Wednesday, March 20, 2013

A doodling ex-Pirate? Where!?

I've got a few trips out over the coming weeks and months, so thought it might be useful to let people know about them. If you live nearby and would like me to sign your book, draw you a skull and crossbones or tell you a pirate yarn, pop along. I may even have my pirate hat on. Or I may be dressed up as (a well-fed) Ming the Merciless!


23rd March: RESCHEDULED!! Waterstones, Chester at 11.30am, with a story and some doodling. Followed by Waterstones, Wrexham at 2.30pm, with some reading, doodling and fancy dress.

Chester and Wrexham Waterstones visits will now be 6th April at 11.30am in Chester and 2.30pm in Wrexham (the perfect time for a dental appointment, some might say).

24th March: Waterstones, Llandudno at 11.30am, with reading, doodling and waffle (followed by scoffing fish and chips on the promenade!)

27th March: Waterstones, Altrincham at 11.30am, followed by Waterstones, Manchester (Deansgate) at 2.30pm. Back to the Duddle family seat in Manchester! My great grandad made clogs in Salford, don't you know....

30th March: Waterstones, Cheltenham at 10.30am, for some reading, doodling and signing.

6th May: Shrewsbury Children's Book Festival. This one is almost local for me, just a little drive from the wet Welsh hills. Although the last time I drove to Shropshire in my Morris Minor, I suffered a full brake failure on the Wrexham bypass! EeeeK!

26th May: Hay Festival, Hay-on-Wye. I shall be reading 'The King of Space', maybe a pirate book too, and doing some scrawly drawings. If you like books, Hay is brilliant!!

3rd August: Camp Bestival, Dorset. I'm going to be dressed as a pirate whilst reading one of my pirate books in the Dingly Dell. I may also be swaying with the crowd at Richard Hawley. You could probably play 'spot-the-pirate-hat', but no doubt there'll be a few pretend pirates wearing them too.

There are a couple of other things that might happen later in the year, so I'll update this post as soon as I know!

Friday, March 01, 2013

Happy St.David's King of Space day!!


A conversation with my seven year old daughter, Daisy, at breakfast this morning...

Me: What's special about today, Daisy?
Daisy: Um... It's St.David's Day
Me: Yup. What else?
Daisy: Er... I'm going to a theatre workshop with school!!
Me: Yup. And What else?
Daisy: I get to have a packed lunch!!
Me: Yes, yes. What else?
Daisy: Errrrr....
Me: The King of Space is published today!!!
Daisy: But we've had it for ages.
Me: Sigh...... Would you like another piece of toast?

Today IS the official publication date of my new picture book, 'The King of Space'. Available from all good book stores and the magical interweb!

I was sent a lovely review of the book on the 'Read it daddy!' blog. And somebody on facebook told me their son wants to read it every night. So I feel slightly less anxious than I did a few days ago.

Which is nice.

More to come later...

And if anyone who reads this blog lives in Liverpool and has a little tyrant who likes spaceships, robots and aliens (and funny looking bald men reading stories and drawing pictures), I will be in Waterstones' Liverpool One store tomorrow, Saturday 2nd March, between 2pm and 4pm.

P.S. 'The King of Space' is published in the USA on 13th March!