THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB discussion
Authors and Their Books
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AUTHOR FORUM-EILEEN THORNTON
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Welcome Eileen; I was delighted to read about your books via amazon.com. Can you tell me what inspired you to write the book? Did your novel turn out to be different than your original concept or did you have the general layout of the plot already established and developed it as you progressed in writing it? That is a very impressive list of acculades! Welcome to the club! Lastly, can you tell me the closest book that you feel reflects some elements of your novel? Spectacular review that mentions a comparison. I am interested more about your own idea of a comparison. I wish you well in your writing endevours.
Rick wrote: "message 2: by Brian (last edited 1 hour, 29 min ago) 1 hour, 29 min ago Welcome Eileen; I was delighted to read about your books via amazon.com. Can you tell me what inspired you to write the ..."
Thank you for your welcome, Brian.
My inspiration came from the fact that my first novel, a very sweet tender romance called Only Twelve Days, was rejected by all the publishers I approached. It was then that I decided to write something with more grit. Hence The Trojan Project was born.
I began the novel with a scene of destruction, which I hoped would get everyone's attention. (The way Stephen King does.) Then I went to give everyone a roller coaster ride as the protagonists flee for their lives. I wanted everyone to be as breathless while reading the novel, as I was when writing it - if you see what I mean.
I made up the story as I went along - I had no plan, neither did I make any notes. I have always been useless at making notes. Whenever I read back my notes, they have no bearing on what I want to say - I completed an Open University Degree course here in the UK without making notes. I relied on my memory, but that's another story.
Cheers,
Eileen
Hi Eileen; your style of writing is so unusual whereas you can write without notes or notations a whole novel and develope the book as you go along. Truly amazing! Naturally any book, fact or fiction within a British setting would interest me. It must be more difficult to write a series of books with a general theme than just one. I like the idea of an event occuring quickly in a novel, in the case of "The Trojen Project, the result of a reader such as me is to read the novel more and more. Some authors on goodreads which I feel would be helpful for feedback is George Straatman. Both novels he wrote are very suspenceful and Charlie Courtland whom has fantastic ideas. Also Dianne Sweeny. All of those authors would be authors I recommend to converse with. Under my friends list, Gary, has phenominal tastes in literature and has been very helpful for me also. It is great to have an accomplished author such as yourself on goodreads. I am unfamiliar with Northumberland (or is it North, North,). Very interesting as a setting for your novels, as mentioned many small towns. Goodreads is a very cordial group so do not hesitate to ask or connect. There were two new authors just a few days ago and already have made many friend here. Wish you well, and I hope this helps. Everyone is equal here.Oh, I almost forgot that under my friends list Werner has published a very good novel and I consider him in the highest regards as a friendly, knowledgeable, and easy to converse with person.
Brian wrote: "Hi Eileen; your style of writing is so unusual whereas you can write without notes or notations a whole novel and develope the book as you go along. Truly amazing! Naturally any book, fact or ficti..."Thank you Brian, I am open to all tips from fellow Authors. The Trojan Project is my first novel, as I usually write short stories and articles for magazines. However, I hope that The Trojan Project is full of suspense and that all who like this type of novel will enjoy it. If it is allowed, I would like to show the Prologue here, but I am not sure of the rules.
Best wishes,
Eileen
Hmm, I really can not foresee any reason why not. The mission, so to speak, of authors forum is to converse about your book. Rules are few. Foul language, I have not seen any yet. It is a very free site. I am interested in seeing the prologue. Reading enough of Rick's posts (the moderator) he encourages such things. To purchase "The Trojan Project" would paypal suffice? It usually is a world wide accepted form of transactions. I LOVE suspenceful books. Do not hesitate to ask me anything which I can be of help. I find it fun to discover new literature and I am intrigued by the post on your book you provided, Especially considering who wrote the review! Dianne Sweeny, for example graciously provides a free 20 page viewing of her book "Kissing Frogs In Cyberspace" and she posted a new forum, I think, two days ago. So by all means. Prologues are very helpful and sometimes will led me to buy a book!
