I’ve been a Latin teacher (known to my pupils as ‘Dr F’) for the last 16 years. Today I’m clearing my classroom (and taking my mascots with me) to begin a new adventure in January as a full time children’s author. Bonkers, I know. 😁 But you only live once…
#carpediem
🥳💃🍸
This is the library of the school where I work (it’s also my summer writing office). If I were in charge (which I should be) every kid in the land would have access to a library like this. 📚📚📚❤️
I have 3 signed copies of Circus Maximus:Race to the Death to give away to 3 lucky winners, in honour of Rachael Blackmore’s amazing win in the Grand National! 🏇
Like, RT and follow by 17.04.21 and I’ll put you in the draw. UK only, no giveaway accounts please. 😁
@_ZephyrBooks
I can't really believe that I'm allowed to write this. But my debut Circus Maximus: Race to the Death is the Children's Book of the Week in The Sunday Times. 😍🥳🏟️🐎Thank you so, so much
@NicoletteJones
. I am overwhelmed and very, very happy. 🙏🙏♥️
20 years ago this week I wangled press screening tickets to
#Gladiator
for me and my friend Katie. We sat with my Director of Studies
@wmarybeard
in the back row of the Cambridge Arts Picture House and I seem to remember we all cried a bit at the end.
#Gladiator20
My
#CircusMaximus
books came home at the weekend. Have to admit, I felt a bit 🥲to stand on the remains of the track in Rome where the books are set. Dido and Porcellus were there in spirit! 🐎🐎🐎❤️
@_ZephyrBooks
@MilesStott
@_fkennedy
Just sent off the first draft of the final book in my
#CircusMaximus
series. Coming at the end of a year when I lost my father and couldn’t write for two months, it feels like I’ve climbed a f***ing mountain.
I am now going to celebrate with a humongous drink. 💃💃🍸🍸❤️❤️🐎🐎
⚡️⚡️COVER REVEAL! ⚡️⚡️
Thrilled to show off the cover for RIDER OF THE STORM, book 3 in my CIRCUS MAXIMUS series, continuing the adventures of Dido. Coming March ‘23 🐎🐎🐎
Thank you
@stephenmcnally
and
@_ZephyrBooks
. ❤️❤️
@_fkennedy
@MilesStott
What’s in the big box that arrived yesterday? 👀👀 Why….it’s only pretty paperback copies of ⚡️RIDER OF THE STORM⚡️😁💕
Out in September!!! 🐎🐎📚
Thank you
@_ZephyrBooks
and
@_fkennedy
- stunning as always.
#CircusMaximus
I knew my PhD research would earn me the fame and recognition it deserved one day. 😁 Thanks to my friend Dan for pointing out my august citation in Emperor of Rome by my former DoS,
@wmarybeard
(cheers, Mary! 🍷)
So I finally got to meet the finished copies of
#CircusMaximus
: Race to the Death yesterday. And it was love at first sight 😍. Thank you so much to
@briskartist
for your creative genius on the cover and the amazing team at
@_ZephyrBooks
for making my dream come true. 🙏🎉❤️🐎
Had a magic time yesterday doing my debut festival talk about Circus Maximus at
@CVHISTORYFEST
. Also found time to do this impression of a short Cheshire Cat alongside
@thehistoryguy
. Fab day out, thank you to all the brilliant organisers and volunteers!!
#amazinghistory
👏🥳
#CircusMaximus
is about to be a trilogy!! 🥳🥳🥳
⚡️RIDER OF THE STORM⚡️is out tomorrow on
#WorldBookDay
and I cannot wait for people to see what Dido does next….🐎🐎🐎
Thank you
@_ZephyrBooks
for yet another amazing cover…❤️❤️❤️
Me celebrating the pb launch of
#CircusMaximus
last night with three of my best friends of more than 20 years (Classicists all 😍) in the appropriately horsey surroundings of The Riding House cafe.🐴 What a great night…🥳📚🥂
This is one of the best things ever sent to me…a young fan of my CIRCUS MAXIMUS books, Olivia, is so convinced they should be turned into Lego, she has gone ahead and made her own…check it out
@_ZephyrBooks
!!)😍😍🐎 ❤️❤️(Whaddya say
@LEGO_Group
? 😎)
Cover reveal!! 🤩🤩I’m so thrilled to share the jacket for Rivals on the Track, the second book in my MG series Circus Maximus (sequel to Race to the Death.) Huge thanks to
@stephenmcnally
and all the brilliant team at
@_ZephyrBooks
. Out Feb ‘22!! 🐎🐎❤️
I was slightly surprised but touched when a little girl with a quiet voice asked me, very simply, ‘How are you?’ during the Q and A part of my author visit to
@NorwichSchool
yesterday.
