The last installment of Justin Somper's Black Heart tour of the States are now shown on his blog.
US Tour - Cleveland Highlights
http://www.vampirates.co.uk/vip-page/blog/JustinsUSTourHighlights3/

The telegraph have the interview on the internet too, if like me your not in the United Kingdom at the moment.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/bookclub/5251425/Family-book-club-something-to-get-your-teeth-into.html

There is a major interview with Justin Somper in this Saturday's Daily Telegraph's Weekend Section, as Black Heart is the Family Book Club choice for May.

The third installments of Justin Somper's Black Heart tour of the States are now shown on his blog.
US Tour - Chicago Highlights
http://www.vampirates.co.uk/vip-page/blog/justinsustourhighlights2/

There is a major interview with Justin Somper in this Saturday's Daily Telegraph's Weekend Section, as Black Heart is the Family Book Club choice for May.

Straight from an email from vampirates.co.uk
"If you missed Justin on tour in the UK in March, fear not! He’s going to be doing a number of festivals and other public events during the rest of 2009. Full details will be announced soon on STOP PRESS! but we can reveal to you lot this very day that he’s signed up for festivals in Edinburgh (August), Bath (September) and Appledore in Devon (October)."

The some of the latest review can be found on the following links
http://community.livejournal.com/booky_talk/10707.html#cutid1
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6653586.html?industryid=47152
ALSO Saturday 2nd May's Daily Telegraph's Weekend section.

You have got to check out Bob Lea's latest pictures of the vampirate characters in Black Heart. Sidorio and Lady Lola Lockwood have been busy.
Please view them and his other wonderful pictures at http://boblea.deviantart.com/gallery/#Vampirates

The first two installments of Justin Somper's Black Heart tour of the States are now shown on his blog.
US Tour - Philadelphia, Texas Highlights
http://www.vampirates.co.uk/vip-page/blog/Howdyguys/

US Tour - Houston Highlights
http://www.vampirates.co.uk/vip-page/blog/justinsustourhighlights/

For those of who are more artistic check out the Vagabond for discussions on the artistes fan chat and more vampirates gossip
Please See thevagabondvp.proboards.com/index.cgi

You have got to check out Bob Lea's latest pictures of the vampirate characters in Black Heart. I love the one that matches up with chapter 44 of Black Heart, but then again I am biased towards one of the characters.
Please view them at http://boblea.deviantart.com/gallery/#Vampirates

Justin Somper 'is on a book tour of the United States, will greet fans at "Vampirates Breakfast," 10 a.m. Saturday, April 4, at Magic Tree Bookstore, 141 N. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park.

"We are going to have a traditional breakfast with the author," said Magic Tree co-owner Rose Joseph. "We'll have coffee or juice, and probably donuts. However, the treat will be having Justin Somper. He's from the U.K. and he'll be talking about his books, which are unique." She noted that the series is set "sometime in the future although many aspects of them seem very historical.""

Please see www.pioneerlocal.com/oakpark/entertainment/1499924,dw-famfriendly-040209-s1-justinsomper-vampirates.article

On Friday 13th March at lunch time in Dublin, Justin Somper joined Derek Landy (Skulduggery Pleasant) and Sarah Rees Brennan (The Demon’s Lexicon), for the launch of Eason's Darkside promotion. See http://www.tv3.ie/videos.php?video=6657&locID=1.65.74&page=1 for the TV interniw just before hand.

Justin had an interview with the Portsmouth news about one of his favourite books, Charlie In The Chocolate Factory
Please See www.portsmouth.co.uk/myfavouritebook/Justin-Somper-Charlie-And-The.5052737.jp

Between March 30th and April 9th, Justin Somper will be visiting Philadelphia, Houston, Chicago and Cleveland (none of which he has been to before). He will be attending the following public events.

