lynne
Great rating on Amazon!
Author Interview – Lynn McInroy
Do you write books as a career, or are you currently still juggling your author time with a full or part time job?
Yes, I do still juggle work and writing. I’m half of FrankLynn Technology at present, doing all the technical computer work, paperwork and inspection, and some of the manufacturing. One of the things we make is pens, quite appropriate for an author! I’m afraid, although I love using fountain pens, I write straight onto the computer.
Have you always wanted to be an author, or did some time or event in your life set you on the path?
My employed years were mainly spent as an engineer working on flight simulators for the world’s major airlines. It didn’t leave me much time for other activities. It was only when I was home with my children, and they were at school, that I felt I needed some mental stimulus and decided to learn to write. Evening classes started me on short stories, and when I began to get some success with those, I began my first novel. The Dragonstone, just published by Ghostly Publishing, is my first book to be published.
Do you always write in the same genre, or do you sometimes like a change of theme? If you haven’t already, is there another genre you would like to write?
My novels are all in the Fantasy genre, although my short stories are more varied. Looking over them, though, the ones which aren’t Fantasy or Science Fiction do tend to be a bit gory! I think I could be tempted to write a Science Fiction novel, but that’s probably the only other genre or sub-genre I feel I would like to tackle.
As a writer, what is the best thing that has happened to you, and what is that most exciting thing that could happen to you?
The most exciting thing must, of course, be being published. The most exciting thing that could happen? Reaching best seller list, having a film made of my book…
How do you view the promotion, book signings etc. Is it something you enjoy, or do you prefer the writing stage?
Initially, I was petrified at the thought of standing up in front of people and talking about my book. Now that I have visited a number of schools, I am feeling a lot more comfortable with it, and am starting to enjoy the talk and the questions. Schoolchildren can be very devious in trying to fathom how old you are!
Could you tell us something about your published books, and let us know what they are about?
The Dragonstone is my first published book. I began it to highlight the absurdity of the bureaucracy we all face today, where it’s more important to get the paperwork right than do the work well. The most obvious contrast to a bureaucrat was a wizard, and the worst problem a wizard could have was to be unable to perform magic. So Feo was born, and the curse laid on Cardevin that he must lift, or see his homeland implode and vanish under the waves. I hope that readers find his adventures both exciting and amusing, and enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
The book is published by Ghostly Publishing in the UK as a paperback and Kindle ebook. The book is available in all major bookstores, Amazon, Waterstones and WHSmiths.
A link to the reviews can be found here:
Author interview in ‘The Bolton News’
New Author Interview-BigBookLittleBook
Interview With Lynne North
This week we welcome indy author Lynne North who’s Children’s book, Caution: Witch in Progress’ was published by Ghostly Publishing in 2013 and launched at Earl’s Court Book Fair in London on April 15th.
Lynne North lives in the north west of England and works as a data analyst for one of the local Health Authorities. She has been a prolific reader all her life, and for many years has spent the majority of her free time writing. As well as being educated up to degree level, she has completed courses and received diplomas from ‘The Writing School Ltd’ and ‘The Academy of Children’s Writers’.
Lynne’s aim in life has always been to write, and she has had a sideline of freelance writing for more years than she likes to admit to having lived. This has mainly involved published articles in such magazines as ‘Prediction’. She has also completed two children’s novels, ‘Caution: Witch in Progress’ and ‘Zac’s Destiny’.
Lynne is currently working on a very different children’s humorous fantasy, ‘Be Careful What You Wish For’, and a fantasy novel for young adults titled ‘Dimensions’.
What do you do when you are not writing?
Unfortunately I still work full time as a Data Analyst for one of my local Health Authorities. I am also currently spending a lot of time promoting my recently released children’s humorous fantasy. I visited Earl’s Court Book Fair in London this year to promote the official release of my book, ‘Caution: Witch in Progress’. I enjoy holidays, walking in the countryside, console gaming when I have the time, listening to music, and reading, to name but a few of my interests. Somewhere in between all that, I sometimes find time to eat and sleep.
What inspired you to become a writer?
