The Bookette

Review: The Art of Fielding

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Wed, 23 May 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Author: Chad Harbach

Release date: This UK paperback 16^th April 2012
Genre: Modern Fiction / Sport Fiction / Contemporary
Target audience: Adult
UK Publisher: HarperCollins (4^thEstate Imprint)

Review:

I found The Art of Fielding on the London Underground. Or rather I saw a big poster advertising it and the cover caught my attention – it just screamed American college students. I made a mental note of the title so that I could look it up when I got home. As soon as I read the blurb, I knew I had to have it. Also there was a quote on the front from Jonathan Frazen who has this special skill for finding outstanding books. My next stop is to read a book by Mr Franzen. Anyway, all this is the story which brought me to be reading this adult novel about baseball, about relationships between people and about identity.

The story is told in the third person viewpoint (almost omniscient) following five main characters as they make their way through life at Westish College. First up is Mike Schwartz – he is on both the football team and the baseball team. The thing about Mike is that he has this knack of being able to get people to do whatever he wants. You could say he has the gift of the gab but it’s more than that. He’s passionate about winning and he manoeuvres people into making them make choices that he wants them to make. He’s not a star player, he’s not an academic genius but he gets people. I think I liked Mike best of all. But I started out being Henry’s fan. Henry Skrimshander lives for only one thing – baseball. His school days are nearly over and he thinks his dream of being a baseball star is over but then he meets Mike Schwartz.

Mike observes Henry in action after a game. Henry is a shortstop. (If like me you don’t have a clue about baseball, don’t worry. You can still figure out the essential stuff.) Mike does his thing and Henry ends out going to Westish. When he gets there he meets his roommate, Owen Dunne. He too is on the baseball team. He earned his place at Westish after winning an Award. He’s a literary intellectual. Owen helps Henry navigate college life. He is perhaps more of a “knowing” character than the others. He gives off an air of self-confidence and being comfortable in his own skin which the others do not.

Our final two characters are father and daughter. Guert Affenlight is the president of the college. He was once a Harvard professor but he is Westish through and through. His estranged daughter Pella, 23, arrives having left her husband without telling him. Their two lives become intertwined with our three baseball heroes and their ambitions.

Harbach’s characterisation is so detailed that it makes you feel every emotion and believe every sentiment. It is as if you live these five lives as you read and become at one with the story. You live the highs and the lows of college life. I haven’t mentioned the plot and that’s because this is a novel about characters – if you need a plot, then it’s centred upon them following their dreams and the difficulties they face in trying to make them come true. That sounds so clichéd but it really isn’t. This is not a Hollywood movie.

I love this book. I love the setting of Westish. I love the characters and their quirks. I love the literary references to Moby Dick. This is a debut novel and that makes me sad because I want to read another book by Chad Harbach. When I voiced this to my husband, he said “but that means you have so much to look forward to. All the books he’s yet to write”. I guess he’s right.

Recommended for fans of:

· Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld

Source: Bought from Amazon

Picture Books by Theme: Pirates

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:50:00 +0000

A list of picture books on the theme of Pirates! We've been using these at school to support classroom learning.

Pirate House Swap by Abie Longstaff

The Pirates Next Door by Jonny Duddle

The Pirate Cruncher by Jonny Duddle

The Treasure of Captain Claw by Jonathan Emmett

Class Three All at Sea by Julia Jarman

Cats Ahoy! by Peter Bently

The Night Pirates by Peter Harris

Pirate Small in Big Trouble by Julie Sykes

If you have any other suggestions for this list, please share them in the comments. I'm always looking to develop our collection.

Review: The Magicians' Guild

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Wed, 16 May 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Author: Trudi Canavan

Release date: Paperback Feb 2004
Genre: Fantasy
Target audience: 12+
UK Publisher: Orbit
ISBN: 978-1841493138

Review:

The Magicians’ Guild is a high fantasy novel with an endearing cast of characters.

Sonea is a girl from the slums which encircle the outer wall of the city. Uneducated and impoverished, Sonea despises the magicians who do nothing to help the poor and enable the soldiers to abuse them. Once every year the magicians purge the streets of the underclass and the children of the slums rebel by throwing stones at their powerful shield. This year the purge is different from any other. Sonea stands with her friends and readies herself to throw a stone at the shield. She wills it to pass through the shield and with a great flash of light, it does just that. No one is more surprised than Sonea that she has magic. It was believed by all, including the magicians, that only those born into the Great Houses had the gift.

The attention of the Guild turns towards Sonea. With the help of her friends, she goes into hiding to escape the magicians. But they are searching for her and it is a race against time. Sonea’s powers are growing and soon she will lose all control and endanger the lives of everyone around her.

The first half of this book was incredibly frustrating to read. Sonea is in a very passive position once she goes into hiding. She does little more than test her magic in a locked room. The wait for the Guild to locate her became more and more irritating as I felt the outcome was inevitable. It was difficult to see if the obstacles she had to overcome were actually needed for her character development or the plot. Sometimes it seemed the author was stalling for no obvious reason. Having said that once the Guild had finally located Sonea I couldn’t put the book down. I was enthralled and really enjoyed her emotional journey. In the second half of the book the plot events had real meaning to her development. I was actually so addicted by the end of the story that I had to pick up the second book straightaway. It is such a luxury these days to read a series back to back.

One of the more unusual things about this YA series is that the author follows multiple viewpoint characters in the third person. Sonea is certainly the main character. But we also follow Rothen. He is a Guild magician, an older man, a teacher at the University and a character with a great sense of responsibility. Then there is Dannyl, he was once Rothen’s novice. Dannyl has a terrible problem with curiosity. It leads him into all kinds of interesting and highly dangerous situations. Then we also follow Cery. He is Sonea’s best friend and will do anything to protect her. All the viewpoint characters have an individual charm. I really warmed to Canavan’s characterisation.

Regardless of the slow and winding first half, I really did enjoy this book. It was full of dark and mysterious figures, twists and a compelling fantasy world. I definitely want to read more by Trudi Canavan once I’ve finished The Black Magician Series.

Recommended for fans of:

Storm Glass (Opal Cowan series) by Maria V. Snyder

Source: Borrowed from my sister.

Review: Beat the Band

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Wed, 09 May 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Author: Don Calame

Release date: 1^st February 2012
Genre: Comic Realism
Target audience: 12+
UK Publisher: Templar

Review:

Beat the Band is the sequel to the hilarious Swim the Fly. You can read my review of the first novel HERE.