Brian wrote: "Hmm, I really can not foresee any reason why not. The mission, so to speak, of authors forum is to converse about your book. Rules are few. Foul language, I have not seen any yet. It is a very free..."Surely amazon.com accept Paypal as a method of payment. I have never used Paypal so I don't know personally.
Meanwhile for all those interested, I have added the back cover blurb of my novel, The Trojan Project, here. I will get around to the Prologue later.
A strange light appears in the night sky above the Cheviots. A mist descends, shrouding the hills and valleys. Is it a natural phenomenon or something more sinister?
In a remote farmhouse, Sarah worries about Pete, her missing husband. When she and her two young children go in search of him, she makes a terrifying discovery.
She reports the incident to Andy, a disbelieving, young policeman. However, he is forced to think again when the military suddenly appear at the police station asking for Sarah by name.
How do they know she’s there?
Why do they want her so desperately?
Only Andy’s cunning allows them time to escape.
So begins a nightmare journey to her parent’s home in London. But as the net grows even wider, how long will they stay out of the clutches of the Military?
Meanwhile, what of Pete…?
Hi Eileen,How much of writing talent is God given and how much can one be taught?
Gary wrote: "Hi Eileen,How much of writing talent is God given and how much can one be taught? "
Now that is something to think about. I always say that I was not born to write. At school I could never think of anything to say when having to write an essay in class.
However, for some reason in 2001 I decided that I would like to write some short stories for magazines. It was than that I thought about the Writer's Bureau correspondence course. Now I won't say that they taught me to write. I had to write features, stories etc on a topic supplied by the Bureau with the tutor pointing out where I was going wrong. So perhaps what they did was to give me the confidence and to point me in the right direction. (I had an excellent tutor)
Therefore, perhaps I was born to write after all, with a little help thrown in!
Thanks Eileen, that is interesting! Do you ever just feel exhausted from writing? If so, what do you do to counter it?
Gary wrote: "Thanks Eileen, that is interesting! Do you ever just feel exhausted from writing? If so, what do you do to counter it?"I have a Gin & Tonic!
Mod
Rick wrote: "Do you set a max amt of time that you write- or if you are on a roll- do you simply go with it!"If I am on a roll, what I mean is, if the characters are hurtling forward, then I go for it - I can't stop writing. If, however, I find that the characters have come to a full stop - dithering about what to do next, then I have a re-think before going back to it.
Mod
If I am on a roll, what I mean is, if the characters are hurtling forward, then I go..."
really very fine answer! makes perfect sense
Rick wrote: "Eileen wrote: "Rick wrote: "Do you set a max amt of time that you write- or if you are on a roll- do you simply go with it!"If I am on a roll, what I mean is, if the characters are hurtling for..."
Thank you, Rick. At the moment I am having a rethink about where some characters should be going on my new novel - a sequel to The Trojan Project.
Mod
I would agree with Rick, more like a conquest. I believe one has to have natural talent along with the skills and research. Writing a good novel is not an easy feat.
Hello Rick & BrianYes, I suppose it is rather like a quest or, if you actually get to the end of the novel - a conquest.
I have reproduced the Prologue of my published novel below. I hope it will whet your appetite so much that you want to read more. (I have left a gap between each paragraph, as they were merging into one)
The Trojan Project
Prologue
“Oh my God! What on earth...?” Sarah screamed out, as a huge ball of light rose from behind the distant hills. Frozen with fear, she could only watch in horror as it slowly turned a sinister shade of green, while continuing to climb into the night sky. It grew larger and more vivid with every passing second before finally coming to rest high above the hills.
The glare was blinding and Sarah cupped her hands around her eyes to shield them from the brilliant rays beaming down onto the cottages in the valley below. Yet strangely, the farmhouse and fields on the hill where she stood were still in complete darkness. She wondered how it was possible.
Terrifying screams coming from the valley below interrupted her thoughts and, turning back to look down the hillside, she saw men and women fleeing from their homes. The people below were her friends. She wanted to go to them, to comfort them. But the light was too intense, making it impossible to see properly.
Then it was gone. It was almost as though an unseen hand had flicked off a switch. The whole episode had lasted little more than a few seconds, yet to Sarah it seemed like an hour.
