Post by thelostdiaries on Jul 29, 2011 16:00:19 GMT -5
INTRODUCTION
My dad often spoke of a man who saved my life, and how we became refugees living in Scotland.
On the morning of 14th May 2014 most of Europe and North Africa was consumed by a massive fireball that killed countless millions and changed humanity forever. What didn’t burn was cursed by an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) that destroyed all electrical and electronic devices. In an instant mankind was rendered helpless. For those who survived the conflagration, food became scarce and starvation beckoned. At first many thought that the UK had been devastated by a massive, pre-emptive nuclear attack, but weeks later and survivors started to report seeing large “Unidentified Flying Objects” (UFOs) over Southern Scotland and Northern England.
I was too young to remember any of this, but my life was saved by the kindness of John Smith, a stranger who found me crying over the body of my dead mother, somewhere in Cumbria or Northumberland. He looked after me until we were picked up by an army patrol. Thereafter, I was reunited with my dad, before moving to Scotland. But what happened to the man who saved my life?
Eighteen months ago my father was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Before it was too late, he wanted to trace this man, not only to thank him again for saving my life, but also to help pinpoint the location where his wife (my mum) was buried.
Nonetheless, beyond the pseudonym (?) not much is known of John Smith. True, his first name was John and he was a survivor, having come from Cumbria, but we may never know his true origins or family background. His life post-apocalypse was one of survival, sacrifice, imprisonment and finally salvation. He saved many lives and yet he became a prisoner held under the convenience of quarantine.
His story and his lost diaries have done more than most to explain the events of 14th May 2014. Yet beyond his rediscovered writing he largely remains an enigma. Some say that was by design and of his own choosing, with friends respecting his wishes to remain just another refugee, trying to survive in Scotland.
But none of this was known to us as we began our research and journey of discovery. What little we knew was told by John Smith to my dad the night before we set off for Scotland in the summer of 2014. We survived, but did John Smith?
-------------------------------------------
“Imagine the world ending as told 20 years after the event. The Lost Diaries of John Smith was written by Amy Cooper on an old typewriter in 2035. She was born in 2010 and survived a devastating firestorm that killed countless millions in 2014. This is her story. Her prose is first hand and accompanies the lost diaries of the man who saved her life. The Lost Diaries of John Smith is acknowledged to be the best written account of survival in a post-apocalyptic Scotland. It also highlights the secretive mining operations by both man and alien.”
That’s the marketing pitch that hypes my new book. This article highlights my journey from frightful daydream to uploading my Kindle book.
The premise behind The Lost Diaries of John Smith is that on the morning of 14th May 2014 most of Europe and North Africa will be consumed by a massive firestorm. Millions died and humanity will be changed forever. Scotland survives the conflagration, but food becomes scarce and starvation beckons. At first many think the UK was devastated by a massive, pre-emptive nuclear attack, but weeks later and survivors start to report seeing large “Unidentified Flying Objects” (UFOs) over Southern Scotland and Northern England.
The book started with a simple notion, namely what if…? The book started life on 7th September 2007 when the world ended but not on that day. I was waiting for a friend on Beverley Road in Kingston upon Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It was a sunny afternoon and no worries. Suddenly I thought what if the world ended there and then. No warning. Just a massive firestorm and pain and death and then darkness…
…but what if I survived? What would I do? Where would I go?
Days later and I’m still intrigued with the notion of having survived Armageddon. But what caused the end? I have a frightful and creative imagination. Periodically this breaks the surface into something tangible that I can jot down So I started to formulate a narrative. Add aliens. Add salvation. Add government conspiracy and cover-up and that‘s the basis of The Lost Diaries of John Smith. The devil is in the detail, and parts of the journey and set design come from dreams and the need for change and/or to escape.
The majority of my book was written over Christmas 2010. Originally The Lost Diaries of John Smith was to have been published in scrapbook form, featuring old photographs, hand-written diaries and letters, some of which would have been written on the back of envelopes and food labels. The book would have featured typos and suspect grammar - bashed out on an old typewriter and duplicated on an equally battered, yet still-functioning photocopier - all rough-and-ready and very much reminiscent of 1970s DIY publishing before the arrival of Desk Top Publishing. But it was not to be.
The only concept to survive is that The Lost Diaries of John Smith is written by Amy Cooper (a fictional character). Her style of writing hides a lot of sins.
But why science fiction and why do we love a good kicking? Post or pseudo-apocalyptic science-fiction is big business, both in print and on the screen (both large and small). We’ve been invaded by aliens and smashed by meteorites, while mother-nature has also given us a fright. And this adrenaline rush permeates into the real world too. The events on 9/11 were mesmerising. It never stopped as real events were chased by online and on-air rumour. It was wrong and frightful and damning, but also an amazing buzz, though not one shared by those closer to events, both physically and emotionally. 9/11 was real and the human race and its demons made it happen.
