Peculiar Postage - Unusual Stamps from Around the World

Check Peculiar Postage - Unusual Stamps from 

Around the World at Dark Roasted Blend.

Stamp collecting and philately are very specialized areas and it is not the purpose of this article to conduct a definitive study of postage stamps, in terms of their rarity, financial value and so on. Rather, this is an examination of some of the more unusual and curious postage stamp designs from all over the globe. 

Dark Roasted Blend is among the finest locations online to find the weird, the wonderful and the fantastic, crammed with great articles, stunning photography, plus fabulous new content which appears daily.

The History of Hydrofoils - The Latest Article at Dark Roasted Blend

Check out the latest article at Dark Roasted Blend entitled The History of Hydrofoils.

A hydrofoil is a very distinctive type of watercraft that has been around in one form or another for over a century. The first hydrofoil boat was designed and built in 1906 by Enrico Forlanini. The 60 hp engine reached a breathtaking top speed of 42.5 mph during tests. This article takes a look at some of the other hydrofoils that have been developed over the years.

Dark Roasted Blend is among the finest locations online to find the weird, the wonderful and the fantastic, crammed with great articles, stunning photography, plus fabulous new content appears daily.

The story behind the story of The Time Camera on YouTube

Learn more about the story behind the story of The Time Camera on YouTube. 

"The massive explosion in which Eleanor Chamberlain died at her research laboratory was widely seen as a tragic accident. Or was it the perfect crime? Two years later, Jake and Lydia discover a mysterious camera, capable of taking pictures of the distant past and more ominously, of the future. As they uncover the shocking truth and learn of secrets that someone will kill to protect, Jake and Lydia are soon propelled into a deadly and desperate race against time in order to save the future."

Learn more about The Time Camera right here on on YouTube. 

The Heretic's Tomb - Reviews, Interviews, Readings, Puzzles and Study Guides

"The book is a sweeping historical drama involving witchcraft, religious zealotry, life and death ... a fast-paced tale of intrigue, sorcery and adventure."


The Calgary Herald

"A well-written combo of science fiction/fantasy with the historical novel. This novel explores the lifestyles of the Middle Ages, specially during the time of the Black Plague. The easy to read style and diction make this an excellent choice for ages 7-10 as well as someone who might be looking to explore a new genre."


Goodreads

You can listen to my reading from The Heretic's Tomb on CKUA Radio’s Arts Alive here or read an excerpt here. Try out the puzzle Inside The Heretic's Tomb. For teachers, a study guide to the novel is available here and you can always purchase either class sets or individual autographed copies of books directly from me in my online bookstore.

Vote for The Time Camera for the People's Book Prize

The Time Camera is now a showcased title for 
the summer collection for The People's Book Prize 
in the UK this year. 

Please vote for The Time Camera before August 31. 
You can learn more about The People's Book Prize
and register to vote for The Time Camera here.

The Time Camera - Synopsis

The massive explosion in which Eleanor Chamberlain died 
at her research laboratory was widely seen as a tragic accident. 
Or was it the perfect crime? 
Two years later, Jake and Lydia discover a mysterious camera, 
capable of taking pictures of the distant past and more ominously, 
of the future. As they uncover the shocking truth and learn of 
secrets that someone will kill to protect, Jake and Lydia are soon 
propelled into a deadly and desperate race against time in order 
to save the future.

Gargoyles and Grotesques Part One at Dark Roasted Blend

Check out my article Gargoyles and Grotesques, Part One at Dark Roasted Blend

We’ve all seen them, those odd looking carved faces, some with horns, some half animal or half human, often looking miserable, scowling at us from the outer walls of buildings. Often they’re spotted on churches and other older structures, but the practice of adding these ornamentations to more recently constructed buildings is quite common too. This article looks at the origin of gargoyles and grotesques, with examples of these ugly, sometimes funny, invariably bizarre and at times almost demonic looking figures from around the world.

Dark Roasted Blend is among the finest locations online to find the weird, the wonderful and the fantastic, crammed with great articles, stunning photography, plus fabulous new content which appears daily.

Amazing Automatons: Ancient Robots and Victorian Androids at Dark Roasted Blend

Check out my article at Dark Roasted Blend entitled Amazing Automatons: Ancient Robots and Victorian Androids

We say that today’s rapidly changing technology is set to transform the way we live in unimaginable ways, but we should remember that people thought much the same thing in earlier centuries - whether in the time of the clockwork revolution in the eighteenth century or as a result of the scientific advances of the Industrial Revolution in the Victorian era. This article takes a look at some examples of fascinating early robots and automatons, full of great engineering and wonder. 

