TheNocturn

Here is the cover art for the German edition of BLACK HEART, or as the German title translates to, The Heart of Darkness! It's published in May (no specific date given).

Justin's interview is in todays Daily Telegraph! Have you got your copy yet?

Also, any questions for Justin must be in my this Monday (4th May!). Send them to thenocturn@hotmail.co.uk!

Set in a future, flooded world that is plagued by cut-throat pirates, our May book of the month is most likely to be found in the fantasy section of Britain's bookshops. But Justin Somper, author of Vampirates: Black Heart, maintains there's plenty of fact in there among the fiction.

"A few weeks ago, I woke up to news of a British sailor (Malcolm Robertson) who had been murdered by Burmese pirates and the Archbishop of Canterbury was warning about rising sea levels," says Somper, for whom this is the fourth book in his hugely successful Vampirates series. "I'm not actually sure how far-fetched my story is. After all, it's only logical that if the world were to flood, there would be a return to piracy."

It's not the sort of discovery you want to make as a young teenager, but at the same time as trying to establish their own identity, Grace and Connor are also struggling to make their way as pirates, a career into which they have both been forcibly recruited (Grace with a vampirate crew, Connor with a crew whose preferred drink is rum).

What marks this book out from many a similar action tale is that the author chooses not to characterise all vampirates as monsters, but to explore what it's actually like to have to wander the earth for eternity, in pursuit of new supplies of rhesus negative.

"One of the underlying themes in the book is how people respond in different ways, both to situations and to their own appetites," says Somper."For example, if a normal pirate's life is meant to be a short but merry one, how do you make it meaningful if you're a vampirate and there's this endless expanse of time stretching out ahead of you?"

Probably not a question that's ever crossed your mind; nor had it occurred to the author when he first came up with the idea for the books.

"It was just this one word, vampirates, that got the whole thing going," he recalls. "I knew at once these were going to be adventure stories, but at the same time, I did want them to be character-, rather than plot-led. I hope that the twins' voyage of discovery will strike a chord with young readers, particularly those whose parents are going through the process of separation and divorce.

"A lot of what Grace and Connor have to deal with is what many contemporary young teenagers experience; in terms of the violent world they inhabit, there are certainly parallels with teenage knife crime today."

As well as investing his stories with emotional relevance, Somper also wanted them to have some basis in historical fact; thus Cheng Li, the female pirate captain at the centre of Black Hearts, is based on a real-life buccaneer called Cheng I Sao, who, in the 19th century, controlled a fleet of 2,000 pirate ships in the China Seas. Meanwhile, the aristocratic vampirate anti-heroine Lady Lola is an echo of the 16th-century Hungarian countess Elizabeth Bathory, who carried out hundreds of murders and allegedly bathed in her victims' blood.

There is plenty of scope for horror, then, though most of the really gruesome stuff takes place out of vision (we hear the screams and the sounds of battle). And towards the end of the book, we even get a touch of teenage romance.

"There's always time for a bit of hand holding," says Somper, who reckons his key audience is 10- to 14-year-olds, with the odd eight- or nine-year-old thrown in. "But not too much. There are two more books left in the series, and I can promise a lot more swashbuckling and bloodsucking to come."

(THIS IS WHAT WILL APPEAR IN THIS WEEKENDS TELEGRAPH!)

UK readers listen up! This Saturday (2nd May) get your buts down to your local newsagents or wherever newspapers are sold and grab a copy of the Daily Telegraph! Why? Because there will be a brand new "major" interview with Mr. Somper himself! BLACK HEART is the Family Book Club's choice for May, and to coincide with this, Justin was interviews by the Telegraph's Chris Middleton. Don't miss it. I will get a copy and TRY to post scans. Don't hold me to it though! Got a busy weekend this weekend!

Don't miss it! And spread the word!

Goodness! Where have I been. Everyone, I am so sorry that I haven't been around much the last few months. Have been very busy trying to get life back on track (not in a "I've gone off the rails" kinda way but trying to get back into employment kind of way!) and haven't had much time to come on here! I have missed a few things, which I see have been reported on the forums, so I feel it would be pointless me posing stuff here that you guys have read countless times, so the next time any news is located I shall hone in on it and post it here. Like when this Bob Lea cover for BLACK HEART (it's being used on some overseas editions) is released!

Sincere apologies everyone.

-Ryan/CaptainN
Owner, Creator & Admin of TheNocturn

I have just finished reading VAMPIRATES: Black Heart.

