With it being less than three days before launch, (where have the last few months gone?) I thought that now would be an apt time to check in on here. I still plan to add more to my Dark Thoughts series within the next few weeks, but for now, I just wanted to provide a little update as to what’s been happening recently.

‘We Men of Ash and Shadow’ officially launches on 1st October (with pre-orders already available for Kindle via Amazon). I’m incredibly grateful for the early reviews and feedback from those who have already read the book, which is currently rated 4.43/5 on Goodreads.

If you haven’t checked it out already, you can also now see Chris Haught’s review of the book for Grimdark Magazine here –

REVIEW: We Men of Ash and Shadow by HL Tinsley

‘We Men of Ash and Shadow takes us through this remarkably fascinating underworld of crime and survival, showing the darker side to the human experience, but also carving out a path to possible redemption.’

Chris Haught, Grimdark Magazine reviewer

‘It struck me as a grimdark vision of Pratchett’s Ankh Morpork, as if Joe Abercrombie had been given the keys to Discworld.’

Gem Jackson, Goodreads reviewer

‘Sin City meets Assassin’s Creed and V for Vendetta in this wrenching and sometimes terrifying tale of hardened survivors eking out a living in a ticking time bomb of a gaslight city’

Joshua Lieblein, Goodreads reviewer

I’m also pleased to say that I’ve had some wonderful comments and positive reactions to the cover art used for the novel. Finding a great artist with the skills to depict a single snapshot of a world you have spent years building is no mean feat. The value and importance of good art is something that should never be underestimated.

The artwork for ‘We Men of Ash and Shadow’ (from initial concept to finished product) was created by illustrator and designer Luke Michael Copsey of Nevercity Creations. You can see more examples of his work on his Instagram page –

https://www.instagram.com/mr_lucius/

On a non-book related note, I’ve been doing a lot of research recently into psychological effects (as opposed to phenomena). I’ll be diving into the topic in more detail in the coming months, but for now, here’s an interesting one to get you started.

‘The Stroop Effect’ is a psychological reaction that causes a delay in the brain’s ability to process incongruent (non-harmonious) information in comparison to congruent (harmonious) information. This effect happens when the brain receives two different pieces of information that (to our minds) don’t fit. The most commonly used example of this is the use of depicted colour versus the written word.

For example, take a look at the list of words below.

As you go down the list, say the colour that each word is shown in out loud. You may notice that you feel your brain working harder. You may pause, make a mistake, stumble over your words, or get stuck. This is because the text that your eyes are reading and the information (colour) your brain is processing are not in sync.

It’s entirely possible to get it right the first time.

However, for most people, it’ll take at least an attempt or two – and yes, it is a little reminiscent of the old ‘Red Lorry, Yellow Lorry’ tongue twister.

Until next time, take care of yourselves, your minds and each other.