What's New?
OCTOBER 23rd 2009
LONDON BRIDGE IS NOW AVAILABLE
The sixteenth novel in the series 'London Bridge' is now available. It can be obtained from the 'Downloads' page in PDF/Acrobat Reader, zipped MS Word and zipped Plain Text formats whilst the PDF version is also available on the Files section of the Google Group.
A MS e-book version will follow shortly.
The first three novels in the series will shortly be listed on the new site Obooko when it goes online shortly. The site is still under construction and I have been kindly invited by its owner to join it. Click the link below to visit it and see what you think.
Enjoy...
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OCTOBER 19th 2009
PUBLICATION DATE CONFIRMATION
The sixteenth novel in the series 'London Bridge' will be published at approximately midnight (UK BST time) on Friday 23rd October. I have had to bring forward the release of it as I am moving house on the 24th and may very well be without any internet access for a few days as a result.
It will be made available in the usual PDF/Acrobat Reader, zipped MS Word and zipped plain text files. A Microsoft e-book version will follow at a later date as soon as I can get the chap who very kindly converted the other novels in the series to that format to do this one for me.
The PDF/Acrobat Reader version will also appear in the files section of the Google Group probably sometime during the preceding evening of Thursday the 22nd.
Now just to deal with the mammoth task of moving house before I get on with writing Cannon Street!!!
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OCTOBER 18th 2009
PUBLICATION ANNOUNCEMENT!
After a marathon writing effort, I am delighted to announce that the largest ever episode in the series ‘London Bridge’ the sixteenth to date has now at last been completed.
There is still some polishing off and tidying up to be done (hopefully this time I will get all the spelling errors out!!) but it is now at a stage when I can announce a provisional publication date.
All being well and subject to all the usual caveats etc, ‘London Bridge’ should appear on the website as well as the files section of the Google Group during the first week in November.
Further details and a precise date will be announced nearer the time.
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OCTOBER 14th 2009
The writing of 'London Bridge' is nearly concluded, I have reached the stage where all the main protagonists are coming together and the true aim of the dastardly plot is finally revealed, thus providing the cliff hanger for the next part 'Cannon Street'.
Speaking of 'Cannon Street', a page is now up for what will become the seventeenth novel in the series which will appear some time next year. Publication of 'London Bridge' ought to happen before the end of November all being well but do stay tuned to this website and the Google Group for further updates as and when they happen.
A quick note to say that updated PDF (Acrobat Reader), Word and Plain Text versions of the existing fifteen novels have been uploaded to the 'Downloads' section of the site, the changes being the updating of the title pages with the correct novel list and current website/e-mail contact details. Similarly updated versions will also be uploaded to the files section of the 'Google Group' shortly.
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OCTOBER 8th 2009
Been a bit busy, sorry! To bring you all up to speed, the sixteenth novel in the series 'London Bridge' is almost complete having taken the best part of ten months to write. There is a good reason for this, it is by far and away the longest and most complex episode in the series to date with so many different characters and aspects involved even I have managed to get a bit lost at times! The fact this is in fact just a part one of a two part story effectively as it ends on such a cliff hanger means that it really in some ways is even longer.
A forthcoming house move means that even though I will be busy for a couple of weeks, it does mean I will then have a proper dedicated desk and time/space of my own to concentrate on finishing the novel and polishing it ready for it to be published. Anticipated delivery is sometime in late November based on current workloads and commitments.
I'll try and keep everyone up to date as and when I can.
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JUNE 20th 2009
Right then, it's official that the next novel to be completed and published will be Security Novel number sixteen and it will be called 'London Bridge' (a place I know rather well thanks to my job!!) which will be the first part of a two part story, the second part being Security Novel seventeen which will be called Cannon Street.
A page is now up for 'London Bridge' complete with a quote from the novel now being written. There is also a basic Cover Art available for it too and further details will be released as I progress with its writing.
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JUNE 18th 2009
Hello once again, it's been a bit quiet of late around here I will admit!! Basically this is an all too brief update to advise you of what is going on with regards the novel series and the (err lack of) progress lately. The original plan was for the first Section Fourteen novel to be next but as I have been writing it I have felt it needs much more development work.
What has happened however is that I have decided to bring elements of what was going to be the second and third Section Fourteen novels along with what would have been the eighteenth Security Novel forward to a brand new storyline which in the course of being written right now.
As a result 'Euston' has been pushed back a bit (probably Security Novel number seventeen or eighteen now) and the next novel I will release will now be called 'London Bridge' which with a bit of luck, a following wind and if I can get the biscuit crumbs out from under my keyboard (typing 'S' has become a major problem!!!) should appear before the end of the year.
