PRESS RELEASE: Two Book Deal with Simon & Schuster

Chuffed to be announcing the following book deal with S&S today - huge thanks to my agent John Jarrold and editor Venetia Gosling for putting this deal together!

TWO-BOOK TEEN GHOST DEAL WITH S&S FOR CURTIS JOBLING

Venetia Gosling, Editorial Director of Simon & Schuster Children’s Books in London, has acquired world rights in two teenage ghost novels by Curtis Jobling.  The first novel,  titled HAUNT, will be published in 2013, with the sequel following in 2014. The agent was John Jarrold. Curtis is the author of four WEREWORLD fantasy novels published successfully by Puffin on both sides of the Atlantic, with two more volumes already signed up.  He said, of this deal:

‘I'm delighted to be working with Venetia and Simon & Schuster on HAUNT. The book is ultimately about friendship, and how not even death's bony fingers can tear it apart. I wanted to marry comedy and the supernatural together and write a ghostly tale from the point of view of a teenager whose life has been stolen away on the cusp of great things. Well, on the cusp of snogs from the girl of his dreams, anyway. I wondered whether an awkward, nerdy youth would draw on some profound inner power when faced with a limbo existence, haunting his best friend. As ill luck would have it, he becomes an awkward, nerdy ghost. I'd like to say that this isn't semi-autobiographical, but who am I kidding?’

Curtis Jobling designed the Bafta winning BOB THE BUILDER and is also the creator of FRANKENSTEIN’S CAT, the BBC's hit children’s animation series based upon his book of the same name. In addition he has numerous shows in development with Disney, the BBC and others. His website is at: http://www.curtisjobling.com.

For further details, please contact John Jarrold or Catherine Ward on:

John Jarrold - email: j.jarrold@btinternet.com  phone: 01522 510544

Catherine Ward  catherine.ward@simonandschuster.co.uk  0207 316 1979. 

Work from the children of East Peckham Primary

Posts on the blog have been few and far between in the last couple of months on account of two three things:

(a) a steady stream of school workshops 4/5 days of each week

(b) ongoing editorial work on the WEREWORLD series

(c) being a dad!

One of the first schools I visited this year was East Peckham Primary, near Tunbridge Wells in Kent - the work the children had been doing there, especially under fab teacher Miss Braybrook, was terrific. The children were well aware of the Wereworld series before I even got there and were all well and truly on board. Below are the models and poems that the Year 6 pupils of East Peckham produced to celebrate the visit.

Beware! I am the king of the night,
Eager, waiting to sink my jagged teeth into your flesh,
Always check in your garden in case I’m there, growling,
Somewhere, searching, I look up, down, left and right,
Turning my howl into an evil laugh…

(Amelia)

Dagger like teeth,
filthy, black bomb,
eyes ocean blue,
ears jagged but short.
Stalking the night,
searching for his kill,
desperate for ruby red blood.
(Bethany)

Beware my blood red eyes searching for you!
My greasy black tongue is waiting for the sweet taste of blood.
My razor sharp teeth are coming for you, just like a wood cutter.
I’m like deadly soldier, if you hit me I will not fall.
Try to avoid my massive claws.
If you see my rough black fur, try to run away.
See the full moon, hear my ear braking howl.
(Bradley)

My blood red eyes tell anything to keep their distance from me,
I have black, gritty teeth as rough as tarmac thirsty for fresh blood,
Beware my deformed claws,
You can never escape me; I can hear you from a mile away,
If you try to run I can just reach out for you,
I have a deadly, disturbing, ear breaking howl.
What am I?
(Callum)

I am a werewolf
Fresh blood is what I crave.
I come to eat,
I come for meat,
My fangs are my slaves.
My claws as sharp as razors,
My eyes as red as lasers.
My fangs as ready as a new, grey, iron dagger.
Single combat
Of tooth and claw
Will never frighten me
I will come along and bite their necks
It would be sure to kill thee
I would come away laughing
With my victory
Then I would change back and become the human me.
(Charlotte)

I have long grey and pure white fur,
I have glaring black eyes,
Seeking my delicious prey,
Sometimes I don’t need all four legs,
I can hunt,
But I can be hunted,
I have a short fat furry tail,
I can be a scavenger,
I am dreaded on Halloween,
I have short, sharp gnashers,
Sometimes human,
Sometimes animal,
I howl under a full moon.
(Daniel)

