death

The Shadow of The Wolf – Chapter Six: It’s Either You or Me

Mark Hastings books, Podcast , , , , , , , , ,

In this episode, Mark reads Chapter Six: “It’s Either You or Me” of his new book ‘The Shadow of The Wolf’ – the sixth book in his The Wolf and The Vampire book series, which focuses on the mother, daughter, wife, werewolf Olivia Hunter – published February 2, 2026.

What’s it about?

Two Wolves Collide.

Sister and brother,
Olivia Hunter and Mark Mayweather –
separated from one another all their lives –
are once again drawn together;
however, their reunion does not unfold
as they hoped it would,
and as a result they find themselves
on opposite sides of a life and death struggle
that will expose who they are, what they are,
and what kind of a werewolf they both are.

And witness the reunification
and the reckoning of the relationship
of Olivia Hunter and Vega – The Vampire King.
Will their love survive the battle being fought
beneath The Shadow of The Wolf?

The Shadow of The Wolf is available to buy from Amazon here: https://amzn.eu/d/5p8DJJF

The Pathfinder: The Last Sunset

Mark Hastings books, Podcast, Poetry , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
In this episode, Mark recites his poem “The Last Sunset” from his 2024 poetry collection ‘The Pathfinder’ – which is now available to buy in paperback and as an ebook from Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/aXnSwxa and you can check out more of Mark’s poems at http://MarkThePoet.Me

The Pathfinder: Shadow of Death

Mark Hastings books, Podcast, Poetry , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
In this episode, Mark recites his poem “Shadow of Death” from his 2024 poetry collection ‘The Pathfinder’ – which is now available to buy in paperback and as an ebook from Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/aXnSwxa and you can check out more of Mark’s poems at http://MarkThePoet.Me

Short story: “The Man in Black” (2018) by Mark Hastings

Mark Hastings books, David Bowie, playing god, Podcast, Short-story , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
The complete short story “The Man in Black” from Mark’s 2018 short-story collection, ‘Playing God’ about a young woman called Layla whose life is changed from the moment that she watches a black cat be killed and then miraculously be brought back to life, as well as repeatedly encountering a mysterious “Man in Black” who bares a striking resemblance to the late great singer/songwriter David Bowie and who always seems to be at the right place at the right time when someone needs him. However, when Layla suffers a personal tragedy that the Man in Black is unable to do anything about, Layla starts to question who the “Man in Black” is and why he seemingly can not save everybody. ‘Playing God’ is a collection of “Seven stories… Seven perspectives… Seven experiences… about One Man in Black, one Man in White… Seven morality tales of one immortal Rebel, Hero, Friend, Fan, Father, Son, Playing, God”. You can read Mark’s poetry on his website http://MarkThePoet.Me, and you can purchase all of Mark’s books of poetry, short-story anthologies, and novellas on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3HjAJMC

‘The Angel’s Halo’ (2016) – The Complete Short Story

Mark Hastings books, Podcast, Short-story , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
In this episode, Mark recites the complete short story ‘The Angel’s Halo’ from his 2016 short-story/poetry collection “Too Close To The Sun”. The story tells the tale of Holly Harris: an imaginative young woman living and working in New York City, at a bar called “The Angel’s Halo,” who is looking for love, as well as dreaming of finding her purpose in life – not knowing that she has already been been chosen for something and will soon find out who and what she has always been meant to be. You can read Mark’s poetry on his website http://MarkThePoet.Me, and you can purchase all of Mark’s books of poetry, short-story anthologies, and novellas on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3HjAJMC

Short story: ‘The Angel’s Halo’ (2016) – “Wake Up, Holly”

Mark Hastings books, Podcast, Short-story , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
In this episode, Mark concludes his recital of his short story ‘The Angel’s Halo’ from Mark’s 2016 short-story/poetry collection “Too Close To The Sun” with “Wake Up, Holly”. The story tells the tale of Holly Harris: an imaginative young woman living and working in New York City, at a bar called “The Angel’s Halo,” who is looking for love, as well as dreaming of finding her purpose in life – not knowing that she has already been been chosen for something and will soon find out who and what she has always been meant to be. You can read Mark’s poetry on his website http://MarkThePoet.Me, and you can purchase all of Mark’s books of poetry, short-story anthologies, and novellas on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3HjAJMC

