It's Behind You!

Shakespeare wrote that the world is a stage ... I think it's more like a pantomime. Got to have some laughs, rude jokes, and bags of energy - and lots of love of course.

2007? It's gone. Forget about it. The only thing that matters is right now and what you're going to do. Then tomorrow might work out. And the day after. Finally this time next year you'll be really glad you forgot about this last year - and that you got on with your life - so I hope it hasn't been too dreadful for any of you.

As you can probably guess I am no fan of end-of-year reminiscing. Thinking about what you should or shouldn't have done is a waste of time - if mistakes were made, promise yourself not to do it again and move on. And one day I'm sure I'll manage that myself.

Me? I'm itching to get started on all kinds of new things for this New Year. I'm no party pooper, and I'll probably be having a dance along with Jools and his mates at midnight, but can we please stop all this newspaper/media garbage about the year just gone. These people are earning a lot of dosh just to tell me what I already know.

The highlight of the telly over Christmas was the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures. That's how science should be taught to young people and grown ups. Dr Hugh Montgomery gave a great series of lectures and I was thrilled to see so many young boys and girls embraced what he was saying with such enthusiasm. Everyone loved it (except the dead bloke who had been cut in half), and Dr Montgomery says that genetically boys take more risks than girls. The girls think the risk through while boys often volunteer for really scary things.

Maybe that's the crazy fun of being a boy.

Doom and gloom then for 2008 according to a lot of people. Rubbish. Keep it personal, do whatever you do with passion and help each other. Someone once said that you should reach for the stars and even if you don't get there you'll be high enough for a nose-bleed. Make sure you carry a handkerchief - failing that wear something with dark coloured sleeves.

I had a busy 2007 thanks to Puffin who published The Devil's Breath - and to everyone who read it - but I had the most fun visiting boys and girls in their schools, so I hope to meet even more of you in 2008. And the year ended nicely with a very interesting interview with Sam from Dulwich College, which he published in the Dulwich Despatch.

So I hope there are surprises - good ones - in store for you all. And if you have a dream, go for it. Nothing is impossible.

And whatever you do - have some fun - before grown ups make life even more miserable.

Happy New Year.
The Ice Claw cometh!

PS: I came across a great reading competition set up in New Zealand (I think) so here's a link where you'll find other boys and girls having fun with their reading.

www.kidslitquiz.com

DARTMOOR ROUGH

Christmas Eve: Dawn . A low sun struggled to rise behind the mist as I looked out my window at the River Dart. The mirror-sharp surface crinkled when a duck landed, unzipping the image. I looked to the left - Haytor was just visible in the distance. It was cold out there. Soggy jacket (the one with so many zips where I can never find anything) pulled on and I climbed into the reluctant old Land Rover, which takes forever to heat up.



Drove to one of the reservoirs on the moor and then Huckaby Bridge. Magic. No one out there except me and the Dartmoor Ponies. It was -3C in the shade, but I had good boots on and the double-layer jacket. After a gentle tab over the hills I stopped and looked across an empty world.

My favourite pub - where they let dogs in and have horses tethered outside - wasn't far away, and they do good vegetarian food and have a log stove. Muddy boots and paws are welcome. It's that kind of place.

So, here I am along with the Christmas beard which I grow every year (got to give your face a rest! and remember to give it a holiday as well - and smile).

So find yourself a spot somewhere, a bit of quiet, don't talk for a while, have a good look around, and see what it's really all about.

Hope you had a safe Christmas and that you got all the goodies you wanted. And somewhere in among the mince pies and nosh gave a thought, or more, to those that need a helping hand.

ITALIAN MAGIC

So there's a new manager for the England football squad! He'll have a few problems in the dressing room at half-time. Nice thing about the Italian language is that even when the Italians are upset with you it still sounds great. And so does their cover for The Devil's Breath. You could actually buy the Italian copy, have the English copy next to it - and learn the language. I'm going to be in a fix if they ever invite me to give a reading though.

Thought you might like to see how it looks.



Il Respiro del Diavolo. I think that sounds cool.

