Category: Hello

The journey so far

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‘My adventure into writing began back when I was just seven years old. The set up would be in the dining room with me and my brother at the dining room table. He would be drawing wars and dinosaurs whilst I would be there writing stories.
Even though I was too young to have a plan for the future, writing was the least likely option for me – being a child that needed speech therapy and extra support with writing and spelling, I was never considered to be a child that might enjoy writing.’

You can find out more about my journey into writing and self-publishing by having a read of my new ‘About‘ page.

Download my books to your Kindle for free this weekend! 

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For this weekend (21st and 22nd) my books will be available on Amazon for free. You can download my stories onto your Kindle without paying a single penny, and begin reading within seconds.

There is no special reason that my books are free this weekend, I’m just feeling generous!  

Make sure that you head on to Amazon tomorrow and download all 3 of my books Endurance, Endurance: Apocalypse and The Author. 

http://author.to/TJBlake

  
http://author.to/TJBlake

I completed the gruelling Nuts Challenge

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Yesterday I completed the gruelling Nuts Challenge and thankfully I didn’t die!

For those of you who don’t know what it is, it’s a 7k army assault course caped in mud. There’s running, climbing, sliding, crawling, swinging, jumping, swimming (I chose to do this at one stage) and carrying. It was exhausting, but I’m glad that I did it to pick up my medal at the end. 

Check out my photos from the day to get an idea of what it was like. These photos were taken at the end of the course so I had already done the hard stuff! 

I did all of my own stunts!

   
    
   
  

New Thriller New Title?

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I have been trying to think of a title for my new thriller for a while now, but I may have finally thought of a title worth considering. 

After originally submitting the first few chapters of ‘The Dog Walk’ for my dissertation, I then decided to continue writing it and adapt it into a full novel. I was initially going to stick with ‘The Dog Walk’ as the title for the book, but for me it just wasn’t right. I thought of titles such as ‘Woodland Walker’, ‘Collared’ and ‘Woodlands’, but none of which suited the book. Now though I have a title which is well suited and definitely my best title yet.

The piece of work originated from my Creative Writing Dissertation (Which I gladly received a First for). I did a lot of research into the field of psychogy before creating the characters and story. With my readings, I was able to create the intricate and intriguingly strange and lonely main character Billy. 

I’m happy with how the story is currently unfolding, and I can’t wait to get it finished and published for all of you to read. 

Humanely release the Orca whale known as Tilikum to a seapen for rehab – Watch Blackfish and sign the petition!

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I have today finally got around to watching Blackfish, and even though it did make me cry, it opened my narrow, naive and ignorant mind to it all.

I have been to SeaWorld three times. I thought that the Whales were all well looked after and very happy in captivity, I mean a lot of people believe that right? We’re all mistaken. They aren’t happy and are kept in poor conditions. Their lives are miserable. I feel dirty for ever going to SeaWorld, and I certainly won’t be going ever again! 

Whether you have been to SeaWorld or not, you HAVE to watch Blackfish and conduct your own research to learn the harrowing and heartbreaking truths of Tilikum and SeaWorld’s ‘care’ for him. It’s completely shocking and inhumane. SeaWorld should be ashamed of themselves. I hope that they get shut down, and Tilikum can try to recover from his years of hurt and frustration. 

Watch Blackfish and support the cause in anyway you can. There are many petitions, Facebook groups etc highlighting the appeal to free Tilikum, but the most important thing is to spread the word and open the mind of the millions of small minded and ignorant humans. 

As human beings, lets do the right thing and do what is best for Tilikum! 

https://www.change.org/p/seaworld-inc-humanely-release-the-orca-whale-known-as-tilikum-to-a-seapen-for-rehab#

Finally Graduated… Even though I did look like a student of Hogwarts

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After three years of writing fiction, screenplays, radio scripts, stage scripts, poetry, short fiction, flash fiction and studying the many theorists within the English Language, I have finally graduated Kingston University with a BA(Hons) degree in Creative Writing with English Language and Communications.

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Education was very difficult for me at first; especially for a child who had speech therapy and attended extra classes for handwriting, spelling and mathematics.
I had a tough time learning throughout the school years of my education. I think a huge effect was that I was put down by a number of teachers along the way; always predicting me mediocre grades. I remember one teacher told me that I would be lucky to get a ‘D’ in English Language and completely doubted my ability to attend university to study English.
Well here I am, around 3 years after you told me I wouldn’t go to uni; with a mortarboard on my head, and a degree in Creative Writing with English Language & Communications added to my CV.
I am confident that I’ve proved you wrong, but I do have to thank you for spurring me on to do so.

From this post you can take the belief that no one should have the right to tell you that you can’t do something. Do not let anyone tell you that you can’t achieve something. If you want to attend university, then you can do it!

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Entering a different mind and body 

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Today I have been writing. This writing though means that I have to enter into a different kind of mind state to become this character. This mind is unlike myself and any other character of mine. 

It does however make me wonder, is there any person out there who thinks the same as my character, Billy in this story? To be honest I hope not. Although his mind and thought processes are intelligent, imaginative and creative, he is dangerous.

Billy’s an interesting character, and I look forward to see where he takes me! 

Valentines Day has arrived

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It’s the day that single people detest, but it’s officially the day to be loved up and express your love to your partner by buying her gifts.
Personally I don’t really understand Valentines Day. I think it is a ploy to make some money out of people.
Wouldn’t people prefer to be surprised with flowers, chocolate and love on a random day of the year rather than a specified day?

Well that took a dark turn…

That’s enough negativity for one day.
Having said this, I will still be ‘taking part’ in valentines day with my girlfriend. I bought her a card, chocolates and a rose (I can do romance).
I also suggested going to see American Sniper for our valentines film, but she said no. Instead my suggestion of Big Hero 6 turned out to be a winner!

Everyone enjoy your day whatever you’re doing.

Dissertation and Author Work

T. J. BlakeLeave a comment

Currently I am concentrating on my University course Creative Writing and English Language rather than trying to complete my latest books Alive and Endurance: Recovery. I promise I will get around to them, I know some of you are waiting the final instalment of the Endurance Series but don’t worry you won’t have to wait too long it will be coming this year, but unfortunately I have to put University first on my mental to do list. Number 1 being Graduate with a degree.

Although, it is great doing Creative Writing as part of my degree because it means that I can still work on future projects. For my creative writing dissertation I am in fact working on a potential book of mine. I had an idea of a book that I wanted to write and it’s an idea that you probably wouldn’t expect me to write.
This book has been given the provisional name The Dog Walk. 
This idea is one that is very unlike me. It is a suspense and mystery novel which of course is my favourite genre to write but there will be no violence. I have made this an important rule of mine, if any it will be minimal.
If you’ve read my three books then you will know that the violence in them is quite a main part of my books but this one it will not and instead I will be using something else to drive the story and my reader crazy!

Fortunately this is my last year of university. After this I can really get into my writing and start producing more for you all to enjoy!

With three books in the line, one of them being the conclusion to the Endurance Series, another a Supernatural horror and the other a non-violent suspense novel, I’m sure there will be something for you to enjoy.

A Quick Thank You!

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Thank you to those people who downloaded The Author whilst it was just 99p on Amazon UK on Kindle.

 

I would also just like to say thank you all for your support over the past year. In this time I have released my first two novels Endurance and The Author and during this time I have had a great time writing and marketing them. I’ve had great feedback from my readers and it feels great to know that I have entertained you. I hope to be writing more over the years and I hope you will all follow me on my writing journey.

THANK YOU 🙂