Upon A Summer's Day Archives

Grown Wise: A silhouetted man and woman in 1940s clothes, walking together as he reaches for a branch full of apples. The background is a muted green and brown, scattered with a swoosh of golden light. Shown on a wooden table with a mug of tea.

Albion’s Council

April 1, 2025 / Albion

A look at Albion’s Council, the 21 people who are responsible for maintaining the Pact and tending the land magic for the country.

Best Foot Forward, Grown Wise, Mysterious Fields, The Hare And The Oak, Three Graces, Upon A Summer's Day

The cover of Three Graces has three women in silhouette, two standing and one sitting, her hand resting on a cane. All three are wearing clothes from during the Second World War, against a deep brown cover with a map. An astrology chart to the back left has the Moon and Venus picked out in brighter gold.

Cover design : Land Mysteries

July 3, 2024 / Land Mysteries, Writing and publishing

Let’s explore the cover design for the Land Mysteries series – with a look at some hidden elements you might not have noticed!

Best Foot Forward, Illusion of a Boar, Nocturnal Quarry, Old As The Hills, The Magic of Four, Three Graces, Upon A Summer's Day

What’s after The Land Mysteries

May 29, 2024 / Writing and publishing

What made me want to write the Land Mysteries series, and what’s coming next.

As The Ground Shifts, Best Foot Forward, Illusion of a Boar, Nocturnal Quarry, Old As The Hills, The Magic of Four, Three Graces, Upon A Summer's Day

Old As The Hills displayed on a tablet, in a stone arch with a glowing purple night sky behind it. The cover of Old As The Hills has a man with a can and a woman silhouetted on a green ground with a map. She holds out her hand, he is putting something into it, forming a doorway between them. An astrological chart behind them shows the symbols for Venus, the Sun, Jupiter, and Saturn highlighted behind a splash of glowing stars.

Neurodiversity in my books

April 17, 2024 / In Character, Questions and answers

A guide to neurodiverse characters in my books, as of 2024. (Check out the grid early in the post for the current complete list.)

Ancient Trust, Best Foot Forward, Bound for Perdition, Casting Nasturtiums, Complementary, Eclipse, Illusion of a Boar, Old As The Hills, On The Bias, Pastiche, Perfect Accord, Seven Sisters, Shoemaker's Wife, The Fossil Door, The Magic of Four, Three Graces, Upon A Summer's Day

Four Walls and a Heart lying on a table with autumn gourds. The cover is a deep red, with a man in a wheelchair and a man standing, both in silhouette, in front of a large blue and glass door.

Architecture and magic

April 3, 2024 / Albion

What is architectural magic like in Albion? This post takes a look at some of the theory and practice, including how it affects the demesne estates and land magic.

Eclipse, Four Walls and a Heart, Pastiche, Upon A Summer's Day

Copy of Pastiche on a white wood background, surrounded by golden yellow leaves that pick up on the yellow of the stained glass window on the cover.

In Character : Richard Edgarton

March 13, 2024 / In Character

Explore the history of Richard Edgarton in all his many roles: Lord, Captain in the Guard, magistrate, husband, father, and lover of the land.

Ancient Trust, Four Walls and a Heart, Old As The Hills, Pastiche, Perfect Accord, The Fossil Door, Upon A Summer's Day, Wards of the Roses

Upon A Summer's Day displayed on a tablet in a sunset scene looking out across water to fields beyond, all of it glowing golden and sparkling with magic. The cover of Upon A Summer's Day shows a man in a suit silhouetted over a map of northern Wales in a muted green. He is gesturing, holding his cane in one hand, a cap on his head. Behind him is an astrological chart, with Jupiter and Saturn highlighted in the sign of Taurus.

Idea to Book: Upon A Summer’s Day

February 28, 2024 / Ideas to books

All about the reasons Upon A Summer’s Day exists in the world: Gabriel Edgarton in all his glory, a dance, and a Council Challenge.

