Mike Shevdon's Blog

I’m on Shepherd

Recently I was in invited to choose five books on a theme for Shepherd.com – a site which helps readers find books. The theme I chose was Characters that Shine Through. My choice was aimed at books where there are characters that aren’t particurly likeable or heroic, but who nevertheless shine through the pages of...

Just to prove…

…it can be done 6 arrows at an 80cm face – the gold (yellow area) is 16cm across. This was from 50m – 55 yards away.  

Mybo Revolution 37 – Long Term Review

This is my long-term review of the MyBo Revolution, which I have shot for a couple of seasons. TLDR; The MyBo Revolution 37 is a well-engineered target bow that will not let you down on the shooting line, either in terms of performance or looks. It is beautifully finished and very adjustable, and is built...

Update: The Eighth Court

I am delighted to announce that the third edition of The Eighth Court is available on Kindle from today, which brings all four existing books back into publication and completes the series to date. “Scream if you want to go faster!” That was the call. The Eighth Court is perhaps the darkest book of the […]

Outlining: Zapier Review

Rather than repeat what has been done well elsewhere let me refer you to a good overview of outlining software for a variety of platforms, both free software and paid, over at Zapier.com: https://zapier.com/blog/best-outline-... Some tools are aimed more at check-lists and task management, but I recommend you take a look at the following reviews: […]

Outlining: AllMyNotes Organiser

One of my objectives is to show how you don’t need to spend a lot of money to use a decent outlining tool. There are some excellent tools out there that are either free or are available at minimal cost, such as the example below: AllMyNotes Organiser Windows Only: Free Version, Deluxe Edition ($34) Website: http://www.vladonai.com Organisation […]

Strangeness and Charm: Update

I am delighted to be able to share the new cover for Strangeness and Charm 3rd edition. As some of you may know, Alex is probably my favourite character from the series and this is her book. I wanted something that would reflect her emergence into adulthood with all the snags and spurs that brings. […]

Outlining: What?

In my previous article I talked about why you might want to use outlining as a technique. In this article I’m going to look at what outlining is. Basic Outlining At it’s simplest, outlining is the enhancement of content through spacial arrangement. That can involve the placing of elements in a list, a grid, a hierarchy, […]

Outlining: Why?

As part of a new series I’m going to be looking at outlining as a technique for writers and I’m going to start by acknowledging the obvious – everyone is different. What works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another, so my objective here is not to tell you how to write or what […]

The Road to Bedlam: Update

The new covers continue to expand the series with the The Road to Bedlam on release very shortly exhibiting a distinctly nautical theme. If you look carefully you can see the edge of the old Bethlem Hospital where it stood on the edge of Moor Fields in the background. Exactly how the coastal theme and the infamous hospital come […]