Grahame the Ghost

Historical fantasy author of my own version of the story of King Arthur - The Blood of the Bear, and Ghostwriter for YA, Military, Action Thriller and Romance genres (so far),

Blood of the Bear 2 is on its way, and the dragons are coming.

I can often be found hanging out in #WordWeavers, #WritersCoffeeClub, #ScribesAndMakers, and #PennedPossibilities but will occasionally throw out a poll to the wider #WritingCommunity for help or opinions.

The Blood of the Bear 'Look Inside' Preview: https://read.amazon.co.uk/kp/embed?asin=B09HNX63YW&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_NWPVA2DE164V06KC9RC7

Public Key

npub1hy5ksqdqp9kptt84sw77wl6a5py67ufrxdlk8n84pvd7tm3gw02qg2l9l4

NIP-05 Address

grahamefleming_at_c.im@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqstj2tgqxsqjmq44n6c80080aw6qjd0wy3nxlmren6skxl9ac5884qprpmhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0d4hhxarj9ecxjmntqyt8wumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnswf5k6ctv9ehx2aqa8zhm9

Publishing to

relay.momostr.pink

relay.primal.net

offchain.pub

Author Public Key

npub1hy5ksqdqp9kptt84sw77wl6a5py67ufrxdlk8n84pvd7tm3gw02qg2l9l4

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Last Notes

2026-09-23 10:34:31 UTC

#WordWeavers Sep 23 - Have your characters’ journeys affected your own life? Is so, how?
No. I would turn it the other way around. The character journeys are based on what I've learned and experienced in my life.
I just transpose it into their world and time.

2026-09-23 10:25:36 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers Sep 23 - Choose a noun that is representative of you as a creative person.
Curiosity.

2026-09-21 11:06:12 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers Sep 21- 'What character from one of your own books or someone else's would you want to spend a day with? What would you do?'
I'd spend the day with Artos from TBOTB. I'm sure it would be a massive pub session with good food, beer, and music all day. There would be a lot of laughing and some vague notion to form a band before the end of the night.
Then someone sitting with us would decide we should all head over to the river to find the Banshee ...and of course, everything seems a good idea by that time of night, doesn't it???

2026-09-20 11:30:01 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers Sep 20 - Repossess?
A threat that can usually be avoided by talking directly to the other side's lawyers. 🤔

2026-09-17 10:17:28 UTC

#WordWeavers Sep 17 - By the end of your story, how many injuries has your MC had?
In the current WIP there are no injuries, but plenty of chronic ailments, tropical diseases, and a mental health breakdown.
Not one of my funniest books. 🤔

2026-09-17 10:01:23 UTC

- reply

#ScribesAndMakers Sep 17 - Poll reprise.
Which pointy metal object have I not written about?
The largest group (38%) went for Gladius, but I've written two novels set in Ancient Rome, and a sword or two was raised in anger more than a few times.
Next was Rapier (25%), but the Conquistadors appear in another two novels, and sparring is quite a big part of the story in one of them.
In third place (21%) was the Shin-Guntō. It apppears in a novel I've written about the Imperial Japanese Army in WWII.
So, if you are part of the remaining choice of Cutlass (17%), you were right. I haven't written anything about pirates or the British or French navies, boarding ships ...not yet. 🙂

2026-09-16 08:58:29 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers Sep 16 - Create a poll listing 2-3 objects that have featured in your work and one that hasn't.
Which pointy metal object have I not written about?

2026-09-15 08:56:05 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers Sep 15 - What's a situation where you feel a ';' definitely works better than a '.' ?
If the choice is between ; and . then I always prefer the semi-colon option as it let's me put extra words into the sentence ...and I like that. Full stops are less exciting. 🙂

2026-09-14 11:18:42 UTC

#WordWeavers Sep 14 - Your MC is offered exactly what they've always wanted-but accepting it will cost them something they love. What do they choose?
By the time they get what they want, everything that represented love is already gone. In the end, there will be nothing to lose.

2026-09-14 11:02:16 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers Sep 14 - What's your favourite type of story setting?
I don't have a favourite, but I just enjoy the challenge of making it as authentic as possible, wherever and whenever the story takes place.

