markkingtheauthor@gmail.com
www.bookguild.co.uk
twitter@author_king
FRENZY by Mark King
ISBN 9781846248771
On Saturday I completed the tasks required for a successful church wedding. The sun was out, and so were the bottoms and breasts. One of the perks of being a man is that for most formal social events it's very easy to decide what to wear. In fact 90% of the time it's just a suit of some sorts in black, or maybe grey if required.
For women on the other hand it seems to be the total opposite. Hours spent worrying about having nothing to wear from the large selection of cloths hanging in the wardrobe only to then spend even more time changing their mind as cloths are left strewn across the bedroom.
I was given a good piece of advice by a married friend when I got engaged,'remember this, it's her big day and the only decision you will be allowed to make in the whole process is if you turn up and say; I do.'
So on the brides big day when she is the centre of attention there were a lot of other female guests who seemed to have dressed to grab what was left. There was more cleavage and pouting bums on show than you could find on a Mediterranean beach.
On Monday afternoon I completed the duties for a funeral so you would have thought it would be an easier call for the women, but the sun was out again and some of the dresses worn wouldn't have looked out of place in the Rio Carnival.
There are many awards that writers can win and if I'm ever luckily enough to win one for FRENZY or for any other book I may write, even if it's in thirty years time, I already know what I will be wearing on the occasion, a suit.
I can guarantee there aren't any women who can say the same.
Regards
Mark
Tuesday 30 April 2013
Monday 29 April 2013
The Tree Stump
markkingtheauthor@gmail.com
www.bookguild.co.uk
twitter@author_king
FRENZY by Mark King
ISBN 9781846248771
Just like Daniel Jones the lead character in Frenzy, I had to make use of an axe yesterday. And boy o boy am I paying for it now.
A few weeks a go I cut the branches off a fur tree in my garden, and was left with a three foot stump. It wasn't very thick but the roots went deep, and I knew the only way to get it out before I grassed over the bare soil was to chop it out.
I borrowed an axe from a friend. It wasn't very sharp but deadly enough if used for the wrong purpose. Well I chopped and I chopped, and after half an hour I was on my hands and knees panting like a wild dog with rabies.
The stump was still standing!
I wasn't going to be defeated and finally when I had finished the job I paraded around the garden holding the stump in the hair, singing the theme tune to Rocky as the family watched in amusement.
Today it's a different story. As I'm writing Monday's blog I'm sitting here with an ice-pack on my back, my arms feel like lead weights, and my fingers that clasped the handle of the axe with such determination now move with the grace of an eighty year old with arthritis. And I have a blister too.
The experience just goes to show how soft life has become for most people in the Western world. Daniel and his farther like some people still today in less developed societies will have worked at that pace, and force, for hours every day, and most days too.
I now know that making Daniel the son of a woods-man was perfect for his character because it gave him not only the physical strength he would need to survive, but also the mental strength you need not to give up when things become tough.
Because there is one thing I know about my battle with the stump, If it had taken another half an hours work I would have ended up calling out a tree surgeon.
Regards
Mark King
www.bookguild.co.uk
twitter@author_king
FRENZY by Mark King
ISBN 9781846248771
Just like Daniel Jones the lead character in Frenzy, I had to make use of an axe yesterday. And boy o boy am I paying for it now.
A few weeks a go I cut the branches off a fur tree in my garden, and was left with a three foot stump. It wasn't very thick but the roots went deep, and I knew the only way to get it out before I grassed over the bare soil was to chop it out.
I borrowed an axe from a friend. It wasn't very sharp but deadly enough if used for the wrong purpose. Well I chopped and I chopped, and after half an hour I was on my hands and knees panting like a wild dog with rabies.
The stump was still standing!
I wasn't going to be defeated and finally when I had finished the job I paraded around the garden holding the stump in the hair, singing the theme tune to Rocky as the family watched in amusement.
Today it's a different story. As I'm writing Monday's blog I'm sitting here with an ice-pack on my back, my arms feel like lead weights, and my fingers that clasped the handle of the axe with such determination now move with the grace of an eighty year old with arthritis. And I have a blister too.
The experience just goes to show how soft life has become for most people in the Western world. Daniel and his farther like some people still today in less developed societies will have worked at that pace, and force, for hours every day, and most days too.
I now know that making Daniel the son of a woods-man was perfect for his character because it gave him not only the physical strength he would need to survive, but also the mental strength you need not to give up when things become tough.
Because there is one thing I know about my battle with the stump, If it had taken another half an hours work I would have ended up calling out a tree surgeon.
Regards
Mark King
Friday 26 April 2013
The Verger
markkingtheauthor@gmail.com
www.bookguild.co.uk
twitter@author_king
FRENZY by Mark King
ISBN 9781846248771
I have a saying, 'I will try anything once and if I like it I will try it again, and if I don't then I won't.'
For regular followers of always-hanging-around.blogspot.com you will know that when I resigned from my day job I decided to carry out voluntary work on a couple of days during the week. I still needed human contact outside of my family and friends, and so I was asked by Fr Barry to join the local P.C.C committee where my business experience could be of use. The committee had a long standing project to build a new disabled toilet block with baby changing facilities, and kitchenette for the parish church www.thorpestandrewchurch.org.uk . It had been on the drawing board for some years, but was going to cost £95,000, and tens of thousands of pounds were still needed to pay for it.
The long and short of the story is that eighteen months after I joined the money was raised (donations are still welcome) the toilets and kitchenette built, and are now in use after being blessed by the Bishop. It was a great effect by everyone involved.
During this time I got to know Fr Barry after he became aware of my situation about me leaving my job, and risking it all to become a published author. He also knew that money was tight in the King household over this period so approached me with a suggestion that would help in a small way.
The church Verger was in his eighties and could no longer complete his duties. Being a Verger entails looking after proceedings during weddings and funerals. Getting everything set up, helping to make things run smoothly, and clearing up afterwards. The other thing about a Verger is that you are paid by the bride and groom plus the undertakers for doing this. It's not much but every little bit helps.
Like I said,'I will try anything once and if I like it I will do it again, and if I don't then I won't.' This is a great saying to use when you are unsure or need a little nudge into trying something new. And this was something totally new and alien to me. The best way to describe what a difference this was is to use 2Pac the rapper (Tupac Shakur) as an example. He has pushed life to the limit, and like me has smelt the fear of near-death on too many occasions. Tupac Shakur the Verger? You never know!