This novel is another comical, daft teenage drama. Told from Coop’s point of view, the story follows the three guys through their first semester of the new school year. After an epic summer, Coop, Matt and Sean are back to reality. Matt is still hopelessly devoted to the lovely Valerie. Sean is still loopy. Coop is the guy who ropes them into all kinds of trouble.

Cooper is a really funny viewpoint character. He is crude, all about self-preservation and has pretty much a one track mind. When the hand of fate deals up Helen Harriwick as his health partner, Coop is desperate to save his image. What could be worse than having to do a project with the school outcast? Doing a project with the school outcast on the topic of contraception. Coop is traumatised by the thought that his sex life will be over before it has even begun. He can’t face the social ridicule dumped on him because he has to work with Helen. He isn’t exactly your heroic type of guy. But that just adds to the believability factor. Cooper is really self-centred. He decides the answer to his problems lays in the Beat the Band contest because who gets more respect and chicks than a rock god?!

Coop is on a mission to revive the band and convinces Matt and Sean that they must help. I really liked that Coop was always leading the other two guys astray. The plot was perhaps not all that surprising but it had its own unique voice and twists which carried it off in glorious fashion. In fact, I was completely invested in the story. Despite all his self-centredness, Coop can’t help but see beyond the hideous reputation Helen has to see the funny, caring, intelligent girl underneath. But odd habits die hard for Coop and even though he begins to have feelings for Helen, the prospect of ruining his chances with the popular girls, stops him from confessing his mistakes.

One of the things that I really liked about this book was the portrayal of Cooper’s parents. His dad recently lost his job and he is having trouble dealing with it so he throws himself into managing Cooper’s band. The themes of recession, employment and parental illness all feature in the novel and it was refreshing to see an author engaging with them. It is all too tempting to “get rid of the parents” and let’s face it, most teenagers are dealing with them. Beat the Band is full of issues that teen readers with identify with.

It’s a fantastically funny story, full of vibrant characters and brilliant dialogue. Beat the Band is a must read! (Especially if you want to know how a teenage boy’s mind works!)

Recommended for fans of:

Catch by Will Leitch
Hacking Harvard by Robin Wasserman

Source: Bought from Blackwells.

Review: Insurgent

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Wed, 02 May 2012 13:55:00 +0000

Author: Veronica Roth

Release date: 1^st May 2012
Genre: Dystopia
Target audience: 12+
UK Publisher: HarperCollins

Insurgent is the sequel to the Divergent. If you haven’t read the fantastic first novel, check out my review of Divergent HERE. Do not read the Insurgent review below because it will spoil the epic adventure you have yet to partake of. You have been warned!

***I am Team Erudite!***

Review:

The question on every reader’s lips must surely be: is Insurgent as good as Divergent? I am thrilled to tell you that it is. Insurgent will not disappoint you. If it is possible, Insurgent may be even better. I absolutely loved it.

We return to the Divergent world of a future Chicago. Tris is exactly where you left her at the end of the last book. Accompanied by Four, Caleb, Peter and Marcus, she is on the train heading for the Amity community. Centred upon their belief in peace, Amity will surely offer refuge to those who have defected from their factions. Surely they are the one faction who can help resolve the discord and destruction caused by the Erudite’s manipulation of the Dauntless.

Tris is in a state of grief and despair. The loss of her parents is a hole that cannot be filled. Her guilt threatens to consume her as she hides the reason she can’t face holding a gun from Four. But he is keeping his own secrets and a wedge is driving between them.

The plot of this story is focused upon finding out why Jeanine – leader of the Erudite – was trying to exterminate (or mind-control) the Abnegation. Tris is sure it was more than just power she was after and she is determined to find out the truth. Then there is the other problem – just what does it mean to be divergent and why is Jeanine hell-bent on identifying every single one of them? It’s an explosive, full-throttle, roller-coaster ride to discover the answers.

I think this book is an interesting exploration of the idea of peer pressure and conformity. When we join a group, the identity of the group can usurp our own. It is easier to let the group pull you along than consider actions and consequences and make your own choices. We are somehow more accountable for our individual choices than we are for ones we make collectively. Isn’t this how wars are won and fought? We can dehumanise those outside of our group rather than think of each person as an individual like us. It’s a fascinating concept which the author explores and really made me stop and think.

Insurgent is a complete page turner: thrilling, emotional and thought-provoking. At the heart of this story is human nature. We are flawed. Society is flawed. Roth examines the question of our emotional ties. Are our family more important than our friends? Is the truth more important than anything? I cannot wait for the next instalment. The Divergent future is surely going to be hypnotic and compelling!

Recommended for fans of:

Birthmarked by Caragh O’Brien
Exodus by Julie Bertagna
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Matched by Ally Condie
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Source: Review copy sent by HarperCollins.

Review: Titanic: Death on the Water

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:26:00 +0000

Authors: Tom and Tony Bradman

Release date: 29^th March 2012
Genre: Historical Fiction
Target audience: 7+
UK Publisher: AC and Black
ISBN: 9781408155813

Review:

Titanic: Death on the Water is a fictional retelling of events on board the Titanic.

There is something about the tragedy of the Titanic which fascinates my students and with the anniversary of the sinking just a few months away, I know there will be many requests for stories about it so I was delighted when I received this book for review.

Titanic: Death on the Water is the story of the 1912 disaster but it is more importantly the story of Billy. He is fourteen and at the beginning of the story is attending the funeral of his father who died working in the Belfast shipyard. Billy doesn’t want to follow in his father’s footsteps. He is afraid of the shipyard and the authors create a tangible sense of the dangers of working in such an environment. After his father’s death, Billy takes his chance to build a different life for himself and secures himself a job as a bellboy aboard the Titanic.

Billy’s journey sees him encounter many people on board the ship – some who warm to his charm and some who see him as a rival. The authors created an endearing character in Billy – he is brave and down to earth. There is a light touch of Irish expression to his dialogue which adds to his cheerful, chipper character.

The story is fast paced and the chapters are short. I only wish there were a few illustrations to compliment the wonderful writing and aid the reading of this book for emerging readers. There are well-chosen details about the ship bringing it to life without slowing the action.

Titanic: Death on the Water is the story of the sinking of the Titanic. It is a tale of courage in the face of adversity and the bravery of ordinary people. Highly accessible, this book will be enjoyed by younger readers in the school library.