Dark Roasted Blend is among the finest locations online to find the weird, the wonderful and the fantastic, crammed with great articles, stunning photography, plus fabulous new content which appears daily.

Flags of Forgotten Countries at Dark Roasted Blend

Check out my article Flags of Forgotten Countries at Dark Roasted Blend.

In recent decades, we've seen a number of countries disappear, along with their flags. The Soviet Union came to an end, to be replaced by a multitude of new or revived republics, all with their own flags. Czechoslovakia split into its two component parts, while Yugoslavia splintered, as the individual nationalities all asserted their independence. All this happened very recently, but many states have vanished from the map before over the centuries. Flags of Forgotten Countries takes a look at some flags of those long gone - and in many cases forgotten - kingdoms and countries. 

Dark Roasted Blend is among the finest locations online to find the weird, the wonderful and the fantastic, crammed with great articles, stunning photography, plus fabulous new content appears daily.

Wonder Weapons of World War Two at Dark Roasted Blend

Check out my article Wonder Weapons of World War Two at Dark Roasted Blend.

The Second World War was a period of remarkable advances in technology and many new weapons were invented during this period, some of which entered production and actually saw service in the war, while others never left the drawing board.

Most of us are familiar with the secret weapons the Nazis had at their disposal in the last months of the war that were expected to turn the tide against the Allies. However, Germany had a reputation as a scientifically advanced nation well before the outbreak of hostilities in 1939. At the beginning of the war, the Germans had a significant advantage in many areas of military technology, although it lost the lead, for a variety of reasons, as the war progressed.

Dark Roasted Blend is among the finest locations online to find the weird, the wonderful and the fantastic, crammed with great articles, stunning photography, plus fabulous new content appears daily.

Writers Help and Advice: Coaching Program for Writers

Writing is by nature a solitary occupation and can be a lonely business, without the benefit of hordes of cheering fans on the sidelines. A professional writing coach is someone with whom you can consult, ask questions, send your work to and receive constructive feedback, a guide to help you with your writing as you try to build your career as a professional writer. A writing coach can help you conquer a stumbling block, help you to regain momentum and get back to your writing or make a start on a new project. 

My coaching program is designed to help you progress as a writer. You decide what you want to work on during a personalized, one on one relationship. For example, I can be your coach for just one month or we can establish a month-to-month arrangement, depending on your schedule and expectations. Just a few examples of topics we can cover during the coaching period are point of view, creating characters, developing dialogue, story structure, editing and revision, marketing and promotion and submissions to publishers. However, I am very flexible and happy to discuss your own unique requirements and areas where you feel that you may need the most help. 

In addition to coaching, on my website you can learn more about my other services for writers, such as online workshops for adults, manuscript evaluation and online workshops for children and young adults.

Vote for The Time Camera for the People's Book Prize

The Time Camera is now a showcased title for the summer collection for The People's Book Prize in the UK this year. 

Please vote for The Time Camera before August 31. You can learn more about The People's Book Prize and register to vote for The Time Camera here.

The Time Camera - Synopsis

The massive explosion in which Eleanor Chamberlain died at her research laboratory was widely seen as a tragic accident. Or was it the perfect crime? Two years later, Jake and Lydia discover a mysterious camera, capable of taking pictures of the distant past and more ominously, of the future. As they uncover the shocking truth and learn of secrets that someone will kill to protect, Jake and Lydia are soon propelled into a deadly and desperate race against time in order to save the future.

Online Writing Workshops for Children and Young Adults

With my Online Workshops for Children and Young Adults, through a series of e mail assignments, details of which are available here, we explore where ideas come from and how to turn them into stories, basic story structure, plot development, creating characters, developing dialogue and more to help develop writing ability. A set of workshops can be started at any time. Following registration, all assignments are sent by e mail and are completed at your own pace, to be sent to me by return e mail. There is no time limit and participants may take as long as they wish to complete their full set of workshops.

Check out Online Workshops for Children and Young Adults today.

Great Review of The Time Camera

Here's a review of The Time Camera in CM Magazine published the Manitoba Library Association

excerpt:

“It’s a camera,” Lydia said.

“It’s not a type I’m familiar with,” Jake said.

