Fiona Erskine

Engineer. Writer. Swimmer.

Phosphate Rocks

Jaq Silver Thriller Series available again

Posted on August 21, 2025

The fourth book in the Jaq Silver series is now available on-line in paperback under the Snickered Mole imprint. A gold star to anyone who unpicks the anagram. This might …

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Phosphate Rocks – do engineers read fiction?

Posted on May 1, 2025

May 2025 sees the start of a 52-part serialisation of my 3rd novel – Phosphate Rocks: A Death in Ten Objects. The Chemical Engineer, (TCE), the monthly magazine of the …

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Phosphate Rocks to be serialised

Posted on March 24, 2025

Exciting news. The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) have acquired the rights to serialise my novel about a fertiliser factory in their member magazine (TCE) and website. Phosphate Rocks: A Death …

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Starting 2025 with an apology

Posted on January 2, 2025

Happy New Year! I have an apology to make. I’ve been ignoring you. After redesigning my author website (with the invaluable assistance of Simon Appleby at Bookswarm), I then neglected …

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Sunny southern sojourn with friends and family and a stonkingly good book. London looking stunning!


In Houston for the day job, I went back to visit my old house and primary school from when my dad had a sabbatical at Rice University. Fleming park is much smaller than I remember but the fire ants are still there! Highlight was a full Tex-Mex with Theresa and Bhopal expert Kenneth Bloch - plans afoot for a new book.


I swam 24km in 5 days. Hard work?

Try tuna canning, salt drying or sulphur mining...

https://fionaerskine.substack.com/p/sulphur-and-salt


Goodbye #egadiislands and thank you @swimtrek for an amazing week - 24 kilometres with wonderful guides, fellow swimmers and multicoloured fishes!


This week #PhosphateRocks e-book is only £0.99 in UK

Who doesn't love a story about a demolition gone wrong? @raine_clouds_writes @lesleykellyauthor 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Phosphate-Rocks-Death-Ten-Objects-ebook/dp/B0CTRRXKNY

PS: The audio book narrated by @rain.goblin is pretty special too


A quarter of my sales this month were overseas for the very first time!

Massive thanks to all those fine Canadians for topping the list. Say Hi if you see this.

https://fionaerskine.com/


On my way to Harrogate today

https://open.substack.com/pub/fionaerskine/p/harrogate

Say hello if you'll be there


What makes the perfect handbag and how much is it worth?

https://fionaerskine.substack.com/p/the-perfect-handbag


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I have news!
Stellar thanks to @SFcrowsnest for a stirring introduction - to #TheLye and to #agentjarrold for his immense courage. Watch this space…

Novelist Carolyn Kirby discusses the apparently radical shift in men’s fashions during the late 18th century and the invention of the ‘masculine’ style that still dominates menswear. https://historiamag.com/invent-masculine-fashion/ via @HistoriaHWA

I have news. Exciting news...
https://fionaerskine.com/news-item/exciting-news/

Have you had a look at the brilliant Ravenglass by Carolyn Kirby yet?

Following a gender fluid character making their way in 1700s Whitehaven, this emotional and beautifully written globe trotting adventure is available with 25% off this Christmas!
https://share.google/AvrhJUHaVtFa9TVnK

Happiness is a train journey with a seat and a good book #lner #thesaltoracle

Excellent post - thank you @GalleyBeggars @GonzaloCGarcia

Ongoing serialisation of
#PhosphateRocks continues as the mystery deepens
Chapter 27: Broken Sunglasses - Features - The Chemical Engineer - https://goo.gl/alerts/EVCA3x #GoogleAlerts @IChemE

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