StoryWorld

Lottie at the library!

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Metcalf) — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 09:34:00 +0000

#events #libraries #crediton #devon

I'll be at Crediton Library in Devon this Saturday, 11th July, to introduce readers to Lottie Lipton and her adventures. I'll be running a fun treasure hunt and codebreaking puzzle at this event which marks the start of the Summer Reading Challenge!

Oh, did I mention it's FREE? Bargain...

More at the linky: http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/cultureheritage/libraries/yourlocallibrary/mid_devon_libraries/crediton_library/events_at_crediton.htm

Dan Metcalf at the Torbay Bookshop

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Metcalf) — Fri, 26 Jun 2015 10:55:00 +0000

#devon #torbay #paignton

My First Signing! Tomorrow I'll be at The Torbay Bookshop for a dedicated signing event. It's easily the best Indie bookshop in the bay, and I'll be there from 11am until about 1pm so come on down and chat, browse and buy!

REVIEW: Hedgehugs: Horace and Hattiepillar

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Metcalf) — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 10:30:00 +0000

#bookreview #picturebooks

Horace and Hattie are back! These adventures of the two loving hedgehogs are wonderfully illustrated and the story is simple yet beautifully written.

The Hedgehugs find a caterpillar who they lovingly feed until it is ready to enter its cocoon. On seeing the beautiful butterfly that it transforms into, the two best friends wonder if they can do the same?

Lucy Tapper's technique of using scans of real textures is really effective, giving a cosy feel and the characters have a timeless feel. This is a truly calming book for your bedtime preschooler, showing your little one that with a bit of effort, you can be whoever you want to be!

Check out more reviews here

REVIEW: A Gold Star for George

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Metcalf) — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 10:30:00 +0000

#bookreview #picturebooks

This book is amazingly cute! George the smart giraffe is a great friend to all his animal buddies in the zoo. When it is announced that there is to be awards for tidiest, smartest and best trick (and more), he does his best to get one, but he is gracious in defeat. His friends however have a surprise for him! This is a great bed time book for preschoolers which shows the merits of helping and showing your appreciation of your friends.

The pictures are wonderful and funny and had the children I read it to laughing out loud. The animal's faces portray so much character. The text is simple and fun, with a heart at its core. Highly recommended. For more reviews, click here:

Gold Star for George (George the Giraffe and Friends)

REVIEW: Pirates Don't Drive Diggers!

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Metcalf) — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 10:30:00 +0000

#bookreview #picturebooks

Another hit from Alex English, the writer of Yuk, Said the Yak! Brad is a mad-keen digger fan but his father insists he become a pirate. He joins a crew, but is no good at all the pirate-y things they get up to. He's given one last chance to dig up a treasure chest, but can he prove his worth when it comes to driving diggers? Can he show Captain Blood that he can be both a pirate and a digger?

The pictures are funny and have a great amount of detail in there for children to spot. The text is rhyming and rhythmic and full of great couplets ('You're gutless, Brad/Don't hide behind your cutlass, Lad!'). I had the opportunity to read this to a class of 4 and 5 year olds who really connected with it (especially the boys). When asked if they wanted to be a pirate or a digger driver, they cleverly realised that they could be both!

Click here for more reviews:

Pirates Don't Drive Diggers

Festival Frenzy with Lottie Lipton!

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Metcalf) — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 09:30:00 +0000

It's busy busy busy over the next few months!

I'm doing loads of school visits and a few signings. I'm also off to some festivals, which I'm really looking forward to! I'll be travelling down to Penzance in Cornwall for the 9th July, where I'll be doing a workshop I call 'Making Mysteries'. Have a look at the official website here: http://www.pzlitfest.co.uk/event/making-mysteries-a-lottie-lipton-creative-writing-session/

One event I'm really looking forward to is The International Agatha Christie Festival in my home town of Torquay! I'll be doing two sessions: 12th Sept at Torre Abbey, where I'll be reading from my books and doing a fun interactive activity with the children attending (with prizes!) and the 19th Sept at Torquay Museum! This will be a reading, fun tour of the museum and signing books.

Check out the Eventbrite pages here: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/dan-metcalf-and-the-lottie-lipton-adventures-tickets-17273735207

More info as I get it. Metcalf out. :¬)

Independent Bookseller's Week

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Metcalf) — Thu, 18 Jun 2015 17:00:00 +0000

#indiebookweek @IndieBound_UK

It's soon to be Independent Bookseller's Week, where we all celebrate our local independent bookshop.

It's a real asset to have a bookshop in your town, as it is one of the places where everyone can go and look, browse, talk to the staff. We're particularly lucky in our town as the bookshop was saved by the local community and is now staffed by volunteers. It is somewhere you can go to see the latest books, get recommendations on what to read next and find out about the rest of the activities in your area. So let's give a big HOORAY! For local bookshops everywhere.

I'll be doing school visits to spread the word about our local bookshops and doing a signing this coming Saturday in The Torbay Bookshop, Paignton, Devon at 11am.

Hope to see you there!

SCREENPLAY: Danny Stack, Getting into Scriptwriting

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Metcalf) — Mon, 15 Jun 2015 11:00:00 +0000

#scriptwriting

For the Scripties amongst you lovely people, you should really check out Danny Stack's series of videos on getting into scriptwriting. Danny runs the UK Scriptwriters Podcast and is big in the blogging world. concentrating on the world of TV and indie film. He knows his onions, film-wise that is.