So I gave it a go. And what was the outcome? Well tomorrow I will be the verger at my third wedding and I have a funeral on Monday.
I wonder If I became as successful an author as say J.K.Rowlings if I would keep up with these duties, but I must admit there is a small piece of satisfaction to be gained from serving others than just by serving your own needs.
Regards
Mark king.
www.bookguild.co.uk
twitter@author_king
FRENZY by Mark King
ISBN 9781846248771
I have a saying, 'I will try anything once and if I like it I will try it again, and if I don't then I won't.'
For regular followers of always-hanging-around.blogspot.com you will know that when I resigned from my day job I decided to carry out voluntary work on a couple of days during the week. I still needed human contact outside of my family and friends, and so I was asked by Fr Barry to join the local P.C.C committee where my business experience could be of use. The committee had a long standing project to build a new disabled toilet block with baby changing facilities, and kitchenette for the parish church www.thorpestandrewchurch.org.uk . It had been on the drawing board for some years, but was going to cost £95,000, and tens of thousands of pounds were still needed to pay for it.
The long and short of the story is that eighteen months after I joined the money was raised (donations are still welcome) the toilets and kitchenette built, and are now in use after being blessed by the Bishop. It was a great effect by everyone involved.
During this time I got to know Fr Barry after he became aware of my situation about me leaving my job, and risking it all to become a published author. He also knew that money was tight in the King household over this period so approached me with a suggestion that would help in a small way.
The church Verger was in his eighties and could no longer complete his duties. Being a Verger entails looking after proceedings during weddings and funerals. Getting everything set up, helping to make things run smoothly, and clearing up afterwards. The other thing about a Verger is that you are paid by the bride and groom plus the undertakers for doing this. It's not much but every little bit helps.
Like I said,'I will try anything once and if I like it I will do it again, and if I don't then I won't.' This is a great saying to use when you are unsure or need a little nudge into trying something new. And this was something totally new and alien to me. The best way to describe what a difference this was is to use 2Pac the rapper (Tupac Shakur) as an example. He has pushed life to the limit, and like me has smelt the fear of near-death on too many occasions. Tupac Shakur the Verger? You never know!
So I gave it a go. And what was the outcome? Well tomorrow I will be the verger at my third wedding and I have a funeral on Monday.
I wonder If I became as successful an author as say J.K.Rowlings if I would keep up with these duties, but I must admit there is a small piece of satisfaction to be gained from serving others than just by serving your own needs.
Regards
Mark king.
Wednesday 24 April 2013
Hip Hip Hip Hooray
markkingtheauthor@gmail.com
www.bookguild.co.uk
twitter@author_king
FRENZY by Mark King
ISBN 9781846248771
Hip hip hip hooray the sun has got it's hat on, hip hip hip hooray.
You can't beat the warmth of a sunny spring day after a long hard winter, and today in my part of the world it feels as if we have finally left the dark cold days behind, for the next few months at least. All the trees and shrubs are now starting to bloom, and the birds are feeling frisky as they show off their wares to possible suitors.
The cloudy wet days and dark evenings of winter does have its advantages for writers. Your not distracted with the outdoors, you are happy to stay in, day-dream, and let your imagination flow through your fingers as the rain lashes the window pains.
So the sun is out and something else is also now out, Bookguild's spring/summer catalogue and in the teen section is my book FRENZY. For some reason I have been unable to upload pictures onto my blog. I have tried and tried, but with no luck. I've wanted to share with you pictures of some of the events that have shaped my last two years, especially the sleeve to FRENZY, but with no luck.
Never mind; words are fun, they describe a picture in your mind. Pictures can be fun if they are not showing a terrible event, even numbers can be fun especially if you have plenty of positive ones in your bank account! Unfortunately my account has had a big fat negative symbol against it for many a year. Even when I was in full time paid employment I never seemed to stay long in positive territory as the needs of a young family clawed away at my best endeavours at keeping my account stashed with the cash.
But who cares when the sun is out? I will get my shorts on, my sunglasses from their protective case, and enjoy it while it lasts because unlike places like California, or the Mediterranean, the only thing you can guarantee about the British weather is that it's not predictable.
So from what ever part of the world you are from as you follow my weekly writings, be it the U.K, America, Germany, Russia, Canada, New Zealand, China, or from many other countries I hope it's sunny where you are today.
Regards
Mark King.
www.bookguild.co.uk
twitter@author_king
FRENZY by Mark King
ISBN 9781846248771
Hip hip hip hooray the sun has got it's hat on, hip hip hip hooray.
You can't beat the warmth of a sunny spring day after a long hard winter, and today in my part of the world it feels as if we have finally left the dark cold days behind, for the next few months at least. All the trees and shrubs are now starting to bloom, and the birds are feeling frisky as they show off their wares to possible suitors.
The cloudy wet days and dark evenings of winter does have its advantages for writers. Your not distracted with the outdoors, you are happy to stay in, day-dream, and let your imagination flow through your fingers as the rain lashes the window pains.
So the sun is out and something else is also now out, Bookguild's spring/summer catalogue and in the teen section is my book FRENZY. For some reason I have been unable to upload pictures onto my blog. I have tried and tried, but with no luck. I've wanted to share with you pictures of some of the events that have shaped my last two years, especially the sleeve to FRENZY, but with no luck.
Never mind; words are fun, they describe a picture in your mind. Pictures can be fun if they are not showing a terrible event, even numbers can be fun especially if you have plenty of positive ones in your bank account! Unfortunately my account has had a big fat negative symbol against it for many a year. Even when I was in full time paid employment I never seemed to stay long in positive territory as the needs of a young family clawed away at my best endeavours at keeping my account stashed with the cash.
But who cares when the sun is out? I will get my shorts on, my sunglasses from their protective case, and enjoy it while it lasts because unlike places like California, or the Mediterranean, the only thing you can guarantee about the British weather is that it's not predictable.
So from what ever part of the world you are from as you follow my weekly writings, be it the U.K, America, Germany, Russia, Canada, New Zealand, China, or from many other countries I hope it's sunny where you are today.
Regards
Mark King.
Monday 22 April 2013
Trolls
markkingtheauthor@gmail.com
www.bookguild.co.uk
twitter@author_king
FRENZY by Mark King
ISBN 9781846248771
On the path I have travelled over the last two years I have set myself different goals to reach, and also prepared myself to expect more lows than highs.
