Assaph Mehr's Blog, page 3

Too good not to share!

Just in time when I could use some positive reinforcement

Adam Gaffen has been kind enough to host me on his blog. But in addition to the usual author interview questions, he has also spent considerable effort in doing a write up of my novels. And his words… well, they make me blush:

If you haven’t read In Victrix yet, or if you have and just look into some insights into the efforts behind the books, head over to his blog and read his full write-up:

Adam Gaffen’s interview with me...

Book Review: Gogmagog, by Jeff Noon and Steve Beard

This book floated past on my feed – I found the cover intriguing (I dug the vibe, don’t judge me), and the attached review was glowing, so I jumped in without much knowledge of what to expect.

What to Expect

Expect a surrealist story, full of wonder and awe and a few nightmares. Set in a complex world that blends mid-20th century-like technology with elements of ‘weird’ supernatural.

Plot-wise, it’s a journey story of an odd collection of characters, along a river that’s also the ki...

History Lessons: Crassus & Caesar

Source: found floating on the web. I don’t recognise the artist’s signature on the bottom.

The above cartoon was floating around the internet during the California wildfires of early 2025. Those fires are a tragedy, as is any loss of human life and natural disasters. Having gone through Australia’s “Black Summer” in early 2020, I feel for all my friends in California and hope they are OK.

That said, the cartoon above is emblematic of a common sentiment these days, railing against late-stag...

Book Review: Great Australian Ghost Stories, by Richard Davis

I’m reading up on Australian ghost stories and mysteries as I’m working on a new urban fantasy series, and this looked like an amazing resources.

What to Expect

A collection of ghosts, spooks, poltergeists, and other hauntings from around Australia, arranged by themes. The ghosts themselves date from the 19th century to almost present day, and involve people from all walks of life (though to do justice to Aborigine stories would require a much more involved work, and the author had cho...

Tools of the Trade Book

[image error] Photo credit: Marco Djallo, Unsplash

You have your manuscript all debugged edited and proofed, sorted out your cover. Before you rush over to hit publish, there’s this thing about producing your book — making the paperback and ebook files.

Sure, you could just upload your Word file. In terms of book design, that’s the equivalent of using spell-check for editing and a stock image for a cover. It’s not hard to do better.

In the past year alone, I’ve produced 3 books: Felix’s latest advent...

Reflections of Past and Future

After the last few years, one has to wonder what lurks ahead

As I’m wont to do at this time of year, here are a few reflections on the past year and the coming one. This isn’t anything earth shattering, insightful, or dramatic — just a touch more personal post than usual.

Books!

Yes, well, that’s the main focus of this blog and my creative efforts. That’s probably why you’re here, so let’s start there.

Unless you’re new around here, you’ll know I’ve published two new books this year,...

Poor Dead Larry

Photo credit: congerdesign on Pixabay

This is the first short case from DI Jack Finkel (back when he was still a DS), while I’m working on his first full length novel. There are a few more shorts to come — though fear not, I haven’t abandoned Felix

DI Jack first appeared on my mailing list back in October, and there will be another short published there for the end-of-year festivities. Want to get his stories before anyone else? Subscribe here! You’ll also get a free novella as a thank you...

Book Review: Twisted Expectations, by Brent A. Harris

Who doesn’t like Dickens and Dinos?

What to Expect

Expect some favourite Dickensian characters, re-imagined in a world with Steampunk technology and a touch of the supernatural. This one sees Oliver Twist and his colleagues visiting the 1851 Crystal Palace exhibition with its reconstructed dinosaur exhibits — only to have a real Megalosaurus (with feathers, not the heavy lizard scientists thought it was), a band of Zulu warriors, and other creatures and people come together, as time it...

Book Review: Artificial Bodies: How Machines Replace People, by Remmelt Ellen

My day-job involves responsible AI and my interests lie in speculative fiction, so this was an obvious choice to read.

What to Expect

A pamphlet-style work that’s hard to classify, blurring the lines between present reality and dystopian science fiction. The author examines some of the (very real, unfortunately) risks around present day Artificial Intelligence and BigTech (FAANG) approaches, but then continues painting a path into a Skynet-like world, where machines have taken over the...

Book Review: Shadow of the Serpent (Mon Dieu Cthulhu!), by John Houlihan

I loved the Mon Dieu, Cthulhu! series since I first came across it, with it’s perfect blend of history, fantasy, humour, and dark tones. I was very excited to read the new installment.

In case you missed it, In Victrix is now available! Come join Felix on his latest adventure, a tales of Races, Curses, and Forbidden Places!

What to Expect

The protagonist, who speaks about himself in the 3rd person, is the most charming French rascal – an hussar from the Napoleonic era. In hi...