Bird news...

This long-tailed tit has spotted an intruder and is intent on scaring him off. Small birds can be incredibly aggressive, and this one is very persistent... As you can see, the enemy is his own reflection in the doorhandle! Eventually I put a plastic bag over it to stop him injuring himself.

Waxwings, on the other hand, seem to be peace-loving and sociable souls. I'd never seen one until a whole flock of them turned up at the end of the garden. They're still there, and it's nearly April... They really are beautiful birds, and they twitter incessantly!

This is the cover of my new book, which has just been published, and there's a link to it on Amazon here. The book is set in the Gobi Desert, in Mongolia. Those of you who have read previous posts on this blog will have seen the photographs. I met an eleven-year-old girl, herding goats, who was the best rider I've ever seen. She gave me the idea for the story. This is a picture of her:

For Christian Diaz

Hello Christian - you sent me a very nice letter, with a lovely picture of a sinistrom on it. However, I can't read your address to send a letter back to you. I think it's Chicago, but I'm not sure. I'm so glad you've enjoyed the books, but there are no plans for a fourth one. I hope you have a happy new year! (And if someone who knows Christian reads this, please could they tell him? Thank you!)

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Aquila

I've written a new two-part story called Carla and the Cuddlecrunchie. The first episode appears in December 2010's issue of the magazine Aquila. If you haven't encountered it, you ought to see if your school keeps it in the library. It's a very good magazine, with lots of interesting articles and suggestions for things to do.

Email Problems

Someone posted previously to say that they couldn't email me via the site. We've checked, and it seems to be working perfectly okay. Go to The Divide page, then to Contact Me.

Galapagos

I have just come back from an absolutely amazing holiday in the Galapagos Islands. Snorkelling alongside turtles and sea lions and marine iguanas is something you don't forget in a hurry. The animals have no fear of man, and come right up to you. The landscape is dramatic - particularly South Plaza Island, with its weird red vegetation!