Philadelphia

March 31st Evening - Booktenders' Secret Garden, 20B Donaldson Street, Doylestown, PA 18091-4222, Tel: (215) 348 7160

Chicago

April 4th, 10:00 am Breakfast with the Vampirates! - The Magic Tree, 141 N.Oak Park Ave, Oak Park, IL 60301, Tel: (708) 848 0770
April 4th - Library visit with Wonderland Books and Toys, Chicago. Full details tbc. (Wonderland Books and Toys, tel: (815) 394 1633.)
April 6th - Barnes & Noble, Chicago - evening event. Full details tbc.
April 7th, Evening - Anderson's Bookshop, 123 West Jefferson, Naperville, IL 60540, Tel: (630) 355 2665.

Cleveland

April 9th, Evening - Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Legacy Village, 24519 Cedar Road, Lyndhurst, OH 44124, Tel: (216) 691 7000.
For more information please see http://www.vampirates.co.uk/stop-press/stoppressjustinsustour/

Ilford Recorder's Black Heart Review is available to read.
Please see http://www.ilfordrecorder.co.uk/content/redbridge/recorder/whatson/story.aspx?brand=RECOnline&category=WhatsonBooks&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=whatsonnewham&itemid=WeED10%20Mar%202009%2019%3A01%3A09%3A433

From Nugglebuns
"Ahahahaaaaa ^_^ Bob is amazing, it really sucks they got rid of him, he's much better than the other illustrator who stuffed up all the characters! He made Connor and Grace blonde when they have red auburn hair! No he and I dont mind at all!! ^_^

Go for it! I asked Bob and he doesnt mind at all, he said you can go right ahead and post the blog and the pictures!!!"

Boatswain Duck's Foot Darcy is a member of the deviantart community. She asked Bob Lea about the whole cover thing and he is not allowed to say anything about the new covers, but "since bob isn't doing the covers anymore, he uploaded his own view of lorcan. this is how bob lea really visualised lorcan furey..." I am going to miss his drawings in the front of the books, I was hoping to see Darcy, Bart and Cate (oh and Ma Kettle but that is just cause I dress up as her).

http://boblea.deviantart.com/art/Lorcan-Looking-All-Sexy-Like-103186500
http://boblea.deviantart.com/art/Lorcan-s-Gonna-Get-You-103136649

See also http://boblea.deviantart.com/gallery/#3D-Vampirates

You have got to read this message I got sent .....

My name is (sorry it is our policy here not to print names) and Im actually best friends with Bob Lea. And he based Grace Tempest on me (when he did the 3D render). I have Auburn hair (like Grace), Im Australian and I have the same figure and height as Grace (in the book she has green eyes, I have blue..but that doesnt matter and she's tanned, but Justin told Bob to make her pale and Im pale). So apart from the 3 year age gap and the eyes Im Grace Tempest from top to bottom. Id love to play her if they make movies of the series!! Sadly, Bob isnt the illustrator anymore if you dont believe me that I know Bob Ill send you his email address (if you dont have it) and you can ask him yourself. So yeah....he based 3D Grace on me ^_^ cause Im the living incarnate of Grace Tempest lol!!

I've got the vampirate books which don't have the skulls on the front, the other ones, such as on demons of the ocean its the vampirate ship on the front instead. Would you be able to tell me when the next book (Black Heart) with the same style of covers are out? Are they the US covers? And have you got the picture of the Black Heart cover in that series of book covers?

All the UK covers are been revamped to be skulls with windows through the eyes. The US covers are still by their usual artist.

Bob Lea (who drew the covers of the books you have) is no longer producing the UK covers.

