Tag Archives: Mad Men

Flight of Destiny by Francis H. Powell

Please help me welcome my guest, Francis H. Powell:

FODFrontCoverMed.jpg.opt221x331o0,0s221x331

Flight of destiny is a collection of short stories about misfortune. They are characterized by unexpected final twists, that come at the end of each tale. They are dark and surreal tales, set around the world, at different time periods. They show a world in which anything can happen. It is hard to determine reality and what is going on a disturbed mind. People’s conceptions about morality are turned upside down. A good person can be transformed by an unexpected event into a bad person and then back again to their former state. The high and mighty often deliver flawed arguments, those considered wicked make good representations of themselves. Revenge is often a subject explored.  

Buy links:

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00WSWYVNK

http://www.prlog.org/12443660

And now, Francis is going to share a little about himself…

Where did you get the idea for Flight of Destiny? 

The title flight of Destiny, seemed to go really well, with the theme running through my short stories, which often revolve around fate and misfortune.

Are there any tricks or habits you use when creating a story?

For me, it is fundamental that the first sentence in each story, starts dramatically and grabs the reader’s attention, for example my story Bugeyes begins with… Bug-eyes was due a life of toil. Seed begins with Captain Spender’s wife was ovulating.  Cast from Hell begins with There it was: I was to be banished from hell. The ends have to have a dramatic twist, with events leading up to this.

What’s your favorite book of all time and why? What’s your favorite childhood book?

A book that has stayed with me since childhood is Kiss Kiss by Roald Dahl, it’s a book of short stories and has been a great influence on my book Flight of Destiny.

What do you want readers to come away with after they read Flight of Destiny?

I hope they will have been entertained, hooked on the stories right up to the last sentence.

What genre have you never written that you’d like to write?

Perhaps a historical novel.

If you were stranded on a deserted island and you could have 3 (inanimate) objects, what would they be?

A computer with wifi connection…(sorry that’s a bit sad)

A piano (I could spend my time teaching myself to play)

An enormous sketch book so I could draw and paint…

Your favorite…

Movie One flew over the cuckoo’s nest

Music Bitter sweet symphony by the Verve

Place you’ve visited Cornwall

Place you’d like to visit Bali

TV show from childhood  Doctor Who

TV show from adulthood Mad Men

Food Thai

Sports team Chelsea FC

 

bandforwebsite

BIO

What better way to put all my angst into short stories. Born in a commuter belt city called Reading, like many a middle or upper class child of such times I was shunted off to an all-male boarding school aged eight, away from my parents for up to twelve weeks at a time, until I was 17.  While at my first Art college, I met a writer called Rupert Thomson, who was in the process of writing his first book “Dreams of leaving”. His personality and wit resonated, long losing contact with him.  Later I lived in Austria, in 1999 I moved to Paris.  During my time in Paris I met Alan Clark, who had a literary magazine called Rat Mort (dead rat). I began contributing and got hooked on writing short stories.  My book Flight of Destiny is a result of this obsession.  I also write poetry.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 360 pages
  • Publisher: Savant Books & Publications LLC; 1 edition (April 7, 2015)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0988664097
  • ISBN-13: 978-0988664098
  • Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches

 

 

4 Comments

Filed under Author Blog Post, New Release

Wednesday’s Want, Wed, Waste: Downton Abbey, North and South, Mad Men

Hello and welcome to my version of the game, ‘F*@#’, Marry, Kill. This week we are WWW’ing men in period drama roles. WARNING: Spoilers if you’re not caught up on the shows.

Myself and some of my friends are sharing our Want, Wed, and Waste choices from this week’s list:

Richard Armitage as John Thornton in North and South (BBC) – Dan Stevens as Matthew Crawley in Downton Abbey – Jon Hamm as Don Draper in Mad Men

richard_armitage abby Don-Draper-Mad-Men

Click on book titles below to learn more and to be taken to a buy link

**********************

Me (Alicia Dean). Author of DEATH NOTICE (Northland Crime Chronicles, Book 1)  – A killer has something to say, and he’s using her obituary column to get his point across…

(I don’t watch any of these shows, shame on me, so I’m going by looks and what the other ladies have said)

Want: Matthew Crawley – He’s very young-looking (but from my past choices, apparently, I’m into young guys), but he’s also freakin’ hot! Love those blue eyes. He seems like the kind of guy who would make you swoon.

