Mark N Drake
@mark-n-drake
Author - mostly horror. Before that: research physicist & university manager. Flits between rural Co. Durham & south of France. Check out www.markndrake.com for news/info. Free story for you at Please follow & say hi!
Starting to question the wisdom of a Northener buying a house in the South of France. I may die. And there are still books in the Darkisle series to write!
Revisiting the setting for my last novel. A lovely evening in #collioure. No sign of eldritch beings at the moment.
New Collioure Coincidence order from my shop ready to despatch. The wonderful artwork of Ellen Lucy. ko-fi.com/markndrake
Evening walk around the village with daughter's dog and it suddenly stuck me that I really like where I live.
I finally got the multiple exposure time thing to work to give an impression of depth. Exposure time of 4 mins for the central sprig, with the other 2 sprigs removed on the 3 min 30 second mark. Quite pleased! #cyanotype
My cyanotypes always come out better at the house in France! Must be that Mediterranean sun. #cyanotypes
The library at our French house is coming along. But I think I'll need and extra 'B' shelf... #booksky #ianbanks #iainmbanks
Well, much to my surprise 'The Collioure Coincidence' is still charting well while on pre-order. To the extent that Amazon are calling it a 'hot new release', which has never happened to me before!
I realise I need to post more on Bluesky, even on days when I'm struggling to find anything interesting to say. Like today. So here's a photo of the newly-reattached starboard wing of our lovely old Hawker Hunter. The port wing is maybe not so attached at the moment. We're working on it.
The good thing about working at Beamish Museum is the little details you keep spotting. Here's my new favourite one. Say what you like about the British Empire, nobody else would have given the world the Machine Gun Camel.
Work commitments have stopped me helping out with our little group's latest project to restore a Hawker Hunter F6 to static display condition. The guys have done great work on her, hopefully I'll be around to help with the wings! #aviation #hawkerhunter
Sunrise this morning at the start of a scorching day's #camping in #Yorkshire. Yes, I said scorching and Yorkshire in the same sentence.
A busy day marshalling an event in the woods. Which to the uninitiated looks a lot like sitting in a camping chair with coffee and a Kindle.
Latest #cyanotype efforts. Love the holes created in the dock leafs (I think by Green Dock Beetle larvae)
Well my attempted #cyanotype sepia print failed miserably, but very pleased with this effort. I call it Reykjavik Snowstorm.
Nice strong winter sunshine today, so tried another #cyanotype... quite pleased with it!
I saw your name and now just HAVE to post the cover artwork for my next novel...
Cover reveal for 'Bogganmor', the 5th book in the Glennison Darkisle Cases series. The next slice of British 1920s Lovecraftian noir is out on 4th Feb!
Did the '3 mile walk' around our village today. Here's 'the Lake', created in 1986 and now turning into marshland. One of the inspirations for my next novel, 'Bogganmor'.
Free biscuits at our hotel in Harrogate... I thought of you, @laurelhightower.bsky.social