The appropriate web pages will be updated as time permits in the near future along with some cover art for it. Meantime I need to work out what is the correct name for the Irish Secret Service, if there is such a thing!!!
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MARCH 23rd 2009
First of all an apology for the lack of recent updates. Work, family and other commitments continue to mean that I have been unable to devote much time to any writing of late which in turn means that the anticipated dates for future novels has been pushed back (reflected in changes to anticipated dates on their respective pages.
However writing has continued albeit slowly on the first Section Fourteen novel 'Horsham' which may well now appear sometime towards June or July but the time has not been totally wasted as the original idea has been further developed so that 'Horsham' and the subsequent two episodes will form a trilogy story arc that will dovetail into anticipated events in what will probably be the nineteenth and twentieth episodes in the 'Security Novels' series in a couple of years time.
Indeed I am anticipating that episodes nineteen and twenty (of which some parts already exist) will be the last episodes for the series in its current form after which I have more developments planned but more of that much, much further in the future.
Meanwhile in this update, Microsoft E-Book versions of the fifteen novels have been added to the 'Downloads' page whilst the little used, problematic and space hungry online web page versions have now been withdrawn. My express thanks go to Mike Duncan for converting them to this format. If you wish to use Microsoft's free E-Book reader, it is downloadable from their website at www.microsoft.com/reader/download
The 'Section Fourteen' website is going off line for a while (just a holding page for the moment will remain) until I can get to work on that but I will keep you all up too date with any future developments through both this webpage and the 'Google Group'.
Random thought - There is something strangely appealing about the thought of creating all of the Security Novels main characters in Lego.....
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MARCH 21st 2009
"Oh, so that is what Tracy and The Commander look like....?!?"
(Proper update coming in the next few days!!!)
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JANUARY 14th 2009
Hello once again and I do hope that everyone had a good Christmas and New Year. Apologies for the total absence of updates to the site but unfortunately work and other commitments has had to take priority over the last couple of months. Also I felt that with the closing scenes of 'Leytonstone' it was a good point to take a break in the series and return to it afresh later.
Work on the first of the 'Section Fourteen' novels 'Horsham' has been a bit slower than I would have liked as it has proved difficult essentially starting from scratch with only a few already established characters and a story line as a starting point. This has however given me more time to develop a far more complicated long running story arc that will feature through the first three Section Fourteen novels and also one of the later Security Novels as well.
In addition I have been planning on the gradual work towards what will be the last two Security Novels in a few years time, the closing scenes of the penultimate and the opening scenes of the final episodes in fact already exist so exciting times ahead.
Hopefully I shall be able to concentrate a bit more free time on 'Horsham' as well as Security Novel number sixteen 'Euston' over the coming days and weeks and will keep you all posted as to progress and likely completion/release dates for these titles.
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NOVEMBER 1st 2008
LEYTONSTONE HAS NOW BEEN PUBLISHED!
The fifteenth novel in the series 'Leytonstone' is now available. It can be obtained directly from the 'Downloads' page in Acrobat PDF format (recommended) plus zipped MS Word and plain text files. The PDF file version can also be found in the files section of the Google Group.
Comments and feedback as always are invited through the Google Group and even good old fashioned e-mail. I do try and respond to all comments received but regrettably this is not always possible but I do read them all!
Please note that at some point in the near future I am going to have to sort out the web space usage I have for this and the related Section Fourteen website prior to a proper version of the latter being launched later this year. As a result I may at some point remove the zipped MS Word and probably the zipped plain text versions of all the novels for a short period prior to moving them to another server as they are taking up quite a chunk of my space, the price you pay for free web hosting I am afraid!
If they do become unavailable and you do want them in these formats, an e-mail to me will sort you out as I can always send you a copy upon request.
So, much to do!! Until next time...
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OCTOBER 28th 2008
PUBLICATION DATE ANNOUNCEMENT
The fifteenth novel in the series 'Leytonstone' will be published here online at about midnight (UK GMT Time) on Saturday the 1st of November. The novel will be available from the 'Downloads' page in the usual formats plus slightly earlier than that on the Friday evening in PDF form only from the files section of the Google Group.
More to come...
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OCTOBER 22nd 2008
Apologies for the distinct lack of updates lately but I have been rather busy and not have had the time to devote to the website that I would like. Work has however continued on 'Leytonstone' to the point where it is nearly finished and may well be published here sometime in November with any luck.
Meanwhile there has been a slight change of plan with regards to the next couple of novels. 'Baker Street' has now shifted back one place to novel number seventeen, in its place will be 'Euston' which I hope may well be appearing sometime in mid 2009 after I have completed the first episode of the 'Section Fourteen' series.
