Allsorts, really.

Lots going on, people. This is just a quick and poorly conceived post to replace 'An Open Letter to Chuck Hogan', which, like 'The Click', has vanished because I had second thoughts about its preponderance of snide. Instead, the me typing this is jovial and chatty.

So what's happening? Well - The Poison Boy is out. It's finally available in shops. Unless those shops are ones in which I've actually physically been. In which case it hasn't. Yes, I'm talking about you, Waterstones Deansgate, with your flaccid excuse about ordering it but it not turning up.

What else? It's had some lovely reviews! What's that? You want proof, you say? Well OK then, buster. Check these bad boys out:

The Booktrust Review ("Readers will be gripped from the opening pages of this richly-imagined story")

The Books for Keeps Review ("I wouldn't be surprised if The Posion Boy makes it onto other prize shortlists too.")

The Bookwitch review ("this is close to being a perfect book")

The Bookbag review ("a rich and exciting story from a prize-winning author")

The Love Reading 4 Kids Review (April 2013 Debut of the Month)

The Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books Review ("One of the best original books that Chicken House has published in some time")

The Times Review ("Bravo!")

...aaaand The Sweet Review, which is in many ways my fave since its author is ten years old. ("I give this five stars!")

So. In other news, I've been lucky enough to be asked to get involved in a really wonderful and exciting project called Author Allsorts - check it out; there's some really great writers and illustrators involved, including the brilliant Emma Pass and the talented Dan Smith amongst others. Emma interviewed me on publication day; you can read that here.

And finally for now, I'm working on another couple of books. Early stages. Not a word's been written yet. One's a Highlions book, set in the same world as The Poison Boy. The other isn't. In the next week or so, I should have a clearer idea if either is any damn good.

Here's hoping.