Win your own crewmember in the next Vampirates book!
Waterstones want you to create your own Vampirates crewmember by naming and describing them, using a maximum of 500 characters including spaces, before the closing date of 6th April 2009
Please see www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/navigate.do?pPageID=200000894

Black Heart is officially out now in the UK. See the following links for photos. He is off to Guildford to start the tour.
vampirates.co.uk/stop-press/stoppressblackheartouttoday
vampirates.co.uk/vip-page/blog/blogblackheartisout

The first Black Heart book review is in
See www.vampirates.co.uk/stop-press/stoppressfirstreviewofblackheart
www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/index.php/Black_Heart_%28Vampirates%29_by_Justin_Somper

The Nocturn
If you have not checked out the The Nocturn recently, you really have to as it has had a facelift.

http://www.freewebs.com/thenocturn/index.htm

From the blog about the new Black Heart book... "This looked similar to the first but contained a special edition of BLACK HEART which will only be available in WHSmith stores in the UK. What's cool about this is, although it is the same price as the regular edition, it contains the full text of DEAD DEEP - the VAMPIRATES mini-adventure which I wrote for World Book Day 2007. So all those of you who have been trying to track down a copy of DD unsuccessfully, you can now pick it up in one handy (and rather striking) package."
See www.vampirates.co.uk/vip-page/blog/blogjustingetsblackheart and www.vampirates.co.uk/stop-press/stopresswhsexclusive

To celebrate the publication of Black Heart vampirates.co.uk are offering all Vampirates VIPs the chance to win an exclusive print of this fantastic artwork by Kev Walker from the new book. Follow the link to enter the competition now.

From Sailor Bubblemoon66
"I just wanted you to know that there are lists of stories by fans here: www.fanfiction.net/book/Vampirates_series and here: www.fanfiction.net/community/Vampirates/53425"

"I was speaking with a representative from Eason's yesterday who said "the more the merrier" for the Friday event on O'Connell street. So probably best to direct people towards that one..."

Justin Somper will be joining Derek Landy (Skulduggery Pleasant) and Sarah Rees Brennan (The Demon’s Lexicon) on the Friday 13th March at 12pm. Eason's main outlet on O'Connell Street, Dublin, is launching their Darkside promotion which is more of a conventional bookstore signing. Probably best to call the store to check on details: 00353 1 858 3800.

If you are disparate to read the first chapter, Intruders in the Fortress, of Black Heart it is available to read on the internet.
Please see www.vampirates.co.uk/the-books/Black_Heart

All the booksellers listed below will have signed books following their events with Justin, contact them direct to order your copies.
For more information and other places visited please see www.vampirates.co.uk/stop-press/March_tour_info

3rd March - Waterstones in Guildford
4th March - Waterstones in Portsmouth
5th March - Waterstones in Milton Keynes
6th March - Newham Bookshop in Ilford

When is black heart REALLY coming out??????????? ive heard april, and ive hear feb. 28th. i would be reeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaallllllllyyyyyyyy grateful. thanks again!!!!

Below are the dates I know about. There is also a desktop widget which will countdown to the UK release of the new Black Heart book.
Please see www.vampirates.co.uk/vip-page/vip-booty/Default.aspx

Australia - 2nd March 2009 in paperback. "We have no release date for book four as yet, but we do have the same release dates as the UK." (Galaxy Book Shop)
Canada - 1st April 2009 in hardback (Amazon.ca)
Canada - 1st April 2010 in paperback (Amazon.ca)
France - 2nd March 2009 in English (Broché (Amazon.fr)
Germany - 2nd March 2009 in paperback (Amazon.de)
Japan - 2nd March 2009 in paperback (Amazon.co.jp)
United Kingdom - 2nd March 2009 in paperback (Amazon.co.uk).
Spain - "BLACK HEART is scheduled for Spanish publication in June 2009." (Vampirates.co.uk)
United States - 1st April 2009 in Hardcover (Amazon.com)

i really wish some one would put where Black Heart (yay!) will be sold OTHER then the internet.
Could you find out and post it? PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZ!!!!!!!!!???????
thank you!(

Black Heart should be available at most major book stores in the UK and USA. More book stores don't mind you going in and checking. (In the past I have asked Borders in Kingston loads of questions about books) although they will probably not know any details until two weeks before delivery. So I would wait a week and then ask your local bookshop.