Something’s cooking…
2020.09.18Mini-review: “Challenger: The Final Flight” (2020)
2020.09.17I just binged “Challenger: The Final Flight” on Netflix. I wanted to start with the first and see the rest in the course of a few days, but I just couldn’t stop. Even when you know the story, it’s just harrowing to see there were so many opportunities to prevent this tragedy, and the ones who tried were powerless to do it…
As one review said, an actual miniseries (i.e. with actors rather than a doco) would make for an excellent counterpoint to HBO’s “Chernobyl”. A combination of cutting edge technology and hubris, and smart investigators who smell through the BS to nail the real culprits behind the disaster…
I liked that it really explored the general political context at the time, not just NASA’s internal management, and that it went in depth into who each of the crew was, instead of focusing on McAuliffe. I found it to be pretty good, and very emotional at times.
New guest post!
2020.09.15Gearing up for the launch of my debut novel “The Dragon Run” on November 1st!
I had the privilege to be invited to write a guest post for the blog of fellow author Susan Shiney. You should check out her website, it’s full of wonderful stories as well as helpful tips and techniques about writing and promoting your work. Thank you Susan for having me on your platform!
Link: https://bit.ly/35EJEqc
Research: Sōryū
2020.09.14While reading about Midway (cf. yesterday’s post), I found out that the IJN aircraft carrier Sōryū was actually at Hainan Island in 1940 to provide support for the Japanese invasion of French Indochina. So… it’s a bit of a stretch, but I might just go and squeeze a cameo in “The Kerguelen Cat”…
I will check the timelines!
D-50
2020.09.12D-50 before “The Dragon Run” launches! Throwback to when I got a ride in a genuine 1944 DH.89 Dragon Rapide at Flying Legends 2015. A gorgeous day in one of the finest-looking biplanes ever!
Progress
2020.08.24Work on the paperback formatting and cover design is almost ready for beta print!
In focus: Boulogne sur Mer
2020.08.10“The Dragon Run” protagonist Yann Vatel was born in Boulogne sur Mer. Located right across the channel from England, the town was once a staging area for Julius Caesar’s armies and, centuries later, Napoleon’s. It was also the point of departure of the first attempt to cross the Channel by flight, in 1785. Sadly, it ended in tragedy when the hot-air balloon crashed, killing its creator, pioneer Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier.
Like many of the locations in “The Dragon Run”, this is a place I actually visited: This is where I did the last year of my Master’s, back in 2002-2003. It’s a charming little town, and although I haven’t been back since I graduated, I would love to go again and see the old center, its beffroi (the medieval guard tower) and its massive domed church.
Bob Morane, the OG adventurer
2020.08.01Bob Morane is one of the big inspirations behind The Dragon Run‘s protagonist Yann Vatel. In this 1950/1960’s series of pulpy adventures for kids and teens, ex-RAF pilot Bob Morane roamed the world, one exotic location after another, fighting spies, pirates and mad scientists…
Reading it in 2020, let’s face it, it hasn’t aged too well (among other things, women are often little more than potted plants, and some racial stereotypes are cringy, to put it generously) but it’s easy to see how these fun, exciting tales captured the imagination of kids and adults alike… And if I can stir the same emotions with my stories, then my job is done.
In focus: Atlantis
2020.07.22
The German auxiliary cruiser Atlantis delivered a decisive blow to British intelligence in 1940, then stopped at Kerguelen in December that year. These real events inspired “The Kerguelen Cat”, part 2 of the Ascalon Circle. It’s currently in development, as I gear up for the launch of “The Dragon Run” November 1st!