I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be a writer. From first learning how to write I knew I wanted to be creative. During school years I enjoyed my English classes (yes, I was the one), and even liked being set essays to write. In my teens I began writing articles for magazines, and making money from my hobby. Once writing became such an interest, to me it was a natural progression to want to write a book. The thought can seem quite daunting, and I find that I never sit back to wonder how much I will have to write to complete a book or it could seem an arduous task. Writing should be a pleasure. If the author does not enjoy writing it, then the public will certainly not enjoy reading it. Writing a book to me is a series of stages, never looking ahead to the next until I have completed the present one. When I finally look back over how much I have written, it can be quite a pleasant surprise. To answer your question, therefore, my inspiration for writing has been set by a series of moments throughout my life, that all culminated in the wonderful one of seeing my first book in print.
Current work.
What was your inspiration for Caution: Witch in Progress?
I have always loved to read fantasy. It is escapism into worlds we can only imagine, full of colour and fascination. Terry Pratchett introduced me to humorous fantasy, and I have never looked back since. What a writer. I like to think that he has been my inspiration for my humorous writing, and my witches of course! As to witches in general, I feel they have had a hard time of it over the years. There may be some bad ones (though mine are not!) but throughout history alleged witches just seem to have borne the brunt of other people’s misfortunes. If someone’s crops failed, they blamed the little old lady with the hunched back who lived down the road for walking past. If their cattle died, the cross-eyed woman stared at them funny. Tell me, how else could she stare at them? I thought it was time to follow in the footsteps of my hero, Terry, and try to raise an appreciation for witches for a change. Many of the persecuted ones in our dim and distant past were probably little more than healers and herbalists. ‘Caution’ is mainly just a story that was inside me. I love to write humorous fantasy, and even if I’m not trying to be humorous, my writing has a habit of turning that way unless I keep a very tight rein on it. I began the story and it developed quickly. Before long the characters took over, and kept me going until they had reached their last page.
Tell us about your book?
Caution: Witch in Progress is aimed at the eight years of age to young teen market.
Gertie Grimthorpe comes from a long line of witches. Unfortunately, she hasn’t really got the hang of it. Being blonde-haired, blue-eyed and free of warts isn’t much of an advantage.
Try as she might, Gertie’s spells fall flat. She manages to give her bat-headed umbrella the ability to talk, but then wishes she hadn’t when all he does is complain and insult people. Even finding an owl to be her Familiar doesn’t help. Then again, he is extremely shortsighted…
Gertie is sent to The Academy to improve her spell casting skills. She soon has a best friend in the form of Bertha Bobbit, a big girl, with a matching appetite.
Add to that a Moat Monster with a flatulence problem, the weirdest array of witch’s Familiars possible, and a warlock determined to ruin Gertie’s chances of success, and the story unfolds.
Not to mention the demon…
What research did you do for this book?
Most of my writing is straight from my mind, and involves no research whatsoever. That’s the beauty of fantasy. Anything goes! No one can say you are not right about a fantasy you create yourself. Where research is necessary (and of course it sometimes is) then I will spend as long as it takes to get it right. I did research the uses of various herbs and plants when writing about Gertie, for reasons that will be revealed in the book!
Are any elements of your book based on real life experiences/people?
I doubt if there are any writers out there who do not rely on at least some of their life’s experiences in their writing. Characters with Lancashire accents have a habit of creeping into my novels, especially when writing humour. I believe I have that off to a fine art…Then of course there’s the animated umbrella in ‘Caution: Witch in Progress’ inspired by a true incident that happened to my Mother with her wooden-headed umbrella, but that’s another story…
What are you currently working on?
I have just completed the first draft of another children’s humorous fantasy titled ‘Be Careful What You Wish For.’ Here is a brief synopsis:
‘Finn is a bored young leprechaun. He wants something exciting to happen, but never having been blessed by the Good Luck Fairy, he soon gets far more than he bargained for. This is no fairy tale…’
I am also working on a YA fantasy titled ‘Dimensions’
‘When Leah first sees the old necklace in the window of an antique shop, little does she know what life has in store for her. Increasingly drawn to the pentacle on a silver chain, Leah finally buys it and soon finds herself having strange dreams about Stonehenge. Trying to put the dreams to rest, she visits the ancient site; only to be transported into another dimension.
Leah arrives in a besieged land of wizardry, magic and demon might. The land needs the help of an Outlander, and to Leah’s disbelief and shock, she has been called.’
What is your writing process?
