Book at Bedtime? Robot Audiobooks Out Now!

Hi folks,

I hope all is well with you and yours.

I'm currently in self-imposed lockdown in my shed and not allowed out until I've finished my new book! When it's done, this will be the fourth story in the series about twins Jake and Jess and their accident-prone robot. I've had a lot of fun writing these and it's been great to hear that readers are enjoying them too!

I'm very happy to announce that the first two stories are now available as audiobooks, read by the brilliant Peter Kenny. 

It's great hearing someone else read the story – almost like listening to someone else's book! I found myself laughing out loud, which to be honest, feels a bit weird when it's your own stuff – but with someone else reading it … well, I decided it was OK. Anyway, if you're looking for a bedtime story or something to raise a smile on a wet Wednesday afternoon, why not have a listen?

Both audiobooks should be available via your local library. Alternatively you can download from Audible, here:

MY BABYSITTER IS A ROBOT

IS MY TEACHER A ROBOT?

Oh, and while we're on the subject … the next instalment of robot mayhem – A ROBOT ATE MY GRANDMA! should be out over the summer. Watch this space!

Look after yourselves …
All the best
Dave

Writing Prompt – May The Fourth Be With You!

In honour of the day, today's writing prompt challenge is to write a story or draw a comic set in space! 

Anybody who has heard me talk will know that one of my earliest ambitions was to be an astronaut. I even wrote to NASA asking how to join. (They wrote back!) 

My favourite song was Space Oddity by David Bowie and I spent many hours dressed in my makeshift spacesuit and an old crash-helmet, moon-walking round the house. 

Anyway, back to the prompt … This is quite a wide brief – an opportunity for you to boldly go where ever your imagination decides to drag you!

However, if the vast expanse of space leaves you feeling overwhelmed, here are a few ideas that might spark something:

– Your story could be set in a galaxy faraway (like Star Wars, Futurama, Final Space …)

– Imagine it's years into the future – with Earth's resources dwindling, humans have begun the colonisation of another planet (maybe Mars or the Moon*) *Not actually a planet. What would life be like living in one of these new colonies? A different kind of isolation, perhaps? Your current experiences might be useful here.

– Imagine taking one of the first tourist flights into space. Billed as "The experience of a lifetime!" But what if something went wrong?

– If you like scary stories, what about a space monster story? One of my favourite films is about the crew of space ship who find themselves trapped with an alien on board! Or what about an alien invasion? (To give it a twist, what if humans were the aliens doing the invading!)

– Or maybe you get to live my dream and become an astronaut. What would that be like? Again, spending weeks on a space station might have quite a few similarities with your current lockdown isolation – there would certainly be restrictions on going outside!

These are just a few ideas – I'm sure you can think of something much better. There's a LOT of space out there. Have fun with it!

Commencing countdown. 
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