https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog daily 0.75 2026-01-03 https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog/new2thescene-novel-award-25c3n monthly 0.5 2026-01-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67695c7d25dea733d4f281b6/e3567a71-8584-4037-beb1-102a2a470327/writing+image.jpg Blog - 2025 In Writing Wrote 320,000 words; Deleted 150,000 words; Changed 170,000 words; Changed 40,000 back again; Wrote for >2,500 hours; Edited full novel 23 times (Accidentally deleted 3 of those edits and did them again); Sent 14 queries; Got 4 rejections and decided I’m rubbish; Got 2 full manuscript requests and did a dance of joy; Got ghosted by the rest and wondered if I actually even exist; Got a full manuscript rejection and lost my self-esteem; Kept checking my inbox for the other pending full; Kept checking my sent box to make sure I even sent it; 2 research field trips; 400 hours trawling archives; 17 Writers’ Group meetings; One conference; 41 manuscripts reviewed for other writers Five blogs; Published a novel; Finished editing the novel I started in 2024 and submitted for publication; Started and finished a new novel; Drafted ½ another novel https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog/new2thescene-novel-award monthly 0.5 2026-01-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67695c7d25dea733d4f281b6/080e6b3c-cfbd-4d03-a862-4bc47dee5012/COVER+IMAGE.jpg Blog - New2TheScene Novel Award - I’m very happy to share that The Peat Cutter’s Wife made the final fifty of the New2theScene summer 2025 novel award. The novel has travelled a long way to get here. You might know it under the title: 1597, The Year of the Living. It’s a thing, apparently, author’s changing their mind about their titles - often we start off with an idea to write one story, then our characters have different ideas. It took a while for my title to catch up. The New2theScene Award exists to spotlight emerging voices across every genre, and making it through to the final fifty means it stood out in a large and competitive field. Who knew? I might be alright at this writing thing. It’s a lonely business - you never quite know if you’re getting there because feedback is so subjective. So this feels like a milestone worth enjoying. The Peat Cutter’s Wife is about a 1597 couple trying to save each other and their marriage, across a huge gulf in their beliefs, against persecution, poverty and spiralling witch-fear. It’s a tender, aching love story about a couple who can’t quite reach other but never stop trying, no matter how hard things become. Based as it is on true events - the horror of which we can only begin to imagine - writing it sometimes took me to dark places. And I owe huge thanks to the wonderful Remembering Accused Witches of Scotland society for their help with facts and encouragement with the truth I worked to convey. I also owe gratitude to the wonderful people around me, friends and family, who patiently read early drafts and gave me honest feedback and support at every step. I’ll share more news on this book as I am able - another thing I have learned about writing: from finishing to publication is a long… long… process, and one not for the faint-hearted. https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog/ch140v2j6y1gdog2sqcxgcrczics2r monthly 0.5 2025-12-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67695c7d25dea733d4f281b6/65b73881-d619-4b20-9ea4-ea57cee78899/cover+wrap.jpg Blog - The Accidental Heretic - 1st Feb 2026 - So, I’m finally ready to send Antonio and Luisa - not to mention the fabulous Jean-Pierre (my personal favourite character who wrote himself into the book without so much as a s’il vous plait and went on to cause mayhem) out into the world. Inspired by real trial transcript I discovered 15 years ago, eighteen months of writing and editing, I am finally delighted to have a release date for The Accidental Heretic. It’s been exhausting, exciting, exasperating and probably a whole bunch more ex-words (ok, a little strong on the hyperbole I know, but I’m buzzing. This novel-writing business is very consuming). Book Cover - thanks Luca https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog/zyxu5dk9o5011a3cspggyhakt0x2mq monthly 0.5 2025-09-02 https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog/1ck32eyu3j9y9dcjrg6j26jyp7l9jk monthly 0.5 2025-12-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67695c7d25dea733d4f281b6/b77c4e9b-d897-4d62-bff2-94b864ee01c0/witch-trial-illustration.jpg Blog - Why the Scottish Witch Trials? - Make it stand out A young woman accused of witchcraft by Puritan ministers appeals to Satan to save her https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67695c7d25dea733d4f281b6/7b934fbd-40a2-417c-ab43-6ddde78372b5/daemon-2.jpg Blog - Why the Scottish Witch Trials? - Make it stand out Daemonologie. Released 1597 https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog/my5bmvfafd68jmz3yw7hkelo2jir4h monthly 0.5 2025-02-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67695c7d25dea733d4f281b6/d0091a3d-08b6-41d4-8708-89bdd3e8a848/drawing+MTU.jpg Blog - Behind the Title: More Than Us - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog/blog-post-title-one-3s7sl monthly 0.5 2025-02-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67695c7d25dea733d4f281b6/0bf4e89b-49e1-4f67-a60d-eb935d41eb63/IMG_4934.jpg Blog - More Than Us - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog/blog-post-title-two-24xp2 monthly 0.5 2025-01-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67695c7d25dea733d4f281b6/0396abb8-ebd9-4d94-9e9c-ffd4435972c8/placa+del+rei.jpg Blog - Research and Sangria - Whilst the first flakes of snow fell in England, I headed to Barcelona to do some research for my work in progress: The Accidental Heretic. Set in Valencia and Barcelona in 1756, my protagonist, Antonio, finds himself incarcerated in the Inquisition Prison after performing a clever but innocent prank to uncover a thief. The Palace of the Inquisition, trial hall, and prison, were housed here in the Palau Reial Major, the buildings and courtyard pictured are featured in a lot of major scenes in my book. