The new Safe Haven standalone will be out on Tuesday (That’s when I’ll reveal the title too). As I’ve mentioned previously, it’s like nothing I’ve written before.

You won’t get the full picture until you start reading it, but I thought I’d share the blurb with you.

Hope you like it.

Some of you may remember that I kept a diary while writing Madhouse, with a view to publishing it at a later date. That project didn’t come to fruition for several reasons. Because of the unusual nature of the latest Safe Haven standalone, I decided to keep a journal once more. This one is very different to the other for a number of reasons, not least of which, while also discussing the book’s progression, I talk about my writing career, the many, many mistakes I’ve made along the way and lots of previously unrevealed knowledge regarding Safe Haven, The End of Everything and my other books.

My aim is to make it interesting for my current readership, in addition to talking about my processes and hopefully helping some aspiring writers too.  

I talk about the birth of some of my characters and stories, as well as life hacks I’ve developed to get me through the day. It’s very candid and just like my new Safe Haven standalone, it’s like nothing I’ve written before. Although the new book will be out next week, the diary is going to take a while longer to complete, but I hope some of you choose to pick it up and take a behind-the-scenes dive into the Safe Haven universe.

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.