Monday, 26 August 2013

I'm off.

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FRENZY a Daniel Jones story by Mark King





Here we go, here we go, here we go.

Here we go, here we goooooooo.

This was a song we used to chant on the football terraces in my youth after Norwich City FC had scored a goal. The pen would be packed with hot headed males and we would jump over each other as if we were at a punk gig.

Well them days have gone and in about half an hour so will I because I'm off with the family for Five days of camping holiday at East Runton.

Here I go, here I go, here I go.

Here I go. here I goooooooo.

To everyone out there in this big wide world I wish you all the best and will be back on Friday.

I hope!

Regards

Mark 


Friday, 23 August 2013

The madness begins again

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FRENZY a Daniel Jones Story by Mark King







To all the people around the world from America, UK, Russia, Germany, South America, France, India, Japan, Australia and many other countries who entered the competition for a signed author's copy of my book, FRENZY a Daniel Jones Story, I just want to say thank you. The winner's will be receiving their book soon, and for all of those who were unlucky then you can get you hands on a copy through dozens of different web-sites and on Amazon/Kindle. Just type in Frenzy by Mark King into your search engine and the relevant web information will appear magically in front of you.

I'm a bit down in the dumps today and I know the reason why. This coming Monday in the U.K is a bank holiday, and after a bit of nagging by the dear wife we booked a pitch on a camp site for five days in East Runton in North Norfolk.

The madness begins again because we will have to start getting ready for the trip over the weekend, and to be truthful spending a half a day packing the car only to spend the rest of the day unpacking is not something I'm looking forward to. Add to that spending four sleepless nights on an uncomfortable air bed why the wind, and rain, beats down all night keeping you awake isn't really my cup of tea. You then have to add in another whole day packing and the then unpacking every thing again when you return. It sounds like madness to me. If you add in all the creepy crawlies scuttling about, over excited children who can't, or won't, or don't want to go to sleep at night, and the madness gets worse. If the sun shines you boil in the tent like lobsters in a pot, and if it doesn't then you freeze like penguins at the south pole. Then you have to shower with strangers while their pubic hair swells around your feet and use a toilet seat which some people think is there not to sit on, but is a target for peeing on, or worse!

As for meal times! Well I like a barbecue like most people but when you have it for lunch and supper on five consecutive days then my belly aches for pizza.

All in all I am going to return home exhausted with a painful back, stiff neck, and worn out with indigestion and constipation.

But what can I do? The family want a adventure during the school holidays, and this is the only one I can afford at the moment. It's times like this that I pray that FRENZY will be a world wide best seller and I can earn a little royalty cheque. Nothing greedy, just enough to pay for one week somewhere abroad in the sun where I can spend my day by the pool reading a book while the children are kept entertained in the kid's club.

Well we can all dream and that's my dream for next year and it's also a useful push when it comes to writing, and that's why I have enthusiastically started on the manuscript to DOOM a Daniel Jones story the sequel to FRENZY.

There are many appeals around the world like to save the whale, or save the panda, the elephant, or save a piece of heritage, or landscape, but I have just a small appeal, and that is to save Mark King from another five days of torture. It won't cost much and in return you will have a fantastic read that will keep you entertained, and which you can keep for life.

So to everyone who have enjoyed my weekly postings at always hanging around you can show you appreciation by purchasing a copy of FRENZY (and tell friends too) and maybe, just maybe this time next year I will be able to post another thank you as I prepare for the travel madness of a family holiday abroad.

Regards

Mark
P.S
As I won't have any Internet access where the family and I are going I will be posting a simple blog next Monday and then should be back to Fridays as normal.

Tuesday, 20 August 2013

Feedom lost

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FRENZY a Daniel Jones Story by Mark King
ISBN 9781846248771







After a few days of Pizza and booze freedom I awoke with a groggy head and indigestion. The wife was next to me asleep and my youngest was already stirring. It was 05.30 in the morning. It had been lovely having these two days to myself although my body was telling me this was all I could handle now.

In fact I let the party go into a third day as it was Saturday and I went to the football match as the mighty canaries played out a draw with Everton, and then my friends and I went for a beer or three afterwards. I thought I would take Sunday easy, but I still had some cider left over and enjoyed this while I cooked a traditional English roast lunch.

