Post for Urban Times on Earth 2 Hub is up!

I'm rather chuffed to announce that I had the great opportunity of writing for Urban Times on Earth 2 Hub's continuing development and exciting new work.

I'm on the front page, you guys! Though I'm totes envious of Mr. Mill's title...

The article is here - and I must say, it was a pleasure and super easy to get the post written via Urban Times platform. While writing, you even get the chance to pick out 'pull out quotes', like so:

I know this might seem really unexciting but my serotonin levels spiked when I realised I could do it, that I had that kind of control. So there. And Urban Times gets major kudos for being super accessible and inclusive. I look forward to penning more stuff for them. I encourage writers to check it out, there's all manner of cool content on there.

Anyway, it was a good to get back to catching up with all things E2Hub, especially they are setting up some fab partnerships and working with the likes of Jason Silva and Dr. Rachel Armstrong, who is part of the team leading on 'Project Persephone' which is about designing a 'living' world-ship. Officially: Project Persephone is charged with the design and implementation of a giant natural computer that will form the ‘living’ interior to the Icarus Interstellar worldship, which constitutes a kind of ‘space’ Nature.' Oh my, how cool is that? Something reminiscent of a sci-fi film fo'sho! And of course, with names like Icarus and Persephone, I'm already loving it. Though I get the reference to Icarus, I'm intrigued by the selection of Persephone.

Anyhow, do feel free to check out the post, like and share if you feel so compelled, merci!

My Reading So Far and Moment-by-moment of 'City of Bones'

I can't say that I've been reading extensively of late (and I don't think listening to audio books by Deepak Chopra counts all that much).

Books that I've picked up recently:
- Kraken
- Game of Thrones
- Clash of Kings
- Stormbringers

I've not got very far into Kraken and it's still just sitting there...I don't know why but I can't say I've warmed up to it, mostly in part because of the protag and the 'voice'. I read to the end of Book 2 of A Song of Ice and Fire and decided I don't think I can take more of this kind of killing, this 'no-place-to -hide-in-something-sanctimonious-or-even-half-decent', ambling plot. (SPOILERS?!) I'd rather skip to when George RR Martin decides to throw the world of fire (dragons) and ice together (nightwalkers).
I have yet to read Stormbringers.

BUT, seeing as there's a host of kids/YA fantasy film adaptations about to hit the ole big screen, I thought I would recount the emotional journey I had when I leafed through 'City of Bones', the Mortal Instruments book by Cassandra Clare. I know reader, you are thinking, 'why, why?' I don't know, I don't know why I pick up these woefully lacklustre tales that adorn the YA shelves at bookshops, my 12 year old self lured in by something that might, *might* be intriguing. Perhaps it's some residual left over feelings from when I would day dream that I'd find other worlds and so I could escape from Physics or Maths class. Whatever. (And being lured in also by a female lead: 'Ooh, she's gotta be cool, right?...Right?' Oh how I kid myself, reader, how. I. kid.)

You're now entering the domain of **Spoiler Alert** Sam!

MOMENT 1: should have known when I read the blurb and saw 'sexy demon hunters'

MOMENT 2: should have known better when it's revealed that the antag's name begins with 'V' and was once a powerful whatsit but had ideas about 'purging' the race and so turned bad.

MOMENT 3: should have known more so when I realised the protag was a self deprecating, klutz. Paraphrased from the book:  "I'm short so I'm always called 'cute', never pretty, always 'cute.'" (First world problems, B****!!)

MOMENT 4: should have known more more so (huh, sounds like 'mimosa' if you say it fast enough) when the protag thinks 'He called me beautiful. No one had called my beautiful before.' (Sweet mercy, I'm crying it's so heart-wrenchingly vomit-inducing!)

WHAT THE HAY? MOMENT: I would say around 75% of the book's content. 

But I still read the book, reader, all of it. I am ashamed. Yet I shall not being going to see this tripe plastered over our screens. Oh no. Alas, there are, like, more books in this stupid-ass series. 

Something 'emo', I'd imagine, something touching on some forbidden love nonsense.

Not another Kickstarter post!

Hello reader! Before you click away with the thought that 'goodness, this one is always banging on about Kickstarter projects', well, I would like to say that the post is in line with all things mythic related (I does like me myths, reader, I does). Plus, it's first day of the month, so the promise of intriguing prospects are in the air.

I'm once again really thrilled to say that fellow writer and all around amazing creator, Chris Carter, has launched a campaign for his second book in the 'Camp Myth' series. I had backed the campaign for the first book last year and it's easily been the most fun and involving campaign I've had the pleasure of being a part of to date (I wrote about it in past post). So no pressure in having to live up to that, Chris!  

Chris has been a busy guy - there's been a Camp Myth app for iOS and a table top RPG, so the world is really building around the series. And so, we backers of the original book patiently waited for the release of the second book.

This time Chris is offering cooler rewards, aka 'swag'. Yours truly is looking doubly forward to the book because I won the chance to create a character that will feature in Book 2: Kraken Fishing. That's what I mean with this particular campaign - Chris has achieved a great way to make it so inclusive and drum up a sense of community around it all - hey, just like camp :) (I assume, I never went to camp, it's a North American thing which I think, has only just recently been imported here).

I'll next be updating you about Camp Myth when I get my rewards, no doubt but if in the mean time, your interest has been even mildly piqued by the whole thing, then do head on over to the Kickstarter page and get-to-backing! You're bound to have fun - hey, just like camp! (see above bracketed comment).    

Also, in other news, I'm also more directly involved in another campaign, this one for a short film. It's one that a colleague of mine has been wanting to make for awhile and so we're all getting behind it to make it happen and it's a chance to finally take part in making a film. It's been awhile! This particular film is rather dark and suspenseful, one of those ones that really builds up to a final reveal. Again, if that sounds like your bag, then head over to the page for 'Not Ever - a short film by Ben Mourra'. Roger O'Donnell from 'The Cure' is going to be involved with the soundtrack and there's a well-known British actress coming on for the lead - very exciting developments. It's just going to be awesome to finally get it made, so if you're a person who loves to back arts and such, then do check it out and share. Merci, merci indeed. 

On that note, I disembark from the Kickstarter train. 

Oh, what the dragons, I shall recommend 'The Cure - Friday, I'm in Love'