Hasta La Vista, Baby!

*It's been a hectic year with the publication of my first novel, THE SPIRIT OF THE MOON. When I first decided to publish a story that I initially wrote to submit in a competition, I never dreamed that I would publish an actual book. There have been ups and downs, hardships and steep learning curves, but I wouldn't take it all back for anything in the world. The process has been an absolute joy and I am well into my second novel, THE MONSTER IN THE BASEMENT, which is due early 2012.

*As the year is winding up, it got me thinking and reassesses my goals. The publication of my first book has really spurred me on to make some changes in my life and just go all out to reach my goals and live a happy life. For too long I was a misery guts, starting projects and never finishing them, never achieving anything...but I want that to change. And it will change. I just completed a list of goals I want to achieve from now until the end of 2012. It's extensive but doable. Not only is it about creative/work goals, but financial and personal as well. I've listed into categories what WILL happen in this time frame and I urge everyone to do the same. Nothing better than to have something to reach for.

* For anybody who has read THE SPIRIT OF THE MOON I can't urge enough the importance of leaving reviews if you purchased from Amazon or anywhere that you can review books. Good reviews help people make decisions and in turn help people buy books. Just a thought and a big help if you can do it.

* Can you believe an asteroid is about to pass between the Earth and the Moon that's 400m long:
 Asteroid to pass close to Earth    Why the hell is this not major news????

* Books I'm reading at the moment:

The Tree of Life by Israel Regardie
Eye of Cat by Roger Zelaznie

*Movies and TV:

Breaking Bad series 2 (Just surpassed Deadwood as my favourite TV show)
Kill Bill Volume 2
Seven Samurai Criterion Edition (To be reviewed on At the Movies this week 9/11/11)
Terminator 2: Judgement Day 2 Disc Edition

As ever comments are welcome!

Cheers,

John

Modern Times

  It's been a while since I've done a proper blog post, so I thought it high time I did one. The push to get THE SPIRIT OF THE MOON into the hands of, well, the world continues at a slow pace. Marketing a product is hard at the best of times, but when it's a book, it's especially hard. The publishing industry is going through a lot of change, like most entertainment mediums. There have been various reports that the EBOOK is going to overrun print in the near future. I wonder sometimes, who does that serve when corporations are pushing a product so hard that will inevitably save them a lot of money and cost the jobs of many people within the publishing industry? From my short experience in selling my first book, people and children in particular, want REAL books...books you can hold, and cherish and put on your shelf and dog ear if you want. I personally hate reading books on screens. I loose that tactile connectivity with the story. An EReader doesn't give me that sensation. It never will. Buy books in the medium you want to read them in, from where ever you want to buy them. If you buy most of your books online, occasionally go to a book store and purchase one from there. Shops have supported the book trade for years. Why should the future change that now?

* The Book Launch went exceedingly well. We had newspaper and television coverage which was a good thing. I never got the chance to talk to everyone. The two hours went so quick and being pulled this way and that there was no chance to see everyone. I want to personally thank all who attended and special shout out to my wife Wendy and our friends for the organisation. I couldn't have done it without you all. Pictures of the event will be arriving soon.

* The sequel to THE SPIRIT OF THE MOON called THE MONSTER IN THE BASEMENT (originally it was 'my' not  'the') will be released 30/01/12 about 11 months before the Mayan calendar ends and we all proceed to oblivion. I will be bunkered down for the next few months finishing the draft and looking a little something like this:

But that's OK. Writing is a crazy game.

* Books! Books! and more Books!

What I'm reading at the moment or have read recently:

Supergods by Grant Morrison

The Autobiography of Charlie Chaplin by funnily enough, Charlie Chaplin

Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee

Starman Omnibus Volume 1 by James Robinson and Tony Harris

 and other stuff to numerous to mention!

Have a good time always!

Cheers,

John

INTERVIEW: MRS WELLINGTON FROM 'THE SPIRIT OF THE MOON'

...After I concluded my interview with Mr Wellington, I found his wife tending to her rose garden outside their small, cosy, cottage. Her rose bushes were in full bloom...I had never seen so many different colours of flowers before, so I started off by asking her about the garden...