Verdict: AMAZING!

Ta-Da!!! What do you think? I love this version of TheNocturn. I think it is the best yet! Let me know what you think. Either PM me on the forums. Drop me an e-mail at thenocturn@hotmail.co.uk or if you have me on MSN, tell me on there!

But it is not just NocturnHQ that has a new layout... oh no. So do the forums! If you still have the BLOOD CAPTAIN skin, then follow these instructions to get the BLACK HEART one. Go to PROFILE. Click MODIFY PROFILE and about half-way down the page there is a drop down menu allowing you to choose your skins. The skin used for BLOOD CAPTAIN is called Vampirates1. You want Black Heart. :) And voila! There it is. Again, let me know what you think.

Okay... so I now have BLACK HEART! Courtesy of Justin Somper and his publisher Simon
& Schuster. I have to say that the artwork is striking! I really like it.

So here is some new info that we have learned today!

-BLACK HEART is 400 pages long, making it the second shortest book in the series.
In length order, the series goes... DOTO, BLACK HEART, TOT, BLOOD CAPTAIN.
-The 3D effect that Justin has mentioned is amazing.
-This is the first book to include a "THE STORY SO FAR SECTION", so that
you don't have to re-read the first three books before reading this one... But where is the fun in that?
-The back cover is nice. I like the font used. (Its the same as the one used for
"JUSTIN SOMPER" on the front.
-The skull is also on the spine!
-Do you remember the age branding subject? A lot of controversy about age branding books, putting the ages on the back
of books? Well guess what? BLACK HEART has one. 10+
-The cover illustration is by Kev Walker (we know this!) and the cover
design (so piecing it all together) was done by Nick Stearn.

And now for some photos. :)

The back cover photo is big so that you folks can read it. :) Enjoy.

There are now just 9 days until the release of BLACK HEART. And finally, Captain Somper has his copies as he revealed in his blog this week.

Here Justin is with BLACK HEART

And here he is again, but the edition in this photo is a SPECIAL EDITION and is available only in WHSmith stores. It includes the full text of DEAD DEEP!

Now, I actually have BLACK HEART! :D I am off to read it. I shall post some photos later!!!

I can hardly believe it. Just 2 weeks left until the publication of the fourth VAMPIRATES book, BLACK HEART. It seems like only yesterday that we were counting down to BLOOD CAPTAIN when it was released in September 2007! Now here we are, 18 months later with a new book about so come out! Excited much? Lol

Anyway, here are some better views of the covers for TIDE OF TERROR, and BLOOD CAPTAIN.

You will be able to find the new editions of DEMONS OF THE OCEAN, TIDE OF TERROR and BLOOD CAPTAIN in stores around the same time as the release of BLACK HEART.

Also, next week I will be making The Black Heart Room. This will be for people to chat about BLACK HEART, but those who have finished the book. It will run like the BLOOD CAPTAIN board did. PM me for the password once you have finished the book. For now, enjoy the countdown. To pass the time, why not re-read the first three books? That's what I am doing!

Over at www.vampirates.co.uk, the MEET THE CREW section has been updated with the new images of the characters, drawn by Kevin Walker. Here, is a montage posted on the site!

(From Left-Right: Lorcan, Lady Lola, The Vampirate Captain, Cheng Li, Connor, Grace, Sidori and Molluco)

Ok. So there is a lot to get through... so here goes...

Item Number 1) The first chapter of BLACK HEART is titled Intruders In The Fortress and you can read it now by hearding over to the official VAMPIRATES website! I have just finished it and it is very good! I cannot wait to read the rest of the book!

Item Number 2) From the chapter, we gather that the skull and vampire skull chapter headers are no longer going to appear! However, this is not confirmed, but it does look likely.

Item Number 3) Head over to the official VAMPIRATES website where you can now see the cover art for the re-issue editions of TIDE OF TERROR and BLOOD CAPTAIN. TIDE OF TERROR has a blue background and a yellow skull and BLOOD CAPTAIN has a green background and red skull. I quite like them. I am working on getting a better pic but none have been uploaded to any retailers yet. They will be posted as and when they appear!

Item Number 4) The BLACK HEART Countdown Widget! Yes, that's right! Vampirate VIP's over at the official site can now download a widget to go on their desktop to countdown the days, minutes... even seconds until BLACK HEART hit's the UK!

That is all for now. All the news, as and when it comes.

The amazing Rhos (aka welshrose) has created a Bebo group dedicated to the VAMPIRATES books!