I find that I have to write in long hand scribbles on a pad of A4 lined paper. I throw the ideas down as they come to me without pause to worry about spelling or punctuation. My own version of shorthand (because I never learned the real thing) sometimes even leaves me wondering what on earth I wrote! If inspiration begins to wane, I then move to my computer where I begin to type up what I have written, paying far more attention to the correct format. At this point a lot of what I scribbled might get changed, but at least my ideas flowed without interruptions caused by things that I find easier to edit later. I tend to follow this process all the time. It works for me!
Do you use anything to sustain you during the writing process? Coffee? Chocolate? Music?
Sometimes music, but more times than not I just like to sit comfortably and quietly to let the thoughts flow free. I don’t write for very long periods of time at one go, because if I start to think I’m forcing ideas, it doesn’t work. If the flow stops, I go away, do something else, then head back later.
What prompted you to self publish?
Actually, I was lucky enough not to have to self publish. I was published a few years ago by YouWriteOn, a group I found online who are sponsored by the Art’s Council to help new writer’s. I then recently discovered Ghostly Publishing and approached them with my work. They decided to give me a great chance by taking me on as one of their authors. For that, I will be eternally grateful!
Can you tell us about the challenges in writing and publishing your first novel?
I have never felt challenged by writing, because it is the only thing I have ever really wanted to do. Publishing, yes, that is the major challenge. It is very hard to keep positive about your writing when it is so difficult to get an agent or a publisher to even take a look at your work. My book went through many rejections, and many rewrites. The only thing you can do to give yourself more chances at those elusive publishers is to ensure your work is the best it can be, and written and edited within all the rules and formats expected by the publishing industry. If it is at least set out correctly, then your book has far more chance of being considered. Give it your best, it deserves it, doesn’t it?
Do you ever experience writers block? How do you overcome it?
Luckily, not in any serious way. I try not to put too much pressure on myself. If I knew I had to write x number of words, no matter what, then I could well feel daunted and wonder what comes next. I work in a casual way, writing what comes easily. If my train of thought falters then I go off to do something else to let my mind sort out the next part in the background. Some of my best ideas have sprung to mind in the shower!
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Don’t give up. You are very unlikely to have your life’s work snatched up by the first publisher or agent you send it to. Be prepared for the long haul, but believe in yourself, and don’t lose hope. There could be someone out there just waiting for your book to drop on their desk. The hard part is finding them…
Why did you choose to write children’s books?
I write children’s books and YA mainly because these are the genres I feel comfortable writing, and associate most with. I could be said to be in my second (or third) childhood, but personally I don’t think I ever left my first. Life is too short to take it all too seriously…
How did you choose the genre you write in? What inspired you to write it?
I think fantasy chose me, rather than the other way round. Once I discovered ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘Lord of the Rings’ in my teens the stage was set for all my future reading habits. I think that the books we read will determine the genre of book we will choose to write. Fantasy is by far my favourite genre, so carrying that avid interest along into my love of writing and my need to be an author seemed to be the only natural progression.
How did you become interested in Fantasy
As I mentioned above it began with JRR Tolkien. I soon discovered Terry Pratchett, what a master of humorous fantasy. Terry is one of a kind and my favourite author. ‘The Sword of Shannara’ began my love of Terry Brook’s novels, followed by a long line of fantasy authors I love to read such as Terry Goodkind, Piers Anthony and Tad Williams, to name but a few!
Reader
What books have inspired you?
Probably all the books I read inspire me in one way or another. My main inspiration for humour is anything written by Terry Pratchett. The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings also have to have pride of place in this section.
What was your favourite book as a child/teenager?
It’s hard to choose one book, but the first one that comes to mind from childhood is ‘The Secret Island’ by Enid Blyton. The teenage novel must be ‘The Hobbit’.
What are you currently reading?
I enjoy reading children’s books, both to see what is doing well out there and what children like to read, and also for my own pleasure. I love Joseph Delaney’s books, and I am currently reading ‘The Spook’s Nightmare’.
What was the last book you recommended to a friend?
I think that too was Joseph Delaney’s Spook’s series. Children’s books are not necessarily just for children!
What/Who inspired you as a reader?
From a child, Enid Blyton, adventure stories, through science fiction, then in my teens onto fantasy where I have fixated ever since. The writer’s to inspire me have been all the ones mentioned in previous answers.
Just For Fun!
