FREE on KINDLE - Quentin James and the MARS MISSION

 QUENTIN JAMES and the MARS MISSION

Quentin James and the Mars Mission 

FREE

On Kindle

FRIDAY 20th  - TUESDAY 24th Jan 2023

QUENTIN JAMES and the MARS MISSION - available now

 AVAILABLE NOW

QUENTIN RACES AGAINST TIME, RISKING HIS LIFE AS HE TRIES TO SAVE AS MANY AS HE CAN.........

After pulling off a dangerous rescue, Quentin goes in search of answers and the fifth super spy to complete his team, only to stumble upon a conspiracy that is out of this world.

As Global tensions mount, Quentin must complete his mission to avert a nuclear war.

THE CRUCIBLE - A NEW REALITY TV SHOW

 

10 Actors move in to a single house together with one common aim, to outperform and out shine the others to land the role of a lifetime, only to find eating, sleeping, & rehearsing together presents unexpected personal challenges. And there's a WICKED Twist.

Set Up: An aspiring Director, an aspiring Choreographer and ten aspiring Musical Theatre performers compete for places within London’s established and upcoming West End Musicals.

The Challenge – The Show is a chance for the contestants to audition. Not just once, but continually through their social interaction with their fellow house mates, rehearsals and weekly live performance. 

Given scenes & songs from a popular West End Musical, the Director creates his vision and, together with the Choreographer, assigns the roles of principal and supporting roles and leads the rehearsals through the week to deliver a live Saturday night performance.

The Prize - A role within a new or established West End Musical.

THE WICKED TWIST

The Finale - Unlike most Reality shows, there won’t just be one winner. There could be no winners, there could be several winners. It all depends on the judging panel, made up of key members of the Theatre industry. 

If an Actor succeeds in landing a role, he leaves the house immediately.

During the Finale film footage of the winners in rehearsal will be shown, all the while cutting back to the remaining house mates as the realisation dawns.

The actors “evicted,” won. The actors left behind lost.

Let me know what you think

QUENTIN JAMES and the UNDERCOVER AGENT - Screenplay Submarine Version.

 Hi all. 

 As per my last post, I have been working on a screenplay of THE UNDERCOVER AGENT and pitching it to Producers, Agents, Managers et el in the Entertainment Industry.  Feedback has been good, positive and constructive, leading to some changes to the original story to make it more Cinema Audience Friendly.

  I am only making those changes I agree with/ like and maintain the original feel of the story I wrote but I wanted to share this one change, which I like, to see whether you feel I should update the novel with it.

 Here we go. Let me know what you think.

2021 copyright.This book is a work of fiction. All characters in the publication are fictitious and any resemblances to real persons, living or dead are purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. This publication (or any part of it) may not be reproduced or transmitted, copied, stored, distributed or otherwise made available by any persons or entity in any form or by any means (photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise) without prior written permission from Simon Hartwell

Contact

simonhartwell@rocketmail.com

Category: Feature Genre: Tweens/Teens/Family/Mystery/Suspense

Tagline: Prove parents aren’t traitors. Learn spy craft. Understand girls. 

Logline : Naïve and totally unprepared, Quentin James is taken from the only life he knows and placed within a School for Young Spies where he must unmask the Undercover Agent and crack the code of the encrypted message to prove the innocence of his parents.

INT.EDGEWATER, QUENTIN’S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Quentin opens his eyes & sighs.

He pushes off his covers as he sits up.

QUENTIN

One flash, one flash.

EXT. THE TOWER - NIGHT

Quentin approaches the tower through the trees.

He study’s the tower for several seconds before entering.

INT. THE TOWER - A FEW MOMENTS LATER

Inside it is dark & silent. Quentin looks up the stairs, before moving beneath the stairs where it is darkest.

The loud snap of a branch underfoot sends Quentin deeper into the shadows.

The doorway darkens as Miss Magenta enters. 

MISS MAGENTA

Stop pushing. I’m just catching my breath.

TIM

Don’t block the door then. 

Tim squeezes passed Miss Magenta.

Unseen, the submarine captain descends the stairs.

CAPTAIN

Quiet!

Quentin looks up as footsteps sound above him.

CAPTAIN

You took your time.

TIM

We had to be sure everyone was asleep.

MISS MAGENTA

And Macpherson’s guards are all over the place now they know about the boy.

TIM

Hey, I’m right here you know.

Miss Magenta sniffs.

CAPTAIN

So three flashes, your mission has been accomplished?

TIM

Yep. The message has been delivered.

CAPTAIN

We have new orders.

MISS MAGENTA

I don’t want to stay here any longer. 

TIM

Hitting the boy was a mistake. It brought attention to you & to the mission.

MISS MAGENTA

Don’t lecture me, boy! I’ve been doing this longer than you’ve been alive.

TIM

Tell me I’m wrong.

CAPTAIN

He’s not wrong & Mr Cole is very unhappy you struck one of the pupils, now quieten down the pair of you.

TIM

You mentioned new orders. What’s the mission?

CAPTAIN

The boss wants Quentin.

MISS MAGENTA

Why?

CAPTAIN

Mr Cole didn’t say. 