It stalks with accuracy,
The deadly type.
Its jaws are strong,
Crunching,
Crashing.
Teeth like ice bergs,
Moulded and Yellow,
Jagged, Sharp.
Its snout is long,
A food detector,
Damp, Cold.
Black fur in clumps,
Dark and never cleaned,
Ripped, Greasy,
The stench of monsters,
Overwhelming, Rotten, Beastly.
Wolves run, Eagles hide,
Scarred, Frightened.
When It howls,
With tongue as green
As Its serpent tail,
Flickering, Snaking.
Beware,
Beware,
The Night Beast,
As It creeps in your dreams!
(Fred)

Razor sharp claws,
Dagger like jaws,
Breath like rotten eggs,
Raging teeth.
Narrowed eyes,
Glow gold in the moonlight,
Moist, curling tongue,
Lolling all around.
Razor sharp claws,
Dagger like jaws,
Evil eyes full of gloom,
Like a dark cave.
Oily black fur,
Clumped and patchy,
Tatty and matted
Black and scruffy.
Razor sharp claws,
Dagger like jaws,
Sagging down his fat belly,
Just so wrinkly.
Razor sharp claws,
Dagger like jaws.
Don’t get too close,
Or danger occurs.
(Gabrielle)

When the full moon appears you fear me
Evil eyes as red as fire
Read about my ferocious attacks in horror books
Everyone is scared of my deadly sharp teeth
When you smell my greasy fur you go completely mad
Oh and my claws as sharp as blades
Let me dig into your juicy guts
For I am the werewolf, thirsty for blood!
(Jacob)

Beware! He is coming, for you tonight.
Eyes as red as balls of fire, raging, raging
A rough tongue as black, as death itself
Strong, like a hound in battle
Teeth like pearls, white and shine.
(Jake)

The beast as tall as the trees,
His long spiny tail dragging through the green leaves.
His teeth as sharp as shark’s teeth,
His breath smells like rotting cheese.
His red glowing eyes shining in the dark night.
His hairy grey arms dangle down.
He sneaks out at night to find a midnight feast.
He only howls on a fall moon.
He might be coming to eat you soon! Hawoo!
(Jasmine)

Beware, he hunts for you at night
Eyes glowing red blinding you when you look
Always thirsty, for your boiling blood
Sharp claws like a singular knight’s sword
Teeth sinking into its prey like a speeding bullet.
(Jay)

I have deadly, dark eyes the size as round as saucers,
I am bigger and taller than a gorilla,
My tail is big, black and bushy,
I have dark fur that sticks out of my back like needles.
I have sharp teeth that look like daggers,
Sometimes I am on four legs but sometimes I’m on two,
At midnight I come out ready to bite,
I’m sometimes furry sometimes not,
I am always…
thirsty for…

BLOOD!
(Kiera)

Beware the beast, beware at night.
Eager for the juicy blood of prey.
Always hunting at full moon, hear my deafening howl.
Spiky teeth like barbwire.
Towering ten foot tall...

So watch out reader you might be next!
(Matt)

Looks Deadly,
Claws ready to pounce,
Eager to scrape and scratch,
Jaws open wide as if about to eat a human,
Tongue lolling out,
As slimy as a snail,
Rough all over,
Spitting, sickening, saliva,
His greasy clumped fur,
Like a cloak on his back,
Eerie, thin, eyes,
Do you dare to look?
Ears poking up,
Hearing every sound you make,
Searching for its prey,
A new feast every day…
(Megan)

Beware the bad beast beware.
Eagerly hunting for juicy blood.
Always searching here, there, everywhere.
So always be on the lookout and check under your bed
Tears meat like scissors across paper
(Michael)

I have the stench of mouldy eggs,
My eyes light up luminous ORANGE in the dark,
My fangs hang down jagged craving for human blood.
I have razor sharp claws ready to attack my prey,
I also have oily black fur that droops in my face,
I’m nine foot and ready to kill,
I’m looking for my prey, YOU could be next!!!
(Molly)