And there's even the website in Italian. www.max-gordon.it

PS: Builders still here - had to rescue one of the cats who decided to test out the wet 15cm of new concrete floor. Reminded me of when I was eight and was playing on the building site of the new Albany cinema being built in Maghull, Liverpool. We used to live over the chippy. I found a huge sludge pile or something similar to concrete - and started to sink. It was like quicksand. My frends ran off an got my dad who pulled me out in the nick of time. He carried me home over his shoulder. I died with embarassment. My wellies are still in the foundations though I don't even know if the Albany is still there. It's probably knocked down and rebuilt as flats. Wonder if the builders ever found my wellies. Maybe they thought the rest of me was in there somewhere.

Gale Force

No, that's not a Max Gordon title - but, maybe it should be.

Finished the script I had to write, completed an almost, almost, final edit on ICE CLAW, read through THE DEVIL'S BREATH for the American editors, and then someone came and knocked my house down. Sort of.

I've been patching my old conservatory for years. I sit out there trying to read and there's a steady drip on my newspaper. I shift the chair, and it drips on my head. I had a huge fish pond (11 000 + litres) in my previous house and it leaked! I spent most of my life wading chest deep in slush and mud trying to find where the problem was. No more fish ponds, I told my wife. I haven't got time with all this writing - need a smaller garden - lower maintenance. Good thinking - almost!

Here, I could see where the water dripped in - not so much dripped , but trickled, poured, in places. Even the cats wouldn't sit out there. I never got to read the newspaper - I kept having to paint more anti-leak gunk on the rotten wooden frame. Get a builder in and a new conservatory, ordered The Commander in Chief.

So a couple of days ago - just when I was in the whirlwind of work - the builder arrived. Right, lads - sledgehammers out. He's a week early. I round up the cats - get them into the cattery. They're miserable. I'm running out of time. It's lashing down and I'm out with sheets of plastic trying to cover the windows and doors. I'm trapped. How would Max Gordon escape from this demolition?

No excuses now - HAVE to write - I'm stuck in here. All Christmas shopping will be done via the Internet. I peep out and there are my telephone wires pulled out the wall, whipping around like an extraterrestrial's ganglions. Maybe there won't be a Christmas this year. I'll have to send everyone the socks and handkerchief's they sent me last year.

But I was cheered up by my very nice Dutch publishers Thomas Rap who sent me through their edition of The Devil's Breath.



I thought that was pretty cool, quite different from the cover we have here, and I've just seen the American cover which was designed by the same team who does John Grisham's books.

Lashing rain is now coming under the front door. Have to go!

ICE CLAW

That's the title for Max Gordon's new adventure in Danger Zone2 - I hope you like it.

I'm busy doing a final edit of ICE CLAW, making sure that it's as thrilling and exciting as The Devil's Breath - and to go over the secret code again that Max has to crack. Sayid Khalif, his best friend, plays a crucial role in this book. ICE CLAW will be published in June/July 2008.

Various editions of The Devil's Breath are already being published around the world in different languages and it's now confirmed that the USA is publishing in September 2008. So, looking forward to saying hi to a whole new bunch of readers and friends for Max.

I went to London last Monday - which is why this blog is a bit late - to begin discussions for the cover with Tom, who put together such a great cover for The Devil's Breath. Then up to Edinburgh to see if my idea of beginning Book3 there (which at the moment is called Crystal Skull) was going to work. Not sure that it is at the moment. I went on the underground tour and couldn't see how Max could be put in sufficient danger. But, I have got the opening lines of book3 already burning a hole in my brain.

I love Edinburgh and at this time of the year it's their Winter Festival. Great fun. Ferris wheel, fairground, ice skating in Princes Gardens and a German market with so much lovely grub I'm sure I've put on weight. Just as well I did the long climb up the Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle (and there's a great veggie cafe on the way, so more eating of delicious food) to burn off the calories.

Flew back to Exeter on a twin prop plane - a Dash8 - and we hit turbulence from the huge jet stream that's been swirling miles high around UK. 100 mph winds made it a bit bumpy - and reminded me of when I was in the Paras. The Hercules C130 pilot would take us paras, loaded down with parachutes and kit, on low-level 'combat' flights. 500 feet high, ducking and weaving and then a big lift to our jump height. By which time we we all gagging, sweating and desperate to jump out of this 'vomit machine.'

That's a bit how it felt last night except they wouldn't open the doors and let me out! Maybe it's time to give everyone parachutes when they fly.

More next week!