JOHN: You obviously enjoy gardening Mrs Wellington. How did you manage to grow so many different varieties of roses? I’ve never seen some of the colours you have here. They seem almost impossible... 

MRS WELLINGTON: Other than my husband, magic and my patron, the Moon Goddess, gardening is the number one joy of my life. I have cultivated and grown these roses for a number of decades now. I use the petals in many magic potions, depending on which ones I need. I have hybrids and varieties of roses that have never been seen by the world at large. Some of my plants do not even come from this world, or so I am told. 

JOHN: Did you always want a life of adventure? You seem quite content to stay at home...(Mrs Wellington contemplates her answer for a moment. She seems lost in a sad world until her reply...)

MRS WELLINGTON: If I am to answer truthfully, I must so no, I did not. But two events changed the course of my life and for that I am grateful. 

JOHN: And what were those events? 

MRS WELLINGTON: I would tell you John, but you seem to be more interested in Facebook at the moment. Shall we continue at another time of your convenience? (...I was talking to a friend on Facebook. I see Mrs Wellington doesn’t miss anything...) 

JOHN: Sorry, Mrs Wellington. Modern conveniences can be annoying sometimes (I say, blushing). You were saying?

MRS WELLINGTON: Firstly, when I was a young girl many years ago and the Moon Goddess chose me to become her magical ward on Earth. I could not refuse her call to magic and the patronage she was willing to convey on me. When the call comes and your life must change forever, you mustn’t refuse. And of course, the day I laid eyes on my husband. He was so young and dashing and full of magic. How could I refuse? Thus, my life of adventure began.

JOHN: What’s the scariest monster you’ve ever faced? 

MRS WELLINGTON: You have to be careful with any monster you face. I do, however, have a particular loathing for any creature that has any connection to snakes and spiders. The undead weary me as well. I nearly gave up my life of adventure after our honeymoon. 

JOHN: That would be the Haitian adventure Mr Wellington told me about? 

MRS WELLINGTON: Yes, zombies on your honeymoon is not the most pleasant experience, I can tell you. 

JOHN: But you survived, obviously...Did your life change after that experience?

MRS WELLINGTON: Well, yes. That was the moment I realised there are a great more strangeness in the world, than I had anticipated. Under the beds of children, in the black forests of many nations, lie dark things that want to come out at night and hurt innocent people. I knew it was the mission Mr Wellington and I were given; to help those in most need. 

JOHN: That would seem like a burden to most people? 

MRS WELLINGTON: It is in a way, John, but one I happily accept. 

JOHN: Thank you for your time Mrs Wellington. (..Before I left the cottage, Mrs Wellington presented me with the bluest roses I had ever seen in my life. She told me they never die and were created to help those in most need ( I didn’t really understand what she meant by that, but I gladly accepted the gift). She wished me luck in my writing career and said she would cast a spell of good fortune for me and my family. I thanked her and hoped to see them both again one day...)  

INTERVIEW: MR WELLINGTON from THE SPIRIT OF THE MOON

...Recently I sat down with the cast of my new book ‘THE SPIRIT OF THE MOON.’ First to be interviewed was the ever charming and amiable, Mr Wellington. I flew to Great Britain and visited him and his wife in their cottage at an undisclosed location in the English countryside. This interview takes place in his study...

JOHN: Thanks for taking the time to speak to me, Mr Wellington.

MR WELLINGTON: My pleasure, old boy. Did you have a safe journey?

JOHN: Yes, although the flight from Australia takes too long. But not to worry.

(Mr Wellington takes out a pipe and lights the tobacco. He takes a puff and the smoke has a sweet, alluring smell.)

MR WELLINGTON: Hmmph, well, that’s the problem with machines. They are too slow compared with magic. My wife and I have definitely learnt the art of ‘disappearing’ from venue to venue very well.

JOHN: And that leads me onto my first question...when did you first learn to use magic?

