Benjamin Shaw's Blog
July 6, 2021
Cherub Muchamore Competition!
Hi everyone,
I was lucky enough to strike up a conversation with Robert Muchamore over email recently and he sent me some signed bookplates, some bookmarks and stickers.
I decided, in support of my book and his new Robin Hood title (out this week!) to give them away to some real Muchamore fans... if you head to my Facebook page, you'll find out how you can enter. www.facebook.com/benjaminshawbooks
Good luck!
B
I was lucky enough to strike up a conversation with Robert Muchamore over email recently and he sent me some signed bookplates, some bookmarks and stickers.
I decided, in support of my book and his new Robin Hood title (out this week!) to give them away to some real Muchamore fans... if you head to my Facebook page, you'll find out how you can enter. www.facebook.com/benjaminshawbooks
Good luck!
B
June 4, 2021
An Absolute Cherub!
A few weeks ago, I was having one of those days where you just feel like everything is a bit of a struggle. I'm really impatient and one of the problems with publishing is, most things take a little while. So, I decided to get off my backside and take some action!
I wrote an email to an author. He's a pretty good author. Well, in fact, he's sold quite a few million books, if truth be told. His name is Robert Muchamore and he wrote the MASSIVE Cherub book series, about a young man from a council estate who becomes a government agent. Even Spiderman, Tom Holland, wore one of his Cherub t-shirts as he was training for one of his movies.
But the key thing is, he writes Young Adult spy books... no dragons, no wizards, no spells... not that there's anything wrong with those things; but sometimes, as an author who doesn't include elements like that in their writing, it can feel like you're a bit outside of the cool club.
Anyway, the email was pretty long. It just said about how great it was to have him as a leading light in the genre - his books are still beloved and he's still flying the flag with some great new work. At the end of the email, I said "to prove you've read this far, just reply with the word 'fandango'." Less than an hour later, I get an email... simply says...
"Fandango."
Since then, we've exchanged a few emails and he's been really encouraging and very helpful. In fact, Robert even sent me a stash of signed stuff to give away to people. That'll be happening next week!
Whatever your version of success is, whatever point you're at in life, it doesn't cost much to help other people or be kind. It certainly made me feel pretty good.
Until next time... B
Robert Muchamore
I wrote an email to an author. He's a pretty good author. Well, in fact, he's sold quite a few million books, if truth be told. His name is Robert Muchamore and he wrote the MASSIVE Cherub book series, about a young man from a council estate who becomes a government agent. Even Spiderman, Tom Holland, wore one of his Cherub t-shirts as he was training for one of his movies.
But the key thing is, he writes Young Adult spy books... no dragons, no wizards, no spells... not that there's anything wrong with those things; but sometimes, as an author who doesn't include elements like that in their writing, it can feel like you're a bit outside of the cool club.
Anyway, the email was pretty long. It just said about how great it was to have him as a leading light in the genre - his books are still beloved and he's still flying the flag with some great new work. At the end of the email, I said "to prove you've read this far, just reply with the word 'fandango'." Less than an hour later, I get an email... simply says...
"Fandango."
Since then, we've exchanged a few emails and he's been really encouraging and very helpful. In fact, Robert even sent me a stash of signed stuff to give away to people. That'll be happening next week!
Whatever your version of success is, whatever point you're at in life, it doesn't cost much to help other people or be kind. It certainly made me feel pretty good.
Until next time... B
Robert Muchamore
May 27, 2021
The Adventure Begins!
So, it's out there. Operation Hurricane has launched and it feels absolutely cracking to finally say that!
But what feels even better, is that my social feeds and messages are filling up with pictures of people holding a copy... some are selfies, some are young adults with their faces stuck in it... and I have to tell you, I don't think I can describe how breathtaking that is - but, you've seen the size of the book, I always manage to find the words!
Some of you may know that I play in a band, which is an incredible hobby to have. The feeling when you connect with people through music is a bit spiritual, a little bit tribal and very, very cool. But connecting with people whom I've never met through this world that I created in Hurricane? That's like playing Wembley... three nights in a row... sold out.
Thank you for sharing, keep it up and happy reading!
Until next time...
B
But what feels even better, is that my social feeds and messages are filling up with pictures of people holding a copy... some are selfies, some are young adults with their faces stuck in it... and I have to tell you, I don't think I can describe how breathtaking that is - but, you've seen the size of the book, I always manage to find the words!
