C E Marshall - Author

Well finally completed the rewrite of 'When Evil Calls' from 1st person into 3rd person. Somehow the story has expanded by some 25,000 words. Now needs checking for typos not picked up by Word, Then see if i can find a proper publisher. New Title will be 'Paxlene'.
Now only two more books in the series to rewrite in 3rd person - Wormhole and Restitution. Books 2 and 3 of the Starseeker series. Wormhole will become 'Traymar' , Restitution? The jury is out, maybe Golden Dragonia Return..
4th book is Return to Traymar.
5th book will be Grosmar's revenge.
Who is Grosmar you ask, doesn't appear until book 4: a nasty piece of work.
Reminder: If you enjoyed the first part of "The Hotel of Vengence' which I posted some time ago, the full story is in the collection of shorts under the title of 'Diversion and other tales:
Well finally completed the rewrite of 'When Evil Calls' from 1st person into 3rd person. Somehow the story has expanded by some 25,000 words. Now needs checking for typos not picked up by Word, Then see if i can find a proper publisher. New Title will be 'Paxlene'.
Now only two more books in the series to rewrite in 3rd person - Wormhole and Restitution. Books 2 and 3 of the Starseeker series. Wormhole will become 'Traymar' , Restitution? The jury is out, maybe Golden Dragonia Return..
4th book is Return to Traymar.
5th book will be Grosmar's revenge.
Who is Grosmar you ask, doesn't appear until book 4: a nasty piece of work.
Reminder: If you enjoyed the first part of "The Hotel of Vengence' which I posted some time ago, the full story is in the collection of shorts under the title of 'Diversion and other tales:
Diversion and other Tales

Diversion and other Tales Diversion and other Tales eBook : Marshall, C E: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

Quadseers (Sci-fi /Fantasy) is free to download on Kindle from 1st to 5th February 2024. Story opens with a bus journey that leads on to Alien abduction.

Quadseers: Preposterous Journey Sitting on a bus, two men discuss a project to the interest of a fellow passenger. Leaving the bus the two men are followed then persuaded to tend to the sick crew of an alien craft and also to affect repairs. That is when their problems start.

DO NOT ACCEPT ANY FRIEND REQUESTS FROM ME OR FROM KATHY (KATHLEEN) THESE ARE BOGUS. IF YOU ARE ALREADY A FRIEND WHY WOULD WE ASK YOU AGAIN?

In case you missed this first time round: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Diversion-other-Tales-C-Marshall-ebook/dp/B0CKY5KFL5/ref=sr_1_1?crid=30RX13KECCWLL&keywords=diversion+and+other+tales&qid=1700576331&sprefix=diversion+an%2Caps%2C274&sr=8-1

This is the cover for the Kindle version, Print cover is yellow and slightly different - Problem with KDP cover creator. Now have some more software that should make life easier in futire.

Diversion and other Tales Diversion and other Tales eBook : Marshall, C E: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

Reposting this as links not clear and didn't work on original:
amazon.co.uk/C-E-Marshall/e/B083TF7XRY?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1614075463&sr=8-1
Above link will take you to my Amazon Author page for this book and others.

