2013 - the Year of the Seawigs

Sarah McIntyre & friend at the Edinburgh Festival

Almost the end of another year, and, looking back, it feels as if it's been a fairly productive one. I spent last January writing short stories which are both available in anthologies now - The Roots of Evil for the Dr Who 50th Anniversary anthology, and We Know Where We're Goin for The End of the Road. And in March the Goblins of Clovenstone returned for Goblins vs Dwarves, which wasn't a book I'd intended to write (I thought Goblins was a stand alone when I was working on it) but which turned out to be enjoyable to do, and better than its predecessor, I think.

But from then on it was the Year of the Seawigs. Oliver and the Seawigs was another book I never planned to write, but it turned out that working with Sarah McIntyre is the best decision I ever made, and certainly ...Seawigs is the most fun I've ever had writing, and the publicity campaign has been amazing. I never imagined that I'd end up as one half of a double act after all those years of solo writing. And I certainly never imagined that I'd be performing sea monkey singalongs on the Golden Hinde next to a six-foot-tall illustrator in a six-foot-tall wig, or that our book would be advertised on the London underground, but look...

Photo: Blast

Photo: Stuart Pyle

Photo: Lauren O'Farrell

So in the coming year I shall be writing the third Reeve and McIntyre Adventure (Sarah is already hard at work on final artwork for the second, Cakes in Space, which will be out next September).  In April the third Goblins book will be published - it's called Goblin Quest, and I dare say the goblins will be taking over this blog to let you know all the details nearer the time. And I shall also be returning to illustration, for a new series by Kjartan Poskitt called Borgon the Axeboy (who may or not be a relation of our old friend Urgum the Axeman).

Anyway, if you've been reading my stuff in 2013 (or even if you've just been reading this blog) thank you!

And if you're still feeling festive, or if you've read Oliver and the Seawigs and are wondering what became of Stacey de Lacey and his army of Sea Monkeys, here's a short story which we posted on Sarah's blog while I was away in Ireland before Christmas.

And here's a lovely SONG, recorded for posteriority at Daunt's Books by the wonderful Candy Gourlay.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!