The year before and protestors in the UK managed to prevent fuel tankers reaching petrol (gas) stations. Motorists were protesting about the hike in fuel prices. As the days passed there was the real likelihood that supplies would run out. This would mean that food would also become scarce. There would be riots and the army would be brought in. But common sense prevailed. But what a rush! Some of us trudge through a pitiful, mundane existence. We need change and diversity. We also need to escape and being destroyed by mother-nature or invaded by aliens gives us that adrenalin rush.
And is it me, or do we appear to be heading towards something amazingly terminal - something more devastating than a major tsunami or terrorist act? Such a ending has been predicted by numerous soothsayers, from Nostradamus to next door’s goldfish, though he (the fish) failed to predict his own cat-related demise.
Back to my book and the journey of salvation for my lead character is told through his diaries (hence the title). But who is John Smith? He saved the life of a three-year-old girl. Beyond that he’s an enigma. I created him but even I have no idea who he really is. He’s not me. I knew that before writing this book. The journey begins and hah, did you see how I dragged you in? You’re going to have to buy my book.
That said, it’s been a strange and complex journey. Much of what happened or will happen to Mr Smith was or is shaped by my own experiences and phobias. The Lost Diaries of John Smith is about running away from reality and commitment and responsibility and hard work.
The Lost Diaries of John Smith is available exclusively from Amazon Kindle. Originally I had discounted ePublishing. I’m a traditionalist and held the belief that your not a published author unless you inflict a paper cut or two.
Then I heard about John Locke. He’s the author who sold one million books in five months. I read his story online and downloaded his “How To…” guide creatively titled: “How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months!” Thereafter I was hooked. Direct Publishing (I hate the term “self-publishing” and despise the term “vanity-publishing”) is the greatest innovation in publishing since Gutenberg invented the photocopier, well sort of…
The problem is that as a direct publisher and author you’re not alone. There are around 700,000 titles available on amazon.com and that’s a very long bookshelf. Your book has to scream “buy me” in a loud and colourful voice. But there are some plusses. The thing to remember is that formatting is largely superfluous. You don’t have to worry about page and font size, margin parameters, or even page numbering.
Another bonus in Direct Publishing is that you can master a wide range of new skills including cover design (photography and Photoshop), HTML editing, not to mention that cornerstone to becoming a really successful author, namely marketing. All this can be loads of fun and useful for other projects. Pricing is something I would like to debate, but this article/blog is directly squarely at selling my book. Oh, did I mention that The Lost Diaries of John Smith is available exclusively from Amazon Kindle?
www.amazon.com/dp/B0059V8462 (USA $2.99) and www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0059V8462 (UK £2.14) and www.amazon.de/dp/B0059V8462 (Germany EUR 2.99)
My dad often spoke of a man who saved my life, and how we became refugees living in Scotland.
On the morning of 14th May 2014 most of Europe and North Africa was consumed by a massive fireball that killed countless millions and changed humanity forever. What didn’t burn was cursed by an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) that destroyed all electrical and electronic devices. In an instant mankind was rendered helpless. For those who survived the conflagration, food became scarce and starvation beckoned. At first many thought that the UK had been devastated by a massive, pre-emptive nuclear attack, but weeks later and survivors started to report seeing large “Unidentified Flying Objects” (UFOs) over Southern Scotland and Northern England.
I was too young to remember any of this, but my life was saved by the kindness of John Smith, a stranger who found me crying over the body of my dead mother, somewhere in Cumbria or Northumberland. He looked after me until we were picked up by an army patrol. Thereafter, I was reunited with my dad, before moving to Scotland. But what happened to the man who saved my life?
Eighteen months ago my father was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Before it was too late, he wanted to trace this man, not only to thank him again for saving my life, but also to help pinpoint the location where his wife (my mum) was buried.
Nonetheless, beyond the pseudonym (?) not much is known of John Smith. True, his first name was John and he was a survivor, having come from Cumbria, but we may never know his true origins or family background. His life post-apocalypse was one of survival, sacrifice, imprisonment and finally salvation. He saved many lives and yet he became a prisoner held under the convenience of quarantine.
His story and his lost diaries have done more than most to explain the events of 14th May 2014. Yet beyond his rediscovered writing he largely remains an enigma. Some say that was by design and of his own choosing, with friends respecting his wishes to remain just another refugee, trying to survive in Scotland.
But none of this was known to us as we began our research and journey of discovery. What little we knew was told by John Smith to my dad the night before we set off for Scotland in the summer of 2014. We survived, but did John Smith?
-------------------------------------------
“Imagine the world ending as told 20 years after the event. The Lost Diaries of John Smith was written by Amy Cooper on an old typewriter in 2035. She was born in 2010 and survived a devastating firestorm that killed countless millions in 2014. This is her story. Her prose is first hand and accompanies the lost diaries of the man who saved her life. The Lost Diaries of John Smith is acknowledged to be the best written account of survival in a post-apocalyptic Scotland. It also highlights the secretive mining operations by both man and alien.”
That’s the marketing pitch that hypes my new book. This article highlights my journey from frightful daydream to uploading my Kindle book.
