Tuesday, 7 August 2007
Book Signings
To anyone interested, I will be signing copies of Skaters Trekkies & Cool Dudes in August, at the Evesham Book Centre on August 23rd, and at Arcade Books Pershore on August 27th.
Sunday, 29 July 2007
Are you ready to boldly go into Derek’s future?
THE last time I met Derek Lawrence was back in the mid-1990s, when he was trying to spot flashing lights in the sky and UFOs from his home in Dines Green, Worcester.
Predictably, he didn't see any. I can think of a few flashing lights that might pass down Tudor Way, but none of them attached to an alien spacecraft.
Those were in the days of Skyscan and its predecessor Para-Search, two organisations set up to investigate unusual sightings in the skies above Worcestershire.
"The aim was to push the boundaries," said Derek. "It was great fun and very interesting while it lasted, but I have moved on."
Indeed he has, both in address, which is now in Malvern, and in his private life.
After Para-Search folded in 1994 and he was made redundant from his job in the motor trade, he went to university in Worcester as a mature student studying history.
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Now Derek has written a book. To rave review from those conversant with the genre, I might add. Although unfortunately that doesn't include me.
That doesn't mean Skaters, Trekkies and Cool Dudes isn't simply the hottest thing since the nose cone of Apollo 14. It's just that I don't pretend to understand comedy fantasy with a touch of Gothic horror in which one of the main characters is a gargoyle called Embram Ferret Frightener.
Those who do have been effusive. "The humour ranges from plain hilarious to downright side-splitting," said the critic of SciFi UK. While Gateway Monthly called it : "A mix of Red Dwarf and John Milton."
So, it's a double rocket boost for the latter day writing career of this Star Trek enthusiast, who is now 56.
"I've written short stories for the family and kids for a long time," said Derek ."I loved Erich von Daniken's Chariots of the Gods when I was younger and I guess that's been a strong influence."
Von Daniken's book centered on the hypothesis that many ancient civilisations' technologies and religions were given to them by space travellers who were welcomed as gods and this theme of space travel has run through Derek's thinking ever since.
Hence looking out of his window in Dines Green.
"I'm a big Star Trek fan and love science fiction and Gothic horror stories, " he added. "We've all got a bit of the kid in us and I refuse to grow old gracefully. People ask me when I'm going to, but I won't."
The title for his book was suggested by his wife Tracy and the major part of it was written in the early hours of the morning.
Like a vampire, Derek works best at night.
"That's when I get my inspiration," he said. "When it's quiet and I have time to think without any distractions."
He intends Trekkies and Cool Dudes to be the first part of a series called The Divine Cock-Up Trilogy and is already making in-roads into his second book. Although he admits he's finding it harder than the first.
Running the characters through and keeping the humour going are unexpected hurdles.
After all, when Joyce Holms, author of the Fizz and Buchanan Mysteries, describes your first effort as "a feast of wit and imagination", you have standards to maintain.
Back in his SkySkan days, Derek actually had a few, what might be termed, near misses.
On January 21, 1977 the front page of the Evening News trumpeted "UFO-Mania Zooms In On County" and reported how Derek and his co-SkyScan leader Rosko Urosavic, jumped into a car and headed for the Malvern Hills after five reported flying saucer sightings across Worcestershire.
The couple scanned the heavens for a while, but without success.
"The people who saw this object were pretty scared and worried," he said at the time. "We found one woman almost hysterical."
However, their research was hampered when potential witnesses refused to give their names and addresses. Presumably on the basis that Captain Zog or whoever read the Worcester News and might bring his spaceship round their house.
Derek then added worryingly: "UFO sightings seem to occur in 10-year cycles, although no one knows why, 1947, 1957 and 1967 have all been good years and here we are in 1977." Here we are now in 2007. Are you ready to boldly go?