Wed: John Thornton – I’m sold with the English accent and the intensity. I like the way he looks, too…very sexy. I really MUST check out that show.

Waste: Don Draper – I think I would like this show, I love the era of the 50’s, but I’ve never watched it. However, I think Jon Hamm is overrated. I hear women raving about how gorgeous and sexy he is, but I don’t see it. I might if I watched Mad Men, but since I don’t, he drew the short straw.

**********************

Jill Hughey writes historical romance and absolutely adores most period drama. Vain, the third book in her series set in Charlemagne’s Empire, features a hero she refers to as a medieval metrosexual (he likes clothes) and his tailor’s daughter, the closest thing to a haute couture designer he will ever meet. Vain is available at Amazon and most ebook vendors.

WANT: If I could pick Richard Armitage twice, I would, but Alicia has her rules! So, I’ll pick Dan Stevens as Matthew Crawley, though I’d like to request that he dress in a Downton Abbey costume, we meet in a period-correct setting, and he looks at me longingly with those beautiful blue eyes.

WED: Richard Armitage. Richard Armitage. Richard Armitage as John Thornton in North and South. I am such a North and South addict that I wrote a free serial sequel that starts here. http://jillhughey.blogspot.com/2014/01/chapter-1-becoming-mrs-thornton.html Anyway, about Richard Armitage. His voice. The study he brings to his roles. His sharp good looks. His intensity. His voice. His eyes. Did I mention his lovely deep voice? If he said, “Will you put toilet paper on the grocery list?” I would probably swoon and say, “Right after you take me back to the bedroom, darling.”

WASTE: Jon Hamm as Don Draper. I realize that the 1950s are a period and that Mad Men is a drama, but it is one century too recent to be of interest to me. Darn it, now I have to go watch the last ten minutes of North and South again!

*************************

Lyndi Lamont, author of “How To Woo… A Reluctant Bride” steamy Victorian romance, ONLY 99¢!!! Website: http://www.lyndilamont.com

Lyndi is offering a free ebook copy of How to Woo…A Reluctant Bride to one lucky commenter!

Want: Don Draper of Mad Men – I’ve been a fan of Mad Men since it started, and against all common sense, I still want Don, if only because Jon Hamm is the most handsome man I’ve ever seen on the small screen. What a hunk! Don is a player and can be a real a jackass at times, but he’s not as chauvinistic as some of the men he works for. (After all, he recognized Peggy’s abilities and promoted her from secretary to copy writer.) He’s terrible husband material, good for the short haul only. But, oh, what a fun ride it would be!

Wed: Matthew Crawley of Downton Abbey – Big sigh. Matthew comes as close to being the perfect man as anyone could wish. He’s handsome, honorable and kind, if at times a bit too proud and stubborn. He would have been good marriage prospect even if he weren’t heir to an earldom. His love made Lady Mary a better person.

Waste: John Thornton of North and South – This was hard, in part because I haven’t had a chance to see the entire mini-series yet, just the first half, and because I think he’s an honorable man in his own way. But I’d have to waste him for the mother-in-law-from-hell factor, if nothing else. Not to mention the snotty sister. Seriously, would you want to marry into that family? And John doesn’t seem like the type to engage in a lighthearted fling. I do think he’d make a good husband, just not my cup of tea. (Besides, I was raised by two union members, so it would be like consorting with the enemy!)

*************************

Andrea R. Cooper – fantasy/ paranormal and historical romance author. Viking Fire – historical romance w/ a touch of magic

Want: Richard Armitage as John Thornton – What can I say, except he makes my giddy. It would be interesting to hear all about anything he had to say with that natural English accent. Sigh.

Wed:  Matthew Crawley on Downton Abbey – Also with an English accent 😉 And his coloring reminds me of my husband a bit. Is it hot in here?

Waste:  Jon Hamm as Don Draper in Mad Men – Sad to say, out of all three of these, he doesn’t appeal to me at least not in the Want or Wed.

*************************

Now we’d like to hear from you….which of these Hotties from the Past would you Want, Wed, and Waste? Thanks for playing!

14 Comments

Filed under Entertainment, For Writers