Well that is the plan anyway....
Further updates will appear here and on the Google Group as soon as I have completed 'Leytonstone' so until next time...
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SEPTEMBER 1st 2008
It has been a busy week since 'Bank' was released and an interesting one as well. I had to laugh with irony as on the Friday evening that a novel was published that I wrote featuring a storyline about forged bank notes that I discovered when cashing up at the end of the day, some cheeky sod paid for a train fare with a dud twenty!! It was a very realistic fake as well...
Meantime in the last week writing progress on the next episode 'Leytonstone' has proceeded with some pace and it already has past 22,000 words as I have been taking much of my spare time working on its intricate detail. I know it is going to be one of the key milestone episodes in the series and as such it is going to take a lot of work to put together but I am confident it will be completed before the end of the year.
In the meantime a deliberately stark cover design for 'Leytonstone' has now been added to the Cover Art Page and if you look down to the left you will also see that the page has now been added for Episode XVI which has been provisionally titled 'Baker Street'.
More to come so until next time...
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AUGUST 29th 2008
THE FOURTEENTH NOVEL 'BANK' IS NOW AVAILABLE!
Yes indeed, the fourteenth novel in the series 'Bank' was published online on this site on the 29th of August 2008*. Surprisingly to me at least is the fact that is comes little more than three months since the previous episode 'Haychester' was made available.
As per usual the novel is available FREE from the 'Downloads' page in the recommended Adobe Acrobat Reader (PDF) format as well as zipped MS Word and plain text files. In addition the PDF file is also available from the Files Section of the Google Group.
Comments and feedback are invited as per usual and (work permitting as always!) I always try to reply to all comments received.
Writing of the fifteenth novel in the series 'Leytonstone' is now well under way and with a bit of luck and some generous lunch breaks (preferably not in Littlehampton if anyone from the rosters section is reading this!!) I am aiming to make it available on the site before Christmas or just into the New Year.
An announcement on this site regarding the title and outline proposed plotline for the sixteenth novel will also appear here soon although don't forget that this will not be appearing until after 'Horsham' which is the first novel of the forthcoming 'Section Fourteen' spin off series.
Until next time....
[* Note that this date was brought forward twenty four hours due to other commitments which meant it was not possible to publish on the 30th as originally advertised.]
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AUGUST 20th 2008
The fourteenth novel in the series 'Bank' is now completed and will be published online here at midnight (UK BST time) on Saturday 30th August. It will as be usual available in all the normal formats and a PDF Acrobat Reader copy will also be placed in the files section of the Google Group.
Work has already commenced on the fifteenth novel 'Leytonstone' that with a bit of luck may very well be appearing towards the end of the year.
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AUGUST 1st 2008
Hello again.
A quick note to let you all know that with a bit of luck I hope to be releasing the fourteenth novel 'Bank' here on the site probably towards the end of August or early September. Some blocks of rest days from work has allowed me to devote some quality time to getting it finished and at the moment it currently stands at just over 55,000 words with the closing act still to come.
One thing I have been trying to work into 'Bank' is a discrete back story that will lead into the major events of the fifteenth novel 'Leytonstone' towards the end of this year or early 2009. I am still not quite sure how it is going to work as I am trying to write in such a way that I don't give away too much about the plot for 'Leytonstone' otherwise some of the surprises I have planned would be a bit spoilt!
Anyway, hopefully more updates to come in the near future so keep visiting the site and the Google Group for more news.
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MAY 28th 2008
Hello once again.
Well I must say it was pleasing to see that the thirteenth novel 'Haychester' has been well received and many thanks for those who took the time and trouble to write to me with their comments and thoughts. Hopefully I have responded personally to you all but if there is anyone who has been overlooked, I apologise.
Now for an update on where things stand with regards to the novels and the future. Next up will be the fourteenth novel 'Bank' which is currently being written and has already clocked up 20,000 words in a little over a week, mainly thanks to some dedicated writing time and better planning of my free time.
The result of this swift progress means an anticipated publication date for 'Bank' being pencilled in for somewhere around July or August with any luck.
Running alongside the writing of 'Bank' is the planning of a new spin off series of novels under the 'Section Fourteen' name, a project referred to already in some of the more recent novels and which becomes more prominent in 'Bank' until it becomes established in its own right.
The accompanying website has now gone live for 'Section Fourteen' at www.sectionfourteen.com and there is also a link to it from the Security Novels main page (Look for and click on the 'XIV' logo).