The premise behind The Lost Diaries of John Smith is that on the morning of 14th May 2014 most of Europe and North Africa will be consumed by a massive firestorm. Millions died and humanity will be changed forever. Scotland survives the conflagration, but food becomes scarce and starvation beckons. At first many think the UK was devastated by a massive, pre-emptive nuclear attack, but weeks later and survivors start to report seeing large “Unidentified Flying Objects” (UFOs) over Southern Scotland and Northern England.
The book started with a simple notion, namely what if…? The book started life on 7th September 2007 when the world ended but not on that day. I was waiting for a friend on Beverley Road in Kingston upon Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It was a sunny afternoon and no worries. Suddenly I thought what if the world ended there and then. No warning. Just a massive firestorm and pain and death and then darkness…
…but what if I survived? What would I do? Where would I go?
Days later and I’m still intrigued with the notion of having survived Armageddon. But what caused the end? I have a frightful and creative imagination. Periodically this breaks the surface into something tangible that I can jot down So I started to formulate a narrative. Add aliens. Add salvation. Add government conspiracy and cover-up and that‘s the basis of The Lost Diaries of John Smith. The devil is in the detail, and parts of the journey and set design come from dreams and the need for change and/or to escape.
The majority of my book was written over Christmas 2010. Originally The Lost Diaries of John Smith was to have been published in scrapbook form, featuring old photographs, hand-written diaries and letters, some of which would have been written on the back of envelopes and food labels. The book would have featured typos and suspect grammar - bashed out on an old typewriter and duplicated on an equally battered, yet still-functioning photocopier - all rough-and-ready and very much reminiscent of 1970s DIY publishing before the arrival of Desk Top Publishing. But it was not to be.
The only concept to survive is that The Lost Diaries of John Smith is written by Amy Cooper (a fictional character). Her style of writing hides a lot of sins.
But why science fiction and why do we love a good kicking? Post or pseudo-apocalyptic science-fiction is big business, both in print and on the screen (both large and small). We’ve been invaded by aliens and smashed by meteorites, while mother-nature has also given us a fright. And this adrenaline rush permeates into the real world too. The events on 9/11 were mesmerising. It never stopped as real events were chased by online and on-air rumour. It was wrong and frightful and damning, but also an amazing buzz, though not one shared by those closer to events, both physically and emotionally. 9/11 was real and the human race and its demons made it happen.
The year before and protestors in the UK managed to prevent fuel tankers reaching petrol (gas) stations. Motorists were protesting about the hike in fuel prices. As the days passed there was the real likelihood that supplies would run out. This would mean that food would also become scarce. There would be riots and the army would be brought in. But common sense prevailed. But what a rush! Some of us trudge through a pitiful, mundane existence. We need change and diversity. We also need to escape and being destroyed by mother-nature or invaded by aliens gives us that adrenalin rush.
And is it me, or do we appear to be heading towards something amazingly terminal - something more devastating than a major tsunami or terrorist act? Such a ending has been predicted by numerous soothsayers, from Nostradamus to next door’s goldfish, though he (the fish) failed to predict his own cat-related demise.
Back to my book and the journey of salvation for my lead character is told through his diaries (hence the title). But who is John Smith? He saved the life of a three-year-old girl. Beyond that he’s an enigma. I created him but even I have no idea who he really is. He’s not me. I knew that before writing this book. The journey begins and hah, did you see how I dragged you in? You’re going to have to buy my book.
That said, it’s been a strange and complex journey. Much of what happened or will happen to Mr Smith was or is shaped by my own experiences and phobias. The Lost Diaries of John Smith is about running away from reality and commitment and responsibility and hard work.
The Lost Diaries of John Smith is available exclusively from Amazon Kindle. Originally I had discounted ePublishing. I’m a traditionalist and held the belief that your not a published author unless you inflict a paper cut or two.
Then I heard about John Locke. He’s the author who sold one million books in five months. I read his story online and downloaded his “How To…” guide creatively titled: “How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months!” Thereafter I was hooked. Direct Publishing (I hate the term “self-publishing” and despise the term “vanity-publishing”) is the greatest innovation in publishing since Gutenberg invented the photocopier, well sort of…
The problem is that as a direct publisher and author you’re not alone. There are around 700,000 titles available on amazon.com and that’s a very long bookshelf. Your book has to scream “buy me” in a loud and colourful voice. But there are some plusses. The thing to remember is that formatting is largely superfluous. You don’t have to worry about page and font size, margin parameters, or even page numbering.
Another bonus in Direct Publishing is that you can master a wide range of new skills including cover design (photography and Photoshop), HTML editing, not to mention that cornerstone to becoming a really successful author, namely marketing. All this can be loads of fun and useful for other projects. Pricing is something I would like to debate, but this article/blog is directly squarely at selling my book. Oh, did I mention that The Lost Diaries of John Smith is available exclusively from Amazon Kindle?
www.amazon.com/dp/B0059V8462 (USA $2.99) and www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0059V8462 (UK £2.14) and www.amazon.de/dp/B0059V8462 (Germany EUR 2.99)
thanks.