Some of you may know that I play in a band, which is an incredible hobby to have. The feeling when you connect with people through music is a bit spiritual, a little bit tribal and very, very cool. But connecting with people whom I've never met through this world that I created in Hurricane? That's like playing Wembley... three nights in a row... sold out.
Thank you for sharing, keep it up and happy reading!
Until next time...
B
May 10, 2021
Meet Skye
Welcome back to Section X!
However fantastic your fiction is, you can’t create a world without reflecting some reality – it’s what readers grab hold of, it’s what brings characters to life and convinces you to care about them. When I started writing Operation Hurricane, I planned every chapter and this gave me the chance to really get to know my characters and get under their skin.
Skye Rake is a young woman you’ll meet in the exclusive short story, Nine Lives – that will arrive in your inbox at some point if you’ve signed up to the website – if you haven't, hat are you waiting for?! Skye is a little older than Boyd and, like Fitz, their backgrounds have little in common, so she reacts to pressure quite differently from the young men in the book.
Skye is a journalist. She runs a YouTube channel called FrakeNews and she sees it as her duty to disrupt the establishment, asking questions that people in power don’t want to answer about events they don’t want to admit even exist. Because of this, Skye and her team are hunted by the Home Secretary, outlawed as ‘vigilante vloggers’. At the time of Nine Lives, the government still don’t know who Skye is or how she manages to fly under the radar and she gets a huge kick out of that. But the developments in Operation Hurricane are going to drag her into the spotlight and life at FrakeNews is about to change forever.
The thing about Skye is, she embraces responsibility. Where Boyd wants to walk away from problems he doesn’t see as his to deal with; Skye is ready to fight and make the world a fairer place. Sometimes we see people like this as dreamers or idealists, but that's not the case, as you'll see when you meet Skye. She is stronger than Boyd in many ways and as she says to him; ‘If you betray me, I’ll end you.’
Yep… Skye is definitely a woman you want on your side!
I hope you enjoy Nine Lives, it really sets up Skye for what’s to come in operation Hurricane.
Until next time…
B
However fantastic your fiction is, you can’t create a world without reflecting some reality – it’s what readers grab hold of, it’s what brings characters to life and convinces you to care about them. When I started writing Operation Hurricane, I planned every chapter and this gave me the chance to really get to know my characters and get under their skin.
Skye Rake is a young woman you’ll meet in the exclusive short story, Nine Lives – that will arrive in your inbox at some point if you’ve signed up to the website – if you haven't, hat are you waiting for?! Skye is a little older than Boyd and, like Fitz, their backgrounds have little in common, so she reacts to pressure quite differently from the young men in the book.
Skye is a journalist. She runs a YouTube channel called FrakeNews and she sees it as her duty to disrupt the establishment, asking questions that people in power don’t want to answer about events they don’t want to admit even exist. Because of this, Skye and her team are hunted by the Home Secretary, outlawed as ‘vigilante vloggers’. At the time of Nine Lives, the government still don’t know who Skye is or how she manages to fly under the radar and she gets a huge kick out of that. But the developments in Operation Hurricane are going to drag her into the spotlight and life at FrakeNews is about to change forever.
The thing about Skye is, she embraces responsibility. Where Boyd wants to walk away from problems he doesn’t see as his to deal with; Skye is ready to fight and make the world a fairer place. Sometimes we see people like this as dreamers or idealists, but that's not the case, as you'll see when you meet Skye. She is stronger than Boyd in many ways and as she says to him; ‘If you betray me, I’ll end you.’
Yep… Skye is definitely a woman you want on your side!
I hope you enjoy Nine Lives, it really sets up Skye for what’s to come in operation Hurricane.
Until next time…
B
April 27, 2021
Meet Boyd
Greetings from Section X...
In the past, when I’ve written scripts, or even just scribbled down ideas for stories, I always seemed to struggle getting inside the head of a main character... until I found Boyd.
When we first meet Boyd at school, he is a fairly normal 15-year-old boy who has been raised by a strict father, without a mother, and doesn’t feel like he fits in anywhere. And he doesn’t care much about what people think of him, or so he says.
You might notice the fact that everyone just calls him by his last name, even his dad, his aunt and his teachers; it just seems to fit.
There’s something about calling someone by their first name that suggests fondness or familiarity, and Boyd doesn’t really have that with anyone.
His mother died when he was a baby and his father often works away, which means he spends a lot of time with his aunt, Aurora. She is an old hippy, and Boyd admires her for her free spirit and total disregard for life’s rules - she is probably the closest thing to a friend that Boyd has.
