August

Whoo-hoo! Back from me holidays! Phew!

Two weeks in sunny France, oo-la-la, doing lots of swimming and reading and spoiling an abandoned dog called Friton who we loved a lot. Then a few days in sunny Devon with Mo and Ella, visiting our far flung relations and eating pasties, oh arrr!

I've been reading loads of children's books I'm reviewing for Junior Education magaine - the spooky October titles. My favourite was Feather and Bone, by Lazlo Strangalov, which is wonderfully strange and creepy. But don't tell anyone I like it best because the review's not out until October.

I've been finishing up bits and pieces of work because I want to take three weeks off to spring clean and be in the English sunshine, hem, hem, wot a laugh. The Pongwiffy series is done and dusted for now - one more next month, then the final title comes out in October. Clover Twig is setting off along the Perilous Path and I've just finished writing a short Pongwiffy story for Puffin Post. I enjoyed it - I really enjoyed that - I always love getting back to work after holidays, because I miss it. But right now, I want time off. I need to think about things before starting the next book in September.

The travelling heats up again from mid September, when I'm off to conferences and festivals and whatnot - Scotland and Bath and Cheltenham and one in the country with lovely librararians - more about those later. In the meantime, I'm just about up to speed workwise. Famous last words, of course. Something usually crops up.

But I've been doing some gardening and rode my bike, which is good.

Ella looked on my Oh-so-new blog and, to my thrilled delight, told me that some lovely people have actually written to me! I don't understand technology. I didn't know that would happen. I am seriously stupid about these things. How exciting.

Thank you so very, very much. It really makes your day when someone tells you they've enjoyed your books. It's great to have fans in their twenties who can still be bothered to write and pay me compliments. And whole families. And new readers. Please do keep them coming - it's made me so cheerful that I think I'll go and cook some stewed blackberry and apple and eat it with yoghurt because we're on a health kick that sadly excludes cheese and cake.

I think they'll be reading for the Funny Prize by now. Last year I was on the panel of judges. This year I'm hoping I'll get entered. Hope I'm on the short list. Will go all sad and sullen if I'm not.

Right, that's it. That's my August blog. Except that Heathcliff's still got his allergy. But he's eating a lot. Jeremy brought in a bird. The tomatoes on my balcony are turning red! I've never grown them before.

Off to cook now. See you next month.