Only now do I understand why she asked. ❤️🙏
This is how I feel about the fact that my book
#CircusMaximus
Race to the Death comes out in paperback tomorrow and I finally get to have a celebratory launch with
@_fkennedy
,
@FrithaL
and others (🥂) before doing a London bookshop tour on Friday…😍🏄♀️🐎
In ONE month, there will be a full paperback triptych of CIRCUS MAXIMUS books!!! 🐎🐎🐎Look out for book 3, ⚡️RIDER OF THE STORM⚡️ in its newest incarnation....AND....get a sneak preview of the 4th and final adventure....😍😍😍
@_ZephyrBooks
I’m headed to Rome this weekend and excited to be visiting the remains of the actual Circus Maximus track for the first time since I started writing the
#CircusMaximus
series. Dido is going home! 🐎🐎🐎Def photo op. Watch this space. 😁
@_ZephyrBooks
@MilesStott
It’s publication day for
#CircusMaximus
RIVALS ON THE TRACK! 🥳🌈😍 And I’m so thrilled that also means I’m being hosted by the wonderful
@Alibrarylady
on day 4 of the blog tour. Head over there for my thoughts on writing historical fiction…📚🎂🤸♀️🥂
@_ZephyrBooks
@FrithaL
Happy publication day to
@AnneliseGray
and
#CircusMaximus
Rivals on the Track. I loved this story full of thrills, danger and secrets and am delighted that Annelise is sharing her top tips for writing a historical novel on the blog tour today.
My paperback babies are here!! And they are so pretty. 😍😍😍
RIVALS ON THE TRACK, book 2 in my
#CircusMaximus
series continuing the chariot racing adventures of Dido….out September 1st. 🐎🐎🐎
@_ZephyrBooks
@HoZ_Books
If Cormac McCarthy, Jack London and Kate Bush all got together to write a children’s book, I reckon
#DogsoftheDeadlands
is what they’d come up with. Fantastic
@anthony_mcgowan
. Kick you in the crotch, spit on your neck fantastic. Give it all the awards now. 👊😭❤️🐺🐺🐺
Three weeks until Feb 3rd launch of Rivals on the Track, the sequel to
#CircusMaximus
Race to the Death! If you know any MG readers who like adventure, history and/or horses, why not pre-order them a copy (of both books!) from your favourite bookseller? 😍😉📚🐎🙏
@_ZephyrBooks
Ready? And....go!!!! It's launch day for my children's debut Circus Maximus: Race to the Death!!! 🥳🥳😍Thank you to
@_ZephyrBooks
and
@_fkennedy
for making my dream come true. Dido is galloping into the world at last and on
@WorldBookDayUK
too!!! 🐎🏟️🐎
Do you love libraries and librarians?
Me too.❤️📚
Here’s a little
#WorldBookDay
message from me in their honour.
(Fully endorsed by Dido, Porcellus and all of my
#CircusMaximus
characters. 🐎🐎)
@_ZephyrBooks
No book launch party? No problem. 😁Distanced champagne (out of mugs) and hula hoops with my lockdown teaching colleagues in the hall outside the classroom. Literary glam rock. 🥂🎉
I would like to doff my cap to
@WelshDragonParr
. I read The Valley of Lost Secrets in two sittings on Sunday and was blown away by it. Beautiful writing, great characters, suspenseful and full of warmth and heart. Love love love. Buy it for your kids (and for you). 📚🙇♀️
A big thing happened for me just before lockdown and now I can say it! Signed with
@_ZephyrBooks
and my first children's novel Circus Maximus: Race to the Death comes out spring 2021. Think Ben-Hur meets National Velvet. Massive shout out to my agent Nancy Miles
@MilesStott
. 🥳🥳
Just under a month to go until
#CircusMaximus
Rivals on the Track bursts out of the start gate on Feb 3rd. Forgive me if I remind you about it a lot. More historical adventure, more action-packed races and - of course - more horses...
