Video - Newest Book Trailers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLYKt1xeNo8&index=1&list=PLB0VZvtTuUrDtO4MXZUtPYklZ

↑Here is a link to the newest trailers for my novel and another kids book within the Tales of the Universe series.

The links to buy are here.

Video - Learning Japanese? New Japanese Videos for Japanese Learners (Update)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrFnGa3gI7M&list=PLB0VZvtTuUrCKZ_dqvDTtXuQ_sZXCs7EV 

↑Here is the new playlist for Japanese verbs audio videos. 

Please use them to learn some new words.
More will be coming soon. I may even make some that are more fun. For now, they are more like just standard (maybe a little fast in areas) audio recordings.

Enjoy,

AuthoRyuko 

Book - Children's, teen... The Flightless Dragon... A universal wonder.

I have recently finished another title.

Tales of the Universe: The Flightless Dragon:
Available here (More buying options coming soon)

Please stay tuned for the trailer tomorrow, and more buying options.

DESCRIPTION:
(See here for the preview file)
Rayalac or Ra'ac for short is a young dragon who can't fly. Every year, there are technique assessments assess the dragons' fighting, flying an breathing techniques. For many years, the white and black clans have been at war... but, maybe there is something else to this tale... something much bigger than powerful fire, water and air breathing dragons.. what is it? Find out in the first of the children series of Tales of the Universe.

Book - Y.A/Adult Action Adventure and Horror Novel Now Available

Finally! I've finished my novel:

Hiru Silverwolf: Werewolf Hunter.

I'm currently working on getting it into kindle and epub eligible online stores, and planning the paperback version [links will be updated].
If you have any questions please comment below.

Buy it on lulu.com
Ibooks, Nook and Kobo are pending. I make it available on smashwords.
TRAILER


Previews: 
Check Out Chapter One Here
Check Out Chapter Two Here

DESCRIPTION:
Sinclair, the original werewolf is currently living in the east and has inflicted terror into the eyes of many since the time of the Samurais. Hiru Silverwolf, a young male half-Asian starts his experiences with werewolves at the early age of ten... the rapid change in his life makes every moment a memory he will never forget. After discovering a silver dagger that had came from Japan, he sets out to his mother's birth place in search of answer. Unbeknownst to him, he must search for the original werewolf Sinclair and confront him. What will happen in this epic tale? Read now and discover...

Book - Rewrite (Update 1)

I've finally finished most of what I wanted to rewrite.

!Click here for the first chapter!

Here's the second chapter:

Later that day, police were everywhere searching for me.

“My father must have reported my mother’s death soon after I left,” I thought, when I saw a police officer stood outside my house. It could have been self-defence, yet I once held the blade that killed my mother nonetheless, therefore I decided to run.

            I somehow avoided the police for five days after my mother’s death, yet on the fifth, “Stop right there,” said a police officer behind me, in a strong, stern voice. “There is no use in running. You are being arrested for the suspected murder of your mother.” Other police officers came to the scene. I arose from the bench of which I slept on the night before and they said the ‘you have a right to remain silent’ rights.

            I thought they would not find me, as I kept moving from one place to another. To avoid detection, I wore a hoodie I had managed to steal from a shop one day. Yet all my efforts to stay out of being caught were now meaningless.

            They took me to the hospital first, as my wound had not healed and was beginning to get infected. I had several stitches sowed into my right arm. The wound was cleaned, yet the pain remained even after taking several pain killers.

            Later that day however, they took me to the police station. I came quietly all the way and I continued to be silent until I was asked questions. When they walked me to the jail cell, I didn’t retaliate. I could do nothing, except await my trial.

A month late my trial date arrived.

            “Out,” said a voice from outside the door of my jail cell. The door opened and I did as I was instructed. I was offered a lawyer, of which I accepted, as I couldn’t do anything else, yet he did not help my case.

            They told me that they found a knife with both mine and my mother’s blood on it. They came to the conclusion that I killed her. The trial was, in my opinion, unjustified, and I was sent down for eight years give or take. They said it was called 'life custody' and that I had to remain in jail until I was eighteen; in other words an adult. I couldn’t see a way out and tried to accept my new life in the cell. Needless to say, I cried most days – out of depression and confusion.

