Winter 08

‘I absolutely loved Pool. It’s a brilliant book.’

     These are the words of Kirsty Murray, one of the judges of the 2008 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards. Pool was one of three shortlisted books in the Young Adults category.
     It was a big surprise for me.
     And here are three more surprises. The Extreme Adventures series has been shortlisted in both the Koala Awards and the YABBA Awards this year.
     And Crocodile Attack has been shortlisted in this year’s WAYRBA Awards.
     All these are children’s choice awards. So if you’re a fan of the series, and you live in Victoria, New South Wales, ACT, SA or NT, get voting!
     If you live in WA, you can vote for Crocodile Attack in the WAYRBA Awards.
     Or you can vote for any of the other shortlisted books, if you like. (Just don’t tell me.)

     Guess what! (Well, you won’t have to guess if you read on.) I’ve finished Grizzly Trap. It’s set in the Rocky Mountains in North America. There’s a REALLY exciting part near the end where it’s pitch dark and Sam goes into a barn and hears a tiny noise, like something breathing, only he can’t find the light switch, and then…
     I’d better not tell you any more because it’ll spoil the surprise when you read the book in April next year.
     Meanwhile, you can read Anaconda Ambush right now. Lukas (10) has read it already. Twice! Here’s what he said about it:

‘I’ve never read a book where you can’t stop, its so full on you have to keep reading to see what’s going to happen.’

And a lot DOES happen. Sam Fox leads a very eventful life!

Autumn 08

I’ve been busy! As well as working hard on the edit of Anaconda Ambush, and writing 10 more chapters of Grizzly Trap, I spent two weeks in the jungles of Borneo researching a book about orang-utans that I hope to write next year. And back in Australia, I visited heaps of schools.

Here are some of them: Barnawartha Primary (Vic), Beaconhills College (Vic), Sunbury Heights Primary (Vic), Whitfords Catholic Primary (WA), Corrigin District High School (WA), Mater Dei Primary (Toowoomba, Qld), Christian Outreach College (Toowoomba), Martin Luther Primary (Toowoomba), Sacred Heart Primary (Toowoomba), Our Lady of Lourdes Primary (Toowoomba), Kinglake West Primary (Vic), St. Rita’s Primary (Victoria Point, Qld), Our Lady of the Southern Cross College (Dalby, Qld) and Kaimkillenbun State School (somewhere way out along a bumpy road in Western Queensland).

It was good to meet Robbie (9) at St. Rita’s, and Guy (12) at Our Lady of the Southern Cross. Both are keen readers of Extreme Adventures who emailed me and asked me to come to their schools. And I did! (Guy got a free copy of Man Eater and Robbie got a free copy of Killer Whale for getting their schools interested.)

I also spoke to school groups at libraries in Woodend, Castlemaine, Kyneton, Kangaroo Flat (all in Victoria) and Oakey (Qld). Plus, I met thousands more at the Somerset Writers Festival, Voices on the Range Festival, and Voices on the Coast Festival.

Did I meet you at any of those places?

Children always ask lots of questions when I speak at their schools, but one question I get asked a lot lately is: ‘When can I get a copy of Anaconda Ambush?’

It’ll be in shops in October. I’m excited, too! You should see the cover. Sam Hadley, the artist, has excelled himself this time. He’s drawn the biggest, meanest-looking anaconda ever! I’m not allowed to show you the complete cover yet, but if you go to my Coming Soon page, you’ll get a sneak preview.

Summer 07/08

Killer Whale is out. You’ll find it in book shops now. In fact, already I’m receiving emails from people who’ve read it. Rosie in West Australia says it’s the most exciting Extreme Adventure yet. And Deacon (8) from Victoria liked the bit where the killer whale ate a penguin! (Personally, I felt a bit sorry for the penguin, and so did Sam Fox, although he was very busy at the time trying to save himself and his little brother Harry from the same fate.)

Also in book shops you’ll find the ultra-cheap edition of Shark Bait. It’s only $4.95 and includes a bonus chapter from Killer Whale at the back. What a bargain! For the past few weeks it’s been on the best seller lists all over Australia, and it’s introduced the Extreme Adventures to a whole new wave of readers. I’ve even got fans in England and USA.

Speaking of the USA, the ninth book in the series will be set in the Rocky Mountains. It’s called Grizzly Trap. I started it last week and have written two chapters so far. Sam is an assistant scout leader with a group of Australia Cub Scouts who travel to America to attend a camporee. But their bus crashes before they get there and Sam has to go for help. I don’t know what’s going to happen yet but here are some of the dangers he’ll have to face: grizzly bears, black bears, wolves, rattlesnakes, snapper turtles, mountain lions, maybe even a skunk – and who knows what else? I don’t. But I’ll find out as I write about his adventures. I hope he survives…

Grizzly Trap will be released early in 2009, so you’ll find out then.