MR WELLINGTON: Interesting question, that one. My family come from a long line of ‘Magical’ people...warlocks, wizards, shamans and such. When I became of age at about thirteen...

JOHN: What year was this?

MR WELLINGTON: Good lord! We’re talking late eighteenth century? Hard to remember dates when you’ve lived for this long. Time becomes irrelevant. As I was saying at the age of thirteen, you are put through an initiation of sort, a trial you might say, that puts you on the path from becoming a Master to a fully fledged Mr Magician.

JOHN: Do you remember what happened?

MR WELLINGTON: Like it was yesterday. My Father, a stern, old Magician, sent me into a cave. I walked and walked through the cave, pitch black until I came to an opening on the other side. I didn’t realise at the time, but I was in the Northlands of the old gods. I had a rollicking good adventure and earned my magical stripes, that’s for sure. Maybe there is a book in it for you John? What do you say? Up for a commission?

JOHN: Sounds like an interesting story. How about ‘Mr Wellington and the Gods of the North’ as a title?

(At this point, Mrs Wellington brings in a pot of raspberry tea. Mr Wellington kisses her on the hand as he thanks her. She leaves the room.)

JOHN: You and Mrs Wellington have been married for quite some time and shared many adventures. Can you relate your first adventure together?

MR WELLINGTON: Certainly. I will say it was absolutely extraordinary! We were on our honeymoon in Haiti. I wanted to take my new wife somewhere exotic, somewhere beautiful. Which it all was, of course. But what I forgot to mention to Mrs Wellington was the trouble the islanders were having with the Scorpion God and his Voodoo Queen. Imagine trying to outwit a scorpion god and a horde of hungry zombies whilst fighting the dark incantations of the Voodoo Queen. It was quite a thrill, I assure you.  We learnt a great deal from that first adventure and cemented our futures together as Magical adventures.

JOHN: You certainly have had many adventures in your life. What advice would you give to any child who wanted to follow in your footsteps and have their own magical adventures?

MR WELLINGTON: I would certainly caution against rushing into magic. It is certainly not an art that you can rush into willy nilly. There are things to consider on the magical path. It can be dangerous and exhausting and it’s not for everyone. I will say however it has changed my life for the better. I have seen and done things never thought possible. Talking with Gods and Devils, other worlds...extraordinary! If you must follow my path, do it with caution. And have a jolly good time with it too.

JOHN: Thank you for your time Mr Wellington. It’s been an honour.

MR WELLINGTON: Any excuse to talk, old boy. Thank you.

The Start of Something New

Hi everyone and welcome to my new blog. The transition to the new website johnbomanauthor.com has been smooth so far and we've had some great traffic and comments. A few people have signed up to the website via the CONTACT US link, which is great. If you do so, you'll receive updates on all things John Boman related, including news, release dates and a whole lot more. So what's stopping you! And if you join between now and 1 August, you automatically go into the draw for a signed copy of THE SPIRIT OF THE MOON  and an official T-shirt to go along with it. Outstanding!

News Item: We will be releasing details soon of the launch party for THE SPIRIT OF THE MOON, so keep your news feed open and your eyes peeled.

For my first blog today, I thought I'd do something special and present an interview I did with my Finnish cover artist, Juha Veltti. So without further ado....

JOHN: Tell me about your upbringing in Finland and where you live now? Has it influenced your art? 

 JUHA: I lived near on in Tampere, in one of the biggest cities in Finland (which isn't that big) the first 25 years of my life. I grew in a working-class home with no cultural leanings, and it was my love for comics that sent me on the art path. The last eight years we've lived in Riihimäki with my spouse Katja, our daughter, a dog and two cats.   I'm sure that growing up in Finland has influenced me and my art very strongly. You are the sum of of your experiences, to good or bad. Maybe what I value the most is the Finnish nature. Also the changes four seasons in Finland are very drastic, from the current 30 °C of hotness to - 25 °C in the winter. Getting through the dark winter can be rough sometimes. Politically Finland was in a tough spot in my childhood between Soviet Union and Western countries, I'm sure it has had some effect in the way I view the world politically.   

