The Apocalypse? Or just another Christmas?

Will it? Won’t it? Will we even notice?

This isn’t going the be the first time we’ve lived through the end of the world – the Millennium – the eclipse – not to mention the various prophesies that come and go.

So enjoy your mince pies and mulled wine. Have a great Christmas everyone and (if we’re still here) I’ll see you all on the other side.

Reflections



It was calm down by the marshes and I spotted this heron, standing so still that there wasn’t even a ripple in the water around him.


 

It is a time to reflect as the year draws to a close, and for me 2012 has been momentous – I got a book deal! And next year I will see my book in print!

I have also been reflecting on the direction of this blog. When I started it was simply going to be a writing blog, on which I would chronicle my journey to publication. But I’ve found myself blogging about other things along the way, and, since there are so many writers out there chronicling their journeys, I find myself wondering if I should change focus here.

So I thought I would ask you, my blog readers, what sort of things you would like to see more of.

Do you want to see more about writing in general and the process of publication?

Do you prefer my more general posts on the natural history and strange and quirky things I encounter in the countryside around where I live?

Would you like to hear about the science behind the themes that inspired Red Rock?

A combination of all three?

Or something else?

Review: Ferney by James Long

Now this is an interesting book.

I met the author at a Literary event in Yeovil back in October and bought it, partly for that reason, and partly because the subject matter looked fascinating. This is a new edition of a book which was first published some 16 or so years ago. It is one of those books that took off through word of mouth.

And having read it I can see why.

Ferney is a love story, but it is also so much more. It is a story of old love, reborn and rekindled, generation after generation. The landscape of Somerset is beautifully drawn, and is as interwoven with history as Gally and Ferney’s love for one another also is.

But in this incarnation Ferney is an old man, nearing his end, and Gally is young and married to someone else. And as Ferney awakens dormant memories this is bound to cause conflict.

This is a powerful book that will resonate with you long after you have finished the last page. A time-slip love story that I strongly recommend.

The Wreck of the Minx

The coastline round here is steeped in history. The rocks that form the rugged cliffs and offshore ledges tell of a world of giant sea monsters and primordial forests. There are machine gun batteries and pillboxes that tell of a time of fear and war, and there are shipwrecks.

There are shipwrecks all round this coast, each telling a tale of tragedy and bravery, or looting and murder. Many of the wrecks are hidden beneath the waves, their only visitors fish and scuba divers. But some can still be seen.

Here on Frenchman’s Ledge lies what remains of the Minx, a coal barge who broke her moorings and drifted, un-crewed across the bay. That was in 1927, and now all that remains of her steel hull are a few ribs and a fragment of her bow.

And as for her cargo – I believe there were warm hearths in the local cottages that winter.

The 'Next Big Thing' Blog Hop

I was tagged to be a part of this meme by Thomas Taylor, whose own version appeared last Wednesday. (It’s a Wednesday thing.) It’s an opportunity to talk about a work in progress so I'm going to tell you a bit about my debut novel Red Rock which is going to be published in 2013.

What is the title of your next book?

Red Rock

Where did the idea come from for the book?

Many years ago one of the Mars Orbiters sent back an image of a mysterious white rock on the Martian surface. I started to wonder - what could it be....?

What genre does your book fall under?

Science Fiction Thriller for the 10+ age group.

What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

Someone nobody has heard of but is going to be huge!

What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?

The world is changing. The ice is melting. But as the icecaps retreat secrets are revealed, ancient ruins that have remained hidden for a hundred thousand years. A civilisation that wasn’t human…

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I am represented by Julia Churchill of Greenhouse Literary and Red Rock will be published in 2013 by Curious Fox.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

About 9 months, but I'd been thinking about it for a lot longer.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Tricky, perhaps a Joshua files for girls

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

My father is the person who inspired me to write.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

The melting ice caps, rising sea levels and changing weather is already happening...

And in turn I tag:

Sara Crowe

Rebecca Alexander

Emma Shortt

Carol Hunt

Dean Crawford

Words for the Wounded

It's Armistice Day, and I hope you will all pause and spare a thought for the brave men and women who have given their lives in conflicts past and present, and who will in the future.

But we must not forget the living and those who have been wounded in conflict and whose lives have been changed.

I would therefore like to bring to your attention to this new charity, Words for the Wounded, being launched today. a charity that raises money via writing prizes and donations for the rehabilitation of our wounded servicemen and women. Please give them your support, whether you are a writer or not.

The soldier standing here is Sam. He was wounded in a gas attack in France in 1916, but was one of the lucky ones who survived. I have the postcards  he sent home to his sweetheart, Emma, from the trenches. They have often been censored and all begin with the words "I'm in the pink, merry and bright..."

Sea Ice and Seamagic

The Seamagic website is now up and running and packed with all sorts of fascinating pictures and articles, even a poem or two, from a variety of contributors – all of whom share a passion for all things marine. If you haven’t been over there yet then I suggest you take a look – and do bookmark it – there’s new stuff being posted all the time and it looks to be shaping up into a fascinating project!

At the moment I’m talking about sea ice and posting pictures I took in the arctic during my days on board the survey ships.

But I’m also talking about sea ice because of its relevance to my forthcoming novel, Red Rock.

You may have already checked out the blurb for the novel which is now up at the Greenhouse website. And if you have you will have noticed the opening lines:

“The world is changing. The ice is melting. But as the icecaps retreat secrets are revealed” …

There isn’t any sea ice in Red Rock. In fact it’s all gone, but that’s the point. And as the ice melts this has an effect on other things – sea levels rise, the climate changes.

If I went back to the Greenland Sea I’m not sure how much ice I would find, compared with what I saw all those years ago. So I’m posting those pictures of the ice that was – a seamagic that may soon be gone.

The world is changing….