Archive for February, 2009

Posted on February 16, 2009 - by MG

Geheimakte Joshua Audiobook auf Deutsch!

I realise that I keep getting all excited about seeing new versions of the book…but what can I say? It’s VERY exciting – to see something you’ve written in print, in different languages and now as an audio production in German. WOW.

I opened it right away and listened to the first ten minutes. It’s been a very long time since I listened to so much German and been able to understand so well!

Sadly it’s not a measure of how good my German is.

Still, now I know that so long as people say exactly what I know what they’re going to say…I’ll be fine.

You can hear an excerpt of the German audiobook here.

Meanwhile, preparations continue for the launch of ICE SHOCK. I have just added another date to my events page…thrilled to be speaking to the Oxford University Mexican Society on 25th Feb. Saludos paisanos!

Posted on February 10, 2009 - by MG

ICE SHOCK – author copies have arrived!

The Joshua Files: Ice Shock

Originally uploaded by mgharris

Squeals of joy. Two boxes arrived – one for me, one of copies to sign for prizes on swapitshop.com.

I played with them, like dolls. I arranged them in little stacks and next to doughnuts and took photos. I didn’t give them a bath or dress them, but I almost hugged them.

Tomorrow I might hug them. I really might.

Posted on February 5, 2009 - by MG

Swimming in the snow

Swimming in the snow

Originally uploaded by mgharris

Couldn’t resist a brisk 20 lengths of the outdoor pool…followed by the sauna and minty steam room.

We’re starting to schedule lots of events around the launch of ICE SHOCK. Mainly schools but also at Blackwell’s and the Oxford Literary Festival. And a fringe event at the Oxford Lit Festival, a two-hander with BBC Oxford’s Bill Heine! Will update the events page soonish.
Emailed from my BlackBerry®

Posted on February 2, 2009 - by MG

‘Invisible City’ shortlisted for Leeds Children’s Book Award

Hurray for being shortlisted for a book award! Very exciting. Now those schoolchildren in Leeds have to read all the shortlisted books and do thinks and do discussion and do presentation skills and learning stuff like that. Mmm, good stuff, all very educational. As Benicio would say – Excelente. Actually he’d more likely say chiiiido. (‘chido’ means ‘cool’ in Mexican slang, and isn’t even rude!)

It also means that I get to go to the ceremony and either practise my ‘Not disappointed I didn’t win really because JOLLY GOOD SHOW etc’ face. Or my modest ‘Me?…who me?…really?’ face.

Or more likely not practice anything at all, not even a speech, because I will be so busy writing Joshua 4.

I’ve been to the Nibbies (British Book Awards), I’ve seen it done. The rule of four: thank your husband/wife, your agent, your editor and your publisher. Big smile, move on. Or seethe, glassy-eyed from the losers’ table.

Eee. I’ve never been to Leeds. Hear it’s right sophisticated. The incomparably hip John Shuttleworth says so.

I am NOT ashamed to ask for your help, blog readers. If you are a young person from Leeds, please:

1. Read Invisible City (ah, go on, go on, go on, go on.)
2. Write a stonking review of it on the Leeds Book Award Website
3. Convince a teacher or school librarian to take your class there.
4. On the way to the ceremony, persuade all your classmates to vote JOSHUA.

Another tip from a fangirl is this: write the name of your favourite book on the blackboard every day until your school chums get fed up with you. I did this every week to remind people to watch Blake’s 7, when I were a lass.

Did you know, when I was young we had only THREE TV channels. No video recorders – if you missed your show that was it, you could only tear out your hair and weep. No computers, no handheld video games, no Internet, no mobile phones, no txting. It was the Dark Ages, man, don’t let your parents tell you anything different! On the bright side we had Texan Bars, Pink Panther bars and Banjos.