If ‘Caution: Witch in Progress’ was made into a film which actor, past or present, do you envision in the lead role?
Uhm, that’s a hard one. The only young actress who springs to mind for Gertie, because she is the right age, blonde, and a good actress, is Emilia Jones. Wonder if she can do a good northern accent?
If your book had a soundtrack which artists would feature on it?
I would like to give the opportunity to my cousin, Peter Nelson, who features on my book trailer. He is a talented musician with a lovely voice, and if I was doing well enough to need a soundtrack I would like him to participate in the success too.
Paper, Audio or eBook?
All, but as a first choice I would always choose to hold a ‘real’ book in my hands. There is nothing like the look, feel and smell of a new book.
Tea or Coffee?
Tea
Slippers or barefoot?
Barefoot
Shower or Bath?
Shower
Marmite: Love it? Hate it?
Hate it
Email or postcard?
Email
Caution: Witch In Progress is available to buy now in Paperback and on Kindle.
Witchy Books Launch at the London Book Fair
With celebrities and costumes aplenty, Ghostly Publishing’s launch of their two major witchy brands has seen a huge success at the London Book Fair. From Mark Boyde’s dark fairytale picture books The Witch of the East and The Legend of Mordekai Hagg – from the series The Terrible Tales of Netherwold – to Lynne North’s Caution: Witch in Progress, Ghostly Publishing’s magical offerings have increased significantly.
The company has seen great interest in their quirky books and even quirkier approach to the book industry while at the fair and can now report that deals have been agreed with national and international distribution of their existing titles!
Latest Releases:
Ghostly Publishing are continually releasing new titles, here is one of the most recent releases.
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Caution: Witch In Progress
Gertie Grimthorpe is born into a society of witches and grows up in Vile Vale, but there is something very wrong with her… she is beautiful and couldn’t be nasty if she tried.
When she finds out that she is to attend a private academy for magical children, Gertie hopes to find her witchy way in the world…
Author Interview – Lynne North
When we first met up with Lynne she’d written “Zac’s Destiny” (see review), a magical tale of a lowly miscast boy who soon realises he has a greater purpose to serve.
In her latest book a witch called Gertie embarks on magical and enchanting adventures in search of her true witch within.
The book’s pace and lightness of humourous touch echoes her previous work, engaging quickly with a pleasing call to the young “readers” inherent delight in parallel universes and quirky magical characters. The momentum is high, moving the story along whilst constantly developing our interest in the very interesting characters.
A good read for youngsters then but I wanted to ask Lynne three simple questions about writing for children.
WHY did you choose to write for children?
“This might seem a strange reason for why I choose to write children’s books, but it is mainly because I still have a childlike outlook on life. Some might say I’m in my second childhood (or third!), but in all honesty, I don’t think I ever left my first.
I love to write fantasy, and I am currently writing a YA (Young Adult) fantasy for an older market. My books to date however have been for the approx 7 or 8 to young teen age range. I like to write for an audience that will delight in fantasy, magic and humour. No one reads a book and believes quite like a child. I remember it well, and I long to be an author that children will remember as they grow up. My days of Beatrix Potter, Enid Blyton and later Tolkien will stay with me always.
‘Caution: Witch in Progress’ is my first book to be published by Ghostly Publishing, and I’m hoping this will be followed by a re-release of Zac’s Destiny. I then have another, very different humorous fantasy in the wings, followed by my YA novel.”
WHAT do your children’s books focus on?
“My children’s books are very different in content, but focus on success through effort, belief and determination. I want my readers to cheer on my main characters and to live through their troubles, plights and adventures with them. My characters might be ‘different’ in some way, like ‘Gertie’ in Caution: Witch in Progress. Being different is not a bad thing. We all have to find our own path through life and though it can be difficult, becoming who we really want to be is so important.
I love to write humour, and I hope I have achieved this in ‘Caution’ and in my latest book yet to be published. I think children are more likely to keep reading something that makes them laugh, or is exciting enough to propel them on to the next chapter. I have had great feedback from children and adults alike for ‘Caution,’ and hope to bring enjoyment to a wide audience with it. ”
And finally, what’s the secret; HOW to write for children?
“The main concern in writing for children is knowing your subject matter, the type of thing you can write for your chosen age group, and the things you can’t.
