Peter Cox’s Blog

Very telling piece in today’s Independent about the collective madness that sometimes possesses publishers when a minor celebrity “has an idea for a book”.
“After shelling out for deals worth up to £1m to buy into the celebrity memoir market, many have seen little more than a trickle of sales. Among the disasters is former [...]

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We complete a hat-trick of recent children’s deals with news that my author John Brindley has accepted a two-book deal from Orion Children’s Books for THE RULE OF CLAW. John, who has previously written the successful Amy Peppercorn series for Orion, has created an stupendously original universe for this epic tale. I will be selling [...]

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I’m delighted to announce a major new three-book deal for Amanda Lees, who was one of the judges in the Colony’s first short story contest held recently. You can read more about Amanda’s deal on the front page of the Redhammer website, and download today’s press release from the publisher, Piccadilly Press.

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Our next contest has a two-word title: Winter Kills. We leave it up to you to interpret how you wish: possibly a thriller, perhaps something with an elegiac flavor, or maybe 1500 sharp words served up with a deep layer of irony. It’s your call.
As always, we want you to deliver a tight and well-constructed [...]

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While we’re waiting for the final word from the judges, I thought it might be worthwhile sharing a few thoughts with you on my overall reaction.
* Remember this is a short STORY contest. While the plotline doesn’t have to be vast or grandiose – better not, in fact – some entries were really very thin [...]

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Everyone loves to have a No. 1, and this week we’re honoured to have Michelle Paver’s SOUL EATER shoot straight in at the No. 1 position on the children’s charts. This is the third book in a series of six, and relative to the previous two has had less publicity, so all the more reason [...]

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Five years ago I witnessed the events now referred to as “9/11” in New York. I wasn’t close enough to be in direct danger, but I was certainly close enough to see people jumping to their deaths. It was, and still is, an unreal vision.
The following was written at the time, as I saw things [...]

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Amazing scenes in Waterstones, Oxford St to mark the imminent launch of Michelle Paver’s SOUL EATER. Dozens of young (and not so young) fans thronged to see the author and – star of the show – two young wolf cubs.  Torak, named after the protagonist of the series, is only four months old. I’ve never [...]

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