Why No Blog?

So, weeks have passed since my Big Publication Date, so why no blog?

Because Bloomsbury suddenly asked me to do other kinds of writing around A BOY CALLED MOUSE! For example, a Young Writer questionnaire here, a Big Issue (Wales & Scotland only)piece on my ideas for the Five Books A Child Should Read Before 11 there, a short story for Bloomsbury's 247 Writing Project (check out their site), a Story Starter for WriteAway, the signing of 250 bookplates - my mind grows dim. It was BUSY, okay?

Plus lovely times visiting Huddersfield Grammar School and Lindley Junior School c/o Sonia Benster of the Children's Bookshop and also St John of Beverley Primary School as part of Beverley Literature Festival. And a few other schools and writing projects alongside. And tidying my work-room which was neccesary although not a strictly useful task to have begun back at the start of October.

But there has been time for a bottle of champagne to drink and a big bouquet of flowers from a Near & Dear, so all has not been been suffering. . . More soon!

Today's the day! Taraaaaa!

Well, it's here! Today's the day that my novel, A Boy Called M.O.U.S.E, is officially published.

I am just so very pleased and relieved that several people who have read the book seem to like it, and that the older KS2/junior children seem keen to read it too.

No party, fireworks or champagne, though might try a couple of those later when its not such a busy week. Instead I spent the day at a very nice school over near York that had a most interesting spiral staircase and some spooky stories that made my writing shoulderblades get itchy. (Mouse also got a great reception over in schools in Huddersfield last week too.)

Morever, to my surprise, I also feel as if I've been freed up to continue with the next book in the sequence too, now.

Just a few visits to go before now and then . . .