Zombie! tells the story of schoolboy Nathan and his sister Olivia who, on one of their regular visits to the local cemetery to visit their granddad’s grave, discover that one of the other corpses buried there is a little more lively than they would have expected…

For those who don’t know, Barrington Stoke produce books for dyslexic and struggling readers – and I’m very proud to have written something for them.

Zombie! will be published in September.

To enter, simply click here.

Good luck!

Tommy

Entrants are chosen at random by a computer and, so long as they don’t break the law, they can pretty much do what they want during their hour as a live work of art.  If I’m chosen, I’ll use my time to promote great kids’ books.

For more information – and to watch the current plinther live – go to www.oneandother.co.uk

So far, almost 22,000 people have applied for just 2,400 spots – so, keep your fingers crossed!

Tommy

As I often say, a blank page or computer screen can be scarier than anything I write about in my books – so it’s always a good idea to plan your story out in advance: invent a setting, create unique, three-dimensional characters and devise a gripping, action-packed plot.

If you’d like your school to invite me in, why not download and print off the images below?  These are postcards I’m currently having printed to send around to head teachers for the next school year, and explain everything your school needs to know about my story plan workshop, The Write Stuff.

With thanks to top author, Barry Hutchison, who designed the cards for me after I waxed on and on about how much I liked his!

…Ryan Patton!  That’s him in the picture with me and last year’s writing hero, Kian Belsham.  Like Kian, Ryan will also soon become a brand new character in the Scream Street series (I already know as what – but you’ll have to wait until book 9 to find out!)

I can’t thank the pupils and staff at North Ormesby enough for a wonderful year.  Mrs Kemp-Hall, Mrs Hawes and everyone else have made me feel so welcome, and been extremely kind and understanding when I had to arrange visits at the last moment.  I’ll definitely be staying in touch.

Tommy

Anyone who has been reading Trapped By Monsters recently will know that I sent a message to Jack, begging for his help in an effort to free myself and my fellow captive authors from the clutches of the monstrous, er… monsters.  Unfortunately, Jack’s attempt at a rescue didn’t quite go according to plan (not our fault, honest – but I bet he blames us!) and so, while I await is return (he is coming back, right?!), I settled back to read about his latest escapades.

Jack Slater and the Whisper of Doom takes our favourite beast basher to a whole new level of the monster underworld – a deep, scary level where he encounters the terrifying Mr Whisper.  But who could have dreamed up such a vile creature?  Why is he intent on attacking Cheery instead of Jack?  And just when will the self-made Minister for Monsters stop screaming?

The answers to these questions – and many more – can be found in the latest monster investigator case files –  the completely brilliant Jack Slater and the Whisper of Doom.

Just make sure you keep a teddy handy when you read it…

They’re just the thing to wear in the garden and scare the neighbours this summer…

Can’t wait for the forthcoming RIF day…!

Tommy

I’d been asked to read a spooky story to the assembled campers before they settled down for the night and helped raise money for some great causes.  But I wanted to go one better, and so I wrote an exclusive Scream Street short story called Sweet Screams.

After meeting up with some of my fellow ready-for-bedders (and being interviewed by ITN!), I stepped out into the evening sunshine to run some gruesome games, and then read the terrifying tale to what we learned was the biggest sleepover on the planet that night!

Sleepers at other events around the country were treated to the story on video and – for those of you who couldn’t make it to your local lie-in – here’s what they saw…

Now, if you will excuse me, I’m off for 40 winks…

Tommy

Tired of keeping us locked in dark, depressing caves and watching us struggle to understand the unfamiliar Monstrese letters on our bone keyboards as we write for this blog, the monsters went one step further.  We were blindfolded and taken to a theatre in leafy Abingdon where we were forced to compete in a series of humiliating games for their amusement – with the loser destined to be eaten when the spectacle was over!

The first thing we noticed as our blindfolds came off and our elbows were untied was that Barry Hutchison and Mark Robson hadn’t survived the journey.  One of our monster jailers – Pigsnotter, a squidgy purple beast with three and a half noses – had become peckish en route to Abingdon and had snacked on them.  Mark and Baz are expected to return once they have passed through Pigsnotter’s complex and disgusting digestive system.

So, just six authors remained – Andy Briggs, Ali Sparkes, David Melling, Tommy Donbavand, Sam Enthoven and Joe Craig – but which of us would end up served with garnish to the king monster, topped with low salt, reduced sugar tomato ketchup?

David Melling immediately tried to suck up to the king monster by painting a portrait of him while the rest of us were thrown to the front of the stage to begin competing for our lives.

Joe Craig, who had drawn on a new beard with a Sharpie for the occasion, took the role of host and began (under monster orders) to introduce a series of soul-smashing activities that saw, among other things, Ali Sparkes reveal what goes on in her imagination, Tommy Donbavand transformed into a cuddle beast, and Sam Enthoven attempt the frankly unlikely task of impersonating a break-dancing frog.  Even Andy Briggs’ improvised scenario about trying to stop a robot made from cheese by throwing bananas at it (which some consider to be his best work to date) couldn’t lift the authors’ collective spirit.

With the audience baying for blood and – I’m sorry to say – actually laughing at our plight, Joe added up the points at the end of each round as the king monster’s dinnertime crept closer and closer.  But who lost?  Which of the six remaining authors scored the lowest and was served on a slime-covered platter?  Unbelievably, (and Joe’s scoring system was unbelievable), we ended up with minus one point each – and the audience was instructed to decide which of us would become a monster’s meal.  We sat, trembling, as they voted – eventually choosing…

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… Joe Craig!  Yes, after what was clearly an attempt to save his own skin by cheating with the scores, the audience decided that the Jimmy Coates author was the one they wanted fed to the most royal of all monsters.  If you can bear to watch – here’s video footage of Joe’s final moments…

But, what of the rest of us?  Were we granted our freedom and allowed back to our homes and families?  No such luck.  Our only reward was a nibble on a Trapped By Monsters cupcake, then we were bundled into rough hessian sacks and carted back here to the cave.

We must thank Mark from Mostly Books in Abingdon – he gallantly, at great risk, provided copies of our books for the audience to purchase and remember us by – but if we ever find out that he was working in league with our captors to actually arrange the event – he’ll be on the very next monster menu himself.

Will the monsters ever try something as diabolical as this ever again or are we now saved from being the king’s playthings?  The only way to find out is to keep reading Trapped By Monsters.