Congratulations to Seeler

[Pinga]

Seeler , I read your book whilst I was in Florida.

I enjoyed it, though, like others, I would have appreciated a map. I do not know my geography that well and found my self getting lost in the specifics of your clear information, rather than following the story at times. This item is not meant as criticism for the book, just something that would help non-geography folks like me.

I enjoyed the character development of the main character, as well the revealing of character flaws or challenges of the others. I am curious, is there any evidence that the leader made errors ignoring the wisdom of others, or is that your insert into the story.

I also enjoyed the explanations and incorporation of life in the arctic. I hadn't expected the book to continue and quite enjoyed that section of his inclusion with the family. I understand and appreciate the way it ended. It made sense to me.

All in all, a good book. I would recommend it to teens / curriculum. Thanks for sharing it with us.

 

[Seeler]

Franklin - a hero or a self-important bumbler? That is the question.

Having read journal entries by both Franklin and another person on his first overland journey to the Arctic in which he lost many of his men to exhaustion, starvation, cold, and murder, I would say that he was the latter. Although very little is known about him (not journals or written records) on this final journey, I don't think he had learned a lot. I see him as self-righteous and opinionated - as was expected of a strong leader and commander at that time (and perhaps still is). I also think he was probably devote, personable (his wife was devoted to him), and probably rather fatherly.
And he wss not wholly to blame for the disaster. The expedition was too large - too many men on ships that were more suited to open ocean than to manouvering in shallow waters around islands (the first ship through the passage 1903 was small, with a crew of seven. It hugged the shore of the Canadian mainland, and wintered with the Inuit on the south of King William Island.

 

[Seeler]

A map will be included in the second printing which will be available this month.

Incidently, a friend recently gave me a newspaper clipping of the top selling books for the last week of January for a locally owned book store.
Paperback, fiction:
1. Donovan: Thief for Hire by Robert Bowie
2. Ships Boy in the Arctic - Survivor by Elizabeth Savoie
3. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
4. The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joel Dickeer
5. The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion

 

[Jaebius]

A map will be included in the second printing which will be available this month.

Incidently, a friend recently gave me a newspaper clipping of the top selling books for the last week of January for a locally owned book store.
Paperback, fiction:
1. Donovan: Thief for Hire by Robert Bowie
2. Ships Boy in the Arctic - Survivor by Elizabeth Savoie
3. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
4. The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joel Dickeer
5. The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion

Congratulations *> on having the #2 book !!\ Seeler! Maybe the second edition will be #1. I'm still hoping for a Kindle version.

 

[Pinga]

Thanks Seeler. Awesome that you put a map in the 2nd edition.

 

[Tabitha]

2nd in sales! Way to go!

 

[Mendalla]

A map will be included in the second printing which will be available this month.

Thanks Seeler. Awesome that you put a map in the 2nd edition.

A version 2.0 that actually adds usable new features. Quick, someone tell Microsoft. Though they would then do something like bury the map between two pages in a completely irrelevant chapter and print it upside down, then try to argue that was a feature to improve accessibility for people with dyslexia...

Glad to hear that sales are going well, seeler. It is well-deserved success.

 

[Mendalla]

London Public Library is having two public lectures on Franklin, one on Monday (which I likely can't make since it is Little M's birthday) and one on May 4 (which is my birthday, but with my love of history and exploration, this could qualify as part of the celebrations). One is on the lead up to the expedition, looking at the history of exploration in the North prior to Sir John. The second is on the discovery of Erebus.

 

[Mendalla]

Just a thought on a way to help @Seeler get the word around. If your local public library takes recommendations for books to add to their collection, take down the information (ISBN, author, etc.) from Amazon and submit her title as a suggestion. I have both submitted it through the library's website (they have a recommendation form) and emailed a librarian I know who works (or at least worked, she may have retired) there.

 

[Seeler]

Thanks Mendalla. I sure wish that I lived near London. I would definitely attend this event, and use it to promote my book. I can just imagine me sitting near the entrance signing my book for those coming to the lectures. And listening to the lectures myself.

 

[Carolla]

Hi Seeler - did you notice this today? http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/frank...discover-more-secrets-of-hms-erebus-1.3020860

 

[Seeler]

Hi Seeler - did you notice this today? http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/frank...discover-more-secrets-of-hms-erebus-1.3020860

Thanks Carolla. I did see a piece on the CBC news on TV just a few days ago.
Interesting article about the planned dive (and the fact that divers are practicing east of Quebec city doing under the ice exploration).
The article says that the Nature of Things this Thursday night will be devoted to the Franklin Expedition. Keeep it to the forfront - and remember that my book 'Ship's Boy in the Arctic' is a historic novel about this expedition.

 

[Pinga]

That is so awseome, Seeler. Your family must be so proud of you.

 

[Carolla]

Watched the Nature of Things this week ... very interesting I'm curious to see what insights come from the diving expedition taking place this month.

 

[Seeler]

Great episode on 'Nature of Things'. I had to be out Thursday night so I recorded it and watched it the next day. I'll probably watch it again. My minister phoned. Told me that she had watched it. She said that she knew practically nothing about the Franklin Expedition until she head my talk at the church Seniors' Group and bought my book. That gaave her a good background for watching the program.
So far nothing has been found that contradicts how I imagined it might have haappened in my book. I did have one ship (the Terror) crushed by ice and presumably sink where it was abandoned. I did have the crew become separated and split up into several smaller grooups - one of which intended to return to the Erebus and attempt to free it from the ice and continue the journey. In my book the Inuit, who presumably have never seen saails before, report that one ship "grew wings andd flew aaway" (to a different location). The Erebus was found in shallow water, close to shore, south-east of where it had originally been abandoned.