Chris Allen's Blog, page 3

The Benefits Of Singing Lessons

The Benefits Of Singing Lessons

Imagine opening your mouth to sing and having a beautiful voice flow out, filling the room with warmth and richness. Taking voice lessons can help you reach your full potential with your singing voice, opening up a whole new world of possibilities in terms of hobbies or careers that you could pursue. Whether you want to sing in your local choir or become the next major pop sensation, here are a few of the benefits associated with singing lessons:

1. Learn how to breathe. It seems like breathing would come naturally. After all, you have been doing it since the day you were born. However, breathing when you sing is another thing all together. Learning how to breathe properly can give your voice the support that it needs, adding fullness and depth that it was previously lacking.

2. Increase your range. A good vocal instructor will be able to help you develop a broader singing range. Having greater range can allow you to sing a variety of different songs that may have previously been out of reach.

3. Learn how to care for your vocal chords. You only get one set of vocal chords. If you abuse them, you can wind up damaging your voice. During your singing lessons, your instructor will teach you how to properly care for your vocal chords to protect your voice. This can help you keep singing for years to come.

4. Develop confidence. For many, one of the major challenges of singing is having enough confidence to sing in front of other people. When you work with a voice coach, you get to practice singing in front of someone else regularly. This can help increase your confidence level, making it easier for you to sing in front of other people as well.

5. Discover new singing opportunities. Your voice coach may be able to introduce you to choirs, voice competitions or other singing opportunities in your local community. This can give you a chance to put all of the techniques that you are learning at your lessons to good use.

These are just a few of the main benefits associated with singing lessons. No matter how good of a singer you currently are, vocal lessons can help you take your voice to the next level. The more time and effort you put into developing your voice, the better singer you will become.

Find The Best Beauty Treatments

Tips On How To Find The Best Beauty Treatments

Are you looking for the best beauty treatments to improve the appearance of your hair, skin and nails? If you answered yes, you are definitely not alone. There are millions of people across the globe who constantly look for ways to enhance their appearance. It’s as if they are very eager to try every new product on the market. But it is important to note that not all these treatments are created equal. The following are some tips on how to find the right beauty treatment for your needs.

When it comes to beauty treatments, the most important thing to remember is that different people respond to them differently. For example, a certain skin care product worked wonders for your friend. This might get you all excited to try that same product, only to find out later that it did more harm than good. Keep in mind that you may have a different skin type to your friend, so you have to find the appropriate product for you. There’s no one-size-fits-all product on the market today which can be used by everyone and expect outstanding results.

You should also make it a point that you are taking good care of your skin before even thinking about using various skin care products and undergoing advanced medical procedures. In some cases, an effective skin care regimen is all you need to solve all your skin problems. Make sure you are cleansing your face and moisturizing daily, and that you exfoliate your skin regularly. This helps remove dead skin cells from the surface of your skin, which helps reveal younger looking skin.

There are literally thousands of skin care products on the market, making it difficult to choose what to use. Your first order of business is to think about what you’re trying to achieve. It is recommended that you research about the ingredients of these products and which are effective at resolving your skin problem. You should also take the time to research about what ingredients to avoid.

More and more dermatologists are recommending beauty products that contain natural ingredients. They have been proven to be effective and they do not come with any side effects. It’s still best to talk with your dermatologist and seek help when it comes to choosing what product to use. Also ask whether advanced medical procedures are necessary. Keep in mind that being informed will help you choose the best beauty treatments for you and avoid further damage to your skin and overall health.

Amusement Sources

It is the digital change age. Almost every electronic part is digitalized. Though more expensive, digital tools is liked, because the quality transcends. When purchasing digital devices, an essential element to consider is the nature of the television room that will accommodate them. An electronic television room homes all the digital equipment in one device. It allows individuals to access their songs, movies, home videos as well as images from a single gadget via a remote control.

Users can buy a digital television room that functions as a media center for their TV or projector as well as have accessibility to all the media features at one location. Any kind of tool such as a DVI, element video, VGA, S-Video or composite video clip can be made use of to make this link.

