Tim Flanagan's Blog, page 4

Knights of the Round Table – Loyalty and Valour

Last week I wrote an article on two of King Arthur’s knights and I thought it would be interesting to look at some more. If you’ve read The Moon Stealer books you’ll know there’s an Arthurian element in them, inspired by the tales of the Knights of the Round Table. Sir Galahad’s earthly mission ended after… Read More

Knights of the Round Table – Honour and Chivalry

King Arthur created an environment in which his closest knights were treated as his equals, and this is the reason they sat at a round table. During Arthur’s reign, high moral values were very important and (to become part of his inner circle) knights had to take a vow known as the Code of Chivalry.… Read More

Agatha Christie – An Author’s Mysterious Disappearance

I enjoyed reading the crime books by Agatha Christie as a child, and there are elements of them in my Lawrence Pinkley humorous detective series. But, one of the most intriguing things about Agatha Christie was her own unusual disappearance. Enjoy! Ironic situations are one of the most gripping parts of any detective story. One… Read More

James Bond Island – A Treasure in Thailand

In the final book of the Moon Stealer series I used a tall narrow island in the center of a lake as the entrance to Avalon. This was based on an incredible island called Khao Phing Kan in Thailand that looks like it should topple into the water at any time. It’s also known as… Read More

The Halloween Bandits – FREE today!

Lawrence Pinkley in The Halloween Bandits is FREE to download today. But hurry – it ends at midnight tonight. “Pinkley pursues a masked gang who repeatedly target shops in Whitby. Can he succeed where the local police force have failed?” Also contains FREE activities and puzzles. Successfully complete them to graduate from the Pinkley Academy.… Read More

Bletchley Park – WWII and Beyond

Following on from last weeks blog post about the British Spy School at Bletchey Park, I thought it would be interested to look at its influence during the war and beyond. The team at Bletchley Park was responsible for breaking codes which were being sent out from several countries during its operation, including: Germany Even… Read More

Bletchley Park – The Centre of WWII Codebreaking

There’s something incredibly exciting about entering the real life world of spies. The British “Spy School” during the second world war was at Bletchley Park – responsible for breaking the Enigma Code and sparking the development of the modern computer. I would love to have been part of the code breaking team back then, as… Read More

Psychokinesis – Motion from the Mind

If you’ve read my New Savants book you’ll know that one of the characters has the ability to move objects through the power of thought. Is it pure fantasy, or could it be possible? I hope so! Throughout history there has been a large amount recorded and researched about those that have special abilities. A… Read More

War Pigeons – The First Flying Heroes

Following on from my post last week about animals who have been used as spys, I thought it would be interesting to write about war pigeons – something I discovered on a visit to Bletchley Park (where the Enigma machine was decoded) last year. Pigeons have been used for centuries, during wars, to carry messages.… Read More

Non-Human Spies – Animals used in Espionage

Spys come in all shapes and sizes (and not just unsuspecting teenagers – Sam Trowel!) Here’s an amusing look at some of the brave animals that have been used in the name of espionage. The training of animals to be used in military intelligence dates as far back as ancient Greece. This continues in modern… Read More