Short story: ‘The Angel’s Halo’ (2016) – “7th Avenue”

Mark Hastings books, Podcast, Short-story , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
In this episode, Mark continues to recite his short story ‘The Angel’s Halo’ from Mark’s 2016 short-story/poetry collection “Too Close To The Sun.” The story tells the tale of Holly Harris: an imaginative young woman living and working in New York City, at a bar called “The Angel’s Halo,” who is looking for love, as well as dreaming of finding her purpose in life – not knowing that she has already been been chosen for something and will soon find out who and what she has always been meant to be. You can read Mark’s poetry on his website http://MarkThePoet.Me, and you can purchase all of Mark’s books of poetry, short-story anthologies, and novellas on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3HjAJMC

‘The Wolf In Us’ by Mark Hastings – Chapter Four: “The Wedding of The Wolf and The Vampire King” 5

Mark Hastings books, Podcast , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
In this episode, Mark recites part 5 of Chapter Four of his 2022 novel ‘The Wolf In Us’: “The Wedding of The Wolf and The Vampire King”. The sequel to his books ‘The Wolf In Me’, ‘The Wolf In You’, and ‘Vega – The Vampire King’. The story of Olivia Hunter continues. The tale of The Wolf deepens. The Vampire King makes a discovery. Revelations are revealed. Connections are made. Tragedy and trauma leave unseen scars. Reflections come to light. Realisations are realised. Life and death, dreams and love, provide an answer to the question: What is The Wolf In Us? You can read Mark’s poetry on his website http://MarkThePoet.Me, and you can purchase all of Mark’s books of poetry, short-story anthologies, and novellas on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3HjAJMC

‘The Wolf In Us’ by Mark Hastings – Chapter One: “The Wolf and The Raven”

Mark Hastings books, Podcast , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
In this episode, Mark recites Chapter One of his 2022 novel ‘The Wolf In Us’: “The Wolf and The Raven”. The sequel to his books ‘The Wolf In Me’, ‘The Wolf In You’, and ‘Vega – The Vampire King’. The story of Olivia Hunter continues. The tale of The Wolf deepens. The Vampire King makes a discovery. Revelations are revealed. Connections are made. Tragedy and trauma leave unseen scars. Reflections come to light. Realisations are realised. Life and death, dreams and love, provide an answer to the question: What is The Wolf In Us? You can read Mark’s poetry on his website http://MarkThePoet.Me, and you can purchase all of Mark’s books of poetry, short-story anthologies, and novellas on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3HjAJMC

My Poem “Shadow of Death”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , , , , , , 
All my footprints have gone...
all my fingerprints have disappeared...
all my impressions have been undone...
all my loves have been lost -
it is as if what happened never happened
and now I am the only one
who remembers or cares
that I once used to be with someone,
sometime, somewhere.

I never used to believe in true endings
until this year,
and now it feel as if life is not done
teaching me the lesson that I, nor anybody,
has true control over what happens...
I never believed that hope would abandon me -
but something is telling me and showing me
that the days of knowing what to do and when
are out of my hands and from now on
I am going to have to do more
to keep the once perpetual light
of optimism within me lit,
because even the most intense
and raging fire can be doused
and can even go out for good.

All my life, I took more for granted than I realised -
and it is only now, that I am bereft of what
and who I used to rely on,
that I understand where I have been going wrong,
where and when I should have done more,
and made the most of moments
that I thought would last for ever,
but were always only temporary...
all my life, I have been blessed
and I have been surrounded
by more that I could have ever wished or asked for;
and now that things, and people, have left me
I find myself wondering if, when, and how
my life could make sense ever again -
because I have been changed forever
in ways that not even I could describe
or capture in poetry.

The future, to me, is now one day at a time...
the past, to me, is now like somewhere
I once knew that I wont see or repeat again
until I reach my own version of the end...
the present is dark, and even the lights I see,
to me, have lost their once vibrant shine...
reality, for me, has been fractured too badly
for anything or anyone to be able to mend -
because I will always be haunted and living
under the shadow of death.