Skaters, Trekkies and Cool Dudes by Derek Lawrence at £7.99 is available on order from good bookshops or on line from www.frontlistbooks.co.uk
Monday 23rd July 2007
THE last time I met Derek Lawrence was back in the mid-1990s, when he was trying to spot flashing lights in the sky and UFOs from his home in Dines Green, Worcester.
Predictably, he didn't see any. I can think of a few flashing lights that might pass down Tudor Way, but none of them attached to an alien spacecraft.
Those were in the days of Skyscan and its predecessor Para-Search, two organisations set up to investigate unusual sightings in the skies above Worcestershire.
"The aim was to push the boundaries," said Derek. "It was great fun and very interesting while it lasted, but I have moved on."
Indeed he has, both in address, which is now in Malvern, and in his private life.
After Para-Search folded in 1994 and he was made redundant from his job in the motor trade, he went to university in Worcester as a mature student studying history.
advertisement
Now Derek has written a book. To rave review from those conversant with the genre, I might add. Although unfortunately that doesn't include me.
That doesn't mean Skaters, Trekkies and Cool Dudes isn't simply the hottest thing since the nose cone of Apollo 14. It's just that I don't pretend to understand comedy fantasy with a touch of Gothic horror in which one of the main characters is a gargoyle called Embram Ferret Frightener.
Those who do have been effusive. "The humour ranges from plain hilarious to downright side-splitting," said the critic of SciFi UK. While Gateway Monthly called it : "A mix of Red Dwarf and John Milton."
So, it's a double rocket boost for the latter day writing career of this Star Trek enthusiast, who is now 56.
"I've written short stories for the family and kids for a long time," said Derek ."I loved Erich von Daniken's Chariots of the Gods when I was younger and I guess that's been a strong influence."
Von Daniken's book centered on the hypothesis that many ancient civilisations' technologies and religions were given to them by space travellers who were welcomed as gods and this theme of space travel has run through Derek's thinking ever since.
Hence looking out of his window in Dines Green.
"I'm a big Star Trek fan and love science fiction and Gothic horror stories, " he added. "We've all got a bit of the kid in us and I refuse to grow old gracefully. People ask me when I'm going to, but I won't."
The title for his book was suggested by his wife Tracy and the major part of it was written in the early hours of the morning.
Like a vampire, Derek works best at night.
"That's when I get my inspiration," he said. "When it's quiet and I have time to think without any distractions."
He intends Trekkies and Cool Dudes to be the first part of a series called The Divine Cock-Up Trilogy and is already making in-roads into his second book. Although he admits he's finding it harder than the first.
Running the characters through and keeping the humour going are unexpected hurdles.
After all, when Joyce Holms, author of the Fizz and Buchanan Mysteries, describes your first effort as "a feast of wit and imagination", you have standards to maintain.
Back in his SkySkan days, Derek actually had a few, what might be termed, near misses.
On January 21, 1977 the front page of the Evening News trumpeted "UFO-Mania Zooms In On County" and reported how Derek and his co-SkyScan leader Rosko Urosavic, jumped into a car and headed for the Malvern Hills after five reported flying saucer sightings across Worcestershire.
The couple scanned the heavens for a while, but without success.
"The people who saw this object were pretty scared and worried," he said at the time. "We found one woman almost hysterical."
However, their research was hampered when potential witnesses refused to give their names and addresses. Presumably on the basis that Captain Zog or whoever read the Worcester News and might bring his spaceship round their house.
Derek then added worryingly: "UFO sightings seem to occur in 10-year cycles, although no one knows why, 1947, 1957 and 1967 have all been good years and here we are in 1977." Here we are now in 2007. Are you ready to boldly go?
