Richard Dee's Blog, page 91
April 29, 2018
Andorra Pett on Mars is published
That’s got the legal bit out of the way, back to the post.
Andorra Pett on Mars has been published and now we will have to wait and see what people think of it. And like the shark, who must keep swimming, my mind is already turning to my next project.
As well as the stories that I have in progress, I’m also currently engaged in re-writes of two stories that I finished last year. At the moment, I’m not really sure which one will be the next one to be published, or even if something else entirely will suddenly come into my head and beat them both to it.
The finished works are Life and other Dreams, a thriller with a sci-fi element,
and Survive, a straight sci-fi adventure.
Both were written and finished last year. I like to leave the first draft for a few months and then revisit it, the gap helps me to forget and get a bit of distance from what I have written. In that way, I find that I often can see a better way of doing things and get new plot ideas as I go through it. It does mean that there can be quite a few changes, hopefully, they improve the narrative. The good news is that, as I wrote both, I could see that they each had the potential for sequels. I’ve even managed to get a few thoughts on paper in the interval.
Once again, I’m debating whether to submit either of them to literary agents after I’ve gone over them. In the past, I’ve submitted various things but have found that there is seldom a reply or even an automatic acknowledgement of receipt. It ties up months of nervous waiting for any kind of response, which you don’t always get anyway. Whereas passing them on to beta readers give you a much quicker idea of the worth of a project. Unlike agents who reject with no clue as to any positives, beta readers are prepared to tell you what works and what doesn’t. They are people who have no agenda; they’re not afraid to try something different, not chasing a derivative or following a trend. They just like a good story.
Here’s what one of my beta readers said about Survive,
What a fantastic book!!! Survive came alive from the first page, and really took on a life of its own. The characters were all well developed and believable, the story was saturated with the atmosphere, and the bad guy was someone that everyone has experienced at one point in their life! A lot of effort has been put into the research for the story, it comes across as real instead of patently fake. My goodness, that ending though! Perfect setup for a second book, which I sincerely hope there is one! All in all, another fabulous read, thank you for the opportunity to beta read for you!
And another, commenting on Life and other Dreams.
Wow! What a psychological rollercoaster!
If you’re interested in beta reading my novels, please let me know at richarddeescifi@gmail.com
In terms of half-finished work, there’s the third Dave Travise story, the third Balcom story and a third Steampunk adventure. Not forgetting the third Andorra Pett. I’m also thinking about a prequel to the Balcom series, to explain a lot of the backstory that’s alluded to in Ribbonworld. At the moment that’s planned as a novella, a taster to get you interested in the series.
Then, of course, there’s my Showcase project to get off the ground. As I’ve said, it’s my plan to offer exposure to new authors, so far there have been a lot of takers for the guest spots. The articles I’m getting are great and I’m looking forward to posting them here, starting on June 7th. More news about that soon, plus a taster of what to expect.
Next week, there will be another glimpse into my life outside writing.
The post Andorra Pett on Mars is published appeared first on Welcome to my Worlds..
April 22, 2018
A new book and a new project
My next novel, Andorra Pett on Mars will be published on 30th April. This is an auspicious date for me, it’s five years since my first novel Freefall, was published.
Pre-orders are already live on Amazon at https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07CGQG86T
The printed proof is on the way, once I have that and it’s been checked I can order a box for my launch event.
That will be at Liznojan Books in Tiverton on May 11th, here’s the poster, I will be reading from the book and talking about Andorra.
Meanwhile, the Andorra Pett series continues, I have a pretty good idea of what she will be getting up to next, I’ve included the start of the next adventure at the end of Andorra Pett on Mars. Not giving too much away but Andorra meets up with her estranged sister and the usual mayhem ensues.
There’s so much to do in the last few days before you launch your book. I’ve been checking the final proof versions of the print and eBook before uploading them to the printers and distributors, there are always last-minute things that you never noticed before. Adverts have been running and hopefully, things will soon start to settle down.
I’ve been thinking about where I go next, my thoughts turned to a project that I started a while ago. At first, it was really only intended to give some background and realism to a future that I had created, to justify the role of a planet in the story, and to reveal a secret.
I’m referring to something that I called Galactographic Magazine.
Then, I realised that Galactographic magazine and its founder; the intrepid explorer Ballantyne Alysom, could be so much more than that. In the same way that Asimov used the Encyclopaedia Galactica in the Foundation series, I could in effect write the history of the future through its pages. Not only that, I could use it to pull together all the strands of my universe, it could become the launch-pad for stories going backwards, forwards and sideways, there was no limit to what I could do with it. As a first step, I wrote a short piece, where I started to develop the idea. I also used the magazine as a basis for my (as yet unpublished) novel Survive, but more of that later.
I even went to the trouble of designing a rough cover.
Here’s the original piece from 2014, the genesis of the idea.
Looking back at our Future.
In the last 5000 years, many civilisations have grown and flourished. Some we know a lot about, Greek, Roman, Aztec and some we know little of, Minoan, Olmec and that other one that nobody can ever remember. And that’s just on one planet. And there are almost certainly others that we know absolutely nothing about; they vanished taking their knowledge with them. And yet, they existed.
And that got me thinking; in the future, I’m sure that we will finally set out into the galaxy. Each planet that we colonise will be like one of the old civilisations, it will develop and flourish, or it will fail and decay. Given that we will take all our human emotions and vices with us, the future will probably be as exciting and difficult to predict as the past. And who will know or remember after 5000 years of Galactic colonisation, which planet was first, or what it was like? Will we be scrabbling around in the dust of a ruined sarcophagus or chipping pieces of plastic from under a mountain of rubble? Lifting broken laptop computers to the sky and muttering “Hmmm, it must have been a ritual object?” As usual human nature will ensure that history will be written by the victors and the past will be modified to fit the prevailing political and cultural mood. War, natural disaster, isolationism and religion will also colour memories and turn facts into legends.
With this in mind, I imagined myself 5000 years into the future, turning around to look into the past. To help me, I devised a magazine, Galactographic. I saw it as a grown-up descendant of something like National Geographic, a magazine which would seek out the most interesting items of Galactic history, nature and science for its articles.
As an introduction, I wrote an editorial from the point of view of the present editor. I made Lev Alysom a descendant of one of the legends of Galactic exploration, the one mentioned in my novels. I wanted the editorial to set up the idea that what we know as certainty may not survive to be history for our children.
This is what he said.
Where did we come from?
It’s a very emotive question and one that every citizen is asked at some point. If you’re a seasoned traveller you probably get asked it a lot.
