Pete Minall
"The Trust" Series of books
NEWS & EVENTS
Keep up to date with Pete and his current and future projects.
Please scroll down for the latest news.
Mar '15 ~ Matthew and the Kilderkin
This is the second book in "The Trust" series and it is presently undergoing re writes to ensure I am satisfied with the final draft.
The jacket has been going through many changes and I am beginning to get where I want to be with it after many false starts.
Feb '15 ~ Doyle and Wells
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Herbert George Wells have had their second rewrite and I have to admit to being pretty satisfied as to how the story has progressed and resolved itself.
I am torn between two stlyes for the book jacket, but I am leaning more towards one rather than the other. The two front leaders are showing Sir Arthur and HG Wells together, although only one photo exists of them and it is poor quality or a Victorian gas lamp type scene.. What do you think?
Jan '15 ~ Orlando's Quest
This will be the last story in "The Trust" series. At the moment I am working on another draft and have decided to develop one of the characters a little more.
I have no idea at all about the jacket art work, but I'm sure inspiration will hit me!
Mar '15 ~ Visit to Worcester Cathedral
I have just found myself visiting family in Worcestershire and decided to take a small diversion to Worcester Cathedral. This was to take a look at the tomb of King John who as you know plays a pivotal role in the book "The Spy, The Dwarf and The Mongol." Well, this is also the 800th anniversary year of Magna Carta. The siting of the tomb before the high altar was magnificent and the sun streaming in through the stained glass windows perfectly illuminated the scene. It is well worth a visit, not only to see King John's tomb but also the many other fine brasses and medieval tombs which are housed in the wonderful Cathedral.
Mar 5th '15
Happy St Piran's Day!
Happy St Piran's Day to everyone out there. Today is the Saints day for Cornwall, marked here with much merriment, parades and song.
St Piran is also the patron saint of tin miners.
Many legends proliferate about his life but I love the story as to how he ended up on a Cornish beach after being thrown into a raging sea from clifftops in Ireland. St Piran was "murdered" by being tied to a heavy miilstone and thrown into a stormy sea. As he hit the water all became calm and the millstone (with Piran attached) bobbed to the surface like a cork ~ A very unsucessful murder attempt. He then paddled all the way to Cornwall landing at Peranzabuloe on the North Cornish coast where he founded an Abbey.
The picture shows Cornish people crossing the sand dunes to the site of his original church. The Cornish flag (the white cross on the black background) can be seen in abundance proudly being carried by the marchers.
Kernow Bys Vicken
April 2015
Well this has been a very busy month for me.
Firstly the rewriting and editing is going well for "Matthew and the Kilderkin" the second book in the "Trust" series. With a prevailing wind, the end may well be in sight. Watch this space.
In one of my many other lives I have been working on a movie as a "Supporting Artiste" ~ (Extra to you and I!)
I have been playing the role of a member of the CLA (Cornish Liberation Army). It is a comedy written and starring Jack Whitehall and is a film version of the hit TV series "Bad Education".
I have met some really nice people on the project and have been lucky enough to have worked with Iain Glenn (my boss in the film). Iain is well known for many roles including "Game of Thrones".
I have also worked with a fabulous guy called Steven Spiers. Steve is a character actor whose resume ranges from "Pirates of the Carribean" to Ricky Gervaises "Extras".
The pictures show me in my CLA guise and with Steve.
Still in April, albeit the end, and after much deliberation I have finally decided on the image I will be using for the book cover of "Matthew and the Kilderkin". This has taken far longer than I anticipated and I hope you like it and approve. Watch this space for a sneak preview coming soon.
I have also been doing a few days filming on the TV series "Doc Martin" ~ for the non British people looking at this web page it is a gentle comedy set in a mythical Cornwall where the sun is always shining and it follows the trials of a sugeon in a rural seaside practice. He is allergic to the sight of blood and is further hampered with a very poor set of social skills!
My secenes have been as a fisherman with Ian McNiece who plays an old scoundrel called Burt Large.