Source: Sent for review by Bloomsbury Books.

Review: I'll Be There

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 07:30:00 +0000

Author: Holly Goldberg Sloan

Release date: 5^th April 2012
Genre: Contemporary
Target audience: 11+
UK Publisher: Piccadilly Press

Review:

I’ll Be There is a story of love, survival and the important people we meet in life who change us. It is a contemporary novel set in America and is sure to be a hit with librarians everywhere.

I’ve read four contemporary teen romances in quick succession but I’ll Be There stands out because it has a style all of its own. It couldn’t be further from the “high-school cafeteria scenario” story if it tried. This novel is full of quirkiness which begins with the two main characters. Sam is 17, he’s never lived in a place for long; his father suffers from mental health issues and moves them after just a few weeks. Everything Sam knows he taught himself, he never went to school. And neither did his younger brother Riddle. Sam is Riddle’s protector both of them blend into the town backdrop and do their utmost to go unnoticed.

That is until Sam meets Emily. Emily is honest and a listener. She cares deeply about the world and the people in it. She looks at people and wants to know more, to go deeper into who they are, to really understand them. The moment Emily and Sam meet is captured in music, the song I’ll Be There, is the soul of the book.

The structure of the book is a journey - both literally and of self-discovery. It is cyclical and begins where it ends adding to its message of what you give up into the world, you get back. It is also a thriller – Sam and Riddle’s father is a dangerous man and they need to escape his violent outbursts in order to find a home and inner peace. And of course, it is a love story. Sam and Emily must rise above all the challenges sent to try their bond. The three plots twist together perfectly and will have you hooked.

I loved the author’s voice and her unique way of unravelling the story for each of the characters. Told in the third person, we shift from character to character and back again and the story unfolds. I’ll Be There is such a rewarding book to read. It is entirely satisfying and utterly endearing. It will leave you feeling uplifted and inspired to see the beauty in everything around you.

Recommended for fans of:

· Trash by Andy Mulligan

· The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Review: Going Too Far

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 09:30:00 +0000

Author: Jennifer Echols

Release date: US Paperback 2009
Genre: Contemporary YA / Teen Romance
Target audience: 13+

Review:

Going Too Far is a contemporary novel about love, relationships and loss.

Meg is seventeen and all wants to be out of the backwater town where she was born and starting a new life at college. Meg is hell-bent on self-destruction at the beginning of the novel. She is arrested with three acquaintances on a railroad track over a bridge. Meg keeps herself closed off from everyone else; she lives for the now. The night on the bridge Meg’s arresting officer is After. Rather than send the four delinquent teens on a trip to the courthouse and possibly juvenile detention, he arranges for them to ride alongside various emergency services as rehabilitation method.

Meg despises Officer After. He spoiled her plans for Spring Break. He also incarcerated her and Meg is claustrophobic. As Meg rides along in After’s cop car for her punishment, she sees beyond the uniform and discovers the true identity of her cop.

I really enjoyed this book but I found it so hard to suspend my disbelief in the first part of the book. Meg tells us that her arresting officer is in his forties probably married with kids. Okay, so she is heavily intoxicated and it’s dark when they first meet, but even so it seemed a bit of a stretch. After is actually nineteen. Who could really mistake a nineteen year old for a forty year old? I’ll admit it irked me. As did the fact that someone so young was patrolling the streets in his car alone. Where was his experienced partner? I’ve watched so many cop shows on TV that I proclaim myself an expert. I do understand that he author had to make certain choices for the story to work. The problem was me and my inability to shut off the voice that said: Would this really happen?

Having said that, once I just let go of this annoyance, I found the book very readable and let myself be carried along by their connection. There is depth to the characterisation and back story that brings Meg and After to their respective emotional states at the point the story starts is touching and detailed. The dialogue was witty and amusing. The plot was compelling. I really couldn’t wait to read the ending. Overall, I thought Going Too Far was a charismatic love story – slightly implausible perhaps but hey, who cares if the characters have chemistry!

Recommended for fans of:

· Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Source: US copy from Read It Swap It

Review: When It Happens

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 10:02:00 +0000

Author: Susane Colasanti

UK Release date: 3rd May 2012
Genre: Contemporary YA
Target audience: 12+

Review:

When It Happens is a contemporary teen love story told in alternating perspectives.

Sara is seventeen and her goal for her Senior year is to reinvent herself and find the perfect boyfriend. Her two best friends also set themselves goals. Laila wants to be Valedictorian. Maggie wants to be smarter.

The hero of this story is Tobey. He is a self-proclaimed slacker – an intelligent boy, musically gifted, but he has no respect for the system. He thinks his future lies in the band he plays guitar for with his pals. Mike is the guy with a plan, Mr Organisation and Josh is the loose cannon and the all out crazy dude. Since forever Tobey has believed that college is pointless and that you don’t have to further your education to be successful. Everyone is talking about college and Tobey has stuck his head in the sand.

Tobey has fallen for Sara but she has no idea. The whole summer long she has been dreaming up the idea of Dave the new guy at the school. He asked for her number at the end of the last school year but he never called over the summer. Sara lets the idea of him blossom into the perfect guy for her. This is in part is a story about how our fantasies never live up to reality. There is no such thing as the perfect boyfriend. But there is such a thing as the perfect guy for you.

This is your classic romantic comedy. It’s a: Will they? Won’t they? But that is its charm. When it Happens is funny, the romance is gentle and the message is life-affirming. A novel about friendship and being open to new possibilities. I really enjoyed it and I read it in a single sitting. If you’re looking for a sweet, heart-warming read, When It Happens is for you.

Recommended for fans of:

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
The Statisical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E Smith

Source: US edition bought from Waterstones.

The Bookette's Guide To ... Popular Books This Term

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 09:59:00 +0000

The Bookette has been very quiet in February and March. There has been a lot in the calendar at work - Book Week, trips, a special History project, Open Day and Taster Visits.

I can't promise normal service is about to resume but I am going to try to post once a week. So I thought I'd start with the termly figures of which books are topping the school library chart!

