I can’t believe that’s a whole month gone, already! I think just got time to squeeze in one last post…
March 1st is World Book Day and like many other authors here in the UK, I’ll be spending my time trundling around libraries in Manchester, telling people all about my latest book, Night On Terror Island. Looking forward a little, I see quite a few more school visits lined up for March, several book festivals through the spring and summer and on May 10th, I’ll be launching the sequel to NOTI, Spy Another Day, at the Plaza cinema in Stockport, where we’re expecting over 500 excited kids to attend. (I’m giving you a sneak preview of the cover art!) The Plaza is the perfect venue for the Movie Maniacs adventures. It’s an old 40′s cinema that’s been beautifully refurbished and we’re able to put the latest book trailer up on the big screen, it looks amazing! Looking way, way forward to September, I’ll be releasing the fourth and final Sebastian Darke adventure – Prince Of Fools. I’ve got mixed feelings about finally saying goodbye to Sebastian. he’s the guy who got me into this children’s publishing lark in the first place! Anyway, I guess that’s me about wrapped up. Thanks for letting me be your guest blogger for February. When you’re enjoying the New Zealand sunshine, think of me shivering away here in the cold, wet UK… and whatever you do, keep reading!
Our first Star Author for 2012 is British author, Philip Caveney. Philip has been a children’s author since 2007 and has written several different series. We have almost all of Philip’s books in the library including the Sebastian Darke series about a hapless would-be jester and his miserable sidekick, Max, and the Alex Devlin mysteries about a fifteen-year-old archaeologist, with a knack for encountering danger and intrigue, wherever he goes. His latest book, Night on Terror Island, is all about movies.
Thanks for joining us Philip! We look forward to hearing all about your books and your writing.
Our fantastic Star Author this month is Philip Caveney. Philip has written books in a couple of different series, including the Sebastian Darke and Alex Devlin series. His latest series is the Movie Maniacs series, and the first book is called Night on Terror Island.
You can win a copy of Night on Terror Island in our February Star Author Competition. Night on Terror Island is about a couple of kids who find themselves stuck in a movie, so we want you to tell us: If you could be trapped in a movie which one would you choose? To get in the draw leave a comment on this post with your answer, your name and email address (so that we can contact you if you win). Competition closes Monday 27th February, 2012.
I’m often asked, what got me started in this weird old writing game? It’s a question I can answer with absolute accuracy. When I was a youngster, after my 11 Plus exams (as they were called in those days) I was sent to continue my education in a boarding school, while my parents (my dad was in the Royal Air Force) spent a couple of years working in Singapore. The boarding school was a cold, unfriendly place and I didn’t make many friends there. Consequently, I spent a lot of time in the school library, immersed in a book. One story in particular gripped my imagination. It was Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury, a dark fantasy about two young boys who visit a really strange and disturbing carnival. I breathed the book in like oxygen and when I had finished it, I knew right then and there, that I wanted to be a writer myself, that I wanted to weave incredible dreams that would keep young readers spellbound as they devoured my words. I started straight away, creating short stories and showing them to everyone I met. The good news? It only took me ten years to learn how to do it well enough to sell my first novel! so I was wondering… do any you out there have a favourite book that makes you want to write? If so, drop me a line and let me know what it is and why it inspires you so!
The publishing world is going through one of the biggest changes in its history – in many areas, ink on paper is being replaced by text on screens. Some people are resistant to the idea, others embrace it. I have decided to follow the latter path. All of my children’s books are already available for the kindle and just recently, I decided to release a book exclusively for this exciting new format. Which means you’ll only find it at the kindle store. It’s called The Talent and I think of it very much as a crossover book, one that can be read by children and adults alike. Set in a rather gloomy future UK, it tells the story of Josh and Holly, two would-be pop stars, who decide that their only hope for a brighter future is to enter… and hopefully win, TheTalent, a nationwide, government-sponsored show that offers fame and fortune to the lucky winner. But they soon discover that in this corrupt world, even The Talent doesn’t offer the level playing field they had hoped for… Of course, it’s debatable how many younger readers actually own a kindle and I’m well aware that many people hate the idea of reading a book in this way. So I was wondering, what do you think about the subject? How many of you have already begun to read your books in this way? And how many would prefer to hang on to your paper books until the bitter end? Why not drop me a line and let me know what you think on the subject? I promise to answer every comment.
Hi everyone. I’m Philip Caveney and I’ll be your Star Author for February. I’m starting on this blogging malarky at a very interesting time in my writing career. I’ve just returned from three days touring around the schools and libraries of London promoting Night On Terror Island, the first book in my Movie Maniacs series. The book tells the story of a very special little cinema – The Paramount Picture Palace, where the new projectionist Mr Lazarus can put you in the movies… quite literally! But watch out! When you are ‘in’ a movie, everything is real… and if you don’t get out before the closing credits roll, you’ll never be able to leave. My publishers, Andersen Press, have created an exciting cinema-style trailer for the book, which you can view right here!
I’d love to hear what you think about it… so please let me know! And stay tuned for more posts from the cold and rainy UK. If you’d like to know a bit more about me and my books, visit my website at philip-caveney.co.uk
I can’t believe that’s a whole month gone, already! I think just got time to squeeze in one last post…
Our fantastic Star Author this month is Philip Caveney. Philip has written books in a couple of different series, including the Sebastian Darke and Alex Devlin series. His latest series is the Movie Maniacs series, and the first book is called Night on Terror Island.
