This week, we finally managed to install our new (not new ) item of furniture - a mid-18th Century grandfather clock. It's not bright and shiny like more modern ones, but a dark oak with a warm patina which the beeswax polish is drawing out. In order to set it up, we had to do a certain amount of research - how to hang the pendulum, where the weight went on the endless chain - and it got me thinking... where and when did certain divisions of time come from? The time periods which I have written either had household clocks or didn't, I have not written novels from the time of their invention. Clocks have been around for a long time, and the obsession with measuring time in an ordered fashion dates back to at least the ancient Sumerians. It was they who established a circular reading of time and, I imagine, the sixty seconds/minutes came about as much because it was an easy way to divide a circle as anything else. But it wasn't until much later that the precision of seconds ...
Today (on #MGMonday) was supposed to be a blog about creating worlds for fantasy stories, but that will have to wait, because I have some amazing news to share! Happy Release Day to our latest book, Sir Louis Curlewy by Susan Crow! Happy Birthday, Sir Louis Curlewy! (Balloons and Curlews don't actually mix that well!) This wonderfully informative book contains heap-loads of facts about this vulnerable bird, but all told in engaging rhyme. I've been sharing information about this book for a few months now, starting with the cover reveal, then the book teaser and now I'm finally able to share with you the book itself. Thank you to all those who pre-ordered the ebook. It should have made its way onto your e-reader by now (if it hasn't, get in touch!) If you were waiting for the paperback, it is now available to buy from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sir-Louis-Curlewy-non-fiction-endangered/dp/1913182517 Blurb This captivating book combines storytelling with fun facts a...