Tim Flanagan's Blog, page 28
March 30, 2013
Finding Water In The Wild
This morning I received a letter from Steven Knight, one of the survivors following the devastating attack on our planet by the Moon Stealer creatures. His irregular guest posts provide us with an insight into life in this new world, as well as sharing hints and tips on the most effective ways of surviving. If you’ve missed any of Steven’s earlier posts, then check out the Survival Plan Achives.
The presence of creatures prevent us from living in the conventional way. Wherever we are, the first thing we always try to find is a water source. There are many different ways to find water, but this post is about using your environment to find water although some will depend on the environment you find yourself in.
Use plants and animals to tell you where water sources areThere are many different water sources that occur naturally in the environment, some are obvious like rivers and streams, but others are not so easily recognisable. There are various plants that indicate the presence of water, including reeds, palms, willows, alders, ground ferns and figs. Certain insects such as bees and wasps also like to live near a water source, as do birds like finches, pigeons, doves, grouse, guinea fowl and herons. Some vegetation can be used as a source of water themselves. If you find yourself in an area that has bamboos, cut a hole in a wide stem to drain water from its centre. Birch trees can also be tapped during the spring. They provide a sap which can be used in an emergency replacement for water, but should not be used in the long term.
Places to search for waterBecause of gravity pulling water down, water can often be found at the base of cliffs and narrow canyons, in tight bends in dry river beds and places where geographical formations meet. Alternatively, collect dew early in the morning using an absorbent piece of clothing, such as a cotton T-shirt, brushing it across dew covered vegetation. Once saturated, wring the water into a container. Use drinking straws to obtain water that may have become trapped in naturally occurring bowls such as hollow logs or sumps in rocks. Suck up the water and place it into a container.
Cleaning water
However you collect your water, it is always wise to sterilize it to prevent illness. Naturally occurring water may contain parasitic worms, bacteria, viruses or poisonous chemicals. Boiling water is the most effective method for making water safe to drink. Filtering water through layers of cloth, sand and charcoal is also an effective way of removing dirt from muddy water, but boiling should still be used.
If you cannot find a natural water source, you will have to collect your own. Next time I will show you some simple ways to collect water using nothing more than rocks and polythene. Until then, stay safe…. SK
To keep up to date with Steven’s guest posts, please click ‘Follow’ in the top right column to subscribe to this blog. Thank you.
March 28, 2013
Massa – The Puzzle Of Blocks
Whilst researching some of the background information for The Moon Stealer books, I often came across some interesting bites of information about life during the times of King Arthur. One of which is reproduced here.
As young men, Sir Edgar and the other Knights of the Round Table would often pass the time in their encampment by playing a game called Massa, meaning Blocks. The idea was simple, but the knights would need logic and organisation to solve it. Like all good modern drinking games, Ale was the reward. One Knight, the challenger, would set the game and another, the builder, would attempt to solve it within a time limit. If the builder solved the puzzle he would gain a tankard of ale from the challenger’s ration of ale, if he failed, the challenger gained a tankard from the builder.
I have adapted the original game from a small passage I read in a copy of Historia Regum Britanniae and reproduced it below to see if you can solve it.
If you enjoyed this puzzle, why not take a look at the library of others stored within the Mind Games Category.
Don’t miss out on other great puzzles and articles, subscribe to my blog by clicking Follow at the top of the right hand column. Thank you.
March 26, 2013
The Everlasting Night – Now available
“The Moon Stealers, bacteria evolved from an alien meteorite, strike a devastating blow to mankind. MI6 operative Steven Knight, together with Georgia and Tracker, attempt to make their way to London to join other survivors. In the face of despair, survivors react in many different ways to their fate and are quick to betray other humans if their own dominance in the new world becomes threatened. Betrayed by another, Steven finds himself at the mercy of the alien creatures and must rely on his investigative powers to discover a way for the human race to survive. But, it’s a race against time as the creatures continue to change….”
Follow the relevant link:
UK Paperback
UK Kindle
US Paperback
US Kindle
All other ebook versions
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/299089
March 25, 2013
Avalon – The Mysterious Island of Apples?
Avalon features in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s History of the Kings of Britain. It is the legendary island where the sword Excalibur is forged as well as the place where Arthur is taken to recover from the wounds he sustained following his battle at Camlann. Many traditions claim that Arthur did not in fact die from these wounds and would return to lead the people of Britain once again.
