The False Cult

Cover #6

2009-07-05T22:26:00.002+01:00

Sorry for leaving you all hanging for such a long time (for those of you who still read from time to time)

Here is the Sixth Cover... enjoy!

I Have Resumed Writing!

2009-06-18T21:12:00.002+01:00

Officially!

So look forward to weekly updates once again!

Thank you...

Just to let you kow i'm still alive

2009-05-24T01:36:00.000+01:00

Hello all regular readers, followers and casual passers by!

Just to let you know i'm still alive and well (excluding exams)

I will be uploading two new covers before the end of June, and the final two by the end of summer. (By which time the book WILL be finished)

Anyway this was just a post to restore your faith in my life!I shall bid you another temporary farewell until aound June 5th (or maybe the weekend following)

(an aside)
Congratulations to Archbishop Vincent Nichols for his enthronement as the 11th Archbishop of Westminster and leader of all Catholics in England and Wales!

Cover 5

2009-04-02T23:25:00.003+01:00

First of all, allow me to apoplgise for that horrid gap between my last post and this post! Exams are nearing (again) so I cannot guarantee regular posts between now and June 5th. However I will post as much as I can during that time.

Anyway, here's a 5th Cover for "The False Cult"

Enjoy!

Progress...

2009-03-08T21:30:00.001Z

Just to let you know, i'm still writing...

I've reached the final stage of the book now, it's just a matter of finishing.

Time...

St. George's Cathedral, Southwark

2009-02-05T20:32:00.008Z

This Cathedral is not to be confused with the Southwark Anglican Cathedral, which is next to London bridge. This Roman Catholic Cathedral, stands next door to the imperial war museum.

A Cathedral stood on the site since 1848, and at the time the Cathedral was the largest (Roman Catholic) in Britain, and hence the centre of Catholic life until the magnificent Westminster Cathedral was built.

The original Cathedral did not look have the same dismal, uninteresting look as the current Cathedral. It had a gargantuan tower, and was builtin the gothic style. (see photo below)

The old Cathedral was bombed on 16th Aptil 1941, and hence had to be rebuilt. The New Cathedral began construction in 1953 and was opened in 1966. The new Cathedral was designed by Romilly Bertrand Craze designed the new cathedral and attempted to mix the remnants of the old Cathedral with his own Arts and Crafts/ Gothic Revival architecture.

However, funds ran out and the new Cathedral was built without a tower and spire... which is why it's not very well known, and not remotely interesting to look at. (anyone fancy raising funds to make this cathedral look like a Cathedral? rather than a semi-demolished Parish Church?)

Internally, it's quite elegant. Many different types of Gothic architecture feature on the inside of the Cathedral. The sanctuary, however got immensely buggered by the Second Vatican Council (as did the Sanctuaries of many churches) There is no High Altar, only an uinmpressive main alar made of what seems to be granite. However, the stained glass windows are superb, not to mention the statues!

The Cathedral also features LCD screens about every 10 metres down the nave (mounted on the pillars), which, could have been better spent on building a bell tower!

Enough talk. Time for some photos:

"West Face" of the Cathedral

Cathedral from the "North-West"

The Spectacular East Window depicting the Crucfixion.

Nave, looking East

Sanctuary (the pieces of cloth belong to the cleaners)

The ceiling, above the Nave.

Cover # 4

2009-01-22T17:00:00.002Z

Hello all,
this cover is the fouth one, just like all the others, taken and designed by me.

you know the drill... comment.. etc.

Editing...

2009-01-20T22:02:00.003Z

No, i've not started editing my writing, that will come soon enough.

However, I've edited the first cover that I designed.

Here's the link to that post.

http://thefalsecult.blogspot.com/2008/08/cover.html

Hey Everyone

2009-01-06T18:02:00.003Z

Hey guys, i've got exams until the 21st so you won't see much blogging from me until then. But I won't leave you high and dry, so i'll leave you with this bit to satisfy you until my return.

oh and while you're at it, "klyk lynx" hopefully you can decode this message and do what i'm asking you to.

A voice from within the wall repeated, "The end is near, for you, my dear. The darkest fright will see you tonight."
She edged closer to the wall where the voice was coming from, but the voice only got softer. By the time she got to the wall, it was an inaduble whisper. The earth shook...

Results from Cover Competition

2009-01-01T15:32:00.002Z

There are no winners because there were no entries.

Such a pity.

Anyway, happy new year.

Merry Christmas Everyone

2008-12-27T19:36:00.002Z

Hello guys,

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Although i've said i'd be doing alot of writing, but in reality ive only done a little bit.

BUT here is an announcement.

1. Don't forget the cover competition, which ends on the 31st at midnight.

My comeback!

2008-12-07T23:00:00.002Z

Hey guys,

Just to let you know, that I have returned to blogging, have a newer version of photoshop and have some motivation and time to do some serious writing!