To join, go to: http://www.bebo.com/VampiratesSeries.

I was just looking around the web and was on Simon And Schuster's website to see what it had to say about BLACK HEART. It comes in at 416 pages, so around the length of TIDE OF TERROR. And then I saw... "See an excerpt" button. And here is what I found! It appears to be the graphic novel style spread under the cover that Justin mentioned. There is one for DEMONS OF THE OCEAN here...

and one for the aticipated BLACK HEART, here!

 An e-mail has just been sent out by Team Vampirates at S&S and theres a lot of stuff said. In case you didn't get one or it hasn't arrived yet, her it is in its entirety. It includes info about an amazing competition (open to UK residents only!)

Ahoy there Vampirate Fans! It’s been a busy 6 months for Justin Somper and Team Vampirates as we countdown to the publication of the fourth Vampirates novel, Black Heart. The book hits shops and libraries on 2nd March 2009 and we’ve got lots in store to celebrate. As you can see there is a stunning new cover design with artwork by Kev Walker who some of you might recognize from the Young Bond: Silverfin graphic novel. The books will have a cut-through outer cover and then comic-strip style illustrations on the inside cover. This means lots more of our favourite Vampirates characters will be illustrated for the first time, so keep an eye on the website as we reveal new character illustrations over the next month or so. Many of you have been checking out the regular updates on Justin’s blog and he has been thrilled with all the great questions and comments he’s been getting from around the world. Keep it coming! If you've not been checking out the blog, take a look, it's just one of the many added extras you get as a Vampirates VIP.

Vampirates Competition Talking of added extras, do you want to be one of the first Vampirates fans to get your hands on a copy of Black Heart? We are looking for 5 Vampirate VIPs to review the new book ahead of publication. All you’ve got to do is go to the competition page add your details and tell us why you should be one of the first people to review the book. Once we’ve had your feedback we’ll post a selection of the reviews on the site. Sorry all those avid readers from further afield, this competition is only available to residents of the UK and the Republic of Ireland. However, in the new year we’ll post a sneak preview chapter of Black Heart on the site, so everyone can have a little taste of what is to come. We think Black Heart is Justin’s most brilliantly scary Vampirates book yet. Will you agree? We can’t wait to find out. We had a fantastic response to the last Vampirates competition. The winner was Yanmin with this amazing poem dedicated to the fearless Cutlass Cate: Swish! Swash! Snicker and snack! When you?re a pirate there?s no going back, When you find yourself on the sea When you?re fighting alongside me You?ll tell yourself ?I?m lucky indeed, To fight next to one with so much valour and greed, So much restless energy burns in her soul So many plans underneath the strands of red gold So nimble and clever is her body and mind So businesslike yet so kind Look how tall and proud she does stand With her trusty sword in her hand At fighting she?ll beat every man Because she believes, so she can Arrr, I am glad to be a pirate mate Of the all powerful, all wonderful Cutlass Cate!!!!

Crew Confidential While you are waiting for the first look at Black Heart why not take a look at the brand new Crew Confidential feature.   Christmas is the time for some glitz and sparkle, so its only appropriate that this time it’s the turn of the glamorous Darcy Flotsam to step into the spotlight

Events This week sees Justin do his last event of 2008 and he is finishing the year in style at the British School of Paris. Justin was also on Go4It on Sunday with the crew pictured alongside. You can catch it on listen again until the end of the week. A big thank you to all of you who hosted or attended a Vampriates event in 2008, it’s been a fantastic year and each visit has been really special. Next year will be packed with even more author appearances for Justin with a two week tour of the UK in March and then a two week tour of the USA in April. We’ll be posting full details of his itinerary, so do come to see him when he's in your area. Trust the Tide! Team Vampirates

The US cover art for BLACK HEART has been unveiled!

Nice isnt it! A US tour has also been announced for April 2009! Dates have yet to be announced.

The cover of the re-issue of DEMONS OF THE OCEAN has been unveiled! See it below in all its glory!

It is being re-released in December! And... another piece of news... it is being given away free with pre-orders of J.K. Rowling's The Tales Of Beedle The Bard from Borders. This will be brilliant publicity for the books! Lets hope some Harry Potter fans like it, eh!

OMG! The cover for BLACK HEART has been released and it is amazing. Justin has said that it is die-cut(meaning that it is cut out... the eyes will be holes then) with a graphic style spread underneath. I really like it. Its refreshing and very original. See it in all its beauty below!

