I’m married to a writer, but don’t think I’ve ever really blogged about his books. This perhaps makes me a bad wife.

G is a historian, so started off in the publishing industry as a researcher for Terry Deary’s Horrible Histories series. Over the years Terry became a mentor and an incredible support to G, as he took his first steps into book deals. G has had 10 children’s history books published so far (an additional 6 are being published this year), but this new series is his baby. This is the one that he didn’t give up even when lots of rubbish stuff was happening in our personal life.

This week the first two books of the Battle Books series, Hastings (EDGE – Battle Books) and Arnhem (EDGE – Battle Books) are published.

The Battle Books series is a spin on the original Fighting Fantasy or Choose Your Own Adventure style books. In this interactive series (there are 4 books to start the series, 2 published this week and another 2 in March) it’s all about making decisions as the reader takes part in epic battles from throughout history. The books include amazing black-and-white illustrations and carry a reading age of about 9–10 years, but an interest range from 8–14 years.

So, in the Hastings (EDGE – Battle Books), it’s 1066 and the reader is William the Conqueror:

“It’s 1066 and Harold Godwinson has been crowned King of England.A mighty army has journeyed from Normandy, Breton and France to crush Harold’s forces at what will become remembered as the Battle of Hastings. You are William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy and leader of one of the largest invasion forces ever. You must command your army and position your forces to defeat the English, and claim the crown that is rightfully yours…”

And in Arnhem (EDGE – Battle Books), it’s 1944 and the reader is a Lieutenant in the 2nd Parachute Battalion:

“It is 1944 and Europe is still in the iron claw of Nazi German forces. In an attempt to end the war, British leaders have a plan to send elite troops deep behind German defences to capture key targets, including bridges. You are a Lieutenant in the 2nd Parachute Battalion. You must command your men forward through enemy territory and reach the bridge in the Dutch town of Arnhem. You must hold the bridge
at any cost…”

Terry Deary has provided a foreword and also a cover quote saying, “History does not get any more exciting than this.” I think he’s right.

My London launch feels like a distant memory now. Everything else that has happened has been a whirl and (to my shame) I never did write a blog post thanking Farsons for sending over (through MTA) a shipment of Cisk.

I’d contacted Farsons, with a jpeg of the cover, a few weeks before launch. I’d hoped that they’d be happy, but never ever imagined that they’d be as amazing as they have been. They’ve helped me to approach MTA and arrange free shipment of Cisk into the UK, they’ve also helped in arranging with Air Malta for me to be flown over to Malta later this month.

Since publication, it’s all a bit of a bit hectic but I’m sure that those who were at the London launch and Formby signing would agree that having that taste of Malta made the events that little bit more special (as well as lots of people rather merry!).

When I wrote Like Bees to Honey, I had pages of handwritten notes about my grandma and granddad’s time in Malta. Much didn’t make sense, there were contradictions and repetitions and a timeline that wasn’t very straight, but one thing that was confirmed was that after the war my granddad managed to find work in Farsons Brewery.

Cisk made an appearance in the novel, because it felt right to do so.

Then when it came to the cover, Becky Adams read the whole novel before embarking on the design. Clearly Cisk jumped out at her, as the bottle is so very prominent on the cover. I love that it is.

So when I talked about Cisk at my signing last Saturday and when a curious man asked if the company was happy with their bottle on the front of Like Bees to Honey, I smiled (I did a silly giggle thing too). For me it was never about product placement or advertisement, it was always about familyhistory and Malta.

Really, this post is simply and overdue thank you to Farsons from me and from all those ohers who have had a taste of Malta over the last few weeks.

(And for those who have been lucky enough to taste Cisk, you’ll be happy to know that there are Cisk fan pages on Facebook. – here and here)

Kids off school + sun shining = trip across the water to Liverpool.

We had been promising the kiddies ice cream at the Albert dock, but really that was just an excuse to pop along to Tate Liverpool and view the much anticipated Picasso Peace + Freedom exhibition.