Trembling with fear, Sarah thought of her children. They were still sleeping in the farmhouse at the top of the long winding drive. She tried to move, but her legs felt like two lead blocks and she slumped to the ground – her heart beating wildly. Then a horrifying thought occurred to her. A massive explosion might follow such a bright ball of light.
She heaved herself from the ground and began to make her way back to the farmhouse, forcing her stricken legs to move faster. She stumbled in the darkness and crashed to the ground, gashing her arms and legs on the sharp gravel. Scrambling to her feet again, she moved forward, unaware of the pain or of the warm sticky blood oozing from her wounds.
“Come on, Betts! Come on quickly!” she screamed out to the old sheepdog to follow her. She had to get back to the house – to her children. Their safety was the only thing on her mind. She must reach them before the explosion: they would be frightened – even worse, they might be killed.
Killed! That one dreadful thought gave her the extra strength she needed. With a sudden burst of energy, she bounded forward. She had to get her two children away from the house at all costs. Sarah’s mind was racing as she drew nearer to the farmhouse. Where would they go? Perhaps if she took them over the hill, behind the farm, they might be sheltered from the blast. There they may have a slim chance of survival. But on reaching the door she stopped and turned back to face the valley. Something was missing. What was it?
Looking out into the darkness, she realised the screams in the valley had stopped. Now thinking back, she recalled how even before the light had disappeared, the screaming had ended.
Listening hard, she realised there were no sounds at all. She glanced around nervously. Even at this time of night, it was never this quiet. There was always the reassuring hoot of a distant owl or the gentle rustling of nocturnal animals foraging for food in the undergrowth. Where were they tonight?
Tears rolled down Sarah’s cheeks, as she stood alone by the door. Burying her face in her hands, she desperately wished Pete would come home.
Brian wrote: "Hmm, I really can not foresee any reason why not. The mission, so to speak, of authors forum is to converse about your book. Rules are few. Foul language, I have not seen any yet. It is a very free..."I have now added the Prologue to my novel, The Trojan Project. I hope you enjoy it.
Cheers
Eileen
Hello All,Please check out my recent interview with Author Susan Whitfield on www.susanwhitfield.blogspot.com
Best wishes,
Eileen Thornton
Mod
Please check out my recent interview with Author Susan Whitfield on www.susanwhitfield.blogspot.com
Best wishes,
Eileen Thornton"
very nice Eileen!! I pasted a copy of the link on the SUPPORT A MEMBER DISCUSSION I feel this will give it even greater exposure!
Rick
Rick wrote: "Eileen wrote: "Hello All,Please check out my recent interview with Author Susan Whitfield on www.susanwhitfield.blogspot.com
Best wishes,
Eileen Thornton"
very nice Eileen!! I pasted..."
Thank you, Rick. Hopefully people will log on and read the interview.
Cheers,
Eileen
For those of you who might have logged on to read my interview with Susan Whitfield and found it had been moved, I have placed the new link below.http://susanwhitfield.blogspot.com/20...
Cheers,
Eileen
Mod
http://susanwhitfield.blogspot.com/20......"
Eileen- I cut/Pasted the link and placed it in the SUPPORT A MEMBER DISCUSSION so as many members can see it as possible
feel free to invite any of your friends to join our Group as well- the more the merrier!!
Rick
Thank you, Rick.Perhaps what I should have said was that the link had changed since I first added it here.
Best wishes,
Eileen
Yesterday I noticed on Amazon.com that someone in Italy had placed my novel, The Trojan Project, amongst his favourite 17 books about mystery and conspiracy.How cool is that??
Cheers,
Eileen
Mod
How cool is that??
Cheers,
Eileen"
thats wonderful Eileen!! congrats!! well deserved!