The first goal was to resign from my job. This is harder to do than most people expect when the world is going through economic turmoil and recession. If you have a young family then this becomes double hard as their needs have to be your first priority in life.
The second goal was to get FRENZY out of my head and written down as a manuscript. Then came the learning process as I gathered feed back from professionals, and friends.
Next came getting the finished product into print, and this is where you hit a constant stream of lows until finally one day you find a waterfall of joy.
The final task once you are in print is to work as hard as possible on promoting your book, and you like to think that by this stage you have thought of most pit-falls, but there was one I didn't expect!
I have heard about it when concerning other people, but never thought I would have to deal with it, the Internet Troll!
The Internet troll is somebody who knows nothing about you, but takes pleasure in being as nasty as possible through the use of words via the Internet.
I've now had two such comments from total strangers through either twitter or via my blog. One of the comments just said 'you f##king c##t.'
Now many years ago I worked as a Court Bailiff, executing court warrants. It was a dangerous job with daily threats and abuse, and I even had three attempts on my life, one by a man with a baseball bat who tried to knock my head off, another man who tried to strangle me, and the third man with a carving knife. I have been attacked by dogs, bottled, glassed and put in hospital on various occasions as I played a merry dance with the grim-reaper. From a car crash to engine failure on a plane I have smelt true fear, but it still doesn't stink as much as these vile comments.
I will have to get use to it and take a positive from it. You must be full of self hatred and anger to be such a person who wants to do this, and any other nasty act, and I feel sorry for you if you are.
This weekend the weather was glorious, my team won, my family was a joy, and I spent Saturday evening over a drink or two with friends including one of the best people you could wish to meet in this world called Matthew Goreham. That's happiness.
So if you are a troll then as the Americans would say, 'wake up and smell the coffee,' because I take it as a compliment that I'm well known enough now to be commented on in the first place.
Regards
Mark King
www.bookguild.co.uk
twitter@author_king
FRENZY by Mark King
ISBN 9781846248771
On the path I have travelled over the last two years I have set myself different goals to reach, and also prepared myself to expect more lows than highs.
The first goal was to resign from my job. This is harder to do than most people expect when the world is going through economic turmoil and recession. If you have a young family then this becomes double hard as their needs have to be your first priority in life.
The second goal was to get FRENZY out of my head and written down as a manuscript. Then came the learning process as I gathered feed back from professionals, and friends.
Next came getting the finished product into print, and this is where you hit a constant stream of lows until finally one day you find a waterfall of joy.
The final task once you are in print is to work as hard as possible on promoting your book, and you like to think that by this stage you have thought of most pit-falls, but there was one I didn't expect!
I have heard about it when concerning other people, but never thought I would have to deal with it, the Internet Troll!
The Internet troll is somebody who knows nothing about you, but takes pleasure in being as nasty as possible through the use of words via the Internet.
I've now had two such comments from total strangers through either twitter or via my blog. One of the comments just said 'you f##king c##t.'
Now many years ago I worked as a Court Bailiff, executing court warrants. It was a dangerous job with daily threats and abuse, and I even had three attempts on my life, one by a man with a baseball bat who tried to knock my head off, another man who tried to strangle me, and the third man with a carving knife. I have been attacked by dogs, bottled, glassed and put in hospital on various occasions as I played a merry dance with the grim-reaper. From a car crash to engine failure on a plane I have smelt true fear, but it still doesn't stink as much as these vile comments.
I will have to get use to it and take a positive from it. You must be full of self hatred and anger to be such a person who wants to do this, and any other nasty act, and I feel sorry for you if you are.
This weekend the weather was glorious, my team won, my family was a joy, and I spent Saturday evening over a drink or two with friends including one of the best people you could wish to meet in this world called Matthew Goreham. That's happiness.
So if you are a troll then as the Americans would say, 'wake up and smell the coffee,' because I take it as a compliment that I'm well known enough now to be commented on in the first place.
Regards
Mark King
Friday 19 April 2013
Strong Women
markkingtheauthor@gmail.com
www.bookguild.co.uk
twitter@author_king
FRENZY by Mark King
ISBN 9781846248771
History is written by the winners.
Watching the funeral of Baroness Thatcher with all its pomp and pageant I did wonder; if the Labour Party had been in power instead of the Conservatives would she had been given such a grand send off? Would it have been just a simple family affair with her contribution to history slowly written out, just like most of the other strong women over the last two thousand years?
History has always been written from a male perspective with even great British Queens like Elizabeth the 1st and Queen Victoria portrayed as lonely figures whose life revolved around a man or lack of one. But it's not always the case! From my part of the world in Norfolk have come four such strong women.
The first was Boudica nearly two thousand years ago. When her husband the King of the Iceni died in an accident the Roman Governor of Britain decided he would take advantage of the situation. Using force he took away the Iceni lands, had Queen Boudica humiliated by being publicly flogged, and had her daughters raped. But he had messed with the wrong women! She stirred her folk in rebellion and marched to the capital at Colchester, and burnt it to the ground; with every Roman citizen being slaughtered, the men had their penises cut off and shoved into their mouths. Then she marched down to London and burnt it to the ground as well before defeating a Roman legion sent to quell the uprising. Then she finished off by destroying the religious centre of Roman Britain at St Albans. She was eventually defeated, but never captured with history saying she committed suicide.
The second women was the total opposite, she was an anchoress called Julian of Norwich who in the mid 1370's wrote the first book published in English by a women, and which is still in print today, Revelations of Divine Love, after receiving visions when near to death. She volunteered to be bricked up in a small room at St Julian's church for over 35 years www.julianofnorwich.org. She prayed and gave guidance from a small window to all who needed it, and her teachings/writings over the years have influenced the Anglican Church, the Catholic Church and the Lutheran Church!
The third women is nurse Edith Cavell from Norfolk who cared for both German and Allied soldiers in Brussels during the first world war, and was shot for it. She became a tool of propaganda by both sides, but it was the words of the battle hardened German officer in charge of the firing squad which summed her up, 'as I looked into her eyes I saw the bravest person I have ever met.' If you type her name into a search engine you will see that her presence is felt all around the world to this day.
The fourth women is Miss Elsie-Tilney who I mentioned a couple of weeks ago in my blog posted on the 3/4/13, titled Yad Vashem, www.yadvashem.org.