2026-09-13 10:30:21 UTC

#WordWeavers Sep 13 - Share a line of dialogue that sounds innocent without context but absolutely isn’t.
“I still don’t know. Elias is here for another day, then he’s flying back to Vienna. Do you have paper and pen?”

2026-09-13 09:37:06 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers Sep 13 - How pedantic are you?
No, not me. That would suggest I have a plan, or know what I'm doing at any given point in time. 🤔

2026-09-12 08:04:43 UTC

#WordWeavers Sep 12 - If you removed one supporting character, whose absence would change the story the most?
The cast of the current project is a who's who of pioneers in science, so I suppose not just the story, but the entire world could be affected by the loss of any one of them. 🙂

2026-09-11 08:25:57 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers Sep 11 - Our next featured creator is a group of three collaborators. Have you ever been part of a collaborative group for your creative work?
A large part of my working life was spent working with various creative teams. and there is a new project on the horizon, merging the talents of a film maker, an artist, and a pianist. and I'm doing the writing bit.

2026-09-09 07:52:20 UTC

#WordWeavers Sep 9 - What secret would cause the most damage if it were revealed in your story right now?
The love affair that I mentioned in a recent post.
A scandal that would have ruined the lives of those involved, if it had become public knowledge at the time.
Coded letters, remote meeting locations, all quite intriguing. 🙂

2026-09-09 07:45:06 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers Sep 9 - Share something you've been working on this month.
Amongst other things I've returned to a bit of screenplay writing for the first time in years, just a personal project - no takers yet. 🙂
I've really wanted to work with the online scriptwriting tool, WriterDuet, for a while, so just finding my feet with that.
https://www.writerduet.com/

2026-09-08 09:18:34 UTC

#WordWeavers Sep 8 - Which character would be the worst person to get trapped in an elevator with?
Talorc. He would be loud, sweaty, drunk ...and probably naked.

2026-09-08 06:40:56 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers Sep 8 - Gauge?
The brilliant Michael Palin line...
"Oh, why, it's a lovely rain gauge, is it? It's a pity with such a lovely rain gauge that Denley Moor has such a comparatively static mean annual rainfall rate."
Ripping Yarns - The Testing of Eric Olthwaite

2026-09-06 08:59:20 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers Sep 6 - Have you ever listened to an audiobook where the reader had a good voice, but not the 'right' voice?
I've overheard some, rather than listen myself, and I often wondered if a male narrator would do rhe high-voice thing when reading out a female part?
Yup, they went there. 🙂
I've resisted doing my own for that reason. I think I would want a few cast members to cover all the voices, but then it effectively becomes a radio play ...so too expensive.

2026-09-06 08:52:01 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers Sep 5 - From a purely aesthetic standpoint, what is your favourite colour of ice cream?
I'm a mint and choc chip guy, and I'll also go for a lime ice cream float ...and key lime pie. 🙂
https://s3.c.im/media_attachments/files/117/223/231/172/180/685/original/9d1874a898cb3aa4.mp4

2026-09-03 08:30:30 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers Sep 3 - Which ebook reader do you use?
Kindle Fire HD 8 (10th Gen.)
I use it everywhere and with my handy little usb keyboard it transforms into my travelling writer hardware (easier to carry than a laptop).
I bought it when Jeff was still only worth about $113B, so I don't feel so bad. 🙂

2026-09-02 07:02:28 UTC

#WordWeavers Sep 2 - What would your MC notice first upon entering a crowded room?
Their own discomfort at entering a crowded room. They much prefer solitude.

2026-09-01 08:47:25 UTC

#WordWeavers Sep 1 - What is something your MC desperately wants but would never admits to wanting?
Wanting to have a settled and quiet existence with their secret lover, but the scandal of it going public would be disastrous for both of them.

