by Clive Eaton
We are delighted to welcome novelist Clive Eaton as our guest.
Clive's debut novel is The Pyramid Legacy (CreateSpace, June 2012 trade paperback and ebook formats), "a thriller, but also has a story of love and deceit deeply woven in."
Clive tells us today about the inspiration for the storyline. And he is giving one of our readers a chance to win a copy of the book; details below.
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One question many people have asked me about my first novel is — "What gave you the idea in the first instance?" Of all the questions I get this one is perhaps the easiest to answer. I was inspired by the Great Pyramid of Giza as a child many decades ago. It was as the result of watching a black and white film on the television, the title I sadly forget, with the story line heavily featuring the Pyramids. I remember how a whole domino effect of doors closing within the pyramid managed to trap unsuspecting robbers. It was such a mystery and there were so many unanswered questions.
Photo provided courtesy of
Clive Eaton
My interest was further re-kindled in recent years by the actual discovery of a hidden door within the Khufu Pyramid. A team of Egyptologists and engineers looked to find how they could bypass the structure to see what it protected, if anything. Unfortunately, once passed the door they found the answer was indeed, nothing! But that didn't stop my brain going into overdrive with "What if?" scenarios. I wanted a similar door to protect an image, but something exceptionally unique.
In 2009 my wife and I took a trip to Cairo as part of my research for the book. It was only when I was once inside I realised the image had to be something that would cast doubt over the currently accepted belief, which is the Pyramids of Giza were built by the ancient Egyptians. Climbing up into the Grand Gallery I was able to witness the sheer brilliance of its design. Large stones had been cut to millimetre precision and it was impossible to even slide a thin sheet of paper at the point they butted together. How could ancient Egyptians, without modern day tools, have built something of such unimaginable precision?
On the dusty journey back to my hotel, my mind was seeking an image, which could be found in a hidden chamber, and which would cast serious doubt over the origin of the builders. It had to be something which could not be known to ancient Egyptians, and then it struck me. What was it? Well. I guess you are going to have to read the story to find out.
Is there another book after The Pyramid Legacy? Yes, there certainly is. The sequel Operation Stonehenge is well underway with the view to having it completed before the end of this year.
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Clive Eaton initially trained as an aircraft engineer in the Royal Air Force and worked on Vulcan bombers for a number of years.
He now works as a freelance international trainer in the area of business improvement, and his work has taken him to over 30 countries around the globe.
For more information about the author and his book, visit ThePyramidLegacy.com.
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The Pyramid Legacy
Clive Eaton
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A prominent young Egyptologist is murdered by a colleague, deep within the bowels of the Great Pyramid of Giza. The authorities are keen to cover it up, but they know they can't achieve total closure whilst English robotics engineer, Ben Anderson, remains in possession of a powerful image.
An image, which suggests the Great Pyramid at Giza was not built by ancient Egyptians. What the Egyptian authorities don't know is that unless the true meaning behind the image can be established, along with other images which will later surface, the future of mankind will face the most serious threat imaginable. Anderson manages to escape Egypt at the earliest opportunity, together with his astrophysicist girlfriend, Samantha Gibson, but the authorities are quickly on their tail when it becomes evident they have arrested the wrong person. Keen to establish who really built the Pyramids, Anderson seeks to gain additional proof to support his theory. As he and Gibson begin to discover a series of seemingly disparate clues, they soon realise that everything is far from straightforward.
Whilst seeking additional resources, Gibson is unwittingly embroiled in the internal politics of the US military, with the result that she becomes a pawn in a vicious power struggle involving a corrupt senior officer. Her path crosses that of an ex-lover and her relationship with Anderson stretches to breaking point. As Anderson begins to see Gibson from a totally different perspective, his focus changes, and he pushes himself well beyond the limits of his comfort zone in an attempt to discover the truth.
Gibson is now prepared to do anything to fulfil a lifetime ambition, but as her objective becomes almost within her grasp a virulent virus threatens to stop her … and Anderson has the antidote … together with a totally different agenda. And so an unprecedented race begins to finally reveal the true legacy of the Great Pyramid of Giza.
For a chance to win a copy of The Pyramid Legacy, courtesy of the author, visit Mystery Book Contests, click on the "Clive Eaton: The Pyramid Legacy" contest link, enter your name, e-mail address, and this code — 6634 — for a chance to win! (One entry per person, US residents only; contest ends September 12th, 2012.)
