Thought for the Day

"Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable."

~ L. Frank Baum

Gamebook Friday: ACE Gamebooks at the UK Games Expo 2019

Two weeks today, I will be at the UK Games Expo, which is being held at the NEC just outside Birmingham. The event runs from Friday 31st May - Sunday 2nd June, and Saturday 1st June sees the official launch of NEVERLAND - Here Be Monsters! (although it will also be available on the Friday).

You will find me at Stand 2-640, in Hall 2, on CMON Avenue and close to Keyforge Street. You won't be able to miss it, because there will be a huge NEVERLAND - Here Be Monsters! map covering the table and a banner with a dinosaur battling a sabretooth tiger behind it.

Click to enlarge

I will have all three of my ACE Gamebooks so far in print for sale, and some exciting news about a new project as well. And I may even have a few hardbacks of YOU ARE THE HERO Parts 1 and 2 with me.

So if you're coming along to the UK Games Expo, do stop by Stand 2-640 and say hello. Maybe I'll see you there...

Happy Birthday, L. Frank Baum!

L. Frank Baum, the author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, was born 163 years ago today. In fact, he died 100 years ago, on 6th May.

His classic of American children's literature has inspired all kinds of re-imaginings, from movies to TV series and musicals, and my own dieselpunk-styled gamebook The Wicked Wizard of Oz, which is even an exhibit at the All Things Oz Museum in Chittenango, New York, where Baum was born.

If you've not read The Wicked Wizard of Oz yourself yet, you can pick up a copy here. You will also find a list of errata and some bonus material here.

Thought for the Day

"How To Be a Writer:
Awaken to sound of birdsong
Emerge from scented boudoir
Don silken writing pyjamas and special writing hat
Call for parchment quill pen fresh squid ink gold leaf
Small nap till tea time
Have butler bring crumpets, jam, baskets of kittens
Write lies all day long"

~ Joanne Harris

Happy Birthday, J. M. Barrie!

J. M. Barrie, the author of Peter Pan and Wendy, was born 159 years ago today. More recently, of course, I was inspired to re-imagine his characters and their story as an adventure gamebook, in which the island of Neverland is populated by more monstrous reptiles other than just one giant crocodile.

NEVERLAND - Here Be Monsters! goes on general release on Saturday 1st June and you can pre-order your copy here.

Thought for the Day

"How To Be a Writer:
Look into the abyss
See the abyss looking back
Tell the abyss to take a running jump
Tea"

~ Joanne Harris

Gamebook Friday: 'TWAS the Kickstarter Update before the UK Games Expo

Which is a convoluted way of saying that I have news about 'TWAS - The Krampus Night Before Christmas, Kickstarter, and the UK Games Expo.

To begin at the end, just four weeks from today I will be at the UK Games Expo. I'll actually be there for the whole weekend, so if you're around do stop by Stand 2-640 and say hello. You won't be able to miss me, because my table will have a huge map of Neverland on it.

And now to jump back to the beginning, this week I sent the play-test version of 'TWAS - The Krampus Night Before Christmas to those Kickstarter backers who pledged at the Stuffed Stocking and Secret Santa reward levels, which means I'm on track to get the finished book to the publisher by the end of the month, so that it can be out in time for Christmas.

And talking of Kickstrater projects, the crowdfunding platform was 10 years old this week. I didn't launch in the UK until October 2012, and I crowdfunded my first project in December 2012. Since then I have launched a total of 10 Kickstarter projects and 8 of them have funded.

But I find myself in a strange situation at the moment. With all the physical rewards for NEVERLAND - Here Be Monsters! sent to backers*, and the eBook due to go out soon, and with Beowulf Beastslayer and 'TWAS - The Krampus Night Before Christmas in the hands of others, at the moment, for the first time in a long time, I don't actually know what my next Kickstarter project is going to be, or when I'm going to launch it.

I have plenty of ideas for potential projects, it's just a case of making a decision with what to go with next. I could go with one of two different ACE Gamebooks, or a new non-fiction project, any of which I would probably launch in October. However, there is also a potential role-playing game, which I could even see myself launching in time for the UK Games Expo.

So, if you were me, which one would you go with next?

* If you've had a chance to read it, please do post a brief review here.