Only 269 shopping days left 'til Christmas 2009!

It may seem a little early to be planning for Christmas when we haven't even had Easter yet, but now could be just the time, if you want to combine your Christmas shopping with a pre-Christmas break abroad.

If that idea appeals to you, you could do a lot worse than check out the following.

Prague Christmas markets ~ 28 November 2009-01 January 2010
Prague Christmas markets run daily throughout December. A 'winter wonderland' awaits, as visitors come to soak up the atmosphere, browse the stalls and enjoy Christmas carols, warm food and hot wine.

Christmas in New York City
Holiday Lights ... Fabulous Broadway Theatre ... World-Famous Restaurants. Enjoy New York City featuring accommodations at the core of the Big Apple's holiday celebration ... and at special prices!
The Rockefeller Centre Christmas Tree ... fabulous store window displays ... Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular ... the Lighting of the World's Largest Menorah ... Grand Central Terminal's Holiday Laser Light Show ... New York City Vacation Packages will plan your special Christmas holiday vacation ... with superb accommodations, perhaps a Broadway show or tickets to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, dining reservations, sightseeing ... everything you need to experience the most wonderful time of the year.

German Christmas Markets

The magic of traditional German Christmas Markets is casting more visitors under its spell every year. Historic Christmas Markets, held in cities, towns and villages throughout the country, are becoming increasingly more popular, due, no doubt, to the enchanting Festive Season atmosphere they evoke.

The Christmas fairs and markets of Germany are unique. If you're tired of commercialism taking over this holiday period and would like to get right away for a real traditional and romantic Christmas Market you might want to consider heading to Germany where gifts are not mass-produced but craftwork of real quality.

Lapland 2009

Doesn’t Lapland sound like a festive fairytale?

Away back during the Middle Ages Lapland was better known as No-Man’s Land, but should you venture to Lapland for the holidays, it boasts several national parks worth visiting. Abisko, Muddus, Sarek and Stora Sjofallet are among many of the gorgeous parks in this unique country.

Vacationers can expect to visit Santa Claus and families get to visit Santa in his log cabin home, rather than in a busy shopping centre. Rides in wooden sleighs, hot drinks made of Arctic berries, scavenger hunts for reindeer tracks and sumptuous Lapland cuisine are among many of the treats in store for your family in Lapland this Christmas.

Breaking news!

For some exciting news about an upcoming Jonathan Green publication, click here!

The History of Christmas... from an American perspective

If you're a fan of Christmas, or history, or both, why not pick up a copy of the History Channel's, The History of Christmas. Most of it is presented from an American perspective, but of course the early origins of the festive festival were in Europe and the Middle East.

To find out more about The (American) History of Christmas, click here.

Of course What is Myrrh Anyway? is still available from all good booksellers, and as a dissection of the winter solstice/Yule/Christmas, reading it isn't restricted to 25 December!

To pick up your copy of What is Myrrh Anyway? click here.

Happy World Book Day 2009!

In case you didn't already know, today is World Book Day. So, seeing as how I now make a living from my books, I thought I would let everyone know about the different sorts of books I write and present something of a back catalogue for your perusal.

Pax Britannia

I am currently writing a series of steampunk science fiction action/adventure novels for Abaddon Books, featuring dandy hero of the British Empire, Ulysses Quicksilver. There are currently three books in the series - Unnatural History, Leviathan Rising, Human Nature - with a fourth, Evolution Expects, published in May, and with more to come after that. To find out more about the world of Pax Britannia click here.

Fighting Fantasy

To date I have had five Fighting Fantasy gamebooks published. They are Spellbreaker, Knights of Doom, Curse of the Mummy, Bloodbones and Howl of the Werewolf.

Doctor Who

So far I have written a Doctor Who: Decide Your Destiny interactive adventure gamebook entitled The Horror of Howling Hill and have contributed to the 2010 Official Doctor Who Annual (published this August).

Sonic the Hedgehog

I have also c0-written two Sonic the Hedgehog adventure gamebooks, Theme Park Panic and Stormin' Sonic.

Warhammer

I have written three fantasy novels set within Games Workshop's Warhammer world. They are The Dead and the Damned, Magestorm and Necromancer.

Warhammer 40,000

I have also written three science fiction novels set within Games Workshop's far future medieval universe of Warhammer 40,000. There are two books about the Black Templars and the Armageddon Campaign - Crusade for Armageddon and Conquest of Armageddon - and a stand-alone adventure entitled Iron Hands.

Non-fiction

I have written a number of non-fiction books as well. The most recent of these are Match Wits with the Kids, Go, Go Crazy for those Bones and What is Myrrh Anyway? Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Christmas.

As well as books I have also had published various novellas, short stories, comic strips and magazine articles.

I also go school visits and library talks. If you would like me to come into your school or local library to talk about any of my books or the writing process in general, please email me at paxbritannia@hotmail.co.uk.