#Dido
🐎🐎🏁😍👀
@_ZephyrBooks
@MilesStott
In exactly ONE WEEK, on Feb 3rd, book 2 in my
#CircusMaximus
MG historical adventure series, RIVALS ON THE TRACK, gallops into the world! 😍🥳Lots of school talks, blog visits and bookshop signings lined up, of which more soon...meanwhile get your copy now!🐎📚
@_ZephyrBooks
As I near the end of the first draft of the final, FINAL book in my
#CircusMaximus
series, here’s a glimpse of my research shelf and some of the titles that have helped me find my way…
#histfic
#writing
🐎🐎🐎❤️❤️❤️
Love you, Dido. Let’s bring this pony home….
Exactly three weeks until I attempt to surf the crowd at my
@hayfestival
event on Thursday June 2nd... 🏄♀️😍. Mainly though I'll talking about about
#CircusMaximus
, my MG heroine Dido and the thrills and spills of ancient Roman chariot racing so please come along! 📚❤️
@HoZ_Books
A
@_ZephyrBooks
gathering in Bath! So loved meeting the fabulous
@finbar_hawkins
and our brilliant editor
@_fkennedy
for a little book signing, coffee and cake yesterday. Here we are in the beautiful surroundings of
@ToppingsBath
. 📚🍰☕️☔️🧙🐎❤️
There aren’t many places where I am made to feel so welcome as at
@WaterstonesO2
. Thank you LJ, aka
@LiteraryVegan
, for your always brilliant book table and window stylings. I even got given a pony…can’t say fairer than that. 🐴🐴💖💖
@_ZephyrBooks
Only one way to celebrate having a pretty new
#CircusMaximus
paperback out, in my book.📚💕
New trainers from my favourite Bath cobbler, the very talented
@chaniibshoes
.😍😍💕💕
(perfect for school author visits 😁)
@_ZephyrBooks
My paperbacks of
#CircusMaximus
Race to the Death have arrived ahead of launch on 02/09. They are prettier than a box of chocolates and have a special treat inside...chapter one of the sequel, Rivals on the Track! Pre order your copy now...
@_ZephyrBooks
A treat as always to visit the wonderful
@mrbsemporium
in Bath yesterday and find
#CircusMaximus
Race to the Death in a prime spot with a bookseller’s recommendation card next to it. 😍 Thank you Gemma and Tess and all the wonderful team there. 🙏📚🎄🎄
@_ZephyrBooks
@MilesStott
A spot of recherche du temps perdu today….doing some
#CircusMaximus
school visits Cambridge where I studied and worked for 15 years. Lovely to see this view again after many years away. ❤️
I had a really lovely time talking to
@nikkigamble
for her podcast. We discussed history, horses, Roman women, research and the inspiration for my children’s novel Circus Maximus: Race to the Death, with grateful shout outs for
@Caecilius_CLC
@PrimaryLatin
and
@bettanyhughes
❤️🐎
Happy book birthday to me, happy book birthday to me…😄🥳🎂📚
(Am celebrating in style with a day of fact checking at the
@britishlibrary
. They have cake here so it’s all OK)
#CircusMaximus
🐎🐎🐎
Happy paperback publication day
#CircusMaximus
Rivals on the Track by
@AnneliseGray
Can Dido, the only girl ever to have raced at the great Circus Maximus in Ancient Rome, outwit the emperor? 🐎
Get this dazzling book now:
Happy
#bookbirthday
to
@AnneliseGray
! 🎉🎉🎉
The first book in a dazzling new historical adventure series,
#CircusMaximus
: Race to the Death is out in paperback today!
