first blog ever

Hi everyone.
Is anyone there? Probably not, but if so, please don't hesitate to write into this blog. I'd love to hear from you.
This is my first time blogging anywhere about anything, so I'm not certain what I should blog about. What I had for lunch? (egg salad on a bun) Maybe not. Instead I'll just introduce myself (hi, I'm Matt) and write a thing or two about my book, The Royal Woods.
The first thing I'd like to mention is that The Royal Woods was the funnest thing I've ever written. I learned something from that, and you might be interested in hearing about it if you also like writing. What I learned is that you should always write what's fun for you to write. It's not easy to write, so you should at least make the task as enjoyable as possible by writing about something that's fun.
Another reason why it was so fun for me to write this book was that I wrote it for my daughter M. J., who was eight at the time and is now eleven. I'd write a chapter every week or so, and then read it to her. She'd tell me what she liked and what she didn't like, and make some suggestions as to what should happen next - not that I always took her advice.
The point is, it's much easier to write if you have an audience. Writing is a solitary task, and it can get pretty lonely. It helps if you have someone in mind who you are writing for. Maybe you don't have a daughter that you can force to listen to your book like I do. But a parent or a brother or a sister or a friend might be willing to listen to your story. I bet a dog might also work, although I doubt that a cat would be very helpful.
That's all for now on my first official blog. I can't wait to read all the responses that come pouring in. If you do have any questions or comments, please do blog away on this blog. I promise to blog back at you.
take care,
Matt

Get lost with Sydney and Turk in The Royal Woods

All it takes is one look.

One look for twelve-year-old Sydney and her nine-year-old brother Turk to know that everything had changed. The farm where their Uncle Frank and Aunt Lily used to live was gone, and along with it their dreams of a "happily ever after." No safe place to hide from all that had gone wrong in their world; No one, even, to say that hopping a freight train and heading West probably wasn't the best idea the pair had ever had. The farm had been their destination, but in its place was a strange new subdivision: The Royal Woods.

Now what? Rather than return home and admit defeat, Sydney and Turk embark on the adventure of a lifetime. With an eccentric wanderer and friendly gas bar attendant as their only friends--and some neighbourhood bullies as their sworn enemies--the pair struggle to make a life for themselves in their odd new surroundings.

In The Royal Woods, Matt Duggan has created a world where fantasy and reality collide--where chickens ride ponies, where golf putters are magic, and where children survive on the strength of their own wits. In this strange and wonderful neighbourhood, you never know what will happen next.