I had so much fun discussing William Kotwinkle’s extraordinary novelisation of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial with the gang on the Authorized Novelizations Podcast. This is in-depth stuff and full of surprises. The delightful and often bizarre choices that Kotwinkle makes elevates this book above the average movie tie-in. Settle in for a rollercoaster ride. It’s on all the usual podcast providers, but here’s a link to Apple podcasts.
Join me and the superb David Lee Stone for a signing at Waterstones, Westwood Cross, Thanet. If you love fantasy with a big heart and lots of laughs you’ll love David’s books. See you there! More details here.
Thanks to everyone who’s watched my recent unboxing video for The Ghost of Ivy Barn, especially those who have been looking for the ghost in the background. He appears four times. Most people only see him three times. Here’s the original video…
So, here’s a breakdown of where you can see him…
I hope that clears everything up! By the way, if you’ve enjoyed our unboxing videos, you might like this little peek behind the scenes with some fun outtakes…
I’m going to be chatting with the wonderful FMA Dixon at the Little Green Bookshop as part of the Herne Bay Festival! Here are the details…
Join Herne Bay authors Malcolm Dixon and Mark Stay as they discuss writing fantastical stories set in the real world, writing for children and young adults, and what inspires them to write.
Mark Stay has 25 years of publishing under his belt and has written for TV and film. He is also co-presenter of the Bestseller Experiment podcast, which has inspired writers all over the world to finish and publish their books. His latest novel, The Ghost of Ivy Barn, is the third in The Witches of Woodville series.
Malcolm Dixon is the winner of the 2019 Acheven Prize for Young Adult Fiction. He will be discussing his prizewinning debut YA novel, The Little House on Everywhere Street.
This evening will include a Q&A and a book signing. Expect wine, snacks and plenty of bookish chat!
Tickets are £5, which is redeemable if you buy one of our books on the night!
Click here to get yours. Space is limited!
I’m still buzzing from an amazing launch event at Waterstones in Canterbury last night. It was wonderful to see so many people turn up in person and online, and it was great to finally launch one of the Woodville books in person (the first came out during lockdown, and I had Covid for the second). It was all such a blur. Catching up with old friends — including one of the teachers who inspired me to write — and making lots of new ones. My thanks to all of you for coming and I hope to see you all again soon.
We live-streamed the event thanks to some technical wizardry from filmmaker Douglas Ray. We had some mischief switching between live and pre-recorded feeds with our ghost towards the end. You can watch it here…
My thanks to all at Waterstones, Canterbury for making us feel so welcome, to Douglas, Kai, Emily, George, Claire, Emily Bracknell and our wizards and witches.
It’s finally here! The Ghost of Ivy Barn is now available wherever you get your books. There are all sorts of buy links here.
I’m launching the book tonight (Thursday 7th July) at Waterstones in Canterbury, so please come along if you’re in the area. We have cake!
Or, you can join us on Youtube! This will be interactive, so you can ask questions and there will some extra bonus material for you streamers (to make up for the lack of cake) . Just click on the screen below…
Today also sees the start of a wonderful blog tour from Random Reads..
The first reviews have been amazing!
The Book Lover’s Boudoir said: “I love Faye. She’s my kind of witch. This is a hugely entertaining mix of history and magic. I can’t wait to see what the witches get up to next.” Here’s the full review.
And the Witches of Whitby at the Enchanted Emporium said: “The witches didn’t think this series could get better, but they were wrong. This is the best book yet – full of humour, magic, betrayal and murder, with a slight inkling of romance between Faye and Bertie.” Here’s the full review.
My huge thanks to everyone who helped bring this book into life, and to all you readers who have ordered it. I really hope you enjoy it and do please leave a rating or review wherever possible. Happy reading!
The staff at the Enchanted Emporium were thrilled to discover an advanced copy of the third book in the Witches of Woodville series on the bookshelf, thanks to Random Things Tours. Arguments ensued about who would be the first to read The Ghost in the Ivy Barn but Willow won. There are advantages to being the boss.
Scroll down to see if this book matched the joy of the previous books, The Crow Folk and Babes in the Wood.
Title: The Ghost of Ivy Barn
Author: Mark Stay
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Genre: YA, fantasy, witchlit
Release Date: 7th July 2022
August, 1940.
As the Battle of Britain rages overhead, a warlock leader from the Council of High Witches comes to Woodville with a ritual to repel the imminent…
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August 1940
As the Battle of Britain rages overhead, a warlock leader from the Council of High Witches comes to Woodville with a ritual to repel the imminent Nazi invasion. The only catch is it involves full-frontal nudity on the White Cliffs of Dover. The Witches of Woodville are having none of it, but when more witches arrive they realise they might have a spy in their midst, and it’s up to Faye Bright to uncover the traitor. But she’s got enough on her plate already with the ghost of a Polish Hurricane pilot who may hold the key to the truth.
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The Battle of Britain continues to rage, with Hitler’s planned invasion of Britain, Operation Sea Lion, reliant on the destruction of RAF Fighter Command.
AUGUST 1940
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(@simonschusterUK, 7 July 2022, ebook, 429 pages, #ARC from the publisher via #NetGalley)
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Here’s my unboxing video for The Ghost of Ivy Barn! It didn’t quite go to plan… but can you spot the ghost? He appears four times…
CREDITS
Camera and Edit: Kai Newton
Music: Dominic Currie
Sound: Emily Stay
Production Assistant: Harry Gibson
The Ghost: George Stay
Special thanks to Stewart Tophill at Keel Farm for the use of the barn
You — yes you! — are cordially invited to the launch of the next Witches of Woodville book THE GHOST OF IVY BARN on Thursday 7th July, 2022 at Waterstones, Canterbury…
This is the first time I’ve been able to launch a Woodville book in person. The Crow Folk was published in lockdown, and I had Covid when Babes in the Wood was published, so I would love to see as many of you good people as possible, so book a minibus and crash the party!
To ensure your place at the launch, simply visit those splendid people at Waterstones by clicking here.
But if you can’t make it on the night, fear not… you can join us live on Youtube! Yes, we’re also streaming the event live, and you will have an opportunity to ask questions like everyone else, and there will even be some exclusive spooky content for streamers (if we can get the technical jiggery-pokery to work). You will have to provide your own cake and beverage, however. To join us on YouTube, simply click here.
Psst? Want a sneak peek at the first chapter of The Ghost of Ivy Barn? Simply click here to download it. This is the sort of thing normally reserved for subscribers to the Woodville Village Library Newsletter, but I like the look of you, so you can get it too. If you like what you see, you can find all kinds of pre-order links when you click on the book cover below.
If you want access to free and exclusive Woodville stories, then you can sign up for the newsletter here.
Mark Stay Writes 