Skaters, Trekkies and Cool Dudes by Derek Lawrence at £7.99 is available on order from good bookshops or on line from www.frontlistbooks.co.uk
Monday 23rd July 2007
Sunday, 1 July 2007
Monday, 28 May 2007
Skaters, Trekkies, & Cool Dudes book reviews up to May 2007
REVIEWS
“A mix of Red Dwarf and John Milton. At times hilarious, and the first part of a trilogy. So the Gods are human after all! Great fun, particularly the exchanges between angels and demons”…..Gateway Monthly Literary Review March 2007
"The humour ranges from plain hilarious to down right side splitting . . . Derek Lawrence certainly has a knack for comedy, and as this is the first novel in the Divine Cock Up Trilogy, I look forward to the next."…… Richard Hawkins, SCIFI UK March 2007
“In the Middle Ages Skaters, Trekkies & Cool Dudes would have gotten Derek Lawrence burned at the stake. Fortunately we live in more enlightened times and people are now free to enjoy such stories (both reading and writing them).
God and the Devil are missing, presumed… well no-one knows – they have disappeared and there are committees running things, they are not happy and want them found.
When I started reading this it reminded me strongly of the opening of Garth Ennis’s comic book series Preacher. This perception took a 90 degree turn when it was revealed that God had a penchant for dressing up as Captain James T. Kirk (personally I think Captain Picard would be a better choice but it is only a minor quibble and anyway His ways are mysterious) – no prizes for guessing which Trek character the Devil is.
This book is a mad, fun read – Derek Lawrence has a way with a phrase (I could tell that he had fun writing the dialogue) that appeals to my sense of humour. The story has an even flow and makes sense even at the craziest times. Fortunately it is the first book of three (The Divine Cock Up trilogy) with the second title due out later this year.
ST&CD will appeal to older teens and adults who enjoy sci-fi and theology tied together with lashings of wild humour and general weirdness”……..Teen Librarian March 2007
“What can I say! I have been an avid Pratchett fan for many many, years, but after reading Skaters Trekkies & Cool Dudes, I am now convinced that a new king of comedy fantasy has arrived on the scene. The story is clever, the characters are both funny and paranoid, and the style of writing refreshing and new. Embram Ferret Frightener (what a name!) is a star in the making, and the Archangel someone or something you should never quite trust completely. I bought the book originally for my two teenage sons, but after flipping through the first chapter, they had to wait the two days it took me to read it, before they even had a look in. The only question I would like to ask... is when will we see the 2nd part of the Divine Cock-Up Trilogy. Soon I hope!”
AnotherBook March 2007 (Readers Review)
“Like the previous review, Skaters Trekkies & Cool Dudes did it for me. I am a 15 year old teenager, whose mother dared to buy him a book... I am so pleased she did. Skaters is fantastic, funny, brilliant, and any other word of praise you can think of.
I read it in an evening, then read it again (a first for me). The fun is everlasting and the story riveting...Well done the author, and keep them coming!” AnotherBook April 2007 (Readers Review)
“ Last friday, March 30th, my mother picked me up from school as usual and told me that she had bought a book for me that day. Well, as all self respecting 15 year old teenagers will understand, I was mortified. Mum buying me a book! I had this terrible vision of Narnia or Harry Potter being given to me over the tea table that evening, my older brother never letting me forget that mum still thinks I'm 12. But was I wrong! Oh how wrong I was.
The book was 'Skaters Trekkies & Cool Dudes, a very, very funny fantasy novel, which had me laughing from page one, and crying with joy by page 231.It's a brilliant book with amazing characters, and a plot which left me begging for more. In fact I laughed so much that my brother is now reading it, just to see what all the fuss is about.
Bring on book two Derek Lawrence, I can't wait.”
