From Fiction to Fertilisers: How My Research Roots Turned into a Polycrub Passion

There is a strange, beautiful alchemy that happens when the world of storytelling spills over into real life. For me, that transition happened somewhere between the pages of The Burning Tree and Safe Haven. While researching the grit, resilience, and self-sufficiency required for my characters, I found myself increasingly drawn to the dirt under my own fingernails.

The single biggest influence behind my decision to install a Polycrub—a rugged, Shetland-designed hybrid of a greenhouse and a polytunnel—was the deep dive into the survivalist wisdom of my novels. What started as "book work" blossomed into a full-blown obsession with sustainable gardening.

The Art of the "Busman’s Holiday"

People often ask if the Polycrub is my escape from writing. In truth, it’s a bit of a busman’s holiday. I spend my work hours dreaming up environments where characters must live off the land, and I spend my "off" hours actually doing it. It’s a cycle of research and practice that feeds both my soul and my soil. And honestly? What a great holiday it is.

Tapping into Nature’s Pantry: My Secret Growing Hacks

Lately, the Polycrub has become a laboratory for organic experiments. I’ve moved away from store-bought chemicals and started looking at what most people consider "waste" as liquid gold. Here are a few hacks I’ve picked up:

• Nettle Tea Fertiliser: This afternoon’s project! Stinging nettles are powerhouses of nitrogen, magnesium, and iron. By steeping them in water, I’m creating a potent "tea" that gives my leafy greens the kickstart they need.
• Seaweed Tea: Living near the coast, I spent last year harvesting seaweed. It’s a fantastic source of trace minerals and growth hormones that help plants withstand stress.
• The "Bury and Forget" Method: Over the last few months, I’ve been burying banana peels (for a potassium boost) and onion skins (which provide sulphur and act as a mild pest deterrent) directly next to my plants. It’s slow-release nutrition at its finest.
• Coffee Ground Composting: My morning caffeine fix now doubles as a nitrogen source for the compost heap. It improves soil structure and keeps those hard-working worms very happy.

Why Bother with the "Hacks"?

The benefits go beyond just saving a few pounds at the garden centre. Using these natural inputs creates a closed-loop system. It reduces my carbon footprint, ensures that no nasty synthetic chemicals end up on my dinner plate, and fosters a soil microbiome that is incredibly resilient.

More importantly, there is a profound sense of satisfaction in knowing that the research for my books didn’t just stay on the shelf. It’s alive, it’s green, and it’s growing right there in the Polycrub. Whether I'm plotting a new chapter or brewing a fresh batch of nettle tea, I’m reminded that the best stories—and the best gardens—are the ones we tend to with a bit of patience and a lot of heart.

From First Draft to Editor: A Leap of Faith into the Unknown

There is a specific kind of adrenaline that only an author understands—the moment you hit "send" on a completed manuscript. Today, I did just that. I’ve officially handed over the draft and the blurb for my latest book to my editor, marking exactly one month and one day since the first word hit the page.

To say this journey has been a "blast" would be an understatement. I’ve loved every single second of the process. The writing flowed with an energy I haven't felt in a long time, but now the work leaves my hands and enters those of the man tasked with making it fit for public consumption.

A New Direction

Despite the joy of the process, I have to admit to a few butterflies. I’m feeling a little more nervous this time around, and for a good reason: this book is a huge departure for me. While the story is firmly rooted in the Safe Haven universe that many of you know, it takes a completely new slant on that world. It’s a creative risk, a pivot from my usual lane, and an experiment in storytelling that has been truly unequivocal for me. Writing this has opened my mind to all sorts of wild possibilities for future projects, proving that even familiar universes have hidden corners left to explore.

What Comes Next?

Now, the waiting game begins. As my editor dives into the red ink, I’m left with that lingering writer’s anxiety: Hopefully, I haven't screwed things up too much! Ultimately, my biggest goal is for the finished product to resonate with you. I poured my heart into this "new slant," and I truly hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Stay tuned for more updates as we move closer to release!

Beyond the Fallout: 10 Dystopian Masterpieces You Need to Read

If you caught my previous list of post-apocalyptic favourites, you know I have a soft spot for the end of the world. But while post-apocalyptic fiction focuses on the collapse of civilisation, dystopian literature explores what happens when society stays upright—but becomes a waking nightmare.

From high-stakes arenas to chillingly polite totalitarian states, these ten titles represent the absolute best of the genre.

The Modern Icons

These are the books that defined a generation of readers, blending social commentary with breathless action.

• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: In the ruins of North America, the nation of Panem forces children from its twelve districts to fight to the death in a televised spectacle. It’s a haunting look at media consumption and class warfare.
• Divergent by Veronica Roth: Set in a futuristic Chicago where society is divided into five factions based on virtues, Beatrice Prior discovers she doesn't fit into just one. It explores the danger of forced conformity.
• The Maze Runner by James Dashner: A group of boys wakes up in a massive, shifting stone labyrinth with no memory of their past. It’s a high-octane mystery about experimental control and survival.

The Foundation Stones

To understand the genre, you have to go back to the classics that predicted our modern anxieties decades ago.

• 1984 by George Orwell: The ultimate cautionary tale about surveillance and thought control. In a world where "Big Brother is Watching You," Winston Smith attempts to rebel against a party that seeks to eliminate the very concept of truth.
• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley: Unlike Orwell’s drab world, Huxley imagines a "utopia" of genetic engineering, mandatory happiness, and consumerism. It asks: is a world without pain worth losing our humanity?
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury: In a society where books are illegal and "firemen" burn them to prevent independent thought, Guy Montag begins to question the shallow, screen-obsessed world he protects.