It is released on 2nd March.

Justin today posted a new blog which includes some great and exciting news. Read below. Or if you prefer, go to Justin's site (www.vampirates.co.uk)

Hello you oh so patient people! Sorry that I've been somewhat silent of late. There have been GOOD reasons. Which we'll come to later. But, firstly, Edinburgh...

I had an excellent third visit to the Edinburgh International Book Festival. I received a lot of reports of heavy rain in Edinburgh the week before I ventured up and, indeed, on arrival, I wondered if I'd come to Glastonbury rather than Ed'boro. Charlotte Square Gardens, home of the book fest, were a bit of a quagmire.

But you know what? The sun came out for the duration of my stay! And the gardens dried out. My event was great fun and the chapter I read from BLACK HEART (featuring my new villainness Lady Lola Lockwood) seemed to go down well. At the end of the event, I had a wonderful surprise. Eileen, who many of you know as Quarx, emerged from the crowd and presented me with a glass tankard, engraved with the words, "From the Vampirate Forum Fans and Fan Sites". It's really cool. I'm drinking (water) out of it as I write this. Ship's Mouse - I think you had something to do with this. Thanks to you and everyone else involved for a really kind thought. I shall treasure it.

It was great to meet everyone after the event. As well as Quarx, I must give special mention to Connor (!), who braved it even with his leg in plaster (which I duly autographed) and young Joss, who dragged his family over from Aberdeen. Great to see all of you.

There's more news for you, below, but now onto your comments and queries. Quick housekeeping note - please do try to post your comments on the most recent blog. That way I am guaranteed to pick them up. OK, nuff said. Back to you...

Thomas, you can write to me c/o Simon & Schuster Children's Books (Publicity), First Floor, 222 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1X 8HB. I think the current comp has now closed but look out for another soon!

Duck's Foot Darcy - I've passed on your comment re: visiting the South East to my tour team. I did an event in Worthing but that was a while ago!

Ktbeth - You asked if I have a list of books I like to read while I'm writing. Frustratingly, I'm one of those writers who finds it hard to read much when I'm writing. I'm trying hard to change this as I plan to spend most of my life writing and I love reading so you can see the incentive to change. I always have a pile of books on my bedside table. I've got two on the go at the moment - P D James' new one, THE PRIVATE PATIENT and a book by Japanese writer Haruki Murakami called WHAT I TALK ABOUT WHEN I TALK ABOUT RUNNING. Oh and I just had a sneaky read of Anthony Horowitz's next book, THE POWER OF FIVE: NECROPOLIS. It's awesome - one of his very best.

Brooke - thanks for the post but I can't really answer your qs without giving spoilers!

I luv mangos - thanks for your post. And say hi to your grandma ;-)

Sasha Lebrie - I think you're going to like my new vampitre/pirate/highwaywoman character Lady Lola Lockwood. Thank you for the recommended reading on female pirates. I will check it out.

Diernal day - I haven't read any fan fiction on the nocturn forum. I'm intrigued to do so but I feel it's safer not to in case I come up with similar ideas for future plots. That way, I can be certain that they are MY ideas. Signing in Wakefield? Would love to. We'll post up all public events on the NEWS section here as and when.

Lady Mort - We will be posting up a chapter or two from BLACK HEART right here ahead of publication. So don't worry that you didn't make it to Edinburgh. You will not miss out! As to when? Well, I think my editors will want to edit the book before anything goes up but I'll talk to them about this asap.

Baige knightingale - welcome aboard!

Natawie - it is GREAT walking into a bookshop and seeing your books, all the more so when you're abroad and they don't know that you're in town. Really gratifying.

Calumjk2 - there will be at least two more main books in the VAMPIRATES sequence post BLACK HEART, plus a little extra in the shape of GRACE'S BOOK OF CROSSING STORIES, which I am just starting to work on now.

Gennysis - congrats on your results! Sorry to hear your book broke! Sounds like you have the US editions of the books which have very different, but nonetheless striking, jackets. Oh and yes, my name IS my real name.

Amanda - no firm date for publication of DEAD DEEP in the US, I'm afraid. But I'm told it WILL happen.

Notorious Black Bart's daughter - You were asking about my exam results. That's so LONG ago now, I can barely remember ;-) I always did pretty good in English but not, by any means, in every subject. I don't think you need any specific grades to be a writer. Plenty of writers (including the likes of superstar Roald Dahl) did not excel at writing at school. As to what to study, well I did study English and American Literature, which certainly exposed me to a wide range of literature and included a small creative writing component. But I don't think it's essential to study English at uni to become a writer. It IS essential to read and to write. Simple as that.