I think these four women alone would make the subject of a good book, and could be expanded on no doubt with many others, but with my promotional work for FRENZY and the fact I'm now starting on my manuscript for my second book, this is one project I may never get around to starting.
So if anyone out there in this big wide world is looking for an idea then please feel free. I think the title,The First Feminists, would work well, and although I am a simple man I would be more than happy to help you in anyway I can. My email address is at the top and all the information you need is on my door step.
Regards
Mark King.
www.bookguild.co.uk
twitter@author_king
FRENZY by Mark King
ISBN 9781846248771
History is written by the winners.
Watching the funeral of Baroness Thatcher with all its pomp and pageant I did wonder; if the Labour Party had been in power instead of the Conservatives would she had been given such a grand send off? Would it have been just a simple family affair with her contribution to history slowly written out, just like most of the other strong women over the last two thousand years?
History has always been written from a male perspective with even great British Queens like Elizabeth the 1st and Queen Victoria portrayed as lonely figures whose life revolved around a man or lack of one. But it's not always the case! From my part of the world in Norfolk have come four such strong women.
The first was Boudica nearly two thousand years ago. When her husband the King of the Iceni died in an accident the Roman Governor of Britain decided he would take advantage of the situation. Using force he took away the Iceni lands, had Queen Boudica humiliated by being publicly flogged, and had her daughters raped. But he had messed with the wrong women! She stirred her folk in rebellion and marched to the capital at Colchester, and burnt it to the ground; with every Roman citizen being slaughtered, the men had their penises cut off and shoved into their mouths. Then she marched down to London and burnt it to the ground as well before defeating a Roman legion sent to quell the uprising. Then she finished off by destroying the religious centre of Roman Britain at St Albans. She was eventually defeated, but never captured with history saying she committed suicide.
The second women was the total opposite, she was an anchoress called Julian of Norwich who in the mid 1370's wrote the first book published in English by a women, and which is still in print today, Revelations of Divine Love, after receiving visions when near to death. She volunteered to be bricked up in a small room at St Julian's church for over 35 years www.julianofnorwich.org. She prayed and gave guidance from a small window to all who needed it, and her teachings/writings over the years have influenced the Anglican Church, the Catholic Church and the Lutheran Church!
The third women is nurse Edith Cavell from Norfolk who cared for both German and Allied soldiers in Brussels during the first world war, and was shot for it. She became a tool of propaganda by both sides, but it was the words of the battle hardened German officer in charge of the firing squad which summed her up, 'as I looked into her eyes I saw the bravest person I have ever met.' If you type her name into a search engine you will see that her presence is felt all around the world to this day.
The fourth women is Miss Elsie-Tilney who I mentioned a couple of weeks ago in my blog posted on the 3/4/13, titled Yad Vashem, www.yadvashem.org.
I think these four women alone would make the subject of a good book, and could be expanded on no doubt with many others, but with my promotional work for FRENZY and the fact I'm now starting on my manuscript for my second book, this is one project I may never get around to starting.
So if anyone out there in this big wide world is looking for an idea then please feel free. I think the title,The First Feminists, would work well, and although I am a simple man I would be more than happy to help you in anyway I can. My email address is at the top and all the information you need is on my door step.
Regards
Mark King.
Wednesday 17 April 2013
Love and Hate
markkingtheauthor@gmail.com
www.bookguild.co.uk
Twitter@author_king
FRENZY by Mark King
ISBN 9781846248771
As I returned on the train from the London Book Fair yesterday I contemplated about the issue I would write about in my Wednesday blog. Different options flashed through my thoughts, and as part of the journey slowed to a crawl because of a broken down locomotive further up the line I nodded off to sleep.
There are so many things to talk about; my day at Earls Court all the way through to Baroness Thatcher's funeral today. By the time I got home it was 6.30pm. I settled my body on the sofa, and had one of those rare moments when my young son climbed into my arms, and rested his tired head on my chest.
It's in that short fleeting time you realise how wonderful life is.
I turned on the television to catch up on the news, and in that second I also rearlised how precious life is; for on the screen was the picture of that innocent young boy who lost his life in the Boston Bombings. The news channel kept repeating the pictures of the explosions and the devastating scenes that followed.
As I stroked my son's hair while his chest raised and fell in motion with my own beating heart, my head ached in sorrow for the poor parents who will never be able now to share that moment again with their own son.
Everything in the universe is made of energy of which there is postive charge and a negative charge. The most postive form of energy is Love which leads to caring, sharing, friendships, helping and forgiveness. The opposite to Love and the most negative is Hate which leads to greed, war, hunger, rape, and ultimately death.
I try to be postive and refuse to let Hate into my life, but I must admit that if it was me who lost my son through such a hateful act I wonder if my own Love would be strong enough to overcome the Hate?
Regards
Mark King
www.bookguild.co.uk
Twitter@author_king
FRENZY by Mark King
ISBN 9781846248771
As I returned on the train from the London Book Fair yesterday I contemplated about the issue I would write about in my Wednesday blog. Different options flashed through my thoughts, and as part of the journey slowed to a crawl because of a broken down locomotive further up the line I nodded off to sleep.
There are so many things to talk about; my day at Earls Court all the way through to Baroness Thatcher's funeral today. By the time I got home it was 6.30pm. I settled my body on the sofa, and had one of those rare moments when my young son climbed into my arms, and rested his tired head on my chest.
It's in that short fleeting time you realise how wonderful life is.
I turned on the television to catch up on the news, and in that second I also rearlised how precious life is; for on the screen was the picture of that innocent young boy who lost his life in the Boston Bombings. The news channel kept repeating the pictures of the explosions and the devastating scenes that followed.
As I stroked my son's hair while his chest raised and fell in motion with my own beating heart, my head ached in sorrow for the poor parents who will never be able now to share that moment again with their own son.
Everything in the universe is made of energy of which there is postive charge and a negative charge. The most postive form of energy is Love which leads to caring, sharing, friendships, helping and forgiveness. The opposite to Love and the most negative is Hate which leads to greed, war, hunger, rape, and ultimately death.
I try to be postive and refuse to let Hate into my life, but I must admit that if it was me who lost my son through such a hateful act I wonder if my own Love would be strong enough to overcome the Hate?
Regards
Mark King
Monday 15 April 2013
The London Book Fair
markkingtheauthor@gmail.com
www.bookguild.co.uk
www.danieljonesfrenzy.co.uk
twitter@author_king
FRENZY by Mark King
ISBN 9781846248771
It's been a busy few weeks with the children on their Easter break with this birthdays as well. This coincided with the release of FRENZY, and the visit of our friends Val and Bill from Scotland with their dog Dougal.