2026-09-01 08:36:43 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers Sep 1 - It's September. List 7 things about your creativity (accomplishments, goals, etc.)
In the past year...
1. I've researched over one hundred letters held in the National Archive which apparently no one has asked to see before ...so I'm taking nosey to a new level.
2. I wrote my first contemporary thriller full of pop culture references, guns, and classic Harley Davidsons.
3. I wrote my first serialised story for a magazine, still running until Dec 26. ⁣
4. I'm 95% vegetarian ...which of course means I'm not vegetarian, but I have spent a lot of time developing my vegetarian cooking. Mushrooms, cabbage, and cannellini beans are my stars, but not all in the same recipe ...yet.
5. Spent some time working with bodhran samples in my electronic music software. I've been programming rolls and patterns for my compositions. I could buy software that has it all pre-configured, but I'm cheap that way.
6. On request, I converted a single volume historical fiction into a planned paranormal/adventure trilogy? That wisnae easy.
7. I'm planning to write three books in my own name over the next twelve months, all completely different from one another. That's the benefit of self-publishing, I can write whatever the hell I want!
Ask me next Sept 1 how far I've got with that. 🙂

2026-08-31 08:42:01 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers Aug 31- An adverb to describe how my month went?
Swimmingly. 🙂

2026-08-30 08:20:35 UTC

#WordWeavers Aug 30 - If you could interview one of your characters over coffee, what would be the first question you asked?
I would always start with a "take me back to the beginning" question, which in this case would be...
"What first attracted you to becoming a professional tracker. Was it the thrill of pursuing those evading justice, or just the life benefits of the hi-tech augmentation to enhance your senses?"

2026-08-29 10:28:44 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers Aug 29 - Do you know what you wanted to be at 11?
At 11 I wanted to work in a zoo. I even wrote a letter to the director of Edinburgh Zoo about my ambition, and they wrote me a nice hand-written letter back, telling me the subjects I would have to study to get a job there. 🙂

2026-08-27 08:05:27 UTC

#WordWeavers Aug 27 - Which character would win a trivia contest?
I can't really call this one. The current WIP features a stellar cast of people famous for their contributions to science, so that category would be keenly contested.
They might not be so good on Film and TV as it hadn't been invented. 🙂

2026-08-27 07:40:16 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers Aug 27 - Tell a story, real or fictional, about an object on your desk.
Whenever I start a new project (and this is long before novel writing days), I always buy a small notebook and keep it beside me on my desk for any random notes or research points I want to have at hand.
When the project is completed, then the notebook also goes, to be replaced by its successor. I'm fickle that way. 🙂

2026-08-26 08:18:58 UTC

#WordWeavers Aug 26 - What weather best matches your current work in progress?
Extremes. It begins in drought, but rain and flood is on the way.

2026-07-20 12:09:16 UTC

#WritersCoffeeClub Jul 20 - Talk about a friend who really drives you as a writer.
No scented markers at #ScribesAndMakers, and now no friends, I'm really doing well today. 🙂

2026-07-04 12:25:28 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers Jul 4 - Sample?
Even cold blooded killers need to take a rest break and have some snacks...
The bright lights of the rest area sat like an island in the darkness. The Raststätte was a busy truck stop with a supermarket, restaurant, and gas station, and it was constantly circulated by snakes of traffic moving in and out.
Anya selected a parking space as far away from the buildings as possible, opting for the lowest coverage from any cameras. She acted like someone who was permanently on the run. It wasn’t planning; it was instinct.
“I’ll just be a few moments,” she said, passing me a credit card. “Get me a latte macchiato to go, and something to keep my blood sugar high. The PIN is 4020 if you need it.”
I watched her walk away. She was a challenging read. I felt her confidence was a cover for something that weighed heavily on her. She took pride in her work, but I sensed that risky bets were part of her game. Collateral damage was not something that concerned her in pursuit of the final win. I realized she was ruthless, in other words.
I stocked up with two large coffees and enough unhealthy eating choices to cover a few more miles. We weren’t heading into Dresden tonight, but instead to a branch office of The Company, which was a farm, to be more precise. It was probably run as a legitimate business to cover its unofficial use. The branches were always remote and surrounded by round-the-clock security. They were the people you would never see if they were doing their job right.
Even as an operative, I would only meet with those necessary for the mission. To The Company, I was a remote worker with contracts organized through the blockchain and payment via crypto. Personal contact was limited to the minimum required. I would meet my driver at the destination. We would carry out the work, and then possibly never see each other again, unless an algorithm running in a data center decided we were a good fit for another job.
I paid for the purchases with a bank card from a company I’d never heard of. Anya was waiting outside the shop. “Did you forget anything?” she asked with more than a hint of sarcasm and a nod to the purchases I’d made.
“I don’t really know what you like. I just tried to cover all eventualities.”
She took the bag and scanned the contents. “Nine out of ten. I don’t like gummies. Let’s go.”

