Author: Richard E. Rock

• “We could all use a little gothic decadence in our lives right now” – River of Diamonds by Liv Kristine reviewed

  While soaking up this album it occurred to me exactly what it is about gothic metal that I love; it’s the decadence. Gothic metal at its best is seductive, lavish,…

• “A good story has the power to transcend boundaries.” – THE SHADOW ORDER by Rebecca F. John reviewed

  The blurb: One year on from the day the shadows shifted – showing people their truest selves instead of just their shapes – best friends Teddy, Betsy and Effie plan…

• “Best read by candlelight.” – The Curse of Ravenhall by CL Raven reviewed

  The blarb: Whilst the town has always avoided the castle, it’s always seemed a peaceful, if eerie place. Now, since Nathaniel’s death, there seems to be a sense of…evil around…

• NOVEL WRITING – WHAT WORKS FOR ME

  I have never been asked to give writing advice, and if there’s any justice in the world I never will be. But even if I was, my rampant imposter syndrome…

• “It’s a real feast.” – DOG MEAT by Priscilla Bettis reviewed

  The blurb: Kalb Ward slaughters dogs for the Colony, a closed, dystopian society where resources are tight, free speech is nonexistent, and those in power have eyes and ears everywhere.…

• “This future is closer than we’d care to admit.” – COUNTERPOINT by Michelle Cook reviewed

  The blurb: It’s 31st October 2041 in England. On her twenty-fifth birthday, Essie Glass still grieves for her family, killed by a terrorist bomb when she was just sixteen. The…

• “Plays like this are why theatres were built in the first place.” SORTER by Richard Mylan reviewed

  I don’t go to the theatre very often, but after seeing this production I feel I need to seriously buck my ideas up. Sorter, which is being staged at Swansea…

• “Brutality! Seediness! Controversy!” – THE PHOENIX HOUR by Paula R.C. Readman reviewed

  The blurb: In 2055, humanity is on the brink of extinction after the misuse of an Intellectual Improvement drug. Doctor Louise Brimstone is facing mounting pressure from Professor Davidson. She…

• THE MAKING OF ANNIE-MAY by Alana Beth Davies reviewed

  The Blurb: This is a love story, a family saga, and a social and political commentary on life in 20th century Wales, as seen through the eyes of one woman…

• “This is a film about time and the landscape.” – ENYS MEN reviewed

  Enys Men is the kind of film that one person will like and another will not for exactly the same reasons. Chronicling the disturbing experiences of a lone ‘volunteer’ who…