    

 JOHN:Tell us about your art influences; where did you go to school, who influenced you the most, where does your inspiration come from etc. 

 JUHA: I think it all boils down to imagination - when I was a child, most of my activities dealt with creating and participating in imaginary worlds: when we played in the woods with friends, the books and comics I was most excited about and the comics I drew myself for hours on end. Imagining and participating in imaginary stories is a natural high, and gives tools to see the real world with fresh eyes.   My passion for comics and drawing led me to study art in the Tampere University of Applied Arts. By that point, I was into painting and fine art, but also started my experiments with digital image-making. Dave McKean was my art hero at the time, I studied his Sandman covers and Cages comics with piety. At the same time, I learned the modern art history through making art, and my painting teachers in effect were Picasso, Matisse and Edvard Munch. I've never been a good imitator though, the varied influences filter through my own style, for better or worse. Hopefully all of my interests in the visual culture, history, myths, religion etc. enrich the stuff I do. I think what keeps the passion alive is learning new aspects of the world and challenging yourself constantly.    

   JOHN: I think what drew me to your art was a it’s primal, occult like nature. It’s interesting to see myth and religion as an influence. It definitely layers your work and relegates it too another level. So tell me, when  I asked you to do the cover for THE SPIRIT OF THE MOON, what were your first impressions? I only gave you the first chapter (mainly out of fear!) so you didn’t really have much towork with other than my vague ramblings.

 JUHA:Thanks. I guess it would have been easier to picture your fictional world if I had read the whole book, but the first chapter of the book creates a unique atmosphere and a feeling that you can't predict what'll come next. I started sketching some images after reading the text, and then proceeded to think about what the image needed - to communicate the feel of the text. I felt my role was to open a small window into the vast realm of stories that is Sovereign Creek.   

 JOHN: Take us through the process of creating the cover, step by step. The first rough sketch you sent me blew me away. I was happy to use that as the cover I was so impressed It was like you entered my head and ripped the image right out. Did you sketch first, add digital inks and colouring? Was it all done on computer? How did you achieve it all?  

   JUHA:That is great to hear. Usually there is a visual idea that I start developing from the get-go, I sent a rough color sketch for you first, where I tried to establish the color scheme and mood. After hearing you liked the approach, I started on the finished version. I was actually planning to make a watercolor and gouache painting, but when I had drawn the outlines in the right proportions, I decided to scan those in and try coloring it digitally in the same way I work with my comics, but at some point I decided to get rid of the ink outlines and do a more "painterly" color work. It is actually my first digital painting of this kind. As I mentioned, l always try and give myself new challenges to make things more interesting.   I always draw on paper, but for the coloring computer is a great tool. I use Photoshop with a Wacom tablet, it gives the flexibility and possibility to try different solutions that is isn't possible with watercolors, for example. For me, it isn't that different from traditional painting in the sense that I work from layer to layer, refining the image as I get further along. It's composition, color, form and light - the basic principles of art, but always exciting to work with!  

 JOHN: Tell us about the future. Other than continuing to do the covers for my books what else are you doing artwise now, what’s coming in the futre and what are your ultimate goals?  

JUHA:  Sure, I'll be glad to continue doing the Sovereign Creek covers (if that's the name of the book series?). I'm currently working on a few comics projects to U.S.  and doing paintings for two art exhibitions in Finland - one solo, one group exhibition, both in October. What I want is to be able to do comics, painting and illustration side by side during the year. That's really what I do now, but building a financially viable career takes time and struggle. Getting better in the art of making pictures, being a better person, and understanding the world more wholly.

JOHN: Thanks for everything, Juha. Can't wait to see more of your upcoming work. Especially the covers for my books!

Why I write or why I haven't written anything before...