If I thought it would slow down then I'm wrong because today is the start of London Book Fair. It runs from the 15th to the 17th of April and is one of the largest events of it's type in the world. People from all corners, and from all back grounds connected with publishing will be attending, and that includes me.
I have booked my train ticket, and bought my entry, and will heading down this Tuesday the 16th. Bookguild have a stand in the exhibition, and this will be the first chance to meet the staff since the release of FRENZY.
I should roll in between 12 and 12.30 so if you are about then wander down to Bookguild's stand, and look out for a bewildered individual who looks totally lost with a black laptop holder slung over his back (note; it will only be holding my sandwichs and a book), and that will be me. I went for the first time last year and got lost in the vast caven that is the exhibition space. I just went to soak up the atmosphere, and nearly drowned in the energy that was created by all the human activity.
So who ever you are or from what ever part of the world you come from, if you are in town for the book fair then keep an eye out for me with my little printed badge that say's Mr Mark King Author, say hello and let's have a chat.
Regards
Mark King
www.bookguild.co.uk
www.danieljonesfrenzy.co.uk
twitter@author_king
FRENZY by Mark King
ISBN 9781846248771
It's been a busy few weeks with the children on their Easter break with this birthdays as well. This coincided with the release of FRENZY, and the visit of our friends Val and Bill from Scotland with their dog Dougal.
If I thought it would slow down then I'm wrong because today is the start of London Book Fair. It runs from the 15th to the 17th of April and is one of the largest events of it's type in the world. People from all corners, and from all back grounds connected with publishing will be attending, and that includes me.
I have booked my train ticket, and bought my entry, and will heading down this Tuesday the 16th. Bookguild have a stand in the exhibition, and this will be the first chance to meet the staff since the release of FRENZY.
I should roll in between 12 and 12.30 so if you are about then wander down to Bookguild's stand, and look out for a bewildered individual who looks totally lost with a black laptop holder slung over his back (note; it will only be holding my sandwichs and a book), and that will be me. I went for the first time last year and got lost in the vast caven that is the exhibition space. I just went to soak up the atmosphere, and nearly drowned in the energy that was created by all the human activity.
So who ever you are or from what ever part of the world you come from, if you are in town for the book fair then keep an eye out for me with my little printed badge that say's Mr Mark King Author, say hello and let's have a chat.
Regards
Mark King
Thursday 11 April 2013
Freinds
www.danieljonesfrenzy.co.uk
www.bookguild.co.uk
markkingtheauthor@gmail.com
twitter@author_king
FRENZY by Mark King
ISBN 9781846248771
This weekend we have friends from Dunoon in Scotland visiting us for five days. We stayed with my wife's god-mother Val and her husband Bill, plus their lovely, if a bit sloppy, dog Dougal last year. Now we are returning the favour, and looking forward (especially the children who just adore Dougal) to showing them some of the delights that Norwich and Norfolk have to offer.
Bill Loves his Ale and as Norwich is known as the City of Ale www.cityofale.org.uk I will be helping him enthusiastically in tasting some of the local brews down at my local, one of the best pubs in the world, The Fat Cat and Canary, www.fatcatpub.co.uk managed by Christian, and hopefully to some of the other great pubs in the area including two other very good local brewers at The Coach and Horses, and the Ketts Tavern www.norwichbear.com.
Because I have not had the means to travel abroad for the last three years me and the family have stayed in the U.K, or in the case of my blog the world has travelled to me. I love meeting new people especially from different countries and with nearly 40% of my many readers coming from either the U.S.A, or Germany, plus through Twitter I am still able to achieve this.
I have made contact with new people from all over America, Canada, Germany, Russia, New Zealand, the list goes on, and a lot of you from this foreign lands who have followed my journey have wanted to read Frenzy.
Now you have your chance as it can be purchased in most countries, and in your local currency (English language only), through various web sites including www.bookdepository.co.uk and www.alibris.com/stores/pabkshop and also in America at www.amazon.com. Due to the success of FRENZY in the U.K it is now available to down load on Kindle.
So please enjoy it and let me know what your thoughts are on it, and maybe if I can earn a penny or two I might just be able to travel to your wonderful country, and say hello personally.
Regards
Mark King
www.bookguild.co.uk
markkingtheauthor@gmail.com
twitter@author_king
FRENZY by Mark King
ISBN 9781846248771
This weekend we have friends from Dunoon in Scotland visiting us for five days. We stayed with my wife's god-mother Val and her husband Bill, plus their lovely, if a bit sloppy, dog Dougal last year. Now we are returning the favour, and looking forward (especially the children who just adore Dougal) to showing them some of the delights that Norwich and Norfolk have to offer.
Bill Loves his Ale and as Norwich is known as the City of Ale www.cityofale.org.uk I will be helping him enthusiastically in tasting some of the local brews down at my local, one of the best pubs in the world, The Fat Cat and Canary, www.fatcatpub.co.uk managed by Christian, and hopefully to some of the other great pubs in the area including two other very good local brewers at The Coach and Horses, and the Ketts Tavern www.norwichbear.com.
Because I have not had the means to travel abroad for the last three years me and the family have stayed in the U.K, or in the case of my blog the world has travelled to me. I love meeting new people especially from different countries and with nearly 40% of my many readers coming from either the U.S.A, or Germany, plus through Twitter I am still able to achieve this.
I have made contact with new people from all over America, Canada, Germany, Russia, New Zealand, the list goes on, and a lot of you from this foreign lands who have followed my journey have wanted to read Frenzy.
Now you have your chance as it can be purchased in most countries, and in your local currency (English language only), through various web sites including www.bookdepository.co.uk and www.alibris.com/stores/pabkshop and also in America at www.amazon.com. Due to the success of FRENZY in the U.K it is now available to down load on Kindle.
So please enjoy it and let me know what your thoughts are on it, and maybe if I can earn a penny or two I might just be able to travel to your wonderful country, and say hello personally.
Regards
Mark King
Wednesday 10 April 2013
Margaret Thatcher
www.danieljonesfrenzy.co.uk
www.bookguild.co.uk
markkingtheauthor@gmail.com
twitter@author_king
FRENZY by Mark King
ISBN 9781846248771
I was 11 years old when Margaret Thatcher came to power in 1979 and was in my twenties when she was forced out of power by her own party. I was one of Thatcher's children who grew up with a belief that uncontrolled capitalism was the only system that worked for the individual.
