From Chlotsuintha Ague
A few simple questions; Have you figured out the actors?
- Sorry until they officially announce they are making a film there will be no figured out actors. We are just making a wish list here and on the Vampirates Forum.

Anyway, when is Empire of Night coming out? I was left in suspense at Sidorio's parental side! Anyway, thanks!
- In the UK the provisional publish date is Thursday 4th March 2010 in paperback according to Amazon.co.uk. The States side of the ocean have to wait until August 1st 2010 according to the Vampirates blog.

Does that answer your questions?

According to the Vampirate Blog on www.vampirates.co.uk the first edit is finished and the artwork has been released, so the UK release date (March) is safe.

For everyone in the Americas it has been delayed till published August 1st 2010, Sorry folks I will be waiting here too.

Justin is excited as he is close to finishing the first draft of EMPIRE OF NIGHT. He says "I can honestly say that I have never enjoyed writing as much as in the last few weeks."

The book will still be released in March in the United Kingdom but sadly the US date has slipped. Justin wrote in his blog "I’m afraid that you will have to wait just a bit longer for it as it will now be published August 1st 2010. This is because it has taken me a bit longer to write than we’d hoped, but I promise you guys it will be worth the wait."

Yippee, there is a competiton on Vampirates.co.uk in the VIP section and Justin Somper has confirmed "The current competition is definitely open to those living outside the UK (I especially requested that!). Nor is there an age-limit on this one."

All you have to do is answer a Vampirate question to enter the Audio book competition. The answer can be found on the official website as well as the fan sites.

I would like to thank Spiky and my friends on Super Poke Pets and the Twilight Club on SPP, for the almost complete Twilight saga.
Please see http://www.tempesttwins.co.uk/twilight/twilight.html

I have a virtual pet and have designed several habitats for him. As the movie New Moon is about to be released, here is the story as told with the help of friends on Super Poke Pets and the Twilight Club on SPP.
Please see http://www.tempesttwins.co.uk/pics/newmoon/newmoon.html

I have just had an email that sound curious. Apparently Nintendo DS will soon be releasing the Flips range -- a new series on Nintendo DS designed to give children of all ages a fun new way to read their favourite books (including Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer). Flips uses the DS touch screen and stylus to enable children to read and interact by combining the world of storytelling with quizzes and references to characters.

So what does Eoin Colfer think "I'm over the moon to see my stories and characters brought to life on the Nintendo DS with the new FLIPS range. Everyone knows that reading improves literacy skills. I have two children who are DS fanatics and cannot wait for the FLIPS to arrive, so EA might finally get them reading my books!"

I have a virtual pet and have designed several habitats for him. So I thought I would show some of the habitats here and I wondered if the crew may have their own Vampirates work online too.
See http://www.tempesttwins.co.uk/pics/vampirates/vampirates.html

Alex Rider by Anthony Horowitz may not be a Vampirate book but it is one of the books I have been looking out for. It is coming out on 12th November in the UK and I have already pre-ordered my copy (from Red House with it's exclusive letter from Anthony Horowitz) to be sent to my Mother-in-Law. Incase I cannot find it in this part of the world or like Black Heart the hard back copy has not got neat edges.

For everyone in the UK Anthony Horowitz is doing a bit of a tour. If you are interested please see www.alexrider.com/News/Anthony-Horowitz-presents-Crocodile-Tears

The Bath Festival of Children's Literature would have finished today. I hope everyone who went enjoyed themselves. It sounded like a brilliant festival with several good books and authors listed including Jeremy Strong and Terry Deary (Horrible Histories). Syren (Septimus Heap book 5) by Angie Sage was also listed, it is out in the UK as far as I can tell, but due out in Canada (and probably America) on 29th September. Dreadnought (H.I.V.E book 4) by Mark Walden thankfully was also listed, I had not realised it had been released in the UK as here they don't seem to have heard of book 3! (Time to talk really nicely to my Mother-in-Law).

Don't forget you can still see Justin Somper at the Appledore Book Festival, on Thursday 1st October 2009, from 7.00pm he will be at St. Mary’s Primary School (£3) and the Cheltenham Festival of Literature, on Saturday 17th October 2009 with Maggie Stiefvater.

For anyone on Twitter you can now follow the official TheNocturn twitter profile. So you can catch up on news from
twitter.com/thenocturn
twitter.com/JustinSomper
www.freewebs.com/thenocturn/index.htm
and never forget www.vampirates.co.uk

As always the first place for news is the Nocturn News. For the Empire Of Night Synopsis they have both versions that have been released.
Please see http://www.freewebs.com/thenocturn/news.htm

The Nocturn is the original Vampirates Fansite and occasionally sends out emails then there is interesting news.
"Hey Everyone! 2 reasons for this email!

1) As well as reaching TheNocturn via www.freewebs.com/thenocturn,
you can now also access us via www.thenocturn.webs.com!

2) The synopsis for EMPIRE OF NIGHT has been revealed! Head on over
to TheNocturn to check it out! You won't regret it!

That's all for now folks. Happy sailing."

I always love reading positive reviews. Here is another glowing review
http://www.examiner.com/x-5645-Parenting-Humor-Examiner~y2009m7d18-Parenting-101-what-are-Vampirates

On thursday 3rd July hundreds of school children and authors visited Woodford Green's Sir James Hawkey Hall for the Redbridge Children's Book Awards. Justin Somper, Sally Nicholls, Jean Ure, Anthony McGowan, Celia Rees and Joe Layburn attended the day, where they also took questions from students and signed copies of their books.

Please see http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/4478393.REDBRIDGE__Talented_teen_wordsmiths_awarded/ for more details.