Happy Halloween!

Hello and happy Halloween! The nights are drawing in and everything is feeling decidedly autumnal after a glorious Indian summer here in the UK. Nowhere is more beautiful this time of year than the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, where we've just spent the week.

It was our third visit and I'm sure it won't be our last. The first was back in 2012 and I immediately fell in love with the place. So much so that I decided to send Poppy and Scarlett on a riding holiday there for their third Riverdale adventure, Into the Storm.

I left a copy of the book in the holiday cottage so visitors can read about Poppy's exploits at Oaklands Trekking Centre and how she falls in love with Beau, a hairy, bumbling piebald cob with a wall eye and a stubborn streak.

[I left the book in good company, sandwiched between Kate Atkinson and Alexander McCall Smith. Not literally of course!]

In between walks and bike rides through the forest I made a start on the sixth Riverdale book, with the imaginative working title Book Six.

The book is set just before Christmas. There'll be another mystery for Poppy to solve, and a few old friends - and foes - will be making an appearance, although I can't possibly say any more than that at the moment!

Planning the book has been really fun. Especially when it's with a large latte at my favourite cafe, Jittermugs...

I've also been working on a top secret project. It's a completely new venture for me and something I'm REALLY excited about. I hope to be able to tell you more very soon!

My final bit of news is that The Midnight Pony And Other Stories is now available as a paperback from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.

This collection of short novels includes The Midnight Pony, Juno's Foal and The Pony of Tanglewood Farm, all great reads for pony lovers everywhere.