A lot of readers have been asking about Anaconda Ambush, the eighth Extreme Adventure. It’s due for release in September or October 2008. I finished it just after Christmas but it hasn’t been edited yet. At the moment, Sam Hadley, the artist, is doing the cover illustration. I can’t wait to see it. But in the meantime, I’m working hard on Grizzly Trap. Summer is always a good writing period for me, because everyone’s on holiday (except me!) and there aren’t schools and libraries and writers festivals to visit. So I’d better make the most of this quiet time and get back to work…

September/October/November (Spring 07)

Man Eater is out. You’ll find it in a book shop near you. If not, you can order a copy from the nice lady behind the counter. Tell her there really should be copies on the shelves (next to Roald Dahl), because Extreme Adventures are really cool and all your friends want to buy them too. Or you can buy signed copie directly from me – click on Books 4 Sale page for more details.

Man Eater was launched at Kinglake West Primary School in October. It was MASSIVE! There were no classes that day. Instead, reading recovery teacher Chris Brandon organised a community African Day to celebrate the new book. It was like going to Tanzania! Instead of having classes, the children made bead collars and drums and learned African songs; Melbourne singer-songwriter Ruth Rogers-Wright taught them a three part African chant which they performed at the launch; there was a performance by King Marong and the Kuukuah drum and dance group; there was face-painting; there was art work; there were posters; there was a nearly life-size elephant made from corrugated iron and a giraffe as big as a, well, giraffe; there was an African lunch; there was an MP; there was a publisher; there was a man from Melbourne Zoo; there was an author; there were readings. Man Eater was well and truly launched!

Then I went home and walked the dog.

Flowerdale is beautiful in spring. Everything is green (except the flowers), our gardens are growing, the cicadas are singing. Oh dear, the cicadas! They have been SO noisy that for four weeks I wasn’t able to go outside without wearing ear muffs or stuffing cotton wool in my ears. I feel a bit sorry for Holly (our 7 month old whippet) who spends most of the day outside – hope it doesn’t affect her hearing. Mind you, she enjoys the cicadas; not listening to them, eating them! Wings and all. Eeew!

Speaking of questionable food, would you eat whale meat? It’s a delicacy in Japan, even though the International Whaling Commission has banned commercial whaling. The Japanese cheat by pretending they kill whales (up to 1,000 every year) for research. But really it’s for food. Why am I writing about this? Because in the next Extreme Adventure, Sam Fox joins the crew of a pirate ship. Not real pirates, but anti-whaling activists trying to put a stop to the slaughter of whales in Antarctica. Along the way Sam and his little brother Harry (remember Captain Amazing in Spider Bite?) are involved in a plane crash, they’re chased by a leopard seal, and nearly get eaten by a pod of voracious killer whales. The book is called Killer Whale and goes on sale in March 2008.

On another note, Puffin (my publisher) have put together a fantastic new website for the Extreme Adventures series. It includes hot-off-the-press info, action packed games and very cool competitions. The site can be found at: www.puffin.com.au/extreme.

Hope you have a great Christmas!

June/July/August (Winter 07)

Man Eater is coming. I received my first pre-publication copy last week. It looks terrific (see Coming Soon page for a sneak preview of the cover). Everyone at Penguin thinks it’s the most exciting Extreme Adventure yet! But I’ll leave that for you to decide … It’ll be in shops from 1st October.

Winter has been cold in Flowerdale. We had some whopper frosts and one day in July it actually snowed! Luckily we have lots of firewood to keep us warm. Holly the whippet pup has a favourite spot – right in front of the fire! It’s my favourite spot, too, but unfortunately my study (where I write) is right down the other end of the house – a long way from the fire. A very good place to write about Antarctica. Which is exactly what I’ve been doing. Killer Whale, Extreme Adventure number 7, is finished. Well, the first draft, anyway. My publisher reckons it’s pretty good but I still have to do a lot of editing and redrafting before it will be ready for publishing.

The most exciting thing that’s happened this winter has been the publication of Pool, my new fantasy novel for young adults. It’s in shops now. Here’s what one reviewer said about it:

“Rarely these days do I come across a story that draws me in so
completely I can’t put it down. Pool is one such story…D’Ath
has created a tale that oozes mystery from every page. This is
storytelling at its best.”

I hope other readers feel the same!

August is always a busy time for authors because of Children’s Book Week. Here are some of the schools and libraries I’ve visited in the past few weeks: Scotch College, Hawthorn Library, Darebin Library, Marist Regional College (Tasmania), School of the Good Shepherd (Gladstone Park), Ballarat Library, Bacchus Marsh Library, Daylesford Library, St Mary’s School (Alexandra), Our Lady Help of Christians School (Eltham), Luther College (Croydon), Viewbank Primary School, Joonalup Library, Clarkson Library, Wanneroo Library, Duncraig Library, Vincent Library, Coolbellup Library, Melton Library and Irene McCormack College. It’s a wonder I have time to do any writing at all! But it was well worth the effort. Here's what someone thought of my presentation:

"It was the best talk I've heard in my 10 years of living."
Student, Vincent Library, WA.