Rick
Thank you, Rick. As you can imagine, I am delighted that he thought so highly of my novel. Cheers - Eileen
Mod
quite a few excellant reviews on Amazon
here are a few
The best Book I have Read For Ages, June 14, 2010
By Long Tall Sally "Avid Reader" (Uk) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Trojan Project (Paperback)
I read this when it was first published. I couldn't put it down I was totally gripped from the start. Eileen writes with real authority about the North East. Her use of words to describe the situation is good and she certainly made it all seem very real. I can't wait for the sequel. i do hope there will be one Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
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COULD THIS REALLY BE HAPPENING NOW? A MUST READ FOR ALL READERS, October 22, 2009
By Fran Lewis "Fran and Bertha" - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Trojan Project (Paperback)
One Of The Best Books I Have Ever Reviewed
The Trojan Project
By Eileen Thornton
Stand where you are and listen to the stillness. Do you hear anything? Do you hear the rustling of the trees, the cattle or sheep moving? Do you see anyone out there while looking down from the top of the mountain? Now, look up into the sky and out into the distance. Do you see that green light? Don't get too close and find shelter before it is too late? The light appears in the night sky above the Cheviots. A mist begins to fall and covers the hills, valleys and more, what caused this light to appear and who or what is behind it?
What if the government in a lab unknown to the world created a chemical weapon that could wipe out millions of people in one shot? What would happen if the safeguards that were in place to prevent the container that housed this chemical imploded because someone wanted it to? What if someone disconnected the safeguards and incriminated its creator? What if this happened and those in charge decided to eliminate those who might have witnessed what happened that fateful night when a green light and mist appeared overhead and destroyed the fields, killed many animals and literally ate away the flesh and being of those who came in contact with it? What would you have? THE TROJAN PROJECT!
The Beginning: Witnesses
Sally is concerned that her husband Pete has not returned home after tending to the sheep. Sally is supposed to spend an evening with her friends but when one of children becomes ill she changes her plans and stays home. Trying to contact Pete is impossible and knowing that he would never be late or shirk his responsibilities as a father or husband Sally becomes frantic and realizes that something is wrong. Added to that she contacts many of her friends and neighbors to learn that some of the other husbands are missing too. The next morning she tried to contact her neighbors and all she got on her phone was static and her calls went unanswered.
Sensing that something is seriously wrong and having seen the green light and the mist that covered the valley, Sarah sets out with her children to find answers and to search for Pete. But, what she finds is so horrific that only a master writer like Eileen Thornton can create the suspense and intrigue that causes the reader not to be able to put down this thought provoking and bone chilling book. As she travels down the road she finds her husband's friend Dave who has been hit by this green light and mist and is about to die but not before telling her what he thinks is the fate of her husband, Pete. Dave also warns her not to get too close to him or touch him or what the author describes will happen to her. Necrotizing fasciitis is a flesh eating disease that will destroy your body and eat away your flesh. Imagine Sarah's reaction when she encounters Dave and she sees what could be this bacterial virus or something with the same result eating away at her friend's body.
Who or what is behind this she needs to know? But, finding out will not only prove dangerous but is Dave the only one who died from this or are there others? Is Pete really gone or does fate play a hand in what does happen to him and others?
Knowing that she needed help and someone to find out the answers with her she entered the police station only to find Constable Andy Simmonds who seems skeptical and finds her account of what happened not quite believable. But when his superior shows up and listens to her account of what happened and who was a victim of this flesh eating entity, he immediately goes into the valley in search of answers and to see if her story is credible. Added to that her daughter Josie shows them a picture of the green light and the mist in a drawing she saw from his window the night before.
What the police see and realize will frighten anyone. It would make you weary of any bright light in the sky and afraid of going in search of answers if this could be the end result. But, the worst has yet to come.
Eileen Thornton's descriptions of what happens to these victims are not only graphic but create a mental picture in the mind of the reader. Through Sally the reader can feel the fear, the intense feeling of agitation and anxiety caused when you know that there is imminent danger. Chills will go right down your spine and you might even want to read this with someone else.
What happens next?