With an electronic entertainment center, it is feasible to execute a variety of operations from a single device. An individual can stop briefly, replay and or tape any kind of TELEVISION program from cord, digital wire, electronic satellite or over-the-air TELEVISION with the aid of a personal video recorder, as well as transfer images from a camera. Some home entertainment centers permit an individual to execute different features all at once. For example, it is feasible to simultaneously enjoy TELEVISION or a video clip in one room as well as play songs in an additional. It is also possible to record a favorite program as well as write them on DVDs.

The most effective part regarding electronic television room is that they allow a user to execute so many different jobs simultaneously. The top quality of its media outcome is likewise enhanced. As they are not large and also do not take up as much room as the conventional television room, it is possible to merge them right into the decoration of a house no matter of its size.

Tvs can be found in a variety of dimensions ranging from the corner stand TVs to the complete range of home theater heating and cooling units. While locating a location to store a normal dimension TV proves not a problem, finding space for your big screen entertainment center may require some intricate preparation.

For establishing a cinema entertainment center, you need to first make a list of parts and also equipment that will be required. A normal list of components will certainly include the TELEVISION, VCR, laser disc player or DVD gamer, stereo system, and also console-based game terminal.

Provided the varied array of the parts involved and also their sizes, cinema entertainment centers use up a bunch of area in any kind of living room– living or bedroom. That suggests they have to be aligned to any kind of one wall surface in a space. In addition to the electronic tools, these cinema options likewise have provisions for books and also a computer system.

This indicates that these facilities could satisfy the relaxation and entertainment demands of a number of people at the same time and or therefore, these entertainment centers become the converging factor for entire household. The placement of a big screen entertainment center additionally identifies the setup of the entire area.

An entertainment center aligned to a wall surface could come to be the support of the entire space, around which the remainder of the furnishings such as the sofa, is set up. The television room et cetera of the furniture of the area need to mix cosmetically with the decor as well as color scheme of the living room.

In fact, a host of contemporary and or traditional layouts permit the TV, DVD gamer, COMPUTER and also other outer elements to mix beautifully together with each various other as likewise with the decoration of the rest of the space.

All said, tv is only one of the many elements of a big screen television room. Furthermore, you can likewise position your COMPUTER in the entertainment center and or utilize it to download and install music or video. Yet the TELEVISION continuouslies rule supreme as the most significant home enjoyment provider. To get the total movie theater sound result, you could hook up surround-sound speaker air conditioners. The sound of these heating and cooling units varies depending on where you position them.

WHY BOOKSTORES ARE THE FUTURE, NOT THE PAST

This post first appeared on Bite the Book's blog in conjunction with National Bookshop Day 10 August 2013.

National Bookshop Day is this Saturday 10 August. I’ll be getting out and about to support my local bookstores and am putting the call out for others to do the same. It’s a day to have a browse amongst the shelves, say g’day to your bookstore owner, even meet an author, and why not buy a little something for yourself or for someone you love – whether a thriller to enjoy, a coffee table book to display or a romance to indulge in – give the gift of a great book!

Here are a few reasons why, to me, bookshops are still the way of the future.

THEY’RE A VITAL PART OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY

“I love that the staff know me, were happy to stock my book because they knew me and are active members of our community.”
– Johanna Baker Dowell, author of Business & Baby on Board, via Facebook

Yes, those big multi-level venues that housed thousands of books are almost gone. High rents and the value of excess stock, combined with the explosion of buying books online, unfortunately contributing to their demise.

So is there still a place for bookstores in our community? Of course there is! Just imagine how empty the streets would seem if we didn’t have any local stores, the fruit shop, the bakery, the butcher, the florist and the BOOKSHOP!

While we all like to shop online for convenience, personal relationships are what we crave. The retailer who knows your son, remembers how old he is, and asks what he’s reading at the moment before helping you to pick out a birthday gift for a friend – well, that kind of knowledge is only gleaned from times you’ve spent in-store and many conversations getting to know each other.

Just as we all enjoy the support of friends and family, our local shopkeepers are part of our community, they contribute to and enhance our experience of life and right now they need our support like never before. Let’s face it, community was, is and remains an important concept and one that helps us all to feel a sense of genuine belonging.

