sisters? Not many do. Branwell didn’t help himself (he rarely did) by publishing under a pseudonym: Northangerland. This name belonged to his favourite character from…
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How to save money on the ebooks you want
Do you buy your ebooks from Amazon? If so, I’ve found an ebook price tracking website that you really should check out! Have you ever bought an ebook only to see it for a cheaper price just days later? It’s annoying, isn’t it? The last time that happened to me, I’d bought a Star Wars…
Got any book recommendations?