Rough waters - I try to reply to as many posts as I can each time. It's great to be able to communicate with readers like this.

Megan - There is no authorised movie but I know that some fans are putting together unauthorised stuff on youtube etc. Very flattering but if and when there is an official movie deal, you lot will be the very first to know.

Almost time for me to go but before I do, I have been alluding throughout this post to some Big News.Well, it's pretty simple really. I have finished BLACK HEART. The first draft of it anyhow. It was down to the wire but I made my September 1st deadline.

I e-mailed the manuscript off to my agent and my American editor Nancy. But I took it in person to hand over to my UK publisher Venetia. As you can see, she was quite eager to get it into her hands!

So now I'm waiting to hear what they think and to get working on the editing process. So all those of you who asked me whether I could remember what it was like awaiting exam results, I'm going through a very similar process!

Until next time... Trust the tide!

Justin

BLACK HEART, the fourth book in the VAMPIATE series by Justin Somper has had its publication post-poned by two months. The book which was schedueled for publication on 5th January will now have it's general release on 2nd March 2009. Here is what Justin had to say on the matter when I asked him to confirm or deny the publication date change:

I am happy to announce that on monday I will be uploading some new material to the Interview Page. I just this afternoon recieved an email from Justin including the answers and oohhh are they good!

They should be up towards about 6pm BST, but don't hold me to that. I am busy at the moment so will put them on during a spare moment.

The Secret Room is, as you would expect, for secrets. Head on over to the forums and PM me, CaptainN, for the password. It is quite important and I would like as many members as possible to join in!!!

Yesterday, Justin updated his blog over at www.vampirates.co.uk. In it, he said that this week, he had a meeting with his editor to discus the cover for BLACK HEART. Read for yorself! :)

Hi guys.

Thanks so much for all your comments. Great to see so many of you on here, from all over the world (I've counted the UK, USA, Australia, Cyprus and Brazil so far, but let me know if I missed anyone out!). Oh and whie I think of it, Grace Rocks, you asked about publication date of BLACK HEART in the USA. Probably March/April 2009 I reckon. And Beavery, probably around that time or even earlier in Australia.

I'm really pleased to know you're enjoying the new site. Me too! I gather that some of you are keen to have more characters, namely Darcy and Stukeley, added to the MEET THE CREW section. We hear you and will get working on that. Watch this space!

I had a busy old week. Went up to Norwich for the day last Tuesday, to take part in Waterstone's Monster festival up there (following in the awesome footsteps of Graham Marks, Steve Cole and Meg Rossoff amongst others). I think I cursed my travel there by saying to a friend 'oh, it's a nice easy rail journey to Norwich'. Not so on Tuesday when there was complete chaos at Liverpool Street. I ended up getting a train to Ipswich and then a taxi all the way to Norwich, racing to George White Primary School (hello guys - thanks for your patience!) where I was due to do a session and, more importantly, to officially open their fab new library. I even got to snip a ribbon.

After the school visit, I hotfooted it to Waterstone's to meet some more Vampirates fans, including a family of two brothers and a cousin who all had their own copies of every book (very impressive!). The lovely people at Waterstone's gave me a goodie bag of treats from Norwich - including a bottle of local beer, a jar of mustard and a bag of Kettle Chips. Did you know they all heralded from Norwich? Well, now you do!

When I returned to base, I found a package of books from my literary agency. I opened it up to uncover two copies of the just-published Finnish edition of TIDE OF TERROR. I really like the jacket of this, even though they've moved away from the cover/logo most other countries have used. It's got a rather quirky, Tim Burton feel, don't you think, which I reckon suits the story well. I love getting copies of all the international editions of the books but my bookshelf was becoming very chaotic so I took the opportunity to re-organise the shelves with just one of every edition, organised by country. I've resolved to maintain this order but we'll see how long it lasts.

I had another good writing week, mostly following Connor's story and his relationship with Cheng Li. Also had some exciting discussions with my UK editor about the cover treatment for BLACK HEART. Can't tell you very much at this stage, except... prepare to be blown away!

Keep sending in your thoughts and queries and...

Trust the tide!

Justin

AGE 8 – 12 I 3.00pm I RBS Corner Theatre I £3.50

top secret sneak preview of Black Heart – not out until 2009!

