Diamond Rain, by Michael Gallagher, Reviewed.

On 16/05/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Review4 Comments

This is science fiction by an author who knows how to tell a story. It’s a complex thriller with elements of the spy genre coupled with a background romance and set in a not-too-distant future on an Earth where nanotechnology has developed in frightening directions. The characters are all well drawn and totally credible. Settings …

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Running and Writing for ME/CFS no. 32

On 11/05/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, charity, Fundraising, ME/CFS, Progress10 Comments

Running: Injured! Not too serious. I spent much of Friday removing a fire surround, hearth and an old gas fire from our sitting room. The fire had been disconnected from the gas mains as the heating engineer had found it unsafe. The surround and hearth were both a piece of cake. But the gas fire: …

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Trees, by Benjamin Perkins, Reviewed.

On 07/05/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Review3 Comments

I’ve had this book since it was published in 1984. It’s always sat on the shelf to be dipped into. But I now live in a forest, so it seemed the right time to give it a little more attention than I had. I bought the book largely for its superb illustrations. The detail and …

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For All Kindle Lovers.

On 06/05/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Fiction

It takes a little while sometimes. Fantastic Books Publishing put my science fiction novella, The Methuselah Strain, into their store at the beginning of this week and placed it into the hands of Amazon at the same time. I removed my old self-published version, since the new edition is improved and enhanced. After a period …

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Running and Writing for ME/CFS no. 31

On 03/05/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, charity, Fundraising, Progress

Running: Wednesday, I was due a 10-minute easy run and trotted through the village, covering just a little more distance than the last time. Friday was a 15-minute run, but the morning had been disrupted by a delivery and we then spent the afternoon in the garden, laying paving stones, so I was too knackered …

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The Promised Link is Here!

On 03/05/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Fiction

Last night I promised you a new version of The Methuselah Strain. Here’s the buying link for the publisher’s store. And below is the entry from Fantastic Books Publishing relating to The Methuselah Strain: As the Prime Renegade plans the disabling of automatic systems that support the dwindling human population, she seeks a man to love …

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The Rumours were True!

On 02/05/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Fiction8 Comments

I told you yesterday about rumours that my publisher, Fantastic Books Publishing, was planning to issue the new, revised edition of my dystopian science fiction novella, The Methuselah Strain. Well, turns out those reports were true. Dan Grubb, the owner of the publishers, has just emailed me to let me know that the book will …

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Have You Heard the Rumours?

On 01/05/201501/05/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Book2 Comments

There’s a buzz going round that Fantastic Books Publishing are planning to publish the new edition of The Methuselah Strain. I self-published this near-future sci-fi novella a while ago, but Dan, my publisher, believed it deserved more attention. I penned a new section and Dan’s excellent design team have produced a new cover and some …

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Running and Writing for ME/CFS No.30

On 26/04/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, charity, Fundraising, ME/CFS, Progress4 Comments

Running: This week’s training started with a 15 minute ‘easy’ run on Wednesday. I covered a little more ground than on the last time I did this run. Friday was a 20 minute easy run and, again, I covered a little more ground through the forest alive with birdsong and sunlight. Today, Sunday, was a …

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Secrets and Lies in El Salvador, by Sherrie Miranda, Reviewed.

On 23/04/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Review2 Comments

This novel reads like a personal account; it is presented in a way that takes the reader straight into the life of the protagonist as she finds herself. There are elements of the confessional here, suggestions of reportage, instances of the documentary. Secrets and Lies in El Salvador is written with passion, through the eyes …

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Running and Writing for ME/CFS No.29

On 20/04/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, charity, ME/CFS, Progress2 Comments

Confession: I really should have decided at the beginning of this week to write it off for the purposes of the book and the running. Wednesday saw Valerie and I bidding farewell to our daughter at Gatwick Airport. We’d stayed overnight in a B & B there so she could be in plenty of time …

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Running and Writing for ME/CFS No.28

On 12/04/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, charity, ME/CFS

Running: The programme for this week was a 10-minute easy run on Wednesday, and 15-minute easy runs on Friday and Sunday. I managed Friday and Sunday with no problems, but Wednesday was a different matter. On Tuesday, as part of our on-going conversion of the slope at the end of our garden from briar and …

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IndieReCon – It’s Coming! It’s Coming

On 11/04/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Book

There’s a free, online self-publishing conference taking place next week. It’s the third year of IndieReCon, and they have an action-packed schedule filled with all sorts of great stuff – a mixture of posts, vlogs, webinars, as well as the opportunity to drill deeper into the various topics with a series of online and Twitter …

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Running and Writing for ME/CFS No.27

On 06/04/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, charity, Fundraising, ME/CFS2 Comments

Running: This week, we travelled back up north to our native Yorkshire and collected our daughter, Kate, from her digs with a friend. She’s finished her temporary waitressing job in the area is staying with us in our new home in the Forest of Dean until the middle of the month. Then she flies out …

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Running and Writing for ME/CFS No.26

On 29/03/201529/03/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, charity, Fundraising, ME/CFS4 Comments

Running: 10 minute easy run on Wednesday was an easy jog through the village, reaching further than before, so some improvement. 20 minutes in the forest on Friday, witnessing the arrival of spring as I jogged along the tracks. Due for 15 minutes today, but did that indoors due to the inclement weather. It looked …

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