Reviewer: Chris Saws Teen Librarian April 2007
'When God and Lucifer go missing and Heaven and Hell start to descend into chaos, the Joint Darkness and Light Emergency Committee decides that urgent action is needed...' (back cover blurb)I think that most people like to believe that there's some sort of logic and order to the universe. It makes life easier to cope with. Me? I'm not so sure.Which could be why I loved this book so much. It takes every sombre thought anyone might ever have had about Abrahamic religion, turns it upside down and JUMPS on it. In hobnailed boots!'Now many unusual and strange scenes have been witnessed in and around the celestial offices over time immemorial, some, it must be said, far more memorable than others. For example, take the time Lucifer attempted to make Hell a registered charity to avoid the Dark Committee's new heating tax; or the day Moses had to explain why he had engraved 'Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's Marijuana plants' as the eleventh commandment.' (p12)It's very tempting to turn the whole review into a series of quotes from the book - there's something screamingly funny and infinitely quotable on every page (just about). However...Without the Bosses, the bureaucracies that run Heaven and Hell are beginning to break down and the urgent action that the Joint Committee chooses to take is to send a joint team of inhabitants to Earth to find and retrieve them. Lumbered with the job are four... beings:The Archangel Gabriel, who is a more or less OK sort of type, a bit short-tempered and not really at home in present day England, who seems to think an immaculate pin-striped grey suit, Union Jack Doc Martens, multiple facial piercings and an eight-inch red, white and blue Mohican is a good disguise for an angel on a mission...I suppose he could have a point, I would think twice before bothering someone who looked like that...Oh, and he has an irrational and overpowering fear of cockroaches. Well, got to have some sort of character flaw!And the head of the cherub "whose chosen name was Marcus Enderholt the Third, or Randy to his friends." (p10) Yes, just the head. It's a short story, told in full detail in the first chapter. Read the book, you know I try not to give spoilers!And from Hell's side:The gargoyle ('a level 12 demon from the Chasm of Endless Torment') Master Embram Ferret Frightener is actually a decent sort of chap, face like a 'bad tempered Komodo dragon on a Monday morning, and a set of teeth that would make a Nile alligator cry with envy' (p 22) but pleasant enough in his own way. He does have two problems though. Firstly, he's afraid of fire. Secondly is the fourth...being...on the team.Embram has a pet. Not, as you'd expect, a hideous beast from the pit. No. Embram's pet is a miniature blue-rinse poodle named Fifi Lamoure.Actually, as far as I'm concerned, that does count as a hideous beast from the pit. Give me a wolfhound any day. However, Embram assumes the disguise of a grungy skateboarder, complete with hoodie and baseball cap. And Fifi? 'It must be a sign of the times that no one takes any notice of a blue-rinse poodle in designer sunglasses riding a fluorescent green skateboard.' (p 99)This motley bunch arrive in Worcester, UK, to hunt down God, currently calling himself Gerald, and Lucifer, currently calling himself Samuel. Unfortunately, Gabriel and Co. aren't the only beings seeking the Bosses and the other agency has a far more sinister purpose...The story is quite complex, involving double and triple crosses, a variety of nefarious doings and suspenseful moments with some thought-provoking and eye-opening concepts mixed in with the breakneck pace and sheer hilarity. If you take your religion at all seriously you'll probably hate this book. All the more reason to read it, as far as I'm concerned. It does a great job of puncturing a few sacred cows - metaphors deliberately mixed. For the open-minded with a keen sense of the absurd it's a (literally) wickedly funny read and I can't wait for the next volume. If nothing else, I want to see if Gabriel actually does get the M16 assault rifle he's been trying to requisition to replace his sword...Joules Taylor (Crowsnest)
"A feast of wit and imagination" Joyce Holmes
(Author of the Fizz & Buchanan Mysteries)
“A mix of Red Dwarf and John Milton. At times hilarious, and the first part of a trilogy. So the Gods are human after all! Great fun, particularly the exchanges between angels and demons”…..Gateway Monthly Literary Review March 2007
"The humour ranges from plain hilarious to down right side splitting . . . Derek Lawrence certainly has a knack for comedy, and as this is the first novel in the Divine Cock Up Trilogy, I look forward to the next."…… Richard Hawkins, SCIFI UK March 2007
“In the Middle Ages Skaters, Trekkies & Cool Dudes would have gotten Derek Lawrence burned at the stake. Fortunately we live in more enlightened times and people are now free to enjoy such stories (both reading and writing them).
