FAB Club 3 - The Big Match
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Today is the official launch of FAB Club 3 - The Big Match. It is the third and final book in the series about the Friends Against Bullying club. The first book came out four years ago and it has been fun to develop the characters and tie up all the loose ends: something that never happens in real life.
My niece (now 11) loved the first book and the second one about cyber-bullying. When I asked her what she’d like to see in the third book, she didn’t hesitate to say “romance”! My 8 year old nephew wanted to read about football (those are the only books he loves reading). I had to please them both. At the middle grade level I didn’t have to get too graphic with the romance, thank heavens, but I sure got tired of drawing footballs!
Despite (or because) of the constraints of the storyline, I’m really happy with how the book turned out. All the bullies from the original book have been turned around and all we are left with is an adult bully in this last book. It’s no real spoiler to say that he gets his comeuppance. I only wish that could happen to some of the bullies I see abusing their positions of power now.
FAB Club 3 is online and in bookshops now (Search for ISBN: 978-0-473-50467-0).
Or ask for it at your local library.
FAB (Friends Against Bullying) Club Advance Reading Team
The FAB Club Advance Reading Team are up to chapter three of the third and final book in the middle grade series about the friends who stand up to bullying. It's not too late to join in. Here are the first three chapters:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
If you want to help out and be credited in the book, drop me a line at FAB@alexhallatt.com.
FAB 3 - The Big Match - Cover Reveal
I've written the third and final in my children's book series about bullying. So far, only my 10 year old niece and 8 year old nephew have read it (it passed!) and it heads to my editor in September.
After it is edited, I will be sending out the illustrated chapters to my advance reading team. Let me know if you want to be a part of that.
Reasons to Be Cheerful - A Writing Retreat Near Motueka Helped Me Finish My Book
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I spent the last week of June and first week of this month in a cabin at the top of the South Island. A change of scenery can be inspiring, as long as there aren't too many distractions and I can maintain some kind of routine.
The cabin was wonderfully cosy
I pre-prepared a lot of meals and brought a toaster and pressure cooker to make other quick ones!
Books to put me in a middle-grade mindset
My dictation and reading area…
…with a view of nature and the sound of birdsong
Being close to nature helps to clear my mind and being able to exercise in it helps me generate ideas, or solve problems.
Part of my brainstorming walk up hill
A couple of years ago I wrote FAB Club 2 in Tenerife, where I was able to swim every day in a tidal pool (Motueka does have a tidal pool, but it wasn’t really warm enough to swim!). This time the location near Motueka was surrounded by native bush with a convenient hill to walk up and I was able to cycle into town for supplies or to go to a cafe. I was also able to take time out and meet up with my friend who lives in Mapua.
The cabin is in the centre of this photo (note the neighbours who have bare land, orchards, or plantation forest).
I am sure that the location helped my subconscious produce the story that it had been thinking about for the last year. I am very excited about this book and I can't wait to see what my niece and nephew think before I send it out to my editor.