The Hotel of Vengence

When the cab turned the corner and the hotel came into view, Tom and Vera almost told the driver to take them somewhere else. However, they had prepaid their stay, so said nothing and entered the hotel to check in. The receptionist was an amazing beauty and quickly restored their confidence in the hotel and the facilities it was offering. They signed in and received their keys, a lift taking them to the floor where their room was situated.
It was late and they quickly entered their room, only partially recognising that the hallway seemed to be twice as long as it should have been, and that there was some sort of transparent barrier about half way to the other end. They’d booked in as Mr. And Mrs. Roberts – well that would attract less attention than Mr. and Mrs. Smith, or Mr. and |Mrs. Jones – and both were wearing their wedding rings. Tom’s wife thought he was at a conference in Ohio, While Vera’s husband thought she was on a training course in Bournemouth. Their homes were both in Scotland, Dundee in fact, although neither originated from there, making it extremely unlikely that the deception would be uncovered.
Once in their room with the door locked behind them Tom and Vera wasted no time in getting undressed and into the main action they had planned for that week.
The next morning, at breakfast, the staff were all smiles and very attentive. Tom and Vera began to relax as the feelings of unease they had had the previous evening began to lift. They’d chosen a seaside hotel as they both loved walking and the smell of the sea – things that they had discovered too late that their legal partners were not interested in indulging. Returning to their room for more love making before going for a long walk, Tom again noticed the barrier halfway down the long corridor; a corridor which seemed too long for the building they’d observed outside. Taking Vera’s hand Tom strode towards the barrier for a closer look.
When they reached the barrier Tom tried to touch it. It was totally transparent and appeared to have no substance, nor, when Tom placed his hand against the barrier could he feel anything, yet his hand would go no further. “This is odd,” Tom said to Vera as they both stared through the barrier at the empty corridor on the other side.
They were just about to turn away when a door at the far end opened and a well known male figure entered the corridor, glanced quickly at a token in his hand, then strode to a door, which for some reason opened at an angle so that Tom and Vera could clearly see the sc****ly clad young woman who opened the door and dragged the male inside. “Well, would you ever!?” Vera said.
“Not from him. He’s always squeaky clean,” Tom said still staring at the no closed door in the barred corridor in front of them.
“Can’t trust any politicians these days,” Vera said.
The far door opened once more. Tom and Vera could barely believe their eyes. A middle aged woman, well known for preaching morality and frugality had entered the corridor. Not in the usual casual clothes (normally baggy trousers), she looked smart and refined. Her hair had clearly just been done, and the clothes were definitely upper class designer wear, and extremely expensive. Like the man before her, she glanced at a token in her hand, then made her way to a door further towards Tom and Vera, and on the opposite side of the corridor to the man. This door also opened at an angle that allowed Tom and Vera to see the muscular young man who opened the door and politely showed the woman inside, “Well!” Vera said again. “Who’d have believed it! I don’t think that man was wearing more than his boxer shorts.”
“It certainly didn’t look like it,” Tom was suddenly thoughtful. For the next half hour they watched almost open mouthed as a steady procession of well known men and women, from many professions entered the corridor, glanced at a token, and then went to a door which was opened by attractive men or women. Not all the men were greeted by women, neither were all the women greeted by men. “I don’t get it,” Tom said as they turned away, all thoughts of their own love making forgotten. “Why would those we’ve just seen risk exposure like that. What happens if two of them meet in the corridor, either coming in, or going out?”
“How do they get to that corridor anyway?” Vera questioned. “I didn’t think the hotel extended that far.”
“Neither did I,” Tom shook his head. Then, taking Vera’s hand suggested “Let’s go for a walk along the shore. I know we came for a different reason, but we can make it up later. Somehow I’ve lost the mood.”
“So have I.”
“Just before we go,” Tom hesitated. “I want to put something in the window of our room that we will easily see from outside. We are only two rooms from the barrier. If we can see our room from outside we should be able to see where to get in to the other side of the barrier.” Inside their room Tom placed a large, brightly coloured book in the centre of the window and surrounded it with one of Vera’s multicoloured scarves, draping the scarf so that one end was at the top of the window. It was a large display filling the centre of the window, it would be impossible to miss from outside.
Outside the hotel they tried to get their bearings, but the lift had opened in an unexpected direction. “I didn’t think these things opened at the side,” Tom had muttered when they reached the ground floor. Then, instead of opening into the lobby, they had found a long twisting corridor which eventually spilled them into the lobby but with no sense of direction or idea of where their room was located. They left the hotel and tried to identify buildings visible from their room. Nothing looked familiar. Their only choice was to walk right round the hotel. They took their time, slowly turning the corners while looking up. They walked round the hotel twice, the second time more slowly, as they scanned the windows on floors that they didn’t think contained their room.
“There’s no sign of it,” Vera said in exasperation.
“Doesn’t make sense,” Tom growled. “I still don’t think the hotel is long enough to account for that corridor we saw. Come on. Let’s go for our walk and let the sea air blow our worries away. Then …” Tom raised his eyebrows suggestively. Vera responded by punching him playfully.