When Sally, Andy and her children start searching for the truth you will not believe what they encounter. Is the military really going to destroy everyone that knows what happened and why? Who in the government engineered this explosion and why? The truth will make you pause and think twice about your friends and more. Two brave people making their way to London hoping Sally's father can help make sense of this nightmare. But, what he tells them will forever cast doubts in her mind about her father's involvement in the horrific event and whether he was truly responsible for what happened or was he being framed? A project so dangerous that he placed safeguards on it and made sure that no one could change or unlock them. A project so volatile that he took every precaution to make sure that it would not be tested until he was sure it was safe. But, someone wanted more and revenge is not pretty and this causer of death and destruction would not stop he had the one person he wanted under his power. Who this is and who is responsible? You will have to read for yourself.
What part does her father, Sir Charles play in this matter and what really did happen to her husband and his friend Josh? Not until you turn the page of this fast paced, frightening and true to life novel will you find out the answers.
Final Curtain
This is a novel of love, passion, hate, revenge and loyalty. It is about a woman who wanted answers and would risk it all to get them. When everything is said and done you will not believe what happens and the real reason behind what happened. A simple explosion- a chemical weapon meant to destroy and target one area and one group of people- but the best-laid murders are not always what you would hope them to be. How far would you go to save the life of those you love? The final curtain is more like a final revelation where all is finally out in the open and everything is revealed. Who solves what really happened and who survives? What happens will make you stop and think about whether this could and is really happening as we read and speak? First time novelist Eileen Thornton I give this book Five Safe Trojan Projects and Five Sir Charles Hammonds to make sure nothing goes wrong.
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE EVER REVIEWED. A MUST READ FOR ALL READERS
Fran Lewis: Reviewer Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
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Scary!, August 29, 2009
By Martha A. Cheves (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Trojan Project (Paperback)
The Trojan Project - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat
When I was a child, my family moved to Utah. I remember two nights that a neighbor came to warn us of the lights in the sky. The first night she knocked on our door around midnight. She was yelling and crying, trying to tell us there was a burning ball of light in the sky. The next night she came to tell us there was a burning rod of fire in the sky. Both nights we all went outside to see these lights for ourselves. And both nights we saw exactly what she saw. I can remember being scared but I couldn't take my eyes off the lights as they moved across the sky. Later we were told the lights were experimental air crafts being tested by the military. I never really believed that story, but after reading The Trojan Project, I think I believe it now .
Great book. It will make you stop and wonder what really goes on behind our backs and how much is covered up forever. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
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Thank you, Rick, for reproducing some the reviews for The Trojan Project here. I have since learned that two other people have included my novel in their lists on Listmania. Thankfully the word is spreading.Cheers,
Eileen
Hi,I would be grateful if you would vote for my novel, The Trojan Project on The Peoples Book Prize.
All you need to do is go to www.peoplesbookprize.com
Click on fiction and then on my book.
To vote you will need to register and they will immediately send you an obscure password to your inbox,which you will need before you can place your vote. This procedure is to make sure that no one person votes twice for the same book.
I doubt I will win, but it would be awful if The Trojan Project sat there with only my vote!!
Thank you,
Eileen
PS Please note that my new email address is eileen.thornton2@btinternet.com I don't know how to alter it on this Website.
It's my Birthday today!!! Go on - make my date by voting for The Trojan Project on http://www.peoplesbookprize.com/book....Simply register and follow the voting instructions carefully.
Cheers
Eileen
Mod
Simply register and follow the voting instructions carefully.
..."
happy birthday!!!!! I voted!
I voted for you!!!Like your book
In 2005 a couple of my short stories were included in two quite different anthologies. The first story was in an International Anthology, published in June, while the second appeared in Café Ole – Too Hot To Handle, which was launched in Glasgow during August.
My debut novel, The Trojan Project, an action thriller, was published at the end of May 2008 by Austin & Macauley Publishers Ltd.
I also review books for newbooks a bi-monthly magazine informing the public of new books on the shelves.
I am a member of the Society of Authors, the Society of Women Writer’s and Journalists, The Edinburgh Writer’s Club, The Borders Writer’s Forum and Mystery Women, as well as being an Associate Member of NAWG (National Association of Writers Groups).
My novel, The Trojan Project is set in the Cheviot Hills in North Northumberland in the UK. Anyone familiar with the area will recognize the small towns and villages the protagonists pass through, as they flee to safety.
The novel is available on both amazon.com and amazon.co.uk