WISDOM: Oscar

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Metcalf) — Sun, 10 May 2015 17:00:00 +0000

#books #quotes #wisdom

TECH: Revault Private Wearable Cloud

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Metcalf) — Thu, 07 May 2015 10:24:00 +0000

#revault

So have you heard about ReVault? It's a piece of brand new wearable tech which brings the power of the cloud back to you. You get to wear a piece of hardware that automatically syncs your data and files to its own wifi enabled hard drive. This is the piece of tech that location independent writers have been waiting for! No more hunting for a wifi spot to get access to dropbox, Google drive or other backup solutions. With ReVault, you wear the cloud on your wrist or around your neck. Cool? Absolutely.

Oh, and did I mention it looks pretty cool too?

Revault will be launching on indiegogo really soon, so check them out to get the skinny on how to get one.

EVENT: Stories and Songs With Usborne! in #Tiverton, #Devon

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Metcalf) — Tue, 05 May 2015 12:59:00 +0000

Stories & Songs With Usborne!

Join author Dan Metcalf on 27th May from 11am-12 at the Old Heathcoat School Community Centre, Tiverton, Devon, for some half-term fun. Parents and children can come along for a storytime, sing-song and the chance to bag some bargains at a Usborne Book Sale. There are loads of great books to choose from, aimed at ages 1 to 15.

Dan will read from a selection of the books on offer and children have the chance to join in the fun. All pre-schoolers and primary schoolers welcome, with parents attending. And it's FREE!

There is also a prize draw - win £100 worth of fabulous Usborne books!

WISDOM: Hemingway

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Metcalf) — Sun, 03 May 2015 17:00:00 +0000

#books #quotes #wisdom

WISDOM: Housman

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Metcalf) — Sun, 26 Apr 2015 17:00:00 +0000

#books #quotes #wisdom

WISDOM: A Song

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Metcalf) — Sun, 19 Apr 2015 17:00:00 +0000

#books #quotes #wisdom

WISDOM: Poe's Dream

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Metcalf) — Sun, 12 Apr 2015 17:00:00 +0000

#wisdom #quotes #books

WISDOM: Schopenhauer

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Metcalf) — Sun, 05 Apr 2015 17:00:00 +0000

#wisdom #quotes #books

Review: Amazon Fire HD 7

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Metcalf) — Fri, 03 Apr 2015 15:16:00 +0000

Who's the daddy of the e-readers? It's a subject I've avoided for many years, but I can heartily put my weight behind the gorgeous Amazon Fire HD 7.

Click to buy!

While I've tried many e-readers so far in my reading career, I have yet to come across one which so easily gives the user a thrill to use.

The size is perfect, as is the simple to use software. The Amazon Fire HD 7 is a joy to use, like a fine-tuned BMW!

WISDOM: Fitzgerald

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Metcalf) — Sun, 29 Mar 2015 17:00:00 +0000

#wisdom #quotes #books

WEB: Creative Writing Flip Chart

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Metcalf) — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 12:20:00 +0000

Never get stuck for writing prompts again! This cool little flip chart is available on Amazon - just flip the pic at random to find what your next story is going to be about. How neat is that? Buy here: Learning Resources Creative Writing Flip Chart

WISDOM: Maugham

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Metcalf) — Sun, 22 Mar 2015 17:00:00 +0000

#wisdom #quotes #books

REVIEW: Game Changer by Tim Bowler

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Metcalf) — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 11:25:00 +0000

#bookreview #ukya

Tim Bowler certainly knows how to write a thriller that fills you with a sense of creeping fear! With Game Changer, he perfectly crafts the character of Mikey, an agoraphobic adolescent who thinks that some unnamed people are out to get him. Typical paranoia? Not quite, as the people in question really do want him. The book explores the feelings of the mentally ill teenager to great effect; if you immerse yourself in this novel you’ll begin to get a sense of how Mikey is feeling, how he trusts the dark and hates the light. His little sister Meggie is his saviour – always kind, always caring (too caring? I sometimes wondered if their relationship was too close to be realistic). When the unknown figures that have been following him make contact and put Meggie in danger, the game changes and Mikey is forced to push through his fears to face his assailants. Another fast-paced, psychological page-turner from Mr Bowler, who is never afraid to delve into the violent side of teenage life.

Click the image to buy!

TALK: Interviews

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Metcalf) — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 13:11:00 +0000

If you're a published author you can get an interview and exposure for your book on storyworld.org.uk! Take a gander: http://www.storyworld.org.uk/p/talk.html

WISDOM: Poe

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Metcalf) — Sun, 15 Mar 2015 17:00:00 +0000

#wisdom #quotes #books

REVIEW: Asus Eeebook X205TA

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Metcalf) — Sat, 14 Mar 2015 11:00:00 +0000

#asus

I haven't posted much about resources lately, but it occured to me that one such resource is the very thing I'm typing on now. When I was in need of another laptop, I found myself with less funds than was healthy, and so I began to trawl around for a cheaper netbook. I looked at chromebooks but was nervy of how I would feel trusting in Google completely for storage and such: a bit too much of all the eggs in one basket for me.

I ended up plumping for the Asus Eeebook X205TA, which is light, has good specs, and over 500gb of online storage which backs up immediately.

It has become my right hand man, my workmate and collegue and I would highly recommend it.

Click on the pic to buy!

NEWS: Lottie Lipton Cover Reveal!

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Metcalf) — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 12:00:00 +0000

#LottieLipton @KidsBloomsbury

Drumroll please.........

Ta-dah! I'm so please to reveal the cover of my new book, The Curse of the Cairo Cat. The illustrations are by the brilliant Rachelle Panagarry and the cover has been worked on tirelessly by the art department at A&C Black. I love it - what do you think?