Social and Environmental Nightmares

These stories lean into the terrifying possibilities of how our laws and our planet might fail us.

• The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood: After a staged terrorist attack overthrows the U.S. government, the Republic of Gilead is formed. In this patriarchal theo-democracy, women’s rights are stripped away, and "Handmaids" are forced into ritualised birth-giving.
• The Giver by Lois Lowry: A deceptively simple story about a world without colour, pain, or choice. When 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to inherit the community's memories, he realises the dark price of "Sameness."
• The Running Man by Richard Bachman (Stephen King): Forget the movie; the book is a gritty, desperate thriller. In a decaying future, a man enters a deadly game show where he is hunted by the public to earn money for his dying daughter’s medicine.
• The Drowned World by J.G. Ballard: A fascinating "environmental dystopia." As solar radiation melts the ice caps, London becomes a prehistoric tropical swamp. It’s a surreal exploration of how humanity regresses when the environment turns hostile.

Why We Keep Reading

Dystopian fiction isn't just about "gloom and doom." These books act as a mirror, reflecting our current fears and asking us how much of our freedom we are willing to trade for security or comfort. Whether it's the high-stakes games of Katniss Everdeen or the quiet rebellion of Winston Smith, these stories remind us that the human spirit is remarkably difficult to extinguish.

New Treasures, Signed Books, and a Quick Housekeeping Note

It’s been a busy season behind the scenes! If you’ve been following along, you know the website is currently a work in progress. It’s a bit like a house undergoing a full renovation—we’re living in it while we fix the floorboards—but I’m thrilled to be updating the blog regularly again to keep you all in the loop.

Before we get to the exciting new additions to the shop, I have a small favour to ask regarding our comments section.

A Quick "Comment" Etiquette Guide

Our current comment system is a little clunky. When you leave a message, you’ll be asked to prove you aren't a robot (the usual "click the traffic lights or hedgehogs" routine). Once you pass the test, your comment posts automatically, but you won’t receive a pop-up confirmation.

• The Golden Rule: Please do not keep clicking the "post" button!
• The Fix: If you aren't sure it worked, wait a minute and refresh the page.

Every extra click creates a duplicate I have to manually delete in the website’s "back room." Every minute I spend scrubbing accidental spam is a minute I’m not spending writing the next book!

Signed Memorabilia (Without the Heavy Postage)

I know that postal prices have been skyrocketing lately, and I hate the idea of shipping costs standing between you and a signed copy. To solve this, I’ve had limited-edition bookplates professionally printed!

These are high-quality, adhesive labels that I’ve signed personally. They are perfect for:

• Pasting into the front of your Amazon-bought paperbacks.
• Sprucing up your survival journal.
• Customising your laptop.

It’s a great way to own a piece of signed memorabilia without breaking the bank.

Bundles and New Arrivals

For those looking to fill their shelves, I have two more exciting updates:

1. Inflation-Busting Sets: I’m now offering 3-book bundles featuring the first three titles of your favourite series at a discounted rate. It’s the most cost-effective way to dive into a new world.
2. Unsafe 6 & 7: For the completists out there, signed copies of Unsafe 6 and Unsafe 7 are officially available in the shop!

Thank you for your patience with the tech side of things and for your incredible ongoing support. Head over to the shop to check out the new bookplates and bundles!

Partners in Storytelling: Celebrating the Voice of Safe Haven

Looking back on a journey that spans years and millions of words, it’s hard to believe that my partnership with Kim Bretton almost didn’t happen. Today, as I share the news that Kim has officially finished recording Safe Haven: Meltdown—the 14th book in the series—I can’t help but reflect on how far we’ve come since that first encounter in 2019.

Back then, I was a relative newcomer to the audiobook scene. I was searching for the perfect voice for The End of Everything, hoping to find a narrator who could capture the grit and soul of the series. I remember spotting Kim’s profile and thinking she’d be perfect, but there was a hurdle: at the time, I didn't have the funds for a flat-fee production, and Kim’s profile stated she worked solely on a per-finished-hour basis.

Fate, however, had other plans. Despite the initial mismatch in logistics, Kim sent over an audition the very next day. When I explained I could only work on a royalty share basis, she didn’t hesitate. She said yes, and the rest is history.

In hindsight, that royalty share agreement was the best thing that could have happened. It transformed our relationship from a simple business transaction into a true creative partnership. We aren't just author and narrator; we are equal shareholders in this audiobook universe. Kim is a true artist, and I’ve always believed that an artist needs freedom. Whether she’s tweaking a bit of vocabulary to help a character’s dialogue flow or bringing an atmospheric "Celtic magic" to life—aided by the incredible production talents of her husband, Lee—Kim’s work is a tour de force.

Every time I receive a finished file, it’s a magical experience. Even though I’m the one who wrote the words, listening to Kim is like experiencing the story for the first time. She doesn't just recite the text; she inhabits it.

Of course, it’s not all serious business. Our friendship has grown to the point where I feel comfortable indulging my mischievous streak. After Kim sent me a hilarious outtake of her struggling with the word "anomaly," I may or may not have ensured that the word appeared multiple times in the very next script. It’s all part of the joy of working with a "mate" who truly gets the creative process.

With Meltdown now fully recorded, the 14th chapter of the Safe Haven audio journey is nearly ready for your ears. Hearing Kim bring these characters to life while the ink is still wet on the page is the ultimate celebration of finishing a new book. I can’t wait for you all to hear what she’s done with this one. It’s haunting, it’s emotional, and it’s classic Kim Bretton.

Onward to the next one!