God and the Devil are missing, presumed… well no-one knows – they have disappeared and there are committees running things, they are not happy and want them found.
When I started reading this it reminded me strongly of the opening of Garth Ennis’s comic book series Preacher. This perception took a 90 degree turn when it was revealed that God had a penchant for dressing up as Captain James T. Kirk (personally I think Captain Picard would be a better choice but it is only a minor quibble and anyway His ways are mysterious) – no prizes for guessing which Trek character the Devil is.
This book is a mad, fun read – Derek Lawrence has a way with a phrase (I could tell that he had fun writing the dialogue) that appeals to my sense of humour. The story has an even flow and makes sense even at the craziest times. Fortunately it is the first book of three (The Divine Cock Up trilogy) with the second title due out later this year.
ST&CD will appeal to older teens and adults who enjoy sci-fi and theology tied together with lashings of wild humour and general weirdness”……..Teen Librarian March 2007
“What can I say! I have been an avid Pratchett fan for many many, years, but after reading Skaters Trekkies & Cool Dudes, I am now convinced that a new king of comedy fantasy has arrived on the scene. The story is clever, the characters are both funny and paranoid, and the style of writing refreshing and new. Embram Ferret Frightener (what a name!) is a star in the making, and the Archangel someone or something you should never quite trust completely. I bought the book originally for my two teenage sons, but after flipping through the first chapter, they had to wait the two days it took me to read it, before they even had a look in. The only question I would like to ask... is when will we see the 2nd part of the Divine Cock-Up Trilogy. Soon I hope!”
AnotherBook March 2007 (Readers Review)
“Like the previous review, Skaters Trekkies & Cool Dudes did it for me. I am a 15 year old teenager, whose mother dared to buy him a book... I am so pleased she did. Skaters is fantastic, funny, brilliant, and any other word of praise you can think of.
I read it in an evening, then read it again (a first for me). The fun is everlasting and the story riveting...Well done the author, and keep them coming!” AnotherBook April 2007 (Readers Review)
“ Last friday, March 30th, my mother picked me up from school as usual and told me that she had bought a book for me that day. Well, as all self respecting 15 year old teenagers will understand, I was mortified. Mum buying me a book! I had this terrible vision of Narnia or Harry Potter being given to me over the tea table that evening, my older brother never letting me forget that mum still thinks I'm 12. But was I wrong! Oh how wrong I was.
The book was 'Skaters Trekkies & Cool Dudes, a very, very funny fantasy novel, which had me laughing from page one, and crying with joy by page 231.It's a brilliant book with amazing characters, and a plot which left me begging for more. In fact I laughed so much that my brother is now reading it, just to see what all the fuss is about.
Bring on book two Derek Lawrence, I can't wait.”
