The winner of the prize draw from our April 15th book launch is Carolyn C.! Carolyn was out of town for a while, but we caught up with her to present the prize package (a signed copy of "Southumb Pride", a bottle of Storyteller wine, two highly-coveted "Ticking" T-shirts and two attractive, yet functional coffee mugs). Congrats Carolyn!

Can't wait to hear "Ticking: A Tale of Two Time Travellers"? You're in luck! Just click the link below for the full book (works on a PC or Mac). Great for your commute or road trip.

Matthew M. and his dad, Kevin, dropped in. Matthew has read Book #1, so he picked-up #2, "The Hawking Sequence". Happy reading!

Gail C. with her copy of "The Hawking Sequence". Enjoy!

Carolyn Costigan! Congratulations to Carolyn, who has won a prize of a signed copy of "Southumb Pride", a bottle of Storyteller wine, two highly-coveted "Ticking" T-shirts and two attractive, yet functional coffee mugs.

My April 15th launch of Book #4, "Ticking: Southumb Pride" was a success, despite a power outage at Chapters and the surrounding area. 

Below is the cover design for the second edition of my first book. The cover ties-in with the other covers and presents them as a set. My son, Clark, did the design, using a map that I drew of the Greater London, England area in the mid-1700's. Londoners will know where Southwark, Covent Garden, Clapham Common and maybe even Wimbledon are. Those of us less familiar with the local geography will see the red pin where the chrononauts landed in Hounslow Heath and, further west in Middlesex, Mansfield Castle.
Is the cover a winning design, or what?

On April 15th at the book launch, I'll have a copy of the screenplay (or script) I've been developing.
A screenplay includes everything seen or heard on screen: locations, dialogue and action. It tells the story but is also a technical document that contains all the info needed to film the movie.
One page of a screenplay equates to about one minute of screen time. So generally, screenplays are typically 100 to 120 pages long.
For now, I've split Book 1 (A Tale of Two Time Travellers) into two parts: Episode 1 is now a two hour movie (127 pages) and Episode 2 is about 82 pages (one hour 22 minutes). I'm currently writing Episode 3, where the chrononauts travel to Southumbria. The book will likely be divided into 3 episodes.
To me, the screenwriting process is more challenging than writing a book. The industry adheres to strict standards that ensure quality productions. Where a book is, by nature, descriptive, the screenplay must be succinct, providing just a glimpse of what the director and actors will portray on-screen. 

Screenplays use seven line types in a defined format:

1. Scene/Slugline -- Left aligned, all caps: INTerior/EXTerior, location, time of day
2. Action — Left aligned, maximum of five lines, but four is way better
3. Character — Centered, all caps
4. Parenthetical — If required, below a character line. A parenthetical clarifies a character’s action or gesture as they deliver the dialogue.
5. Dialogue — block formatted below character
6. Shot — Left aligned, all caps
7. Transition — Right aligned, all caps, like "Fade out"

Chapters was forced to cancel my February book launch due to a nationwide cyber attack. The new date is Saturday April 15 at the Chapters in Coquitlam (just east of Coquitlam Centre). Come visit any time between 11 am and 4 pm. I'll sign a copy of any of the four books for you!