Good news. I just found out that Artemis Publishing have bought the Turkish rights to “The Death (and Further Adventures) of Silas Winterbottom”. The book should come out some time next year in Turkey. Hopefully. Not that I’m counting, but this great piece of news brings the total number of countries who have fallen under the devious influence of Silas Winterbottoms to 7. Yippee!

I’ve received a few emails from eager readers (four to be exact) asking if and when the young Winterbottoms and their dastardly Uncle will be coming to their local bookstore. So I thought a little update might be in order. So far “The Death (and Further Adventures) of Silas Winterbottom” has been released in the United States, Australia and New Zealand and should be available where all good (and bad) books are sold. In the next twelve months or so the book will be released in Germany, Italy and Israel.

I know that’s not really very specific, but it’s the best I can do. If you want any further information and you happen to live in any of the countries listed above, then you can contact the publisher directly and ask.

Here’s a list of my publishers –

America – Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Italy – Newton Compton

Germany – Random House, Germany

Australia/NZ – Pan Macmillan

Wow. That was a really boring post. I’ll do better next time.

So, I’m working on a new book. No, not the new book I wrote about a few posts back. The ghost story about the boy and the box. That’s been put on the backburner. It has? Yep, afraid so. Don’t get me wrong, I still love the story, and I genuinely (perhaps foolishly) believe it’s got great potential. But for now the ghost story is on hold. Why is it on hold when I’ve just said how great its potential is? Well, the short answer is that I am in the mood to write something light and fun … and the ghost story is most definitely not that. Writing is all about mood, and in order to create the right mood for my story, I have to feel it. And right now I don’t want to feel all dark and grim and haunted. I want to feel light and whimsical and non-haunted. Hence, I’ve decided to turn my attention to a new book – a comic story about a tweenage boy with a rather deadly (and utterly hilarious) secret.

But here’s the problem. Thus far, my story doesn’t have a villain. In a twisted way, my hero IS my villain – which is kind of exciting for me as a writer. Despite this nifty “hero as villain” deal, I’m uneasy. I have this nagging feeling that my book needs a bad-guy. My last book, “The Death (and Further Adventures) of Silas Winterbottom” had a villain right at the very heart of the story and I had a brilliant time writing him. Now I find myself writing a story that doesn’t seem to need a villain and I’m nervous.

Should I go with my instincts and write a villainless story? After all, it’s a light, funny book so maybe it doesn’t need an underhanded, evil-minded baddie. Or should I listen to that little voice in my head pointing out that villains can be great fun to read and add a real sense of tension to a story? What to do, what to do!

For now I’m going to keep writing and see what happens. There’s every chance that a villain might turn up at some point in the story if they are needed. If not, I’ll just have to trust that my story will be just fine without one.

If you have an opinion about villains and their place in books, drop me a line (for email details click on The Author link above). I’d be interested in hearing what you guys think.

Here is a short list of the most frequently asked questions that come my way via your emails. I will answer them now for your reading pleasure. Or not.

When will the next Winterbottom book be released?

It depends where in the world you are. In the USA, Book 1 of “The Death (and Further Adventures) of Silas Winterbottom” has just been released and you can buy it here or here as well as at your local bookstores. Book 2 will follow some time next year. If you are in Italy, Germany or Israel, Book 1 is coming your way some time within the next 12 months. Could be sooner, could be later. In other words, I have no idea. These sorts of decision are entirely up to my publishers and the writer is often the last to know.

What are you working on now?

Right now I’m just beginning work on a new book and I’m ridiculously excited about it. The story concerns a boy, a box and a ghost. It is my first ghost story and right now I am up to my neck in research about American life in the early 1900s (which is the era in which my book will be set). What a fascinating time! Anyway, it’s early days yet for this new book and who knows, it could be a complete disaster. Hope not. I haven’t been this keen on a story in a very long time. I’ll keep you posted on my progress …

How do I get published?

Thanks. Easy question. Not. The question of how to get published is both very simple and stupendously complicated. So I think I’ll stick with the simple side of things. Before you even think about submitting your work to publishers or literary agents, you have to first have a fantastic, wildly original manuscript. You do? Great. But remember, fantastic and wildly original usually takes lots of time and a great deal of trial and error. The worst thing you can do as a new writer is submit material that isn’t ready. Don’t rush. Take your time. Writer and re-write. Then write and re-write some more. Then put your manuscript in a drawer and wait a few weeks. Then take it out and you guessed it, write and re-write again. Once you have done that, and you are sure that you have the next big thing in publishing, then and only then do you begin looking for a publisher or an agent. The internet is your best friend on this search. Spend a few days traveling around the web looking for publishers or agents who are willing to take a look at a sample of your work. There are plenty who will. Do your research and remember, no reputable publisher or literary agent will ask you for money. If they do, take your manuscript and move on. Fast. Good luck!

Did you always want to be a writer?

Yes. Boring but true.

If you were could have any super power in the world what would it be and why?

Definitely the ability to fly. Why? It’s flying dude!

I’ve recently been on a blog tour  for “The Death (and Further Adventures) of Silas Winterbottom” and as blog tours go, it was rather fun. I wrote a blog about my favorite childhood book and how it shaped the writer I am today and you read it here if you are so inclined. Also, I was interview by the delightful Sheri Larsen from Writer’s Ally and you can read the Q & A here.

On a less pleasant note, that monstrous lunatic Silas Winterbottom has been busy trying to spin his ghastly reputation with a little positive PR. If you are at all interested in the rantings of an evil (and possibly undead) villain, you can read the interview here.

