Here we go 2013...

A Winter's Day in 1939 is nearly here - releasing in March. I will do a give-away here on my blog closer to release, and I am also doing one here on Goodreads. Book launch details will be revealed soon.

I was thrilled to see this the other day - page 14 in Scholastic Australia's April Catalogue. My book is a staff pick!!!

Happy days :) I hope readers like it.

March is also New Zealand Book Month and I am part of a fabulous exhibition taking place at the National Library in Parnell and Takapuna Library over the whole month, showcasing the background work that goes into books. The exhibition includes titles by Margaret Mahy and David Elliott, Gavin Bishop, Fifi Colston and David Hill, Maria Gill and Heather Arnold, Jennifer Beck and Lindy Fisher, Kyle Mewburn and Donovan Bixley, and of course me. We are having a gala opening with myself, Maria, Heather, David Elliot, Donovan, Fifi, Kyle and Lindy Fisher on March the 4th at the National Library at 6pm if you are interested in coming along  (RSVP to the National Library at : Simon.Vincent@dia.govt.nz). 

I have been reading more books - finished Ian Rankin's Standing in Another Man's Grave (terrific writing although one or two plot points left me a little unsatisfied), and The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater (ditto, although I wanted to marry the writing and have its children, it was brilliant). Now I'm working my way through The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan (jury's out so far).

The bi-annual NZ Children's Writers and Illustrators Conference is due this year in Christchurch Queen's Birthday Weekend and I am making plans to head down. I'm keen to see what they have on their programme. I hope to visit Canterbury University while I'm down there. I'm all signed up for this year's paper - Young Adult Fiction - cannot wait for the study guides to arrive.

Because I have a novel to complete I polished up a picture book I wrote a little while back and sent it off to a publisher. Its something quite different to my other picture books (which is probably a statement you can apply to every picture book I've ever written) - somewhat like a Maori myth/legend, and inspired by a film short I saw at the movies some years back. I also recently signed the contract on my picture book due out later this year, While You Are Sleeping.  The year seems to be gathering some momentum. Here we go 2013.