In these enlightened days, it’s not supposed to matter if you’re ‘Old World,’ ‘New World,’ or if you come from the chaos of the slums of Thall because we’re all citizens of the Federation. The official line is one thing but of course being human we feel the need to belong, we like to have an identity. And to be able to say ‘My Planets better than your Planet’ to anyone who is listening.
So, if you hail from Wishart or Tauro or Callo you can be assured people will mutter ‘Old World,’ in a slightly jealous and deferential way. Reply Nara, Beldix or Agamen and eyes will roll, you’ll be expected to be uncivilised and provincial.
So that’s where you come from, where WE come from is slightly harder to define.
We’re all ‘New World’ really since all of us were born on a world that was not the origin of our species. Some of these worlds are ‘Older’ than others, that’s inevitable but none of them are the ‘One.’
And where was it? We know through universal legend that it was called ‘Earth’ and we know it was in Sirius somewhere but that’s about it. To explain why we don’t know any more we need a brief history catch-up.
In the days of the First Federation, the Capital was a place called Brethren’s Host on Wishart. The first Federation was a quasi-religious society with a single deity and a rigid structure. Inevitably there were tensions and what we now know as the Holy Wars were the result.
When Brethren’s Host was destroyed all of the central records of the past were lost. We can only speculate on what they contained. It was one of the most devastating losses of the wars. (And that’s saying something)
In the aftermath, planets were given a choice, join a new federation, a looser and less restrictive one or continue in religious harmony. It was a pity no-one had thought of that before the killing started but when mankind moved into the Galaxy he brought all his faults with him. The result was the formation of the Second Federation and the Coalition of Independent Worlds (Proving human nature again, the restrictive religious one was called the Independent Worlds, as if to convince the populous). The new Federation was less authoritarian and desperate not to make the mistakes of the past.
Obviously, we can’t tell what knowledge from before the Holy Wars survives on the Independent Worlds since few of us ever go there (or return) but here we are left with contradictory remnants. It seems however that to ensure less tension no effort was ever made to rebuild a collective memory in our part of the galaxy. The very idea was seen as stirring up trouble.
With no requirement to do so, no planet really likes to admit that it’s not old and cultured if it thinks it can get away with it and any suggestion that it may be the oldest is promoted. Hence everywhere now claimed to have been settled directly from Earth although no records existed. Time passed, nothing was done to correct this, mankind muddled through and in the end, the truth was lost in the fog of boasting.
The trouble this caused and still causes in the scholarly world is immense. Historians just want the truth and short of going to every world and digging holes, it’s difficult to separate the facts from the hype. Sirius being in the Independent Worlds sphere of influence doesn’t help either.
For all we know Earth is flourishing in their midst, again the popular line is that it must have been destroyed as it’s not in the Federation.
The most important fact that it shows is that even though you would expect not to be able to lose a Planet, it happens.
I know that ‘Galactographic’ is seen by people all across the Federation, someone, somewhere must know the one thing that we need to complete our search. So, I appeal to any readers to get in touch if they think they can help us.
Lev.
Back in our own time, I hope that after reading the problems of an eighth-millennium explorer you can see that they are no less than those of Columbus or Cook or Cortez.
Things disappear despite the best efforts of everyone and although it is said that nothing disappears without a trace; when there is no desire to remember, people forget. Or maybe not, after all the official line and the personal memory are very often two different things. Perhaps Lev will get his answers and make some progress, just like the ancient civilisations on Earth were found by the intrepid and dogged explorers of our time.
Galactographic is an idea that I’ll be revisiting.
The post A new book and a new project appeared first on Welcome to my Worlds..
April 19, 2018
The Indie Showcase, a new project.
Those of you that have been following me will know that I’ve been self-publishing my novels for five years now.
This is a major milestone for me. When I published Freefall (which took me 34 years to write), I thought that I had probably got the idea out of my system.
Then something happened, without doing any promotional work I sold a few copies and started getting feedback. People asked me about the meaning behind comments, what had happened to cause events. They questioned the motivation of the characters, the possibility of other plotlines and suggested things they’d like to see. And it gave me the impetus to write more.
A year later I’d finished a second, unconnected, novel. I didn’t know what to do with it, my wife had seen an author called Helen Hollick on the T.V. She was moving to live quite near us. She said, “why not ask her opinion?”
I must admit I was nervous. After all, Helen was a proper AUTHOR. I was daring to send her my work.
In the event, I did and received a reply. She was kindness itself, very positive and helpful. She said a few things about my book, the final line of her email was something that I treasure.
“Is this a one-off or are you planning a series? I hope a series… this has potential!”
With her, and others, encouragement, I’ve now published eight novels, two collections of short stories and have been involved in a collaborative project, a collection of historical fiction called 1066 Turned Upside Down.
Getting to the point of this post, and the new project, I had a lot of help and support in those early years, and I still do now. I’m extremely grateful to everyone for their time and patience, it’s only right that I do the same for others now that I’m a bit more established.
I’m going to have a new feature on this website, The Indie Showcase. On a Thursday. It’s for people who could benefit from a bit of extra promotion.
Once a week an Indie author, a newbie like I was five years ago, or someone who has written a bit but has still to make many waves and get noticed, will take over this website with a post of their own, in the hope that they can attract some attention to their work. There will be no restriction on what they can post about (subject to the usual bounds of decency and good taste).
It could be a description of their writing journey or influences, a promotional post for their books or a free short story. What they like to read or where they are on their latest project. It’s entirely up to them.
If you’re interested in posting on the Indie Showcase, let me know.
Together we can achieve more than we can alone.
The post The Indie Showcase, a new project. appeared first on Welcome to my Worlds..
April 15, 2018
The Next Big Thing
I rather thought that I would be giving you pre-order information this week for Andorra Pett on Mars, however, my schedule has slipped a little and I now have a week to fill.
I can, however, report that the first Andorra Pett mystery, Andorra Pett and the Oort Cloud Café is on offer for 99p at Amazon, just click HERE for your copy
The slipping schedule is not unknown, hence I have a stock of posts already made up for occasions like this. They could be news or stories about cooking or other things that I’ve been up to. And then there are the short stories. These are the pieces that spring from ideas and dreams, very often they might go on to become novels but with some, you write the story, get your point across and know that they have reached the end.
This is one of them, it wasn’t a piece of research that spawned it, it has no place in any of my series, it was just an idea that I got from reading about something in one of the magazines that I follow.
It’s called The Next Big Thing and it’s all to do with memory and secrets, corporate shenanigans and the possible price of progress. If you want a download to read offline, there’s a pdf of the story available by clicking this button
If you’re happy to read it straight from the site, here it is.
I would really appreciate it if you could let me know what you think.
The next Big Thing.
Every bar has one or the other, the drunk in the corner with the big mouth, or the poor fool. This bar, despite being at the edge of civilisation, had Rory.