Days passed, and I was moved to many different places. The wound had not healed; in fact it had gotten worse. It repeatedly reopened and ripped the stitches apart regularly. My arm seemingly smelled like rotting flesh and had started to feel unlike my own - even more so as the days went by. The pain was almost unbearable and made me feel very angry and hostile towards others.

            “I have to get out of here,” I thought to myself. “Before I hurt someone.” I started to make a plan - with a plastic fork I was given. I pressed the fork into my food and started to think. “How can a kid break out of a prison?”

A day after, my infected arm fell limp. As it was my right arm and therefore my right hand - my writing hand - I had to try to use my left to write, which was harder than I first thought. I had noticed that day that my nails on my right hand were much thicker and harder than the nail’s on my left hand.

            I touched my right index finger with my left forefinger. It felt so sharp, that I nearly cut my other finger, and so, I pulled it away in shock. The nail was also even thicker and more durable than it looked. I slowly stroked my left hand down my right arm and stopped at the forearm; it too had changed. It felt so much harder and looked more toned than days before that day. It felt so smooth to the touch. I continued to repeatedly stroke it, but I quickly stopped, after I realised what I was doing. 

            “What’s happening to me?” I thought. I had been focussed on the pain from the wound so much, that I did not even notice that my whole right arm seemed to be infected with increased symptoms, or was changing in some mysterious way. Then it came to me; if my arm appeared to be more muscular, “What if I’m stronger?” I stared at my arm trying to get it to move in any way possible.

            Several minutes later; my little finger twitched. Each digit after my little finger twitched, one after the other. Soon, I was able to clench and move my hand. With even more focus, I was able to regain control of my entire right arm again. It was as if I had it cut off and now it had been reattached. It felt like my own arm again.

            I turned over on the bed I laid upon and pulled myself up with just my right arm. I stayed there, in a press up position, for five minutes and performed several one handed press-ups.

            “How is it that someone as skinny and usually as weak as me can do one handed press-ups?” I contemplated.

            After the realisation of my new found strength, my arm began to change even more and more rapidly. It began to become hairy and even more muscular. The wound was now closed and healing normally, yet the infection seemed to be developing.

            How did I ever cover this up? Well one day that question was put to the test. On this day, a police officer came into my cell to inspect the room.

            “Stand back you two,” he said. He was referring to me and my cell mate, who was rocking in a sitting position, in the corner of the room. He usually never spoke, yet this was the first time to show any signs of him losing his sanity. The police officer entered the cell and stared at my arm. He waited for an excuse or reason for my arm being as big as it was.

            “I do lots of one handed press-ups,” I said, with a smile.

            “But it’s hairier than your other arm, isn’t it?” He questioned. I shook my head, and said, “It's the light.” The policeman shook his head, and then said, “No it's definitely not the light. It’s thicker than your other arm too. Just what have you been doing in here?” he said raising one eyebrow in an inquisitive manner. “You’re a weird kid.” 

            “That's a good way to speak to a troubled child,” I replied. A moment after, the police-officer left my cell with a smirk on his face.

            “Stay away from cell three boys!” the police officer said, everyone in the neighbouring cells laughed.

            “I like a sassy boy,” said the man in the corner. “I'm sorry, I miss my son.” I stood, stared at him and slowly started to walk backwards.

            “I like men who don't talk,” I said, more scared than I sounded. The man didn't say anything. He got to his feet and started to walk towards me.

            “What are you in for?” he said. “I have never asked before.”

            “The same as what I'm going to stay in for, if you don't back the fuck off!” I shouted, with the last few words louder than the first. There were now noises coming from the other cells, as if the people inside them were moving closer to the walls; trying to listen in on our conversation.

            The guy walked closer to me and I tensed my arm muscles. I clenched my fists ready to strike. He licked his lips as strangely as my mother did, yet I don’t think he was a werewolf. He wouldn't have been locked up in the cell with me if he was, for one… I think. Yet I did not wait to find out, the full-moon was fast approaching and so was the man himself.

