I’m delighted to share that Photographs of Emily has made the finalist list for the 2026 Independent Author Network (IAN) Book of the Year Awards.
This year started deep into the first draft of this novella and was punctuated by several drafts and rewrites and additions, all helped along by comments by my beta readers and editor. It feels fitting to round off 2026 (almost) with this badge of honour.
It’s available from most online retailers, or if you have a local independent bookshop, they might be able to order it for you.
Photographs of Emily
“A ghost, perhaps, is not the spirit of someone who died, it’s the echo of someone who thought they’d lived.”
It’s been ten years since Emily lost her life in a tragic accident. For Zeb, that means ten years of crushing guilt and remorse, and trying to overcome the image of his girlfriend dying in front of him.
When multiple witnesses report seeing a ghostly figure in the churchyard where it happened, her family decided to host a memorial to soothe Emily’s restless spirit. Zeb warily returns to his estranged hometown, hoping to establish the truth about these sightings. Despite remaining sceptical, he finds himself seeking Emily one last time.
This is a collection of quietly suspenseful stories about grief, ghosts, and the places that haunt us, set in the villages and churchyards of Cornwall. It includes the title story, Photographs of Emily, plus three other tales.