One of the most exciting and nerve racking periods in a writer’s life occurs when said writer is between books – that stretch of time when work on one book has finished and work on the next has yet to begin. For me, this is when I turn my attention to future projects … and that’s when things get tricky. Deciding what story to tell next can be a gigantic headache. Did I say headache? No, that doesn’t do it justice. It’s a colossal nightmare. Massive. Stupendously huge. Look, it’s really very big. The problem, I mean. What problem? The one about figuring out what to write next.

Now don’t get me wrong. My struggle isn’t the result of not being able to think up a new story – no, it is much worse than that. My struggle is trying to pick a story from amongst the dozen or so ideas I have swirling around my imagination. Each and every idea has merit and I like each one for different reasons. But which one is just right? After a lot of thought (most of it circular and utterly torturous), I have narrowed my selection down to three very different stories. And yes, I like them all and would be very happy spending the next year of my life immersed in any one of these worlds. So which one should I pick?

Therein lies the problem. You see, I have no idea.

Every other day I will thrust my fist into the air and proclaim, “I’ve made a decision!” Only to be riddled with a plague of doubts moments later, forcing me to retract my declaration and mumble a host of unsuitable words through tightly clenched teeth. I’ve been in this creative limbo for a few months now and it’s getting very old, very fast.

Not that it’s all bad. Some progress has been made. After all, I have my shortlist of three possible stories. Three possible books. Without giving too much away, my three contenders fall into the following categories – Book 1) A contemporary mystery about a sudden and shocking disappearance. Book 2) A ghost story concerning three children and a locked box.  Book 3) A darkly gothic mystery tied up with murder, treachery and madness.

I know, it’s not a lot to go on, but hey, you didn’t really expect me to divulge the entire plotlines of three potential novels, did you? At the moment I’m leaning towards book number 3 – mainly because I love writing gothic tales steeped in skullduggery, double crossing and villains who are just plain bonkers. If you have any suggestions about which story I should write next, feel free to drop me a note – oh, and make sure you tell me why you prefer Book 1, 2 or 3.

Of course, by next week I may very well have scrapped all three books and have moved on to another selection. Ah, what fun. The truth is, apart from this next novel, I am also scheduled to begin work on the next book in the Winterbottom series – which is pretty exciting for me. Diving back into the world of Adele, Milo and Isabella Winterbottom, not to mention their thoroughly deplorable Uncle Silas, is always a treat.

So much to write, so little time. Time to stop thinking and start writing. Wait, no, that can’t be right. Good lord.

Email is a funny business, don’t you think?

After a slight delay – I have been busy defending myself against the constant legal challenges of that ghastly lunatic Silas Winterbottom – I am happy to report that emails are now welcome. Please don’t feel that you have to write. I will completely understand if you have no interest in corresponding with me at all. But if you do want to drop me a few lines about anything Winterbottom related then I promise to make every effort to reply in a timely manner. If you would like to correspond with me about something non-Winterbottom related – the rare Banded Ground-Cuckoo bird, for example – then I would suggest you make your enquires at another location.

For those of you inclined to write, you can contact me here - stephen@stephenmgiles.com

I’m nervous. Anxious. You see, The Body Thief (The Death and Further Adventures of Silas Winterbottom Bk 1) has officially been released. It’s a strange feeling indeed when your book finally hits the shelves. Very strange. Here I sit in Sydney, Australia, while on the other side of the world my three young heroes – Adele, Isabella and Milo – are being sent out to earn their keep in America. I’m proud of the book, but I’m also an anxious parent, hoping that my little ones will be treated kindly in the market place (by ‘kindly’ I mean – great reviews and ridiculously gigantic sales figures). The journey to publication is a long and winding road and the journey’s end for the writer is really just the beginning for the book.

Thus far I’ve been very lucky. The Body Thief has received some great reviews in the U.S. and everyone has been very positive. But still, I worry. Will the book stand out in an incredibly competitive market place? Will the fact that Silas Winterbottom is not a blood- sucking vampire send my book hurtling to the bottom of the bestseller lists? For the record, though Silas Winterbottom is no vampire, he is a rather devious villain who flirts with immortality. Does that count? No, didn’t think so.

My mind is full of questions and doubts … and hope. The Body Thief might not set the world on fire, but I have faith that somewhere, someone is going to find my book and take that journey from the opening page to the last word. Just as I’ve taken that same journey countless times over the years. And I can only hope that they enjoy the ride.

In the end, getting published is like winning the lottery – only to find out the first prize is yet another lottery ticket. In other words, it’s a gamble every step of the way. All you can do is write the best book you can and then hand it over and hope against hope that your baby finds a good home (or several, if you’re lucky) out there in the big bad world.

So good luck, Silas and the young Winterbottoms. Do your father proud. Or at very least, don’t embarrass yourselves. Oh, and don’t forget to write!

The big day is nearly here. The Death (and Further Adventures) of Silas Winterbottom is about to drop. Naturally the villain of our story is appalled that the truth of his dastardly plan to cheat death is about to be exposed to the world at large. Silas has tried everything to stop this story being told. Your humble author has been shot at, chased down darkened alleys, not to mention evading several kidnapping attempts and waking up with a sixteen foot African Rock Snake attempting to swallow my left leg. Oh yes, Silas has tried it all to keep me quiet. But I will not be scared off by that evil old bag of bones. The story of that fateful summer when three cousins – Milo, Isabella and Adele Winterbottom – meet for the first time on their Uncle Silas’ private island will be told. No detail shall be left out. August 1 is the date. Mark it in your calendar and prepare yourself. Silas Winterbottom’s story is a ghastly as it is compelling.