Whatever you own personal thoughts on Mrs Thatcher you have to at least admit she left her mark on history, not only in the U.K but also around the world; from America, throughout Europe, and Russia, and all the way to China, and back. And she did it not by being born into privilege, but through sheer hard work, and solid determination, from a green grocer's daughter who lived above a shop to someone who changed the course of history itself.
My belief was total and it became so ingrained in the world system that even the Labour Part welcomed it with open arms. Tony Blair and the other world leaders that followed Mrs Thatcher and Mr Reagan were like me, a product of this system even if on occasions you did have your doubts about certain aspects of it.
By the time I started a family my own loyalty to Thatcherisum had already waned. Adam Smith the father of economics wrote in his book 'The Wealth of Nations' about the invisible hand of market forces. After Baroness Thatcher I sensed a darker hand at work playing the world leaders like puppets on a string.
One of my favourite author's is George Orwell. He volunteered and fought in the Spanish civil where his belief in Communism was shattered when he found out the truth about it.
Animal Farm and Big Brother were the by products of his experience.
When Lehman Brothers went bust and the world financial system collapsed, only being saved by trillions of government money (OUR MONEY), my belief in uncontrolled capitalism was shattered.
Frenzy is a product of my experience.
Daniel Jones finds out the truth, and it shatters his belief about the Over-seers whose only concern with humanity is to feed off it.
I respect Mrs Thatcher for what she achieved with her life, but, and there is always a but, she and those other politicians from around the world who followed in her foot steps made some big mistakes which the ordinary person will be paying for generations to come.
Regards
Mark King
www.bookguild.co.uk
markkingtheauthor@gmail.com
twitter@author_king
FRENZY by Mark King
ISBN 9781846248771
I was 11 years old when Margaret Thatcher came to power in 1979 and was in my twenties when she was forced out of power by her own party. I was one of Thatcher's children who grew up with a belief that uncontrolled capitalism was the only system that worked for the individual.
Whatever you own personal thoughts on Mrs Thatcher you have to at least admit she left her mark on history, not only in the U.K but also around the world; from America, throughout Europe, and Russia, and all the way to China, and back. And she did it not by being born into privilege, but through sheer hard work, and solid determination, from a green grocer's daughter who lived above a shop to someone who changed the course of history itself.
My belief was total and it became so ingrained in the world system that even the Labour Part welcomed it with open arms. Tony Blair and the other world leaders that followed Mrs Thatcher and Mr Reagan were like me, a product of this system even if on occasions you did have your doubts about certain aspects of it.
By the time I started a family my own loyalty to Thatcherisum had already waned. Adam Smith the father of economics wrote in his book 'The Wealth of Nations' about the invisible hand of market forces. After Baroness Thatcher I sensed a darker hand at work playing the world leaders like puppets on a string.
One of my favourite author's is George Orwell. He volunteered and fought in the Spanish civil where his belief in Communism was shattered when he found out the truth about it.
Animal Farm and Big Brother were the by products of his experience.
When Lehman Brothers went bust and the world financial system collapsed, only being saved by trillions of government money (OUR MONEY), my belief in uncontrolled capitalism was shattered.
Frenzy is a product of my experience.
Daniel Jones finds out the truth, and it shatters his belief about the Over-seers whose only concern with humanity is to feed off it.
I respect Mrs Thatcher for what she achieved with her life, but, and there is always a but, she and those other politicians from around the world who followed in her foot steps made some big mistakes which the ordinary person will be paying for generations to come.
Regards
Mark King
Monday 8 April 2013
The pecking order
www.danieljonesfrenzy.co.uk
www.bookguild.co.uk
markkingtheauthor@gmail.com
twitter@author_king
ISBN 9781846248771
FRENZY by Mark King
No matter where you come from, or what you do in life, or how successful you are, there is still one trait we humans share with the animal kingdom! That's the pecking order.
We have a pet chicken, the last surviving batch of six rescued birds from an animal charity. The runt of this batch was heavy pecked, and bullied by the other hens, and nearly lost all her feathers. It's the same for us humans especially in the work place, and was summed up by a news report I read which stated that middle managers are the most stressed out of people, because they get nobbed from the top, and from the bottom of the pecking order. In the case of homo-sapiens we don't loose feathers we just turn to drink, drugs, food, or sex.
But it's not just in the work place, but in daily life were we are all involved in some sort of pecking order. I had an experience today which just goes to show where I am in that order, because you see I was interviewed by Sabah Meddings from www.archant.co.uk about my new book 'Frenzy' and on Friday had some photos taken by their photographer.
Boy was I on a buzz over the weekend, and when Monday morning arrived I scampered up to the paper shop eager to buy the local paper, and read about myself inside.
Nothing!
There was nothing. Well there was a full page spread about the author Judy Fairbains, and a quarter page spread about another established author, Derek Landy, who was visiting the area, and a smaller article on the forth coming visit to Norwich of the author Audrey Niffenegger of The Time Traveller's Wife fame (lovely movie), but nothing on Mark King.
On the pecking order of authors I am just like a newly hatched chick. Will I end up like Hop-a-long? That's the name we gave to our little hen pecked chicken because she suffered from a deformed leg caused when she spent her early life in a small cage at a battery farm. She can only get about by hoping along so the name stuck. It seems animals can discriminate against the disabled as much as humans.
Well life may have started badly for Hop-a-long, but one by one she saw off the other hens to be the last one standing. She now has a wonderful plume of feathrs, and all the food, and space she wants. She also gets all our family love, and is the star of the show when ever someone visits; she also gets a small, if breath, mention in Frenzy.
So we all have a pecking order in life even the President of America, the Pope, and the Queen of Gt Britian, because ultimately they all come under god.
Regards
Mark King.
www.bookguild.co.uk
markkingtheauthor@gmail.com
twitter@author_king
ISBN 9781846248771
FRENZY by Mark King
No matter where you come from, or what you do in life, or how successful you are, there is still one trait we humans share with the animal kingdom! That's the pecking order.