            “I only want to talk to you,” he said. “Please sit here.” I punched him as soon as he got close enough, and to my surprise, he flew into the wall opposite, with astounding force and speed. A loud bang later, his head began to bleed from the back and trickled down the cell wall.

            Moments passed and I sat in shock. I was quite sure that he was dead as he was no longer moving in the slightest.

            “Another, dead because of me?”  I remember thinking. Even though I was sure he did 'only want to talk' to me, I did not want to talk to him. Yet I killed him. Self-defence wasn't on my side this time. “I am an animal. A savage beast.”

I sat in the opposite corner of the dead man, who once mourned over the loss of his son, in the corner diagonally right. I tried to forget what I had done and found myself rocking back and forth, exactly like the man had done earlier. I remember thinking, “This is a feeling of misery, regret and uncertainty. I'm going crazy.”

            The night of that day was different to any other night I had awoken at odd hours on. It was a full-moon, yet this did not affect me before. As the moonlight settled on my face, the pain from my arm intensified briefly. I awoke, in the same position that I had been in for hours, due to the pain in my arm. Then the pain shot through my entire arm and up towards my chest. My left arm and then both of my legs, burned in pain.

            I tried to get to my feet, but couldn't stand as my feet seemingly started to grow and sprout hair through my then tightening shoes. My top began to rip, and my arms felt like they could have fizzled away due to the fiery pain. The pain became so unbearable that my body shut down and I became unconscious.

When I awoke, I looked at myself and saw that my right arm was even hairier than before and a much darker shade of black. I looked at my left arm and to my astonishment it too was equally as hairy and muscular. My feet and the rest of my body had expanded. Ripped and torn parts of my clothing had dug into me and left behind red marks and cuts on my body.

            The belt I had worn would have snapped if I was wearing it, yet it was taken off of me the first day of my jail sentence. I could not believe what was happening; was I a full werewolf now? Little did I know, I did not have the full strength of a werewolf, yet I had enough for what I needed.

            My senses had been heightened. Even my sight, especially in the dark, had improved. I jumped to my feet and thought of the best route out of the jail. I looked down at my furry hands. My knuckles were thick and hard. My nails were now like claws. The palms of my hands were warm and furry.

            I pent up all my strength and punched the metal door of the jail cell. With a huge amount of pain from hitting the door, it fell off its hinges. With an almighty bang it hit the floor. I sprinted down the hall and headed towards the entrance to the jail I had come in through all those days ago. There stood several police-officers. I let out a deafening howl and all but one of them cowered in fright.

            The other police-officer stood petrified for seconds; the time it took me to reach where he stood. I had an overwhelming urge to kill him, yet I managed to release that anger by concentrating it on his face. I scratched him in the cheek with three of my claws, leaving three deep and bloody cuts in his cheek. The blood streamed down his face, as he tried to block the downpour of blood with his hand.

            “There's something to remember me by,” I said, with a strange, low-toned, growl-like voice. I opened the door I had once entered the police station through and headed through it.

            Outside, were two people. One person was bent over in front of the other. The one standing up had a truncheon and was hitting the other on her bare arse. The female police-officer saw me, shrieked and fell onto the floor, supporting herself with her hands.         

            “I didn't hit you that hard… yet,” the other said, spanking her with the truncheon again. I disappeared into the shadows, laughed quietly to myself and waited to see what she said.

            “I thought I saw a…” she started to say. “Oh never mind.”

            One of the officers from inside the jail ran outside. The officers on their 'break' jumped and quickly tried to put their clothes back on.

            “We… we really should be doing this somewhere else,” the man suggested. The woman nodded in agreement.

            “Never mind that, did you see a…” the officer with three scratches on his cheek started to say, stopping himself from saying anything else.  

            “See what Jim?” the now flaccid-state man asked. “What happened to your face?”

             “The werewolf!” The scarred man said. “You didn't see it?!”

            “That's what I thought I saw too,” said the policewoman.

            “Seriously guys. Jim, you let a prisoner out of his sell and lost him again, didn't you?” said the other officer.