So by 05.30 on Monday morning when my life had to get back to normal I was glad in a way. I remember in my youth as my friends and I went on holidays abroad where we would be out partying and boozing until sun-rise seven days on a trot.

I think I would struggle now although I know I could still give the youngsters a good run for their money. By today I was back in as near a normal routine as I can when the children are on their school summer holidays. The weather once again had been lovely with non-stop sun shine, and as I write this my flesh is starting to burn as beads of perspiration are spreading across my forehead.

The neighbours children are around and they have all been playing in the paddling pool. At this very moment my daughter is keeping everyone entertained with her flute playing, and you could not get any nearer to heaven if you tried.

I have also had a writing frenzy today on my new book, Doom a Daniel Jones story. The words have flowed alongside the cups of tea, and I finished off one chapter in just the day.

So if somebody asked which do I prefer, married life, or life as a singleton? You know what I would say.

I love both. Both have their positive moments and their draw backs, and I don't think one can ever out weigh the other. I just give thanks that my life isn't stuck in the same old rut or routine.

Regards

Mark







Friday, 16 August 2013

Freedom

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FRENZY a Daniel Jones Story by Mark King








Freedom, doesn't it taste good?

You forget sometimes in married life what a few days to yourself at home with no wife, or children, to bug you can be like. This week I have tasted the fruit of freedom and it was as sweet as strawberries.

Last year my mother-in-law offered to take the family to Lego Land although the invitation didn't extend to me! She wanted to take and pay for the wife, and children to go for two days while staying over night in a hotel as a little treat. I was hurt at first when I wasn't included, but my mother-in-law loves her children and grandchildren so much there are times when she just wants to be with them. I was also a little fearful of what it would be like being on my own for two straight days.

Before I married my wife I had ten years of the bachelor life, but after being with the other half for nearly fifteen years I had mostly forgot what that life was like. Well I need not have worried because I enjoyed every minute of my short won freedom. I could go down the pub when I wanted, I could eat what, and when, I wanted for breakfast, lunch, and supper. I could watch what I wanted on the television and sing as loud as I liked in the shower. I could go to bed and get up when I wanted, and I could even lay on the sofa and scratch my balls, and fart, without the wife moaning. It was lovely, not quite heaven but a very enjoyable short little break.

Of course when the whole safely family returned I was happy to see them, and also told them all how much I missed them, and they returned the compliments so everyone was happy.

So this year when my other half started to nag about not going abroad for another year I knew she was angling for some type of break during the school holidays. After a heated debate we booked a weeks camping and when the mother-in-law popped round I placed into her mind the lovely memories she had the previous year when she took her family to Lego Land.

Two days later my wife informed me that her mother wanted to take her and the grand-children to Lego Land once again for two days, and again without me. She asked did I mind? I said, "no go enjoy yourself, you deserve the break and so does your mother, plus the children we love it too. I should be able to look after myself because I did last year, but I will miss you while you are away.'

Well they went yesterday and won't be back until about 10pm tonight. I have fallen back into bachelor life with ease. The bed has stayed unmade, I spent some time with friends over a few beers and I've eaten nothing other than pizza for breakfast, lunch and supper.

I hope they enjoy themselves although the weather has been grey, rainy, and windy and maybe just maybe the mother-in-law will treat them again next year!

Regards

Mark

Tuesday, 13 August 2013

The cost of love

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FRENZY a Daniel Jones Story by Mark King
ISBN 9781846248771









The other month I wrote a blog titled 'The cost of Anger' which explained the situation I found myself in when during a sudden bout of rage I broke the lap-top, and the costs involved  in getting it repaired.

It also works with Love as well.

The cost of loving someone like your children is priceless. If you are a good parent then you will give what ever it takes. Of course there are some parents who only think about themselves and place the children last when it comes to feeding their own desire for drugs, alcohol, gambling, sex or what ever it may be. Then are some parents who are just plain evil, who abuse their own kin either psychically, mentally, sexually or through torture. I don't know what must be going through the minds of such people. I thought of this the other day when a mother and father were sent to court for killing their young child very slowly, and painfully, through terrible acts of torture.

It's not just children but also animals that can suffer, and many a house hold pet is abused. Again there was an article in the news about a horse that had to be put down after teenagers were seen hitting and abusing the beast with planks of wood! They must be fu@king sick in the head.