#1 being the most popular book in my school library since January

Boys 8 - 12

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney (the whole series... again)
The Donut Diaries as told by Dermot Milligan
The Gladiators from Capua (The Roman Mysteries #8) by Caroline Lawrence
Big Nate Out Loud by Lincoln Peirce
The Ghost of Grania O'Malley by Michael Morpurgo
The Kick Off by Dan Freedman
Mr Stink by David Walliams
Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
The Brilliant World of Tom Gates by Liz Pichon
Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

Girls 8 - 12

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney (the whole series... someone tell me what's so good about it?!)
Pop Star (Dork Diaries #3) by Rachel Renee Russell
The Brownies Series by Caroline Plaisted
A Year Without Autumn by Liz Kessler
Best Friends by Jacqueline Wilson
The Diamond Girls by Jacqueline Wilson
Winter Term at Malory Towers by Enid Blyton
The Worst Thing about My Sister by Jacqueline Wilson
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again by Frank Cottrell Boyce
The Longest Whale Song by Jacqueline Wilson

The boys love series books but from this list you can tell that other than Jeff Kinney no one author dominates their choices. They like funny books.

The girls on the other hand are huge fans of Jacqueline Wilson and are more likely to read standalone novels. They have been asking for adventure stories like "Famous Five" but more "modern". Suggestions if you have them please.

For those with an interest in picture books - some of the boys have been asking for "scary books". Our topics next term are "the Seaside" and "minibeasts" so it is always good to have stories exploring those themes.

Event Summary: TV Book Club | Review: You Deserve Nothing

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 20:37:00 +0000

Another new and exciting experience came my way this week thanks to my blog. I was invited to the filming of TV Book Club at Cactus TV studios. I arrived all alone and was greeted by some other bloggers. I was the only YA blogger there (to my knowledge). I felt like I had stepped into an episode of Poirot as all these people from different walks of life were brought together. I was sure there would be a dead body when we went on to the set but alas no, this was real life.

The book this episode was focused on was You Deserve Nothing by Alexander Maksik. I have learned from experience that I enjoy book events much more if I’ve read the book so I did just that. It’s an adult novel for sure but it focuses on the life of teenagers at an international school in Paris. I found the book incredibly easy to get into and that it was just my cup of tea which tells me that the social media agency that invited me to the filming really knew their stuff.

I read this book as fiction. I absolutely loved it. When I arrived at the studio one of the other viewers told me it was based on the author’s personal experiences. She said she found it sinister and disturbing. But I do not believe the book should be judged in this way. I believe it should be judged on the quality of the writing and the construction of the story which were, in my opinion, excellent.

The panel on the show Caroline Quentin, Rory Mcgrath, Laila Rouass were joined by special guest Alex James. I think it is fair to say none of them enjoyed the book as much as me. Rory felt, like I did, that it was very accessible and not at all pretentious. Alex found it sinister and didn’t really want to read on. Laila wanted a bit more from the character of Gilad. (I tell you more about him later). I’m not entirely sure it was Caroline’s type of thing. She was much keener on Alex’s new book about cheese.

I liked this book more than anyone else at the filming and that’s fine. I found that it really spoke to me. I understood the melancholy feeling of the end of term. You watch your students go and you are left behind. Then the new intake comes and so does the hope and desire to be the best teacher you can be that year. The character of Will, the teacher at the heart of it all who has an illicit affair with a pupil at the school, made literature and philosophy come to life so that you wanted to be transformed by reading it. You wanted to be in the class learning from him. I understood why his students were hooked on his every word.

The story is told also from the perspectives of Marie - the girl who has a relationship with him. I want to say he seduces her but the way they both tell the story, it isn’t quite like that. Marie is lost amid a school of fakes. She is playing a role and is suffocating because of it. The professional in me says she is a victim, abused by the control Will has over the student body. The relationship is a little more complicated than that, I think. But Marie feels that she’d let him do anything to her which is certainly not healthy.

Then there is Gilad who was my favourite character and the reason that I really got this story. He too is in love with Will. He wants to please him and be noticed by him and be declared as “special”. Gilad hangs off Will’s every word. He is the real hero in this story but if you want to know why you’ll have to read it.

There are many themes at play in You Deserve Nothing but for me there are two undeniable truths. The first is that life is defined by our choices. We make them and we are responsible for them. The second is that people disappoint us. We build expectations around people and glorify them. Inevitably they are human and let us down. And now I tell you that I loved this book but the ending was a disappointment. I believe it was meant to be that way. We want Will to be more than he is. But the truth is that he’s shallow and a coward. If we realise our idols are flawed maybe we’re inspired to try harder to be better people. I hope that’s the heart of this book.

You can find out about the other books on TV Book Club's Best Reads Collection 2012 at their WEBSITE.

Author Interview: Cate Tiernan

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 09:45:00 +0000

As I'm sure many of you know by now, I am a huge fan of Cate Tiernan. Her latest novel Darkness Falls, the second in the Immortal Beloved series, has just been released and so I was lucky enough to be able to ask her a few questions. I hope you enjoy.

The Bookette: Immortal Beloved is a fantasy series which explores the concept of light and dark magic. Light magic emanating from the self and being in equilibrium with nature; and contrastingly, dark magic draining power from living things by force. Can you tell us a little about how you came to characterise magick in that way?

Cate: Hmm. Thinking . . . In my Balefire books, I wanted to show characters using their magick in a bad way, but more fundamentally than just using it to do wrong things. I wanted to put in a more basic level of choice about one’s actions—with the message that if one is acting with positive intent, their magick can be so much stronger. So I thought about what that would look like, what the physical expression of that would look like and feel like. I think that idea just cemented itself in my mind, and now that’s how I write magick, when I write it.

TB: Nastasya’s place of birth was Iceland over 400 years ago. How do you go about writing Icelandic phrases into her dialogue and narrative? How do ensure its authenticity?

C: I will probably get letters from readers correcting me on various points. But I do a lot of research, mostly on the Interwebz for things like that. I use Google Translate for modern phrases, and for older ones I try to find examples of medieval Icelandic. I try to use several different sources to be as accurate as I can. And I use my (limited) general knowledge of language systems to make phrases sound older, with old-fashioned grammar construction.

TB: Wow! I wouldn't know where to start using grammar systems. It's hard enough in English. I am so impressed.

Darkness Falls is the second book in the series, how different is the experience of writing a sequel? I know this is not the first series you have written. I love the Wicca series!

