The new adventures of Danger Dan and Gadget Girl!

Some of you may be wondering what Lesley-Anne has been doing since the end of her 'A' levels last November. Most of her friends are either working or on an internship while waiting to enter uni. Lesley-Anne is doing neither, well, not unless you count conducting school talks and workshops, and giving tuition to one of my friend's daughter and Andre.

But the main reason why Lesley-Anne hasn't taken on a job is because...we're writing another Danger Dan series! And here's a reveal of the cover of the very first book:

Tadah! Doesn't it look fantastic? We're so very excited!

The contract was offered to us by Epigram Books late last year, thanks to the modest success of the first Danger Dan series, and especially Secrets of Singapore. I've been keeping it under wraps till now when I'm finally ready to announce it. While I'm calling it another Danger Dan series, there are quite a few differences with this one:

1. We didn't want to continue writing about Singapore's past, especially since we feel the fifth book closed that time-travelling-into-the-past chapter quite nicely. So we decided to send Danger Dan into the future instead - into Gadget Girl's world in 2135! This series is our hypothetical take on future Singapore.

2. Since it's a new series, we thought it would be nice to introduce a brand new character. Not a boy or a girl but a furry, canine friend! Meet Dog aka Power Paws. He's cute, he's silly and based on early reviews from kid readers, he's a real hit! This time, we decided to give Gadget Girl equal billing (girl power!) so she gets her name on the masthead as well.

3. The last series centred around Singapore's history. This one has a more scientific focus - quite fitting since Danger Dan and Gadget Girl are travelling into the future. While we've always shied away from saying that our books are deliberately educational, we do try to include bits of information that can be found in our local school syllabus, so kids can learn something even as they read a fun story. In writing this new series, we've incorporated facts that are covered in the primary school science syllabus, like animals, plants, water cycle, etc. So, parents, rejoice!

We enjoyed the process of putting Book 1 together. We now have a new editor and a new illustrator, and it's fun working with this team. Elvin, our illustrator, is a comic book artist and we think he has updated Danger Dan's look brilliantly. He inks the illustrations by hand instead of digitally and we absolutely love them. Here he is, and no, he wasn't really mad at anything, he was just hamming it up for the camera. Lol!

L-R: Elvin (illustrator), Lydia (designer), Wai Mun (editor)

There will be five books in the series, so Lesley-Anne and I have been madly writing. We're planning to finish writing all five books before she leaves for university. Phew!

The first book, The Animal Abduction, will be available around mid April and we're now taking pre-orders for the book! Visit the pre-order page here. Epigram Books is offering a 10% discount for pre-orders of The Animal Abduction, as well as on all other Danger Dan books, including Secrets of Singapore. Order at least $50 worth of books for free delivery.

To enjoy the discount, apply the promo code DDGGLAUNCH2016 at the checkout. Promotion ends 30 April 2016.

We're extremely encouraged by initial reviews of the book, which have been very positive:

“This fast paced, time-travel adventure engages readers with its futuristic inventions and ideas. There is a thought-provoking message about the possible future of planet Earth, including the plight of endangered animals. ”
—Susan Grant, teacher librarian, ISS International School

“What is Singapore like in the year 2135? Certainly an intriguing premise, with an action-packed storyline that had my boys finish the book in one sitting!”
—Kelvin Ang, author and daddy blogger at Cheekiemonkies

“Danger Dan boldly goes with Gadget Girl where no Mickey Mouse-eared boy has gone before—the Singapore Zoo of the twenty-second century! I’m frothing with superpowered glee to join this duo, and their new ally Power Paws, on their most madcap adventure yet.”
—Gwee Li Sui, poet and graphic novelist

Reading level: 8-12 years old. If you're looking for an action-packed adventure book full of comedic moments, do support us and buy the book for your kids!