Watched the trailer for Good to Luck to You, Leo Grande starring Oscar-winner Emma Thompson and this upcoming young Irish actor. Thinking he would be fabulous to play Finvarra, King of Faerie/King of the Night in the film version of The Hunter's Moon. My script is being considered at the moment by a very big American company. (Can't name yet. Loose lips sink ships, as we say in the Navy.) But fingers and toes crossed and watch this space. Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy was one of my models for this character when I wrote the book. See his video on youtube of "The King's Call" live. (Legs that go on forever!)

Grand Canadian Tour/Grande Tournée Canadienne

 Shaping up beautifully! First stop Toronto where I will be in residence for two weeks at Massey College, a favourite place just opposite my alma mater, Trinity College. Will be doing interviews, library talks & book clubs as well as meeting family & friends. Then a week a-wandering between family & Navy buddies in Ottawa. Then off to Edmonton for one-night hotel stay before flying into the Great North at Fort Simpson to set off for river expedition on the Nahanni - a life-long dream! - with www.Nahanni.com,  then south to Vancouver to give a talk at the Theosophical Society & then ferry to Vancouver Island to stay at CFB Esquimalt where I was once stationed, in the Officers' Quarters (but alas no diving, that dream died, more anon), then east to Winnipeg for one night before flying into Cross Lake Reserve in Manitoba to give talks in First Nations schools, then 2-day road trip back across the Prairies to a holiday camp north of Edmonton for a 50th year reunion of Canada World Youth/Jeunesse Canada Monde. (You can learn more about the Navy & CWY/JCM Malaysia Year One at www.ormelling.com under Adventures: Canadian.) NOTE: huge thanks & go raibh míle maith agat to Culture Ireland/Cultúr Eireann for grant-aiding the working part of this trip.

 

Back to Work!

Reviewing American version of a feature film script I wrote for The Hunter's Moon.  Irish-Canadian co-production has fallen through (life in the slow lane and developmental hell of the movie industry) so I'm going to draw up a bible for a TV series. Talking with manager in L.A. and agent in Ireland about it. Watch this space. 

The Dream of Diving

First pic is rabbit-eared me in bygone days with fellow officer cadets in training at CFB Esquimalt, on board the HMCS Cape Breton - "the Fred" or "Building 100" - an old wartime maintenance ship permanently in the dockyard. It was our accommodation. The second pic is where she lies today, at the bottom of the ocean off the coast of Vancouver Island, an artificial reef for the exploration of divers. Same deck, same railing! (Photo credit: @roncaswell, TripAdvisor) Will I see her again? Watch this space.