Happy Burns Night!

Yes, it's time for my annual blog post reminding you that I have written a book about Scotland called Scottish Miscellany: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland the Brave, that still sells very well in America. So well, in fact, that a new edition is due to be released on 17th February.

Revel in the fun and fascinating explanations behind Scottish traditions and folklore - from William Wallace, Rob Roy, and MacBeth to golf, kilts, and haggis.

Here are the answers to questions you’ve always had - or never knew you had - and more as he covers all aspects of Scotland. From Scottish culture to the ancient history of the country to modern pastimes, this book has all that and more. Learn…

Why the thistle is the floral emblem of Scotland,

How Scotch whisky is made,

Why the Scots celebrate Hogmanay,

How to play the bagpipes,

If there is really a monster living in Loch Ness,

What is Gaelic,

What is the Stone of Destiny,

And much more.

This delightful book is the perfect gift for anyone planning a visit to Scotland, with an interest in Scottish history, or a drop of Scottish blood.

"Well organized, easy to read, high interest but low enough vocabulary for a 10 or 12 yr old to read independently. Full of unexpected facts, good photos. All 'round 100%." ~ Amazon.com

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland the Brave

Seeing as tonight is Burns' Night, it's time for my annual blog post reminding you that I wrote a book about Scotland once, called Scottish Miscellany: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland the Brave, that still sells very well in America, I'm pleased to say, eleven years after it was first published. It's even available in eBook format!

With Scottish Miscellany, author Jonathan Green lets you revel in the fun and fascinating explanations behind Scottish traditions and folklore, giving you the answers to questions you’ve always had — or never knew you had — and more as he covers all aspects of Scotland.

From Scottish culture to the ancient history of the country to modern pastimes, this book has all that and more. Learn why the thistle is the floral emblem of Scotland, how Scotch whisky is made, why the Scots celebrate Hogmanay, how to play the bagpipes, and much more. This delightful book is the perfect gift for anyone planning a visit to Scotland, with an interest in Scottish history, or a drop of Scottish blood. With 50 color illustrations.

"Well organized, easy to read, high interest but low enough vocabulary for a 10 or 12 yr old to read independently. Full of unexpected facts, good photos. All 'round 100%." ~ Amazon.com

Steampunk Thursday: Alice's Adventures in Oz

I say Oz, but I really mean America (seeing as how The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is 'the king of American novels').

I'm delighted that my ACE Gamebooks are finding an audience across the Pond. (I was in New York last April and I have to say, I love that city.) Especially The Wicked Wizard of Oz, seeing as how it was inspired by L. Frank Baum, an American author.

Here's what one reader had to say about the book:

"The writing of the sections make or break this type of book and Jonathan Green's clear descriptions bring the scenes to life."


Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland has been out longer and so has garnered a few more reviews, including these:

"Delightfully grizzly fun! Best book purchase I've made in a while."

"It's not at all what I thought it was going to be... It's BETTER!"

"I have had a blast with this book. Every time I pick it up it is like reading a new story!"

Thanksgiving Thursday: Wishing you a Black River Christmas

Seeing as it's Thanksgiving today in the US, I thought it appropriate to focus on a couple of titles published by US publishers that I have had a hand in.

The first is Book 2 - or rather Level 2 - in The Black River Chronicles series by m'colleague David Tallerman (he of SHARKPUNK fame). I was thrilled when David asked me to write the introduction to his new book, The Ursvaal Exchange, and so, having had a sneak peek at the manuscript, that is precisely what I did.

Here's what Amazon has to say about the book, which is published by Digital Fantasy Fiction:

Student ranger Durren Flintrand had thought he was settling in at the Black River Academy for Swordcraft and Spellcraft. But when rebellious rogue Tia Locke uncovers a horrifying secret in the dungeons beneath the school, Durren quickly realises that the challenges he's faced so far were scant preparation for what lies ahead. Along with magic-averse wizard Arein and blunt but good-hearted fighter Hule, he and Tia find themselves on Black River's first student exchange program: they're being sent to the Shadow Mountain Academy in the dank and dismal land of Ursvaal, and they're going whether they like it or not.

At Shadow Mountain, things are done differently. No longer is Durren a ranger but a bard, despite his lacking the slightest notion of what being a bard involves. And not only that but Tia is acting even more strangely than usual, Hule is taking being a paladin awfully seriously, and Arein has a new party member with ideas very different to her own to contend with, in the shape of irascible cleric Cailliper Ancrux - who wants nothing less than to be involved with Shadow Mountain's unpopular newcomers.

The four Black River students will have to relearn everything they thought they knew; but the threats surrounding them aren't about to wait. Can they hope to survive an uprising of the dead, the winged horror that haunts this desolate land, and an ancient plot risen from the blackest depths of Ursvaal's history? And even if the somehow should, can Durren possibly overcome his tone deafness and learn to play the lute?

The second title I'm going to mention is one of mine. It's not a new book but rather a new edition of an old book.

Having already brought out a second edition of my Scottish Miscellany, which has always been popular in the States, this month Skyhorse Publishing is releasing a new edition of my Christmas Miscellany.

Have you ever wondered why we celebrate Christmas the way we do? In this whimsical book, Jonathan Green tells you all about the fascinating stories behind our most beloved holiday traditions. Make yourself cozy by the fireplace, open up this fully illustrated treasure trove, and learn:

Why we sing carols

Why we burn Yule logs

Why we hang stockings

Why we kiss under the mistletoe

Why we send greeting cards

Why there are twelve days of Christmas

And what is figgy pudding?

Each chapter explores a different custom and its history: when and where it started, how it has changed over the centuries, and why we still love to recreate it today. You’ll learn why holly and ivy are important symbols, who Good King Wenceslas was, and why we eat turkey for Christmas dinner. Additional fun facts and trivia are sprinkled throughout, accompanied by classic illustrations. This is the perfect gift or stocking stuffer for curious-minded friends and family this holiday season!

Christmas Miscellany: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Christmas is released by Skyhorse Publishing a week today, on Thursday 30th November.

Happy Thanksgiving, America!

Today I am thankful for all my readers and followers in the United States. I should say I am grateful to all my fans, but as it's Thanksgiving Day in the US I am going to focus on my American friends, who are actually responsible for for than twice as many visits to my blog as the next nearest nation, which just happens to be the UK*.

Back in May 2011 I set up a widget on my blog to track how many visitors drop by to read through my missives. In the intervening five and a half years, the blog has received over 191,724 visits, and you can see many of them on this map of the World.

Click on the map to see a larger version.

And here's the USA.

As you can see, my readership comes from right across the country. It is also highly likely that some of those visitors picked up the Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland Colouring Book, which has now received 108 5-star reviews on Amazon.com!

So, Happy Thanksgiving Day, America!


* Russia is third!

Zombie Zunday: Man smashes storefront windows to escape ‘flesh-eating zombies’

A drunken Brooklyn man said he was trying to escape flesh-eating zombies in Williamsburg when he shattered storefront windows at a shopping centre, according to police sources.

To read more about this story, click here.