It was a worker’s bar, the miners and builders in this new world all came in at the end of the shift to wet their throats. And since the work was hard, the bar was always full.
I’m a welder, experienced in all sorts of specialised techniques. Because of my skill, I was able to work freelance and there was so much work that I could have welded things together every 28-hour day under this particular sun. But I didn’t, I made enough to save a bit, pay my bills and made sure that I enjoyed a day off every now and again.
And this being a frontier world, the best place to do that was in Albert’s bar. Albert, one of the first to arrive had rather cleverly seen a gap in the market. He had got permission from the Company that ran this particular world to set up the bar.
No-one liked the Company, but they paid good wages and in return allowed us to let off steam in Albert’s. There was a shipment of beer on every weekly shuttle, nothing stronger though. The Company tolerated the facility as long as it only sold beer and I daresay that they were pleased that there was a place for the workers to gather.
The fees they charged Albert for the privilege of opening meant that they got a lot of the wages they paid straight back. And they could keep an unofficial eye on the mood of the workers. Albert had competition, criminal gangs that brewed spirit in old oil drums from potato peelings. They sold it in the shanties but they were all less honest than Albert. There was always the chance of getting poisoned or mugged; only the desperate went to them. If you got caught by the Company police you were out of a job. Albert had been the first; he had principles, he didn’t rip you off and that meant something.
And then there was Rory; like I said, he was a bit of an enigma, he seemed to be permanently at least half drunk and what in former times would have been called ‘simple’. He had a child’s mind in an adult’s body and a fixed blank expression. He just couldn’t function in an adult world; he would wander around every now and again and pick up glasses or give the tables a wipe. It was almost as if he was a machine, programmed to perform those modest tasks.
The rest of the time he sat on a stool at the corner of the bar. His sole topic of conversation was to tell everyone that he used to be the future or how he could have been famous. There was never any bitterness in his tone, just resignation, as if it had all been his for the taking but it had somehow passed him by. His glass was kept full and yet he never paid a cent. I never really knew if his condition was lifelong or if he had suffered some sort of injury that had left him like this.
Occasionally he was teased by stupid youths or strangers. He would get upset and flail about and Albert or one of the Company staff would step in and protect him. I had never had much to do with him; I listened politely, smiled and nodded but left him in his own world. I felt sorry for his condition but that was about it.
One lunchtime, I was in Albert’s celebrating a job completed. The paycheck had been large, which meant that I could afford to have a few days break. I was contemplating going off world. Another benefit of not being a Company employee was that I could pick and choose when I worked, as long as I did enough the Company would ever employ another welder.
After the last few weeks crawling around in the dark, welding pipes, I thought that a change of scenery would be nice. I planned on getting a lift on the shuttle and spending a couple of weeks visiting the places it called at. It was a common thing; other people had done it. All I had to do was ask.
As usual, Rory was in his place, glass within easy reach. He looked up at me as I sat at the bar. “You know, I was going to be famous,” he muttered.
“Hi, Rory,” I answered, and he smiled at hearing his name. “Hey,” I continued, “you never tell us the whole story; I’d really like to hear it sometime.”
In reply, he shook his head, shrank into his seat and turned away. “I could have been big,” he whispered as Albert came over to me.
“Hey, Bonz,” Albert greeted me, putting a glass of beer down. “How’re things?” Under his breath, he said, “Rory’s having a bad day, Bonz, don’t upset him.”
I took a mouthful of beer and swallowed. “No sweat, Al,” I said. “I was just trying to be friendly.”
“I know,” he said. “But it doesn’t take much. Haven’t seen you for a while, Bonz, what you been up to?” I told him about the pipes, how I hadn’t seen daylight for three weeks.
He gave me a sympathetic look. “Bet you’re glad of a day off then, at least it’s not raining.”
I laughed, that was a joke, the planetary engineers on Modeno could manipulate our weather. They arranged it so it only rained at night. Nobody knew how they did it; rain was all I had seen when I had emerged from the pipes at the end of my shift.
“Very funny. Al, I wondered if there were any spare cabins on the shuttle this time around. I feel like a couple of weeks off before I sign another deal.”
“I can ask tomorrow when I get the ETA, are you ready to go?”
“I’m all set; can I ask you another question?”
“OK,” he answered. “What is it?”
I glanced sideways at Rory, who had found a table full of off-duty drivers and was telling them that he was almost famous once.
“Rory?” he said. “Alright, I’ll tell you a bit about it.”
We moved down the bar, away from Rory, and Albert leant in close. “Rory was in an accident, about a year before you arrived. He hit his head pretty hard and it scrambled his brains. The Company hushed it all up cos it was partly their fault and now Las pays me to keep him busy, fill his glass whenever it’s empty and look out for him.”
That was awful, both the accident and the cover-up. It didn’t surprise me at all, the Company were like that. Las Stryle was the local manager, a big, pleasant man. I had thought that he was not like the usual Company boss; it looked like he was though. They always saw money and silence as the solution. “Why does he say that, all the time?”
“I don’t know that bit,” Albert replied. “And there’s no way to find out. The accident wasn’t here. If you ask Rory too many questions he just goes crazy. Las won’t let on. I just get people to smile and say yeah to him, it’s easier.”
There wasn’t much more to say after that. I drank up my beer and left.
Back at my place, I sorted out a bag, ready to travel.
Next day I got a call from Albert, I was good to go. As soon as the shuttle arrived I went down to the dock with my bag and wandered on board, dodging the cargo operations. I’d seen it in the distance before, a big ugly looking ship. It was one of several on a circular route around the sector, dropping supplies and picking up production at various planets.
The duty officer showed me to a cabin, it was better than my living quarters and coupled with the fact that I wouldn’t have to cook, a home from home. There was no beer though; mind you, a few dry days wouldn’t do me any harm.
We took off mid-afternoon and by the evening mealtime, I was settled in and bored. I followed directions to the passengers’ mess and found that there were only two other takers for the trip. An old man, silver-haired and immaculately dressed, he was accompanied by a woman about my age. She was petite and gorgeous, clad in what was probably the latest and most expensive of high fashion. My immediate thoughts were not charitable; maybe I was jealous of him.
“Pleased to meet you,” said the old man, shaking my hand in a firm grip. “I’m Danson Collis.” The name was familiar to me, he had been a high-up Company manager, back in the day when they were a reputable outfit, “and this is my granddaughter Amile.” He gestured to the girl who smiled, making her even more beautiful.
“Pleased to meet you both,” I replied. “Boon Zamaran, but everyone calls me Bonz.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You’re the welder?” He turned to Amile. “He’s the one I was telling you about; he was the best-paid welder on Franzic.”
