Simon Marshland's Blog (12)

My new book, A Case of Black Rock, is a collection of short stories covering a wide selection of genre. Available from Amazon kindle at http://amazon.com/dp/B0056Nu8YY

 

Allbooks Review

By Peter Klien

Genre: Dance Macabre

 

Title: A Case of Blackrock Mineral Water

Author:…

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I would like to introduce my new collection of short stories now available at

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056NU8YY

The short story went into decline when so many of the magazines that supported them died. That is not to say there are not short story magazines around from the prestigious New Yorker and possibly Harper’s to the leading newcomer Amazon for online stories. But in the main the rest of them now cater for science fiction and horror which narrows the horizons for most aspiring short story writers. That said there are a number of online publishers of short stories but few of them pay and for…

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Ever wonder how a thought from nowhere can morph into a novel? Author Simon Marshland describes for us how his new novel, "Mr. Christopher," journeyed from thought to novel. Enjoy.



Writing is a strange business. For some, ideas and words flow with the steady reliability of a great river while others struggle for hours or even weeks in search of either. Yet more write in the manner of a small stream, quietly placid one moment then like rippling rapids galvanized into frantic activity… Continue

I'm pleased to introduce my new book Mr Christopher published by Kindle. Continue

Middle age is a dangerous time for men. Some might not acknowledge it but usually there is dissatisfaction with the status quo. Life has lost its zing, the sparkle has gone, work has become a bore and a yearning for life as it used to be, however absurd, continues to grow. Suddenly middle aged men look at attractive young women with the predatory eye of young men again. The married are especially venerable, particularly so if the nature of their job involves a lot of travelling. In this excerpt… Continue

Probably the most dangerous time for invasion faced by Britain was in the early months of 1940. Hitler now controlled Europe and though the British expeditionary force had managed a miraculous escape from Dunkirk an ill prepared England now faced the German might alone. The German code name for the invasion was Operation Sea Lion but to achieve success the high command new the operation would require air supremacy over the English Channel. Goering promised Hitler that the Luftwaffe would… Continue

The rifleman of the Napoleonic Peninsular war, 1810 to 1814, was the forerunner of the modern day SAS. Armed with the formidable Baker rifle, the first of its kind to be produced and a more accurate weapon with a longer range than the musket, their job was to operate in pairs ahead of the main infantry to scout and harass the enemy by sniping at senior officers and NCOs in the hopes of causing as much chaos, disorganization and panic as possible. In comparison to the musket, the inferior weapon… Continue

A suggestion of continuity.





‘Don’t let the way he looks bother you too much,’ the hushed tones of the nurse interrupted his train of thought, ‘ there’s no cause for worry. It’s just that the stroke froze the muscles on the left side of his face so he looks a little strange, but he’s not suffering, not in any pain.’



‘Well, that’s a relief George, I must say that’s a relief. Did you hear what the nice lady said? She said he’s not in any pain, dear.’ Even… Continue

At some point most ask the questions, why am I here; what is the purpose of my life and where if anywhere will it lead. Putting faith or belief aside, be it Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, agnostic or atheist, no one will be able to come up with a provable answer. So what follows is simply a personal opinion, a solution that after considerable thought makes sense to me.



First it is important to put things in perspective by considering size. Most of us are so wrapped up in our… Continue

It's Summer and whereas in the US that means Baseball in the UK it signifies time for cricket. So here's a little piece of doggerel to celebrate both.







The Summer Game



Fine tooled leather branch of willow

Village pitch deck chair and pillow

Sleepy pastoral summer scene

Tea and draught beer on the green

Lords and Oval Tests and Ashes

TV millions gripped by matches

Players international stars

Gossip columns fancy cars

Both… Continue

Have we lived before, do we all have other life experiences we no longer remember. It is certainly a compelling possibility and one that I have chosen as the theme in my new book Private Lives.



The concept of reincarnation, that of an individual dying and then being reborn into another body, has existed in various religions for at least 3,000 years. It has now spread to the point that there are probably more people alive who believe in reincarnation than do not. Hinduism, Buddhism,… Continue