Well, I left it a few days to see if Ali was going to mention it herself – but she hasn’t, so I will…

The utterly brilliant Frozen in Time by TBM’s own Ali Sparkes has been shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Awards!  Nominated in the category of Book I Couldn’t Put Down, Frozen in Time will be competing against Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce and The Boy Who Fell Down Exit 43 by Harriet Goodwin.

Here at Trapped By Monsters, we’ve all got our fingers (and tentacles) crossed that Ali’s exciting tale of culture clash will be the winner!

Here’s a short, instructional video explaining how to enter this month’s Quest, and win the chance to become a character in a future Scream Street book:

Find out more at: http://www.watchthemgrow.co.uk/quest.html

Tommy

Have you ever wanted to appear as a character in a book?  Well here’s your chance!

Renaissance Learning are running a Quest with each challenge set by a children’s author – and this month, it’s me!  All you have to do is imagine that you wake up one day to discover you’ve turned into a vampire.  How would you react?  What would you do?  And how far would you stay from the garlic in the supermarket?

I want you to write a story of at least 150 words telling me what you would do (you can of course write more than that – and include pictures, too).  When all the entries are in, I’ll choose a winner and make that person a character in a future Scream Street book.

So, if you’ve ever wanted to see your name in print – click here and try The Quest!

Tommy

JETHRO’S ACE OF HEARTS

a thirteen-step surgical procedure

illustrated with clinical precision by David Melling

administered with minimal trauma to the patient by Sam Enthoven

First incision to be performed exclusively here at Trapped By Monsters this Halloween, Oct 31st 2009 @ 11:59pm GMT

twelve prescribed story doses to be taken twice a week thereafter

Hold Still, This Will Only Hurt For A Moment

Mark Robson and myself have been allowed out this Saturday, 31st October, to sign books and draw ghouly ‘things’ like this fella. In fact, with a bit of luck you can win this very drawing as part of a prize, together with a signed set of books from one of Mark’s fantastic series. This chap is a Windy Nibbler and swoops in for an appearance in my new book Ghost Goblins.

To find out more why not pop along to The Bookstore, 15 Bury Street, Abingdon, from 10.00am. We should be there for most of the day, or until “they” drag us back down to the dark Pit of Despair.

Still, happy days.

JETHRO’S ACE OF HEARTS

a story served in thirteen helpings

prepared from impeccable ingredients just for you by Sam Enthoven

larded with succulent illustrations by David Melling

First helping to be served exclusively here at Trapped By Monsters this Halloween, Oct 31st 2009 @ 11:59pm GMT

twelve tempting portions to follow twice a week thereafter

Bon Appetit

Do your classroom or library walls suffer from blandness and boring areas?  Do you yearn for something to look at other than that tattered old picture of Duran Duran?  Then panic no more – the Poster Boys are here…

At Write2Excite – www.write2excite.co.uk – you can claim your FREE set of four posters, featuring best-selling children’s authors Andy Briggs, Joe Craig, Tommy Donbavand and GP Taylor!

So, what are you waiting for?  Pin us up today!

Tommy

Please note – what follows is a blatant plug!

Heehee!  Look what I’ve got!  And it’s not in the shops until 5th October!

Scream Street 7: Invasion of the Normals is not only a fast-paced, action-packed romp – it’s 50% longer than the other Scream Street books, as well!

What happens after Luke, Resus and Cleo open a doorway back to the real world?  Why does it result in another six tales?  And has Dixon really become a street poet?  Find out in the seventh spooky Scream Street adventure soon…

What a scream!

Tommy

PS – the boards on the cave wall behind me are usually full of plot notes – but I’ve just cleaned them off to start on a new book!  I do get around to doing some work from time to time – honest!

The first two books in the Scream Street series – Fang of the Vampire and Blood of the Witch – are published in the US today by Candlewick Press!

To celebrate the publication, I’ve made a second Scream Street USA trailer – which features my first attempt at using a green screen in my videos. The result – while not perfect – isn’t bad for a first try…

For more information on Scream Street in America, visit www.screamstreet.com (the UK site is at www.screamstreet.co.uk)

It’s often easy to forget that, as writers, we work with words every day and find communicating our thoughts and feelings to others a very simple affair – even if those feelings are along the lines of “Argh! Gerraway from me you hideous snot-dribbling monster!”  But that’s not the case for everyone.  Some people struggle to make themselves understood.

So, I was delighted to discover a wonderful website that allows you to adopt a word for a year at a time and I used it to adopt the word SCREAM.

Adopt A Word charges just £20 to make a word ‘yours’ for 12 months – with all the money going to a brilliant charity called I Can which helps children with communication and speech problems.

So, if there’s a word you’ve always coveted, why not give it a good home?  Because words are for life – not just for Christmas cracker jokes…

Tommy