I doubled up on my reading goals this month, meaning I read four books of excellent wordsmithery.

In the traditionally-published corner:

• - I read Neil Gaiman's urban fantasy Neverwhere, which was packed with great ideas but ended quite abruptly. There was a clear teaser for a sequel which has oddly never surfaced.

- I also read an advanced copy of grimdark fantasy Godblind by Anna Stephens, a fellow member of the Birmingham Writers' Group. It was incredible and looks set for world domination.

In the self-published corner:
- I read the sixth instalment in the comical Clovenhoof series titled The Trump of Doom. It is about Trump and Brexit. A well-observed political satire. Highly recommended.
- I also read Double Vision, the debut short story collection by Tamara Rogers, who wrote the fantastic Grind Spark. Each tale was incredibly-economic flash fiction. Not a single word was wasted. There is a Black Mirror vibe running through the collection with hints of Ready Player One. Dark, dystopian and dynamite.

So why did I read twice as much in May?

Because I want to leave June wide open for JuNoWriMo (June Novel Writing Month). My optimistic plan is to write 50,000 words in the month of June and hopefully shove Nephos 3 that little bit closer to the finishing line.

I did undertake some writing in May to warm myself up. I laboured and fiddled with every word of my short story for the BWG Summer Competition. I love the finished piece. Cannot wait to add it to Breadcrumbs 2.

I also started writing a second entry, which massively missed the deadline. It is a Nephos short story, currently looking set to wrap at 10,000 words. More fodder for the next collection.

Anyway, a few hours until JuNoWriMo. Deep breaths.

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The debut novel by author Anna Stephens is grimdark fantasy of the highest order.

Godblind has the potential to capture the world's imagination, and satisfy its blood-lust, every bit as much as A Song of Fire and Ice.

Fire and Ice comparisons are inevitable and justified. Godblind has violence worthy of The Sopranos, enough swearing to make The Thick Of It proud, and torture to rival the Saw franchise. The "silver dots" sacrifice is particularly nasty and will make male readers cross their legs and wince.

(What's more, the Godblind trilogy will probably conclude long before we get our hands on The Winds of Winter. Let's be honest, Thrones fans, it's never happening!)

The structure in particular recalls Fire and Ice, with character-centric chapters written in close third person, alternating between a core group of viewpoints. However, unlike Martin, these chapters are short and swift, like a Dan Brown novel but good. Godblind is all killer, no filler, and Stephens doesn't waste a single page.

This structure facilitates the frenetic pace of the novel, in which tides constantly turn between the heroic Rilporians who worship the Light and the invading Mireces who worship the Dark.

There is lots to admire about Stephens' writing: dark humour, a gritty grounded fantasy world, and an impressive array of three-dimensional characters. If you subscribe to my theory that you can never have too many characters, then you will devour Godblind with relish.

And the descriptions of the battles are first-class. Action is famously hard to write, as I learnt when writing Besti Bori, but Stephens makes you feel every blow and taste the blood - although that might be because your heart is in your mouth. This is nail-biting stuff.

I am already looking forward to the television adaptation. HBO will need a new project after Thrones wraps next year and Godblind is ripe to fill that void. They better start stockpiling fake blood now. They're going to need it.

The Red Gods are rising and so is Anna Stephens. She has entered the canon of fantasy literature by kicking down the door with a bloody axe in each hand. And Godblind is just the beginning.

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The sixth instalment in the Clovenhoof series is a satirical novella tackling both Trump and Brexit.

Comic writing duo Goody and Grant admirably wrote this piece in just one month to capitalise on Trump election fever. This was marketing genius but also offered some much-needed laughs at a time when far-right political views were winning.

Clovenhoof (AKA Satan) and Archangel Michael, both now living on Earth, decide to stop Trump and Brexit. Clovenhoof heads to the US to derail Trump's election, whilst Michael heads to Europe to assemble a Eurovision entry that will unite Europe and inspire a Brexit reversal.

There is the usual Clovenhoof brand of comedy: farcical chaos, kooky characters and knowing biblical references. But new ground is broken in the form of political satire.

Satire is a logical evolution for the franchise and there is no better time. We all need some post-2016 laughter therapy. The writers are clearly anti-Trump and anti-Brexit, so the lines are funnier if you share similar views.

Goody and Grant have certainly done their homework. They show vast knowledge of the US election, the cities of Europe and Eurovision statistics. They provide a lengthy glossary at the end which separates fact from fiction. This is proof of their research but also definitive evidence that fact and fiction are often indistinguishable.

Currently, Goody and Grant are exploring new franchises - Mythfits and Oddjobs - which is no bad thing, but I would love to see Clovenhoof return from time to time to tackle the latest political disasters.

With 2017 shaping up to be another stinker of a year, there is no better time for a devilish giggle.

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Alas, April began with the news that I was unsuccessful in my submission to the DHH Literary Agency. However, this was still a significant milestone. My first rejection!

"Thank you for your submission to Pitch DHH. Unfortunately you have not been selected to attending the pitching afternoon this time. However, we will be doing more sessions throughout the year and beyond, so keep your eyes peeled!"

Also, the mere possibility of being invited to pitch was enough to give me a boost of motivation at the start of the month. I have therefore written another 4,417 words towards my third Nephos novel.

I had hoped for a five-figure word count this month but distractions included my birthday, my baby's first birthday and my final management essay - also my final essay ever and I mean it this time!

I have also been working on my Birmingham Writers' Group competition entry. The theme is Dreams and Nightmares, which is very broad but I have locked down an idea and written my 5,000-word story. I have come 1st, 2nd and acted as judge in the past three competitions, so I hope to fare well once again.

It has been a while since I wrote a short story, having been so preoccupied with my novel. It has been a lot of fun, like returning to the treadmill after slogging out a marathon.

On the reading front, my two-book rule is continuing successfully. I reviewed one self-published book, Out On The Piste, by debut author Danann Swanton. I described it as Bridget Jones for Millennials. Visit the link for my review.

I also read one traditionally-published book, The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware. It is an Agatha Christie-esque novel set on a luxurious but claustrophobic boat. I totally guessed the twist but didn't expect the revelation so early. A gripping read and more original than it sounds.

Finally, Happy American Gods Day! The adaptation of Neil Gaiman's novel has finally arrived on Amazon.

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