Tag: Update

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Advancing Nocturna

I have embarked on a second volume of Nocturna Club tales. Volume One ended with The Twelfth Night: The Nocturna Club Annual Dinner Dance, and, truthfully, I had fallen in love with the characters and happenings of this strange little world. I simply didn’t want it to end.

Nocturna Volume II already features two new poems: The Mermaid’s Tale and The Brigade de Cuisine. I’ve become much more immersed in the world and increasingly comfortable fleshing out its characters and situations. I’m learning a great deal as I go, too. The Brigade tale, in particular, led me down the fascinating rabbit hole of Edwardian French kitchen staff, procedures, and some wonderfully strange dishes.

My world-building master list now tracks every location, oddity, creature and character, along with their connections, appearances, and story references. With the named character count now sitting at 52, maintaining those connections to Volume One has become vital. I’ve started adding deeper links between characters, including Prudence Pike, the Poissonnier (seafood chef) and cousin of the performing Pike Twins; Selena Marlowe, Captain Abercrombie Marlowe’s maritime folklorist daughter; and young Percival “Pip” Rook, the kitchen plongeur (dishwasher and porter) and nephew of club attendant Gideon Rook.

Writing in this world really lifts my spirits, and I hope readers enjoy exploring it with me.

So lace those corsets, button up those waistcoats, and come and imagine with me.

Onwards!

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The Valley of Ashes is Available Now

I’m delighted to announce that my second book, ‘The Valley of Ashes’, is now available through Lulu Publishing. I’m incredibly pleased with how it turned out.

But what is it about?

The Valley of Ashes is a journey through a strange, desolate realm suspended between life and death, where a nameless traveller follows the ancient Thunder Road across endless plains of ash, forgotten ruins and impossible landscapes. Along the way, they encounter mysterious beings and guardians who confront them with memory, mortality, grief, fear, legacy and the consequences of a life once lived. Blending long-form narrative poetry with dark, dreamlike imagery, the book transforms its bleak purgatorial landscape into an exploration of the inner journeys we all endure, the things we carry, the things we must surrender, and the difficult truth that some experiences cannot be escaped, only travelled through. Ultimately, The Valley of Ashes is a melancholic meditation on loss, acceptance, resilience and the search for meaning while wandering the uncertain space between endings and new beginnings.

Get your copy here

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The Valley of Ashes Book

I’m delighted to share that The Valley of Ashes is finally complete.

I’m currently waiting on the production proof before announcing its official release, but I’m looking forward to making it available very soon for anyone who may be interested.

Working on two books throughout 2026 while continuing to explore other creative projects has been both exciting and incredibly rewarding, although it has certainly kept me busy. Completing The Valley of Ashes also brings closure to a creative journey that began back in 2020.

The project was born during the pandemic lockdowns, a time of deep introspection and reflection. What first emerged as a series of digital artworks, later inspired an ambient music album, and has now reached its final form as a book of long-form narrative poetry. Seeing the entire journey come full circle has been immensely satisfying.

I hope you’ll enjoy spending time in the Valley. Alongside the poetry, the book features a collection of antique-inspired illustrations that help bring its world to life, and I’m eagerly awaiting the chance to hold the finished copy in my hands.

As always, for those who regularly visit my website, much of the book’s content can already be explored on the Valley of Ashes world-building page.

Finally, thank you to everyone who has followed this journey over the years, whether through my former social media platforms or here on my website. This has been a deeply personal project, and your encouragement, kind words, and continued support have meant more to me than I can express.

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Welcome new followers

Welcome new subscribers, and thank you to everyone who signed up today. It was a wonderful surprise to log in and see so much activity.

What can you expect to find here?

A collection of creative melancholy, woven from dreams, stories, poetry, and imagination. Some pieces may be uplifting, others may wander through strange worlds of my own making, and more than a few will carry a touch of gloomy introspection. Wherever the journey leads, I hope you find something that resonates with you.

Thank you again for visiting and for your support. If something you read sparks a thought, feeling, or question, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment or get in touch. It’s always a pleasure to hear from fellow travellers.

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Between You and I: A new short story

I have just uploaded a new short story to my newly reshuffled Writing area. I believe subscribers to this page are only notified about posts, so I thought I’d let you know in case you’re interested. The story was written a couple of years ago and is very brief. I’m a fan of packing a lot into a few words. I like a quick literary hit, so I can go away and think about it, or read it again without too much of a time investment.

Between You and I (conversation with a ghost)
The narrative explores the experience of a deceased soul residing in Limbo, observing the living world from a dark alcove behind a curtain-like veil. The soul shares their role as a custodian of the family, assisting a newly deceased ancestor in crossing over while warning of the dangers of becoming trapped in the living realm.

Image of the ghost from the story 'Between You and I' written by Dan Verkys.
The ghost from the story ‘Between You and I’ written by Dan Verkys.
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Reformatting me

Since I retired from actively working on other people’s projects a few months back, and have given myself some time to recover, by enjoying a break from visual creation, I can feel myself slowly starting to reawaken, as though the light that had been dulled is being rekindled. Most stress has been removed since the change. I do not work to a timeline, and I do not push myself beyond the enjoyment of creating my own work for my own purposes.

Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of working with some very talented people, I’m sure some of them are probably pissed with my new found retirement/isolation and outlook, but hey, I gave bucket loads while I contributed over 30 years, there comes a time when you need to do your own thing, so I am, I’m now doing Dan things whenever fuck Dan feels like it, and it is good.

The combination of maintaining this website, while limiting social media interaction was just what I needed. Injecting energy into new hobbies and breaking away from art altogether has also been extremely helpful. You kind of burn out after a while and become jaded with everything you create; it is no longer fun.

I forgot that creating artwork was for my benefit, a form of therapy, which I will now continue uninterrupted.

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Go ya by the nose

Sometimes it is important to regroup mentally, to step away from everything you’ve been doing to filter out the stressors. I’ve done that recently with a pause on social media. This has opened my mind(s) a little more and allowed me to experiment again and scribble down ideas and possible new pathways. The arrival of AI and its rape of the artistic world, dealt my interest in creating art a considerable blow. So the freedom given by stepping away from these digital platform has been good so far, I’ll keep at it, I do hope to find my feet again.

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