            “No!” the bleeding officer said. “He got out himself. Go ask the others. They’re most likely on the floor pissing themselves still, and that's not laughing, by the way. I'm serious, there was someone dressed as a really realistic werewolf.” The other officer shook his head and said, in a disappointed kind of tone, “You lot are crazy, stop winding me up.” I sniggered and walked off, through the shadows.

            I continued through the shadows avoiding as many people as possible - making my way to the river; where the dagger laid untouched and unblemished, covered by a sturdy rock. I removed the rock on top of the knife, picked the knife up and placed it between my teeth, which were now the size of a small child's finger. I then dived, head-first, into the freezing cold river water and started to swim down.

            At the very bottom of the river was a pipe.

            “Please lead to the sea, please,” I thought. I swam back to the riverbed to rest awhile. Then I began to swim again and headed on through the pipe. The pipe was the entrance to a long passage of pipes which were filled with murky water, with green, moss-like algae, yet I knew I could make it if I just continued to swim.

            As I emerged at the other end of the pipes, I saw a shimmering light above, rippling on the surface of the water. Running out of air, I swam as fast as I could, towards the light. As my head passed through the water, and penetrated the air, I could breathe again. Luckily, the pipes had led me to a place a mile from a beach, where I could rest for the time being.

Later that day, I realised what the writing on the dagger was written in; it was in Japanese. Therefore, Japan was my next destination. The impractical thing was the idea of a ten year old boy, who had seemingly turned into a werewolf overnight, being able to board a ferry or plane, and for free - as I obviously had no money. The only other option was to somehow swim the entire way and walk when needed.

            I rested and continued to head east, hoping there was another way, yet even as time passed, my stamina did not waver in the slightest, therefore I did not stop until it was completely necessary. I knew that Japan was east and which way was east, yet not how far it really was. The moonlight continued to rest gently on my face throughout the rest of the night; my forever faithful friend. I knew that I could make it in the many days to come.

Video - Learning Japanese? New Japanese Videos for Japanese Learners

So, I was thinking of starting a new series of videos for teaching Japanese as well as English. The style will be different to how I will actually teach English privately, but are for personal study use :D

Here is what I have so far:


Japanese Verbs (1)｛脂ぎる（あぶらぎる aburagiru）、上げる（あげる ageru）、開ける（あける akeru）、開く（あく aku）、仰ぐ（あおぐ aogu）、洗う（あらう arau）｝
脂ぎる　あぶらぎる　To become greasy, to become oily; to be loud and garish
上げる　あげる　To increase, raise, give　
開ける　あける　To open
空ける　あける　Empty
明ける　あける　Dawn
開く　あく・ひらく　To open, become vacant
仰ぐ　あおぐ　To look up, to ask somebody
扇ぐ　あおぐ　To gaze, stare
洗う　あらう　To wash
http://youtu.be/XrFnGa3gI7M

Japanese Verbs (2) ｛有る（ある aru）、歩く（あるく aruku）、焦る（あせる aseru）、遊ぶ（あそぶ asobu）、暖まる（あたたまる atatamaru）｝
―有る　ある　To have, exist
―歩く　あるく　To walk, step
―焦る　あせる　To hurry, rush, hasty, eager, impatient,
―遊ぶ　あそぶ　To play, be idle
―暖まる　あたたまる　To get warm, warm up, be warmed, warm oneself
温まる　あたたまる　To get warm, warm up, be warmed, warm oneself
http://youtu.be/xa2WMJaGKNc

Japanese Verbs (3) ｛集まる（あつまる atsumaru）、会う（あう au）、慌てる（あわてる awateru）、嘲る（あざける azakeru）、びびる bibiru、ぶつかる butsukaru｝
集まる　あつまる　To gather, assemble　集める　あつめる　To gather, collect
会う　あう　To meet
慌てる　あわてる　To panic
嘲る　あざける　To mock, ridicule, make fun of
びびる　To be nervous, daunted by something, get cold feet
ぶつかる To hit, collide with, clash  ぶつける　To hit against, throw at
http://youtu.be/CYnIJN5ZthA

