AN ORC LIKE BALREK is released onto Amazon Kindle.

I am finally able to announce the arrival of the sequel to one of my earliest books, An Orc Not Like Others.

An Orc Like Balrek picks up sometime after the previous book and continues the story, catching up with old characters and introducing some new ones. The blurb goes something like this

"Balrek is not like other orcs.

For one thing, he is now the ruler of an entire City-kingdom, something that has not endeared him to many people of power and led to regular assassination attempts.

All of which makes securing his legacy and creating the first orc homeland all the more difficult.

And that was before what happened at the theatre.

This return to the City-kingdoms of An Orc Not Like Others brings together characters old and new to continue the story of the orc who truly is different from others."

This sequel has genuinely been decades in the making since it has been the back of my mind since the first one was written, though it is hardly the sequel that I had in mind way back then.

It's still a fantasy novel, it still has its tongue lodged in its cheek at times and still contains scenes of gratuitous orcery.

No orcs were hurt in the writing of this book (which really annoyed most of them).

Game of Thrones Journals - the second coming

So, you're innocently going about your business when you are struck by the greatest story idea ever (TM). You know that you're never going to remember it, so you reach into your backpack/ briefcase/ handbag (delete as appropriate), whip out your pen and your trusty journal and jot it down.

That's what should happen, but let's be honest, what really happens is you scrabble around looking for anything that you can write with and write on. Well, one of those problems has been solved with style with the arrival of these new Game of Thrones journals.

The first four in the series were embossed with the crests of the Great Houses, but this second set has gone for other symbols that are hugely important in the world of Westeros in George RR Martin's fantasy behemoth. The first is the Iron Throne, the thing that all the fuss is about and that everyone's fighting over in the first place. Next up is the seal of the King's Hand, bestowed on the most trusted advisor to the King and therefore making them the second most powerful person in the whole of the political mess. Following that is Night's Watch, denoted by the bulk of the giant wall that they defend against the Winter and the terrible things that it brings with them.  Last, but far from least, is Valar Morghulis, represented by the most famous white door in the whole of written fantasy.

That's all well and good, but a notebook's a notebook's a notebook I hear you say.

I don't hear you say that? I could have sworn I heard you say that. Well, these aren't your common or garden notebooks. The covers are not just attractively embossed in silver and gold (and yes, white) colour on faux leather jackets, but they come with inner covers bearing scenes from the show itself (Tyrion graces the Hand of the King insert whilst Arya turns up in the Valar Morghulis edition.

That's not enough, you cry. My, you are a demanding bunch aren't you? OK, so how about the fact that the paper is pretty good quality, thick and lined and not likely to bleed your ink through to the next page. How about the fact that the ribbon page marker comes as standard and an elastic band holds it shut when you're not frantically writing down your own thoughts and ideas that are so much better than that George RR Martin could ever come up with (if in fact he ever comes up with anything more anyway, since he doesn't seem to be all that on time.  Just to finalise the deal, there's a nifty little document pocket at the back for you to stash useful and interesting snippets for future reference.

 Suffice to say that they're just a bit classier than your usual 99p efforts from the newsagent and might be just the thing to inspire you to George RR Martin levels of success with the most famous fantasy series on the planet, the most successful TV show on the planet and a shedful of deadlines that you just don't seem to be able to get around to meeting.

Or you can just sit there running your hands lovingly over those oh so attractive covers crooning "Who's a pretty book then?" Your choice of course.