David L. Atkinson's Blog, page 97

Writing - War came to Hartlepool

December 16th 1914 - Hartlepool (where they hung the monkey) was bombarded from the sea by German warships.
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114 people were killed and over 500 injured when three German cruisers bombarded the Heugh Battery.
The first shots landed close to the Heugh Battery, killing Private Theophilus Jones (aged 29) of the 18th Battalion D.L.I. Three other soldiers were fatally wounded at the same time. Private Jones became known as the first soldier to be killed on English soil during the First World War. Two more soldiers were killed by the next shell. This also hit the telephone line between the two batteries, so the Commander had to try to relay orders by megaphone. This proved impossible because of the noise, so a man was sent to stand between the command post and the battery to relay orders by word of mouth.
[image error]Private Theophilus Jones aged 29
Private Jones was the first man killed by the Germans on the British mainland.
Interesting problems of communication outlined in that short paragraph and the fact that the volume of extraneous noise caused a breakdown in accepted methods. How things have changed.
Launch
Still trying!

I suppose that I could have waited until it was available everywhere but I wanted people to have the book asap. So I've no patience! (! = laughing at myself).
Here is the news:-
Smashwords
As an introductory offer this weekend the book is going to be priced at $3.99 - just register with Smashwords and follow this link,
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/500183com
Amazon
The book is available for Kindle or the Kindle App for smartphones and tablets. For those who are unaware of the facilities available on those modern devices the app is free to download and only takes seconds. Then all you need is an Amazon account which really just means that you have previously bought something through Amazon. the current price for the book on this medium is £2.64 or around $3.50. Follow the link below
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Earth-plc-Steele-Novels-Book-ebook/dp/B00QS3XB5O/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418392646&sr=1-6&keywords=david+l+atkinson 

Completely Novel
I've kept faith with this company for almost five years. They produce my paperback copies and delivery is really quick. All you need to do is click on the link
http://completelynovel.com/listings/earth-plc 
The paperback is priced at £3.99 + p&pIn fact all of my novels are available in paperback from that website under David L Atkinson.
God Bless

Tuesday meal idea - Mash and cheesy skins

I don't deliberately set out to make mistakes - they just seem to happen. As Christmas approaches it is busy with choir work as well as all of the other factors that come with the day so food is very much just fuel.
Fish pie with cheesy skins
The mistake that occurred while I was making this was overcooking the cheesy skins. You could have soled your shoes with these but the less burnt ones were very tasty.
The idea was to use baked potato as the mash topping for the fish pie. It's not new and produces a mash with firmer consistency but in the past I've thrown skins away. However, I saw a TV chef just season and sprinkle some cheese on the skins and bake them to produce a tasty addition to a meal or in fact when cold a snack or party food. They take about ten minutes in an hot oven.
The fish pie doesn't require explanation - I just love it.
Launch
Still trying!

I suppose that I could have waited until it was available everywhere but I wanted people to have the book asap. So I've no patience! (! = laughing at myself).
Here is the news:-
Smashwords
As an introductory offer this weekend the book is going to be priced at $3.99 - just register with Smashwords and follow this link,
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/500183com
Amazon
The book is available for Kindle or the Kindle App for smartphones and tablets. For those who are unaware of the facilities available on those modern devices the app is free to download and only takes seconds. Then all you need is an Amazon account which really just means that you have previously bought something through Amazon. the current price for the book on this medium is £2.64 or around $3.50. Follow the link below
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Earth-plc-Steele-Novels-Book-ebook/dp/B00QS3XB5O/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418392646&sr=1-6&keywords=david+l+atkinson 

Completely Novel
I've kept faith with this company for almost five years. They produce my paperback copies and delivery is really quick. All you need to do is click on the link
http://completelynovel.com/listings/earth-plc 
The paperback is priced at £3.99 + p&pIn fact all of my novels are available in paperback from that website under David L Atkinson.
God Bless

Writing - Still launching for Christmas

Still trying!