Tate Liverpool is a regular holiday haunt for our family. Holiday time brings out art activities in the Tate and the children get to sit in the middle of the exhibition floor and create their own art.  I love the hands-on interaction and freedom of expression. I also love that Tate Liverpool captures everything I love about the city.

This visit was beyond all expectations.

The blurb for the exhibition says:

“Presented at Tate Liverpool from 21 May to 30 August 2010; this exhibition will reveal a fascinating new insight into the artist’s life as a tireless political activist and campaigner for peace, challenging the widely held view of Picasso as creative genius, playboy and compulsive extrovert.”

The collection gave a fascinating insight into the great artist. The work on display was thought-provoking and surprising, with many famous pieces demonstrating Picasso’s unmistakable style, but others (previously unknown to me) offered a deeper, and often lingering, message about war, peace and the artist’s homeland – Spain. I’ve always been a fan, but this viewing has lifted my admiration to another level, this time I have a sadness too (but that’s perhaps a personal interpretation).

One aspect to watch out for is the way the choice of paintings plot Picasso’s ‘thinking’, with each series of paintings seemingly focusing on the development of a particular thought or idea. The exhibition was breathtaking, almost to the point of intrusion, as if we were seeing Picasso’s secrets that perhaps he didn’t really want others to admire. Yet still we all came, so many people viewing words and stories, told through his legacy, told through Picasso’s art.  It was stunning, on so many levels.

One bonus for us was the free exhibition Sculpture Remixed. This collection of human form sculptures had been selected by the designer Wayne Hemmingway. As it turned out this was a surprising and highly entertaining exhibition. As we entered the room we were encouraged to take a set of earphones that played a choice of dance music. My advice is to play it loud, turn up the volume and block out all other sound. I love that I viewed the exhibition to a beat.  In the centre of the room, surrounded by world famous sculptures, sits a large, multicoloured dance floor (think Saturday Night Fever!). The words ‘dance here’ are plain for all to see, and needless to say my six year old daughter needed no further encouragement… It really was  the most bizarre and yet most fabulous disco I’ve ever attended.

Overall, the whole family loved the Picasso exhibition and this is a must see for any of you who are in Liverpool between now and August 30 2010.

(For those who’d like to know: Admission £10 (£8 concessions). Family Tickets for 2 adults and 2 children are also available when booking by phone or in gallery, priced at £20)

Some people inspire, they really and truly do. Please take a moment to read this press release:

Breast cancer survivor, blogger and avid reader Stephanie Butland has launched the Bah! Brilliant Book Bonanza, an online giveaway of uplifting books for anyone in need of a good, uplifting read. The BBBB will also raise funds for cancer charities.

Stephanie, 38, who has blogged her dance with breast cancer since 2008, says,

“When you are ill it’s hard to engage with dark, depressing narratives. Books that lift the soul – whether they are romantic, or funny, or just different – can make a tough time more bearable. I stopped reading altogether after my operation, until someone gave me a Georgette Heyer novel. It made me realise that it wasn’t the reading but the type of book that was the problem.”

Her idea struck a chord with many writers and publishers who have donated books to this new project. The first BBBB giveaway, of over 30 books for adults and children, includes signed books from Katie Fforde, Sue Guiney, Marie Phillips, Tamsyn Murray, Sue Mongredien, and Lucy Diamond. Publishers from giants Transworld and HarperCollins to small imprints Roast Books and Little Tiger Press have also got involved.

The way that the BBBB works is simple. Readers – and they don’t need to be people with cancer, just anyone looking for an uplifting read – visit the BBBB giveaway page and leave a ‘pick me!’ comment with the name of the book they would like. If they would like to, they can also make a small donation to one of Stephanie’s chosen charities, Cancer Research UK, Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres, and Breast Cancer Hope, although this is not compulsory. On 31 May, winners will be drawn at random and books sent out.

Go here to find out more about May 2010′s Bah! Brilliant Book Bonanza.

I don’t know Chris Cleave.