C: Thank you! I’ve done mostly series, in my writing career. Not too many single-titles. I’m always amazed when someone can tell and wrap up a whole story in just one book! Simply put, I almost always feel like I need a lot of space to tell a story, and need to put in at least most of the things I want to say. With a single title, you have the plot arc and character arcs structured so that everything peaks and everything culminates all within one book. (Okay, that’s obvious.) With a series, the character arc is big and long, stretching out over all of the books, and the plot arcs vary—you have one over-arching story that begins at the beginning of the first book and ends at the end of the last book, but each book has to be able to be read by itself and feel like a more-or-less complete story. So there are smaller plot arcs as well as the long one. And in a longish series like Wicca, there are even 3- or 4-book plot arcs within the main plot. I didn’t explain that very well.

TB: Yes, you did Cate! I see that a long series needs more character journeys to carry it through, even when those journeys may all be tundertaken by one character.

If you could choose a past life to live, where and when would it be, and why?

C: I’ve wondered that myself. Each time period has pluses and minuses. And honestly, for most time periods, the roles of women are so circumscribed that it’s hard to make peace with it. I’ve thought that ancient Greece might be exhilarating to experience. But I’ve done enough research to know that loving the clothes or the events or the romance of a certain time doesn’t erase the much greater effort required to live then, how much less women were able to do, how limited medical care was, how the classes were so strictly enforced. Whatever problems the modern world has, in many ways it’s the best time to live, and the best time to be female.

TB: Ancient Greece, that would be fascinating. I wouldn't mind conversing with a few philosophers! Even now I think there is still so much inequality for women in society but we at least are liberated.

Which books are on your reading pile for 2012?

C: I always have a stack by my bed and a list of downloads on my Kindle/iPad. In general, I read a lot of non-fiction—some for research, some just because I like it. I don’t read a lot of current fiction, though I have certain writers I like. I read genre novels, romances and mysteries and some fantasy. I don’t read much YA at all—I’m worried I’ll find it too influencing.

TB: I can see your point about reading YA and writing YA. Another good consequent of not reading it is that your writing isn't influenced by the trends of the genre.

And finally, please share with us a piece of writing advice (or a prompt) to help us on our creative way into this New Year.

C: Oh, gosh. I always give the same advice about writing: Know what you want to say, and who you want to say it to. Figure out why you’re writing. Most of the time, “To tell a story” isn’t a good enough reason. Writing is about communication, about reaching a stranger from a distance and sharing something fundamentally human with them. What do you want to share? Why? What do you want them to get out of it?

This probably isn’t that helpful, but it’s the only true thing about writing I know.

Thanks for the interview—

Cate

And many thanks to you Cate for taking part and sharing with us your wisdom and experience.

Good luck for the rest of the series. I can't wait to read it.

Review: Darkness Falls

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 19:18:00 +0000

Author: Cate Tiernan

Release date: UK 5^th January 2012
Genre: Fantasy
Target audience: 12+ / Adult crossover
ISBN: 9781444707007
Series: Immortal Beloved (2)

Review:

Darkness Falls is the second page-turning book in Cate Tiernan’s Immortal Beloved fantasy series. Set in the present day, it follows the lives of immortals who have the power to wield magic and cast it upon unsuspecting mortals.

This story continues Nastasya journey of self-discovery from the first novel. She is an immortal descended from of one of the Great Houses has taken refuge at River’s End - a sort of retreat for wayward immortals. Nastasya is trying to come to terms with her past and her true identity. She is increasingly consumed by guilt over her past choices.

The first part of the novel is a combination of Nastasya’s experiences in the present at the farm and flashbacks to her many lives that she has lived before. At 459 years old and looking like a perpetual seventeen year old, she has had to reinvent herself in new places over and over. For a long long time Nastasya had not reflected on her choices or considered the implications of them, she looked out only for herself. But at River’s End, Nastasya has learned that magic has a dark side.

In this novel we learn more about the self-interested decisions Nastasya has made. There is a very human side to immortals and they have weaknesses, fears and are easily tempted. The pace of the first half of the novel is slow and the reader explores Nastasya’s mind in much detail. We are cast into her desires, her fears and her snarky witticisms. I really enjoyed this character driven nature of the novel. The second half of the novel is faster paced and full of action. Nastasya crosses the threshold of no return and by doing so action sets the story on a rollercoaster ride. This latter half of the novel is very much a page-turner full of tension and impending doom. The two halves work well together creating a tightly plotted story and winding journey for the reader.

I loved the historical details that Tiernan explored through Nastasya’s past lives. She has lived in so many countries and time periods and each of them had an authenticity and atmosphere about them. There are many elements of this series which I think have a wide ranging appeal: romance, the interpretation of good and evil, Nastasya’s feisty character and the mythology of Tiernan’s magic power houses. It all adds up to a compelling story which is at times tender and at others tense, Darkness Falls will appeal to fans of Maria Snyder and lovers of fantasy and paranormal romance. I’m eagerly awaiting the next instalment.

Source: Proof copy sent by Hodder Books

Event Summary: Philippa Gregory YA Launch

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:39:00 +0000

I had such a busy day yesterday. There were so many activities happening in the library in the morning and then in the afternoon I hopped on the tube and went to a special event at Simon and Schuster.

I was there with five other bloggers for the launch and cover reveal of Philippa Gregory’s new YA novel Changeling. The first in a four book series: Order of Darkness.

The event was the most formal blogger event I’ve been to and I found that I much prefer the formal style. I am a big fan of organisation and this event was expertly organised. We sent questions in advance and we were each given the chance to ask them press conference style. We were all a little nervous beforehand but Philippa put us at ease.

I’ve been reading one of her adult novels: Earthly Joys. It is set in the early 1600s and the main character – John Tradescant – is the Head Gardener of statesman Robert Cecil. I’ve been fascinated by the relationship between the mighty Cecil and his gardener. I got the chance to ask Philippa how a gardener could come to have such influence. She explained that in the world of court where all the players are false and effectively manipulators and liars, Cecil would have found John wonderfully different. He was a man of the earth and had a great deal of common sense. He was a practical and honest man. A complete contrast to court life. It was great to hear this because I have spent so long pondering how a gardener could grow to be so influential. Philippa also pointed out that Cecil spent a long time reflecting his garden and John would have designed it to allow his lord time for his personal reveries. Enlightening stuff!

Philippa talked about Changeling and gave us the context of the historical period. The people believe it is the End of Days – the coming of the apocalypse – after the successful invasion of the Ottomans in Constantinople. The lead male character – Luca - is charged with identifying events which may symptomatic of the end of the world: outbreaks of plague, village hysteria etc. Philippa’s lead female character Isolde is extraordinary of her time as she seeks to undo injustices that are done to her and regain her fortune.