Children don’t want to get stopped in their tracks by big unwieldy words they are not sure of. If the reading flow stops, they might give up on it altogether. I try to write in a simple way, without talking down to my readers. Some love to laugh, others enjoy adventure or even to be frightened. The test is to find the happy medium in your chosen theme.
One of the best ways to learn how to write for children is, in my opinion, to read children’s books that are doing well out there. J.K. Rowling of course deserves a big mention here. I read a lot of children’s books, and thoroughly enjoy doing so. It is never a chore or something I do because I have to. I love the books of the unparalleled Terry Pratchett above all others. I also think Joseph Delaney, F.E Higgins and Angie Sage are great children’s writer’s, to name but a few.
And what is most important about writing for children? A plausible, happy ending…what more could we ask for? ”
Thank you, Lynne.
Original source: http://www.unheardwords.com/lynnenorth.html
Author Interview – Rich Pitman
What is your inspiration?
I read so many books where they are about the hero and they get into a struggle but always seem to win. But what about the villain? Who are they? What happened to them?
So I decided to write Jimmy Threepwood from the viewpoint of the villain. It needed to be dark and full of twists but also a rich, deep storyline. The main ethos of the story is that Jimmy is thrust into the world of darkness, destined to destroy the world, but he is good. He loves his mother and his father so the creatures of darkness have to find a sinister way to change his mind…
What helps you get through writer’s block?
Thankfully I’ve not had writers block yet. I love writing the action and fighting scenes and they flow from my fingers but I find it hard to write certain bits and I leave it a few days, think about, and then come back.
Jimmy Threepwood is a five book series and I have all the books planned out on a storyboard. The drawings are terrible, stick men with lightning swords but I know each section of the book. Then…I go for a run and bring the characters and the action to life as a movie in my mind. I put myself in the action and see how I would react, what I would see and smell and use that to make the characters real.
Then I sit down and write the movie in my head on paper.
Do you listen to music when you write? Have a completely silent space?
I don’t have a specific place. Jimmy Threepwood and the Veil of Darkness and Jimmy Threepwood and the Elixir of Light were written in my living room. I have the TV on silent so there’s something visual in the background to catch my eye but I can’t have any sound. It drowns out my thoughts.
When did you first start writing? What genre do you prefer?
I haven’t been writing that long, a few years maybe. I have two other stories in the pipeline after the Jimmy Threepwood series is written.
I love writing fantasy and adventure, there is lots of fight scenes, twists, magic, imagination, dragons, and snakes. This is definitely my favourite genre.
If you had to choose another genre to write, what would it be? Why?
I love writing children’s and young adult fantasy/adventure because it’s limitless. The characters can do anything, go anywhere. But, if I had to write in another genre it would have to be horror. Writing about a scary old house, that would be great.
Do you have another job and if so what is it?
I work as a Police Officer within the Gloucestershire Constabulary. I have worked there for just over ten years. That is my full time job, but it gives me time to write on my rest days.
Tell about your first book and how long it took you to write the first draft?
I wanted to write something a little different, something dark filled with creepy characters. I didn’t want it to be the hero struggling, but ultimately winning, I wanted to explore and make the villain the lead character. I wanted to investigate why a villain such as Darth Vader, Lord Voldamort or the Child Catcher were evil? What happened to them?
Jimmy Threepwood is a dark fantasy adventure series of five books starting with Jimmy Threepwood and the Veil of Darkness. The story is about a young boy destined to one day destroy the world. Due to events revealed later in the book, Jimmy is unloved by his parents and not allowed friends or close connections.
Jimmy is collected from his home and handed to a sinister creation, the Gatekeeper, Lord of life and death. He is taken to a forest where he meets three other children, each pulsating evil and he is given his first powers, thus starting his journey to end the world… But Jimmy is different. There is one clear difference between Jimmy and his companions. Love. Love for his father…But a plan is set in place to sever the affection casting Jimmy on a path of vengeance and anger.
The story is filled with mythical creatures, magic and puzzles as the four children search for powers to unlock the secrets of the world. The essence of the book is ‘…even heroes do bad things…’
Amazingly the first book only took three months to write, then the journey began…it took about a year to edit the manuscript before it was ready to be sent off and considered seriously by publishers.
List all of your titles with a one sentence synopsis of each.
So far there is only one released, although the second book Jimmy Threepwood and the Elixir of Light is out this year in Ocotber.
