15 December: 349

Today is the 349th day of the year. 10 things you might not know about the number 349:

1. 349 Dembowska is a large Asteroid discovered in 1892, by the French astronomer Auguste Charlois It is named in honour of the Baron Hercules Dembowski, an Italian astronomer who made significant contributions to research on double and multiple stars.
2. The Sun Odyssey 349 is a French sailboat designed by Marc Lombard Design for cruising and first built in 2014.
3. 349 was the winning number of the Pepsi Number Fever grand prize draw Philippines in 1992. A computer error meant that the winning number, which would win a prize of 1 million pesos (roughly US$40,000 in 1992), had been printed on 800,000 bottle tops instead of two. It didn't stop there. The 800,000 bottles didn't have the code people needed to claim the prize, either. At first, Pepsi said the bottle caps couldn't be redeemed. Too bad. Then changed their mind and offered 500 pesos ($18) to holders of mistakenly printed bottle caps, as a "gesture of good will". This cost them 240 million pesos as nearly 500,000 people cashed in on that. However, not everyone was satisfied. The dissatisfied customers formed a consumer group, the 349 Alliance, which boycotted Pepsi products and organised demos outside their offices. Most of these were peaceful, but some weren't and resulted in deaths from grenades thrown into a warehouse and at Pepsi trucks. This debacle became known as the 349 incident.
4. Barack Obama had 349 electoral votes in the final election projection of 2008.
5. The Bachem Ba 349 Natter was a World War II German point-defence rocket-powered interceptor which could take off vertically so an airfield wasn't needed. It was unmanned and controlled by autopilot.
6. The year 349 was a common year starting on Sunday, known at the time as the Year of the Consulship of Limenius and Catullinus.
7. 349 is a blog about politics, culture, media and philosophy, found at www.threefourtynine.wordpress.com.
8. The Swedish Parliament has 349 seats.
9. The A349 is a road in England which runs between Wimborne and Poole in Dorset.
10. Angel number 349 is a symbol of awakening, a sign that it is time to revive a flagging spirit. It also warns you not to compromise your principles, remain true to your family’s traditional values, and not to tell lies, as this can work against you in the long run.

A Very Variant Christmas

Last year, Jade and Gloria were embroiled in a bitter conflict to win back their throne and their ancestral home. This year, Queen Jade and Princess Gloria want to host the biggest and best Christmas party ever in their palace. They invite all their friends to come and bring guests. Not even the birth of Jade's heir just before Christmas will stop them.

The guest list includes most of Britain's complement of super-powered crime-fighters, their families and friends. What could possibly go wrong?

Gatecrashers, unexpected arrivals, exploding Christmas crackers and a kidnapping, for starters.

Far away in space, the Constellations, a cosmic peacekeeping force, have suffered a tragic loss. They need to recruit a new member to replace their dead colleague. The two top candidates are both at Jade and Gloria's party. The arrival of the recruitment delegation on Christmas Eve is a surprise for everyone; but their visit means one guest now faces a life-changing decision.

Meanwhile, an alliance of the enemies of various guests at the party has infiltrated the palace; they hide in the dungeon, plotting how best to get rid of the crime-fighters and the royal family once and for all. Problem is, they all have their own agendas and differences of opinion on how to achieve their aims.

Not to mention that this year, the ghosts who walk the corridors of the palace on Christmas Eve will be as surprised by the living as the living are by them.

Themes 

Christmas; superheroes; reunions; parties; life choices; shocking surprises; mistaken identity; kidnap and rescue.

Reasons not to read it

• It's a bit short. You could probably read it in one sitting.
• Most of the action takes place at a Christmas party. In a palace.
• It's all about Christmas but there doesn't seem to be a schmaltzy moral message.
• There are a couple of babies and some small children in it - and one nearly gets eaten.
• Santa appears in it, but he isn't really Santa.
• Superheroes. Again.
• Not to mention a whole bunch of super-villains. Again all new ones and not the ones we know from Marvel or DC.

Available from Amazon and Amazon Kindle