BOOKS ARE IRREPLACEABLE

“Time poor shopper: Books make a great birthday present for any age, very young or old!”
– Jane, via Facebook

There’s something about the feel of books that will never be replaced by an eReader. There is convenience in eBooks, sure, as well as portability and cost-effectiveness, all good things to enjoy in a time of digital publishing.

But we continue to wax lyrical about the joy of opening a good book. It’s their comforting smell, the feel of the paper page, the creak of the book binding, the touch of an embossed cover under our fingers as we read.

Books will always have a special place in our homes. Arranged artfully, by author or series, or even by the colour of the cover or thickness, they are more than a bundle of pages. Their presence transports me with a glance to the times and places I’ve read about and imagined, also reminding me of the places where I’ve actually read these treasured tomes – as a child in Perth; on trucks, trains and airplanes; in the jungle with water dripping down my back; or lounging poolside on our honeymoon.

It’s this genuine affection for the book’s most traditional form, not unlike the vinyl record, that means they are still very much something to desire, collect and enjoy, over and again.

A PLACE TO DISCOVER AND EXPLORE

“I love browsing & discovering new books. Online is fine if I know what I’m looking for, but if I don’t, then I prefer browsing the shelves and also getting advice and suggestions from knowledgeable staff members.”
– Melissa, via Facebook

On those rare occasions where there is a spare ten minutes or half an hour to retreat from our hyper-connected lives, it can hardly be spent anywhere better than browsing in a bookstore. Where else, but perhaps a quiet library, can you potter and flick to your heart’s content, wander through the aisles and go on a journey across continents, subjects and generations?

Amazon’s algorithm – designed to help us discover books based on our preferences – may be mighty sophisticated, but what of the stories and books that you may never have found except by chance as you wander into a bookstore? I’m thinking of the beautiful coffee table books on architecture and travel and iconic pop culture figures that I would otherwise not have thought to search out. I’m thinking of the rare first edition Ian Fleming paperbacks that I found hidden away in the discount ‘used’ rack of the old second hand bookstores of my childhood. These would not have been suggested based on my current buying habits online. There’s something about bookstores that bring out an impulse to discover and uncover literary artefacts to collect and revere, items that say ‘this is what I’m about.’

Equally as important as being able to predict human behaviour is our ability to be unpredictable, and the consequences thereof. I ask you, if Albert Einstein had decided to go with the flow in 1916 instead of persevering to publish his paper the theory of relativity, where would we be now?

STAYING CONNECTED IN REAL LIFE

“It is a local meeting point for mums with toddlers for story time as well as wonderful author events and fab staff. I try to combine my book purchases between online, ebooks and from the store. I can’t imagine life without a local independent bookstore and try to support them as much as possible.”
– Erin, via Facebook

Facebook is a fantastic spot to continue conversations, we know this for sure, but it doesn’t beat getting face-to-face with other readers and authors to talk about books at your local bookstore. The events calendar at your local store, library and community centre presents an opportunity to meet authors, both local and from further afield, and get to know other bookish types.

In order to stay up-to-date with what’s planned, you can join the events email list or subscribe to their blog, like their Facebook page or simply ask next time you’re in the shop (what a concept!) to find out how your local bookstore likes to publicise their special events. That’s why authors continue to get out and meet readers at book clubs, do bookstore signings, and collaborate on special events – just like meeting people out at Pages & Pages bookstore this Saturday – hint, hint – we genuinely do want to say g’day!

Of all my ruminations, this is for sure: the act of telling and reading stories, thereby firing up our imaginations and learning new things about the world, is far from being extinct. The rate of change in our lives happens faster and faster, and we are becoming increasingly interconnected, but storytelling remains a constant force in everything we do, from entertainment and marketing to teaching and connecting people.

Those entrepreneurial bookstore owners who can see the opportunities inherent in bringing our communities together online and in real life, and innovating throughout a new age of digital publishing, they, the pioneers and trailblazers, will stay on trend and relevant, playing an important role in modern society and, with our support, continuing to flourish.