Old As The Hills, Upon A Summer's Day

Old As The Hills sitting on a bouquet of flowers - rosses, sweetpeas, and others, on a whitewashed bench with honey, tea, and other summery things. The cover of Old As The Hills has a man with a can and a woman silhouetted on a green ground with a map. She holds out her hand, he is putting something into it, forming a doorway between them. An astrological chart behind them shows the symbols for Venus, the Sun, Jupiter, and Saturn highlighted behind a splash of glowing stars.

Ideas To Book: Old As The Hills

February 21, 2024 / Ideas to books

The ideas that made Old As The Hills come to life: a loving marriage, writing closer to history, and a conversation with a particular bit of esoteric history.

Old As The Hills, The Fossil Door, Upon A Summer's Day

A look back at 2023

December 28, 2023 / Albion, Writing and publishing

It’s the time of year where a recap is called for. Check out the post for the books (and two extras) released in 2023, what I’ve written, and improvements to this website and my authorial wiki. Books that came out in 2023

Bound for Perdition, Four Walls and a Heart, Illusion of a Boar, Nocturnal Quarry, Old As The Hills, Shoemaker's Wife, Three Graces, Treats And Extras, Upon A Summer's Day

Up for a 2024 reading challenge?

December 18, 2023 / Reading

It’s late December, which means it’s also the time when various sites post their reading challenges. If you’re doing one in 2024, here’s a guide to which of my books might fit particular categories. (If you’re doing a challenge not listed here, and other people can join in, send me a link and I’ll add it!) You might also want to check out my post about summer reading challenges from the summer of 2023. The two challenges I’m pulling from for this post are the Book Riot’s Read Harder 2024 challenge and the 2024 PopSugar Reading Challenge. They have some overlapping categories, so I’m going to note which challenge applies, and the books I’ve written that might apply.

Best Foot Forward, Carry On, Chasing Legends, Facets of the Bench, Fool's Gold, Forged in Combat, Four Walls and a Heart, Illusion of a Boar, In The Cards, Magician's Hoard, Mistress Of Birds, Nocturnal Quarry, Outcrossing, Pastiche, Sailor's Jewel, Shoemaker's Wife, The Fossil Door, The Magic of Four, Three Graces, Upon A Summer's Day, Wards of the Roses

Where to start

August 9, 2023 / Questions and answers, Writing and publishing

One of the questions that I hear fairly often these days is “Which of your books should I start with?” I now have an entire page on this website to help with your questions about reading order. The short answer is: “Start anywhere you like with any book set before 1935.” (Though there are a couple where you might have more fun in a specific order.) Read on for a few more thoughts about that.

Ancient Trust, Best Foot Forward, Fool's Gold, Goblin Fruit, Old As The Hills, On The Bias, Pastiche, Seven Sisters, Shoemaker's Wife, Upon A Summer's Day

My plans for 2023

December 29, 2022 / Announcements, Writing and publishing

Now that I’ve talked about what I got up to in 2022, it’s time to look forward into 2023. I’m incredibly excited about my plans for 2023. There’s quite a lot to come! Publication dates may shift a little, but I expect them to be fairly close to the following. Coming out in 2023 This year, I’m alternating between a series of 1920s books (Mysterious Arts) and books dealing with the Second World War (the Land Mysteries series).

Best Foot Forward, Bound for Perdition, Carry On, Illusion of a Boar, Nocturnal Quarry, Old As The Hills, Shoemaker's Wife, Three Graces, Upon A Summer's Day

What I got up to in 2022

December 22, 2022 / Land Mysteries, Mysterious Powers, Novellas

It is the time of year where a roundup of what I did seems useful for a variety of reasons. (Come back next week for what’s coming in 2023!) What came out in 2022 I put out four novels, two novellas, and a substantial extra in 2022. That’s a lot! Links here that aren’t the title (in the header) will take you to my public wiki. There you can see more details about people and places.

Ancient Trust, Best Foot Forward, Bound for Perdition, Forged in Combat, Mistress Of Birds, Nocturnal Quarry, Old As The Hills, Point By Point, Shoemaker's Wife, The Hare And The Oak, Upon A Summer's Day, With All Due Speed