Reviewer: Chris Saws Teen Librarian April 2007
'When God and Lucifer go missing and Heaven and Hell start to descend into chaos, the Joint Darkness and Light Emergency Committee decides that urgent action is needed...' (back cover blurb)I think that most people like to believe that there's some sort of logic and order to the universe. It makes life easier to cope with. Me? I'm not so sure.Which could be why I loved this book so much. It takes every sombre thought anyone might ever have had about Abrahamic religion, turns it upside down and JUMPS on it. In hobnailed boots!'Now many unusual and strange scenes have been witnessed in and around the celestial offices over time immemorial, some, it must be said, far more memorable than others. For example, take the time Lucifer attempted to make Hell a registered charity to avoid the Dark Committee's new heating tax; or the day Moses had to explain why he had engraved 'Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's Marijuana plants' as the eleventh commandment.' (p12)It's very tempting to turn the whole review into a series of quotes from the book - there's something screamingly funny and infinitely quotable on every page (just about). However...Without the Bosses, the bureaucracies that run Heaven and Hell are beginning to break down and the urgent action that the Joint Committee chooses to take is to send a joint team of inhabitants to Earth to find and retrieve them. Lumbered with the job are four... beings:The Archangel Gabriel, who is a more or less OK sort of type, a bit short-tempered and not really at home in present day England, who seems to think an immaculate pin-striped grey suit, Union Jack Doc Martens, multiple facial piercings and an eight-inch red, white and blue Mohican is a good disguise for an angel on a mission...I suppose he could have a point, I would think twice before bothering someone who looked like that...Oh, and he has an irrational and overpowering fear of cockroaches. Well, got to have some sort of character flaw!And the head of the cherub "whose chosen name was Marcus Enderholt the Third, or Randy to his friends." (p10) Yes, just the head. It's a short story, told in full detail in the first chapter. Read the book, you know I try not to give spoilers!And from Hell's side:The gargoyle ('a level 12 demon from the Chasm of Endless Torment') Master Embram Ferret Frightener is actually a decent sort of chap, face like a 'bad tempered Komodo dragon on a Monday morning, and a set of teeth that would make a Nile alligator cry with envy' (p 22) but pleasant enough in his own way. He does have two problems though. Firstly, he's afraid of fire. Secondly is the fourth...being...on the team.Embram has a pet. Not, as you'd expect, a hideous beast from the pit. No. Embram's pet is a miniature blue-rinse poodle named Fifi Lamoure.Actually, as far as I'm concerned, that does count as a hideous beast from the pit. Give me a wolfhound any day. However, Embram assumes the disguise of a grungy skateboarder, complete with hoodie and baseball cap. And Fifi? 'It must be a sign of the times that no one takes any notice of a blue-rinse poodle in designer sunglasses riding a fluorescent green skateboard.' (p 99)This motley bunch arrive in Worcester, UK, to hunt down God, currently calling himself Gerald, and Lucifer, currently calling himself Samuel. Unfortunately, Gabriel and Co. aren't the only beings seeking the Bosses and the other agency has a far more sinister purpose...The story is quite complex, involving double and triple crosses, a variety of nefarious doings and suspenseful moments with some thought-provoking and eye-opening concepts mixed in with the breakneck pace and sheer hilarity. If you take your religion at all seriously you'll probably hate this book. All the more reason to read it, as far as I'm concerned. It does a great job of puncturing a few sacred cows - metaphors deliberately mixed. For the open-minded with a keen sense of the absurd it's a (literally) wickedly funny read and I can't wait for the next volume. If nothing else, I want to see if Gabriel actually does get the M16 assault rifle he's been trying to requisition to replace his sword...Joules Taylor (Crowsnest)
"A feast of wit and imagination" Joyce Holmes
(Author of the Fizz & Buchanan Mysteries)
Review by Nigel Rating (8/10)
Review by NigelWhat would happen if celestial events were run by committee rather than omnipotent autocrats? If there were no God or the Devil, who would make the decisions? Would it be for the better?
This is the main premise for Skaters, Trekkies and Cool Dudes. The Joint Darkness and Light Emergency Committee, taking over duties in the absence of God and Lucifer, see the running of things slightly differently and so ensues mild chaos in the normally smooth administration of the afterlife. You think being stranded at the airport is a pain, wait until you are trying to get into heaven or hell and the system doesn’t work.
To be seen to be doing their best to reinstate the rightful rulers, the committee recruit (putting it one way) an Archangel and a Demon (so being seen as fair) to locate the missing all powerful, who are thought to be on Earth. Unfortunately the team is rather management heavy on one side, namely the Archangel being Gabriel, with the demon being… well, no demon of any import really, which is very much of a surprise to him.
The pair set out on their appointed quest, accompanied by the bodiless head of a Cherub and a three headed hellhound call Fifi (honestly), to try and bring the rightful rulers home. As you have probably guessed not all is as it seems and so ensues a humorous extravaganza as the pair come to terms with each other, sworn immortal enemies from the beginning of time, and their impossible task… how do you locate omnipotent beings that don’t want to be found?