Thats right folks! You heard it here first. Go to http://www.edbookfest.co.uk/ to book!

I receved an email from Justins publicist which sheds some light on some of the recent going ons... Penny also gave us the official launch date for the redesigned website!!

Hi Ryan

Good to hear from you. I think Justin’s email is back up now.

He is doing an event in Norwich on 10^th June –there will be a public stock signing at the Waterstones Castle Street c. 4.30pm but will confirm that exact timing via the Vampirates & Waterstones websites shortly..

The new book is going to be called Black Heart and will be out early 2009– we shall be announcing that officially via the website on the 26^th May – this is also the date the new look website will launch. Do let us know what you think of it. We’ve completely redesigned it so that we can update the content much more easily and Justin will be launching his new blog on the site at the same time.

Best wishes

Penny

PUT THAT DATE IN YOUR DIARY FOLKS! 26th May!

The synopsisfor Book Four of the VAMPIRATES series has been unvelied on Amazon, and it sounds a corker. SPOILER BEWARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

<HIGHLIGHT TO READ> There's a new ship of vampirates roaming the seas, leaving a trail of fear and devastation in its wake. When a high-profile pirate is slain, the Pirate Federation takes decisive action and begins training up a ship of dedicated vampire hunters. The team will be led by newly appointed Captain, Cheng Li. Amongst her dynamic crew is young pirate prodigy Connor Tempest. Meanwhile, Connor's twin sister Grace enjoys a bittersweet reunion with their mother. Sally Tempest has some important and shocking news for Grace - the twins' real father is not the man who brought them up. When Sally disappears, Grace is left to pursue the mystery of her true parenthood alone. As she finally uncovers the shocking truth, she knows that both she and Connor are facing a very uncertain future. <HIGHLIGHT HERE TO READ>

The title for Book Four has been revealed thanks to avid forum member Quarx. BLACK HEART will be published on 5th January 2009 with an extra book being published next year. This second book will be a collection of the Crossing Stories that Grace has compiled during her time with Vampirates. Not much is known about the book, but JUstin does say that we will learn a lot more about Grace and Connor's past.

Meanwhile, with all this new book news I am here to comfirm that NOT A Million Mysteries will be returning on 1st December. You may think that it is a long way off but I am currently trying to find debatable things throughout the books for the current plan is to have a Mystery uploaded everyday... this might not happen due to there not being enough, but I am trying my hardest to find 34 questions that will lead from 1st December to 4th January (day before BLACK HEART is published).

News as it comes.

The supposed UK Release date for VAMPIRATES 4 (V4) has now been changed on Amazon from 1st September 2008 to 5th January 2009. This would mean a whole year with no new VAMPIRATE reading material. I can hear you scream now. This has not been confirmed as no one can get in contact with Justin. Perhaps it could be a good thing. It means the more time he has to work on it, the longer the book. I hope its around the same size as BLOOD CAPTAIN.

News as it comes!

First off, from The Nocturn, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR! It's been a great year for the Vampirates and we hope 2008 will be better.

Second of all, Amazon.co.uk is now listing VAMPIRATES #4 for publication on 1st September 2008. This has not been confirmed and it seems that Justin's e-mail system is down so it cannot yet be confirmed. The latest news as it comes.

The cover for the US edition of VAMPIRATES: Blood Captain has been released. Here it is below:

NOT A Million Mysteries has now ended and will return, hopefully in 2008, when Book Four is nearing publication. It has been a lot of fun and I look forward to it returning!

Amazon.ca, the canadian branch of Amazon are promising that Vampirates 4, which is currently untitled, for a publication of 1st April 2009. Please can I just say that Justin hasn't said anything about V4 just yet but I recently sent him some more questions for the Interview Page. If anything major is said then you shall know.

Amazon.ca is also promising BLOOD CAPTAIN for a release date of 1st April. If this is a correct date it shall only be in Canada as the US publisher has said it will be available June 2008.

The publication dates of the Australian and German dates have been released.

Australian- 1st November 2007.

German- February 2008 (No specific date yet).

Also, VAMPIRATES: Dead Deep will be published in German around the same time as BLOOD CAPTAIN.

The third book in the amazing Vampirates series, BLOOD CAPTAIN, is officially published today! Go out now and get a copy of it. It is the best book in the series by far with some major twists and plot lines!

For people in Australia, BLOOD CAPTAIN will be published in November. In the US, June 2008. For other international dates, check with the publisher.