Jimmy Threepwood and the Veil of Darkness – Dark fantasy story mixed with magic, dragons, villains, twists and riding on a wave of limitless imagination
Who is your favourite character? Why?
My favourite character is Frank the Frog. This is a yellow mini with a red door which is rusted beyond repair and hops along the road.
This was my wife’s first car and I thought it would be great to use in the storyline. It’s something fun and a little different in a dark fantasy story.
Which character was most difficult to write?
It would have to be the Gatekeeper. He is the keeper between the realms. He was hard to write as things keep dying around him such as plants, people, but come back to life as he walks away. He also had hundreds of vile creatures crawling all over him and falling from his cloak such as cockroaches and worms.
He was difficult as in the first and second book he is just bones covered in a shredded cloak. However, the third book, Jimmy Threepwoood and the Echoes of the Past (currently being written) it explores his past, his history and how he ended up going from a human to this creature.
Do you see yourself in any of your characters?
I often use real people’s characteristics for my characters. How do they say certain words, what would they do in a situation. I find that keeps it real, brings them to life.
Surprisingly a lot of people ask me to write them in as characters.
Indie pub or trade pub?
The book is published by Ghostly Publishing in the UK as a paperback and ebook. The book is available in all major bookstores, Amazon, Waterstones and WHSmiths.
A link to the reviews can be found here
What is your favourite scene? Why?
It has to be meeting the two stone Gargoyles, Monti and Cornelius. They guard the cave entrance with a puzzle and if the children get it wrong they will be destroyed by a powerful stone bull cemented in place. But do the children get the puzzle wrong?
It’s my favourite because it has a puzzle, two very unusual characters and a massive fight scene which I really enjoyed writing. I had to think long and hard of how the children would win against a giant indestructible stone bull which walked through their mystical attacks. In the end the answer hit me and it’s now written into the chapter.
Just for fun
If you could take the place of one of your characters, which one would you choose and why?
I would say Harrry. You don’t learn about his back story until book 3 but he is aggressive and just dives straight into dangerous situations without a second thought. This causes a few problems within the group and becomes a big issue towards the end.
If you could vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go and what would you do?
My favourite place is Florida. I love Disney and visiting all the theme parks and shops on the strip. I’ve been there a few times, but I’ll be back very soon.
Universal is the best theme park I’ve been to so far. I love the Hulk ride.
Follow Rich Pitman @threepwoodbooks
Don’t forget to vote for Jimmy Threepwood in the People’s Book Prize:
http://www.peoplesbookprize.com/section.php?id=7
Web: http://www.jimmythreepwood.com
Jimmy’s Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/JimmyThreepwoodAndTheVeilOfDarkness
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ThreepwoodBooks
Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/jimmythreepwood/
WordPress: http://jimmythreepwoodblog.wordpress.com/
Earl’s Court Book Fair
Join me and many of Ghostly Publishing’s authors at Earl’s Court Book Fair. There will also be surprise guests who you are sure to want to meet! The three day event will be one to remember on 15th to 17th April 2013. My latest book will be officially launched there on Monday 15th April. Hope to see you!
Author Interview – David Satchell
1) Do you write books as a career, or are you currently still juggling your author time with a full or part time job?
I am in the enviable position of having taken early retirement. This gives me an awful lot of free time (in theory). Realistically there is not as much time available as I would hope. Currently, I am trying to create an interest in my first book (of a potential series) to justify the investment of time in the next one. I would certainly love to be writing further stories safe in the knowledge that there is a public keen to read them.
2) Have you always wanted to be an author, or did some time or event in your life set you on the path?
My book is about a dolphin and I have always had a strong affinity for the oceans and animals in general. Watching a film called ‘The Big Blue’ was the catalyst that gave me an idea that blossomed into the story of Findol. I feel that the wisdom gained from everything life throws at you helped ground the emotional base of the story in a degree of believability.I realised that I could write an exciting ‘epic’ story where the reader is carried along on a ‘road trip’ of sorts and experience the adventure with Findol. My passion for the Oceans, Cetaceans and Ecology in general will hopefully be realised in this and future sequels.
3) Do you always write in the same genre, or do you sometimes like a change of theme? If you haven’t already, is there another genre you would like to write?
