After a long break, while I have been busy writing the new books in the series, I am pleased to announce that the eBook of first book, The Company of Goblins, is finally available to buy online.

To mark this launch, there is a special introductory price of just $1.22 or £0.99. The eBook is available in every country for download. Just follow the link to Amazon below. There is even a sample available to read so you can see if you want to read more before you buy!

For anyone who likes a real book, the original paperback is still available.

I had an amazing day at the Hythe Waterside Arts Festival on Saturday. People popped in and out of The Herald all morning to buy books and to chat to the authors. In the line-up this year, apart from me, were Cathy Woodman, best-selling author of a popular vet series, Suzan Houching, with her New Forest artist’s story, Gervase Gregory, another New Forest artist, Simon, with his amazing illustrations in the Ceratopia books and Martin Bradley, author and illustrator of the Sky Hunter Books. Here we all are below ...

The Festival took place between the 9th and 12th July but I think the best day to go was Saturday – “Family Fun Day”. The free open air entertainment started at 10am and included choirs, musicians, theatre, dancers, street entertainers, and a portrait painting workshop all day. There was even Hythe’s own Ukulele Group with Gervase Gregory as one of the players to entertain people in the street.

In the afternoon I took part in Hythe Library’s “Crafternoon” celebrations. It was a lovely big library, and there was room for all sorts of crafts.  I’d like to say a big thank you to all the library staff for making everyone so welcome and for looking after us so well, and of course a big thank you to The Herald – I’m looking forward to the next one already!

Just a reminder to everyone when sending me a message to check the emails you are entering are correct. I really like reading all your messages and I always reply, but I have had a few messages recently where the email doesn’t seem to work and may have been mistyped. So please don’t be disappointed if I haven’t replied, and try again if you would like me to write back. I hope you all keep enjoying The Company of Goblins!

Orlando and I really enjoyed our visit to Netley Abbey Junior School last Friday. We were given a terrific welcome by all the children and the staff.

Many of the children already had copies of ‘The Company of Goblins’ and said it was the best adventure story ever. I was delighted to find it was being read in class. There are free sessions to download that accompany the book here.

Two of the children presented me with their drawings which you can see below, and of course, they will be added to The Goblin Gallery. I really like them, they are great - I especially like the big red wart on the nose of the goblin to the right!

Another student wrote to me outlining the plot for her very own novel – a fantastic achievement. Please keep writing, Abbey, your ideas are extremely interesting and very inventive.

There were lots of interesting questions:

What sort of story would I write after I’d completed the trilogy?
Who was my favourite character in The Company of Goblins?
How long did it take me to write the first book?
What was it like in Egypt, and in which city did I live?
Which mythical creature did I like the best?
Who were my favourite authors now? And,
What was my favourite book as child?

When I answered that ‘The Faraway Tree’ had been my favourite book, all the children let out a gasp and nodded in agreement. I’m so pleased that the very first book I enjoyed is still going strong today.

I know there are many keen young writers at Netley Abbey Junior School, I’d like to wish you all lots of luck for the future - one or more of you could be best selling authors, just keep reading and writing!

As part of the Waterside Arts Summer Festival, the Hythe Library has organised an Arts and Crafternoon on Saturday 11th July 2015. Plus they are launching this year’s Summer Reading Challenge!
 
So please come and join me at the library on Saturday afternoon, 11th July. I will be available for a book signing, everyone is welcome. Ask me about goblins, Anglo-Saxon and Norse Mythology, and why story telling is important to our culture. Have you ever wondered how folktales and legends start? Are they just made-up stories, or do they have any truth to them? Come along and find out.