Get it here or, even better, at your local independent bookshop:
@misshprimaryks2
@MrTs_NQTs
Self-promoting of me, I know, but offering up my Circus Maximus series for 9-12, about a girl who dreams of being a charioteer in Ancient Rome. Big action scenes, adventure galore, definitely a strong female lead (and boys seem to like it 😎)
The second title in my
#CircusMaximus
MG historical adventure series, RIVALS ON THE TRACK, launches in TWO WEEKS on Feb 3rd! Pre-order a copy and take your cue from
@thehistoryguy
Dan Snow and buy the first one too while you're at it.🐎🐎🐎🏁😍📚
@_ZephyrBooks
@MilesStott
Is it my birthday? Am I signing the register at my wedding? No, just getting the loveliest welcome from Brentwood County High School, where I went today to talk to their year 7s and 8s, accompanied by the lovely Natasha from
@chickenandfrog
❤️📚🙏🐎
@FrithaL
Regarde….😍😍😍 I have French copies of Circus Maximus:Rivals on the Track (Un Nouveau Rival). Courtesy of
@CastermanJ
and they are truly fantastique. Thank you so much
@ShaineCassim
! I love them so. ❤️❤️🐎🐎
@_ZephyrBooks
@catwrote
I couldn’t agree more. School librarians have always been my heroes, ever since my own school library gave me sanctuary when I was kid. But I feel it more now that I’m an children’s author and visit schools where hero librarians are battling with limited resources.
With term over, was able to pay first visit to my new local indy
@rshipbshop
in Salisbury yesterday - what a cave of delights - and came away with excellent swag from
@NatashaFarrant1
,
@hilary_mckay
and
@sbaileywriter
. Lovely holiday reading ahead, thank you Jo. xx 🎄
Arrived London by🚂 this afternoon (splendid read to keep me company, thank you
@philearle
🙏), ready for a couple days of school visits and bookshop signings to mark the launch of
#CircusMaximus
RIVALS ON THE TRACK on Thurs...watch this space...🐎😍🥳📚
@_ZephyrBooks
@FrithaL
@JoannaMoult
Your submission response to me Jo was one of the nicest emails I’ve ever had - it really meant a lot to me and I have never deleted it. I used to go back and read it as I appreciated it so much! x
Stopped by
@rshipbshop
this afternoon (on way to getting my hair cut) and was chuffed to see the fab display Jo had made of Circus Maximus: Race to the Death. 🐎❤️ Couldn’t leave without picking up some swag of course...
@J_C_Pearson
@JonathanAStroud
😁
Had such a lovely time yesterday chatting about history, horses, research and reading with
@nikkigamble
for her podcast
#InTheReadingCorner
. Just 9 days now until
#CircusMaximus
: Race to the Death is published on March 4th! 🐎🏟️😍
Me in author mode signing books at
@mrbsemporium
in Bath on Saturday. 📚😎 Such a gorgeous place, everything a bookshop should be, thank you for the lovely welcome! 🙏😘
If you have kids who are into Roman history, get them this by
@ally_sherrick
. A pacy adventure with great historical detail and a brilliant wolf-woman gladiator at the heart of the story. Thank you,
@LauraSmythePR
for my copy - much enjoyed! 👍⚔️🙏
We’ve got another exciting free schools event next week with
@AnneliseGray
@_ZephyrBooks
talking about her latest exciting title in her wonderful Circus Maximus series
#RideroftheStorm
You can sign up here:
Had me a little party on Friday night to celebrate launch of ⚡️RIDER OF THE STORM.⚡️Here’s me with some of my best
#Classicist
pals, looking smiley from all the Dark and Stormy cocktails from my native Bermuda 🇧🇲 which we (appropriately) drank. 🐎🐎🍹🍹
@_ZephyrBooks
An archaeological mystery which begins with a mysterious phone call to the British Museum? You had me at hello,
@AMHowellwrites
. Exquisitely drawn historical fiction and a gripping page turner that keeps you hooked. Loved it! Out 31.03.22. Thank you
@FrithaL
for my proof.😍📚
Really looking forward to speaking here on Sat 26th! My first public talk about Circus Maximus - bit nervous but excited as well to be part of a fantastic festival I’ve gone to for years as a spectator. And I get a free lunch so got to be a win! 😋
The paperback of RIVALS ON THE TRACK, book 2 in my
#CircusMaximus
series, is out a week today and if you buy a copy, you get a sneak preview of book 3, RIDER OF THE STORM, coming March 23…🐎🐎🐎 😍😍😍
@_ZephyrBooks
@HoZ_Books
The Swedish translation of
#CircusMaximus
Race to the Death has arrived to join its Dutch cousin! Everyone getting along very well on the shelf. 🥰📚🐎🌈
@_ZephyrBooks
@MilesStott