Right chaps - that's it - I have just done my final school visit for the year. I take winter off so I can concentrate on my writing. Besides, I am rubbish once it gets dark so inviting me to perform would just be a big waste of time - I'd be asleep in a corner somewhere. I'm sure I used to be a squirrel or something in a previous life because once the clocks go back and I've lit the coal fire that's it, I hibernate.

I have had such a good time on my school visits again though, I want to thank all the schools, libraries festivals and conferences for inviting me to meet everyone. I promised Winstanley High School in Leicester I'd mention them but then I thought, if I mention them, I'd better mention everyone else. I mean, fair's fair. Here goes. In chronological order, these were:

• The McAuley Catholic High School, Doncaster
• Stanley & Kinsley Libraries, Wakefield
• Wakefield Library Services Book Review Panel
• Northampton High School
• Y6 at Linchfield Community Primary School, Deeping St James
• Sutton- on-Trent Primary School, Newark
• Greenwood Dale High School, Nottingham
• Y5/6 King Edwin's and Y3/4 St Mary's, Edwinstowe
• Redwood Reading Group, Redwood School, Lincoln
• Clayesmore Prep and Milldown Middle School, Blandford Forum
• Blandford Forum Federation of Children's Books Group
• Ottakar's Bookshop, Huddersfield
• Y6 Whitechapel Middle School, Cleckheaton
• Schools library Group Conference, Cambridge
• Y6 St Mary's Edwinstowe
• Grantham Library
• Sturton-by-Stow Primary School
• North East Lincs Book Festival: Rochdale Road Juniors, Berkeley Juniors, Scunthorpe
• Signhills Junior School, Leas Junior School, Cleethorpes
• Collingwood Primary School, Ings Primary School, Western Library, Constable Primary, Hull
• Bridlington Library
• Brooke Weston City Technology College, Corby
• Birmingham Young Readers Festival
• King's Norton Girls' School, Birmingham
• Derbyshire Book Festival
• Tugby Primary School
• Rotherham Children's Book Festival
• Solihull Library Services Carnegie Shadowing Event
• Altofts Junior, Sandal Endowed J&I, Wakefield
• Lincolnshire Young People's Book Award Ceremony
• Winstanley High School, Braunstone, Leicester
• Lincolnshire Book Festival: Partney Primary School, Spilsby Primary, Halton Highgate After School Club, Spilsby Really Cool Readers Group
• Denbighshire Book Week: Ysgol Bro Cinmeirch, Ysgol Henilan, Ysgol Bodfari and Ysgol Heulfre, Ysgol Esgob Morgan, Ysgol y Castell, Ysgol y Llys
• Wrexham Children's Book Week: Ysgol Morgan Llwyd, Gwersyllt Junior School, Rhonesni High, Teenage Reading Group, Cefn Mawr Library
• Ysgol Rhiawbon, Tanyfron School, The Centre, Ymlaen
• Newbold Community School, Chesterfield
• Lancashire 'Shout About Books' Festival: Y6 Fulwood and Cadely Primary, Longridge Library, Willow Lane Primary, Dallas Road CP School, Cathedral Primary.
• Bishop's Hatfield Girls' School, Herts.

Blimey! No wonder my car keeps breaking down in inappropriate places!

Anyway, it's on with 'Alex's Back', the seventh book in the After School Club series. I am warming to Alex as a character more and more; I found her a bit irritating before. Am I allowed to say that about one of my own inventions? Probably not! This time, her singing ability gets her into a difficult situation at the club but that's nothing compared to the trouble her habit of talking to her dead brother Daniel gets her in to at home. It's a good one, this. I am hoping to have the first draft finished before Christmas but don't quote me on that.

Ian P. Benfold Haywood's 'Room at the Inn' illustration

Nice segue in to the Festive Season even if I say so myself. Yep, here comes the plugging-of-the-book bit. I have a short story called 'Room at the Inn' featured in the newly published 'The Usborne Book of Christmas Stories' edited by Anne Finnis. It's a bargain at £7.99 for an anthology containing contributions from some top authors such as Malorie Blackman, Julia Jarman, Karen McCombie and Meg Harper.

My story is set in a small village primary school called 'Spittal-in-the-Wolds which may or may not be 'somewhere in Lincolnshire.' It might sound a far-fetched name place but here is an actual village called Spittal-in-the-Street in Lincolnshire, believe it or not. The story is based around the Nativity Play and features a boy called Lucas who loves acting and his mate Stephen who loves acting up. Lucas is desperate for the part of Joseph but it goes to Stephen who actually was quite keen to play Mary. You get the picture...

By the way, I think Ian P. Benfold Haywood's illustration which introduces my story (above) is fabulous, don't you? Ian had done all the internal artwork for the book and it's spot-on, I think. If you are interested in illustrations and ideas for how an artist works, check out his website on www.benfoldhaywood.co.uk.

The other thing I'm doing this side of Christmas alongside Celia 'Witch Child' Rees is organising a weekend in February when children's writers from all over the country meet and discuss things. You might think this is a strange thing to do but writing can be quite a solitary occupation so getting together with other writers and exchanging ideas is our equivalent of an office party. We're called the Scattered Authors Society and our list of members can be found on www.wordpool.co.uk. Go to 'Writing for Children' and you'll find us under 'Information.'

Teen writers Anne Cassidy, Malcolm Rose and Peter Beere began it all about five years ago but now membership has reached over eighty. One of the newer members is Leslie Wilson (www.lesliewilson.co.uk) who wrote the fabulous but heart-rending 'Last Train to Kummendorf.'

Right then, Alex McCormack who talks to her dead brother, let's get that chapter finished...

With very best wishes,