At a bookish gathering recently, Sheena Wilkinson talked about the importance of her ‘tribe’, the warm and welcoming group of children’s authors I’m proud to be part of.Sheena’s right of course. Writing can be a lonely business, and hanging out with people who know all about that can be very special. Last weekend, I attended … Continue reading
Happy World Book Day, everyone! I usually celebrate this special day by curling up in a corner with a book, but this year I can’t do this, as instead I’m launching a book of my own into the world. (I’m doing lots of events this week, including The Biggest Book Show on Earth in Dublin.) … Continue reading
Exciting news – today is Groundhog Day! Because of the film with the same name, most of us think of Groundhog Day as a day where boring events keep repeating themselves – but there’s much more to it than that. Groundhog Day is celebrated in Canada and The United States. Folklore says that if the … Continue reading
OK, so I don’t plan to buy any more Christmas presents for about 355 days, but I guess it’s never too soon the start thinking about it, right? Well actually, I’ve been thinking about one particularly nice present I received in 2016. It’s not the most expensive, or unusual or creative present I’ve ever received,but … Continue reading
For me, Christmas is all about tradition, when you blindly do things the same old way, just because that’s the way you’ve always done it. (I try hard not to live like that for the rest of the year!) Every family has its own traditions, many of which seem very strange to me. One of … Continue reading
Don’t think it’s too embarrassing, so here’s the link to my recent appearance on the Swipe Tv Book Club. (So nice to see a children’s book club on TV.) I’m 8.00 minutes in. http://www.rte.ie/player/ie/show/swipe-tv-30003271/10647464/ Continue reading
I think it’s fair to say that when I started to write (way back in 1999!)I had NO idea what I was letting myself in for. I thought that my new job would be all about spending lonely hours at my desk, wrestling with plot-lines and uncooperative characters. And while there has been plenty of … Continue reading
My last book, Time After Time, was partly set in the 1980s. Officially this was because it suited the story, but that’s not the only reason. I also wanted to do a book where my research could involve trawling through my old photo albums and trying not to ruin the pictures with my tears of laughter. … Continue reading
My next book, Time after Time, should be hitting the shelves any day now. (Yay!!!!) I’ve always loved the idea of time travel, so sending my young characters, Molly and Beth, back to the past seemed like a wonderful idea – except for all the difficulties. I encountered lots of questions. Here are a few: … Continue reading
When I received the first copies of my new audio books, it took me right back to the days when my children were little and every holiday car-journey, no matter how short, took more preparation than your average ascent of Mount Everest. Despite my efforts to buy engaging toys and healthy-(ish) snacks, the cries of … Continue reading
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