We have a pet chicken, the last surviving batch of six rescued birds from an animal charity. The runt of this batch was heavy pecked, and bullied by the other hens, and nearly lost all her feathers. It's the same for us humans especially in the work place, and was summed up by a news report I read which stated that middle managers are the most stressed out of people, because they get nobbed from the top, and from the bottom of the pecking order. In the case of homo-sapiens we don't loose feathers we just turn to drink, drugs, food, or sex.
But it's not just in the work place, but in daily life were we are all involved in some sort of pecking order. I had an experience today which just goes to show where I am in that order, because you see I was interviewed by Sabah Meddings from www.archant.co.uk about my new book 'Frenzy' and on Friday had some photos taken by their photographer.
Boy was I on a buzz over the weekend, and when Monday morning arrived I scampered up to the paper shop eager to buy the local paper, and read about myself inside.
Nothing!
There was nothing. Well there was a full page spread about the author Judy Fairbains, and a quarter page spread about another established author, Derek Landy, who was visiting the area, and a smaller article on the forth coming visit to Norwich of the author Audrey Niffenegger of The Time Traveller's Wife fame (lovely movie), but nothing on Mark King.
On the pecking order of authors I am just like a newly hatched chick. Will I end up like Hop-a-long? That's the name we gave to our little hen pecked chicken because she suffered from a deformed leg caused when she spent her early life in a small cage at a battery farm. She can only get about by hoping along so the name stuck. It seems animals can discriminate against the disabled as much as humans.
Well life may have started badly for Hop-a-long, but one by one she saw off the other hens to be the last one standing. She now has a wonderful plume of feathrs, and all the food, and space she wants. She also gets all our family love, and is the star of the show when ever someone visits; she also gets a small, if breath, mention in Frenzy.
So we all have a pecking order in life even the President of America, the Pope, and the Queen of Gt Britian, because ultimately they all come under god.
Regards
Mark King.
Friday 5 April 2013
Iain Banks
www.danieljonesfrenzy.co.uk
www.bookguild.co.uk
markkingtheauthor@gmail.com
twitter@author_king
ISBN9781846248771
When I read the statement issued by Iain Banks the author that informed the world of his impeding death through Cancer I was sent back to the near past, and the day our family was sent into a deep well of shock when my farther-in-law made the same announcement.
I wrote about my father-in-law in one of my first ever postings on this blog, and it was one of the factors that gave me the final push into writing,
Known when writing science fiction and in America as Iain M Banks his words created a surge of emotion within me, and brought home how precious life is not only for you, but also the people around you. This is why after reading Iain's words I phoned my own father, and asked if he would like to come with me, and his grandson for a full English breakfast at the local cafe.
This morning three male generations of the King family sat in the Denmark Cafe on Sprowston Road in Norwich and enjoyed a few simple, but very special moments together. It may not be the most beautiful of places, but for me it was heaven. Over our breakfast I read the Sun Newspaper www.thesun.co.uk which they offer to their customers, and came across the section edited by Natasha Harding, then read the Friday book review.
I pondered if one day Frenzy would be successful enough to appear in the Sun's Friday book review.
Yes, I thought, it will!
One thing I know in life is that people no matter where they come from full into two groups. The first group, which is the majority, full into the negative camp because generally they will talk about why they can't or haven't done something. The smaller group of positive people will always think of a reason why they should or will do something.
As an example if it's a very cold wet day most people will look out the window and say 'it's too miserable to go for a walk' and then stay inside; where the other group will say 'It's an excellent time to go for a brisk walk' and will go out.
Iain fell into the positive group because he went out and did it, no excuses, and wrote a lot of very popular books, and if I'm only half as successful as him then I will now that I have joined him in that group as well.
Regards
Mark King
www.bookguild.co.uk
markkingtheauthor@gmail.com
twitter@author_king
ISBN9781846248771
When I read the statement issued by Iain Banks the author that informed the world of his impeding death through Cancer I was sent back to the near past, and the day our family was sent into a deep well of shock when my farther-in-law made the same announcement.
I wrote about my father-in-law in one of my first ever postings on this blog, and it was one of the factors that gave me the final push into writing,
Known when writing science fiction and in America as Iain M Banks his words created a surge of emotion within me, and brought home how precious life is not only for you, but also the people around you. This is why after reading Iain's words I phoned my own father, and asked if he would like to come with me, and his grandson for a full English breakfast at the local cafe.
This morning three male generations of the King family sat in the Denmark Cafe on Sprowston Road in Norwich and enjoyed a few simple, but very special moments together. It may not be the most beautiful of places, but for me it was heaven. Over our breakfast I read the Sun Newspaper www.thesun.co.uk which they offer to their customers, and came across the section edited by Natasha Harding, then read the Friday book review.
I pondered if one day Frenzy would be successful enough to appear in the Sun's Friday book review.
Yes, I thought, it will!
One thing I know in life is that people no matter where they come from full into two groups. The first group, which is the majority, full into the negative camp because generally they will talk about why they can't or haven't done something. The smaller group of positive people will always think of a reason why they should or will do something.
As an example if it's a very cold wet day most people will look out the window and say 'it's too miserable to go for a walk' and then stay inside; where the other group will say 'It's an excellent time to go for a brisk walk' and will go out.
Iain fell into the positive group because he went out and did it, no excuses, and wrote a lot of very popular books, and if I'm only half as successful as him then I will now that I have joined him in that group as well.
Regards
Mark King
Wednesday 3 April 2013
Yad Vashem
www.danieljonesfrenzy.co.uk
www.bookguild.co.uk
markkingtheauthor@gmail.com
twitter@author_king
ISBN 9781846248771
I need your help, well not me directly but London barrister Prof Philippe Sands needs it. Why? Well in today's Eastern Daily Press www.EDP24.co.uk/news is a wonderful article written by Chris Hill, and tells the story of an unknown lady called Elsie-Tilney.
She was once a Norwich girl long since gone from this world, but because of actions she took many years ago she could be honoured at Yad Vashem Israels official memorial to the Holocaust; to be listed as one of the righteous among the nations, but, and there is always a but, there needs to be a surviving relative who can accept the honour.
This is the but, non can be found at the moment because she moved to America after the war. Her brother Frederick also moved there, and is credited with discovering the world famous body builder Charles Atlas.
The article tells how Elsie was captured in Paris during war after helping a young Jewish girl escape from Austria, then was put in an interment camp for four years were she helped with the administration. It was while doing this work she changed the identities of hundreads of the Jewish inhabitants of this camp so saving them from being sent to the death camps. She also directly hid a polish soldier in her room for months, so saving his life.
