Drum roll please … a sneak peek at the Young David Book apps! Now coming out on 24 April (with free download of book 1 for first 7 days). If you click on the videos you can see a filmed version of a child interacting with The Hairy Beast and the other vid is of me being interviewed intercut with a reading illustrator Amy Barnes and I did at a school. Do share!http://artistecard.com/YoungDavidBooks#!/videos/40544
Grumpy King launch
Really good turn-out for the launch of David and the Grumpy King, the 5th book in the Young David Series by yours truly and illustrator Amy Barnes. Books are available at Christian bookshops and independent bookshops in the UK or worldwide from our online bookshop Amy and I have also been working with Brief Lives Digital Entertainment company to produce interactive apps! They will be available for download on 10 April – so watch this space!
And in other news, yours truly is Author of the Week at Sarum College Bookshop, Salisbury. So if you’re in the Salisbury area pop in to this fabulous bookshop and check out Grumpy King and other titles. Alternatively, here they are online.
Grumpy King in spotlight
Brilliant article on my latest picture book David and the Grumpy King on the UKCBD blog – aimed at Christian bookshops. So encouraging to have the support of other people in the industry.
Grumpy King book launch
The long-awaited 5th book in the Young David Series, David and the Grumpy King, is finally here! Come and hear yours truly and illustrator Amy Barnes read from and talk about this brilliant new episode in the life of Young David as he gets on the wrong side of the mad King Saul. Coffee, tea, juice, cakes, colouring-in and storytelling. Suitable for children 3 – 7 or anyone who wants a bit of fun!
Venue: Heaton Baptist Church, Newcastle upon Tyne
Date: Sunday 23 March
Time: 12.30 – 1.30pm
Mamphela Ramphele and The Peace Garden
I’m very happy to see that Dr Mamphela Ramphele, the partner of the late Steve Biko, and former managing director of the World Bank, is standing for the presidential candidature of the Democratic Alliance in South Africa. Her autobiography, ‘A Life’, had a profound impact on me when I first read it 15 years ago and was the inspiration for much of the middle section of my novel ‘The Peace Garden’. The character of Poppy Fakile is loosely based on her experiences as a young woman. Do read it, it’s inspiring (Dr Ramphele’s book, not mine – but hey, if you want to read mine too, go for it!)
Here is The Peace Garden on Amazon or from the Crafty Publishing website. If you buy it from the Crafty website I can sign it to you or your loved one if you leave a note …
Speaking Volumes video
OK, so I’ve been overlooked for the Bafta’s yet again (I shall forgive them this oversight and vote for Judi Dench) but I have managed to wangle a cameo appearance in a promotional video for Speaking Volumes. If you look very carefully at the beginning you will notice my book ‘David and the Giant’ being read by the lovely Rosy Lozinski and her mother Laura. Rosy’s older sister, Lizzie, who was at school at the time of filming, is one of the Young David Books’ biggest fans. Also in the video is my pal and friendly local assistant bookshop manager, Justin Dummer. I’ve been proud to work with this charity of the last year. Check it out, perhaps you could get involved too … http://www.speakingvolumes.org.uk/
