How would you like to win a visit from me to your school, library or reading group? That’s the prize lovely Templar Publishing are offering on The Blackhope Enigma website. And you’ll also get other goodies like signed copies as well as other fiction published by Templar.

You’ll need to go here to enter, answer the art history question and make sure you do so by September 1!

Right, I’m getting convinced about Twitter. It’s been quite fun, really, but like all things that take me away from writing The Next Book, I have had to limit my time on it. I am learning that there are some people who tweet all day, from waking up till going to sleep. There are those who stop in with a pithy comment and then disappear for a couple of days (I quite like them). And there are people who regularly offer real gems of information and inspiration. I have learned a lot already and will continue to do so. And I’d be delighted if you follow me on Twitter here.

The downside is that my poor old blog has languished recently while I flirt with Twitter and Goodreads. Have I even mentioned Goodreads? Well, it’s a book-lovers’ social networking site, where I already had an author page that needed to be activated. Thanks to my one Fan on my page, who alerted me to it (thanks for that!), I have started building on my page. Have a look, write a review, be my friend or, even, be my fan!

Michelle will be discussing ways to write about Venice with Katie Hickman at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on August 21st.

I was pretty excited to learn that Blackhope was selected for the Online Teachers in Residence Teachers’ Book Group for the new school year (for teachers in Scotland, by the way, where schools are linked together in an online community called Glow). We made the video to give readers a bit of background about the book. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, not least because I got to visit the Book Trust, a place abounding with friendly, book-passionate folks. I got to sit on the couch with the fancy silk cushions, with bookshelves behind me, and be right comfy.

If you know any teachers of 9-13 year olds in Scotland, please direct them to the site. There’s a chance to win one of ten copies they are giving away.

Last Saturday I wandered around the grounds of Traquair House, soaking up the magical atmosphere of Traquair Fair, sipping tea in a yurt and visiting a Cabinet of Wonders inside a Tardis-like van. This was the very odd and enigmatic Kabinett Fatalia, the creation of two German artists from Dresden, who tour their Kabinett-on-wheels around various festivals in the UK and Europe. You step into the back of the van/Kabinett and enter a world that has nothing to do with transport in the usual sense, unless your destination is a slightly off-kilter hall of mirrors/freak show. The video below, of Fatalia’s 2007 Kabinett, will give you a sense of its strange perceptions.

A Cabinet of Wonders, or Curiosities, has roots in the Renaissance. The kings and princes of the great houses of Europe made it their business to collect a wide and eccentric range of objects for their cabinets, special chambers that housed their collections. Certain kings are well known for their collections of what the Germans translated as Wunderkammers or Kunstkammers (Art Cabinets). My favourite is the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia, Rudolf II - here’s something about his collection.

The digital world has made it possible for people to create all sorts of online collections of objects and oddities. I particularly like this site, as well as Fed by Birds and Curious Expeditions.

After making my little promo video for The Blackhope Enigma on the grounds and in the maze at Traquair House, I was invited to come back on July 31 and do an appearance as part of the Traquair Fair 2010.

I’ll be talking about the book, reading selections from it and doing some drawing in the Children’s Tent from 2:45-3:45pm. The event is aimed at 8-12 year olds and the drawing theme is “Mazes and Monsters” (of course). We’ll be designing and drawing our own illustrated mazes to take home.

The Blackhope Enigma will be on sale, and I will be around to sign copies after my event. Hope to see you there!

Way back when, there was a sunny day (May? June?) and we went to one of my favourite places on the west coast of Scotland, Culzean Castle (pronounced cull-ayn). The bluebells were very late this year and there were a few still hanging on in the wooded walkways.
I’d heard about a labyrinth nearby and we set off to find it in the late afternoon. You have to take the lovely coastal road north from Culzean and watch that you don’t shoot past the left turn down to Dunure.

Sea, rocks, castle ruins and blue sky. Twisting and turning around the labyrinth’s path all on our own.

Bliss.

I’ve been doing various interviews with book bloggers and children’s literature websites recently - and they are offering the chance to win a copy of the book.

The Scottish Book Trust has selected The Blackhope Enigma as its July Book of the Month. Read my guest blog piece, answer a question and register to win a signed copy here.

Reading Zone also has an interview and a chance to win a copy here.

Photo by J Jamieson

Photo by J Jamieson

While we were celebrating the book, we also celebrated the virtual launch of The Blackhope Enigma website. Not only is it a handsome looking thing, but it has cool features on it, like downloadable wallpaper, a bookmark and some book plates that I drew, and which can only be found on the site. I also contributed an audio clip, produced by Cheer Productions, and a video clip made by Oak’s Bark, with the additional assistance of Pablo the sound man. Thanks to all those gentlemen, as well as Lighthouse Photographics, who took my publicity photo!

Last but not least, you can register to win a visit from me to your school (or your child’s school). So please do check it out!

I would like to thank everyone who came to the launch, especially those who traveled from far afield. They all made it a wonderful success and reminded me what great friends and colleagues I have. And I can’t thank Templar Publishing enough for all their support and hard work in bringing my book to the world!