As the closing question, I asked Philippa what she read for pleasure and not surprisingly she said history. It is her passion. She was inspirational talking about the period in which Changeling is set and really made it come alive for me. She also said that she believes in nourishing the subconscious mind so she reads the Classic English and American Literature Canon for pleasure and because she loves good writing.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for inviting me to the event. I was so inspired when I went away and it was perfect time as I had my writing class in the evening. What a day!

Review: Freak the Mighty

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 08:24:00 +0000

Author: Rodman Philbrick

Release date: UK 2004
Genre: Realism
Target audience: 9+
UK Publisher: Usborne
ISBN: 9781856130608

Review:

Freak the Mighty is an endearing story of loyalty and courage.

It is the story of Maxwell and Kevin: two boys who are larger than life. Maxwell is growing into a big lad. He is much taller than the other kids in his class. People call him retarded and they are all waiting for him to “go bad” because the “apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”. In kindergarten he was known as Kicker. But now he’s in the eighth grade and he’s shut out the event that traumatised his childhood.

Kevin is small for his age. He has a disease which means he’s stopped growing on the outside but not on the inside. Kevin is a genius. He has a vocabulary far more advanced than his age and he loves looking up new words in his trusty dictionary.

Maxwell and Kevin become great friends and together unleash their imaginative powers to become Freak the Mighty.

I read this book in a single sitting. It is short and has a wonderfully direct narrative voice which speaks to the reader. Maxwell tells the story of Freak the Mighty. We learn how he and Kevin become friends and their bond is heart-warming. Philbrick’s characterisation was excellent – Kevin’s dialogue had me laughing out loud – I was utterly involved in the characters’ stories and really felt the emotions of every step of their adventure.

Freak the Mighty is touched with tragedy and heartbreaking sorrow that is a part of life. It brought me to tears but it also celebrated how important a true friendship can be to transform a person beyond their fears. A wonderful and moving story.

Source: Borrowed from the school library

Review: Alone in Berlin

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:21:00 +0000

Author: Hans Fallada

Release date: This edition 2010, first published 1947
Genre: Literary Fiction / Historical Fiction
Target audience: Adult
UK Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 978-0141189383

Review:

Alone in Berlin is a complex novel set in the Second World War. It is a tale of human reaction and perseverance in a time when the people of Berlin had little control over the events dominating their lives.

I have to begin by saying this is not a book I would ordinarily read. It was selected for the staff book group which is why I braved it. People read for all different reasons and that is something that I have learnt through the experience of being part of this group. I read to escape. I like going off into fantasy worlds and leaving the real one behind. I am all about the happy ending and I’m a hopeless romantic. Does Alone in Berlin fit within those reading preferences? No, it does not. So this was a challenge for me.

The story is told from multiple viewpoints. We’re not talking two or three here. We’re talking many, many different characters. Their lives are all intertwined in some way. They may live on the same street or apartments, work in the same factory, be married, be related, be investigating a crime but in some way or another they are connected. And I suppose, you could say that in times of war all people are connected by the turmoil, violence, fear and powerlessness that overshadows their lives.

There is no one main character but there are some significant characters who shape events in the lives of the others. Take Otto Quangel for instance. He is a foreman at a factory. He’s a loner and has no real connection to other people except for his wife. Until the death of his son, he is in support of Hitler and the Nazi party. But when his son’s death affects his relationship with his wife, he feels anger towards Hitler and begins a rather odd and ineffectual campaign against him. Otto’s actions affect his wife, his future daughter-in-law, the people of the factory, the people in the apartment building and so on. And yet, Otto’s actions do not have the effect he is hoping for.

At first I found following the many different characters really frustrating. But I really did like the author’s voice. It was a little sarcastic yet very direct, as if he was telling just you the story. I also felt irritated the characterisation of the characters in the SS and Gestapo. They were almost one-dimensional and caricatured in the beginning. I didn’t expect to like them but I did expect them to be multi-layered. I just don’t believe there are that many people who enjoy mutilating and torturing other human beings. But perhaps the author was suggesting that is what war does to people. Makes them inhuman and desensitized to violence? Food for thought.

I am pleased that I kept reading. I did get drawn into the characters’ stories. I wanted to know how it ended. Alone in Berlin definitely evoked strong emotions from me. At one point I felt physically sick and yet there were times when I smiled and even laughed. I expect there will be some interesting discussions at the book group. A thought-provoking and challenging read.

Source: Bought and read on my Kobo.

Song Quest: Back in Print!

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Woo hoo!

Song Quest is back in print today!

Horray for:

Blogger power
Awesome fantasy novels
Publishers who rock my socks off
Authors who transport you to another world and also happen to be lovely people

Huge congratulations to Katherine Roberts on the release of her brilliant new book Sword of Light.

Two books. One fantastic writer. One happy blogger.

Now readers: Go and buy them.

Thank you.
Mwah!

GIVEAWAY: Song Quest

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:16:00 +0000

The countdown : 1 day to go!

Song Quest is released tomorrow. It will finally be back in print. Horray!

Thank you to Catnip Books for making this happen. You're the best!

So today, I'm giving you the chance to win a copy of the book.

To enter:
Fill out the form below. You will need to follow the link as the embedding will not work for some reason.

Under 16s must get parent / guardian permission before entering and provide their parent's email address rather than their own. Check my Contest Policy for further information.

Open to UK residents only.
Closing date: Sunday 12th February 2012

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?hl=en_US&formkey=dHZlMUxxVzVpMkQzQWhWMzZGVnlheVE6MQ#gid=0

More information about the Song Quest Campaign can be found HERE.

Author Interview: Katherine Roberts Q8

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:35:00 +0000

The countdown : 2 days to go!

This is the last question. Enjoy! Tomorrow something different! And my thanks to Katherine for taking part.

If you haven't read my review of Sword of Light, follow this LINK.

More information about the Song Quest Campaign can be found HERE.

Question 8

Now I’ve read SWORD OF LIGHT, I’m impressed by the way you managed to take existing Arthurian myth and create your own new legacy for a new generation. How hard is to write a story which has its foundations in a much-loved legend? Were there any challenges specific to working with an existing myth?

