Defender by G X Todd - Blog Tour

Today I want to introduce you Defender by G X Todd...


an imaginative thriller that draws on influences from Stephen King, Clive Barker and Neil Gaiman to create a new world – where the biggest threat mankind faces is from the voices inside your own head


In a world where long drinks are in short supply, a stranger listens to the voice in his head telling him to buy a lemonade from the girl sitting on a dusty road.
The moment locks them together.
Here and now it’s dangerous to listen to your inner voice. Those who do, keep it quiet.
These voices have purpose.
And when Pilgrim meets Lacey, there is a reason. He just doesn’t know it yet.

She is a quite fanatic of Lego, and has created a special article for my blog to explain us her Top 7 LEGO projects for kids of all ages! Enjoy! :)

Anyone who knows me, knows I love LEGO. I love LEGO so much it grieves me slightly when people type it as Lego or lego and not by the correct LEGO in all capitals. Over the years, I have spent an absolute fortune on it, which I mainly justify by saying I don’t smoke, drink, do drugs, or gamble. Plus, everyone needs a hobby, right? And other than it taking up too much room in my house, it’s a harmless, fun one.
In this blog post, I’m going to go through my favourite LEGO sets I’ve built to date (I have many, many unopened boxes of LEGO, but they’ll have to be a subject for another day), and I’m going to rank them in order. So hold onto your hats, people. This is going to get very exciting.

7) LEGO Space Shuttle (60080) Difficulty: Easy
I bought this set after returning from a trip to the US. We’d been to Washington DC and visited the National Air and Space Museum and saw the Space Shuttle Victory there. This was a great little build to get over my post-holiday blues. It has a cockpit where the pilot can sit and a middle section that opens up with a nifty swing arm mechanism and an extra satellite. It’s the perfect model to recreate all your favourite scenes from Space Camp, Apollo 13 and Gravity. Not that I ever have...Ahem.

(Spot the difference – one’s a real space shuttle, the other is LEGO.)

6) LEGO Deep Sea Exploration Vessel Boat (60095) Difficulty: Easy to Medium
This is my most recent LEGO purchase. I bought it for my nieces because I liked it and wanted to build it. I have a lot of LEGO vehicles in my collection, but no full-size ships, so I was pretty eager to get cracking on this one. And for its price, there are tonnes of stuff going on here. The ship itself was a wonder to build—it comes with its own waterproof hull that purportedly floats (if you have a bathtub to test it in, which I don’t)—and the deep sea wreck has a few hidden surprises, too. Then you get a whole variety of sharks and underwater vessels. Overall, an excellent set.

“You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”

5) LEGO Motorcycles (8051, 42036, 42007, 76053 *NEW* 42063 (BMW))
I like motorbikes. I even ride them, sometimes, when the weather is at optimum temperature and there’s not a spot of dampness in the air. I own two, which are languishing in my garage right now (and, yes, I feel guilty about that—if anyone wants to buy a 2011 Triumph Street Triple in perfect condition, contact me). So my little eyes light up whenever I see a LEGO motorcycle set. My favourites are below (I have six in total), and a new one is soon to be delivered and is…wait for it…the motorcycle Pilgrim rides at the start of DEFENDER! How awesome is that?!


4) LEGO The Tumbler (76023) Difficulty: Hard 
Another Batman piece, but definitely one for adults. This was challenging. Ninety percent of the bricks are black, so it made sorting and finding the pieces extremely tricky. I also found it didn’t feel as sturdy as most other LEGO builds and bits are forever dropping off when I dust it. But it looks mean as hell when finished. Recommended for either serious LEGO fans or Batman fans.

(It came with five instruction booklets *cries*)

3) LEGO Haunted House (10228) Difficulty: Medium to Hard 
This was the first BIG set I bought strictly for myself. And I mean look at it. It’s a thing of beauty. I’ve always been a huge horror fan, be it with films, books or in pop culture, so LEGO’s Haunted House has everything I ever wanted—Dracula, an Elvira type minifigure, Frankenstein, a gory cook zombie, and two glow-in-the dark ghosts. The attention to detail is impeccable, too, from boarded up windows to bat roof decorations and creepy heads incorporated into the porch’s columns. This set has it all.

 Emmett, you’re on the wrong set! Get out.

2) LEGO Detective’s Office (10246) Difficulty: Medium to Hard
This set almost came out as my number one pick. It’s been my favourite build to date, without question, but comes in at number two by a whisker. If I talked about attention detail on the Haunted House, the Detective’s Office takes it to a new level. It’s three storeys, with a barber shop (complete with a beautiful black and white tile flooring and full working mirror), a pool hall accessorised with cue racks, a spinning ceiling fan and darts board, a private detective’s office (which has so many cool little things going on, I can’t list them all) and an upstairs apartment complete with kitchen. I mean, it even has its own little LEGO toilet. It’s amazing. Top marks on this one, LEGO.


LEGO loo!

1) LEGO Police Station (7498) Difficulty: Medium
My number one spot goes to a set I built in 2011/12. Why do I remember the year? Because I bought it for my dad for Christmas 2011 and he passed away in February 2012. We began the build together (well, he watched while I built) and I finished it by myself. LEGO Police Stations have a special place in my heart because it was the first set I was ever given. It was Christmas, 1987. I was six years old and my dad had stayed up late into the night building it for when I came down on Christmas morning and, oh my word, I loved it. I spent many, many years playing with that set. I think I still have it up in the attic somewhere. Since then, I’ve gone a bit mental buying LEGO CITY Police themed pieces. Sometimes, I even share it.

My niece, Isabelle, playing (under strict supervision) with my Police LEGO.

So, there you have it. My favourite LEGO builds for kids of all ages, soon to be amended and changed and new sets added. I haven’t even touched the retired set I bought for a fortune off a guy on eBay…
After all that excitement, I think it’s time for a cuppa. 


Interested in reading the book? 

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