For the full blog post head to: http://intrepidallen.com/blog/nationa...

ANNOUNCING PEONY LITERARY AGENCY

I am so pleased to announce that I have signed with Hong Kong based Peony Literary Agency and will be represented by Marysia Juszczakiewicz, which heralds the next stage of my writing and publishing adventure.

As the founder and owner of Peony Literary Agency, Marysia has extensive experience in sales of worldwide rights both in Asia and outside of Asia. She represents many writers in the region and was the first agent to represent the recent Nobel Prize winner Mo Yan.

Partnering with Peony Literary Agency is exciting. We had been looking for the right fit for my writing aspirations - searching for the literary agent who could make a personal connection, had the professional drive and proven experience as well as a thirst for breaking new authors onto the global stage.

When my wife Sarah and I met Marysia in Sydney we knew immediately that she was the perfect complement to my creative and professional style. Working with Peony on the development of my current and new books in the espionage thriller series featuring Alex Morgan and Intrepid is a matter of great fortune. I am inspired to be delving into the new books in the series with Marysia as part of our growing, strong and collaborative team.

Of the new partnership, Marysia says she is "thrilled to be working with Chris Allen. I was immediately taken with Chris' Intrepid series – exciting and fast moving, the stories grip to the end. I am very much looking forward to working with Chris and finding him a global readership in as many platforms as possible!"

To read the full blog post: http://intrepidallen.com/blog/2013/7/...

Q&A ON COFFEE TALK BLOG

This post first appeared on: http://coffeetalkwitherin.com/2013/07...

1) Tell me about your main protagonist, Alex Morgan. How much of this character is based on yourself and your own experiences as a Paratrooper and Army Major?

Alex Morgan is a real mix of me and those I’ve served with. Like me, Alex Morgan is Australian with Welsh heritage who served with the British Parachute Regiment. He’s got a predisposition to bouts of melancholy due to some of the stuff he’s seen, he thinks of himself as one of the old-school defenders of the faith, and we both share an affinity with tea and a pint of Guinness. That’s about where the similarities end – right about the time that Morgan is picked as the new star agent at Intrepid (being the black-ops division of Interpol, naturally).

2) What made you decide to start writing a book?

A few different things propelled me in the direction of writing. I grew up on the yarns of Ian Fleming and Alastair Maclean, and their command of storytelling was such that I aspired to see some action in order to write about it convincingly. I was also an aspiring jazz and rock drummer when I was at school and I wasn’t too bad at it. But when the 80’s synthesized dance music like Tainted Love et al started gaining traction, that was it for me. I decided it was now or never, and joined the Army aged 18. Probably a funny way to do it, but with a family history steeped in military service, I reckon it was inevitable. That said, I didn’t actually start any serious writing until I returned from East Timor Emergency in 1999 – after I’d been medically discharged from the Army. And then it took ten years to discover my own style of storytelling through thousands of drafts. These things don’t happen overnight, as I’m sure you well know.

3) Can you describe your writing process? Are you a planner or do you “wing” it?

A bit of both, actually. After dreaming, researching and constructing the plot for each book, I’m head down and bum up writing a plethora of notes in my brown leather-bound notebook, filling post-it notes in my writing mancave, creating a map for the book on my whiteboard, the lot. It’s also brimming around in my head at this time to the point of overflow. So I’ve got to put it down somewhere so that I can then put the pieces of the puzzle together. After that, I wing it. The story comes out and I type it as fast as my two fingers can get it on the page! Editing is another story all together…

3) What is next for Alex Morgan? And Chris Allen?

Morgan has a lot on actually. He’s taking on some of the world’s shadiest and most despicable characters in Avenger – human traffickers. He’s also showing the first female agent in Intrepid the ropes, and I’m sure she will put Morgan through his paces too. My job is to see Morgan’s adventures go as far and wide as they can – be that on the big and small screens, throughout the book series, into different languages and published in different states and territories. It’s a big vision, but I know what is possible and I’ll not stop until I get there!

MY HOLLYWOOD DREAM CAST FOR HUNTER

A few blogs ago, back in January, I participated in the blog equivalent of a chain mail letter, an online challenge called The Next Big Thing. In it, I mentioned a couple of actors that I’d like to see play my characters in Defender.