Japanese Verbs (4) ｛違う（ちがう chigau）、契る（ちぎる chigiru）、散る（ちる chiru）、駄弁る（だべる daberu）、抱く（だく daku）、黙る（だまる damaru）｝
違う　ちがう　To be different, wrong
契る　ちぎる　To promise, vow, pledge
散る　ちる　To scatter, fall
駄弁る　だべる　To chatter, chat, talk idly
抱く　だく　To hug, embrace
黙る　だまる　To stop talking
http://youtu.be/iXvRhujIY-c

絶対に見てください＾＿＾

Interesting - Japan related News (Blue blue, nuclear energy, selling weapons, losing out on budgets and pretty plants)

Will Japan use more nuclear energy?
Reopening and reusing nuclear power plants... why?

Could blue be the new black in Japan?
Blue, blue and more blue... is it that popular in Japan?

Japan... selling weapons abroad. Mechas anyone?
Japan seem to be investing in research and exportation of air missiles with the USA and UK. As well as exporting submarine technology in Australia.Is there a new whale problem? I thought Australians were friendly to whales.
Could all this anger China and Korea.... more than usual?

Japan could miss it's 2021 budget by more than 10 trillion yen.. 
Meaning, until the industry has quite a boom... taxes will rise every few years of course. 100 yen shops will never be the same again...

This is one good looking plant - post from boredpanda.com (cute name huh?)
This beautiful plant is actually a type of vine ^0^

Video - New videos for 2014

I recently posted some videos on YouTube, why don't you check them out:

Rice Alcohol. Unfiltered Sake (cloudy sake).
Description: 

So this is my cloudy and unfiltered rice alcohol. My first ever excuse of making alcohol. I had a go at making my own recipe. 

This small batch wasn't made with koji kin (to make rice koji/koji rice), so it lacks some standard taste that Japanese sake may have, but is comparable to other rice wines/beer in countries such as Korea. 

Ingredients used in this batch: 

Rice (about 500g)  

Beer yeast (gotta see the nutrients list... you can definitely taste them) I uses about 5 tea spoons in all (added gradually with more water)

Water (didn't really measure it)

I also experimented with other things such as porridge oats (worked flavour wise -- added a certain Earthy flavour). It grew fungus because of my sister throwing bags we use for weekly shopping around the brewing area (so all sorts of foreign stuff went over it I guess. Luckily that was the only sample that got fungisized. 

I think I'll try more oats in the future, or barley (one ingredient they use in some shochu spirits (rice spirit)). 

Cute (or freaky) Dancing Animal Animation  (And New Music)

Description: 

The stuff I do when I'm bored... new song ^-^ 

Kinda annoying but addictive x)

The British Pound - Very Short Stop Motion Video

Description: 

My first stop motion video. I did It quickly as I don't have much free time. 

Interesting - What are Skype, Line, Google Hangouts and PayPal?

Hello everyone,
Please follow the below links for information about

Skype, LINE and Google Hangouts 
PayPal

Thanks,
Michael.

Teaching - New Facebook Page

Hello everyone, I've just made a new Facebook page for my site and services, please like it.

Here it is 

I'll also get to work on my novel re-write

Book - Rewrite

A few days into my rewrite of a novel I started a few years ago and it's still as dark as a starless galaxy (yes, that doesn't make much sense). Expect werewolf blood spillage, wolf shape-changers, dark humour and multinational adventure in this werewolf hunting tale.

In a few months comes the time for reviews and quick advertising. But, before then, read the first few pages!

I lived an ordinary life in Lowestoft by the sea. I enjoyed living in a conventional house, with a living room, dining room and an upper floor with loft. I had many friends. All had their reasons for liking me, and I had my reasons for liking them. Yet, I always thought my family was different, but for all the right reasons, and none bad. My mother came from Japan and moved to England fifteen years ago. She was very intelligent and taught me many interesting things - including her home's culture and history. I found it interesting yet hard to remember.

            My father was hard-working and I very rarely saw him. He was both mentally and physically strong - traits I did not inherit from him. Many people say I looked like the younger version of my father. I could never see it myself, as I was very skinny at the time and had virtually no muscle.

