Wait, what?
The Grog & Weevil is still standing??
Yes, it’s true, I am still here. I won’t go into a crazy long personal update (unless you want me to, please do ask) but last year, around the release of Talonsister, things got a little complicated for me and life changed rather drastically. The good news is, I’m now settled in Bristol with my new partner, beavering away on Titanchild (the sequel to Talonsister) whilst feeling pretty content. So this newsletter is back - so expect more random drawings, book updates, waffle about video games etc. And thank you for still being here! After the last year or so, it means a lot.
What have I been up to?
Well, a lot. Moving to another city, applying for a mortgage, getting over my fear of flying, playing an unwise amount of Baldur’s Gate 3… Mainly though, since the New Year I’ve been attached to my desk, writing like the wind to catch up with things. August to the beginning of December last year involved a shit ton of unpleasant stress and I spent quite a bit of time dealing with that and the fallout, as well as moving across the country - I’ve always been pretty conscientious when it comes to work, so it was enormously frustrating to have my ability to work more or less flattened by stuff beyond my control. Yuck, 0/10 do not recommend.
So what now?
Now? I’m back on it. Just as stress and trauma can fuck up your ability to get shit done, being happy and supported by someone you love can get you back on track. Titanchild will be out towards the end of 2024, and in April (how is that the month after next, what even is time) The Hungry Dark is out in both the US and the UK.
When she was a child, Ashley Whitelam could see things nobody else could: quiet, watchful figures she called the Heedful Ones, shadowy presences that kept a strange vigil wherever she went. She hasn't seen them in eighteen years, but since then Ashley has turned her taste of the beyond into a career as a “psychic” – parting people from their money with a combination of psychology and internet research.
When the Lake District is gripped by a series of grisly child murders, Ashley offers her services to the police for the free publicity. But as she leads them on a fruitless search around the small town of Green Beck, she finds something she never could have predicted: the body of the latest missing child. The press fly into a frenzy and the police grow suspicious: either Ashley’s psychic abilities are real, or she is guilty of murder.
Hounded by interviews and interrogations, Ashley teams up with Freddie Miller, a podcaster covering the crimes. As they investigate, Ashley realises that there’s no way to distance herself from these murders: whoever or whatever it is that’s haunting the Lakes is haunting her, too...
I’m back in the genre of Horror Suspense, baby! And some really great people have been saying lovely things about The Hungry Dark. I feel very lucky.
'I, for one, just love tales of crime laced with a hint of the occult and I can think of no better offering in this category of fiction than The Hungry Dark. Nonstop plotting, richly drawn characters and a masterful touch in blending crime procedure with otherworldly gothic makes this novel a one-sitting read. Fantastic—in every sense of the word!'
Jeffrey Deaver, author of The Bone Collector
‘I was absolutely blown away. This serial killer mystery and thriller fully embraces its folk horror origins. The spooky, sinister setting is superbly drawn. I could almost feel myself shivering in the shadow of Red Rigg Fell.’
James Oswald, author of the Inspector McLean series
‘Turn on the bedside lamp, check under the bed, and be prepared to stay up all night finishing this haunting novel. The Hungry Dark is the perfect combination of a twisty thriller and a classic horror tale, but it’s so much more. It’s a story about discovering our destiny, confronting our demons, and finding our way out of the dark. Jen Williams is at the top of her game.’
Alex Finlay, author of What Have We Done
Another thing blowing my mind this week is an unexpected shout out for The Ninth Rain from none other than Richard Osman. You might have, uh, heard of him. Aside from being clever and witty on TV, he’s also the author of the mega selling phenomenon that is The Thursday Murder Club series, and in the latest episode of the The Rest is Entertainment podcast he said very kind things about one of my books. Can you believe?? I highly recommend checking out the episode, which is partly about the big blow up publishing is having over romantasy at the moment, and then listening to the rest of them as they’re enormous fun. You can find a place to listen here!
And what’s next?
For the next six months or so, a lot of work. Which is good. In this game, having loads to do is exactly what you want. Hopefully Pete and I will be showing our faces at a few conventions over the next year, and I might… I might just have news in the nearish future about a new thing. Insert big eyeballs emoji here.
Hope you’ve all been keeping well! With a bit of luck the Grog & Weevil will be back to it’s more regular service from now on…