Now this week, for Tia at The Serious Reader blog, I've thoroughly enjoyed putting together a short and snappy ‘Hollywood Star Cast’ for my second action thriller in the Alex Morgan espionage series, Hunter with descriptions of the characters included.

You can read it here: http://www.theseriousreader.org/1/pos...

In this post I will be further explaining why I think these and other actors would be the perfect fit to play the following five of the main characters in Hunter. They are by no means the only actors who could play these roles but I do like to have people pegged in my mind as I write - it helps me bring the characters to life.

As you’ll read in The Serious Reader guest-post, my stand-out to play Alex Morgan has for some time been Australian actor, Alex O’Loughlin. I like O’Loughlin because he’s Australian and he’s also done well on US TV playing Steve McGarrett in Hawaii 5-0. What I like about his portrayal of McGarrett is he’s really captured the essence of a former service man. He’s not a bulldog but he’s a definite action man. He has empathy and respect at the same time as being completely mission-focused. He doesn’t play a robot soldier, he plays a thinking soldier and I really like that about him.

But a new kid on the block for the Alex Morgan role has to be Henry Cavill, the British actor playing Superman in The Man of Steel. He's the perfect age, he has a strong 'good guy' look about him that really captures what I want for Morgan. Men want to be him, and women, well...

Meanwhile, a hands-down favourite to play General Davenport is Pierce Brosnan. Brosnan has just turned 60 and he carries his age and the integrity of his age well, especially given that General Davenport is a former decorated SAS officer before becoming an expert in the rules of war and humanitarian war. It would be easy for an audience to associate Brosnan with an action man past given that he is the last actor to play Bond before Daniel Craig. Above all, Davenport is an old-school gentleman and I think Brosnan would convey that well.

I would like to see Emily Blunt play Charlotte-Rose Fleming. I like the Englishness about her. In the book, Charlie is a child of an American mother and an English father. Blunt has a strong presence on screen while possessing feminine vulnerability. The most important thing for me is that the female leads convey intelligence and resourcefulness. Blunt would be perfect for that.

The one to play The Wolf is Olivier Martinez. The Wolf needs to be someone who conveys a very dark side while also being appealing on the surface, because that’s what The Wolf relies on; his strength is in being able to flout the law and present himself as something other than what he really is.

Rade Šerbedžija is the guy that I’d want to play Drago’s character. I first saw Šerbedžija in The Saint movie with Val Kilmer and he has been in many others since, including most recently in Taken 2. He is an incredibly strong actor and I even used him as inspiration for the description of Drago in the story. He has a physicality and presence that I absolutely hope to convey with Drago's central character.

It is a dream for any author to have movies made of his stories and I'm no different. While I use some of these actors in my mind while writing the third in the series, Avenger, there are new characters in the latest story that are not covered here.

I'd also love to find out any actors you can see playing any of the characters in my thriller novels - just leave me a comment!

THE IMPORTANCE OF MUSIC IN BOOKS

This post first appeared on Bookd Out: http://bookdout.wordpress.com/2013/07...

Music has always been in my bones. I grew up in a musical family: My mum and sisters played strings and piano, I was a jazz and rock-obsessed drummer, my younger brothers each played bass and guitar respectively while my Welsh father had a beautiful voice. I remember having sing-a-longs with my Pop and listening to our uncles play guitars and sing with their lilting Northern English accents. They were from Durham – Bryan Ferry territory. As a result of these influences and having an eclectic taste in rock and jazz, it was inevitable that music would find a way of infusing itself in my writing.

In writing international crime and espionage thriller novels then, music assists me in helping to reflect an element of a character’s personality, in that musical choices are a reflection of a person’s individuality and tastes. Alex Morgan – the star agent of the black-ops Interpol agency– and General Davenport – Intrepid’s Chief – will always echo certain elements of my own taste in music, in some shape or form, because aspects of their personalities reflect parts of me (albeit at different stages in my life). For example, while head honcho General Davenport appreciates the jazz classics, with Morgan’s vocation he’s a heavy rock guy who enjoys softer music on occasion (it sounds like a cliché, but Enya soothes him) as well as the blues, which brings out his predisposition for melancholy.

