Agent of X.M.A.S.

Here’s what’s been happening:

Another shortlist for DiNKiN DiNGS AND THE FRiGHTENiNG THiNGS! This time, Dink’s been shortlisted for the Surrey Libraries Children’s Book Award 2011. Colour me well chuffed!

The sequel to ALIEN INVASION! is now in all good book shops. The shops it isn’t in are rubbish. Yeah, let’s say that. Read the conclusion to Hex-37′s adventures in ALIEN ESCAPE!

I have been to the dentist more times than is fair or reasonable. Stupid Evil Tooth. One day I will write a book about you and tell everyone how mean you are, Evil Tooth. Then you’ll be sorry.

I am about to read 90 books in 2 months. As much as I like reading, I am officially scared.

I am even more about to (tomorrow) film some Secret Santa video virals. Keep checking the blog for how YOU can join in and become a fully-fledged member of X.M.A.S.!

Lots and lots and oh look some more SPACE MUNGLERS stuff – including filming for the big BBC screen in Greenwich.

Finished another book! Well, the first draft. Felt like I hadn’t left the house in weeks.

Also hope to have news of an all new project with a not-so all-new illustrator. A team supreme? You decide. Watch this space!

Until next time…

Ta ra!

Today I got the 4th of the German translations of GORMY RUCKLES – Hier Kommmt Gormy: Der Grosse Wettkampf!

I now know that the German for ‘squeak’ is QUIEK, which basically makes me bilingual.

May the blog be with you.

So anyway, this year saw my second to the ever-growing, ever-evolving festival. I say ever-evolving, ’cause this time I got to poo in a toilet that actually flushed! Yay! I also got to try out my new opens-in-2-seconds tent, aptly named ‘Johnny Pop-Up’ by my wife, who likes to name things, whereas I will condemn them with generic non-monikers like ‘tent’ or ‘spider-infected nightmare cocoon’. Anyway, the tent did indeed go up in 2 seconds flat and was fully awesome. And six inches too short for a growed-up person. Thanks for that, tent-making folk…

Massive hightlights though, included an upgrade to the less stinky ‘Performer Camping’ area (Phil Jupitus with his top off… yikes), Florence and the Machine, Rich Hall,  and the beyond-amazing last half of Temper Trap’s set (I’m not saying the first half was weak, I just missed it. Curse you, Emo Phillips!)

Closer to home (ie the Children’s Arena) was bigger, brighter and more bustling than ever. Stripes Publishing was now all set up with it’s own tent / accidental sauna, expertly attended by Stripes uber-movers’n'shakers and all-around stars Lauren and Anna. They also made the very first life-size DiNKiN DiNGS Fortress of Ultimate Protection! It has rooms, a viewing portal – I mean, the works. Lookie!

Hmm. Yeah, it looked much more impressive in real life.

Didn’t live up to it’s name, either…

Anyway, a massive thank you to everyone who listened to me shout on Sunday, and a special tip of the hat to them what agreed to model props and costumes in the name of funtertainment. You’re the real heroes.

Actually, Spider-Man’s the real hero, but you all seemed very nice.

Until next time, bloggy bloggy blog blog.

Yeah, so it was the best day I’ve had in a long time!  I think it’s fair to say that, usually, when a writer writes something (unless it’s the screenplay for STAR WARS: EPISODE 7 – AT HOME WITH CHEWBACCA) he or she has no real idea whether it’s going to have even the tiniest impact, or even whether anyone is going to read it. So I was bowled over with the reception that DiNKiN DiNGS got at The King’s Theatre in Portsmouth, in front of 1200+ children from 29 schools. The unquestionable highlights included the DiNKiN drama and DiNKiN song performed by pupils at Court Lane Junior School and Cottage Grove Primary School respectively. You’re all stars!

Hi to everyone who turned up yesterday – you are the kings and queens of awesomeness – and have excellent taste in books.

Sigh… back to life, back to reality…

(It’s my blog, I can do what I want.)

Books: Awesome

HEX: ALIEN ESCAPE! is out in August! SECRET SANTA: AGENT OF X.M.A.S follows in September!

In the meantime, here’s something to tantalise your tinsel-buds…

Check out the Twitter feed on the SECRET SANTA page to get tweets from Elf Agent Jingle Bells! Only 195 days ’til Christmas…

Back soon!

Guy

(Artwork: David Lopez)

Hex’s first adventure, ALIEN INVASION! is out now (and in your local library!) and we’re just putting the finishing touches to the sequel, ALIEN ESCAPE! Look for it in August. In the meantime, here’s a little teaser – a brilliant sketch by Hex artist extraordinaire, Fred Blunt, featuring the loyal soldiers of Planet X.

Join the invasion effort… or be disintegrated!

DISINTEGRATE FOR VICTORY!

Also on the way is a page or two all about THE SPACE MUNGLERS – a follow-up to THE MUNGLERS Trumps cards series produced by Greenwich Council last year as part of The Summer Read. The new cards feature an out-of-this-world space theme, and introduce new powers and new Munglers! If you live in London, check with your library to see THE SPACE MUNGLERS are landing in your borough this summer.

Oh, and I’m literally hours away from finishing my newest book, due out in September. I’ve also just seen the rough cover, and it’s just ridiculously cool. I’m very, VERY excited about this one… more soon.

Cheers!

Guy

I am postively giddy about the fact that DiNKiN DiNGS AND THE FRiGHTENiNG THiNGS won the 2010 Blue Peter Book Awards Most Fun Story With Pictures prize!

Check out yesterday’s Blue Peter on BBC iPlayer to see me picking up the award with illustrator extraordinaire and all round good egg Pete Williamson. There’s also a cool bit of Dinkin animation! If you’re pressed for time, jump to around 13 mins and 15 seconds. You can also read the first chapter of DiNKiN DiNGS AND THE FRiGHTENiNG THiNGS, as well as the other shortlisted books by following this LINK.

While I’m linkity-linking, Stripes Publishing‘s Facebook page is up and running! Check it out and become a fan HERE!

Here’s me and Pete (far right) with presenters Joel and Andy. Having a Blue Peter Badge makes everything better.

Me, Joel, Andy and Pete on set!

(Yeah, I probably should have looked at the camera…)

Words. Blog. Done.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to London – THE MUNGLERS HAVE RETURNED!

Those seven mayhem-making monsters are back this year as part of the Summer Reading Challenge 2010, and this time, they’re not staying in Greenwich… after last year’s success, STINKITY, GRORCHY GRUM, SLIMATION, SMOGUS SMOGHORN, OGGLY BOGGLY, IGOTHA and MIGGLES are going to be making mischief in a whole host of London boroughs, and are being joined by a new Mungler or two!

With an outer space theme, and new artwork and stories by yours truly, The SPACE MUNGLERS are getting set for lift-off this summer!

Check out a few of last year’s cards below! Not available in any shops! (Or outside London – yet…!)