Well the cost of love for me this week was £106 because that is what I had to pay at the vets as I took our family cat for her annual check up and jabs. Our cat has been a member of the family since she was a kitten and was a birthday gift from myself to my wife. She joined the family the year we got married and is now eleven years old.

£106 for her check up, jabs, worming tablet, some spray and a new stroking glove that I use every morning to give her a gentle rub down that takes away any loose cat hair. She just loves it. She purrs and she rubs herself against me, and she carries on purring until she has had enough, and then she heads for her bowl which informs me she is wants to be fed.

So £106 was my cost for her love and she is worth very penny even when money is tight as it is at the moment; that is hopefully until I get my first royalty check for frenzy. My monthly beer money went into the vet's till quicker than I could imagine a nice pint of Fat Cat and Honey ale, but at the end of the day love doesn't come without some sacrifices.

Regards

Mark

Friday, 9 August 2013

The School Holidays

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FRENZY a Daniel Jones story by Mark King






It's that time of year when parents around the world dread the most! Yes the summer school holidays. Six and bit weeks of holiday that came about in early Victorian times when universal education of children started to spread around the world, but children were required, and expected, to help bring in the harvest. It didn't matter if they lived in big city's; children were shipped with their family on mass to the country side to pick fruit, hops and vegetables.

Well we don't have children working the fields anymore as legislation has put paid to that, and if it hadn't then modern farming machinery would have made them redundant anyway. One thing they didn't make redundant, but which most parents wish had been after six weeks of trying to keep the modern child entertained is the summer school break.

It can cost a small fortune in trying to keep your pride and joys happy, but there are a few things which you can do as a family which don't cost a lot or any money at all. One of these is going for a bike ride and as the weather has been just wonderful recently this is just what the family did.

We set off and all went well for the first half an hour until the youngest of the brood started to moan his little legs were tired. Conveniently we had come to a stop at the entrance of the Oasis Health and leisure club www.oasis.co.uk and at the end of their drive is Harry's bar. The prospect of a cold drink started to wet the mouth buds of the family, and the thought of a cold beer for me was a temptation I couldn't resist on such a sweltering hot day.

For the next two hour hours the wife and I sat outside on the patio over looking the grounds of the club while the children ran free making new friends at the same time. It was lovely to say the least and so were the drinks.

Once the sun was setting in the distance we pushed our bikes home, happy, relaxed, and with a nice bottle of rose wine in hand which I had purchased from Harry's bar. So the bike ride wasn't as cost free as I had hoped, but what a wonderful afternoon the whole family had together.

Regards

Mark.


Wednesday, 7 August 2013

From three to two

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FRENZY a Daniel Jones Story by Mark King








To all of you out there in the big wide world from the U.K, U.S.A, Canada, Germany, Russia, China, India, South America, Asia, and from the Middle East to Africa it has been a pleasure writing for you.

You have followed my life and thoughts over the last two years. Three times a week I have posted updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as I followed my dream to become a published author. I resigned from a secure job in the middle of the worst recession the world had suffered in living memory to take a massive gamble.

FRENZY a Daniel Jones Story was the end product of this gamble, and has been on sale in hard-back and on Kindle since march 21st 2013. It has been available world wide through Amazon in every country it trades in, and through other web based sites where it doesn't, from South Africa to Australia.

I want to write for the rest of my life and Frenzy was just the start. I had already planned the sequel to frenzy titled DOOM a Daniel Jones story. Now nearly six months after frenzy's release I think the time is right to concentrate on DOOM. There has been two types of responses from people who have read my book, the first is a positive responses on how much they enjoyed reading it, and the other has been the question. Will there be a follow up book and when will it be out?

With this in mind I have started on the manuscript to Doom, but, and as I always say there is a but, since the release of Frenzy it's hard to find the time to dedicate to Doom. Three days a week are taken up with writing my blog and another two on voluntary work, then there are my paid jobs I do. From consultation work to football steward to church verger because I still have bills to pay. On top of this I try to take an equal and active part in family from cooking, and cleaning, to playing with, and looking after two young children. And of course there's my wife who I have to keep happy, and satisfied! Then finally there have been the many hours trying to get Frenzy noticed by the general public and all the work entailed with this.

All in all I am at times so busy things have to give, and so far its been my new manuscript for DOOM. With this in mind I have no choice but to cut down my blog to two days a week. Nothing will change other than that I will now post every Tuesday and Friday.