'Section Fourteen' will feature the secretive department run by Sir Richard Crowthorne and will be employing the services of a number of characters, some brand new to the Security Novels universe whilst others such as Lieutenant Barrett and weapons expert Commander Baker we have already met before.
The first novel where we see the regular team of Section Fourteen come together properly for the first time has been provisionally titled 'Horsham' which reflects a parallel naming policy to the original Security Novels series, the latter using Underground station names as titles (Haychester excepted and Lewisham I admit is on the Docklands Light Railway!) whilst the Section Fourteen series will be using National Rail station names for its titles.
The way I see the plan at the moment is as follows:
July/August 2008 - Security Novels Episode XIV 'Bank' published.
November/December 2008 - Security Novels Episode XV 'Leytonstone' published.
January 2009 - Fully comprehensive Section Fourteen website launched.
February to April 2009 - Section Fourteen Episode I 'Horsham' published.
July to September 2009 - Security Novels Episode XVI published.
November/December 2009 - Section Fourteen Episode II 'Gatwick' published.
April/May 2010 - Security Novels Episode XVII published.
October/November 2010 - Joint novel combining both series published (Security Novels Episode XVIII and Section Fourteen Episode III.)
Once again I stress this is just a provisional plan and a lot will depend on how well the Section Fourteen series goes when it makes its proper full debut hopefully next year.
So as you can see, there is a lot to do but I am very much looking forward to it. One thing that will probably be lost in all this (at least not updated to any great extent at any rate) will be the locations images and information as I simply no longer have the time to devote to this aspect of the site anymore at least for the time being.
So in the meantime please do keep visiting both websites for updates and more information and I will keep on writing during those odd lunch breaks in places like Three Bridges!!
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MAY 22nd 2008
Well it would appear that the publication of 'Haychester' has been well received and I would like to especially thank those who have taken time to drop me an email with their thoughts, one of which has led me to make some additions to the plotlines of 'Bank' currently being written. It would appear it is time that Tracy and The Commander with Jack remembered they have a home and family life now as well as their duties and the intertwining of these responsibilities makes for a new interesting angle to be explored.
In this mini update the only addition has been the appearance of the Cover Art for the forthcoming fourteenth novel 'Bank' which I predict will be appearing in the Autumn all being well.
Until next time....
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MAY 15th 2008
HAYCHESTER HAS NOW BEEN PUBLISHED!
As promised, the thirteenth novel 'Haychester' is now available through the 'Downloads' page of the site in all the usual formats. It also available in PDF format only from the Files Section of the Google Group.
Meantime, some interesting new developments are under way in addition to the forthcoming fourteenth and fifteenth episodes in the Security Novels series (Bank and Leytonstone) so please keep watching this site for more news.
Until next time...
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MAY 14th 2008
WEBSITE REFRESH AND REVISED PUBLICATION DATE ANNOUNCEMENT!
As you can see, the website has had a modest makeover and a change of colour scheme as the old scheme was starting to look a little tired. Most of the content is still the same although I have tidied up the navigation buttons on the left a bit.
Publication of 'Haychester' the thirteenth novel in the series has now been brought forward and will now take place at midnight (UK BST time) on Thursday 15th May. This is mainly due to work commitments meaning that at other convenient midnight deadlines I am likely to be on a train somewhere in deepest darkest Sussex!!
The formats that 'Haychester' will be available in are as stated in the News entry below so apart from the change of date, everything else is as advertised.
If you are looking for older news items, I have archived them to a separate page which can be found HERE.
Until next time....
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MAY 8th 2008
PUBLICATION DATE ANNOUNCEMENT!
The thirteenth novel in the ongoing series 'Haychester' will be published here online as well as in the files section of the Google Group at midnight (UK B.S.T. time) on Sunday 25th May 2008. Please note that this is a change to the usual Friday night/Saturday morning pattern employed previously as I am working the previous evening and will be on a train somewhere at midnight, hence the Saturday/Sunday publication date instead.
The site will be gradually updated over the next week or two as time permits in parallel with the final finishing off of Haychester itself. One thing that may happen is a change to the colour scheme as the old yellow text on green is getting a bit long in the tooth now.
As per usual, the novel will be available in the usual format from the Downloads page as well as the file section of the Google Group (PDF only) which should cover all the requirements of the readers. Hopefully further details to come in the next week or two so stay tuned.
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OLDER NEWS ITEMS FROM JULY
2006 TO APRIL 2008 CAN BE FOUND ARCHIVED HERE
OLDER NEWS ITEMS FROM JULY 2005 TO JUNE
2006 CAN BE FOUND ARCHIVED HERE
OLDER NEWS ITEMS FROM PRE JULY 2005 CAN BE FOUND ARCHIVED HERE