When I was fourteen, I wanted to write. I wanted to write badly. I loved english at school and revelled in any assignments that were to do with creative writing (or any English assignments really!) It gave me great pleasure to 'world build'; to create characters and stories that were so far removed from everyday life...what a feeling. But you know what, I didn't continue. i didn't go on with it and here's why.

When I was fourteen, Mum, Dad and I were driving out of the town were Dad was staying for his work; a little mining town called Clermont in central Queensland. I only ever saw Dad every school holidays which was OK but I hated travelling by bus out there every school holidays when my friends in the city were doing fun things like going out and meeting girls. I didn't get to do any of that so all I had were books and comics. I read and that was my world. Anyway my Dad asked me on this day, as we drove in the F100 ute back to the mining compound, what i wanted to be when I grew up. The answer came to me in a flash. I didn't even have to think about it. And I was pleased with the answer. Why? Because I knew Dad wouldn't like it. I said to him:
"I'm going to be a writer."
I turned my head over to him to see his reaction. He said nothing. He only shook his head in, not so much disgust, but disappointment. I got the reaction I wanted and i felt terrible. My passion started to wain.

Over the years I tried to take it up again. I wrote a screenplay, whilst a good little story, was badly written and I didn't have the maturity to deal with the themes I wanted to portray. There were many drunken nights alone on the type writer, were I pinched out little essays on life in the style of Hunter S Thompson. I wish i had of kept these (there were all in a folder for many years but probably got purged in one of our cross country moves) as they would have been a good window into my thinking at the time. One thing i never lost over the years was my imagination. I treasure that more than anything in the world. And here we are now, I've written a book and planning the continuing series and thinking of projects beyond that. I don't want to write exclusively for children but have some more books for adults in mind.

Will I be successful at writing? I don't know. The odds are stacked against anyone going into the arts, especially in the digital age. But at least now I can say I'm a writer and I'm having a blast. The fourteen year old boy would be pleased...

Talking about books from long ago....

In a previous post, I spoke about Doctor Who and how much of an influence it had on my reading and writing. But what about the books I read as a child that I still remember fondly? As I sit here now and look back, the most prominent books can be summed quite easily:

• First and foremost it should come as no surprise that Doctor Who gets a mention again. Back in the seventies and early eighties, the BBC commissioned Target books (no relation to the shop!) to do novelisations of Doctor Who episodes. How excited I was to see books about my favourite show, often written by the television writers themselves. The covers stood out with the various Doctors and monsters from the story in dramatic poses. They weren't long books, roughly coming in a 150 pages but they were perfect reading for a 8 year old kid. I think that's why SPIRIT OF THE MOON is about the same size; it's a great introduction to reading for any child, not too taxing and you get a complete satisfying story, the same as I did with those old Doctor Who books. I don't know what happened to these old books, but I'm scouring second hand book stores now to complete the collection. If you see any, let me know!

• The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe: What can I say that hasn't already been said? Probably one of the most recognisable fantasy novels after Lord of the Rings and a childhood favourite. Forget the movie, give this as a gift to your children and watch them be transported away to Narnia, through a magic wardrobe, to another world. Just a magical book and a series I need to catch up on. 

• The BFG by Roald Dahl: When I was in grade five, Ms. Tucker our teacher, used to read to us everyday from whatever book was chosen at the moment. There is only one book I remember and that is the BFG. Why? Mostly for the whole class laughing at the chapter where the Giant does 'Whizzpoppers' but for the real imagination behind the story. A friendly giant, from a land of unfriendly giants, accidentally befriends a young girl named Sophie. Through her eyes we get to see his strange and wonderful world of Snozzcumbers and Bloodbottlers. Just a real treat to read and a must have for all kids. I read my sons copy not long ago and it's still a timeless piece of children's fiction. (There's also a section in the first chapter of SPIRIT that ,now I think about it, was unconsciously influenced by BFG. Try and spot it when you read the book)

I'm still waiting patiently for the post to deliver the proof copy of my book. Hopefully it will arrive this week and we'll get to see some movement for the publication!

Have a great week and keep on reading!

Something to read...