I have currently begun the official sequel to Findol but am wary of throwing all my efforts into it until I know it has a receptive market. Because of this I have decided to start a completely different story in a different genre. I hope to explore the possibility of yet more genres if time permits. Without a doubt, the creative process of writing is a bit of a drug that I want to partake of in a greater manner. My latest project is a dark take on the Paranormal but I also want to write a humorous experience based Hospital Laboratory novel.
4) As a writer, what is the best thing that has happened to you, and what is that most exciting thing that could happen to you?
The best thing for me is receiving praise from a complete stranger who has read the book. It proves the value of the novel I have produced even if it is to that one individual. The greatest compliment that can be paid is to ‘touch’ someone through the power of words.
The most exciting thing would be to have Findol enjoy a degree of success and be recognised as an icon associated with ecological issues that carries him forward to subsequent adventures.It would also be to see his story on the big screen as an animated adventure that I think it lends itself to perfectly. I have always ‘seen’ the story as I write it.
5) How do you view the promotion, book signings etc. Is it something you enjoy, or do you prefer the writing stage?
I love the opportunity of promotion. When the public engages with the idea it is brilliant. I have had radio interviews and started chatting to pupils in schools and it is great to be given a platform to present Findol to the public. I jump at the chance of any opportunity to try and get it ‘out there’.
6) Could you tell us something about your published books, and let us know what they are about?
Findol is currently the only complete book I have in print.
It concerns a world with a history of Portals that once existed. They were used for transferring from the oceans to life on land in human form and vice-versa into the sea as a Dolphin for example. Findol is born as part of a great destiny. The prophecy dictates that he will save life in The Blue as well as on land from the terrible evil of Grampus. Findol however, just wants to be a ‘teenage’ lad having fun, adventures and playing with his friends. The day unexpectedly arrives when he must face his destiny and grow up very quick. When temporarily trapped he escapes to find his world turned upside down. With friends and family gone he must find wise Cora (the Killer Whale) and seek her advice. She tells him he must find the last Portal and pass through it. He will have to learn to function as a human before he can continue his quest to fulfil his destiny. He is accompanied by Flaytus Gurning – a hermit crab who thinks he is a leprechaun. The world of the Portals is more than a gateway to land, for it is also the way to Lymbow and the other worlds beyond. Central to the story are the themes of Family,Friendship,Loyalty and Courage. Trusting in those close to you and never giving up. It is also a story that is very much about the environment and the pressures put upon it by man.
Thanks for the great answers, David. Ecology and the environment are very worthy causes that are close to my own heart too. I wish you well with them. Good luck with the other books too! Your humorous hospital lab book sounds fascinating! I work for local hospitals, so let me know if I can help in any way.
Author Interview – Leyland Perree
1) Do you write books as a career, or are you currently still juggling your author time with a full or part time job?
a. Oh I definitely juggle most unsuccessfully! With a full-time job and a full-time family, I find myself relegated to late evening writing, and all-too often, the small hours of the morning. Having said that I’ve not been so much writing of late than what I call “adminning” – that is to say, self-promotion and other tasks relating to works I have written, but which don’t actually contribute to the word count of works I have written.
Establishing a routine is very important, I think. To my shame I slipped out of one for a while, but I have recommenced working to a weekly timetable of family nights and “writing nights”, which works quite well. Still, I’m nearing the end of the current phase of adminning now, so I’ll be cracking on with something new (and fulfilling) very soon.
2) Have you always wanted to be an author, or did some time or event in your life set you on the path?
a. Looking back now the clues are quite plain to see. I wrote stories when I was young (eight or ten or so) and enjoyed English at school. I wrote a bit, on and off, throughout my early teens, but it wasn’t until my twenties that I really had built up the stamina and confidence to write full stories – with beginnings, middles and ends, no less.
It was around this time that I used to write scenarios for roleplaying games. I soon discovered that I enjoyed the act of creation more than I did the games, so the very next project I started was a novel that would take me six years to complete. Many more stories (and years) later, I’m still enjoying that act of creation.
3) Do you always write in the same genre, or do you sometimes like a change of theme? If you haven’t already, is there another genre you would like to write?
a. I consider myself an adult writer. That is to say, I write fiction for adults. Urban fantasy, and thrillers that border on psychological (or actual) horror.