The story is full of wonderful comedic situations and amusing running gags; one of my favourites was the constantly changing name of the demon throughout.
Don’t be put of by the title; this book has very little to do with Star Trek other than to parody it and its followers (in a nice way, no offence to Star Trek fans); it’s basically poking fun at the cult fan thing really.
A very entertaining (if you don’t mind laughing too much) book that will suit anyone with a slightly dark sense of humour. I only hope it isn’t really like that, heaven help us…Nigel (BookLore 17th July 2007)
New cover for the next printing
Well here it is folks, the new final cover to 'Skaters, Trekkies & Cool Dudes' , all ready for the next printing which is due out very soon. I have to say we all disliked the original one, and this is without a doubt a vast improvement.
Some extra news is that we should be having a signing table at the 2007 Fantasycon with a bit of luck. Initial reception of Skaters by both the public and reviewers, has been so good, that we feel it's now time to extend the PR side, and introduce Master Embram Ferret Frightener and friends to a wider audience.
Tuesday, 10 April 2007
Hi from us 2
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Well it's about time we said hello again. It's been a bummer of a fortnight what with my feeble attempts to start book two in the trilogy, and the dreaded flu which placed Tracy & I firmly in bed, with the kids having to cook for themselves.. (Well lets just say 'Microwave' for themselves would be a better way of putting it) I have a title of sorts, 'Skaters, Witches & Lost Keys', so is that classed as a start? The deadline is now set as January 2008, so I had better pull my finger out and start writing.
The reviews are starting to come in for 'Skaters Trekkies & Cool Dudes', and I have to say I'm very pleased so far. Like most authors if they are honest, I have been dreading this moment. Writing a comedy fantasy has been a new venture for me, Sci-Fi and Dungeon & Dragons fantasy being my usual choice, but it seems to have gone down well. Humour is a personal thing and what I find funny others might cringe at, but to date there have been only good reviews so fingers crossed that it continues. (Tried crossing my toes but it hurt)
Tracy & I have been kid free all over the Easter holiday from Friday until Tuesday night! (Now there is a first) As Teenagers they have gone their own way, and left us to muddle on without them, all three believing that we will manage somehow....Did we?.....Oh boy, yes we did!!
We took a trip out to Kilpeck Church in Herefordshire today, (I know, I can hear you saying "But they are a Pagan family! What are they doing going to a church! Well I am also an historian and our joint interest lays in Christian architecture and its social effect on the people during various times in history...yawn!), well look what we found, an amazing stone goddess carving high on the wall! The great mother gets everywhere she shouldn't...a bit like us.
Friday, 16 March 2007
Friday, 23 February 2007
Skaters Trekkies & Cool Dudes
Here we are, my new novel entitled 'Skaters, Trekkies, & Cool Dudes', a comedy fantasy, and the first book in the series, ‘The 'Divine Cock Up Trilogy', released on January 23rd 2007. A laugh a minute tale of a heaven and hell now run by committees, God and Lucifer running away to open a cult TV memorabilia shop, and a search for them by a power hungry Archangel and his reluctant partner and Gargoyle, Embram Ferret Frightener.
It is the first novel by the author Derek Lawrence, a new face on the scene, who lives in Worcester UK. The novel itself is published by FrontList Books, an imprint of Soft Editions, who are based in Gullane, East Lothian Scotland, a small but professional publishing house with a personal outlook when it comes to business. Aimed at the late teenage and adult market, Skaters, Trekkies, & Cool Dudes points the way to a promising future for this new author.
Part 2 of the trilogy, initial title ‘Skaters, Witches, & Lost Keys, takes place during the English civil wars of the 17th century, and promises to be as funny as the first instalment. The release date for this book will be towards the end of 2007.
