Okay 2015 - Bring It On!

I did write a draft blog entitled 'Goodbye 2014...and good riddance' in which I went on a bit of a rant about how abominably shitty 2014 has generally been for the reasons those who have been regular followers of this blog will be all too aware.
But I've decided not to post that because I'm determined that the dark times of the year that is thankfully drawing to a close will in no way cast a shadow on the countless fantastic possibilities of the year ahead.
2014 was crap. There's no denying it. But there's also nothing I can do about it, so let's just box it up, put it in the garage, and turn our attention instead to the year that will soon be upon us.

I've set myself a number of objectives for 2015 (because I'm that sort of guy) and I'd like to take the opportunity to share them with all you fabulous people out there in Blogland...and I've added some pictures to provide a bit of visualisation of said objectives!

So here goes...

Writing

1. To have 'Red Plus Zone' available in print form both on the internet and in bookshops, and to achieve at least 250 sales (and yes, you can all help with that one!).

2. To complete 'Deus Magnus' and 'The Curious Case of God vs. Pratt' and get both of them published.

3. To get 'Callum's Quest - An Adventure in the Great Land of Rhyme' published.

Walking

4. To climb the remaining 29 Lakeland Fells that I have yet to conquer and in so doing complete the set of 214 Wainwrights (and get a badge to prove it!)

4a. And maybe bag a Munro or two...

Reading

5. To read at least 15 of the SF Masterworks books (I've got 22 on my bookshelf to choose from!).

Fruit

6. To eat one piece of fruit a day (it's all about staying healthy...)

And oh yes, there'll probably need to be something about my new business earning enough money to make all of the above possible...

So, best foot forward and all that.

Oh, by the way - I hope everyone who's been kind enough to show interest in my inane ramblings over the last twelve months has themselves a fantastic 2015!

Red Plus Zone - it's here!

Well, folks, I am utterly delighted to announce that it's finally here...and even if I do say do myself, it is well worth the wait.
Red Plus Zone is my latest, certainly my darkest, and dare I say my best sci-fi novel and it's now available for download to your e-reader from:

RED PLUS ZONE on Amazon UK

RED PLUS ZONE on Amazon US

And hopefully, in the early new year, Red Plus Zone will be available in print - I'll keep you posted on progress.

So, dear friends, get Red Plus Zone downloaded, get it read and then get that 'Oh-my-God-this-book-is-simply-incredible' review posted on Amazon, Goodreads and Shelfari.
You'll not regret it, I promise!!

If I Could Run

As many of you will know, this blog normally acts as a vehicle for either my inane ramblings about whatever has tickled my proverbial fancy on the day, or as a means of updating the world on the progress of my inane scribblings.
Today, though, as I sometimes (though rarely) do, I'm handing over my blog to something or someone else so they can reach out to you utterly fabulous people.

So, here is IF I COULD RUN.
Once you've read about it, you'll find a link to Kickstarter where Emily and Hannah would be immensely delighted if you could find it in your hearts to part with a shekel or two and give this project the support which it deserves (there's even the opportunity to be mentioned as an Executive Producer on IMDB!!! How cool is that?)
And just for the record...if no-one supports it, I'll keep badgering everyone via this blog until someone does :)
You have been warned!!

About this project

Hannah Mason and Emily Ritchie are producing and directing a short drama film based around a young carer who has had to put her life on hold for her Mother's illness.
If I Could Run shows Beth's struggle to continue being a young carer and we see her frustrations at the opportunities she has to miss out on due to the fact she has to care for her Mother who is suffering from Parkinson's Disease.
The honest and moving story will place you into Beth's shoes as you follow her daily frustrations and coping mechanisms, this is a real eye opener to what it is like to live with the disease from both viewpoints.
We'd like to raise the money so that we can make the film as realistic as possible - whether this be from the locations, the best actors, the costumes or even the props.
Currently, we are in the pre-production stages but in mid-January we will begin filming in Preston, Blackburn and Liverpool so that we have the best locations to make the film look as real as possible. After filming we will begin the post-production stage and then be able to market the film and once finally completed hopefully enter it into film festivals and get it screened as much as we can.
We want to tell this story so people can understand, sympathise and learn more about young carers and Parkinson's Disease.
We have a great script, a brilliant cast and now we just need your support to see this project really take off!
Thank you for the time and support given to If I Could Run.

Risks and challenges

Some of the risks film makers face could be anything from the weather to technical issues or from not getting it to how we want it to look to a lack of preparation.
So far for If I Could Run we have planned everything with military precision from the shooting schedule, the locations, the actors and even every single travel expense we will need. We're nearly ready and raring to go!
Since we are filming in January and we are in Britain we hope that any of that typical bad British weather stays away! We have a back up plan for our locations and even potentially new filming dates - but we have faith in the weather to make it work for us!
We know how we want it to look and we know it could not look like how we want it but we have a brilliant and dedicated cast and crew who have already fallen in love with the characters and the film - they're itching to get this started! With the dedication and determination of the team we believe that we can make a really great short film!
No matter what challenges or difficulties we face, we will work as a strong team and use our abilities to work through it and break down any obstacles we have to!

IF I COULD RUN on Kickstarter