*****

The rest of Tom and Vera’s illicit week away from home went more or less as they had planned; they spent much time in bed, went for long walks to recharge their energies, and enjoyed the amazing attention of the hotel staff at meal times. Their room was always serviced while they were out with clean sheets and towels every day. The only activity they hadn’t planned was looking through the strange barrier for around half an hour every day watching the comings of celebrities and some quite ordinary folk going into the rooms of the pretty girls and handsome men on the other side of the barrier.
The end of their stay arrived and they went to the lobby to check out. Tom handed their keys to the receptionist. “Ah! Thank you Mr Roberts. Did you and Mrs Roberts, or should I say Mr. Shears and Mrs. Island, enjoy your stay.”

Ha Ha. I'm leaving you in suspense. Full story will be released later in the year (probably October) in a collection of short stories: likely title: Diversion and other tales. Can't release earlier as two of the stories have been entered for the Bridport Prize and can't be published before results are known.

'Twas 'Poetry day' yesterday so:

The Legend

A century ago a legend was born,
It didn’t breathe air for steam was it’s power.
For food it burnt coal, yes tons of the stuff,
To turn water to steam the wheels then to turn.

For years it was seen on the East Coast Main line,
Running at speed, steam drifting behind.
One memorable day it exceeded the ton,
A feat that’s remembered to this very day.

That feat was eclipsed by a streamlined duck,
But she was the first on the magical ton.
For many a year she plied the line.
Alive and awake. Oh she looked so fine.

Then came the time when the bosses said “No.
We don’t want these dirty coal eating machines anymore.
Bring in the diesels, they cost less to run.
For our legend this was nearly the end.

But she cheated the scrap man,, a saviour came forth.
He cleaned her up, gave new liveries too.
A new life began and world travels came too.
A rescue was needed on one of those trips,
And she was brought home, overhauled, and like new.

At last she was bought for the nation you see.
Purchased by all for you and for me.
If you’re lucky you’ll see her as she puffs around
All the tracks that are left in this nation of ours.

A reminder of times when our engineers could
Make anything fine out of steel or of wood.
A time that was gentler, slower, but harsh.
When trains sped along with a clickety clack.
When the name of a station was easily seen,
Not passed in a flash with no time to read.

When our legend goes by, crowds shout and cheer.
The whistle blows strongly, steam hangs behind
And those at the trackside wish they were within.
Flying Scotsman, the legend still lives.
A sight to behold wherever she flies.

Four four seven two, or number one O three
Or the latter preceded by a six and an O.
Does it matter? She’s with us alive and awake
Though all of her sisters were cut and destroyed.
History still lives in the shape of the train.
So seek her and find her, and marvel at this
Wherever you travel the crowds still love steam.
Though dirty and smelly they were little boys dream
To be there in the cab all covered with coal
Hear the cylinders beat as they sped along
Then the passengers ‘Thank yous’ at the end of the trip.

©C E Marshall 2023

Pleased to announce that I have just published the 4th book in my 'Starseeker' series. If you've not read the previous books it won't matter too much.
Reasonably priced this time (I have no control over price of books 1, 2 and 3). Kindle version available for pre-order ; released 18th March 2023 https://www.amazon.co.uk/C-E-Marshall/e/B083TF7XRY?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1678711480&sr=1-1

Getting close to completion of a book of short stories. Watch for 'Diversion and Other Stories' on Amazon.

One story has been submitted as entry for Bridport prize so can't be published by me until June 2023.