Hello and welcome to my writing website. My name is Chris Allan and I have hopes and aspirations to be a writer of children's fiction. The intention for this website, which was first created in May 2006 and is an ongoing development, is that it acts as a teaser for what I am hoping will be my debut novel. "Moon Crater"TM (a working title) is aimed at children aged 8-14 (both boys and girls), but I hope adults might also enjoy reading it as well - perhaps with their children, perhaps on their own.

The story itself has been developing since 1999 but I'm not deterred by this lengthy preparation time - a good broth tastes better when it's heated slowly but if it boils over too quickly it'll be spoiled. I wish I could say my gran used to always say that but I just made that up on the spot. That's what I do as an author, and half the fun of writing is the creation of something from nothing (the other half is careful planning, hence the long production of "Moon Crater"TM!)

So, what is the story of "Moon Crater"TM about? It focuses on two children, aged 12, who live in a fictional village in the north of England. They are huge fans of TV but are bored of life in the tiny place they've grown up in - then they make a huge discovery which challenges everything they thought they knew about the place they call home. If you're intrigued, stay tuned right here - bookmark the main homepage of www.findthemissingreel.com and over the coming months, all of the desk top items will be 'unlocked' to allow further secret views into the world of "Moon Crater"TM.

This site runs parallel with my writing and will hopefully complement and illuminate the words I put on the page. Ultimately, I'd like children and adults alike to become detectives as they explore my web pages, all the while wondering, "How does this 'hunt for a missing reel' fit in with the story of two kids who yearn for more in life?"

CGAllan - "thanks for reading!"

PS - As you browse the site there'll be puzzles to solve - for starters, try clicking on a "weirdly wordy" object on my desk top homepage and see where it takes you!