I hope for all of my regular followers you will understand why I need to do this and will continue to enjoy what I write in my blog into the future. My next post will be Friday as normal and then from next week every Tuesday and Friday.

Many regards

Mark




Monday, 5 August 2013

Death in the family

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FRENZY a Daniel Jones story by Mark King






I have some sad news to announce.

There has been a death in the family!

Yes, Hop-a-long the family chicken has finally passed away from this earth. For regular followers of always hanging around, and people who have read frenzy you will know that she played a starring if brief roll in the book, but unlike in chapter three we didn't end up eating her.

Hop-a-long was a rescue chicken who spent the first year of her life in a battery farm where she spent 24hrs a day locked in a cage with only centimetres to spare. Her life should have lasted twelve months while she was used like an egg laying machine, never to see day light, alongside tens of thousands of others who had to suffer the same terrible life. After just a years life she would have expected to be sent to the slaughter house, but instead ended up as a family pet along side five of her comrades.

She was in a bad way. Hop-a-long's leg was crippled because of the way she had been kept in the cage (that's how she go the name having to hop to get anywhere) with half her feather missing, and sores over parts of her body. Her new home had a lovely big roosting box with a large enclosed run plus another outer run for when we were about. After six months once all the six rescued hens had got used to their new home we would let them wonder where they liked with total freedom to peck where they liked. Although they would be a pain in the back-side when you wanted to dig over the soil because they would stick their heads within inches of the blade as you turned it looking for fresh worms to gobble down. Time after time they would end up covered in dirt, and getting it your way, but they loved every moment even if on occasions they were near to having their heads sliced in two by my spade.

There was a pecking order among them with Hop-a-long at the bottom, and she got so badly bullied by the others she nearly lost all her feathers. Everyone thought she would be the first to pass away, but over the next four years she out-lived all the others to be the last one standing. Over this time she regained all her feathers, and became a star in her own right among friends, family, and my children's friends  who loved to hold her.

When we informed my daughter of Hop-a-longs death she burst into tears and it took nearly half an hour to settle her down. Her younger brother on the other hand was just curious to know if we going to eat her.

Well we didn't. She was buried with respect.

So now the chicken run is empty and the children want to purchase some baby chicks. Then came the questions! Why didn't any of the eggs ever hatch? Has does an egg become a chick? What is the difference between a Hen and a Cockerel? Why do you need both to make a baby chick? How do they make chicks?

And what was my answer to these questions? Go ask your mum.

Regards

Mark


Friday, 2 August 2013

Competition Frenzy x 3

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Frenzy A Daniel Jones Story by Mark King
ISBN 9781846248771




For all new writers it can come as a shock when you realise just how many other author's there are out there in the big wide world all trying to get themselves noticed. Amazon in the U.K stock over two and a half million books alone and I think in America it's nearer five million, and that's book published just in English. If you take in all the books published in German, French, Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, the list is endless, and so are the amount of books.

One way for a new author to get people to talk about there book is to give some free copies away, although you are in it to make a living. Generally you can't do that if no one buys your book because they can get it for free.

I have given autographed copies away either to help raise money for charity events, or as competition give-aways connected to articles, and reviews. With this in mind I have listed below some links for articles or reviews published so far for frenzy, and at the very bottom I am going to give you a chance to get your hands on an autographed copy of my book.

Irene's book oasis


Massmovement


Iceni Magazine issue 2 page 35


Mr Ripley's enchanted books


Alison Jackson's book Reviews


Goodreads


Amazon U.K


Amazon U.S.A


Bookdepository


Book Topia



Now it's time for you to win an autographed author's copy of Frenzy a Daniel Jones Story. Just email me the answer (with your full name and address, including Country/postcode) to the simple question below at markkingtheauthor@gmail.com and then I will pull the winners out of a hat. I have three copies to give away, and will send them to anywhere in the world that has a postal service. So no matter where you live be it in the U.K, America, Russia, Germany, France, India, China, Japan, South America, Asia or even Africa, you are all welcome to give it a go.

QUESTION

The lead character in Frenzy is called Daniel Jones. The bible is made up of different books including the book of Daniel. Is the book of Daniel in the New Testament or the Old Testament.

Regards

Mark.