But I have always had a great appreciation for children’s books, particularly those written in verse. By the time my son was a couple of years old he already had a bookshelf that was bowing under the weight of the books we had crammed into it. Many of them were rhyming picturebooks. So one day, after reading him his bedtime story, I thought I’d try to write one myself. Not to sell, but just for him. I imagine most parents who read to their children will at some point have fallen under the delusion that they too can write good children’s stories – and that theory goes some way to explaining why the children’s picturebook market is flooded with clunky arrhythmic dross. I gave it a shot nonetheless. I was genuinely surprised by the result. I thought it had something so I sent it off to a number of publishers, triggering an initial wave of rejections – and one acception!
“Frog on the Log” was published in 2009. Shortly after that, in the same year, my second picturebook “The Goat That Gloats” was published by the same imprint. A year later, and my third book “Toad’s Road Code” hit the shelves. Ironic that writing for children started as something of a sideline for me, and now it seems my adult fiction has become the sideline.
4) As a writer, what is the best thing that has happened to you, and what is that most exciting thing that could happen to you?
a. If I may edit the question slightly; the most exciting thing that has happened to me would probably be receiving the news from a neighbour that my first book “Frog on the Log” was spotted on Sky News in the grubby mitt of the then-soon-to-be Prime Minister, David Cameron. I watched the clip shortly afterwards, open-mouthed as I watched him stroll into a bookshop in Romsey, thumb through a copy and hand the till vendor his cash.
And yes, there’s still some mileage in that story yet. Go me!
The best thing that could happen would of course be that essential, but elusive multi-book deal from the bigwigs at Hodder, HarperCollins or Bloomsbury. I had a near miss with Bloomsbury, you know, with that six-years-in-the-making debut novel of mine. One person really liked it and wanted to put it forward for publication. Another person didn’t. The rejection slip stated “Sorry, but we don’t publish fantasy.”
No fantasy? Really? I’d bet good Gringotts currency that they do. Muggles.
5) How do you view the promotion, book signings etc. Is it something you enjoy, or do you prefer the writing stage?
a. The writing. One-hundred percent I prefer the writing. Promotion it is a necessary annoyance to me, like form filling, or taxing the car, or having to get out of bed to pee. I fully appreciate the value of it though, but it doesn’t make it any the more pleasurable, and it takes up much more of my time than I’d like. The book signings I do enjoy and I approach them with my tongue lodged firmly in my cheek. I find it amusing when people mistake you for some kind of celebrity. I visited a school recently and was asked by one child, “Do people recognise you when you walk down the street?”
My answer was “Only my friends and family – and even they pretend they haven’t seen me.”
6) Could you tell us something about your published books, and let us know what they are about?
a. “Frog on the Log” is about a proud and stubborn frog that refuses to leave his log home, even when it gets washed away down a river. Refusing the help of the animals he meets as he passes on by, he looks set to meet a messy end when the river terminates at some sharp, jagged rocks. Leaping from his log and landing on the back of a nearby crocodile, he thinks he’s met his end regardless – but all is not what it seems. The story has a number of moral threads, such as don’t be too proud to accept help, and don’t be quick to judge by appearances.
“The Goat that Gloats” is about a goat that lives alone at the top of a tower, and tries to make friends with the people below by bragging about his wonderful effects and qualities. The moral of this one is summed up in the repetition of the line “Who’d want to be friends with a gloating goat?”
“Toad’s Road Code” is all about road safety, and is structured around the green-cross code. Move over Tufty!
“The Great Reef Race” is my first book to be published by Ghostly Publishing. It focuses on two central characters Eel and Ock, who take part in an annual undersea race around a reef. It features many other memorable sea-creatures; all brought to life by the talents of artist Stuart McGhee. Like my other books it contains a moral, this one being that fair play and friendship are more important than winning.
And I’d best sneak this one in too (as a spot of pre-promotion):
“Which Witch is Which” will be my second book for Ghostly Publishing. Once again I teamed up with Stuart McGhee to create this interactive exercise in listening and observation. What it lacks in storyline and moral, it makes up for in fun, fun, fun, as the reader tries to identify the witches within the pages from the descriptions in the verse.
“Which Witch is Which” will be released in September 2013 and is available to pre-order now at www.ghostlypublishing.com
Gosh, Leyland, and I think I’m busy! Have you found a Harry Potter spell to double your hours in a day? Best of luck with all your writing!