26 December

10 weird and wonderful things which happened on 26 December:

Elizabeth Bathory

1. In 1906, the world’s first feature film, The Story of the Kelly Gang, made in Australia, was screened in Melbourne.
2. In 1606, William Shakespeare's play King Lear was performed for the first time before the English court. The play is the story of the ageing King Lear who divided his kingdom among two of his hypocritical daughters, Goneril and Regan, while disinheriting his third daughter, Cordelia, who truly loves him.
3. In 1924, Judy Garland, billed as Baby Frances, made her debut as part of the family's vaudeville act on the New Grand Theater stage, managed by her father. She was two and a half.
4. In 1898, Marie and Pierre Curie discovered radium while experimenting with pitchblende.
5. In 1973, two Skylab 3 astronauts walked in space for a record 7 hours.
6. The ghastly crimes of Erzsébet Báthory (Elizabeth Bathory) were uncovered on this date in 1620. Báthory was a Hungarian countess. It was alleged that she was a serial killer responsible for the torture and murder of over 600 peasants. It is believed that her primary motive for murder was to bathe in the blood of young girls to improve her complexion. When her crimes were discovered, she was tried and imprisoned in solitary confinement, where she died. Her collaborators were executed.
7. In 1982, The Man of the Year in TIME magazine wasn't human for the first time. A computer received the honours as 1982’s "greatest influence for good or evil."
8. The first charity walk took place, along Icknield Way, in aid of the World Refugee Fund on this date in 1959.
9. Born on this date in 1893 was Mao Tse-tung, Chinese Communist leader. He led his nation after the war of liberation, from 1947 to his death. Chairman Mao’s famous Little Red Book of his thoughts was issued to all the population.
10. Also born on this date, in 1792, was Charles Babbage, mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer who first imagined the concept of a programmable computer. He developed the first speedometer and adding machine.

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