Scott O'Neill
@mrscottoneill.bsky.social
Author of The Witch, The Seed & The Scalpel. All tales handcrafted on the Isle of Bute.🏴 https://mcnidderandgrace.com/scott-oneill
“Mr Holmes, they were the footprints of a gigantic hound!” - haven’t read this since my teens (a looooong time ago!). Q: Who was the best onscreen Holmes? A: Jeremy Brett. Case solved! #sherlockholmes #booksky #gothichorror #crimefiction
James VI’s ‘Daemonologie’ first published 1597 - misogyny given the royal seal of approval, and a fine example of how the wealthy elite sow hatred and division by punching down on those least able to defend themselves. Thankfully, the world has progressed since then… #witchcraft #witches #booksky
Being in this spot always brings to mind one of my all time favourites books. #iainbanks #bookishpost #scottishfiction
I’m heading to the Far East (of Scotland) tomorrow (21st). So if you happen to be passing Waterstones in Kirkcaldy at 7pm, please step inside… #gothichorror #gothicfiction #authorevent
The witching season has arrived… #gothicfiction #gothichorror #horrorfiction #booksky #gothicliterature #horrorbooks #scottishfiction
Next up, another slice of Victorian gothic horror: ‘The God Pan & Other Horror Stories’ by Arthur Machen. An inspiration for none other than H.P. Lovecraft apparently. Ashamed to admit I’ve never read Machen before so it’s high time I put that right… #gothichorror #horrorfiction #arthurmachen
Reading glasses polished and ready for action. Haven’t read this classic in years. #gothichorror #scottishfiction #classichorror #horrorliterature #robertlouisstevenson
Here's a few pics from last week's book signing tour of the Far East (of Scotland). Huge thanks to all the @waterstones.bsky.social teams in Dundee, Perth and St Andrews. #booksigning #gothichorror #horrorfiction #horrorbooks #writersofbluesky #booksky #Waterstones #Dundee #Perth #StAndrews
Heading eastwards next week with The Witch, The Seed & The Scalpel. If you happen to be in the neighbourhood of Dundee, Perth or St Andrews... #gothichorror #booksky #booksigning #newbook #scottishfiction
#BOOKREVIEW - Collection and Curse - #TheWitchTheSeedAndTheScalpel #blog #booksky
Collection and Curse
After catching a chestnut of legendary proportions from a tree, a young botanist’s life is changed in unthinkable ways in The Witch, the Seed and the Scalpel by Scott O’Neill. Joseph Ware has grown up learning everything there is to know about plants from his parents, a famous duo with his father gathering samples from around the world to write about in their books while his mother paints the illustrations to accompany the entries.
makinggoodstories.wordpress.com
Here's a set of 'postcards' showing some of the Edinburgh locations featured in the novel The Witch, The Seed & The Scalpel. #gothichorror #horrorfiction #horrorbooks #fiction #edinburgh #newbook #booksky
A dark & shameful period in Scotland's history. "The Scottish Witchcraft Act remained law for nearly 175 years between 1563 and 1736. 3,000 to 5,000 people are estimated to have been accused, 84% being women." (Royal Society of Edinburgh). www.msn.com/en-gb/money/... #witches #scottishhistory
MSN
msn.com
A big thank you to @booksfromscotland.bsky.social for including an extract from The Witch, The Seed and The Scalpel in the current issue of 'Wonderland'. Available here: booksfromscotland.com/2025/04/the-... #gothichorror #gothicfiction #horrorbooks #booksky #horrorfiction #scottishfiction #newbook
The Witch, the Seed and the Scalpel - Books from Scotland
‘Witchcraft,’ said Father. ‘It is said that should any person catch the falling chestnut before it touches the ground, the ghost of Margaret McKay will appear and bestow the catcher with abnormal stre...
booksfromscotland.com
Thank you to everyone who came along to celebrate the launch of The Witch, The Seed & The Scalpel in sunny Port Bannatyne! #gothichorror #gothicfiction #horrorbooks #newbook #booksky #witchbooks #scottishfiction #writingcommunity
Publication Day! The Witch, The Seed & The Scalpel has packed its bags and left to make its own way in the big, wide world. Huge thanks to publishers McNidder & Grace for sending it out there! #gothichorror #horrorbook #newbook #scottishfiction #gothicliterature #horror #booksky #bookishpost
Thank you @lovereadinguk.bsky.social for the very kind review! #gothichorror #gothicfiction #fiction #horrorbook #witchlore #newbook #booksky #horrorfiction #scottishfiction
The Witch, The Seed & The Scalpel. One week to go until publication day! #gothichorror #horrorbooks #horrorfiction #gothicliterature #newbook #booksky #gothicbooks
Just two weeks to go before it's released into the wild! #booksky #horrorbooks #gothichorror #gothicfiction #fiction #newbooks #horror
It remains a mystery why this Sci-Fi gem hasn’t been adapted for the screen. In fact Iain M Banks entire Culture series is crying out for the full cinema treatment. So to any movie producers out there - pull your finger out! #scifi #scifibooks #booksky #iainmbanks
Author copies have arrived and looking smart! You can't beat the smell of a brand new book! #booksky #horrorbooks #gothicfiction #writersofbluesky #horrorfiction #gothichorror #books #fiction
"The witch wept tears of blood and from her mouth she spilled a yellow bile upon the earth..." The Witch, The Seed & The Scalpel. #booksky #gothichorror #horror #fiction #books #gothicfiction #horrorbooks
A Kick Up the Arts: Michael Pedersen A special edition of the Scottish arts & culture podcast, recorded live in March at the Glad Cafe in Glasgow. Host @nicolameighan.bsky.social is in conversation with award-winning poet & author @michaelpedersen.bsky.social akickupthearts.org/2025/04/07/e...
Ep 24: Live from the Glad Cafe with Michael Pedersen
– Before we get wired into this episode, I’m delighted to tell you that the podcast is coming to the Edinburgh Fringe this Summer! I’ll be at The Stand, which is a five minute walk from Waver…
akickupthearts.org
The back cover blurb for The Witch, The Seed & The Scalpel. Not long now! #booksky #gothichorror #horror #witchstories #witches #gothicfiction #horrorbook
Currently reading this spooky classic. Clothbound edition with yet another beautiful cover design by Coralie Bickford-Smith. #booksky #ghoststories #spooky #bookcover
We’ll be protesting at the Meta offices today, at 13:30, against the unlicenced use of authors works to train AI. If you can’t make it, make some noise online! Downloadable assets can be found here 👇#DoTheWriteThing #MetaBookThieves societyofauthors.org/2025/04/01/s...
SoA day of action following allegations of Meta’s mass theft of authors’ work – The Society of Authors
On Thursday 20 March, The Atlantic broke the story of how Meta has used the Library Genesis (LIbGen) dataset, which is full of pirated material, to develop their AI systems.
societyofauthors.org
Margaret McDonald’s debut novel GLASGOW BOYS (@faberbooks.bsky.social 2024) is shortlisted for the 2025 @carnegiemedals.bsky.social, awarded annually since 1936 to recognise outstanding reading experiences for young people. www.gla.ac.uk/explore/aven...
Books of my Life by Margaret McDonald
The 'Glasgow Boys' author shares the books that make her feel fab
gla.ac.uk