Another way I use music is to help paint a particular mood for a scene. That way, I’m using the tune to create the atmosphere or disposition of the characters at that point in the story. When Alex Morgan is driving in the car towards London in Defender, with his blood up and frustrated by the fruitless search for rogue agent Lundt, he listens to Aussie rock band, The Living End. But if a character is – just say – feeling a bit lucky, maybe relaxing with a gorgeous woman and having enjoyed a bowl of pasta and a glass of red, they might be enjoying some Eric Clapton orMiles Davies. Varying soundtracks for different types of action…!

That said, when I’m through the research stage and am into actually writing the books, I hardly ever listen to music. As a drummer, whether I like the track that is playing nearby or I can’t stand it, I click into the rhythmic beat and it distracts my thinking. But ever so occasionally, if I’m right into writing an action scene I might put a driving drum beat and that’ll help me to type quicker (even though I only use two fingers).

Reviewers have commented that I have a cinematic writing style, in that it’s very visual and shows readers what’s in my mind’s eye for the stories. One of my favourite recent film series, Iron Man, takes the heavy metal concept literally by using a lot of ACDC throughout the scenes. There’s no reason you can’t evoke the same reactions when writing a story by suggesting musical tracks and styles throughout the novel.

In my second Alex Morgan adventure, Hunter, the heroine Charlotte-Rose Fleming is one of the finest classical pianists of her time. I wanted her to have substance, to have a special talent, to be adored for it, and being an internationally acclaimed musician is one of the highest accolades I could bestow. I researched a very glamorous and flamboyant musician called Sonja Kahn to help me think about Charlie’s gift (as she is nicknamed in the novel) and her unique performance style. There is a description of Charlie in Chapter 11 of Hunter:

“Her mastery of the instrument was indisputable, showcased via a repertoire only the finest players at the absolute pinnacle of their careers could ever attempt. But it was the showmanship, a combination of unbridled energy, passion, humor and seduction, that beguiled her audiences. The atmosphere and physicality of her performances were more akin to a rock concert than a classical music recital.”

Based on the music that appears in my novels, we’ve released two Spotify soundtracks so you can listen to the music that features in each book. InDefender, there’s more rock, jazz and pop, whereas there’s more of a classical bent in Hunter, which reflects the storyline with its principal character, Charlotte Rose Fleming is a world-famous classical musician. You can listen to each of the Spotify soundtracks from my first and second Alex Morgan adventures on the IntrepidAllen website.

www.intrepidallen.com

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THANKS FOR INTREPID MONTH

FACEBOOK AUTHOR EVENT FOR ONLINE BOOK CLUB

Intrepid Month was great fun during June, where I took part in an interactive Author Chat on Facebook and guest-posted on the That Book You Like blog.

“On Monday night.. we had a chance to chat to Chris Allen. It was entertaining and informative, a fabulous insight into writing, reading and living an adventurous life.”
— Mandi, That Book You Like

You can catch the round-up from Intrepid Month on That Book You Like here: http://thatbookyoulike.wordpress.com/...

NINE ULTRA-SECRET FACTS ABOUT INTREPID

This week, I'm chatting with Erin, book blogger and book clubber (http://coffeetalkwitherin.com/2013/07...), about writing, storytelling and reading all things thriller, crime and espionage. It's a Facebook Chat so anyone can attend from the comfort of their couch, it's free, and the dress code is (apparently) 'Onesie'. Whatever you wear, I'm really looking forward to catching up.

In honour of the upcoming Facebook Event on 25 July at 7.30pm AEST (https://www.facebook.com/events/59228...), I wanted to put out a special post with some things you may not know about the black-ops Interpol agency, Intrepid. As the Intelligence, Recovery, Protection and Infiltration Division of Interpol, Intrepid is the start point for all my thriller novels, and as my own literary creation I'd like to think it's become an intrinsic part of my storytelling modus operandi.