Beware, beware the beast comes out at night.
Eyes as round as a football, glaring at YOU,
A tongue as black as a tyre.
Stench, clinging like rotting cheese,
Teeth, sharp like daggers, coming at your flesh.
(Myles)

Huge dark eyes like glass
hair of a wolf,
ears as black as the winter’s night
teeth dripping with ruby red blood

nails piercing through the wooden floor,
breath like a rotten soul.
(Sophie)

Hatred and wicked fill its blood red eyes,
Obvious killer with a heart of evil.
Reaching out with its sharp claws, full of disease and infection.
Rotten egg breath, gags its enemy.
Only the fastest can get past its razor teeth, yellow and crooked,
Roaring like a lion, it is the king of wherever it wants to go.

Beware, Beware !!
(Thomas)

Bigger than incredible hulk
Eyes wide like saucers, waiting, waiting for your juicy blood
Anxiously it waits, crouched behind a tree ready to gobble you up
Suddenly it pounces on your head, then works its way down
Teeth like daggers ready to devour your flesh.
(Zoe)

Press Release: Puffin sign up for two more WEREWORLD novels

THIRD TWO-BOOK DEAL FOR PUFFIN FANTASY NOVELIST

John Jarrold Literary Agency is excited to announce Puffin’s acquisition of two further fantasy novels in the 11+ Wereworld series by British author and artist Curtis Jobling. Shannon Park, Editorial Director at Puffin secured world rights for the books from the John Jarrold Literary Agency, for an undisclosed five-figure sum. The novels are both due for publication in 2013.

The first volume in the series was published in January 2011 and shortlisted for the Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize. Its immediate success has led to Puffin moving the second volume from early 2012 to the summer of 2011, with two further volumes following in 2012. Curtis has just completed a UK publicity tour for book three, Wereworld: Shadow of the Hawk, in which he spoke to 2,500 students.

Curtis Jobling designed the Bafta winning BOB THE BUILDER and is also the creator of FRANKENSTEIN’S CAT, the BBC's hit children’s animation series based upon his book of the same name. In addition he has numerous shows in development with Disney, the BBC and others. His website is at: http://www.curtisjobling.com.

For further details, please contact John Jarrold or Jayde Lynch on:
John Jarrold - email: j.jarrold@btinternet.com phone: 01522 510544
Jayde Lynch - email: Jayde.Lynch@uk.penguingroup.com phone: 020 7010 3072
Rights: Zosia Knopp – email: Zosia.Knopp@uk.penguingroup.com phone 020 7010 3113

----------------------------------

As you might imagine, I'm pretty thrilled to know that Puffin have picked up what will be the final two books in young werewolf Drew Ferran's epic adventure. The Shadow of the Hawk tour was a tremendous success, as mentioned above, and a huge debt of thanks goes out to Jayde, Julia and Rachel, my chaperones from Puffin who looked after me on my travels.

February looks like it's going to be a very busy month. Lots of school visits and talks sandwiched either side of the kids' half term holidays, plus my annual pilgrimage to the Animex Animation Festival, where I'll be holding a talk on breaking into animation from the ground up.

It's also worth my mentioning that finally the splendid folk at Penguin have released the RAA RAA THE NOISY LION books into the wild. They look glorious, great work all round. Perhaps folk will stop asking me at Wereworld signings where they can get their Raa Raa books now! ;-)

Bada Bling!

WEREWORLD: Shadow of the Hawk UK Tour

It only seems like yesterday that I was touring with RAGE OF LIONS, but this month saw the release of SHADOW OF THE HAWK into the wild, the third in the Wereworld series of fantasy horror novels.

We've already seen a "Seven Realms Seven Beasts" Blog Tour for the book this month, but now we're taking the Hawklords out onto the road. The full itinerary of the tour is as follows:

Monday 23rd Jan - Bulwell St Mary's Primary, Nottingham and Sinfin Community School, Derby - plus special evening event with Derby School Library Service.

Tuesday 24th Jan - Birmingham Central Library and Caldon Castle School, Coventry.

Wednesday 25th Jan - Greystones Primary, Sheffield and The Armthorpe School, Doncaster.