Book Description
It is the first novel by the author Derek Lawrence, a new face on the scene, who lives in Worcester UK. The novel itself is published by FrontList Books, an imprint of Soft Editions, who are based in Gullane, East Lothian Scotland, a small but professional publishing house with a personal outlook when it comes to business. Aimed at the late teenage and adult market, Skaters, Trekkies, & Cool Dudes points the way to a promising future for this new author.
Part 2 of the trilogy, initial title ‘Skaters, Witches, & Lost Keys, takes place during the English civil wars of the 17th century, and promises to be as funny as the first instalment. The release date for this book will be towards the end of 2007.
Book Description
When God and Lucifer go missing and Heaven and Hell start to descend into chaos, the Joint Darkness & Light Emergency Committee decides that urgent action is needed. They send a search party to Earth, comprising an Archangel and a demon gargoyle accompanied by the outspoken head of a Heavenly cherub and a three-headed hell-hound. Their mission is to find their respective leaders and bring them home. So it is that a punk rocker and a teenage skateboarder arrive in Worcester in the English Midlands. But things are not quite as they seem, and their mission is thrown into disarray by the appearance of one of Hell's most secret weapons. And why is Worcester so full of pop-star and Star Trek look-alikes?
Derek Lawrence was born in Worcester in 1951. He received a degree in History and Educational Studies from University College Worcester and has since worked as a motorcycle mechanic, and in the motor vehicle parts industry. His interests include science fiction, the paranormal, walking (preferably in Cornwall), Star Trek, computers and music. He also finds time to do a little writing. Skaters, Trekkies and Cool Dudes is his first novel. FrontList Books is an imprint of Soft Editions, an independent small press publisher based in Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland.
Authors E-Mail: d_t123@hotmail.com
Publishers Address: Soft Editions Ltd. 21 Muirfield Station. Gullane. East Lothian. Scotland. EH31 2HY
Publishers phone number: 01312081296 or +44 131 208 1296
Publishers E-Mail: jbarratt@softeditions.co
Book Information: ISBN:1-84350-098-1 / ISBN: 13:9781843500988
The Book is available through various book wholesalers including
Gardners Books, Bertram Books, and Nielsen BookNet TeleOrdering. But for a far quicker service, please feel free to order direct from the publishers.
(Also available online from Amazon UK, Amazon France, Amazon US, Amazon Germany)
Publishers Address: Soft Editions Ltd. 21 Muirfield Station. Gullane. East Lothian. Scotland. EH31 2HY
Publishers phone number: 01312081296 or +44 131 208 1296
Publishers E-Mail: jbarratt@softeditions.co
Book Information: ISBN:1-84350-098-1 / ISBN: 13:9781843500988
The Book is available through various book wholesalers including
Gardners Books, Bertram Books, and Nielsen BookNet TeleOrdering. But for a far quicker service, please feel free to order direct from the publishers.
(Also available online from Amazon UK, Amazon France, Amazon US, Amazon Germany)
Scatty Sue
Be introduced to 'Scatty Sue', totally loyal, obedient to a fault, all ears all of the time, as daft as they come, and an integral part of our family. Sue is a Portuguese Podengo Hound, and a dog who is totally convinced that her only task in life is to ensure that all balls have as much fun as possible.She came to us via the Blue Cross Rescue Centre in Bromsgrove, where we can't praise the staff enough for their caring attitude and help.
Footnote: It seems that even dogs get a form of Obsessive Compulsion Disorder, and we have had to take all balls away from Sue. It reached a a worrying stage, where she wouldn't even eat unless the ball was next to her...She's fine now.
Us, Them, Things, & Odd and Sods
Well hi and welcome to this our place of info, things, and us. We are Derek & Tracy, a pagan couple living in the county of Worcestershire UK, and two of those middle-age people who annoy society so much, by refusing to grow up.
This blog is about us, things, odds & sods, our likes & dislikes, Dereks book, in fact anything and everything.
So look, laugh and enjoy....
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