Meanwhile, I have sent a new set of questions to Justin to update the INTERVIEW section with. News on when they arrive!

also, I would just like to say that I shall be uploading The Bloody Survey this week in little sections. It takes a lot of time to put them together. It should be ready for you to fill in full by next Monday.

In 7 days time, VAMPIRATES: Blood Captain will be unleashed upon the UK.

I think I join everyone in saying, ROLL ON Blood Captain! Wahooo!

Well, its the second week of August so here comes the second NOT A Million Mysteries Question.

Is Lorcan really blind?

Go to the NAMM page to answer. Also, will be the results of Question 1.

Secondly, the Forum is now open! Feel free to head on over NOW!

TheNocturn has a new feature launching on 17th August. And it's called Vampirate Chat. Basically it is a chatroom hosted by me which enables fans around the world of Vampirates and users of the site to chat freely about the series. It is live and will only be open on Fridays between 5pm-6pm BST. I will try and find out the international times. So that I know where to find times for, please go to Leave a Message and tell me or send it through the Comments page.

Thanks

TheNocturn is getting a new and better forum! I've been working on it for a little while and am today announcing that it will be openning on the 6th August.

You can get to it now to register but you will not be able to post yet. The link is: http://nocturn1.proboards56.com. So head on over now!

NOT A Million Mysteries has been launched today! The first question has been uploaded and you now decide! The question is...

Did Sidorio die in the fire?

You now have your say by going to the NAMM page and answering it.

Another question next week...

There has been a lot of news today!

And I still bring you more. www.vampirates.co.uk has been updated and now includes a sample chapter of BLOOD CAPTAIN! The chapter is entitled 'The Crows Nest' and if it is anything to go by, BLOOD CAPTAIN is going to be the best of the books yet.

You can also download a PDF version which is what I have done so you can read it again and again and think about how it continues!

Also, when Justin returns for the UK, I shall ask him to place the chapter- whether it is the opening chapter or near the opening.

As there have recently been a lot of information released about this, the third book in this AMAZING series, I have decided to post an update including all of the info we now have!

On the official VAMPIRATES website (www.vampirates.co.uk) it states that BLOOD CAPTAIN is around 120,000 words- a whopping 25,000 words longer than TIDE OF TERROR! Which obviously means it has a higher page count. As reported yesterday, BLOOD CAPTAIN is said to be 544 pages awaiting personal confrimation from Justin.

Published over here in the UK on 1st September, it is schedueled for publication is Australia in November 2007 and the U.S. in June 2008.

Now for some Justin updates:

He is away in Australia at the moment doing his first ever foreign events in Sydney and Perth, whilst at the same time I have no doubts he is getting a nice tan!  Unlike we can in the UK at the moment. The sun has gone! Perhaps with you Justin!

Also, Justin will be appearing at the Edinburugh Book Festival this summer. It even says there may be some early copies of BLOOD CAPTAIN. Which if there will be I will be very jealous as I will be unable to attend the event as I live nowhere near Edinburgh! Oh well. A few more days of thinking the theories through will be okay!

Thats all for now. More news when it comes, here at TheNocturn!

Well, as you know we have a new theme here with the water background and a section of the UK cover for BLOOD CAPTAIN displayed. So, I set about creating a logo for TheNocturn and here is is:

And with it comes logos for-

 NOT A Million Mysteries:

and The Big VAMPIRATES Survey:

I will also over the next few days as I prepare for 'Not A Million Mysteries' be making these sort of logos to head every page. But they will actually all be in the same style.

Both Justin's publisher (Simon and Schuster) and Amazon.co.uk have updated their information about BLOOD CAPTAIN, the third of Justin's VAMPIRATES books and they now include a page count of the book. And as Justin promised, it is LONGER!

VAMPIRATES: Blood Captain comes in at a stagering 544 pages making it over 100 pages longer than the previous books TIDE OF TERROR. When Justin gets back from his holidays, he should be able to confirm this. However, in the weeks that lead to the books publication, I suggest we Vampirate fans start to pump some iron so that when we go to get our copy we can actually carry it home.

On Justin's publishers page, there is also a section called Q&A. These questions are ones that have been answered for a long time. They were done when DEMONS OF THE OCEAN was released. You can however see them foryourselves. http://www.simonsays.com/content/book.cfm?tab=65&pid=581194 CLICK HERE! This will take you to a page about BLOOD CAPTAIN. There, you will find the link to the Q&A section.

