Yesterday I was lucky enough to see the new Star Wars movie in Leicester Square a day before it went on general release. I loved the film, it captured the essence of Star Wars but propelled it into the arena of 21st century cinema in a more convincing way than The Force Awakens managed (and …
Recent Events
A new term means new school visits. Here’s some pictures from two recent events at King James Academy and Pentland Primary School. Both were great fun, and a chance to meet new readers. Thanks to both schools for arranging a visit. If you’d like me to visit your school, library, bookshop or literary festival, or for …
UKYA Extravaganza
Are you in Newcastle? Can you get to Newcastle? Maybe you own a helicopter or know how to drive a submarine. Perhaps you know of the secret Tunnel that Goes Wherever You Like (I find this one particularly handy.) If you enjoy books and aren’t put off by meeting actual authors then you should come …
Timesmith Brazil
My copies of the Brazilian Portuguese translated edition of Timesmith have finally arrived! Called O Artifice Do Tempo the book was released in July last year, so I’ve been waiting with anticipation for my copies to arrive for some time.
Orbiting Buzz
I was born in the Lunar Age. By the time I’d made my appearance on the planet we’d already walked on the moon twice. (It would have been three times if not for the near-death accident that aborted Apollo 13’s moon shot.) Even though I was only two years old when the last man walked …
Adventure at Buckingham Palace
Last week I was lucky enough to go to a garden party at Buckingham Palace. The actual Buckingham Palace. In London. Where the Queen lives. I know! It all started last year when I volunteered to to join the committee of the Society of Authors sub group, Authors North. Since then I’ve helped out with …
Waterstones Middlesbrough talk
Do you live near Middlesbrough in the UK? I’m doing a free event in Waterstones Middlesbrough later this month with fellow author Stephen Aryan. Stephen is the author of the Age of Darkness trilogy. Battlemage, the first book in the series was published in September 2015 by Orbit books in the USA and UK. Book 2, …
Sorrowline featured in Guardian Top 10 list
I was thrilled to read that my first novel, Sorrowline, was mentioned in Rhian Ivory’s top 10 books set in the past and the present article for the Guardian. Here’s what Rhian said: I love and am quite jealous of the unique idea at the heart of this book: you can travel through Sorrowlines, the channels …
Creative Factory workshop
I often use Story Cubes at schools and workshops to get ideas started. They’re a really useful and fun tool, and they prove that even the most reluctant storyteller can come up with ideas. I recently did a workshop for the Creative Factory in Stockton-on-Tees. Creative Factory is a group of young people who meet weekly …