How to re-invent yourself in one (not so) easy step

I have some news to share with you all, and I’m hoping you’ll all join me on my next journey.

I’ve always been an avid reader of fantasy (particularly urban), horror, and occult books. Edgar Allan Poe, Jim Butcher, K T Davies, Ben Aaronovich, Shayne Silvers, J C Owens, Steve McHugh, Orlando Sanchez, Joe Abercrombie, Kevin Hearne, …the list goes on. I read this genre more than I do any other, including the one I currently write in as Susan Mac Nicol, which is LGBTQ romance. I'm moving a little away from this and trying something new.

I mean, my best male friend is a Shaman, a Druid, and a Wizard and I truly believe we were fated to meet. I’m a spiritual being, soaked in the mystique of the hidden world, yeaning for it all to be true (I mean, who wouldn’t want to ride a unicorn or fight a supernatural battle with a wizard like Harry Dresden?)

I’ve decided the time has come to change what I write and create another persona to finally finish what I started when I was sixteen. I gave this whole urban fantasy thing a whirl with my Double Alchemy series, about warlocks, witches, and hidden worlds. I had such fun writing this as it echoed a lot of my love for Wicca and the natural side of things. (Secret fact - I’m an actual tree hugger. I go out and hug my Silver Birch tree in the front garden when I need to relax.) The family think I’m crazy but my favourite part of nature is the trees. Forests, glades, rivers, lakes – I could die quite happily in their embrace and a log cabin right in that setting is my ideal home. As long as it has wi-fi. I’m not that much of a hermit 😊

Now I’ve rambled enough. For the new books, I’ll be Susan Mac Nicol writing as S M Nicol. It's still me behind the writing, simply a new pen name in a different genre.

I hope you’re as excited about this new direction as I am, and that what I’m writing will still bring you pleasure. It’s going to take me some time to build up the S M Nicol author brand and I’ll take any help I can get.

I'm so excited about taking a new direction, I want to howl :)