Thursday 26th Jan - Scissett Middle School, Huddersfield and David Young Community Academy, Leeds - plus special evening public event at Waterstone's, Arndale Centre, Manchester.

Friday 27th Jan - Zion Arts Centre, Manchester and Manchester Grammar School.

I also seem to have a HUGE number of school talks and visits coming up. If you're interested in a short, hairy northern blighter calling by your school to enthuse about working in the Creative Industries, do please get in touch.

I've also managed to secure a splendid business and pleasure arrangement with the Warrington Wolves Foundation, whereby I shall be acting as patron of their Children's University. I'll be carrying out a series of workshops with students of all ages, outside of regular school time, and shall also be looking to take this scheme further afield. Students will have passports which they can have stamped whenever they attend an event that falls under the national Children's University programme - consequently, if any schools book me to come and talk to their children in future, I'll be able to stamp the passports of children taking part in the scheme.

I'll be acting in my CU capacity when I speak the Animex Animation Festival next month, particularly looking forward to hosting an event at the Cineworld in Middlesbrough, open to schoolchildren from across the town.

Bada Bling!

I've come up for air. The last couple of months have been pretty hectic, firstly with the official Puffin book tour for Rage of Lions, and then getting back to writing NEST OF SERPENTS, the fourth novel in the Wereworld series. I've just finished writing the 1st Draft this last week, and now have to edit the beast. This shall take some time with plenty of tinkering to be done, but the manuscript will probably be delivered early in the new year, certainly after the tinsel's been pulled down.

Below is the artwork for the cover, done by awesome tagteam of designer Patrick Knowles and artist Andrew Farley once again. I was delighted to see the cover art for SHADOW OF THE HAWK win the final of this years Book Cover Wars on the Enchanted Books site. Vincent Ripley runs the competition each year, and there were some tremendous books on show this time round, making for a very exciting final. I spend all year telling people not to judge a book by its cover, and then two weeks saying the exact opposite. It's very true to say one shouldn't dismiss a book because the jacket art doesn't inspire, but the work designers and illustrators do in this field really is invaluable to authors. Without an eye-catching cover, many books DO fall by the wayside, and in a crowded market-place a spiffy bit of jacket art can really make the difference in the survival chances of any particular book. Well done to all involved, and hope those who participated, both authors and voters, enjoyed themselves. Huge thanks to Mr Ripley for hosting the shindig too!
January 5th sees the release of the third volume in the UK, SHADOW OF THE HAWK, which I'm thrilled about. There's a fresh host of fascinating and horrific therianthropes who join the cast of heroes and villains in book three, with the canvas really rolled out to uncover the world beyond Lyssia's Seven Realms. In addition, we've also had the incredible cover through from Viking/Penguin US for their version of book two, RAGE OF LIONS, with the artwork once again supplied by the super-talented Nekro - you can find him on twitter @NekroXIII and he's well worth a follow. I love the look of this alongside the first US edition of Rise of the Wolf. Very different to UK volumes but refreshingly so. Can't pick between them!

It's also worth visiting the updated official Puffin WEREWORLD WEBSITE too, with a new book trailer on there, as well as downloadable extracts from Shadow of the Hawk and other new goodies and character spotlights. The clever folk at Qurios have been working on the trailer again, and a smashing job they've done too!

I've also been down to That Birmingham this last week, to visit the Institute of Art & Design, where the final year fashion students have been doing their Performance Design project on... WEREWORLD! Couldn't believe what awaited me there, an incredible collection of pieces designed and hand-made by the girls on the course. The photos below are (C) Joe Miles Photography, and I'm sure you'll admit the work is stunning. You'll see that prosthetics were used with each costume in some way, shape or form, be it a full head of latex/silicone or small details on hands and faces. A tricky thing for students to come to cold, and while some found it difficult they all thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Gretchen, from RAGE OF LIONS, after she's tried to escape the clutches of Prince Lucas.

Drew Ferran, hairy-faced hero of the Wereworld series.

Duke Manfred, the Staglord of Stormdale.

Gretchen, letting rip with a primal scream!

Count Kesslar, the Goatlord, dealer in blood, flesh and bone and all-round bad egg.

Gretchen (she was popular, wasn't she?)

Lord Frost, the albino Catlord.