I suppose that I could have waited until it was available everywhere but I wanted people to have the book asap. So I've no patience! (! = laughing at myself).
Here is the news:-
Smashwords
As an introductory offer this weekend the book is going to be priced at $0.99 - just register with Smashwords and follow this link,
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/500183com
Amazon
The book is available for Kindle or the Kindle App for smartphones and tablets. For those who are unaware of the facilities available on those modern devices the app is free to download and only takes seconds. Then all you need is an Amazon account which really just means that you have previously bought something through Amazon. the current price for the book on this medium is £2.64 or around $3.50. Follow the link below
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Earth-plc-Steele-Novels-Book-ebook/dp/B00QS3XB5O/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418392646&sr=1-6&keywords=david+l+atkinson 

Completely Novel
I've kept faith with this company for almost five years. They produce my paperback copies and delivery is really quick. All you need to do is click on the link
http://completelynovel.com/listings/earth-plc 
The paperback is priced at £3.99 + p&pIn fact all of my novels are available in paperback from that website under David L Atkinson.
God Bless

Writing - 10 things we didn't know last week

Shy celebrities and well-travelled scallops.

1. In 2009 the US Agency for International Development tried to recruit an underground rapper to overthrow the Cuban regime.
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2. Tom Hanks checks into hotels using the name of Scottish music hall singer Harry Lauder as an alias.


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3. Scallops caught in Brittany are shipped to China for cleaning before being transported back to France to be sold in ready meals.


How daft is that?
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4. Over 88% of individual winners at the Darwin Awards are men.


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5. Antarctic sea urchins aren't too bothered by climate change.


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6. The pope believes that animals go to heaven.


I thought that animals had no immortal souls!
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7. At one point in the 1980s Raleigh accounted for 75% of the UK bike market.


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8. Halle Berry and Adele both say they have given online dating a go.


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9. Few Germans have heard of the Christmas truce of World War One.


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10. Jose Mourinho enjoys cage swimming with sharks.


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I suppose that I could have waited until it was available everywhere but I wanted people to have the book asap. So I've no patience! (! = laughing at myself).
Here is the news:-
Smashwords
As an introductory offer this weekend the book is going to be priced at $0.00 THAT'S RIGHT FREE!! just join Smashwords and follow this link,
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/500183com
Amazon
The book is available for Kindle or the Kindle App for smartphones and tablets. For those who are unaware of the facilities available on those modern devices the app is free to download and only takes seconds. Then all you need is an Amazon account which really just means that you have previously bought something through Amazon. the current price for the book on this medium is £2.64 or around $3.50. Follow the link below
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Earth-plc-Steele-Novels-Book-ebook/dp/B00QS3XB5O/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418392646&sr=1-6&keywords=david+l+atkinson 

Completely Novel
I've kept faith with this company for almost five years. They produce my paperback copies and delivery is really quick. All you need to do is click on the link
http://completelynovel.com/listings/earth-plc 
The paperback is priced at £3.99 + p&pIn fact all of my novels are available in paperback from that website under David L Atkinson.
God Bless

Writing - Earth plc launching

When I call this blog 'launching' that is exactly what I mean. The book is launched in some places but not everywhere so it is in the present tense, it is launching not launched. I need to stop rambling and get on with it!

I suppose that I could have waited until it was available everywhere but I wanted people to have the book asap. So I've no patience! (! = laughing at myself).
Here is the news:-
Smashwords
As an introductory offer this weekend the book is going to be priced at $0.00 THAT'S RIGHT FREE!! just join Smashwords and follow this link,
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/500183com
Amazon
The book is available for Kindle or the Kindle App for smartphones and tablets. For those who are unaware of the facilities available on those modern devices the app is free to download and only takes seconds. Then all you need is an Amazon account which really just means that you have previously bought something through Amazon. the current price for the book on this medium is £2.64 or around $3.50. Follow the link below
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Earth-plc-Steele-Novels-Book-ebook/dp/B00QS3XB5O/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418392646&sr=1-6&keywords=david+l+atkinson 