How did he know that piece of my past? Of course, I had been working for the Company then, so he had been my boss. I tried to make a joke out of it. “That was only because there was no other welder on Franzic.”
“You’re far too modest,” he replied. “From what I remember you invented several new techniques for vacuum arc-welding in zero-G.”
OK so that was my claim to fame, but it was a long while ago, I had grown more cautious since and preferred to spend my working time on solid ground. And away from a permanent contract with the new version of the Company, if I had been their employee now they would have taken all my new work as their own. I don’t think Danson would have approved of the Company as they were.
“Amile is a welder,” he continued. “I’m sure she would love to ask you a few things.”
“Grandfather,” she said in a loving but exasperated tone. “I can speak you know.” She turned to me. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I expect you want a bit of peace on your trip.”
“That’s fine,” I said. “Yes, I’m here for a break but there was no chance to talk shop on Modeno, I was far too busy.”
We sat and ate, Danson was very good company and Amile was easy to talk to. Before I realised; we had been chatting for two hours. Amile, for all her glamour, knew enough about welding to show that she was capable and experienced. Time had flown, and I was pleased to hear that they would be on board for a few more days.
Next morning, I saw them at breakfast. “Tell me,” Danson asked, “why did you leave the Company and go freelance?”
“They refused to renew my contract,” I told him; it had left a sour taste. “Strangely it had happened just before they would have been obliged to pay me a service bonus. I wasn’t the only one they had done that to either.”
Danson nodded. “I know all about that practice,” he said. “It was started just after they disposed of my services.”
“You mean it was one of the reasons you were booted out, you had always opposed it,” said Amile. He smiled and touched her shoulder.
“Oh, there was a lot more than that,” he sighed. “But it was one of the things, yes.”
“I thought that you resigned,” I said, that was certainly the story we had heard. “We were all sad to see you go; you were the last honest one there.”
He smiled. “I know and I couldn’t hang on any longer, I had no backing. Thank you for your kind words.” He sounded truly sad, I knew the Company had been his life’s work and felt for him.
Amile spoke up. “That was the lie, the last one,” she shouted, her face red and anguished. “He was forced out, after the incident, because he wanted to be honest and accept the blame.”
“What incident?” This was all news to me.
“Hush, dear,” said Danson. “It will do no good now.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I need to speak out; the truth has been hidden for so long and when we’re gone the lie will live on. And Mr Zamaran is not a Company man, he can’t hurt you.”
What did she mean? “Have the Company threatened you?”
“Yes,” she replied. “I run a competing enterprise. If my father speaks out, I’m liable to have… problems.”
This was another example of the Company’s new way of doing things. “It doesn’t surprise me,” I said. “To be honest, I’m better off working for myself.”
“You’re doing alright on Modeno then?”
“It’s fine. OK, it’s true that I’m still working for the Company but I’m not under their control, they need me so I get a reasonable deal. And the Company man on Modeno, Las, is OK, at least with me.”
“Not Las Stryle?” she asked.
“That’s him; he’s fair although I get the idea he’s not perfect.”
She shuddered. “I could tell you some things about him.”
This could be juicy gossip; I was just working out how to ask her for the details; you never knew when something like that could come in useful. We were interrupted by the ship’s captain, “good morning all,” he said. “Mr Zamaran, could I ask you to come down to the engine room please?”
It turned out that the engineers were having trouble with a piece of equipment and needed some of my expertise in repairs. The chief engineer was embarrassed to ask but relieved that I could do what he couldn’t. I tried not to let him feel too bad. After all, I reminded him, I do this sort of work all the time, he might only see this sort of job once in a career.
I didn’t see Collis and Amile until the evening meal; we would be landing on Denova in the morning. Despite enjoying their company, I had decided to leave and have a look at the place, it was on my list. But I wanted to get the lowdown on Las before then.
“I’ll give you a story about Las,” I said, as dinner was served, “in return for one of yours. He pays to keep an injured man drunk on Modeno.”
“You mean Rory?” Clearly, this was not news to either of them.
I was shocked. “How did you know about Rory?”
“Rory, bless him, he’s the reason that I was retired,” he said. “He was the incident, I wanted to admit it all, but I didn’t get the chance. I was discredited, sacked. And then the threats started, I was afraid for Amile, so I learned to be silent.”
“I’ll tell it,” Amile said. “Settle down, Grandfather.”
She ate a few mouthfuls of her dinner, marshalling her thoughts. “Rory Gilisp was a graduate,” she began. “Top of his class, a genius in his field. He was a bit like you, but his field wasn’t welding; it was planetary engineering.”
I tried to equate the Rory that I knew, shambling one-track Rory, with the planetary engineers I had met. It was difficult; they were the advance guard of civilisation, preparing planets for life, adjusting atmospheres and environments. They could control the weather, so it only rained at night. The Company owned them and their technology.
“Did Rory have his accident on Company service?”
“There’s the thing, and the crucial part, the Company wanted results, but Rory wouldn’t play, he did things his way. He had developed all sorts of new methods; he called it the future, the next big thing. Naturally, they needed testing. My grandfather was in charge, he said ‘OK, go off and play for a while. Take a couple of guys with you.’”
Danson nodded at the memory. “I was ready to let them have a couple of years to test their theories, but I got overruled,” he said. “Money reared its head. Either Rory was ready or he was out. And the Company owned all his research, so it was win-win for them. Trouble was Rory was in no mood to give it all up and walk away. And I backed him, we needed his type, if he wanted a year or two, it would be worth it.”
Amile broke in. “But the other managers wouldn’t give him time. One of them decided to send a crew out to get him back. But Rory was stubborn and wouldn’t leave. There was a bit of an argument and one of them got over zealous. He sneaked up behind Rory and hit him over the head with a metal bar. Then things really kicked off, Rory’s mates weren’t having any of that and there was a bloodbath. By the time a rescue party turned up Rory was the only one left alive, and he was in a coma.”
Danson took up the story. “We later found that Rory had suffered brain damage and had forgotten everything, the blow on the head had scrambled his brain. The video footage showed what had happened, how he had been injured and because the Company had no control over the rescuers they were frightened of it going public. The manager was shipped away to the edge of the universe, they pulled a few strings, a big donation to the rescue services and because I wanted to admit it, they got rid of me.”
What a story. “Let me guess, the manager who sent the crew was Las.”
“That’s right,” said Amile. “And he was told, ‘you broke him, you look after him.’”
This was past amazing, Las seemed such a quiet, calm man, I’d never have thought that he had a secret like that.
“The hope was that Rory would regain his memory,” Amile continued. “He left no notes, the station’s computers were all destroyed in the fight, the Company knew that he had discovered a lot of stuff. Las was demoted and dumped with Rory on Modeno. He was meant to keep him safe in case he recovered. They wanted to be able to get his knowledge.”
