Exclusive book news and the big cover reveal!

Hello!

This is a really exciting day for me. I can finally, after almost three years of dreaming, planning, plotting, writing, re-writing, editing, a bit more re-writing and some more editing, show you the cover of my long-awaited (by me anyway!) new book....and reveal its name.

Flick Henderson and the Deadly Game is the first story in The Flick Henderson Files. And you are the VERY FIRST people to know this!

The cover has been designed by the brilliant Rachel Lawston, of London-based Lawston Design.

The book tells the story of 14-year-old Flick Henderson, who has always dreamed of becoming an investigative reporter, ever since her older sister Kate went missing four years ago.

Flick's best friend is a German Shepherd dog called Gus, and her worst enemy is a gangly boy called Luke, with green eyes and hair as black as a raven's wing.

There are no ponies in this book, but I can promise plenty of animals. And I guarantee that people who love mysteries and stories about super-cool girls will love Flick Henderson.

This is what Alison Boshoff of the Daily Mail had to say about the book:

'I wish all teen books were more like Flick Henderson and the Deadly Game. It is a terrific read, with a twisty, engaging plot, just enough romance and lots of pets. I'm only sad I've finished reading it - bring back Flick!'

Flick Henderson and the Deadly Game will be available very soon as both a paperback and ebook.

I'll keep you posted!

The latest Riverdale news is that I am now about a third of the way into Book Six, although I'm afraid it has had to take a back seat while I focus on Flick. I did spend a couple of hours the other day searching through thousands of horsey pics (never a chore!) looking for a good image of Biscuit, the rescue appaloosa in The Secret of Witch Cottage.

As any of you who've read Witch Cottage will know, he has a pivotal part to play in the story. And here he is, a pretty good likeness, don't you think?

He'll be on the back cover of the paperback edition of the book, which will also be out very soon.

In other news, my writing buddy Fudge had a trip to the emergency vet at the beginning of the month. Unfortunately she'd broken her back leg and needed an operation to pin and plate it.

But the good news is that the operation went really well and, although she still has three more weeks before the bone will have fully healed, she is well on the road to recovery. Which is a huge relief, as I miss her company while I'm writing.