Completely Novel
I've kept faith with this company for almost five years. They produce my paperback copies and delivery is really quick. All you need to do is click on the link
http://completelynovel.com/listings/earth-plc 
The paperback is priced at £3.99 + p&pIn fact all of my novels are available in paperback from that website under David L Atkinson.
God Bless

Writing - Launching into space

Definition of 'Launch'
'to start or set in motion''the act of launching something'
Already launched this week,
A poetry anthology
This collection is available in limited formats through Amazon for Kindle and Createspace (Amazon's indie publishing arm) in paperback.
Steele Novels



The latest Steele novel Earth plc is available for Kindle from Amazon and in paperback from Completelynovel at
 http://completelynovel.com/books/earth-plc



Synopsis


A man is found dead in the massive Kielder Forest in Northumberland and the initial reports suggest suicide. A member of Patrick A Steele’s team feels that is not the whole story and an investigation ensues that leads the team into conflict with some of the most powerful people in the UK. Steele can mete out his own brand of justice initially but when the power companies and the government become involved Steele has to tread carefully.
This time Patrick has been drawn into a national issue that affects us all - Global warming. Steele comes up against the might of corporate finance with the backing of national government who are keen to maintain the status quo on the subject when in fact there is evidence to support a different view.The team struggle to maintain their anonymity under intense pressure and the chances of success seem to be increasingly slim.Has Patrick bitten off more than he can chew?Is there collateral damage to other aspects of his life?What is next for Steele and his team?

I have already received comments from one of the proof readers along the lines of where is the last chapter? The answer of course is that she'll need to read the next novel!!!!


Launching a book is rather like sending a rocket into space but receiving positive comments from the outset is like enriching your rocket fuel.

The book is not available from all major book vendors and may not be until after Christmas.

God Bless

Poetry Thursday 140 - Story Hypnosis

I thought I'd begin by sharing this thought with you from F Scott Fitzgerald


Poetry is either something that lives like fire inside you – like music to the musician or Marxism to the Communist – or else it is nothing, an empty, formalized bore around which pedants can endlessly drone their notes and explanations.

[image error]F Scott Fitzgerald
My meagre offering this week is on the subject of the nature of stories and storytelling. If you consider the nature of stories they are close to narcotics in their effects. You think me barmy? 
Consider,
Stories are addictive
Stories are capable of inducing a different view of the  world
Stories can produce pictures that are unreal in the mind
Stories can make you feel better about life
Stories have an infinite range
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Story hypnosis
Setting off on a story linelike boarding a train to a destination,as an happy party having a riotous time,wallowing in the mysterious words' intention.
Chapter after chapter twists and writhesas the author leads you down his chosen track,creative tendrils capture your thoughts,pushing and pulling here and back.
You cede control to black and white pagesallow your mind to detach and drift awayto visit future times, long dead ages,and exotic places while on the way.
Till the final chapter, the last page turned,the sojourn completed, the story over.Did it take you where to go you yearned?Has your mind enjoyed the journey’s cover?© David L Atkinson December 2014
God Bless

Writing - Wise words and a launch

Well it has all come as a bit of a rush in the end but here it is ready for Christmas - the 7th book in the Patrick Steele series.



The latest Steele novel is available as an ebook from Smashwords on,
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/500183
also from Completelynovel.com in paperback for £3.99 on
http://completelynovel.com/books/earth-plc
and from Amazon for Kindle on,
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QS3XB5O
Please feel free to click on the links or paste them into your browser to see the new book.
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It also seems appropriate when launching a new book to include some wise words about writing from a great author - F Scott Fitzgerald. I have lifted these directly from writing colleague Caleb Pirtle III although not in their entirety. 


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What people are ashamed of usually makes a good story.

Action is character.

All fine prose is based on the verbs carrying the sentences.