* Well, it was interesting doing a first release of SPIRIT OF THE MOON on Smashwords. Friday afternoon I was a complete mess and absolutely worried about putting my work out there. It's a weird feeling, like letting one of your children go out by themselves for the first time with no supervision and no mobile phone to ring up on if they get into trouble. A very, very, weird experience let me tell you. Smashwords are handling the account of the e-book and are advancing to releases on Itunes within the week, followed by Barnes and Noble, Sony, Kobo and Amazon. When the paperback copy is reading to go, hopefully the marketing (and sales!) will ramp up a bit. Honestly I can't wait for all this to be over so I can concentrate on the next book in the series that brings back a few of the characters and some interesting new ones. That book will be titled THE MONSTER IN MY BASEMENT and it will be expanded, not only in page count, but in scope of what the series will end up being. Well that's the plan anyway, unless I go crazy first!

* I just started interviewing my cover artist Juha Veltti about his art processes and the creation of the cover, so it should be interesting to see what we come up with. I will probably publish that close to the paperback release.

*  The 'proof' of the paperback shipped two days ago from the good old US of A so we should have it in a week or so. Can't wait! As much as e-books are taking off, having a physical book with my name on it will be an absolute delight.

*Depending on time, I might start doing some reviews of books I'm reading or have finished. What I am reading at the moment is:





and this giant bugger:

Hope you all have a big week! I'm off to read....


John

The SPIRIT OF THE MOON E-Book has arrived!

Hello everybody!

I am proud to announce that my children's book THE SPIRIT OF THE MOON has been published as an E-book from super e-book store SMASHWORDS . Smashwords is an industry leader in E-book sales (especially for first time writers!) so I am very excited. The book is available to download in a number of formats from Kindle, HTML, PDF and many, many more, straight onto your e-reader device or PC. If you are interested in purchasing the book go to the following link:

The Spirit of the Moon

open an account, choose your format to download the book in and click away! It's that simple. Or go to the site directly, type in the book name or my name into the search engine and hey presto, there she is. And don't be shy about leaving a review.

The E-book will soon be also available from a number of other sites such as Amazon, ITunes, Borders Online, Barnes and Noble online, just to name a few.

The print version is still a few weeks away, but if you can't wait this is a convenient way to sample the book.

Thanks to everyone for all the support I've received. I hope you enjoy the story because there is more to come from that little world!

I will do another blog over the weekend, discussing some thoughts on the process of writing the book and do a bit of house keeping amongst other things.

Cheers everyone!

Previews!

Hi to everyone in imagination land. I hope you had a great weekend. I must apologise for being late with this preview of THE SPIRIT OF THE MOON. As some of you may know (or may not!) I've been sick for the last five days, wrestling with an extremely dedicated flu. It was certainly doing its job to eradicate me but I won the war in the end HA-HA! Before I say something delirious, I just want to say enjoy this sneak preview, remember it's fantasy aimed at children and all you adults, whip the cobwebs out of your imaginations and enjoy! (Although I've got to say it's a bit scary having my work out and about for people to read)

This scene starts off the book, shows us an event that gets the story rolling and introduces us to two of the main protagonists (Baddies!). Have fun!

PROLOGUE

This story starts with the boy who was never loved and the Father too wicked for his own good. The moon was full and close to the Earth. You could almost touch its craters by reaching out into the cold, night sky. And in one dark moment, that is precisely what the old man and the boy meant to do. Touch the moon and bring it crashing to the ground.

          “Father, I’ve made all the preparations, just as you asked,” said the boy.

The old man’s cold, black eyes squinted at the boy and a small, whispery smile came to his mouth.

          “Be sure that you have Phaestus. The planets will not align again for quite some time for a performance such as this. Do wrong by me boy and I’ll whip your back till it bleeds.”

The boy cringed inside for he knew all too well the feel of his Father’s belt buckle.

          “The circles have been drawn as you asked. The larger one contains the symbol of binding.”

The old man inspected the work of the boy. He had indeed done as asked. He did not thank the boy, as that was not of his kind. The boy expected no more from the old man with black eyes.

