Mr. Willis,
Just read the sample and purchased immediately. It looks really good. Having been a First Mate on an 82 foot schooner, I love sailing. I am looking forward to reading your first baby!
Thanks in advance for the adventure.
Paul

Congratulation on the book, hope it goes well.

Thanks both, very much obliged to you! Paul, I very much hope you enjoy the read. I wrote it for people who love sailing, so hopefully I have captured some of the sense of it.

All the best

Just completed chapter 3. You're a mighty fine writer.

If anyone complains I will personally keel-haul, draw-and-quarter, shoot and then hang them!
Then, I'll bury them between the high and low tides ...so their spirit will never rest!

Crew mustered for punishment, captain!

Very kind of you indeed

Looks like a good book ill read it

Is it verry scary or what would u rate it as

Thanks Desert Falcon! Not really that scary, I'd describe it more as an adventure

Oh ok

Ill download it right now

Thanks Matthew,

I just purchased it on my kindle. Looks great.

I'm a big fan of old sea stories. I just finished reading all 10 books (so far available) of the Bloody Jack series by L. A. Meyer (set in the Nelson Era) I was feeling impatient for the eleventh to be released in September.

Have you seen the movie "Master and Commander, The Far Side of the World"? Beautifully filmed in 2002- ish. It's s story of a British frigate in 1805 charged with persuing a french privateer man-of-war into the South American seas. They rebuilt a replica Nelson era ship for the movie and rechristened it the HMS Suprise. It is now part of the San Diego Maretime Museum and occasionally runs trips up the US west coast. My kids want to sign on for a week long adventure.

I'll set to me hammock to take up this yarn you've spun.

Hi McFate, thanks for purchasing, I very much hope you enjoy it. I'm a big fan of the Master and Commander film actually, I thought it was a really good evocation of frigate warfare. The sets and ships were fantastically done - Surprise, as you say, was the Rose rebuilt, and the Acheron was a mix of models and large scale partial sets. I believe the Acheron was actually modelled on USS Constitution, so there's another one for the kids to visit! Daedalus is set a touch later, but the ships are still very much in that mould.

I'll post pics of "SUPRISE" as soon as Capt. Richard brings her into port..if he does this season.

The "ROSE" is beautiful. Sailed on her many times as First Mate. FIRE THE CANNONS!

(unfortunately, the West Coast has her. San Diego, I think.)

Real name is the "HMS ROSE" a replica of a British Warship.

Paul Mantz, Jr. wrote: I'll post pics of "SUPRISE" as soon as Capt. Richard brings her into port..if he does this season.

The "ROSE" is beautiful. Sailed on her many times as First Mate. FIRE THE CANNONS!

(unfortunately, the West Coast has her. San Diego, I think.)

Real name is the "HMS ROSE" a replica of a British Warship.

Wow!

Lieutenant Paul Mants Jr. First Mate of the HMS Rose!

"All top men aloft!"

To darn old to go aloft myself, but you quoted my orders...as ordered by a richard.

Capt. Richard (don't call him Dick!) is 5'4" and 12' tall as a man. Wonderful heart and soul. BAD AS. if you cross him.

Can you write slower..or teach me to read slower?

I don't want this magical story to end......


...sssssssshhhhhhh....just to keep the non-business business secret...where can I buy some "REAL" books to give to friends?...answer me here...so we can keep it secret...sssssshhhhh!

I'm pretty sure the Rose/Surprise is still at the maritime museum here in San Diego harbor. I'll try to shoot a pic next time I drive by. Or maybe we can make it a weekend to-do with the kids. In which case Paul I'll get some close-ups. ("...and here's where Uncle Paul ate his sea rations...")
Manfred

Manfred wrote: I'm pretty sure the Rose/Surprise is still at the maritime museum here in San Diego harbor. I'll try to shoot a pic next time I drive by. Or maybe we can make it a weekend to-do with the kids. In which case Paul I'll get some close-ups. ("...and here's where Uncle Paul ate his sea rations...and enjoyed, my pee in his coffee! HA! HA! "MAGIC TIME!")
Manfred

SAY WHAT?

