Friday 27 March 2015

You never know who will pop in

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Last Friday afternoon I popped into my local pub the Fat Cat and Canary to have a drink and meet up with friends, especially my mate John Butcher. I have inspired him to take up writing after successfully getting my two books published, Frenzy a Daniel Jones story and the sequel Daniel Jones Doom. He has finished his first manuscript and is now in the rewrite stage. It's a historical piece of fiction based on true events that happened in Norwich during the first centuries after the Norman invasion when Norwich grew to becomes England's second city. 
There I was supping my pint of ale when in walked Delia Smith with her husband. Now for my followers in the U.K you will know that she is one of the countries top cookery writers and T.V personalities when it comes to cooking in this country. For my readers abroad I don't know if you will have heard of Delia Smith, but if you like British Football (or Soccer to my  U.S cousins) you will know she is also the owner of my local football team, the mighty Canaries who play at Carrow Road in green and yellow under the banner of Norwich City F.C. Delia is a legend in this part of the country and what is affectionately called a national treasure.










As the evening unfolded we got talking about our combined love of N.C.F.C and of writing. Later on when the good wife turned up in the car with the children, after visiting the mother-in-law, Delia Smith posed for pictures with my family, and took great delight in hearing they are true Norwich supporters. 

 You never know who will pop into your life, and moments like these can only really happen if you are out there experiencing the world, and not just sitting in front of the television expecting it to do it for you. Local pubs are closing down in U.K at an alarming rate due to greedy landlords and incompetent governments of all political persuasions. So do something different and your local a good turn at the same time, and take some hours out from in front of the T.V box, and pop down to your local for a social drink and a chat, even if it's for a soft drink and a packet of crisps.

 Because you never know who will pop in!

 Regards

 Mark.
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Friday 20 March 2015

Number 45

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After last weeks activity with starting the first chapter to the third book in the Daniel Jones series after the success of both Frenzy a Daniel Jones Story, and its sequel the recently released Daniel Jones Doom, my mind has been shooting off in different directions the story could take. The first chapter in Revenge follows the same style as seen in both Frenzy and Doom. All the chapters in the three books are no more than a page or so long, and all three are very dramatic in their writing. The final similarity is that all three introduce characters into the story line that appear at some stage later in the book. 

 The below first chapter is in its raw state. There has been no editing done, no proof reading and it may change from what eventually could be printed in Revenge. It may not even appear at all, but I like it and hopefully you will too. 












CHAPTER ONE
NUMBER 45

The stench of death hung in the air with the rotting remains of human flesh that littered every blood splattered piece of rubble; confirming that humanities last stance of defiance had truly been confined to the history that will now be written by the new victors. Swarms of hungry flies buzzed incessantly in their frenzy to feed. They battled for space with an assortment of creepy crawlies that now feasted on the mass of massacred bodies that lay in tribute to their doom laden last stand.

A lone voice called out in vain; appealing over and over again the same name in a desperate hope of finding a response. Then something caught his attention. There on the floor was a picture. For a fleeting moment it flashed its image before the wind caught it and it tumbled over. A desperate hand reached for it, but a sudden gust snatched the picture away before placing it on the charred remains of a women's body.

Bending forward with a quick sprint Michael grabbed the precious piece of paper from the corpse and turned it over. The sudden realization of its meaning sent him crashing to his knees in dread. There in his hand was the only picture that existed of him and the women he loved. ‘Mary,’ he cried out. ‘Why did you have to die?’




So there it is. The first chapter of the third book in the Daniel Jones Story. Now there is two years of hard work in front of me before it comes to life as a book. During this time you are more than welcome to take a look at life through my eyes by following my weekly postings here on Always-hanging-around.

Regards

Mark
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Friday 13 March 2015

The first chapter

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Time is short when you have a young family. They seem to suck every spare minute of your time. They are like Hoovers that are constantly on, rushing about. You have to plan every day at least a week in advance and the calender will have dates booked on it throughout the year. It can seem as if you never have time to do what you truly want to do. Since the release of my second book Daniel Jones Doom I have been mulling over in my head the lay out of the third book in the Daniel Jones series. I have been itching to to have a go, and every week when I find space in my busy life I have been determined to start it. But like I say there is always a but in life; something would suddenly pop up out of the blue and those precious hours would suddenly disappear. 

 This week though I did it! I started on the first chapter. On Thursday after my I had finished my volunteer shift at Norwich Cathedral I walked up to the Forum; Norwich's central library, sat my back-side down in one of the reading booths with my laptop, and started to write. I didn't think I would make it at first because I felt tired until I was inspired by a piece of sculpture by the artist Maria Pacheco that was on show in the cathedral. My picture below doesn't do it justice and it shows I'm a better author than I am a photographer. 




Each figure is larger than life and hand carved from single pieces of wood; including the central figure of a son carrying his father which is based on Greek myth. The figures are haunting, almost creepy, but you find yourself walking around the exhibit admiring the craftsmanship. I have never seen anything like it before. All hand carved. The fine details were just stunning.

 After this I had no choice but to write. There was no going home to put my feet up and enjoy a couple of quite peaceful hours to myself without the noise of family life. When I started FRENZY a Daniel Jones Story I used to visit the library once a week to get me out of the house and into a different environment, and this routine I carried on with when I wrote Daniel Jones DOOM. So there was no better place to start the first chapter of Revenge. This is the initial title I have given the book because I haven't made my mind up let on the final title. It could be Daniel Jones REVENGE, or even REVENGE on Daniel Jones, or maybe Daniel Jones and the REVENGE of the Overseers. I will just see how the manuscript pans out, and next week you will get the chance to read some, or maybe all, of the first chapter here on my weekly blog at Always-hanging-around.

 Regards

 Mark  
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Friday 6 March 2015

Bateman's

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Birthdays seem to come around as quickly as the school holidays and as you are just about recovering from the Christmas spending spree it all starts again. You have your daily house hold bills, and then you have the one offs like new carpets, or a car; then you have the special things to pay for like anniversaries and this can cause emotional conflict. Do you give your little ones a day to remember on their birthday, or do you splash your hard earned money on a new carpet?

It’s a conflict most parents face.  In the space of a month there are three birthdays in the family. At the same time the good wife has wanted to replace the original carpet on the stairs, and in the hallway, which was laid when our present home was built over twenty years ago. We’ve had a hectic few weekends looking around carpet shops and party venues that cater so well for young children today. These type of venues just didn't exist when I was growing up in the seventies. Hours were spent with the calculator working out if we could afford this style of carpet with that type of birthday event, but in the end we did it.


We managed to square all the circles and come up with a solution to everyone’s desires. As you read this article we will have had fitted new floor coverings for the stairs and hallway, supplied and fitted, by Bateman’s Carpets in Norwich. The invites to the children’s birthday parties will have been sent out too. Of course now we have to find the money to fund the presents. In this department the children were more than happy to help with their birthday wish list. They managed to both get these in front of us as soon as Christmas was out the way. Don't get me wrong, my little ones aren't spoiled by us. If they want something we encourage them to save up for it and then they can pay for what ever they want, within reason. We also make sure they have worked for their weekly pocket money. They have to keep their bedrooms tidy everyday and be polite to people, although it doesn't seem to work when it comes to winding each other up. They have to do well at school and if they achieve something special then they get a little bit extra. 


That’s the wife and children satisfied. As for me? Well my dream of a little place in the sun, somewhere in the Mediterranean, where I can escape during the cold winter months so I can concentrate on writing my third book in the series after Daniel Jones Doom will just have to wait for another year or two!

Regards

Mark
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