Look forward to lots of posts in the week, and don't forget to do your damn covers.
The deadline's in three weeks!

Apologies and News

2008-11-18T12:43:00.002Z

Sorry for the delay in blogging, i've been away for the weekend and therefore unable to post.

During the next few weeks, up to about the middle of December, I will not be blogging as frequently due to coursework.
I will also take some time off blogging to get a considerable amount of writing and editing done. This does not mean that I will not post at all for the next four weeks, rather it means that posts will be more infrequent until mid-december.
Don't forget the cover competition which all entrants should submit their covers to flying_spy_007@hotmail.com by midnight December 31st
In the event of any extremely important news, I will update you!

Some more writing..

2008-11-08T14:57:00.004Z

Here's part of a scene that may or may not be included in the book...

It was pitch black. He'd escaped, or at least he'd thought he did.

"I wouldn't run if I were you," he heard in the distance

He fell to the floor. A cold blade tore his skin open.

He screamed in agony.

"BANG," a gun fired.

The knife dropped and he heard a body tumble to the floor next to him.

Cover no. 3

2008-11-02T14:06:00.007Z

Instead of doing the work that I was meant to do today, I did some writing, as well as made a new cover!
Tell me what you think! (as usual)

Design a cover...

2008-10-28T16:38:00.004Z

If you know your way around the camera and photo editing software, then here's a challenge...

Design a cover for "The False Cult"

Once you have designed it give me an email titled "FALSE CULT COVER" ( see: comments)

The deadline is December 31st at midnight!

There are no restrictions to what you can or can not put on the cover, however it should be relevant to your own interpretation of the book.

All entries will be posted on the blog in January and subject to a public poll!

I look forward to seeing your entries!

Cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile

2008-10-22T22:32:00.005+01:00

Just two a minute away from the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street (on Duke Street) , stands what is arguably the most unique Catholic Church/Cathedral in London. It's not as imposing as Westminster Cathedral, neither is it anywhere near as famous. The Cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile is the cathedral of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Apostolic Exarchate in Great Britain.

This Cathedral is quite different to what Roman Catholics in Great Britain are accustomed to. It is not of the Latin (Roman) Rite, as are the rest of our Catholic Cathedrals in the UK, it is of the Ukrainian Rite. This is an eastern Rite of the Catholic Church. The practices of the Ukrainian Catholic Church are quite similar to those of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, however its beliefs are in line with Catholicism rather than Orthodoxy.

The Ukrainian Rite Catholic Church is the second largest rite of Catholicism (behind the Latin Rite)

The building itself had unique origins as well. It was designed by Alfred Waterhouse and built in 1891. Initially, the building was a congregational church, but it was sold to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster in 1967. The Archdiocese of Westminster then offered the building to the Ukrainian Catholics to serve as their Cathedral.

Unfortunately, I was not able to enter the Cathedral to get any photos of the interior, so sadly I've got to stick to posting shots of the exterior of this Cathedral.

(Cathedral from the West Face)

(Cathedral from the South East)

News..

2008-10-17T00:25:00.002+01:00

Due to recently starting University, I've been very tied up with work and all that, so i've not been blogging or writing as often as I should be. Sorry about that. However, I will try to do some blogging at the weekend and/or during the coming week. I will also resume writing within two weeks!

Chapter X

2008-10-04T15:32:00.003+01:00

Here's another extract from what i'd like to call the "forbidden section" of my book. Hope you like it.

<< He was in a maze, running to find the exit. The walls were solid and the only light was a small orb at the other end of the maze. The walls and floor all looked black, there were sporadic cold breezes caressing the hot, humid surroundings. The sky was starless—just an empty void. Leonard ran as fast as he could, towards the orb, but on numerous occasions found himself at a dead end. He couldn’t talk, as a matter of fact; he couldn’t feel his heart beating. His energy level seemed constant even though he ran at full speed; he didn’t get tired or start to sweat despite the humid heat of the maze. Where was he? Why did he no longer feel human? Leonard finally saw it. The orb of light—it was a tunnel. He stopped before the tunnel and fell to the solid floor.
“LEONARD!” >>

Westminster Cathedral

2008-09-27T23:06:00.009+01:00

This magnificent Cathedral of The Most Prescious Blood, designed by John Francis Bentley in the Byzantine style is, in my opinion the most interesting church in London, and personally, my favourite church.

Construction of the Cathedral began in 1895. It was opened in 1903 and consecrecrated in 1910. The nature of the Cathedral's acthitecture makes it stand out from its surroundings, however, more importantly, it allows the Cathedral to have dozens of turrets and towers. The most notable of these is the imposing campanile (bell tower) which stands 83 metres tall. This makes it the tallest church bell tower in London, but the second tallest church (second only to the 111m tall dome of St. Paul's). Inside, the dominiant feature (and rightfully so,) is the High Altar, which houses 6 candlesticks and a 2 metre tall altar crucifix.... Anway, enough of me rambling on about the Cathedral.. here are some images.

