Tis the season to watch my favourite Will Ferrell film, sorry.
3 weeks away from publication date for "WEREWORLD: Rise of the Wolf" - 6th January - and it's all getting very exciting.
SPINEBREAKERS - Win Yourself Were-d
If you're a budding illustrator or you just like the idea of doodling a werewolf, check out the exclusive competition that Spinebreakers are running, whereby you send your own drawings of Drew, the lycanthrope hero of Wereworld, in to be considered. Be warned though, if you win you get a doodle sent back by me featuring your good self hairified!
WEREWORLD BLOG TOUR
All a bit thrilling and new to me, a BLOG TOUR where I'll be starting off a mob drawing of a werewolf and sending it on to a number of participating Young Adult/Fantasy bloggers. Check out the folk taking part on Once Upon A Bookcase's blog and you can chart the drawing's progression. This could be hilarious!
WEREWORLD BOOK TOUR
I'll be spending a week on the road in the middle of January promoting the novel all over the shop.
17th Jan AM - St Anne's RC High School, Stockport
17th Jan PM - Penketh High School, Warrington
17th Jan EVE - Waterstone's bookshop, Warrington
18th Jan AM - Our Lady's RC High School, Preston
18th Jan PM - St Mary's Hall, Stonyhurst College, Clitheroe
19th Jan AM - Wirral Boys Grammar School
19th Jan PM - East Manchester Academy
20th Jan AM - Moreton High School, Wolverhampton
20th Jan PM - Deansfield High School, Wolverhampton
21st Jan AM - Copleston High School, Ipswich
21st Jan PM - Catton Grove Primary, Norwich
Each event will feature a wee retrospective of my work in animation, a powerpoint quiz about werewolves (!), readings from the novel, therianthrope drawing and booksignings. Should be a hoot!
Putting my hairy hobbit feet up over Christmas having delivered the first draft manuscript of the sequel to Puffin this week too. Time to hit the Chocolate Oranges methinks!
Bada Bling!
Friday, December 17, 2010
Thursday, December 02, 2010
Wereworlding
COUNTDOWN TO PUBLICATION: 36 days. Zoinks!
It's been a busy few weeks in Casa Bling as the whole family has been paid a visit by that delightful seasonal scamp, the Winter Vomiting Bug. Cue two weeks of every one of us catching the lurgy in turn, ending on me being the last to fall. All just about back to normal on the health front.
The second Wereworld books is written! Well, it's written but not yet edited. I need to go at it with a flymo to get the wordcount down - currently its sitting around the 130k mark which is at the limit of where it should be. When you consider book one, Rise Of The Wolf, was 85k then it seems very obvious that I have to hack it back. It's taken a lot of time to go back through the story firstly and make sure everything ties together properly. I've been advised that the best way of getting the wordcount down is to remove those words that aren't really helping the plot move along - "and," "they", "he", "she", that kind of thing. Should have it down to a manageable size in no time.
I've also been working on the WEREWORLD WEBSITE which is looking great. There's a LOT more to be added there yet, including interactive maps, quizzes, Q&A's and even a test to discover what kind of Werelord you'd be. Follow the link and take a look at the great trailer that was produced by QURIOS ENTERTAINMENT and you can also take a look at an extract from the novel, a complete chapter, "The Visitor".
I'll also be linking my blog, yes, this, badablingthing, to the official Wereworld Website, and I'll be updating it more frequently as an author diary, just so people can keep up to date with my movements at festivals, tours and the like, as well as any illnesses that I'm mopping up at home...
I've also been doing a lot of Tweeting and getting to meet some great bloggers who have a vast knowledge of Young Adult, Fantasy, Scifi and Horror literature. It's terrific to be able to reach out and start hooking up with these folk, albeit in a virtual way for the time being. Must recommend a few of them:
Dave Brendon - great blogger, bookseller and writer who is based in South Africa and has his finger on the pulse of all that is Scifi, Horror and Fantasy. If you follow the link you'll see a lovely review Dave did for Wereworld (squeaky bum time from Mr Bling after reading that, I can tell you).
My Favourite Books - a UK trio of avid literati, Liz, Mark and Essjay run this site which is about as comprehensive as you'll find online. Jump in and follow them and enjoy the banter - just don't get them started on Warhammer 40K!
Mr Ripleys Enchanted Books - UK based again, run by the talented Mr Ripley and covering all modern childrens books. You'll also find his awesome Book Cover Wars there too - do take a look and make sure you vote for the one with the hairy-bummed Werewolf on the cover! ;-)
There are more that I've come across on Twitter but I'll mention them on here as I remember. Do sign up, log in and follow all my developments on Twitter as we near the publication of the novel.
Bada Bling!
It's been a busy few weeks in Casa Bling as the whole family has been paid a visit by that delightful seasonal scamp, the Winter Vomiting Bug. Cue two weeks of every one of us catching the lurgy in turn, ending on me being the last to fall. All just about back to normal on the health front.
The second Wereworld books is written! Well, it's written but not yet edited. I need to go at it with a flymo to get the wordcount down - currently its sitting around the 130k mark which is at the limit of where it should be. When you consider book one, Rise Of The Wolf, was 85k then it seems very obvious that I have to hack it back. It's taken a lot of time to go back through the story firstly and make sure everything ties together properly. I've been advised that the best way of getting the wordcount down is to remove those words that aren't really helping the plot move along - "and," "they", "he", "she", that kind of thing. Should have it down to a manageable size in no time.
I've also been working on the WEREWORLD WEBSITE which is looking great. There's a LOT more to be added there yet, including interactive maps, quizzes, Q&A's and even a test to discover what kind of Werelord you'd be. Follow the link and take a look at the great trailer that was produced by QURIOS ENTERTAINMENT and you can also take a look at an extract from the novel, a complete chapter, "The Visitor".
I'll also be linking my blog, yes, this, badablingthing, to the official Wereworld Website, and I'll be updating it more frequently as an author diary, just so people can keep up to date with my movements at festivals, tours and the like, as well as any illnesses that I'm mopping up at home...
I've also been doing a lot of Tweeting and getting to meet some great bloggers who have a vast knowledge of Young Adult, Fantasy, Scifi and Horror literature. It's terrific to be able to reach out and start hooking up with these folk, albeit in a virtual way for the time being. Must recommend a few of them:
Dave Brendon - great blogger, bookseller and writer who is based in South Africa and has his finger on the pulse of all that is Scifi, Horror and Fantasy. If you follow the link you'll see a lovely review Dave did for Wereworld (squeaky bum time from Mr Bling after reading that, I can tell you).
My Favourite Books - a UK trio of avid literati, Liz, Mark and Essjay run this site which is about as comprehensive as you'll find online. Jump in and follow them and enjoy the banter - just don't get them started on Warhammer 40K!
Mr Ripleys Enchanted Books - UK based again, run by the talented Mr Ripley and covering all modern childrens books. You'll also find his awesome Book Cover Wars there too - do take a look and make sure you vote for the one with the hairy-bummed Werewolf on the cover! ;-)
There are more that I've come across on Twitter but I'll mention them on here as I remember. Do sign up, log in and follow all my developments on Twitter as we near the publication of the novel.
Bada Bling!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)