Like any digital camera, it had a screen on the back, but there were more buttons than usual. The controls were unfamiliar to Jake. “I can’t even tell which of these buttons is supposed to turn it on.

But as Jake tried pressing different buttons, the screen suddenly activated. “Okay,” he said, “let’s see if it works.”

Lydia stood in front of the desk. Jake aimed the camera at her and took a picture. However, when he pressed what looked like the display button, a different image appeared on the screen. It was not Lydia. Eleanor was standing where Lydia should have been, working at her desk.

“That’s weird,” he murmured

Lydia Chamberlain’s mom was a scientist who died while trying to conceal a secret from her research partner. The explosion that took her life consumed her confidential paperwork, but her laptop and camera were protected. They were in a safe place. When Lydia and her friend Jake find these items years later, they discover the danger behind her research in time photography involved someone they trusted. The pair try to conceal their discovery from ‘Uncle’ Magnus, but it’s impossible to hide a secret from someone when that person can also manipulate time.

      With a turn of a camera knob, Albertan author Simon Rose (The Alchemist’s Portrait, The Doomsday Mask) takes readers back to the past and into the future. When Jake and Lydia have the camera in their possession, they see the impossible; Paris in the eighteenth century; a crime before it’s about to happen, and someone who’s already dead. There are no illustrations in this book, but the chapters containing excerpts from Eleanor Chamberlain’s research highlight the suspenseful moments. This story will have children thinking about the good, and bad things, that could happen in a world where time travel is possible.

Recommended.

Tanya Boudreau is a librarian at the Cold Lake Public Library in Cold Lake, AB.

Great Review of The Doomsday Mask in Midwest Book Review

“The Doomsday Mask" is a thrilling page-gripper of a mystery that has 12- year- old Josh and almost-14-year-old Erica scrambling with their grandfather, an adopted Canadian survivor of WW II Germany, in a race for clues to construct and protect the Mask of Kulkaan to prevent it from being used for evil world domination purposes by the corrupt Crystalline Order.

In a race against time and history, the two sleuths adventure fearlessly with their grandfather in locations ranging from Niagara Falls and Santa Marta, Mexico in the present day, to the lost island of Atlantis 10,000 years ago. Danger lurks everywhere as does the course of history and even prehistory.

Juvenile readers from 10-14 will be spellbound by "The Doomsday Mask," and they will learn a bit of interesting world history and paleontology along the way. Although "The Doomsday Mask" may be considered to be science fiction fantasy/adventure, it is solidly grounded in facts of known prehistorical events and speculates from these logically.

Midwest Book Review, December 2009

Writers Help and Advice: Coaching Program for Writers

Writing is by nature a solitary occupation and can be a lonely business, without the benefit of hordes of cheering fans on the sidelines. A professional writing coach is someone with whom you can consult, ask questions, send your work to and receive constructive feedback, a guide to help you with your writing as you try to build your career as a professional writer. A writing coach can help you conquer a stumbling block, help you to regain momentum and get back to your writing or make a start on a new project. 

My coaching program is designed to help you progress as a writer. You decide what you want to work on during a personalized, one on one relationship. For example, I can be your coach for just one month or we can establish a month-to-month arrangement, depending on your schedule and expectations. Just a few examples of topics we can cover during the coaching period are point of view, creating characters, developing dialogue, story structure, editing and revision, marketing and promotion and submissions to publishers. However, I am very flexible and happy to discuss your own unique requirements and areas where you feel that you may need the most help. 

In addition to coaching, on my website you can learn more about my other services for writers, such as online workshops for adults, manuscript evaluation and online workshops for children and young adults.

The Time Camera - 'A rollercoaster thrill ride of an adventure.'

The Time Camera, my latest novel for middle grade readers, is available from bookstores, online locations and autographed copies are always available directly from the author. 

The Time Camera - Synopsis

The massive explosion in which Eleanor Chamberlain died at her research laboratory was widely seen as a tragic accident. Or was it the perfect crime? Two years later, Jake and Lydia discover a mysterious camera, capable of taking pictures of the distant past and more ominously, of the future. As they uncover the shocking truth and learn of secrets that someone will kill to protect, Jake and Lydia are soon propelled into a deadly and desperate race against time in order to save the future.

Check out details of my other novels, The Doomsday Mask, The Heretic's Tomb, The Emerald Curse, The Clone Conspiracy, The Sorcerer's Letterbox and The Alchemist's Portrait on my website.