TIM

You won’t get Quentin alone. The others stick to him like glue.

MISS MAGENTA

That’s how we get him. Grab one and Quentin will come running.

TIM

As bait you mean?

MISS MAGENTA 

I do

TIM

Which one?

MISS MAGENTA

I do. What about Zackery? He’s an oaf, more a bully. I don’t like that about him. 

TIM

Seriously?

MISS MAGENTA

What?

TIM

Never mind. Not Zackery though. Quentin doesn’t like him. Vicky. We should grab Vicky.

CAPTAIN

So Konstantin, you & Natalia figure out a way to get those two down to the lake. We leave in the hour.

Quentin steps out of the shadows.

QUENTIN

Don’t bother. I’m here.

CAPTAIN

Check outside, this could be a trap.

TIM

I checked before entering. There’s no one out there.

MAGENTA

They boy’s correct. We’re alone.

CAPTAIN

Time to go! Get the boy on the boat. I’ll have my men stand watch on the shore.

TIM

You can’t! You promised.

CAPTAIN

Grow up and do as you’re told. We’re not out of this yet.

INT. EDGEWATER, QUENTIN'S BEDROOM - SAME TIME

Clive wakes.

CLIVE

One flash, one flash. Quentin, Quentin, get up, mate.

Clive gets out of bed, pulling on clothing as fast as he can.

CLIVE

That sneak is doing a runner tonight. 

Clive realises Quentin’s bed it empty.

CLIVE

Damn it, Quentin. 

Clive runs out the door.

INT. EDGEWATER, BLUEY'S BEDROOM - NEXT

Clive bursts into Bluey’s and Vicky’s room.

CLIVE

Get up. Quentin’s gone and I think Tim is doing a runner tonight.

Bluey and Vicky leap out of bed and quickly dress.

BLUEY

What are you thinking?

CLIVE

Tim added an extra single flash. 

VICKY

So?

CLIVE

Why do that? It has to mean meet, it has too. I’m sure of it.

BLUEY

And you think Quentin’s gone to the tower?

CLIVE

If I just thought it, he probably thought of it an hour ago.

Vicky races out the door. 

BLUEY.

Wait

VICKY

Get to the lake. I’ll get Zackery to wake up Unwin.

EXT. UNWIN’S COTTAGE - A LITTLE LATER

Zackery races up to Unwin’s cottage & pounds the door.

ZACKERY

Unwin, Unwin. Get up, get up.

The door open, Unwin & Mel are dressed in black.

ZACKERY

Madame White?

MEL

Focus.

ZACKERY

Right. No time to explain. Tim & Miss Magenta are leaving tonight.

MEL

(To Unwin)

You were right.

UNWIN

Sometimes I wish I wasn’t

ZACKERY

Quentin’s missing

MEL

What do you mean, Quentin’s missing?

ZACKERY

That’s all Vicky said and something about a sub in the lake. Which can’t be right, right. I mean, how’d it get there?

MEL

Go back to bed. We’ll handle this.

EXT. EDGEWATER, THE LAKE - NIGHT

Clive, Bluey, Zackery, & Vicky crouch within the darkness looking out over the lake.

VICKY

Where’s Unwin? You told him, right?

ZACKERY

He said, well Madame White said, they would handle it.

CLIVE

Madame White was there?

BLUEY

Guys, we’ve got to get on that sub.

CLIVE

The boat shed, come on.

EXT. THE BOATSHED - A FEW MOMENTS LATER

Clive, Vicky, Bluey, and Zackery are outside the boatshed. Bluey is picking the lock.

BLUEY.

Done. Quick.

CLIVE

Zackery, stay here. Rendezvous with Unwin, let him know where we are.

ZACKERY

Ok.

INT. BOATSHED - NEXT

Clive searches and picks up a small hand held blow torch.

INT. BOAT - A FEW MOMENTS LATER.

Bluey, Vicky, and Clive paddle the boat silently across the lake to the sub.

CLIVE

Bluey go, Vicky next, I’ll hold the boat steady then follow. 

Bluey leaps into the sub and runs along to an open hatch, Vicky on her heels.

INT. SUBMARINE, HATCH - NEXT

Clive clambers down the ladder, then takes a small blow torch to the hinges.

INT. SUBMARINE GANGWAY- NEXT

Bluey leads the way, Vicky behind, with Clive catching them up. Bluey takes out a sailor with her karate moves.

VICKY

Nice

Sirens blare throughout the submarine.

BLUEY.

They’re getting ready to dive. We have to be quick.

VICKY

There’s a guard outside the door up ahead, that must be where they’re holding Quentin.

Bluey moves stealthily and takes out the guard.

INT. SUBMARINE,CABIN-NEXT.

Bluey and Vicky enter to find Quentin sitting on a bed.

BLUEY

Quentin, quick, we have to get out of here. 

QUENTIN

You came? Why?

BLUEY

What do you mean why? We’re a team. and we’re your friends.

QUENTIN

Really. Not just following orders?

VICKY

What? Why are you asking that?

CLIVE

Guys, hurry up. I hear gunfire and the boat’s about to go under.