            My mother and father met when my mother was twenty-one, married four years later, bought a house and then had me. I was just a normal half-Asian, half-European, skinny, black-haired male, with hobbies vast enough to match that of my mother's and a father that was never at home. So no need to worry? Wrong...

            …My first experiences with a werewolf started when I was only ten years old, exactly ten years ago in fact. One night, my mother came home from work, at exactly six a.m. - a whole hour later than usual. I usually stayed awake to see her before we had dinner together. So I stayed up for her and did not eat until she came home - mostly because I couldn’t be bothered to prepare my own food, especially because of the fact I was only ten years old and had a very small number of responsibilities. Well, that’s how I saw it anyhow.

            “I'm sorry I’m late,” I remember her saying when she arrived. She took off her shoes and then pulled up a chair next to the dining table. She sat down on the chair, and said, “Let's order pizza tonight, I’ve had a hell of a day.” She said this with surprisingly little care over her choice in words. She was usually so calm and rarely spoke any word of colloquialism, in such a tone as she did at least. She also usually preferred to cook as opposed to ordering our food. I thought nothing of this as I was so very hungry and could not care less as to what we were eating - as long as it tasted good of course.

            A moment later, she sighed and inhaled deeply, exhaled a second later, then said, “Your dad's working late again.” She spoke in a soft, yet tired voice and with the same carelessness as before. I was never close to my father, yet it was nice to see him, no matter how rare the occasion was.

My mother walked towards the living room and picked up her mobile phone. Then, she began to dial the number for the pizza delivery shop.

            “Two ten-inch Italian-based meat-feast pizzas please,” she said, very fast; which was also unlike her. It was clear enough to get the job done and so, I did not think anything of that either.

            Most of the light from the sky outside was now drifting away into the darkness of the night. The light of the full-moon seeped through the closed curtains, onto the dining table. The light followed its way onto several pieces of cutlery on the table. The light reflected onto a knife and into a nearby mirror, which reflected the light into my mother's left eye. She oddly screamed in pain, reacting more intensely than you would have expected. Again, I thought nothing bad of this. On the contrary, I laughed instead. When she uncovered her eyes, I was sure I saw that her eyes flashed with a red tint, for a second at least. Afterwards, she left the room for reasons unknown to me.

            Pretty soon, that light from outside was the only plausible light in the entire room. Abruptly, I jumped, as my mother came running into the room. She seemed to look stressed and was about to speak, but there was a knock at the door. She seemed to float off into the dark of the hallway in front of me.

            I could see nothing in this darkness and wondered why she took as long as she did answering the door. Then two voices began to speak.

“Here's your pizza,” said the first, in a calm yet bored voice.       

            “Thank you!” shouted the other, yet in a voice that did not express gratitude, but agitation. The last voice was followed by a very loud bang, and it was blatantly obvious that my mother had slammed the door in the delivery person's face, right after paying them for the food. It was clear that the person was paid, as they left soon afterwards and did not return for payment.

            “What did you do that for?” I questioned, as my mother's face appeared through the darkness. She said nothing and threw the boxes full of pizza onto the table. She stood still for a moment, and then suddenly began to sway on the spot. She became very pale and fainted onto the seat she had pulled from under the table earlier.

I thought she was just very tired, at first, as she soon came to. The pizza was still warm, as it gave off warmth from where it laid. I opened a box containing the food she had bought.

            “I'm sorry Hiru,” she said. “I don't know what came over me.” The paleness of her face had now seemingly vanished. She opened the box containing her pizza and started eating it.

            I remember looking into her eyes and seeing the blackness of her pupils; black, except a streak of light from the moonlight from outside reflecting in them. She stared back with a smile, which quickly turned into a frown. The frown stretched, as she opened her mouth slightly. Her teeth somehow appeared to be longer now as they were nearly touching her bottom lip. She started to close her mouth, as she licked the tomato purée from around her lips. She dug her teeth into her bottom lip, with a mysterious grin, seemingly not in pain, even though blood trickled down her lip.

            “Are you okay?” I said. She said nothing, yet I couldn't stop but notice that she hadn't ceased looking at me since she smiled at me earlier.

