There is something very strange, very exciting, and slightly terrifying about releasing a new book.
NATO Standard Nightmares is now officially out in the world, and honestly, I am so proud of this one. It is gritty, sweary, dark military horror packed with British Army gallows humour, awful conditions, terrible decisions, forbidden romance, and the sort of creeping dread that makes you want to shout, “Absolutely do not go into those mountains.”
Set during a NATO deployment to Kosovo in 2000, the book follows Sergeant Mark “Rhino” Davies, Corporal Victoria Lawson, and the rest of Section 4 as they head into the Accursed Mountains. What begins as a miserable but routine peacekeeping patrol soon becomes something far more sinister. There is mud, banter, military chaos, loyalty, tension, and something waiting out there that does not care about rank, rifles, or rules of engagement.
Writing this book was an absolute joy. I loved building Section 4, their brutal humour, their bonds, their flaws, and the way soldiers can be ridiculous, infuriating, brave, and heartbreaking all at once. I also loved taking professional, battle-hardened people and putting them in a situation where all their training may not be enough.
But the best part of releasing a book is knowing that people are actually reading it.
Every read, every comment, every vote, every message, and every bit of encouragement genuinely means the world. Writing can feel very solitary, so seeing people connect with the story, come back for updates, and care about the characters is honestly incredible.
I especially want to say a huge thank you to my regular readers on Inkitt, @rumnat2001, @margarethowe, and @Sh4286.
Seeing familiar names pop up again and again is one of the loveliest parts of sharing my work. Your support is noticed, appreciated, and never taken for granted. Thank you for sticking with the stories, the characters, the chaos, and the nightmares.
NATO Standard Nightmares is out now, and I am so grateful to everyone who has read it, supported it, or taken a chance on my work.
New nightmares have landed.
And this time, they are NATO standard.