April 2015
May 2015
Well, May has arrived and what a busy month it has proven to be. It started off as usual with a trip to Padstow to celebrate the beginning of Summer with me kissing the Maypole and following the 'obby 'oss around the village. It also gave me the chance to catch up with some old friends who also make the annual pilgramage. One couple of friends announced the expected arrival of a new member of the family. Always great news to hear.
Work on "Matthew and the Kilderkin" has been ongoing and is now finished after the final bit of "fact checking" and proof reading which resulted in a tiny bit more editing, but now I can announce that the completed manuscript is ready to go off to Canada for the final digital formatting. The "Author photo" which will come with the ebook is of me having a drink of well earned water after taking part in a Seventeenth Century battle re-enactment with my Sealed Knot chums. It just goes to show that a 62 year old can still wield and use a pike on the "field of warre" ~ albeit battling for charity! Hard sweaty stuff!
The cover for the book has proven to be more difficult to decide upon. As I write this, there are four different book covers sat on my desk and I have to choose one to accompany the ebook. Hard choice and one which I hope I don't get wrong. The artwork is by an American artist called "Diversepixel" who has designed the cover and it is perfect for the tone of the book, my decision is with reference to the layout of the text. I hope my final choice will not detract from the quality of the cover picture.
"Doyle and Wells" is progressing well and I am hard at work with its latest draft. It is wonderful writing about two of our most respected authors, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and H.G. Wells. Pitting the two great men against an enigmatic puzzle is not only fun but is also a great challenge. I have not worked on this manuscript for a while and returning to it with fresh eyes has been a pleasure.
The cover picture for the ebook "Doyle and Wells" has proven to be far less complicated than that for "Matthew and the Kilderkin" and I think I have pretty well made up my mind on the design.
June 2015
Well here we are on the 4th of June 2015 and I'm pleased to announce that the second book in "The Trust" series has been published today.
"Matthew and the Kilderkin" is now available for anyone to buy online. This is my second Ebook and I love the story. The artwork on the cover went through many alterations and design changes but eventually I hit upon a design I really like. I note the book has already been picked up by libraries and I'm hoiping that all who read it have a good time and enjoy the plot. The English Civil War period is a particular favourite of mine and by the end of the tale I hope you will want to learn a little more about it yourselves. A huge thanks to everyone who helped me to make it happen from publishers to cover artist and from beta readers to proof readers. You guys are something else!
Summer 2015
Well the summer has come and gone in a frenzy of activity.
Sales of both The Spy, The Dwarf & The Mongol and Matthew & the Kilderkin have been going well and I am looking forward to publishing the third in the series of "The Trust" which will be titled Doyle and Wells.
I have been having a few problems with choosing a suitable jacket for the book but now think I'm almost there with a design.
I have also been busy working for the National Trust at the beautiful Lanhydrock House. Here is a picture of the property.
October 2015
Well the decision has finally been made about the latest book jacket and it can be seen here for the first time. I am pleased with it along with the strap line "Do the dead have a voice?" Work on the final edoiting of the book has proceeded well and everything looks ship shape and Bristol fashion for publication within the next month or so.
I have had a little problem over a character who was to have been based on a real person but it has now been resolved.
The leaves are falling and the garden is looking messy again!
November 2015
Wow, where has the year gone?
A lot has been happening this month, I have completed the editing, Biographies and other ancillary things to go into "Doyle and Wells" and today it has been whisked off to Canada to my formatters who I can thoroughly reccommend. They can be found at: http://ebooklaunch.com/contact/
I am hoping all is well and that this rather complicated process which enables the book to be viewed correctly across all different formats and platforms goes easily. This is always a tricky time hoping that you have included all you wished to include before it is too late!
Talking of Canada, I recently did a film for Netflix which is a Canadian co-production. They flew into Britain for two days location filming in Charlestown, Cornwall. All seemed pretty exciting stuff to me with Redcoats, Indians and Fur-trappers. It is called "Frontier" and should be with you in 2016.
As some of you will know I also have a passion for playing board games and I have just returned from a week in a farmhouse on Dartmoor with a big bunch of friends playing from breakfast until very late at night. Yes, lots of food and drinking was involved as was laughter and visiting a friend who has discovered a hitherto unknown Roman Road, he took us to the dig, deep in the Devon woods!