            Suddenly, a vein on her forehead started to pulsate through her skin, which in turn caused her to yelp in pain.

            “Mum, are you okay?” I questioned once again. There was still no answer. She leapt to her feet, overturning both her chair and the dining table, with amazing force and frantic recklessness. I fell back against the floor in surprise and rolled backwards.

            Getting to my feet, I said, “You’re really scaring me now.” She bared her teeth once more; they had seemingly grown even more and were now dripping with blood; her own blood, from her bottom lip, which hadn't stopped bleeding. The blood dribbled down her chin. Thick, red blood.

            All of a sudden, she screamed out in pain and then she fell to the ground. I ran towards her, to comfort her, yet she pushed me away.

            “No,” she said, almost shouting again.

            “Mum?” I said in disbelief. “What's going on?” Yet again, there was no answer.

            On the spur of the moment, her head-hair started to grow three times its original length. Then, even more hair sprung from all over her body. She rose up from where she was. Her body had now seemed to have doubled in size and weight - mostly muscle. Her clothes ripped completely off of her body due to the strain of this quick change. She stepped on her ripped bra and started to stare at me once more, yet stood stationary, as her body was still changing. 

            Pretty soon, her face was almost unrecognisable, as she was now almost completely covered head to toe in black, thick, fur, only visible by the moonlight through the curtains in the dining room.       

            “M…mum?” I questioned. I hoped it was not her. However, there was no denying it, as she had changed form right in front of my eyes. She stood stationary for a few seconds; still transfixed and grinning at me.

            All of a sudden, she let out a long, piercing howl. I was paralysed by fear, for the moments passed by the ostensibly time melding howl. I stepped back slowly, waiting for a reaction to my presence by my denatured mother. She slowly growled and licked her lips. Then, she sprinted towards me. I could do nothing except jump out the way of her feral rage. She ran straight into the cooker and smashed her head against a cabinet above.

            She began to bleed heavily from her forehead. She growled and at the same time, she threw a chair towards the windows of the dining room; smashing a window nearby. A huge gust of wind blew in from the cold air outside. As I was distracted by the cold air, she grabbed a knife from a block of wood near her. Next second, she leapt at me again. I staggered, and fell to the floor, backwards. She peered over me. In a flash of light and pain, I fell unconscious.

I awoke, only being able to see with one eye and a knife lying on my chest. I felt an intense pain from atop my left eye, down to the left of my nose, in a diagonal line. I raised my left hand and hesitantly touched the scarred area. To my horror, I realised I was missing my left eye. I quickly pulled my hand away, as the pain was too great for a child to easily bear.          

面白いこと、ロンドンの博覧会

おはおは、こんにちは、こんばんはー

来月、ロンドンで漫画とかアニメとかコスプレとか見るの博覧会に行く（実際に僕がオタクじゃないけど、とても興味がある）。そこで写真とビデオを撮ろうと思う。後で面白い物をみんなにみせる、だからそんな場所に行きたいな。

最近、大学の宿題だから忙しくなったけど先の事を考えると楽しくなるので頑張る。例えば、数月後で英語の授業（インターネットで）を始めたい。

ここ数ヶ月、沢山日本語の勉強してみた。ドラマを観たり、音楽を（ＲＡＤＷＩＭＰＳとか）聴いたり、友だちとメールして沢山新しい言葉を覚えてた。やった！＾＾

大学を卒業したらバスに乗りながら日本語を勉強していた日々が懐かしく感じると思う。。。でも、将来、英語の先生になったら生徒の英語が上達するように励ましたい。

じゃあ、僕は本（以前の記事見てね）を書いてるから、この先忙しくなるので、

みんなまたね

Teaching - A Lesson Plan That Works

So, recently I have been planning the general layout of my English lessons that I will teach online. Of course, one thing to preempt is just what exactly works online. What will be good for me AND my students? I won't say all the details until I'm actually teaching, but I will sat that I think I have devised a nice way for students to learn pronunciation, vocabulary, expressions and overall knowledge of English while developing also on their listening and general comprehension.

