This year is the second PENfro Book Festival 2012. This event in September is a two-day spectacular, filled with workshops, author talks and signings. It runs from Saturday September 15th - Sunday September 16th and is set in the beautiful country mansion of Rhos-y-gilwen North Pembrokshire Wales SA43 2DW tel: 01239 841 837. At the event will be, all the big welsh publishers; Honno, Gomer, Parthian, Starborn books and many others.

  I will be signing copies of my books at a table with a feast of authors (adult and childrens) in the main hall. I love supporting welsh book festivals and am looking forward to talking and mixing it up with all the best Wales has to offer in literature. Do come and support welsh literature.

Joseph D'Lacey signs a two book deal.

I met a guy a long time ago called Joseph D'Lacey. I was doing a signing at Borders Leicester at the time (later Borders went into liquidation) not because of me you understand.

Joseph approached and we talked. He had just signed a deal with a publisher called Bloody Books. He's a horror fiction writer and his book was called, Meat. He did a second book with the same publisher called Garbage Man. I, must admit that I haven't read any of them (what can I say, horror scares me), but the books went on to greatness. Stephen King even quoted this man as 'Joseph D'Lacey Rocks!' Things happen in recession and Bloody Books went under! This left Joseph with nothing.  His agent parted ways and he struggled to get a small publisher from the states to take on his work. I found it crazy at the time, I mean he was famous in my eyes and all his fans, but couldn't get another contract. Now things have changed.

   He recently got a fabulous agent and a publishing contract with Angry Robot. He secretly wanted to work with Angry Robot for a while and now he's signed a duology deal. The two books will be; Black Feathers (April 2013) and The Book of the Crowman, following in 2014. I am really pleased for him. He's a nice man and great author.

Keeping you up to date. I'm sort of inbetween things at the moment. I've got the new book, which is in the process of coming together. The cover art and page templates are almost done at the printers, so there's not a lot more I can do at this point. Registering the book details and so forth are being sorted.

    I did my last book-signing at the weekend at Waterstones Weston-S-Mare on Sat July 21st 2012 and, I'm not doing another until September 1st this year. I have a project which I'm waiting to hear about, one way or another, so there's nothing I can do there either.

  I have a manuscript that I was doing a couple of months ago called; House of Darke. I may well go back to that and get it into shape. I've done around 35-40,000 words on that particular story, so I think I'll take it up to the 60,000 mark and maybe get it edited. I can then send it to agents and see if I can get a publishing contract. It's a hard life when you're trying to get on as a writer.

   I like to keep my readers in the loop as to what I'm doing. Maybe I'll have some news later. I'll definitely keep you up to date. For now though, I have a bit of free time.

When I visited the Caerleon Lit Fest recently, I saw an author talk that inspired me. The man doing the talking was none other than Tim Lebbon. Horror and Dark Fantasy writer.

This guy has written around thirty novels so far and has won many awards in the process. They include: The Bram Stoker award for short fiction, British Fantasy Award for best short fiction and the Scribe Award for best adapted screen play - 2007 30 Days of Night. He's only recently been commissioned to write a new novel for Del Rey/ Star Wars books. The novel will be called Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi - Into the Void. Not just any author is asked to do something as important, as you know Star Wars; books, comics and movies are known the world over. He was kind enough to chat and give me a few pointers, on the day. I aspire to be as good as him someday.