Goodbye 2017. In many ways you were amazing. In many ways you were terrible. I'm glad you're gone and can't wait to see what 2018 brings.  However, there were lots of things I did enjoy over the last 12 months.

Movies:

BLADE RUNNER 2049 was my standout favourite film. Indulgent in every way. It was beautifully shot and an awe-inspiring experience in IMAX 3D. I loved how nothing was rushed and nothing was expected. Rarely have I been transported into another world so effectively.

THOR: RAGNAROK was fab. In a grim year, it was one of the things that just made you feel good about life. I do hope though that it's success doesn't see all superhero films become comedies, in the same way I don't want every film to be dark and grim like Batman. My favorite character in the movie wasn't Thor or Hulk though, it was Valkyrie. Kick-ass women rule.

I have very mixed feelings about The Last Jedi. I'm hoping to go and see it again today. There was lots I liked and lots I didn't. However I'm glad I live in a world where there are new Star Wars films coming out regularly now and I love that Rey is a kick-ass character that doesn't need any rescuing from anyone.

Speaking of which, Wonder Woman was another great film that just made you feel good. Considering it was a film set in World War I, it shone with love and positivity.

At the opposite end of the spectrum was Logan, a film about old white men who'd screwed it all up. A brilliant, brave film. I loved it - even though it touched a few raw nerves.

Finally Atomic Blonde. An 80's flashback. Loved the style, the action, the clothes, the music. Great fun.

Books:

Without a doubt, my favorite of the year. A fresh take on GrimDark. Swords, magic, incredible characters and scary monsters. The audiobook is incredible too.

Another new author. This is fun and funny. Sits hand in glove with Thor: Ragnarok. When the world's crap, you need art like this to make it better. Bravo.

Peter finishes off the Demon Cycle with style. He does it so well. I'll miss these characters but can't wait to see what he does next.

Comics:

I discovered Enrico Marini this year. His Scorpion series has been going awhile but I loved it. His linework and use of color is effortless. I wish I could draw half as well as he can. He also had a brilliant Batman book out at the end of the year, The Dark Prince Charming.

Lazarus by Greg Rucka and Michael Lark continues to be my favorite anything. Very excited by the potential TV series too. Incredible world-building. Great cast. Amazing artwork.

The Old Guard by Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernandez was also incredible. Guns, immortals by the modern world. Nice.

So there you have it. A few of my favorite things of last year. I hope 2017 was good to you. If it wasn't, don't worry - 2018 will be better. It has to be. Good always wins out in the end.

I can't believe we're in December already! What a year it's been! I've done so much and learned so much and, without over-stating things too much, it's changed my life quite dramatically.

I lost my day job in the beginning of the year which obviously shook things up quite a bit. I'm lucky though that what I do, I can do on a freelance basis - so I could still work without having an actual employer.

The other upside of this is it allowed me more time to write. Instead of stealing moments early in the morning or at lunch time or late at night, I had and have whole days now where I do nothing but write. It also gave me the incentive to self-publish the books I had written. I owe a great deal to the Bestseller Experiment Podcast who showed me the Indie world wasn't the horror I thought it was.

I am overwhelmed on an almost daily basis at how well my books have been received. I am thankful to every single person who has bought a book (or two) or read them on Kindle Unlimited. I've also discovered a whole host of authors in the Indie world to read. I'm presently reading Wolf Of The North by Duncan M. Hamilton. (Great book).

I've added some new book cover designs to the Jack Frey section, for Book 2, CRY FEAR and a novella, CRY WITCH, which will be out early next year. I must admit I wanted them out quicker but I want to get them right and have them be the best they can be. I also have a Secret Project in development that has taken up my time  as well as a nasty bout of illness.

Another new section to the website is for my Art. If you've been following my blog, you'll have seen some drawings I've done for fun. I thought it would be good to keep them all in one place...

The audio book for CRY HAVOC is out on December 19th, just in time for Christmas. It is incredible. I'm so proud of it.

CRY FEAR is booked in to be edited on Jan 1st. I've found a new editor, the wonderful Laura M. Hughes, so hopefully all the typos and things like that will be a thing of the past. Laura is not only a great editor, she's an excellent author too. Her book, Danse Macabre, is out on Amazon and perfect for the Neil Gaiman fans out there. Once Laura has worked her magic, CRY FEAR should be out mid-January. I'll send a free copy out to everyone on my mailing list first before it goes for sale on Amazon.

CRY WITCH may well be out before then. It may well be out before the Holidays...