Possible Locations
Avalon, also known as Insula Pomorum or Isle of Apples, is often associated with Glastonbury. Although not an island, it is currently surrounded by marshlands. In Welsh it is known as Ynys Afallach, meaning Island of Apples, named after the number of apples that grew there. During the rein of Henry II, the Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey commissioned a search of the abbey grounds and discovered a treetrunk coffin with an inscribed cross upon it. The cross read Hic jacet sepultus inclitus rex Arthurus in insula Avalonia or “Here lies renowned King Arthur in the island of Avalon”. Some historians believe the burial was a publicity stunt to raise funds for the abbey, but the romance that still surrounds Arthurian Legends has resulted in areas of Somerset being known as The Vale of Avalon. Other possible locations for Avalon include St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall as well as Avallon in Burgundy.
Lady of the Lake
This is the title of the ruler of Avalon in Arthurian legend. As well as providing Arthur with Excalibur, she is also recorded as having enchanted Merlin and raising Lancelot after the death of his father.
Excalibur
The legendary sword of King Arthur emerged from the waters surrounding Avalon, presented to him by the Lady of the Lake. Some texts attribute magical powers to the sword that only the rightful sovereign of Great Britain can control. In Robert de Boron’s book Merlin, Arthur pulls a sword from a stone, an act that could not be performed by anyone except the true king. Many believe this was also Excalibur. The sword was cast into the lakes of Avalon by Sir Bedivere along with Arthur’s body.
March 24, 2013
Support on Magic FM
I’m really grateful for the support that London Radio Station, Magic FM, have given to The Moon Stealer series of books over the last year. They will also be running a competition on the 8th April to win signed copies of books 1, 2 and 3. Please visit the Book Club section of Magic FM’s website http://www.magic.co.uk/moon-stealers-tim-flanagan/ for more details of my books.
March 18, 2013
New Retro Cover
As you all know, I’ve been playing around with my new Graphics Tablet. The reason I got it was ultimately to design a new set of covers for my books. I’m sure my wife thinks I use it as an excuse to get out of chores etc, but I keep reminding her that it is work related (even though I enjoy doing it!) But, there are no rules that say you cannot enjoy your work.
Anyway, my thoughts on my current book covers – although I’m happy with them, I feel they have more of an adult appearance. The stories are aimed at the teen market, so to start with I tried my hand at illustrating a scene from the first book, but it looked too “disney-like” and wasn’t really what I wanted either. At the weekend, I came across some retro posters for films and thought it would be great to have something like that on my front covers. So I’ve taken three of the characters, three objects and two locations from the first book and created this image. To complete the ‘feel’ of the image, I added text, introducing some of the characters as if they were cast members. I’ve had brilliant fun creating it, but I want to know what everyone else thinks.
Comments please everyone.
If you were a teen, would you want to pick up a book with that cover? How can I improve it? If the general vibe is good, I will start working on the other two and get the books reissued with the new covers before Book 4 comes out in December.
.
March 15, 2013
Author Interview – Shannon A Thompson Part 3
Within the Indie Author Hub, you can learn about other authors, their thoughts and opinions, what makes them tick and how their writing process works for them.
All this week I will be releasing segments of an interview I conducted with fellow author, Shannon Thompson, a highly motivated and inspiring 21 year old. Check her profile and read about her books here.
Part 3 : Promotion and Final thoughts.
What ways do you promote yourself online? I mainly use my blog to interact with readers, because I want them to be involved, rather than just “liking” their Facebook or Twitter page but never really get a chance to know them. But I use numerous websites. I’m on Goodreads, Shelfari, Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and my website. I read others’ blogs. I don’t expect readers to come to me without showing interest in their lives.
How much time do you spend promoting yourself in social media? That’s really hard to record for me, but, while I write, I’m always promoting, so I know I promote often.
What’s been your most effective way of promoting yourself? I believe my website has allowed me to promote myself the best. I reach more people, and it’s more in-depth than other sites.
What offline promotion do you take part in? I’ve done book signings, T.V. interviews, newspaper interviews, journal publications, and talks at the University of Kansas.
A final thought….
In seven words or less, what’s your top tip for aspiring authors? Write with passion; succeed with self-discipline.
March 14, 2013
Book 2 FREE on Kindle
If you haven’t had chance to keep up with The Moon Stealer series, the second book is available Free on Kindle at Amazon until Monday 15th March. Just enough time to get up to date before the next book is released in April. Below is a brief synopsis of the book:
After finding the magical Silver Bough in the first Moon Stealer book, the portal to the underworld opens enabling Sir Edgar and the children; Max, Joe and Scarlet to jump through. They find themselves in a world at war and quickly become involved in an uprising against the Faerie Queen.
Their quest to find Peter Crisp continues, but the threat of the alien bacteria back home looms over them. Sir Edgar’s attempt at gaining the Faerie Queens help in ridding the Moon Stealers from Earth looks like it may be a fruitless task.