          “Then stand away boy. The time is upon us to trap a God.”

The boy ran and hid behind the old garden fountain. His Father knelt in the smaller circle and uttered a few words in a language long gone. The circle around him flashed a florescent red and a ball of energy enveloped the old man. He was like a bird in a cage. He arose and held his hands to the moon. He chanted the words with a silver tongue, mighty incantations that would make your ears bleed. The boy could not understand, nor hear proper the words being spoken. But he could feel the power in the air and this frightened him a little. The magical symbol drawn into the larger circle began to pulsate blue.            Astonishingly the light of the full moon concentrated on that circle and the sky went dark. His Father spoke louder now, drawing to an inevitable conclusion. The boy looked upwards towards the moon and it seemed to shudder, turning crimson red. The blue light of the large circle grew so bright that the boy closed his eyes. He knew in his heart that the old man was winning the battle of wills.

“Yes, come to me, my darling!”

With the power of the old world,

And the darkness of the black sun,

I bind your power to this Earthly realm,

 With this old, dark magic I have won!

The last thing the boy remembered was an explosion of blue flame and the thought of whether he was going to die. He awoke behind the fountain, with the sun starting to rise in the east. The moon, no longer close to the Earth, seemed sickly and had the colour of curdled cream. He arose to see the old man, his Father, standing next to the larger circle. Above it was a floating a ball of blue energy.

          “About time you awoke, weak boy. Come and see where your Father has succeeded and others have not.”

Phaestus walked cautiously to his Father’s side. Inside the blue ball, he could see a figure.

          “Look closer, boy. There she is and soon the power she controls will be ours.”

The boy peered through the blue haze. In the centre of the ball he saw what looked to be a child, dressed in a white gown, fast asleep with no care in the world.

          “Is that it Father? A little child?”

The old man struck the boy hard on the back of the head.

          “What have I taught you boy. Gods take many forms. Do not be deceived by what they show to your eyes. They have walked the Earth countless times and fooled many a man.”

          “So...so is that her then?” said Phaestus cowering away.

          “Yes, my son. That is indeed the one whose power we seek. That is the Spirit of the Moon and she is all mine.”

The boy stared at the little child and a whispery smile came to his lips.

House cleaning...

As I said on Facebook, I received the cover today for the book and here it is:

My cover artist Juha Veltti has done an amazing job and I can't thank him enough. In a future post I plan to show you guys the stages Juha went through to get the cover done. As a process junky myself, I find it fascinating how artists do what they do. So the plan is to interview Juha when we can set up a scheduled time and bring that to you all.

The book is proceeding along at a good pace. I had a great meeting with my editor yesterday and she gave me some great suggestions (as well as pointing out typos and logic errors) so a few changes to the manuscript in order, but that's all part of the fun.

Thanks to all who have joined my Facebook page and came to the blog. It was suggested that I should add a link from the blog that goes directly to the fan page. As soon as I work out how to do that, it shall be done. And thanks for all the words of encouragement from everyone. Much appreciated.

I'll just leave quickly with a quote from someone who was talking to me about the book yesterday. After cautiously asking me about the book, the process behind it and enquiring as to whether  I really, really did write it, he went on to ask me a question:

"So do you read books as well?"

John

Doctor Who: The show that time forgot

 “There’s this blue box. It’s bigger on the inside. It goes anywhere, sometimes even where it’s supposed to. There’s this bloke in it called the Doctor. Stuff will go wrong, and he has to try and sort out, he usually succeeds because he is Awesome. Now sit down, shut up and watch ‘Blink.’”- Neil Gaiman.

When I was a little boy, up until the age of six, we only had one TV station. Hard to imagine in this day and age of internet, 3G mobile phones, pay TV and whatever way they beam content into your lounge room, I know. But back then we had none of that. We had the ABC or we went outside and made things up. (Unfortunately too many things are already 'made up' and prepackaged for children that they don't need to use imagination any more, but that's another post!) But on TV in those days there was a  show that I used to watch every day. I remember it scared me so much that sometimes I had to cover my eyes or leave the room, but I always came back in the end. It was a show that delighted me, it fuelled my imagination and took me to all different places in time and space. It was about a man and his blue magic box. Doctor Who.