QUENTIN

I heard you. I heard you with Unwin. You’re not my friends. You were ordered to stay close to me.

CLIVE

What’s going on?

BLUEY

Quentin heard us talking to Unwin. He knows about our orders.

CLIVE

So, we got those months ago, before we even met you. We’re friends now.

VICKY

Guys? Shouldn’t the water be on the outside.

Everyone looks down. Water covers their feet and is rising.

CLIVE

Ah, that’s my fault.

VICKY

What did you do?

CLIVE

I might have messed with the hatch. Just a little.

VICKY

And now we’re sinking. Good job genius.

CLIVE

Hey, I figured some alarm would go off preventing them from going under.

INT. SUBMARINE, GANGWAY- NEXT

A huge wave of water runs down the gangway

INT. SUBMARINE, CABIN-NEXT.

The water floods the cabin, waist high on Quentin and his friends.

CLIVE

Perhaps we’d best discuss this another time

QUENTIN

(Panics)

I don’t know how to swim

VICKY

Oh great. 

BLUEY.

Don’t worry. We do. We’ll get you out.

INT. SUBMARINE, GANGWAY-NEXT.

Quentin and his friends battle through the rising waters back to the hatch.

INT. SUBMARINE, GANGWAY-NEXT.

The water goes over their heads. Quentin panics. Vicky grabs his head, looks into his eyes until he calms. She points to the light shining down through the water. Quentin nods.

EXT. SUBMARINE - NEXT.

Clive, Bluey, and Vicky, help Quentin swim upwards to the surface.

EXT. EDGEWATER, LAKE - NEXT.

Breaking the surface, the night is lit by flares hanging in the sky. All around sailors are breaking the surface. 

Tim and Miss Magenta break the surface.

MISS MAGENTA

This is all your fault.

TIM

Me? What did I do?

CLIVE

Come on. Let’s go this way.

Clive, Bluey, and Vicky, help Quentin swim to the edge and get out.

Mel rises up out of the water, dressed head to toe in a black wet suit, her MP5 sub machine gun slung over her shoulder. 

MEL

You kids are going to have to learn how to obey orders you know.

EXT. EDGEWATER, THE LAKE, SHORELINE - LATER 

Quentin stands on the shore, a towel wrapped around his shoulders. The Russian sailors are sitting together, guarded by Unwin’s guards.

Unwin approaches with Clive, Bluey, Vicky, & Mel.

UNWIN

Let’s go back to the cottage, have a drink & some cake.

QUENITN

All in all things are pretty good.

We broke the code, discovered the mystery of the flashing lights, found out the name of the mysterious man who chased me, found an undercover agent, a double agent in Miss Magenta & captured a submarine. A good haul for our first year at Edgewater.

CLIVE

You forgot to mention, foiling a double kidnapping.

VICKY

Where’s Zackery? He helped too.

QUENTIN

Zachery?

VICKY

He’s the one that brought Unwin and his men.

MEL

He went back to the school. He said thanks for including him though.

APOLOGIES first then NEWS!

 Hello there. 

My apologies first. I thought this blog had gone unnoticed but I see there are folk looking at it from time to time so I will try and update it on a more regular basis. 

NEWS 

 Quentin James and the Mars Mission (working title) - first draft is COMPLETE! Took far to long but as you know I have been working on the FEATURE SCREENPLAY for Undercover Agent, chasing a dream to see this story of Cinema screens around the world.

This pursuit as led to a lot of feedback from Agents, Managers, Exec Producers and the like and the story has gone through some tweaks and one fundamental change which I am waiting some feedback on but will share if with you guys in my next post.  It will be in Screenplay format, I hope that is ok. The question posed is  - 

Do I change the novel or leave as is, accepting the screenplay as "Based On" and allowing the licence of change. 

Personal, I like the change. More action, more challenge and would love to know what you think?

BETA READERS WANTED. I hope your reading experience and pleasure has not been unduly effected by editing. I do try so hard to weed out all the errors but constant reviewing always highlights something new. I have purchased software too,  but always there's something lurking. Even now. Six years on since my first publication.

So, if you have the time and desire to be amongst the first to read Quentin's latest adventure and willing to give me your honest (good or bad, both  are equally valuable) I'd love to hear from you.

I'm hoping for three readers, maybe. Let's see.

Ok, thank you for reading, and thank you for following. As a self published author it means a lot to have your interest in Quentin and my other stories. It makes it so worth while for me.

Simon

OH, oh, I forgot. I entered my screenplay The Shakespeare Murders into a competition and finished in the top 100 for the genre. There were many more entrants than 100, (I asked lol) so it's my latest accomplishment in my journey towards a Feature Film or TV Series.

MOVIE MAGIC

 I am currently working on adapting some of my novels to screenplays.

  Quentin James and the Undercover Agent, Loch of Arthur and Jacobite Gold are all "Under Consideration" by Producers.  

The O'Brien Detective Agency is another that is currently "Under Consideration" 

So it is all very exciting.

 THIS BLOG

Hi. I am not sure just how useful this blog is. I've never received any comments or messages so thinking of deleting it. 

Let me know if you would like it to remain

Simon