It all sounded a bit strange, if Las had injured him, how would Rory react when he saw him again? Surely it would have been better to keep them well apart? But then, that was the Company for you, perhaps they had never met.
The next morning, we arrived at Denova; I was getting off for a look at the sights. I would catch the next shuttle, planet hop my way back to Modeno.
I saw Amile and Danson before I departed and Amile offered me a job. “Come and work for me,” she said. “I’ll pay you more and we’d look after you better.”
I told her that I’d think about it. Knowing what I did now, I didn’t fancy life around Las and the Company anymore.
~~~~
I spent a bit more time away, relaxing and thinking; before I returned to Modeno. I had been to some fascinating places and as well as doing the tourist thing, I had spoken to people about jobs. Because of my name and reputation, I had found a couple that looked interesting.
Away from Company control, there was a new kid on the block, so to speak. They were crying out for experienced workers. They had a good reputation. Then I found out that the outfit they were all talking about was run by Amile Collis, she had mentioned it on the ship but I hadn’t realised how big they were. Stuck on Modeno I’d been out of the loop. To be honest, I quite fancied the idea of working for her.
First, I had to collect all my gear, as I walked from the port up the hill towards my room, I passed Albert’s. I had no time for a swift beer, I had to see Las and tell him I was leaving.
I should have gone into Albert’s, Las wasn’t in his office, I had gone past him. Great, I trudged back in the gloom; it was starting to rain as night fell.
I found Las sitting in the corner, Albert was pleased to see me, Rory was wandering around picking up glasses and wiping tables. He was still telling his story. Now that I knew the whole thing, I saw him differently, he really had been about to be famous. And I was furious with Las and the Company in general, I was off just as soon as I could go.
“Sorry to hear that, Bonz,” said Las, when I broke the news. “I’ll miss you, where am I going to get a decent welder? Who are you working with, if you don’t mind my asking?”
“A new company I found when I was sightseeing,” I told him, just as Rory walked past.
“I was the next big thing,” he said.
“Not now, Rory,” said Las impatiently. “I’m talking to Bonz.”
Rory said nothing, just stood there watching us, his eyes blank.
“You were saying,” Las prompted, he couldn’t take his eyes off Rory.
“Oh yeah; it’s run by someone called Amile Collis. I was talking to her, she offered me the job.”
Behind me Rory spoke, his voice had changed, it was the voice of a confident young man, full of expression and authority, it echoed around the room. “Collis, Danson Collis, he’s a good man, I liked him.”
This was totally unexpected; the whole place fell silent. Las went pale and looked worried. Albert came over. “Come on, Rory,” he said. “Glasses to collect.” He put his hand on Rory’s shoulder.
Rory spun. “No!” he shouted. “You can’t have it, go back and tell that bastard Stryle he can go to hell.”
“Shut him up,” Las said to Albert. He looked at me, panic on his face. “Do you know what he’s on about? Did Collis tell you?”
I nodded.
Rory was still shouting. “Mr Collis told me I had time, I’m going nowhere till he says so, you can tell Stryle that. Danson Collis is my boss, not him.”
Albert tried again. “Leave Mr Stryle alone, Rory; you’re getting worked up.”
“Stryle’s here? Where is he? Let me get at him.”
Las got up.
“What’s going on, Las?” Albert asked.
Rory turned. “Is that him?” He picked up a chair.
It all happened in slow motion. Las put up a hand to protect himself. Rory slammed the chair into him. There were three distinct sounds.
The first was the ‘crack’ of the chair breaking. The second was the ‘snap’ as Las’s arm broke and an instant later, the third was his high-pitched scream of pain. Rory was still holding the remains of the chair. As Las staggered, he swung again, the metal frame hit the back of Las’s head with a sickening thud. Blood spurted, Las collapsed to the floor.
“What the hell was that all about?” Albert said, dazed by the turn of events, people started to gather around us. Someone shouted, ‘call a medic.’
“Rory, what did you just do?” said Albert.
Rory’s face was blank; once more his voice was an emotionless monotone. “I was going to be famous once,” he said.
~~~~
Next week, I’ll tell you how you can get your hands on Andorra Pett on Mars.
The post The Next Big Thing appeared first on Welcome to my Worlds..
April 8, 2018
Visions, A blog tour post
Today’s post is part of the blog tour for Visions by Helen J. Christmas, in association with Rachels Random Resources.
Visions
Visions is a psychological thriller set in rural England. The year is 1985. It’s been 12 years since Eleanor escaped London, discarding the fragments of her tragic past to discover a new life. She is hiding in a remote country village, a place where she truly believes she is safe.
Her neighbour, James Barton-Wells is desperate to save his historic country house from ruin but this has attracted the attention of a wealthy property developer from London whose seemingly altruistic offer to ‘bankroll the restoration’ masks a sinister game plan. Suspicious of his motives, Eleanor consults her friend, Charles Bailey. But Charlie has his own story, fearful that Perry Hampton is the man who undoubtedly destroyed his own life.
The characters are drawn together in a battle to save Westbourne House, oblivious to the menace that surrounds them. Threats, stalking and deception lie at the root of the Hamptons evil. Yet it is not until Eleanor comes face to face with them, she recognises a deadly enemy from the past.
Can Eleanor unravel the clues that conceal an evil crime committed in the 70s? This book will draw you into a world of suspense with shocking psychological twists you will never see coming…
Purchase on Amazon – http://apn.to/prod/B00EPDN41U
Author Bio –
Helen J. Christmas lives on the south coast with her husband. With a love of writing since childhood, she started her decade-spanning thriller series ‘Same Face Different Place’ in 2011 and published her debut novel, ‘Beginnings’ in 2012. Visions was the second book of the series and published in 2013; a suspense novel which explores British culture and social history in the 80s as well as the most evil traits people are capable of. The 16th Century cottage in which Helen lives with her husband (restored in 1991) provided endless inspiration for Visions, along with some very special places in Sussex that she loves. Writing is something she fits around her family and social life. Helen is a self-employed web designer and works from home with her husband, Peter. They enjoy the company of a faithful border collie and a beautiful white cat, though Helen confesses to have dreamed up many of her storylines, whilst walking Barney around the nearby beach and park.
Social Media Links –
Website: http://www.samefacedifferentplace.com
Blog: https://samefacedifferentplace.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/author.helenchristmas/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SFDPBeginnings
Good Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5838032.Helen_J_Christmas
Pinterest Book 2: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/helenxmas/same-face-different-place-visions-book-2-by-helen-/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helenchristmas7/
Win a signed copy of Visions (UK Only)
*Terms and Conditions –UK entries only welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will be passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c6949474/?
And now, my review.