In such an unchartered land it’s difficult knowing who is friend and who is foe. Danger lurks in the most innocent of places.
UK Readers : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Moon-Stealers-Queen-Underworld-ebook/dp/B0097QTX3S/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1363292247&sr=8-2
HURRY – AFTER MONDAY IT RETURNS TO ITS USUAL PRICE
March 13, 2013
Author Interview – Shannon A Thompson Part 2
Within the Indie Author Hub, you can learn about other authors, their thoughts and opinions, what makes them tick and how their writing process works for them.
All this week I will be releasing segments of an interview I conducted with fellow author, Shannon Thompson, a highly motivated and inspiring 21 year old. Check her profile and read about her books here.
Part 2 : Publication and Motivation.
How did you get your novel published? Eagle Publishing signed my first novel, November Snow, under author T.L. McCown who found my work and believed in me. I couldn’t thank her enough. However, I am releasing an e-book, and that will be up to my readers to decide whether it’ll be on Amazon Kindle or Barnes & Noble NOOK.
Do you think that Indie Authors are still looked down on by their traditionally published counterparts? No. I don’t think they are looked down upon, but I think they’re looked at differently. It depends on the author how they are looked at.
Indie Authors are being found more and more on the NY Times Bestseller lists due to readers finding them and spreading the word virally – do you think it is better for a reader to choose what they read or a publisher deciding what a reader should read? I think the reader ultimately does choose what to read. A publisher may sign a book and put it on the shelves, but hundreds of those books never get picked up (often.)
What do you think the future of publishing as a whole will be? I don’t see electronic publishing being as big as people think it will be. I know this sounds crazy, but, the more people I talk to, the more I hear they ultimately prefer the physical novel and/or the electronic devices can break or hurt their eyes. Readers still want a bookshelf in their house. I think electronic readers will always be around, but I think more rules will be put down. I also think you’ll start seeing bigger markets for sub-genres, especially New Adult Fiction.
Is there a place for the traditional publishers anymore? Yes. But their role may have to change.
How do you think they can keep up with ebooks and indie publishers? Again—and I know this isn’t the usual viewpoint right now—but I think ebooks and indie publishers need to keep up with publishers still. Look at it this way: if you publish an ebook, and it does go viral, a publisher still comes to you, offering to print your paperback, and you still sign with them. A great example is “switched” by Amanda Hocking. This is why I really think traditional publishers definitely have a place. They still have the abilities to do wide distribution, printing, and economic organization that many authors couldn’t do by themselves. It’s a lot of work to write, let alone publish, distribute, market, and organize sales.
Is it necessary for Authors to have an agent these days? It isn’t necessary, but I’d still recommend trying to get one, because they have publishing connections that you may not, because you don’t live in NYC or wherever you’re trying to contact a publisher.
Do you have an agent? I’m currently working with a great group of people, but I haven’t ultimately signed any paperwork.
How do you deal with rejection or a less favourable review? They’re necessary. I don’t take it personally. In fact, I’m flattered they took the time to read my piece. If I get a review, whether it’s good or bad, I immediately take a step backwards, try to step into their shoes, and look at my work as they did. That’s where I learn the most vital things I’ve ever learned about writing and publishing, because I remove my emotions, and I’m able to analyze it effectively.
How do you keep yourself motivated? My passion keeps my motivation going.
March 12, 2013
The Gift of Sight
In the Moon Stealer book series, everything begins with the disappearance of Peter Crisp, a boy that has an unusual ability that allows him to see things that others cannot. He is known as a Seer.
So what is a Seer? Some people are born with the gift of Sight. Not one of the five senses, but an additional sense that allows them to see things that most of us cannot. Magical things. There is so much more in this world than what you see in front of your eyes. But it’s there, all around us. You cannot see the air, but you know it’s there, filling your lungs like a liquid every time you breath. You cannot see love, or sadness, but you feel them inside you, so they must exist.
The world has not always been as it is today. Once there were magical creatures that mixed freely with men and the bond between our world and the underworld was strong. But, greed corrupts all and the Faerie Queen of the Underworld became twisted with power. King Arthur ordered the portals between the worlds closed, but some creatures remain, including small mischievous creatures Sprites. Have you ever lost something that you were certain about where you left it? Did you have a pretend friend when you were a young child? Have you ever seen something out of the corner of your eye, but when you looked there was nothing there? Chances are Sprites are responsible.
Even to this day, different cultures across the globe tell tales of strange and mythical creatures to their children. These creatures choose to stay hidden to all but a few who have the power of sight. They themselves end up living on the edge of society, pushed away by the fear it creates in others, becoming insular and withdrawn. But others, like Peter Crisp, desperately want to fit in.