OK. Just to say that the site now has a watery theme. I hope you like it. I do. I think it is much better than the old one.

Also, I have made a new forum. It is in Maintanace mode which means it cannot be used by people other than me as I make it better and add different sections. But it is open for registrations. Head on down to it now! The link is http://nocturn1.proboards56.com.

Well, I realise that the start date for The Big Vampirate Survey has been and gone. I must apolagise un-reservedly about this.

I have not had computer access for several weeks after mine decided it would be fun to cark it and leave me with no means to access the internet. I have only just got a new computer so am postponing the survey to begin on the 31st August 2007 and to end on the 31st October 2007 (Halloween, adding to the Vampires part.)

I hope that this is not a problem. But I have also lost the file with all the questions for the survey so must re-write them and at the moment do not have the time.

Also, just over a month left to the publication of BLOOD CAPTAIN. Starting in August there will be an OFFICIAL countdown aswell as someting I call the 'A NOT A Million Mysteries' which are four questions for you to answer. There will be one a week and they are basically polls. This it to make the leading up to the book a bit more fun.

Last night, I recieved an e-mail from Justin in which he confirmed that he has completed BLOOD CAPTAIN.

He said: "You may have already seen the Blue Peter blog but I thought I'd drop you a line myself to let you know that the first draft of BLOOD CAPTAIN is in! I'm very pleased with it and am just awaiting feedback from my agent and editor. I'm excited, nerve-wracked and, frankly, a bit knackered!"

Justin also revealed to me, when asked if there are any deaths, that there are more than one death. Hmmm... I wonder who it could be. Although, we must wait until September to find out!

You've earned a break Justin, so enjoy it and good luck with the editing of BLOOD CAPTAIN! I'm sure it'll be great!

The Bloody Survey a.k.a. The Big Vampirates Survey 2007 is a new survey which will determine what readers love about the Vampirates books. It will run from 1st July to 1st September...

For more details, go to THE BLOODY SURVEY page...

Justin today updated his weekly Star Author blog on the Blue Peter website. There he announced that he has now completed work on the third book, VAMPIRATES: Blood Captain.

He still has the editorial process to go to but the book is still on scheduele for the September publication. No word on how many words it is or pages as the editoral process will mean some chapters being cut and refined. It is expected that an official announcement will be made some time in July/August.

The pictures below show Justin holding the manuscript. When he said about completing it, he described the manuscript as a heft beast and said that it makes a good pillow.

Justin today updated his Blue Peter blog and spoke briefly of the Cutty Sark disaster earlier this week. He included a photo of a visit he had on the ship and here it is...

In the early hours of this morning, Fire crews were called out to Greenwhich where the legendary ship Cutty Sark was docked.

Cutty Sark is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the UK and it is one of two ships in the whole world that are left that used to carry tea from China to the UK.

50% of the ship (the mast in particular) had already been removed as the ship is currently in a state of restoration however, 80% of what was left was damaged and at the moment, it is unknown whether the ship can be salvaged. Police investigating the fire are treating it as suspicious.

The reason why this is here is because Justin himself has been aboard the Cutty Sark as is stated on the Vampirates website. There is also a picture of what the ship looked like in its glory and the damage that has been done.

If you go on to www.amazon.co.uk and search for Vampirates, do not be lured or excited about the info on the page. As reported earlier, the publication date was 1st May but has not changed to 1st September but now Amazon has reverted to the origional date.

It also claims that BLOOD CAPTAIN will be 240 pages long but this too is incorrect. Justin is still writing the book and will hand it in to the publisher at the end of May. He said at the moment it is a little bit longer than TIDE OF TERROR.

Justin's publishers' website even lists the same details for BLOOD CAPTAIN but Justin says they are, too, incorrect.

It will be released on 1st September 2007.

The british cover art for the third VAMPIRATES book has been released. Here it is in its full glory.

It is now also listed on Amazon.co.uk for publication on 1st September 2007. I am creating a poster which will be uploaded here soon for readers to download and put on their walls!

BLOOD CAPTAIN, the third of the VAMPIRATES books has now changed publication date from 1st May 2007, to 3rd September 2007.

This is because, Justin asked for more time to complete the book as it is more epic. He has a deadline of the end of may but the book will definately be released in september.

Expect the cover to be released in due course.

Today is World Book Day 2007 which also marks the publication of VAMPIRATES: DEAD DEEP, the special book written and produced by our fav author.

Well done Justin! It's amazing! Go and get your copy today!