NINE BLACK-OPS INTREPID FACTS

1. IT'S INSPIRED BY THE THUNDERBIRDS

My original inspiration for Intrepid was based on The Thunderbirds International Rescue concept. As a kid, I thought it couldn't get much better than that.

2. INTREPID HQ AND THE BRITISH SECRET SERVICE HQ ARE IN THE SAME SPOT

Intrepid HQ (Broadway, London) is located in the very same location as the British Secret Service HQ used to be during the period 1924–1966. This covered the period of Ian Fleming's James Bond books and, therefore, was the location from which Bond was dispatched on his missions by M throughout all of Fleming's novels. I think Alex Morgan being dispatched from the same spot is pretty damn cool.

3. FAVOURITE DRINKING HOLE

The Red Lion pub in Westminster where General Davenport, Alex Morgan and the other agents occasionally meet and drink is my favourite pub in London town. I first celebrated Anzac Day there in 1994 with three great guys, fellow officers from my days attached to the New Zealand Army, and it's been a special spot ever since. I left a copy of Hunter for the publican during my last visit this past June and I heard he was thrilled.

3. LIVE BY YOUR WITS

General Davenport, the Chief of Intrepid, promotes a 'Live by your wits' philosophy among the agents, rather than allowing them to become reliant on modern technology. This is a product of his developmental years, encompassing a non-reliance on gimmicks and gadgets, instead looking to themselves and their honed abilities to deal with sticky situations. As we know, technology has a habit of failing in the most inopportune moments...

4. THE INTREPID NAME IS BASED IN FACT

I always liked the word intrepid, conjuring ideas of courage and fortitude, but it's also a hat tip to the famous spymaster from WWII – William Stephenson – a Canadian who was influential in intelligence circles during the war, acting at the highest level of government on both sides of the Atlantic. Stephenson was known as ‘a man called Intrepid’.

5. REAL LIFE STRANGER THAN FICTION?

In the creation of Intrepid, the United Nations Security Council approached Interpol to form a new ultra-secret division to protect the defenceless - regardless of border, politics or race. In real life, though, those two agencies don't have a relationship like that, but by fictionalising it for the stories, it works - evoking the international scale of the United Nations alongside the co-operation of international police. That's what makes Intrepid different and their agents part-policeman, soldier and spy.

6. THE SWORD OF INTERPOL

Intrepid is described in the books as the Sword of Interpol and that is for two reasons.

Firstly, as you'll see (right) the Interpol badge actually depicts a sword that balances the scales of justice. To my mind then, it suggests the sharp end of the organisation, with the responsibility to unremittingly bring the world's most dangerous criminals to account.

7. AGENTS TRAIN IN LONDON'S OLD SEWERS

In the books, the agents are regularly required to maintain and update their firearms and weapon skills training in a Central London underground space called 'The Pit'. The spot is actually part of an old sewerage system that was never commissioned and used. Lucky for the agents that it wasn't!

8. AGENT SELECTION PROCESS

Agents are recruited by Intrepid talent spotters whose sole job it is to identify outstanding individuals already employed within some of the world's most specialist and highly secret police, military and spy agencies. Following a period of intense scrutiny and clandestine observation, their suitability is assessed covertly before the potential agent is even aware that they have been under consideration.

9. THERE'S A NEW AGENT IN TOWN

In the new book, Avenger, Alex Morgan’s taking on some of the world’s most despicable characters – human traffickers. He’s also showing the first female agent in Intrepid the ropes, or maybe it’s vice versa. She's kicking some serious butt already, and she knows her stuff. So, keep you eyes peeled for... No, I can't tell you her name yet!

I hope you've enjoyed these ultra-secret facts about Intrepid , and I'll be talking about some of these details and many more in the books with Erin this Thursday night (details https://www.facebook.com/events/59228...) - please if you have any questions get them ready and I'll see you on Facebook for a chat then!

"I kind of fell in love with [Alex Morgan] in a literary sense.. because he reminded me of an Aussie James Bond. I imagined him as a man who is serious but a bit of a larrikin.. he is obviously affected by what he has seen, he is a risk taker but kind." - Coffee Chats With Erin: Bookgirloz review