Drew, wearing the woodland Greencloak gifted to him by Duke Bergan.

Wow! Queen Amelie, the White Wolf, Drew (and Lucas') mother.

Opal, sister of Onyx, the Beast of Bast, and thoroughly naughty lady.

Whitley (huzzah!), tough old tomboy and daughter of the Bearlord, Duke Bergan.

Really brave this one - Count Vega, the buccaneer, swashbuckling pirate prince of the Cluster Isles. Going for a full prosthetic head was ambitious, and with a different shape might have been more successful, but top marks have to go to this particular one. The costume was wonderful also.

Another fab Queen Amelie.

Drew Ferran, on the run, hence bare chest and bare feet.

Hector, the Boarlord - friend, magister, and easily led off the straight and narrow, alas...

Gretchen rearing her foxy face again!

Congratulations to all the students for their incredible work again - last year was the Spooks books by Joe Delaney, so I was sincerely chuffed to be chosen in such esteemed company.

That's me signing off until Christmas, have a great holiday season and a splendid New Year!

Bada Bling!

Wereworld Rage of Lions book tour

Almost halfway through the Wereworld Book Tour with Puffin, and all going rather spiffy, darn sarf.

Here's fat-head-ginger-burners at Park Hill School in Stanmore, London. Great event there yesterday with the kids, lots of great questions and support from the splendid Martin from The Childrens Book Shop, Pinner.

Monday morning was spent at John Warner School in Hoddeston, where myself and the boys practiced our indirect freekicks. Books @ Hoddeston were on the bench, providing invaluable coaching and a large supply of books for the students.

I know this looks a bit like I'm having a game of darts at the pub, but nothing could have been further from the truth. Paid a visit to Martin & Judy, terrific indie booksellers at the Children's Book Shop, where they promptly asked me to deface their wall. Always one to indulge in a spot of mindless graffiti, I was glad to oblige, adding my name (and doodles) to such luminaries of kids lit as Cathy Cassidy and Darren Shan.

Me entertaining the troops in north London. Not sure what happened with your young man in the middle there. Can only imagine he caught sight of Jayde, the publicist from Puffin, chowing down on a pain-au-chocolat whizzed from the hotel. She's like that.

And here's the wall of clocks from Hotel du Vin in Brighton - the tourist in me couldn't resist taking a snapshot of this, a lovely slap in the chops for all those hotels who insist on having the timezones of farflung countries writ large on their walls at reception.

Had a grand time in Worthing today, with more updates sure to follow. Staying in the Beaulieu Hotel in the New Forest tonight, which reminds me a touch of the Slaughtered Lamb, only with more chintz. Off to wander around in the pitch dark outside the hotel before bed, hope to catch me some werewolf action, or at the very least the bleatings of an irritated sheep.

Bada Bling!

WEREWORLD Rage of Lions Book Tour, November 7th - 11th

A week on Monday sees a new WEREWORLD Book Tour, centering around the release of RAGE OF LIONS this summer. There'll be another tour in January, 2012, to celebrate the release of SHADOW OF THE HAWK. If you're around for any of these dates, do give us a shout and I'm sure we can arrange some kind of signing on the fly ;-)

MONDAY 7th

AM: JOHN WARNER SCHOOL, London

PM: THE CHILDRENS BOOK SHOP, Pinner

TUESDAY 8th

AM: WORTHING HIGH SCHOOL, West Sussex

PM: DURRINGTON SCHOOL, West Sussex

WEDNESDAY 9th

AM: APPLEMORE TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE, Southampton

PM: TEST VALLEY SCHOOL, Stockbridge, Hants

THURSDAY 10th

AM: MATTHEW ARNOLD SCHOOL, Oxford

PM: BANBURY HIGH SCHOOL, Banbury

FRIDAY 11th

AM: BROMSGROVE SCHOOL, Worcestershire

PM: BRADFORD ANIMATION FESTIVAL, West Yorkshire

The BAF appearance on the friday afternoon isn't officially part of the book tour, although the awesome Jayde Lynch from Puffin has been able to work this into the schedule. I'll be doing a talk on the development of Frankenstein's Cat from book to screen, in addition to signing Wereworld novels at the event.

Bada Bling!