I finished checking the page proofs of WATD last night. This is what 160,000 words of monsters, mayhem and magic look like. I really enjoyed reading the book again — which has to be a good thing. I found the odd typo here and there but the big thing I caught was a whole page missing!

Book 2 is so close to being done. I wasted a lot of time last week going on a story detour that I ended up scrapping when I realised I'd been an idiot... still onwards....

I'm in the end run of writing book 2 before it goes off to my agent and editor. It stands at 160,000 words at the moment and I think I have approx 20,000 to go, making it without a doubt the biggest book I've ever written. I'm super happy with it at the moment after a long struggle at times.

I'm also going through the page proofs of WE ARE THE DEAD, looking for any mistakes that might have snuck past everyone. I've found a few so it's a very worthwhile exercise...

And not long now before it goes out into the world... eek.

There are a few characters in WE ARE THE DEAD. One of them is a teenage psychopath called Dren. I like him a lot (even though I shouldn't). He likes knives, bombs and has no time for authority.

It's out in the world at last. The cover to my book. People will see this on the shelves. They will hold it in their hands. They will read what's within. In four months' time. EEEEEEK!

It's been a long process getting here but it's been so worth it. Created by the design team at Gollancz, I really love it. A little bit scary for sure but oh so memorable... One day, when the kids are older, I'll have this framed on my office wall...

Finally, after months of long-distance familying, I'm back with the clan and in Vancouver. To say I'm happy is an understatement. As fun as Dubai was, I'm very excited to be somewhere more culturally right for me. It's even snowed to give me an extra special welcome.

Plus there are loads of very cool cafes to write in. This one does a mean hot chocolate for cold days:

Book 2 is touching 140,000 words now. I had to go back and tweak a few things that came from the copy edits of Book 1 but I'm storming forwards now. It's going to be a long book when its finished and I expect to get very heavily edited afterwards but that's all part of the experience working with a great team at Gollancz.

It's only 4 months now before WE ARE THE DEAD is out in the world. Hard to say how I feel about it. Excited. Scared. Disbelieving? I was in a cool sci-fi/fantasy book shop called White Dwarf in Vancouver on Sunday and it was crazy to think that my book will be on similar shelves soon...

I'm back in Dubai for a few weeks, just closing off the last of our lives here. It's been an amazing place to live but too much of a rollercoaster ride at times. I'm looking forward to some stability in Vancouver when I return in February.

I'm also about 130,000 words into book 2. There's a momentum behind my writing which is good and I'm getting my word counts done despite some pretty horrible jet lag.

I'm staying in a nice hotel that has a great lounge to write in that helps.

I'm trying to get fit again and I've been out for a few runs. I'm still coughing my lungs up though which kind of takes the fun out of it — a memento from my two bouts of pneumonia I've had over the last few years. I need to find a solution as I love running and I want to run a half marathon in May in Vancouver.

I'm very happy too that there is a new series of Punisher on Netflix. I've watched three epsiodes so far and enjoying it a lot.

On 13th June 2019, WE ARE THE DEAD will be in the shops in the UK. Unreal to think so but it's happening. Exciting times ahead!

I'm making steady but slow progress on book 2. I'm now at 120,000 words with lots of revising to do on earlier chapters. I've a horrible feeling the book could be nearer 200,000 words when it's finished but let's see...

What an amazing year it's been and I couldn't be more excited about the year ahead. It's still hard to believe that next year I'll be abe to walk into a book store and see my book on the shelves. It's a dream come true and I'm a very lucky man.

I've still got lots of writing to do on Book 2 though between now and next year so, until then, have a fab time over the festive season and have a wonderful 2019 too.

The end of the year fast approaches. I leave on Monday to join my family in Canada for the holidays and I really can't wait. I've been apart from them for four months and hated every minute of it. To say I'm excited is an understatement!

Book 2 is moving along at a pace now. Everyone is in trouble. Exciting times.

I've just heard that WE ARE THE DEAD is with its copy editor now, the wonderful Lisa Rogers, who also happens to work on Joe Abercrombie's books. I'm a huge Abercrombie fan so I am really excited about that!

Apparently the cover is nearly ready to share with me. I was hoping to see it this week but apparently it'll be ready early next week - most likely when I'm flying across the world.

I'm powering on with Book 2, hoping to get it finished by the end of the year. This won't be helped by my moving to Canada to rejoin my family and, of course, the holidays but I'll get there. It's got real momentum at the moment and, I think, I'm living up to my promise to make everything worse for all my characters.

In book 1 news, WE ARE THE DEAD is now coming out on June 13th 2019, that's one month earlier than was planned. There should be ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) going out in the world early 2019... eeek. I'm also hoping to see The Cover this week. Something else to freak out about.

In non-book news, I finally saw Ant Man and The Wasp this week and I have to say — I think this is one of my favourite superhero movies, I loved it. I really loved it. Exciting, funny, well-acted, smart script, pacy.... well recommended.