Please forgive this shameless bit of self-promotion, but I’ve been lucky enough to guest on the Podkast With a K, the podcast series hosted by Christian Cawley who used to run the Doctor Who Companion‘s predecessor, Kasterborous.

I’ve been on the podcast a couple of times before, although I admit to being a little awkward and not my normal charming self. WHO SNIGGERED AT THE BACK? Okay, so anyway. What was I there for? That’s the question I ask myself every day. Normally, the answer is, “to get some snacks from the fridge.” This time, however, I was there to talk to Christian about some upcoming books I’ve been working on (after I got snacks from the fridge).

During the conversation, I announce a new book from Candy Jar — Companions: Sixty Years of Doctor Who Assistants, working in conjunction with the original author of the Fifty Years edition, Andy Frankham-Allen. This update adds a lot of new information to all chapters, plus sections on the Eleventh, Twelfth, Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Doctors’ companions. There’s enough new things in there that, even without adding it to the previous book, it’d make a whole new book by itself.

You can’t order it just yet, but it won’t be long.

I also chat to Christian about some proofing projects I’ve been involved with…

It’s been great working on UNIT: A Legacy in Doctor Who, a book which is perfect for any fans, no matter how familiar they may be with the show.

And it’s been especially thrilling to proof the three Raccoons books — Cry Wolf!, The One That Got Away, and Blast from the Past! — because I used to watch the show as a kid and loved it. Plus, I got to write the blurbs! That might seem like a small thing but it was huge to me.

Yep, here they are:

Cry Wolf! by John Peel

“Why Schaeffer, what big teeth you have! Why Bert, what big fibs you tell…”

There’s been a tornado in the Evergreen Forest! Schaeffer the sheepdog has gone wild! And there are gangsters at Cyril Sneer’s mansion!

Or maybe Bert Raccoon’s imagination is getting the better of him. Perhaps his quest to become the best (and only) news reporter in the forest means fiction sounds better than fact. It’s certainly not Sneer’s three Pig henchmen making the young Raccoon cry wolf. Nope, no one will believe Bert’s crazy tales anymore.

But Bert really does have a story: the biggest thing to ever hit the Evergreen Forest. Cyril intends to pave paradise and put up a parking lot.

The One That Got Away by Iain McLaughlin

“One look at this palce andf you’ll fall in love… The unspoiled beauty of nature.”

Bert Raccoon, Cedric and Bentley have a secret fishing spot – a beautiful wild lake, home to a legendary catfish called Old Tom. This secret spot is so precious that even Cyril Sneer, now an environmental crusader, loves it and won’t trade it for a big net profit.

But it doesn’t remain a secret for very long. Soon, industry wants a bite of the pond, and all of the Evergreen Forest will suffer. But will anyone face the scales of justice?

This is a story of a community coming together to fight for what’s right. And you’ll be hooked.

Blast from the Past! by Chris McGuire

“I’m coming to give you what you deserve!”

One fine day in the Evergreen Forest, Cyril Sneer gets a letter from his former business partner…

Yes, Karl Snarl is on his way to get even with Cyril! He’s mean. He’s greedy. He’s grumpy. And he has lovely handwriting (but that’s not strictly relevant). But, all Sneer’s henchpigs know for sure is that Karl Snarl must be one seriously scary character, especially if Cyril’s terrified of him!

Time to man the defences! But will they be enough if Snarl huffs and puffs and blows their mansion down?

Oh, and Bert Raccoon intends to use a helicopter to deliver newspapers around the Evergreen Forest.

But nothing can go wrong with that, can it?

You can order all those books and more from Candy Jar!

Thank you, of course, to Christian for having me on the Podkast.