All life is just a progression toward, and then a recession from one phrase: I love you.

All good writing is swimming under water and holding your breath.

Genius is the ability to put into effect what is on your mind.

Great art is the contempt of a great man for small art.

Cut out all these exclamation points. An exclamation point is like laughing at your own jokes.

My whole theory of writing I can sump up in one sentence. An author ought to write for the youth of his own generation, the critics of the next, and the schoolmaster of ever afterwards.

As I said earlier it isn't a complete list of what F Scott Fitzgerald said but gives a taste of how close he actually seemed to have experienced what indie and self-published authors experience today.

God Bless

Tuesday Meal Idea - Pork chop and roasted veg

I was just thinking that it was time for a change. After all there are only so many kinds of lasagne you can produce. Living alone can bring difficulties in meal preparation and shopping and I thought it might be an idea to share some of the ways I find round the problem. In some ways it can be much simpler if you don't mind the same thing everyday - stew, cassolet or casserole can be thrown in the pan and served up daily; leftovers can be curried and so on. However, we all know how that can end up tasting after five or six days.Then, if your like me, you can become bored but then food is just a fuel isn't it? Supermarkets sell things in packs, and two or three can be ok but four or more?
Here goes,
Pork chop with roasted veg

For the above I broke my own 'rule' of buying a multi-pack and bought 4 chops as they cost less than £1 each. So it was then a need to stretch the imagination for how to make this interesting. Coincidentally, I was stricken with loss of voice and a cold so didn't feel like standing around cooking so out came the roasting tins. Since I discovered roast veg I have not gone back to boiling or steaming very often as there is just so much more flavour and it also fits in with what the health police want as I only use olive oil to cook them, along with some seasoning.
So Saturday and Sunday was as the above photograph but then the chops were accompanied with special egg fried rice. The chops I actually oven baked with a little seasoning on a bed of apple slices. The juices left after the roasting made a sweet dressing. With something like chops there are a range of dressings such as teriyaki with which you can marinade the meat before roasting or grilling.
The end result was four interesting and relatively cheap meals. Got some interesting variations?Please share.
God Bless

Writing - Leave my story alone please

I begin today with an apology. Having the good fortune to have so many followers and links to various social media  options it is sometimes difficult to maintain regular contact and for that I'm sorry. I've made a number of good friends through writing and I value all of them.
That brings me on to stories and their integrity.
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I know that I brought this subject up not so long since but when you write a story it is a very personal exercise. I'm in process of finishing off my latest Steele novel Earth plc and it is almost like setting a child out into the world. The last thing you want is the story taken and regurgitated in a different format but in a such a way that the original storyline is almost unrecognisable. I'm referring to the cinematic treatment of The Hobbit by J R R Tolkien. The story is quite a simple tale focussing on the adventures of Bilbo Baggins an unlikely hero, and that is the core of the story. I know Tolkien also wrote the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and I'm aware of the huge moneymaking trilogy made for the cinema, but The Hobbit is not the same style or material. Disappointing!
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I remember taking my daughter, aged 12, to see the first Harry Potter film and her subsequent reaction. It reminds me of why we write. She was disappointed because there were so many differences between the book and what was presented on the screen. Obviously, she was aware that it is just about impossible to reproduce written stories in their entirety but even so there were too many gaps and absent characters for her liking at that age. I wonder what J K Rowling thought?
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Finally, a recent film The Saving of Mr Banks which is really about the subject which I'm addressing. P L Travers was desperate to retain the book and central character as she wrote them and her efforts to keep Walt Disney at bay were both poignant and funny. She even tried to convince Disney that there should be no colour red in the final production! But the point was that the original book was about her own quite painful early life in Australia, her relationship with her father and the 'saviour' who came to bale the family out of trouble after her father died. So it was intensely personal. You will have to watch it and judge for yourselves.


So as my latest story is on the verge of being launched please enjoy it but don't think of how you could make it better but rather what lies beneath.
God Bless