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67695c7d25dea733d4f281b6/65fde7ab-d370-4143-b58c-c4dfc6872d56/aa+signature.jpg Blog - Research and Sangria - The novel is inspired by a transcript of an actual trial, and this photograph gives me goosebumps. At the bottom of the page is the signature of the prisoner who inspired my novel. His name was Antonio Adorno (I have used a modified name in my book - because although I have stayed faithful to the trial records, I have fictionalized the events that brought him there). Here Antonio is signing to agree to pay the costs of his trial - food, clothing and the wages of his jailers and prosecutors. Such documents are not easy to get hold of, and the story of how this one came into the public domain is as interesting as the trial itself. In March 1820, citizens of Barcelona stormed the Palace - part of a broader uprising against absolutism. They freed the prisoners and destroyed instruments of torture. Documents were also largely destroyed but a few - including a handful of trial transcripts - were retained, shipped to the New World to be preserved as records. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67695c7d25dea733d4f281b6/eac33150-536c-4e5f-b10c-3ec764bba124/minastery+pedralbes.jpg Blog - Research and Sangria - The Reial Monestir de Santa Maria de Pedralbes. Another key location in my novel, I spent a lovely morning wandering through its cloisters and picturing the scene of the quiet wedding that I featured in my book. That wedding culminated in a furious panic-ridden horse-cart chase through the streets of Barcelona. One of the more dramatic scenes in my story - fictional of course, although as I walked towards the city I loved the visual imagery of it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67695c7d25dea733d4f281b6/b8041c4c-fe77-4556-9136-e0a4320ab1fc/sangria.jpg Blog - Research and Sangria - At the end of several days traipsing through the streets, making notes, correcting my prose and discussing ‘what-ifs’ - I finally got around to a long-promised and well-earned jug of Sangria. Thanks to my long suffering sister Cathy for waiting so long for her drink. Research would be nothing without going to the places I write about, touching the stone of the walls, walking on the same paving stones, and seeing what my characters would have seen. https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog/category/spanish+inquisition monthly 0.5 https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog/category/Psychological+Thriller monthly 0.5 https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog/category/author monthly 0.5 https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog/category/bookwriting monthly 0.5 https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog/category/historical monthly 0.5 https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog/category/histy monthly 0.5 https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog/category/novel monthly 0.5 https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog/category/research monthly 0.5 https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog/tag/spanish+inquisition monthly 0.5 https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog/tag/palace+reial+major monthly 0.5 https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog/tag/transcripts monthly 0.5 https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog/tag/Psychological+Thriller monthly 0.5 https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog/tag/medieval monthly 0.5 https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog/tag/Ghost+Story monthly 0.5 https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog/tag/pedralbes monthly 0.5 https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog/tag/historical+drama monthly 0.5 https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog/tag/inquisition monthly 0.5 https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog/tag/trial monthly 0.5 https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog/tag/barcelona monthly 0.5 https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog/tag/More-Than-Us monthly 0.5 https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog/tag/novel monthly 0.5 https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog/tag/Release monthly 0.5 https://www.jo-oneill.com/blog/tag/antonio+adorno monthly 0.5 https://www.jo-oneill.com/contact daily 0.75 2025-12-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67695c7d25dea733d4f281b6/8af4e562-67ed-49cf-8059-8dc3704849a6/headshot.jpg https://www.jo-oneill.com/about daily 0.75 2025-12-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67695c7d25dea733d4f281b6/1bc282d6-f5de-45de-8d61-8ce4df7f60c2/headshot.jpg https://www.jo-oneill.com/home daily 1.0 2026-03-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67695c7d25dea733d4f281b6/42240d6f-4ff9-4327-b10c-425cbfd85915/priests.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67695c7d25dea733d4f281b6/5b5724a7-54bc-4e38-b16e-30ac98fb1be8/COVER+IMAGE.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67695c7d25dea733d4f281b6/288299c7-fd57-4f20-b02f-4020b705b0d5/cover+-+untitled.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67695c7d25dea733d4f281b6/7cb1c2fc-9fed-4413-999d-97961cdea771/front+cover.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67695c7d25dea733d4f281b6/b5e4e3e5-91ef-41d1-ba2e-a51104702f55/cream+jacket+headshot.jpg https://www.jo-oneill.com/pre-order-or-buy daily 0.75 2026-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67695c7d25dea733d4f281b6/cb544681-e47a-441d-a701-34d1b3c44e85/front+cover.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67695c7d25dea733d4f281b6/7cb1c2fc-9fed-4413-999d-97961cdea771/front+cover.jpg https://www.jo-oneill.com/books-yBmvO daily 0.75 2026-03-01 https://www.jo-oneill.com/books-yBmvO/marycarleton monthly 0.5 2026-03-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67695c7d25dea733d4f281b6/dafcae38-e5fd-4ca9-b4a5-1f23201ca8e2/cover+-+untitled.jpg https://www.jo-oneill.com/books-yBmvO/the-accidental-heretic monthly 0.5 2025-12-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67695c7d25dea733d4f281b6/f9bf0374-1aaa-4562-a261-1c1a5cc7a382/front+cover.jpg https://www.jo-oneill.com/books-yBmvO/more-than-us monthly 0.5 2025-12-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67695c7d25dea733d4f281b6/08a612f5-b7aa-460a-98aa-18bdcf19bde5/front+cover.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67695c7d25dea733d4f281b6/fa1e6f55-66d4-42b3-b55f-ccb799d3d8c0/goodreads.jpg https://www.jo-oneill.com/books-yBmvO/1597-the-year-of-the-living monthly 0.5 2026-02-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67695c7d25dea733d4f281b6/966cb3c3-58cb-4088-b6c8-081e7499742d/COVER+IMAGE.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67695c7d25dea733d4f281b6/53dfed4a-d430-4394-afb2-72d3cd705bad/raws+logo.jpg