Simple techniques and methods can usually contain such materials such as videos, something to read and, thereafter, discuss and analyze. I think, as long as the student is constantly learning content as well as analyzing that content, a lesson can last quite a long time without the student or teacher getting bored. with the discussion aspect, the teacher may have the chance to learn something as well.

It's important to fit as much as possible into lessons, regardless of skill. The more the student learns (through the content given by the teacher), comprehends (through discussion, conversation and study), is able to use and remembers (through devotion and practice) the better.

As a teacher, I will strive to ensure all my future lessons fit all these criteria.... while I still have fun myself of course.

Thanks for reading,
Michael.

Interesting - New Website Now Live

Hello everyone,

It's coming to the last few months of my bachelor's degree now. From September I aim to start teaching English online. From then on, I will also live in different places and travel around the UK (I think). So, there will be many videos and photos to come.

Here's my new website (everything subject to change - except my name maybe):

http://authoryuko.com/

AGAIN,
I will start teaching English in September (class prices may change before then!)

Please tell me if you are interested or have friends who will be interested :D

Book: Lumen Island - Halloween Tale

LINK (opens in a new window)

BUY HERE (Artwork subject to change):
Amazon (US)
Amazon(UK)
Kobo Books
Barnes and Noble 
iBookstore (iTunes)
payhip (HUGE DISCOUNTS)
lulu.com


Lumen are mysterious powerful luminescent orbs of pure magic - they are like the back bone of all magical things.

There's a rumour going around about a living skeleton, does he come out on the night of Halloween? When will the Lumen reveal themselves?


What secrets do the Lumen truly hold?

Find out in the first book of the Lumen Island series and follow Cecilia and her friends as they confront their school bullies who took their Halloween sweets and discover the wonders of the Lumen.



payhip.com discount (10%),
Code: ROCO3YUJ5E

Video: Stop Motion

The YouTube link :D (Opens in a new window).

Earlier, I recorded a 30 frame stop motion piece with British coins and notes. I didn’t have much time to make it as I was, and am still, trying to think of and write a report, games and my dissertation. Though I’ve also been talking to my friends a lot, which doesn’t help productivity an awful lot, but hey ho.

I hope to make more of these little videos (though the next one will be longer) and use my own sound effects (I might make some music too).

その前先、英国のコインと英国の紙幣に30フレームのストップモーションを撮った。僕にはまだレポートとゲームと学位論文があるから、暇じゃない。だけど友達と話し過ぎて、あまり生産的じゃない。でも、どうでもいいや。

もっとこういう短いビデオを作りたいし、（でも次のビデオが長くなりそう）自分の効果音も使いたい（音楽も作るかも。）

Photography: Mother's Day, Sherwood and a Picnic.

Today (30th March) I went to the Sherwood Forest (Nottinghamshire, England). The decent amount of sun this Mother’s day served adequate lighting for my camera. I shot a fair amount of new family photos. And my mother laughed merrily at my bashful nephews and niece, despite her slight cough she’s had for the past few days. It was a good time to have a picnic, yet there were no squirrels or many birds to steal our food… which, to be quite honest, was a shame for me the guy with the camera.  

As I’m not one to show photos of people much, I’ll only show the photos of the Great Oak, statues and  amongst other things.

In May I’ll travel to Japan, so be sure to check back then for some great pictures of Tokyo and Yokohama. It’s gunna be so much fun ^_^   After that, I’ll go to London for the next comicon. In spite of all that, I don’t see myself as much of an otaku (Japanese anime, manga and games lover/all-round geek), photography makes things where people gather more interesting. I’m more interested in Japan, it’s language and actual people more than anime and manga XD

This isn’t the major oak, it’s just a tree.

Oh look, horse!

My dog.

This way to the major oak (shortest trail around the national park).

This is the major oak in all its glory. Of course it’s always in crutches, it’s old after all.

There was a small training area for archery. These little trinkets were being sold around here too.

Don’t really know what this is. A deer?

Robin hood and Little John (the bigger guy). If you don’t know the tale, then watch anything Robin Hood related (Robin Hood: Men in Tights is hilarious). Basically he’s a folk legend that helps keep the spirit of Sherwood Forest alive.

Thanks for reading.

----

Micheal.