and this is my first ever blog. it's a bit scary - rather like making a first appearance on stage - although in this case there may be nobody out there at all.
why am i writing a blog anyway? i suppose because i meet a lot of kids when i'm touring round talking about books (i write them) and it might be nice to be able to tell them what i'm up to, and where i've been.
why don't i use capital letters? because it looks nicer in this font without, and it's quicker. i might change my mind about this later. i'll see how it goes. and i reserve the right to use the odd capital letter for effect.
where have i been recently? just come back from new york, which was wonderful. it was more holiday than work, although i did meet up with a couple of publishers.
i was asked to read from The Robe of Skulls (my new book - comes into the shops on June 4th 2007) when i was at candlewick (a publisher) and that was fun - i read the first two chapters. i've got the voice ok for lady lamorna (an evil sorceress, rather past her prime) and gracie gillypot, but wasn't very good at marlon, who's a bat. he's an admirer of marlon brando, and i SO can't do a brando accent. incidentally the hero is called marcus, and he's a prince, and gracie's the heroine. gracie has a singularly evil step-sister called foyce - i called her that because when i was at school i got bullied a lot by someone with that name. maybe this is my way of getting my own back?
i should really go now. i should be writing the next book after Robe of Skulls - and it's taking me a horribly long time ... MUCH too long. (you see? those capital letters can be fun.)
signing off now.
vivs