When his life starts to unravel, Boyd is forced to run, not sure who he can trust.
His first lesson is that running away doesn’t resolve anything - you have to stand your ground and work things out. But because of the way he has isolated himself, he finds that there’s not a long list of people who are willing to fight his corner.
And this is where his greatest challenge lies - learning to rely on other people. He also needs to help them in return - to build trust - something Boyd doesn’t do easily and you’ll see why when you take this journey with him.
Boyd is a typical teenager in every way; it’s just the circumstances he finds himself in are complex.
Like a lot of young adults, he battles grief, anger, pride and solitude every single day but he manages to keep it all just below the surface, and out of sight. If no one notices what he’s going through, he will never have to admit it; and he will never ask anyone for help.
The fact that he has to overcome these issues to save the world are just as important to me as how he responds when he’s chased by assassins on motorbikes or left hanging from a helicopter over London!
Boyd is someone I would have loved to have read about when I was younger; someone I would have recognised in myself and many of the people around me.
I’m glad I took the time to find him. I hope you are, too.
Until next time...
B
In the past, when I’ve written scripts, or even just scribbled down ideas for stories, I always seemed to struggle getting inside the head of a main character... until I found Boyd.
When we first meet Boyd at school, he is a fairly normal 15-year-old boy who has been raised by a strict father, without a mother, and doesn’t feel like he fits in anywhere. And he doesn’t care much about what people think of him, or so he says.
You might notice the fact that everyone just calls him by his last name, even his dad, his aunt and his teachers; it just seems to fit.
There’s something about calling someone by their first name that suggests fondness or familiarity, and Boyd doesn’t really have that with anyone.
His mother died when he was a baby and his father often works away, which means he spends a lot of time with his aunt, Aurora. She is an old hippy, and Boyd admires her for her free spirit and total disregard for life’s rules - she is probably the closest thing to a friend that Boyd has.
When his life starts to unravel, Boyd is forced to run, not sure who he can trust.
His first lesson is that running away doesn’t resolve anything - you have to stand your ground and work things out. But because of the way he has isolated himself, he finds that there’s not a long list of people who are willing to fight his corner.
And this is where his greatest challenge lies - learning to rely on other people. He also needs to help them in return - to build trust - something Boyd doesn’t do easily and you’ll see why when you take this journey with him.
Boyd is a typical teenager in every way; it’s just the circumstances he finds himself in are complex.
Like a lot of young adults, he battles grief, anger, pride and solitude every single day but he manages to keep it all just below the surface, and out of sight. If no one notices what he’s going through, he will never have to admit it; and he will never ask anyone for help.
The fact that he has to overcome these issues to save the world are just as important to me as how he responds when he’s chased by assassins on motorbikes or left hanging from a helicopter over London!
Boyd is someone I would have loved to have read about when I was younger; someone I would have recognised in myself and many of the people around me.
I’m glad I took the time to find him. I hope you are, too.
Until next time...
B
March 29, 2021
Welcome to Section X!
Greetings, wherever you are.
I’m Benjamin and I’m the author of The Evan Boyd Adventures. The first book is coming soon, and if you like page-flipping action and characters that come alive off the page… I think you’re going to love jumping into the world of Boyd and Section X.
Operation Hurricane is a mixture of all the films and books I’ve always loved. It’s bursting with all the action, danger and thrills you’d expect from a trip to the cinema. But at its heart is the journey of a teenager, having to deal with learning who he is when everyone else seems to have an opinion on who they want him to be; something I remember well from growing up.
I lost my dad when I was fifteen years old and it changed everything about my life, I felt like suddenly I wasn’t a kid anymore, I didn’t want to be; but I also wasn’t ready to have all the hassle and responsibility of being an adult. Boyd has to do battle with similar challenges in his life; but he has to do it whilst fighting on top of trams and jumping off of the London Eye, which is a little bit more exciting than my life ever got! I didn’t want to create a character who was just like every other action hero or spy, I wanted Boyd to have flaws, to face up to them and be forced to make tough choices that affect not only himself but others too.Operation Hurricane is just the beginning, we’ll be going on this journey with Boyd as he discovers who he is and, more importantly, who he can trust.
The next blog is a chance for you to get a closer look at who Boyd is when his journey begins, you might recognise him in yourself or someone you know.
Welcome to Section X… strap yourselves in, it’s time to get hooked on a new hero!
B