Well, the book is not out yet, so I am still awaiting people’s reactions! I expect those readers who know Thomas Malory’s version of the legend (Morte D’Arthur) will be picking holes in mine, but I think it’s important to remember that the Arthurian stories we know and love are not history. The historical facts about Arthur are actually quite scanty, so there is more freedom writing a series based on a legend like this, than there is writing historical fiction. I’ve read a lot of (adult) Arthurian fiction and have tried to keep the most popular elements while adding some inventions of my own. I’ve also simplified things slightly, so you’ll find King Arthur’s half sisters have vanished, but he has gained a daughter.

I found the fairy myths quite challenging, and spent some time trying to decide whether Avalon and Annwn were the same place. I hope to explore this more as the series progresses. Finally, there’s the Grail Quest, which runs through the entire series. I think Book 4 will be the biggest challenge, since the most obvious happy ending – Arthur returning to Camelot – clearly cannot happen, and I can already feel the tug between the pagan and Christian myths surrounding the Grail… I’m just hoping Rhianna Pendragon will sort it all out for me when she gets there!

Katherine Roberts

Ooh, what an insight into the process of writing a series. I am wholly reassured by the fact that all the answers aren't there yet. It gives me hope for my own writing. Thanks Katherine! I have learnt a lot from your answers to my questions.

You can visit Katherine's website:

www.katherineroberts.co.uk

Rhianna Pendragon, heroine of Sword of Light, is on Twitter. Follow her here: www.twitter.com/PendragonGirl

Author Interview: Katherine Roberts Q7

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 17:14:00 +0000

The countdown : 3 days to go!

Every day from now until Song Quest by Katherine Roberts is back in print and her new novel the Sword of Light is released, I'll be sharing with you a question posed by me and answered by Katherine. The most in depth answers ever offered by an author in bitesize daily doses. Enjoy! And my thanks to Katherine for taking part.

If you haven't read my review of Sword of Light, follow this LINK.

More information about the Song Quest Campaign can be found HERE.

Question 7

I love that your main character in the Pendragon books is called Rhianna. We have several Rhiannas at school and I know they will be delighted to have a character namesake. So this leads me to ask: How do you choose your characters' names?

Fantasy names are fun, but can also be tricky. For my purely fantasy books, I try to come up with something a bit strange, because I think it takes away the magic if you call your hero by too familiar a name… at the same tiime it's important not to make fantasy names too strange, because I need to be able to pronounce them easily when I'm giving a reading from my book! I often find readers pronounce my invented names quite differently from the way I pronounce them, but that's fine with me... and I have to admit (embarrassed blush) I'm one of those people who pronounced Hermione "her-me-own" until I heard JK Rowling read from Harry Potter and realised it ought to be “Her-my-own-ee”!

For books like my new Pendragon series, things are a bit different because I'm working with legend/history. Since I'm setting my version of the Arthurian legend in the early Dark Ages, I downloaded a list of Celtic names from the internet and found Elphin and Rhiannon there. I was actually going to use Rhiannon for my heroine, but felt this sounded a bit heavy when teamed with Pendragon. So she became Rhianna. But I didn't realise that this was such a popular modern name… though of course there's the singer Rihanna with a different spelling, so maybe that's why? (I am a bit dense about these things sometimes.) Anyway, I hope all the Rhiannas at your school will enjoy the books!

Katherine Roberts

You can visit Katherine's website:

www.katherineroberts.co.uk

Rhianna Pendragon, heroine of Sword of Light, is on Twitter. Follow her here: www.twitter.com/PendragonGirl

Tomorrow, Question 8!

Author Interview: Katherine Roberts Q6

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 08:24:00 +0000

The countdown : 4 days to go!

Every day from now until Song Quest by Katherine Roberts is back in print and her new novel the Sword of Light is released, I'll be sharing with you a question posed by me and answered by Katherine. The most in depth answers ever offered by an author in bitesize daily doses. Enjoy! And my thanks to Katherine for taking part.

If you haven't read my review of Sword of Light, follow this LINK.

More information about the Song Quest Campaign can be found HERE.

Question 6

Let's talk about villains. How do you go about writing a believable fantasy villain? I once read that you can have characters in fantasy novels that are just evil without giving any back story about how they came to be that way. Do you think that's true or do you think that even fantasy villains need a source from which their evil develops?

Ah, yes - every book needs a good villain! And fantasy villains are great fun to write. I do have trouble making mine totally evil, in the same way my heroes and heroines are not totally good, because in my experience people are just not like that... but while adults and older readers appreciate shades of grey in characters, younger readers tend to prefer things to be more clear cut.

I think as you go down the age range, you need to make your villains darker and your heroes brighter, so in my new Pendragon Legacy series I have gone for a dark villain in the shape of Prince Mordred, crippled in battle and out for revenge. In contrast, my heroine Rhianna, King Arthur’s daughter, is more feisty than I usually write. But she does have her faults... she's human, after all!

I would not write (or enjoy reading) a fantasy book, even for younger children, that did not have some back story for the main characters, including the villain. Just because a story is set in a fantasy world does not mean that the people in it are not real to that world. In fact, you probably have to work a bit harder at making them seem real than you would if they lived in our "real" world… if that makes sense!

Katherine Roberts

That makes perfect sense! The good characters need flaws in order for us to relate to them. The bad characters need a human side in order to make their evil deeds convincing.

You can visit Katherine's website:

www.katherineroberts.co.uk

Rhianna Pendragon, heroine of Sword of Light, is on Twitter. Follow her here: www.twitter.com/PendragonGirl

Tomorrow, Question 7!

Author Interview: Katherine Roberts Q5

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:59:00 +0000

The countdown : 5 days to go!

Every day from now until Song Quest by Katherine Roberts is back in print and her new novel the Sword of Light is released, I'll be sharing with you a question posed by me and answered by Katherine. The most in depth answers ever offered by an author in bitesize daily doses. Enjoy! And my thanks to Katherine for taking part.

If you haven't read my review of Sword of Light, follow this LINK.

More information about the Song Quest Campaign can be found HERE.

Question 5

You mentioned that the idea for Song Quest came as a what if scenario. Is that how you usually find an idea you want to explore further? You seem like you have lots of ideas, so how do you decide which ones to spend the time working on?