I’d read his books and raved about them here and here, I’d tweeted a few @ replies to him on twitter, but that was that. I mean the man is currently The New York Times #1 Best Seller (for the third week running) and I didn’t even think that he’d agree to read Like Bees to Honey.

But he did.

Chris is a mega busy man, with tours and festival appearances. My manuscript has flown around the world with him and this morning, just before he jetted back to America for the rest of his tour, he emailed me a quote for the cover.

“Haunting, heartfelt and beautiful.”  Chris Cleave, author of The Other Hand

I feel utterly humbled.

I couldn’t be any happier than I am at this moment, with the cover and the quote and the email that Chris sent me today. When someone you utterly admire says nice things, well those are the words that need to go on your wall, next to your desk and need to be read over and over again (until they become part of who you are).

[Apologies and please note that this blog post contains some spoilers for the Disney film 'Up'']

I am writing this blog post in an utterly distressed state. Today I took my kiddies to watch ‘Up’ at the cinema.

Why didn’t someone warn me?

‘Up’ (a Disney film) carries the basic story of childhood sweethearts, outgoing Ellie and shy Carl. They meet with heads full of exploring, it’s sweet and very beautiful. Ellie has a book, full of blank pages that she plans to fill with ‘stuff I’m going to do’ when she goes on her huge adventure and moves her clubhouse to Paradise Falls in South America. Then the years start to pass. Ellie and Carl marry and start to save up, but every time they save, something happens and the money is spent elsewhere. Then just as they seem to have finally saved enough to take their big trip, Ellie goes and dies of old age! Carl, her one true love is left and he’s old and he’s all alone. (sob). Then Carl and a rather cute Wilderness Explorer named Russell fly to South America in Carl’s floating house suspended from helium balloons…

I have never cried so much in a film, not since ‘Truly, Madly, Deeply’ and that took me months before I recovered. Don’t get me wrong, ’Up’ was funny too and much of the ‘sad stuff’ wasn’t picked up by the kiddies. My boys thought it fab, Middlest wants the DS game for his birthday. Dug the dog made them laugh out loud (‘I have just met you, and I love you’) and the obsession with squirrels was amusing.

But, still, I never, not ever, want to watch ‘Up’ again. It has left me feeling raw.

… because we do that, don’t we? We say we’re going to do things, don’t we? We make imaginary plans for that one day when we’ll have spare money, when we’ll have extra time, when we’ll be stronger, healthier, not quite like we are now. And then we wait, we almost expect those occasions to come to us.

I do that. I’m a ‘gonna do’ person. I talk about a family trip to Disneyland in America, one day, when I’ve some spare cash but I’ve not started saving. I’ve a secret writing project that I want to send out, but only when the nagging ‘I’m rubbish’ voices are quiet, but I know they never will be. I want to phone someone, just to say hello, but I’ll wait till Christmas or a birthday, ignoring that they’re on my mind today.

The problem is that if I’m honest, I know that one day I might just wake up and realise that time has taken me into a new place where my dreams and needs are even harder to achieve. The children will leave home and Disneyland won’t have the same appeal, the writing project will be hidden and that element of failing added to who I am, that special someone will continue to deteriorate and conversation will be impossible.  And the ‘gonna do’ will never happen.

There’s a lesson hidden in there. Sometimes I find it so difficult to see through the blackness but maybe every now and then I need to look at those around me and hug them a little bit tighter. Friends and family and making your own fortune, that’s what this post is about.

Someone gave me a copy of Cat’s Eye by Margaret Atwood. It was a long time ago, I was seventeen.

Cat’s Eye changed my view of literature and it changed me. Sometimes literature does that, it does something to you, it wibbles your insides and makes you see things in a different, in a better way. I’ve been a fan of her writing ever since.

Last night, Manchester Cathedral hosted a dramatic and musical presentation to launch Margaret Atwood’s new novel, The Year of the Flood.

Last night I met Margaret Atwood.

[photograph taken by Jon Parker Lee ]

(February 18, 1950 – August 6, 2009)

Pretty in Pink will always make me feel like I belong, somewhere.