I watched this wonderful show religiously right up until the age of about 11. It was at this time Doctor Who, after many incarnations, wasn't very good any more. I was growing up into a teenager and well, we tend to jettison those things that we held so dearly as children. I said good bye to the Doctor and forgot about him. I went to high school and he kept having adventures until the show was cancelled in 1989. The Doctor was a man out of time in a bad costume and dodgy, wobbly sets, with bad SFX. So long Doctor.

It wasn't until Doctor Who was brought back to TV in spectacular fashion in 2005, that I remembered what an impact this show had on me. It impacted on what books I read, what stories I was attracted to and shaped the possibilities of the kind of mythologies I wanted to tell. That little blue box and the groan of the TARDIS engine had been dormant in my mind for nearly 20 years without me realising it, waiting to be unleashed again.

Current Doctor Matt Smith and companions.

Now we have this wonderful show to love all over again. The imagination is still there, the Doctor is still flinging himself through time and space in his magic box (I never saw this show as sci-fi, but fantasy) and I'm loving every second of it. Gone are the dodgy sets and SFX. What we have in it's place is a smart, beautiful, well written and acted TV show that is being loved by children all over again. Imaginations are fired and kids are running behind the couch again, scared out of their wits. And that's a good thing, if you ask me. 

Watch Doctor Who this Saturday on ABC1 at 7:30pm. The episode is called 'THE DOCTOR'S WIFE' and it's written by award winning fantasy author Neil Gaiman. It's a love letter to the show and encapsulates everything that is grand about a man and his blue box. (Have a box of tissues close by...it's apparently very sad at the end!)

THE SPIRIT OF THE MOON

Well, I've had my morning coffee and crumpet for breakfast so here we go...

Firstly, big thank you to all the people who have 'liked' the Facebook page over the last two days without having the actual book available yet (still gestating for a few more weeks, but I'll talk about that). It's remarkable the power of Facebook and a good wife who does admin duties while I'm at my real job :)

My first book will be a children's fantasy novel titled THE SPIRIT OF THE MOON. Here's a brief synopsis: " On one fateful night, someone has used dark magic and captured the Goddess which resides within the moon. Who has done this and for what nefarious purpose? And how is this connected to a strange little town called SOVEREIGN CREEK? Two mysterious strangers, MR AND MRS WELLINGTON, have arrived in town to find out exactly what has happened to the Moon Spirit, before a terrible fate befalls the Earth. Aiding them in their quest will be twelve year old MAXIMUS WALKER, a local young boy too curious for his own good. Will they succeed in their mission and if so, what price will be paid?"

 This will be the first in a series of books set in the town of SOVEREIGN CREEK which has the unusual reputation of being 'THE WEIRDEST TOWN IN THE WORLD.' There are a lot of strange and unusual occurrences that have been happening in this town for many years. Why? Read the series and find out good people!

These books will be aimed at the 8-15 year old market (I think adults will like them too, but that's just me :)

THE SPIRIT OF THE MOON will hopefully be published within 4 to 6 weeks. Now where will it be available? At first you will be able to by the book from Amazon.com as a paperback and as an E-book from their Kindle service. If you don't own a Kindle device, that's OK as the software is easily downloadable to PC's as a desktop reader, so no excuses. Link as follows:

Kindle

What about Australian bookstores? Well, I'm doing things in reverse, which is not unusual for me! Once the international edition is in place, I'll start looking into publishing here, so as soon as I have some information regarding this, I'll let you all know.

For all you audio book listeners out there, plans are afoot for in that department as well!

Don't forget to sign up for updates by registering your email addresses (or not!) below,receive publishing news and read my rants on various, exciting subjects!

Thank you all once again and let's enjoy this scary, scary ride!


Cheers,

John

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