2026-05-07 09:50:41 UTC

#WritersCoffeeClub May 7 - Do readers need to understand a character's motivations to understand the story?
I feel the need to write the motivations for major characters. My 'reader' might just be using the book to prop up a wonky table leg. 🙂

2025-12-07 08:51:19 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers
#TTMD
@npub1ldj…f82c
I'm really intrigued about your new book set in Hamelin at the time of the legend of the Pied Piper ...it sounds like something Guillermo del Toro might turn into a movie one day. 🙂
You mention on your bio about the importance of well-researched historical characters ...and I presume setting as well.
How do you approach the research? Is it woven into the drafting process, or earlier, as part of a character development phase when planning the book.
And how important is it for you to have experienced the locations for your stories in real life?

2025-09-03 16:09:12 UTC

- reply

I'll need to get a bit more famous first. 😁

2025-09-03 09:37:59 UTC

#WritersCoffeeClub Aug 3 - Have you ever based a character on yourself? If not, would you?
If I did, I don't know how recognisable it would be. It would be my perception of me, which could be quite different from everyone else's.
For instance, I think I'm funny. 🤔
...Nah, I prefer to just carry on writing about all the characters I've met in my life ...and it's probably for the best that some don't know. 😀

2025-08-22 08:56:13 UTC

#WordWeavers Aug 22 - If money wasn’t an issue, where would you arrange a WordWeavers writing retreat?
I suppose I would need to host it in beloved Glastonbury, with personal guided tours of the local legendary sites.
Each day would begin at dawn on top of the Tor, bottling service for water from the Chalice Well, and some lovely Somerset countryside to relax in ...with a good supply of locally farm produced, if slightly dubious scrumpy.
Organised around the festival of Lughnasadh so the Druids are out for a bit of a celebration.
Writing? Oh yeah there might be some of that as well. 🙂

2025-07-25 08:23:05 UTC

#HeavyMetalHardRock
#JukeboxFridayNight
There are so many good metal covers, but this is my favourite
Chop Suey - performed by Halocene, Lauren Babic, and Violet Orlandi
https://youtu.be/vUpcCN_PWYw?si=awaBwD59YqIfcpuP

2025-06-26 16:12:42 UTC

- reply

Probably something I'm more likely to learn about as a subject for study rather than a student, but yes I have had a lot of experiences with writing where the book seems to start writing itself, and the relevant knowledge to solve an issue with the story suddenly appears from a random source.
I tend to just blame the characters themselves, but it can't just be that.

2025-06-26 15:52:53 UTC

- reply

Only in the context of general research. I maybe should read more. Although what amazes me is just how far back in time similar theories appear. I know. I should maybe have went to school and I might have known about it all much earlier. 🙂

2025-06-26 15:29:29 UTC

- reply

Which reminds me ...Carl Jung, and resonance ...What's going on? Is maybe how I should have answered the prompt. 🙂

2025-06-26 11:16:59 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers June 26 - What?
...What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality - Plutarch
I'm touching on this philosophy in my current book and it appears that it's starting to emphasise its presence in my life through #ScribesAndMakers prompts.
...spooky. 🙂

2025-06-12 11:39:24 UTC

#PennedPossibilities 697 - MC POV: What, to you, would be the worst way to die?
The worst death?
My last glimpse is of Gwenhwyfar in danger, the last thing I hear is her anguished calls of pain, and my last thoughts are filled with the certainty that it's too late for me to do anything about it as my own soul departs.
Any other death I can face, as long as it's not that, I have no fear of the stillness of Avalon.

2024-09-05 11:27:35 UTC

#WordWeavers Sep 5 - If you could collaborate with another author, who would it be?
On the history side, Professor Michael Wood, who wrote the book In Search of the Dark Ages, which was a huge inspiration to me - So if he's up for applying his extensive knowledge of history to an anarchic comedy fiction - then I'm interested.
On the comedy side, I would have to say Bob Mortimer, but if that collaboration ever happened I know I would just spend more time laughing than writing. 😀