The "West" face of the Cathedral.

The Cathedral from the "North East" [Rear-right]

The Nave of the Cathedral, looking East towards the High Altar
(Taken by Monsignor Mark Langham)

A Matter of Interest... The Biretta

2008-09-19T01:56:00.006+01:00

This is a square hat, usually with three or four ridges worn by Roman Catholic Clergy.

It's usually black for priests (and deacons), black with a purple tuft for Monsignors, Purple for Bishops and Red for Cardinals.

Here are some photos of them.

Red, being a Cardinal's Biretta

Black, being a priest's Biretta

As I promised,

2008-09-19T01:56:00.002+01:00

I would be posting scenes from the "forbidden" sections of my work.

Here's the first one. (please note, that anything written may change when it comes to editing time)

< “Hello…oh...hi...what do you mean they disappeared? Did you check all the cameras... so what, they ‘disapparated’? This is not Harry Potter… Look, I don’t care what it seems like. Search through the tapes again and search the entire building from top floor to basement… Well contact the other bosses then and get permission, use your brains, what the hell do you think you’re getting paid for. Do I have to do everything…Oh Lord… you know what, I’m gonna come down there and set you lot straight… Bye”
Leonard slammed his phone shut and dropped it on the table.>>

News

2008-09-07T21:39:00.002+01:00

Expect more covers in the next coming weeks!

I anticipate around eight more, and a new poll once they're all up.

Also, you can expect some clips from the "forbidden" parts of the book.

Generally speaking, writing is on course.

I've also added new features to the page. You may subscribe to posts (top right corner) as well as follow the blog. (bottom of page)

Second Cover

2008-09-02T22:15:00.003+01:00

Hey guys,

I've designed a second cover.

Again all done by me.. photo and design.

Tell me what you think.

Almost finished...

2008-08-22T01:22:00.003+01:00

I'm happy to say that i'm expecting to finish writing within the next two months if all goes well.

This morning, i got quite a large portion of writing done, as well as planned the directon for the rest of the novel.

Once i'm finished, then the necessary editing will take place, and then we'll see where it goes from there.

A Cover

2008-08-17T17:32:00.001+01:00

I've gotten a bit playful with my digital camera and Photoshop, so i decided to try a cover and see how it looked.

What do you think?

Apologies.

2008-08-17T17:10:00.000+01:00

Followers of the blog, I apologise for my lack of posting over the last few weeks,
I have been away on holiday, hence being unable to post.

The new plot

2008-07-29T23:28:00.000+01:00

Hello all, i did say that i am in the process of reworking the plot of "The False Cult"

Here it is. If you have any suggestions, please comment and i woul be very grateful.

Islamic extremists are thought to be responsible for a string of murders of high-ranking Roman Catholic clergy in London. Brutal murders of bishops headline the news. At the same time, unusual events begin to occur in and around London. Speculations arise that an underground society may be liable for these murders. The evidence is inconclusive. It’s now up to the Police and Leonard Helton to sift through the few clues to discover the startling truth of who is really behind these murders and what their real agenda is.

If I update the plot again i will inform you.

Thank you :)

A little preview

2008-07-28T23:11:00.000+01:00

Here's a little section of the Prologue of my book. Please inform me if you do find it interesting.

<<“Going somewhere?” one man said to the Cardinal in a voice of disgust.
“Brand him!” shouted the master from the opposite side of the room.
A third man then appeared out of what seemed to be nowhere with a red-hot branding iron in his right hand. It looked like it had a symbol and some letters on it. One of the original two men started to unbutton the top of the Cardinals red cassock while the other held him down.
“I mark you, body and soul with this iron, may this remi…” said the man as his words faded into inaudible whispers. >>

By the Way,

2008-07-28T23:06:00.000+01:00

In this blog i'll also post things that are not related to my book.

such as photographs and opinions relative to today's issues.

Greetings

2008-07-28T23:01:00.000+01:00

Hello there.

My name is David and this blog is to serve as an Introduction to my book. "The False Cult"

Now, the book is still a work-in-progress, but if people show a keen interest in it, then i'll be inspired to finish it , more quickly.

Here is the old plot.

Plot
"The Archbishop of Westminster is brutally murdered and branded. Leonard is called upon to carry out a private investigation into the murder. All the signs indicate that an Islamic extremist group is responsible for the murder. More murders of Catholic bishops follow and strange activities now begin to occur all over London. On the scene of one of the murders, Leonard finds a clue; this new clue shatters his original suspicion and reveals an old group that was thought to have dissolved centuries ago. What is the true agenda for this Group? Will Leonard be able to stop them?"

However, since commencing writing, the direction of the book has strayed from this plot slightly.

I will keep you updated once i've rewritten the plot.