12 November

10 weird and wonderful things which happened on 12 November:

1. On this date in 1793 Jean Sylvain Bailly, a French astronomer, known for his computation of an orbit for Halley's Comet and his studies of satellites of Jupiter, was guillotined. When the executioner suggested he wear a coat because it was raining, Bailly replied, “What’s the matter? Are you afraid I’ll catch my death of cold?”
2. Born on this date in 1929 was Grace Kelly, the American actress who married Rainier III, Prince of Monaco and became Princess Grace of Monaco.
3. In 1991, Francis McCorry, a civil servant aged 38, of Ruddington, Nottinghamshire, suffocated when his head jammed in a wash basin. A policeman broke into the house and found Mr McCorry slumped in the basin with his head under the tap, which had not been turned on. The inquest recorded an open verdict.
4. The first movie stunt was performed on this date in 1910 when a stunt man jumped into the Hudson river from a burning balloon.
5. Jules Léotard, the daring young man on the flying trapeze, made his début on this date in 1859 at the age of 21. Performing in Paris, without a safety net, he was paid 500 francs a day, a large sum of money at this time. He also designed the garment that bears his name.
6. The first happy hour was held in a pub in Ireland on this date in 1745.
7. In 1999, Veena Indian restaurant in Scholes, near Cleckheaton, made the world's biggest and heaviest onion bhaji, weighing 6kg. It used up 500 onions, 10lb potatoes and 60 litres vegetable oil.
8. In 1980 Voyager I sent back stunning pictures of Saturn. Scientists were amazed to learn that Saturn had not four, but hundreds of rings. The rings appeared to dance and interlock in ways never thought possible.
9. Adolphus, Count of Cleves, founded a benevolent association called The Order of Fools on this date in 1381. For centuries the members, mostly from the Flemish upper classes, held a week-long grand court every year and planned acts of charity. They had the figure of a fool or jester embroidered on their mantles.
10. In 1933, Hugh Gray of the British Aluminium Company took five pictures of the Loch Ness Monster, the first known photos of it. Four of the five exposures were blank, and the remaining photo was later proven to be a hoax.

New!!

A Superhero love story.

Sent away to school to get her away from undesirable company, Agnes finds herself homesick and lonely. A brief connection with Jason Warner leads to the teenage crush to end all teenage crushes. Jason is barely aware Agnes exists, but she plans her whole future around him.

It is only when they meet again as adults that the connection becomes mutual; but before it can develop, Jason makes a discovery which rocks his entire world. He needs time alone, away from everyone, including Agnes. When Jason is finally ready to go back to his old life, Agnes has moved on and he cannot find her.

Agnes is now a single parent to the remarkable Seraphina. The Power League want to harness Seraphina's powers for evil before the Freedom League become aware of her. Agnes has no idea her new colleague and friend is a supervillain with his own agenda, and his willingness to babysit is not as innocent as she thinks. As Incendio starts teaching Seraphina to use her powers, the Freedom League intervene. Little do they know that they have found one of their own.

Where to get it:

Paperback

E-book