I read the first book in this series, Beginnings, and absolutely loved it, so when the chance came up to read the second part of the story, I couldn’t wait.
Visions continues the story from where Beginnings left off. We have moved forward a decade, we’re now in the 1980’s.
Our heroine Eleanor, with her son Elijah are rebuilding their lives. Forced to move on after the events of the first book, they are now living in a small village, she’s working and they’re trying to keep out of trouble. Elenor has made new friends and a new life. But very soon, events start to conspire and bring figures from the past, together with their old ways, back into her life and the lives of everyone around her. Before she can help it, she is drawn back into the old struggle.
Her new friends and old enemies all get involved in a scheme to rejuvenate an old country house and well…, no spoilers here. But it adds a new and totally believable dimension to the story while keeping the original narrative (and everything that involves) going. Once again everyone has an interesting story, a good reason to be on one side or the other. The fun comes from trying to see where they all fit in, the excitement from finding out.
Helen paints a mood that is both sombre and exhilarating. You cannot predict what will happen every time you turn a page. There is suspense, a feeling of menace when certain players appear and over it all, it feels like the times. There are a lot of cultural references and the mood of the book reflects perfectly the things I remember from those years.
As I said, familiar faces reappear and a lot of new characters enter the story arc, all of them feel like they belong and have a part to play. They stir emotion, from the start you are interested in what they do to advance the plot, which, while complicated, is easy to understand. There is enough background included to make this a stand-alone. At the same time, enough is unsaid to make you want to read the first part if you haven’t already.
There are moments of shock, surprises and stand out jolts, some quite extreme violence and psychological warfare, yet as well there is love and tenderness. The term emotional rollercoaster is often used, I have to say that in the case of this story, it applies perfectly.
All in all, a worthy sequel and a prelude to part three, which I have put on my T.B.R. list, but first I need to get my breath back.
Thank you to Rachels Random Resources for the chance to read this book. I was offered it in exchange for an honest review.
And my verdict,
The post Visions, A blog tour post appeared first on Welcome to my Worlds..
April 1, 2018
Happy Easter, …and now for something completely different.
This week, I want to talk you through a job that I used to do. First, a bit of explanation, don’t worry, I’ll try not to get too technical and boring. At the end of the post, there’s a video of me at work.
I used to be a ship’s pilot, working on the River Thames. I was employed by the Port of London to be an expert on the river, to know all its depths and currents, the positions of the berths and the safest way to arrive and depart from any of them. I was authorised to pilot ships of any size (up to the maximum that was physically possible), anywhere in the estuary and river as far upstream as London Bridge, which is one further than Tower Bridge.
I used to go to work never knowing what ship I would be boarding, or where I would be going. It made for an interesting life, I liked to compare it to driving down a road, except that the road was moving. Even in the same place, the flow of the river changed dependant on the state of the tide, the depth of water and the resultant contours of the river bed.
As well as the ships we had never seen before and had to get used to handling very quickly, there were regular customers, one of which arrived every Tuesday and Saturday.
The ships on this service were 171 metres long, there were three of them, all the same design and they went into Tilbury lock.
We would board by rope ladder at Gravesend for the last bit, taking them around Tilburyness and turning them to enter the lock. At Tilbury, as at all the berths on the river, we used the flood tide as an aid to turn the ship. Knowing where it was strongest and where it was weakest was all part of the job, especially on lower-powered ships with limited manoeuvrability or room. At Tilbury, the strongest tide was on the opposite side of the river to the lock, it could be used to push the vessels stern around as the bow came into the weaker flow of water behind the corner. The trick was to get the ship into the right position to extract the maximum assistance. If you timed it right, as the tide pushed you could move ahead out of the current when you were lined up for the lock.
After a few years, you could usually make it look easy. Of course, when the wind was howling it took a bit more concentration, so there was less time to take pictures. And the further upriver you went, the less room you had.
Once you pass through the Thames Barrier, more so above Greenwich, the river starts to resemble a muddy ditch, whilst places like Barking Creek are little more than streams. Any vessel over 100 metres in length bound above Tower Bridge has to be reversed either inwards or outwards as there is no room to turn it off H.M.S. Belfast or just below London Bridge. The paddle Steamer Waverly, for example, can only be turned above Tower Bridge if it has the assistance of a tug.
So, going back to our ship bound for Tilbury lock. If you look at this map, we start at position 1, heading left for position 2.
The river is flowing from right to left as we look. Here’s the view from the ship at position 1.
Looking at this picture,
the current pushes from right to left around the corner, strongest where the shading is. Above the shading, the water is almost still.
Hence if you position the ship properly, the river does all the work, you just control the effect. As you can see in these pictures.
Finally, we are out of the current and heading into the lock, we have about 3 metres on each side.
Another job successfully completed.
If you’re interested, here is an excerpt from National Geographic “Megacities” made a while ago, featuring a much younger me, taking a sailing ship through Tower Bridge.
Next week, I’ll be posting a book review from a blog tour that I’ve been involved in.
The post Happy Easter, …and now for something completely different. appeared first on Welcome to my Worlds..
March 25, 2018
I feel a series coming on (the unexpected sequel)
With the impending publication of Andorra Pett on Mars, I wanted to look back at what must be the most unlikely event, a sequel to a book that I never thought I would write. Andorra Pett and the Oort Cloud Café had a bit of everything that I considered myself unable to do, a female lead character, humour, innuendo, crime. It has a base in sci-fi, which is about all I originally felt able to contribute. Yet it has been given good reviews, people have enjoyed it and now it’s almost time to see if the sequel is as well received.
Andorra Pett was originally conceived as the result of a bet, she was never intended to be more than a short story. Now her exploits have acquired a life of their own, her chaotic attempts at crime fighting are developing into a series.
Before I tell you more about that, I must also confess that I never intended to write series, just as I never intended to write sequels, prequels and spin-offs. I wanted to write all sorts of different, unconnected stuff. It just developed, almost organically. People read the novels and ask me what happened next. They ask for explanations of parts of the stories. Not only that, sometimes, as an author, you can see a divergent path whilst you are writing and must choose to pursue one route instead of the other.
I store all these alternatives and requests in my head and bring them out when I’m feeling stuck for ideas. The problem is that they push the ideas for new projects aside. As I’m inherently lazy, I find it easier to write another Dave Travise story, for instance, than to develop a whole new universe for a different idea. In the same way, it’s easier to spin off sideways, to write about other events taking place in the same universe. You have your basics in place, it’s just a case of fleshing out your plot.
Which is probably why I have ended up with four series so far, a steampunk,
and three future worlds, all with linked characters and situations.