Man Eater is coming…

March/April/May (Autumn 07)

I’m famous in Mount Gambier, South Australia! Children recognise me on the street, in supermarkets, at the library, almost everywhere I go. Why? Mostly thanks to McDonald Park Primary School, who have adopted me as their favourite author. Last year I spent a week working with the children across all the grades, then they put on a fantastic launch for Scorpion Sting (see my Journal Entry for August/September 2006). In March 2007 they invited me back, this time to launch Spider Bite. What an event it was! If you are scared of spiders, you would NOT want to have been there. There were huge scary spiders all over the school, and spider hats, giant spider webs, spider songs, spider poems, even a spider cake! Once again Mayor Steve Perryman was the guest of honour. He put a brand new copy of Spider Bite in a miniature hot air balloon and it sailed away in the wind - which is exactly what happened to Sam Fox in the book. (Except the balloon in the book wasn’t tied to two metres of string!)

I’m also famous in Annadale, NSW. Here’s part of an email from Fraser (9), who attends Annadale North Public School:

“I didn’t like reading much until I read Shark Bait but now I’ve read all the Extreme Adventures and I want you to write more. Please please please write more!”

Well, the good news is I’m going to write at least 5 more Extreme Adventures. After Man Eater (in shops on October 1st 2007), there will be Killer Whale (April 2008), then one set in the Amazon Jungle (with killer piranhas, shocking electric eels and a humungous anaconda), one set in Tasmania (Tasmanian devils, giant tiger snakes, deadly ants and a kidnapped Crown Prince), and one in northern USA (wolves, mountain lions, rattle snakes, grizzly bears and who knows what else!). So Sam Fox is going to have lots more adventures yet!

Readers who have grown too old for Extreme Adventures (fifteen years and over) can look forward to my Young Adult novel, Pool, to be released on 1st September 2007. I gave a brief outline of it in my last Journal entry and you can check out the cover on my Coming Soon page.

I’ve moved house! I no longer live in Bendigo, where I’d been for 22 years; now I live in the mountains north of Melbourne at a little place called Flowerdale. We own a house on the bank of King Parrot Creek. As well as king parrots and cockatoos, there are wombats, wallabies, lyrebirds and wild deer in the hills behind our house. And snakes, too – last week I nearly trod on a two metre long copperhead. Luckily I didn’t have our new puppy with me. She’s a whippet, her name is Holly, and she likes chewing things – particularly my shoes. But I wouldn’t want her trying to chew a snake!

Moving house takes a lot of time and energy - we’ve got SO much stuff! – so I didn’t get much writing done this autumn. But finally we’re settled in and I’ve got back to work. I’m halfway through Killer Whale and hope to have it finished in July. It’s REALLY exciting! And so is Man Eater, due out in October. Only four months to wait, Fraser!

December/January/February (Summer 06/07)

Spider Bite will be in bookshops from Monday 5 March. Artist Sam Hadley has done another wonderful cover illustration, and my editor Tegan says it’s her favourite Extreme Adventure of all time! I wonder what you think. For a squiz at the cover and a bit of info. about Sam Fox’s latest death-defying escapade, go to my Latest Release page.

Speaking of covers, there’s a new (wacky!) cover for Scorpion Sting. Take a look at the Justin’s Images page.

How were your summer holidays? Authors don’t have holidays (lol); I’ve been busy at my computer working on Sam Fox’s next adventure, Killer Whale, set in Antarctica. I’ve only done four chapters so far, but already he’s survived a plane crash, nearly fallen into a crevasse, been chased by a leopard seal and had a very close encounter with a killer whale. Poor Sam – if anyone needs a holiday it’s him! He certainly leads an exciting life. That’s why I write books about him – I like exciting books, and so do lots of my readers, according to the hundreds of emails and letters I receive from them.

Here’s another exciting piece of news. My third Young Adult novel will be published later this year. It’s called Pool and is about a public swimming pool with sloping water. One end is higher than the other. So if you jump in at the high end, you swim (or float if you’re lazy!) downhill. As you’ve probably guessed, it’s a fantasy novel. But unlike most fantasies, Pool is set in the real world – in 2007 Australia – and the characters are normal, everyday people. It will be published by Ford Street Publishing, an exciting new company in Melbourne.

On a sad note, my dog Pepper (you’ll see her in the Meet Justin pages) died in December. She was a cheerful, enthusiastic little companion for twelve years. I miss her.

To view an archive of Justin's previous journal entries, click here!