Congrats on publishing your first novel, Cundall. Must have spent a lot of time and effort on Daedalus and the Deep.

Oh I'm a sucker for maritime stories. I'll be purchasing this on my kindle when I get home tomorrow. I'm anchoring out over the weekend on my boat and was looking for a good read so this hits the spot nicely.

Just finished chapter 10. I'm hooked. If I didn't have to work tomorrow I'd be getting a lot further tonight.

Thanks Cundall!

This is great timing too. The new update has me sitting out for now. Maybe by the time I've finished the book my brakes will be working again.

Real books here

Ssshhhhhh! Thanks to everyone for your interest and kind words, I'm only sorry my next book won't be out sooner

All the best

I finished your book the other day. I enjoyed it very much and look forward to reading your next one. I've always liked sea stories, read some of the "master and commander " series, and this story had some of the same feel to it. Good work and congrats on being published.

Thanks TR, that's great to hear. Any comparison with Patrick O'Brian is OK by me!

Very well done Matthew. I had a 'look inside' your novel on amazon. Four chapters to feast on there! It's packed with detail. I don't usually go for novels, but this got through straight away. My neighbour is trying to publish a novel at the moment, but it is a lot of hard work, so congratulations again.

The ships of the great explorers have always gripped me. I have tried writing a song about Scott's last expedition but I'm stuck on the the first four days sail. The Terra Nova, the largest whaling ship of its time barely survives a hurricane. A horse was washed overboard, to be returned by another wave. Dogs found hung by their chains, fuel gone, furnaces flooded, foredecks smashed to pieces. I think it should be just about that. Terms such as 'stern two feet over', 'compass swung', 'ponies side by side with sad and patient eyes' really set the scene. I gave up on it but after seeing your mammoth effort, I want to finish it! I'm overloaded with facts and find it difficult to compact it all into a workable lyric. Can you afford any tips there?!!

Paul, I spent time on a 90' wooden ketch, helping the 1st Mate bend her sails ready for the season. Hail Bop blazed overhead. I could only handle Weyfairers and Lazers but the Ketch was magnificent. Took her around the coastline to Dartmouth. I was sent to the mast tops with blocks for the rigging (1st Mate not keen). Up there you really sway to the pitch and yaw. Ill never forget those days.

Hi Chocks away, thanks for your kind words. Funny you mention ships of the explorers - the next adventure for some of these characters (I'm not telling you which!) will be in the wake of Sir John Franklin's doomed expedition to the Arctic to find the North West Passage. That one will be a good few years appearing though!

I read the account of that Hurricane faced by the Terra Nova in 'Scott's Last Expedition', you're right, it's pretty harrowing stuff. Your song sounds fascinating. All I can suggest is to keep going, and not worry too much about what you write initially. There are two basic premises I try to live by - it's easier to cut than to add, and it's far, far easier to edit a bad page than a blank page. I'd be very interested to see that song when it's finished. If you want help, support and (mostly) friendly criticism from other writers, you might try the Word Cloud community, run by Writers' Workshop. writing-community.writersworkshop.co.uk/

If you do choose to read the whole novel, thanks, and I hope it lives up to the first four chapters for you.

Wow Cundall. Many congratulations on being published. That is quite an achievement! You must be over the moon to get something you started as just an idea, develop it into a finished piece of literature and then get it published as well.

I wish you much success with your new novel! A truly great achievement!

I think I'll check out the book I've been searching for some good real life adventure, and your book sounds really good

I've read up to Part 2 The Chase. It sucked me in and did it's job. Really interesting and moves right along. I'm going camping this weekend I'm going to save it for the late night campfire.

That was a great read Cundall!

The squall was fantastic!
A very plausible "what-if" encounter!

A must read for any fan of old sea stories. Incredible sailing detail and a story with the classic feel of Moby Dick or Mutiny on the Bounty. I hope it becomes as widely read.

Hey Cundall,

What was the name of your blog?