Although I’ve tried to make all the stories stand-alone, so they don’t need to be read in order, they are inevitably connected. And I have ideas for more instalments of all of them, in both directions and sideways too. As I’ve said, they will be made up from a combination of readers’ comments, as well as being inspired by some of the research and backstory that I’ve created as I’ve plotted.
But of course, when it comes to series, I’m a mere beginner. Take Andorra Pett, as she’s the focus of this post. She originally came from someone suggesting a sci-fi story about a person who was running away from a bad relationship. The idea was that she went to do something completely out of her comfort zone. Like so many books with that premise set on Earth, usually in Cornwall or Devon.
Originally, Andorra was a short story, at the insistence of my editor and others it became a novel. As I came to know Andorra and her world in more detail, I had an idea for a sequel, prompted by a piece of backstory. From that, I’ve also got two more books in planning and I suspect that there could be many others. Could I write more, is it possible for me to keep on thinking up scenarios for Andorra to investigate?
Well, let’s look at a couple of other amateur detectives, both of who inspired Andorra and feature in long-running series. Agatha Raisin features in 28 books and three short stories and she lives in a small village in the Cotswolds. Miss Marple had 12 books and 20 short stories. She also lived in a small village. In both cases, the opportunity for going to different locations was limited, most of the crimes in those series happen close to home. And yet the authors managed to carry on writing lots of original stories.
Andorra Pett, by contrast, lives on a space station in orbit around Saturn. In her time, Mars is colonised as well, which means that I can devise all sorts of places for her to explore. And I’m sure that the art of murder, or at least crime that needs solving will be carried along with our exploration of the Galaxy. There will always be a place for an amateur detective, perhaps more so on the fringes of civilisation. Especially as the dangerous nature of the place makes it casual death more likely. And that suggests opportunity, it could be a lot easier to get away with murder in space.
So, what’s next for Andorra? After her adventures on Mars, she will be returning to Earth for the third book, Andorra Pett and her Sister. Chapter one of that story can be found at the end of Andorra Pett on Mars. Then, in the fourth story, currently titled Andorra Pett takes a Break, she decided to treat herself to a holiday, the trouble is, nobody has told the bad guys that she wants a couple of months peace.
Where can we go from there? I want her to have more adventures, I guess that the future gives us a lot of possibilities, Andorra could get invited to join the first ship to leave the solar system, set up a new colony on a newly discovered planet that’s light years away, or maybe return to the scene of one of her old adventures for another story. There are plenty of options for mystery and mayhem involving Andorra, and that’s before we even consider the other characters in her world.
Such as her sidekick, Cy. He could be worth a story or two on his own, especially if the two of them are forced to be apart for some reason. Her romantic interest Derek has a family as well, all with their own pasts, never forgetting that there is always the chance that Andorra could have children of her own. There could be a dynasty of clumsy but lovable amateur detectives running around remembering how Grandma solved the mystery of whatever.
As I’ve been typing this I realised, that was all very well but all moving forward in time. Aren’t we forgetting what happened to Andorra before the series started? There must be some interesting stories from her formative years, if only we could find someone to tell us about them.
As I think you can see, once you get started, there really is no limit, except time itself and the speed that you can type the words. As long as I keep thinking up adventures for her, Andorra can continue to have them.
Next week, I’m going to tell you about a job I once had.
Andorra Pett on Mars will be published as a paperback and eBook on April 30th. Find out more about Andorra Pett HERE and HERE
The post I feel a series coming on (the unexpected sequel) appeared first on Welcome to my Worlds..
March 18, 2018
More than just an author, some sweet treats that you can make at home
A change again this week, to prove that I don’t just write books, I decided to share some more easy recipes with you.
As you will see, I have a liking for chocolate.
Here are two sweet treats that you can easily make. The total time involved in actually doing anything is very short, mostly you’re waiting for things to cook or freeze.
First up is Millionaires Shortbread,
First off, you make the base, 325g Plain Flour, 200g Butter and 100g Caster Sugar, all rubbed in together and pressed into a lined baking tin 20x30cm (8×10 inch)
This was baked for 35 minutes at 140°C and set to cool in the fridge.
Next, the caramel, melt 150g butter and 150g light brown sugar in a pan,
add a tin of Condensed Milk (397g) and simmer for about 8 minutes, I used my Induction hob set at 100°C and kept stirring. You will feel the mixture thicken.
Pour over the base and smooth out, return it to the fridge.
When the top is set, melt 400g chocolate, I used 200g each of Plain and Milk and the microwave (people will tell you not to use a microwave but I like to live on the edge! Be careful though and just heat for 20 seconds at a time, stirring well before re-heating),
Then pour over the set caramel and smooth out, return it to the fridge.
Then be patient, this is the hardest part of the job!!
Give it at least 3 hours before you cut it, overnight would be best really because everything has to be set or it will ooze. After 1 hour the edges were set but the middle was still soft, as you can see.
but after another hour it was almost there.
The moment of truth, I lifted it out of the tray and removed the paper,
then cut it into generous portions.
The second idea is a version of the bounty bar, the shape is optional, I realise what mine look like and will do them differently next time. It didn’t affect the taste though, you could always cut them into pieces if it bothers you.
I stumbled upon a recipe, it looked remarkably easy to make, I had to have a go. There are just three ingredients and around half an hours work. There is no cooking involved, apart from melting the chocolate.
I used 500g Desiccated Coconut and 170g Condensed Milk, with 100g Milk Chocolate Chips,
all mixed together until it forms a dough.
I shaped this into logs and put them in the freezer for 20 minutes. Next time I will use a mould and make slightly more acceptable shapes.
After this time I melted 300g Dark Cooking Chocolate in the microwave (20-second bursts with a stir each time so it doesn’t burn)
Then I dipped the logs and put them in the fridge to harden, the frozen mixture was starting to set the chocolate as I worked. This was where the shape became apparent, it was too late to turn back though!
Now I had to wait for the chocolate to set. It took about two hours in the fridge.
When I cut one, it didn’t fall apart. And it was rather tasty.
I hope that’s given you some ideas, I’ll be back to writing next week.
The post More than just an author, some sweet treats that you can make at home appeared first on Welcome to my Worlds..
March 11, 2018
Sunrise
I do like a nice sunrise, and I’ve seen a few. There’s a beautiful binary on Wishart, and the Red Dwarf of Jintao, with its rosy glow lighting the mist rising off the grass sea. But any of them, even the boring ordinary ones, look so much better from orbit.
There’s no warning, one minute space is black, the planet’s edge may be fringed with a haze of atmosphere, instantly a line of brightness appears and grows quickly into a disc. It has the viewport polarizers working flat out to take away the glare before you go blind.
But for that moment, I get a surge of well-being, a feeling that it all starts again, and that maybe this time, things will be different.