If she was found out she would have faced the same fait as another lady from Norwich, the nurse Edith Cavell who was shot during the first world war.
So your help is needed. Please spend five minutes forwarding this page to others you know, and ask them to do the same, especailly if you are one of my many readers in America, Germany, U.K or France. Someone out there is related to Elsie (or knows more to the story) and if you can help find this person then please email chris.hill@archant.co.uk .
The reason I have brought this story up is that we must always remember the postive things that humanity can achieve not just the negatives. Watching the national news on t.v with all its death, and destruction, rape, famine, war, murders, and general human misery can be very depressing.
Along my journey with Frenzy before I became a published author I had to encounter many moments of negative reaction that could have finished me off; but the occassional postive news kept me going, and we all need that in life. So lets do something postive together, and get Elsie-Tilney her just reward.
Regards
Mark King
www.bookguild.co.uk
markkingtheauthor@gmail.com
twitter@author_king
ISBN 9781846248771
I need your help, well not me directly but London barrister Prof Philippe Sands needs it. Why? Well in today's Eastern Daily Press www.EDP24.co.uk/news is a wonderful article written by Chris Hill, and tells the story of an unknown lady called Elsie-Tilney.
She was once a Norwich girl long since gone from this world, but because of actions she took many years ago she could be honoured at Yad Vashem Israels official memorial to the Holocaust; to be listed as one of the righteous among the nations, but, and there is always a but, there needs to be a surviving relative who can accept the honour.
This is the but, non can be found at the moment because she moved to America after the war. Her brother Frederick also moved there, and is credited with discovering the world famous body builder Charles Atlas.
The article tells how Elsie was captured in Paris during war after helping a young Jewish girl escape from Austria, then was put in an interment camp for four years were she helped with the administration. It was while doing this work she changed the identities of hundreads of the Jewish inhabitants of this camp so saving them from being sent to the death camps. She also directly hid a polish soldier in her room for months, so saving his life.
If she was found out she would have faced the same fait as another lady from Norwich, the nurse Edith Cavell who was shot during the first world war.
So your help is needed. Please spend five minutes forwarding this page to others you know, and ask them to do the same, especailly if you are one of my many readers in America, Germany, U.K or France. Someone out there is related to Elsie (or knows more to the story) and if you can help find this person then please email chris.hill@archant.co.uk .
The reason I have brought this story up is that we must always remember the postive things that humanity can achieve not just the negatives. Watching the national news on t.v with all its death, and destruction, rape, famine, war, murders, and general human misery can be very depressing.
Along my journey with Frenzy before I became a published author I had to encounter many moments of negative reaction that could have finished me off; but the occassional postive news kept me going, and we all need that in life. So lets do something postive together, and get Elsie-Tilney her just reward.
Regards
Mark King
Monday 1 April 2013
Chocolate Frenzy
www.danieljonesfrenzy.co.uk
www.bookguild.co.uk
markkingtheauthor@gmail.com
twitter@author_king
ISBN 9781846248771
I had a terrible nights sleep last night!
It wasn't because I wasn't tired, because I was, but because my young son kept waking up crying, and shouting in his sleep. I kept settling him, brought him water to drink, and generally stayed by his side until he was all quite. The only problem was every time I went back to bed my mind was a Frenzy of thoughts, and I couldn't get back to sleep myself.
I think his restless night was down to all the chocolate that he, and my daughter consumed on Easter Sunday. The sheer amount of chocolate gifts of different shapes, and sizes that they were given was truly amazing. We now have bags of the staff that should last them months. I did a quick calculation and they now have between them ( and us) enough calories in all these goodies to keep a starving child alive for the year.
It has got me thinking about how lucky my family and I are to live in such a rich part of the world. When I first started to write Frenzy one of my other aims I hoped to achieve was to get back into shape by loosing some weight. Because from the start I was crippled by my spinal injury, and probably because I'm also spending more time sitting down now I'm a writer I failed miserably in this task. I have not lost a single pound in weight. I'm not blaming anyone other than myself, and as I've spent the Easter holiday with the family I have reflected on my failure.
There are so many people around the world in need, you just have to look at the terrible situation in Syria and other war zones. Even in parts of rich countries like the U.K, America etc there are people whose need is greater then mine.
There is not much I can do about Syria, but there is in the U.K and the first thing I'm going to do is to donate my Easter chocolate I have received to the local food bank, and I will scan the cupboards to try and find some other delights that normally have me munching throughout the day.
Because what the one thing I have learnt from having a young family is that it's good to give, and to give freely, because the rewards are much sweeter than you will ever find in a Frenzy of Chocolate.
Regards
Mark King
www.bookguild.co.uk
markkingtheauthor@gmail.com
twitter@author_king
ISBN 9781846248771
I had a terrible nights sleep last night!
It wasn't because I wasn't tired, because I was, but because my young son kept waking up crying, and shouting in his sleep. I kept settling him, brought him water to drink, and generally stayed by his side until he was all quite. The only problem was every time I went back to bed my mind was a Frenzy of thoughts, and I couldn't get back to sleep myself.
I think his restless night was down to all the chocolate that he, and my daughter consumed on Easter Sunday. The sheer amount of chocolate gifts of different shapes, and sizes that they were given was truly amazing. We now have bags of the staff that should last them months. I did a quick calculation and they now have between them ( and us) enough calories in all these goodies to keep a starving child alive for the year.
It has got me thinking about how lucky my family and I are to live in such a rich part of the world. When I first started to write Frenzy one of my other aims I hoped to achieve was to get back into shape by loosing some weight. Because from the start I was crippled by my spinal injury, and probably because I'm also spending more time sitting down now I'm a writer I failed miserably in this task. I have not lost a single pound in weight. I'm not blaming anyone other than myself, and as I've spent the Easter holiday with the family I have reflected on my failure.
There are so many people around the world in need, you just have to look at the terrible situation in Syria and other war zones. Even in parts of rich countries like the U.K, America etc there are people whose need is greater then mine.
There is not much I can do about Syria, but there is in the U.K and the first thing I'm going to do is to donate my Easter chocolate I have received to the local food bank, and I will scan the cupboards to try and find some other delights that normally have me munching throughout the day.
Because what the one thing I have learnt from having a young family is that it's good to give, and to give freely, because the rewards are much sweeter than you will ever find in a Frenzy of Chocolate.
Regards
Mark King
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