I am a freelance artist and self-publisher of small illustrated books. My books range from experimental mark-marking to short, dark, humorous tales. More recently I have focused on themes of nature and horror… still with an amusing slant! My latest book, created in collaboration with writer Claire Blakemore, introduces you to the otherworldly.

GILLES OF BEC AND THE CAGE FULL OF BIRDS by T D OWEN

An historical novel and mystery set in 12th century Oxfordshire and Berkshire.

The Cage Full of Birds is story of real people who lived and struggled in The Anarchy of twelfth century England; a stirring tale of self-discovery, the triumph of hope over doubt and, ultimately, of good over evil.

REVIEWS

‘I have been devouring A Cage Full of Birds! I love it, truly! The characters are so well drawn,
and Gilles shines through like a Candide.’

‘Such detail, characters, description, pace… brilliantly done.’

‘What a dance you’ve done there, so good. You made the landscape and period integral
to the reading experience, not just the characters and plot.’

‘The descriptive passages are very lyrical and beautifully evocative of their local settings.’

‘Great suspense building and humour too. I have laughed out loud at many places.’

TIM OWEN is an historian, author, public speaker, teacher and battlefield tour guide with a flair for the dramatic.

Sarah Lustig is the author of the Westminster Mysteries series, which follow the adventures of Theo Duncan, the Prime Minister’s son, as he tries to solve mysteries that have baffled Parliament.

The first book in the series, Mystery in the Palace of Westminster, was awarded Highly Commended in the Selfies Children’s Book Award 2023 and it is a Wishing Shelf Book Awards finalist. The second book in the series, Body in the Thames, was also shortlisted for the Selfies Book Awards, 2025. The series finale, Murder at Speaker’s House, published in September 2026.

Sarah been a book editor for over 15 years and lives in Buckinghamshire, where she spends her time reading, writing and pottering on her balcony garden.

Sinoist Books is a UK-based independent press that publishes only the best in translated Chinese literature and contemporary fiction.

Our mission is to act as a bridge between the Chinese and English-speaking worlds, so that the best Sinophone authors and their works can transcend the language barrier.

“C Fleming has been writing fiction since junior school, even forming a “writers’ circle” with classmates at thirteen. Her professional career has spanned broadcast journalism, PR and publicity, and more recently transport behaviour change and social marketing.

Writing remains a passion and a source of enjoyment in her spare time. She has published four novels in the past 12 years, with a 5th about to launch.

Her first published novel, Dark Horse, received enthusiastic feedback, followed by Drowning in 2016, a humorous and thought-provoking story set against the backdrop of the environmental crisis. In 2020, she published a sequel, Staying on Track, revisiting the characters of Dark Horse and introducing the memorable Moody Muppet.

Her nostalgic 1980s novel What About Jayne? was published in 2023. She is now set to publish a new novel, Gordon’s Gift, featuring a male protagonist with an extraordinary ability. Chat to Claire to find out more!”

After 40 years (and counting!) of writing scientific papers, books and patents where almost every sentence needs to be justified with a reference, I suppose I longed for being able to write something which did not have any boundaries. Having recently become a part-time consultant scientist and with all four children having now left our house, there is some time for me to let my mind wander through those things that do not need to be proved; do not have to be true. But the scientist in me hasn’t allowed me to stray that far from the truth or reality and that’s pretty much how I ended up writing ‘A Painkiller to Die For’ (2025). This was my second published novel after ‘A Practical Arrangement’ which came out towards the end of 2023 under the nom de plume of Verity Trevethan.

My third novel, ‘The Disappearance of Sarah Griffiths,’ has a publication date of 28th November and also has a smattering of science running through the plot. My editor has labelled this book as ‘Gone Girl meets Breaking Bad’ and I think I can see where she is coming from. It is a dark, domestic noir based around a young married couple whose comfortable existence is crumbling around them. The life changing events lead to the wife’s disappearance and a criminal investigation looking into the death of a small-time drug dealer. The novel asks questions to just how far we’ll go to protect the ones we love and the lives we’ve built and what we become when they start to fall apart.