They were the first words I ever wrote, the opening paragraphs of Freefall. They were meant to convey the sense of the character, how he longed for a new beginning. The idea was to give me a reason to tell you about his past, present and future. And for you to want to know it. They survived all the edits and revisions, largely because, as well as hopefully getting you interested, there was a little of me in there somewhere.
Throughout history, the sunrise has always been seen as a new beginning, a place to start again.
Looking back, I can see the influence of the sunrise in my work since, and the place that it all comes from.
You see, I’ve always felt an affinity with the sun. I used to use it to find my way about the planet, together with my trusty sextant – back in the days when I was a navigator on merchant ships. The sun was my guide and when I was on watch between four and eight in the morning, its appearance was a chance to calculate the error of the compass by amplitude observation. And it also meant that breakfast was on the way! It regulated working hours in a lot of places, its position in the sky signifies the seasons and its eclipses inspired awe in our ancestors.
If you’re writing science fiction, suns play a part, they are as essential as a good hyperdrive. They can create or enhance the atmosphere in a story set in another world, just like it can do here. However, the alien sun can be anything you want it to be, a different colour, perhaps even a binary. It can be another character in your story, a hero or a villain. You might see it from a distance as a point of light as you travel the galaxy, or as a tennis ball in the sky from your vantage point at the outer reaches of a solar system.
I like to walk along the cliffs at sunrise, every day if I can. I’m very fortunate that I live ten minutes walk from the coast at Sharkham Point. Regular walking along the same route also means that I get a good view of the changing seasons. Most days the sun is a part of the scenery, in a different part of the sky as the year progresses but always there. Sometimes, I’m lucky enough to see a really inspiring sunrise or effect of the light.
Here are some of my favourites from recently, even when you can’t see the sun, it still has an influence. Its heat can produce mist or fog or just cast a shadow behind some strategically placed clouds.
My morning walks, very often without seeing another person, have given me all sorts of inspiration. While I enjoy the early morning and watch for the first hint of the sun on the horizon, I can plot and plan. I get ideas, talk through scenes and refine dialogues to the background noise of gulls and waves.
From the musings of Dave Travise to the weather on the planet Ecias, they’ve all been born by the sun and the sea. Even the events in my soon-to-be-released adventure Survive! are conceived in the suns of Certus 2-21. That fictional star system has its own origins on the cliffs of Sharkham, where I watched its cousin take to the skies.
The post Sunrise appeared first on Welcome to my Worlds..
March 4, 2018
The Torcian Chronicles
Today I’m on tour withThe Torcian Chronicles, in association with Rachels Random Resources.
Blurb
Mesham sits dejectedly in a tiny garret above an inn, as the lands of Torcia fall to the magically-enhanced army of the infamous Mivirian Horde. One of the last surviving ancient warlocks of Torcia, Mesham knows he is marked for death.
The Torcian king knocks on Mesham’s door later that evening and offers him the chance of rejuvenation in return for a seemingly impossible mission into the heart of Mivir. Mesham reluctantly agrees, only to realise the evil of Mivir has spread to the very top of the Torcian government.
As Mesham undertakes his quest to complete the mission, he finds himself hunted by his king, by the mighty Torcian warbands, and by the Horde.
But he cannot fail, for the fate of Mesham’s beloved Torcia rests in his hands.
Purchase from Amazon: http://amzn.to/2lDC4nR
Author Bio –
P.J. Reed – Writer of warlocks and other magical creatures.
P.J. Reed is a writer and poet from England. She holds a BAEd from Canterbury Christ Church University and an MA from Bradford University. She has been widely published in anthologies and collections.
P.J. Reed currently lives in Devon, with a handful of teenagers, one feral cat and a dog called Fizz.
Social Media Links –
Website – http://fantasyworlds.jigsy.com
Twitter- https://twitter.com/PJReed_author
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/TheTorcianChronicles
Here’s my review,
“There’s hardly a page that goes by without some sort of action or excitement.”
I’ve always been a huge Fantasy fan, I cut my teeth, so to speak, on Narnia and Lord of the Rings, way back when. I’m a huge fan of Game of Thrones, The Sword of Truth series and a few others. I like the mixture of medieval and modern, the magic which lurks and the incredibly detailed world building that an epic struggle requires.
I love the allegory too, the comparison between now and a mythical then. C.S. Lewis did it brilliantly in Narnia, and Tolkien based the destruction of Middle Earth on what he saw as the ravages of a mechanical and industrial society that had lost touch with its pastoral roots. It’s good to read a new fantasy and start to work out what has influenced it.
As we arrive in Torcia, the first thing you notice is the map. Maps are great, every good fantasy should have one. This map is a corker, it’s a pity the version in my copy doesn’t enlarge well. I’ve managed to find a better version online – it’s worth it. It immediately shows you the scale of the place, enables you to see what’s at stake.
We’re straight into the action, and it’s not a pretty start for our characters. Torcia is under attack by a bunch of bloodthirsty invaders. They appear to have magic on their side. And they’re not afraid to use it!
The thing that grabs you is that this is a big world, the author has filled it with all sorts of interesting things. The physical world is well described, as are the amazing powers that exist and there is a cast of truly interesting creatures. Intentions are not always clear, with every new encounter you must wonder, are these good guys or bad? The lead character, Mesham, is complex and the motley crew that assembles around him have the potential to develop into a proper group as the story progresses.
And as for the adversaries they encounter? Well, you need to see just what inhabits this land, it’s certainly not a home from home. Dangers abound, from the plants, animals and other humans – everything, magical or not, seems out to thwart Mesham’s plans to save his land from the invaders.
There’s a logical sequence to everything that goes on, as in every journey, a sense of achievement with every step forward, with the added feeling that just around the corner is a setback. It all adds to the excitement as our band of heroes assemble and prepare to do battle.
Imagination is a wonderful thing, this authors mind is filled with magic, evil creatures, fights, escapes by the skin-of-the-teeth and really, really big explosions. Action leaps from the pages, there’s hardly one that goes by without some sort of heart-stopping excitement as our hero’s quest commences, and the growing band realise just what they’ve let themselves in for. Saving the world is the object of the exercise, it’s a big job – have they got what it takes?
Not content with giving us a great story, at the back of the book there is a glossary of the language and magical terms that the author has used. A nod to Tolkien and Herbert and great fun to read on its own.
There’s potential in its pages for all sorts of backstory. I think that, as well as Mesham’s story, we need to know more about the history of Torcia and how it got to this position.
As for the magical spells, maybe it’s best if you don’t try them at home!
This is the first of a series, I can’t wait for the next one. It’s a big FIVE STARS from me!
The post The Torcian Chronicles appeared first on Welcome to my Worlds..