Finding ideas has never been a problem for me, and "what if" never fails to spark off a story! This can be quite a small thing, such as "what if I walk down the end of my road and meet a rabid dog?" or a bigger thing like "what if the polarity of the earth reverses tonight?" I keep a notebook where I scribble down the most persistent ideas in case I want to use them one day. I'll never have time to develop them all into stories, though, so the real problem for a writer is deciding which of their ideas might be worth developing further.

Books happen in several ways:

Passion: An idea will not go away, and I am really interested in the subject matter or feel a need to explore it further. I start writing in a blaze of passion, and out comes a story. "Song Quest" was written like this, since it was my first novel and I didn't have any idea what publishers wanted so I just wrote what inspired me most at the time. Once you get published, you never really regain that absolute freedom of the first novel, because you start worrying about what publishers want, and what sort of book might sell enough copies to pay the mortgage and so allow you to continue writing. "I am the Great Horse" is another example of a passionate book, and that one got written because I had a dream contract from Chicken House that simply said “new novel” - but I think that level of author freedom is (sadly) rare these days.

Market: Some ideas are obviously more marketable than others. I am constantly coming up with outlines for series and developing characters and plots, only to find that once I start writing, everything goes dead on me! The trick is finding something marketable that also feels worth a year or more of my life, and sometimes I cannot tell that until I have written at least part of the book. Many of these ideas fizzle out after a few weeks' work and are stored away in various files awaiting a spark of inspiration that might bring them to life. I think the main problem with aiming for the market is that the most obvious ideas have already been used up and wrung dry. Also, fashions change. An initial idea might take years to develop into a book/series and reach the shelves, and by that time the bandwagon you were aiming to hitch a ride on will probably be vanishing over the horizon…

Work for hire: Sometimes a publisher will come up with an idea and need a writer to write the "book words". There are different levels of this, from projects where the publisher (or a third party such as Working Partners) provides a detailed storyline and the writer just joins the dots, to other projects where the writer is expected to plot and develop the characters working from the publisher's brief. Since it removes the most joyful part of the process for me, this is the kind of thing I will only take on when the bailiffs are at the door. So far I have done one: "Magical Horses" (for Carlton).

Writing any kind of book is hard work, so it's important to have something driving you quite hard in order to finish it – whether this is passion, some sort of challenge, money, or a fan with a sledgehammer threatening to break your ankles!

Katherine Roberts

Thank you Katherine. I found that such an interesting insight into the reasons you might write a story beyond your own passion for an idea. But I can see that writing about something that has a really personal meaning for you would be more inspiring.

You can visit Katherine's website:

www.katherineroberts.co.uk

Rhianna Pendragon, heroine of Sword of Light, is on Twitter. Follow her here: www.twitter.com/PendragonGirl

Tomorrow, Question 6!

Author Interview: Katherine Roberts Q4

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:51:00 +0000

The countdown : 6 days to go!

Every day from now until Song Quest by Katherine Roberts is back in print and her new novel the Sword of Light is released, I'll be sharing with you a question posed by me and answered by Katherine. The most in depth answers ever offered by an author in bitesize daily doses. Enjoy! And my thanks to Katherine for taking part.

If you haven't read my review of Sword of Light, follow this LINK.

More information about the Song Quest Campaign can be found HERE.

Question 4

Song Quest features magical creatures which, I believe, are partly based on mythology. Do you particularly enjoy writing about magical or otherwordly beings? What is it about fantasy writing that you really enjoy?

Yes, the Song Quest trilogy features several half-creatures: mermaids (which I call merlee because there are male ones as well), half horse half human centaurs, and half bird half human quetzal. I love writing about mythical creatures, and you'll find several strange ones in my Seven Fabulous Wonders series too, such as the fire-breathing chimera. There are even some telepathic fairy horses in my new Pendragon Legacy books. And, of course, my muse is a unicorn...

What do I enjoy about fantasy writing? Hmm, possibly the escapism… but also the freedom. If I wrote about real world children being kidnapped and riding off into the mountains on dangerous quests without adult supervision, or wrote about sailors slaughtering real world sea creatures, there would be an outcry. But in a fantasy world, you can address difficult themes from a safe distance. A fantasy story might seem to be about magic and heroic battles and elves, but in reality it is about power and war and different races trying to work together. If I try writing a book with no magic in it, the story always feels unfinished. Fantasy creatures such as mermaids and unicorns might not exist in our world, but out there somewhere in the universe... who knows? I absolutely believe in ghosts and spirits and things we cannot see or explain. Science has not discovered everything yet.

Katherine Roberts

You can visit Katherine's website:

www.katherineroberts.co.uk

Rhianna Pendragon, heroine of Sword of Light, is on Twitter. Follow her here: www.twitter.com/PendragonGirl

Tomorrow, Question 5!

Author Interview: Katherine Roberts Q3

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:25:00 +0000

The countdown : 7 days to go!

Every day from now until Song Quest by Katherine Roberts is back in print and her new novel the Sword of Light is released, I'll be sharing with you a question posed by me and answered by Katherine. The most in depth answers ever offered by an author in bitesize daily doses. Enjoy! And my thanks to Katherine for taking part.

If you haven't read my review of Sword of Light, follow this LINK.

More information about the Song Quest Campaign can be found HERE.

Question 3

What made you take the leap into e-books? How are you finding this new venture into Kindle publishing?

I feel I was pushed rather than leapt of my own accord! After my agent died, I had a five year break in contracts, which meant a creative backlog coupled with time on my hands and disappearing income. I knew I had to do something. Amazon had just opened the door to independent publishers, and at the same time my older books started going out of print and my publishers showed no sign of bringing them back to the shelves. So I began the painful process of reverting the rights, and meanwhile taught myself how to format a book for Kindle with the idea of republishing my backlist as e-books. I finally got Spellfall up for sale with amazon.co.uk in January, and with amazon.com later in the year when the sublicense with Scholastic expired. Since then I have republished all of my Seven Fabulous Wonders series as ebooks as well, though so far I’ve not had time to do much publicity for them.

One of the good things about authors republishing their backlists independently in this way is that they can price them competitively. You can find more ebooks by UK authors at the group blog www.authorselectric.co.uk

Katherine Roberts
www.katherineroberts.co.uk

Rhianna Pendragon, heroine of The Sword of Light, is on Twitter at www.twitter.com/PendragonGirl

Tomorrow, Question 3!

Author Interview Katherine Roberts Q2

noreply@blogger.com (Becky) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

The countdown : 8 days to go!

Every day from now until Song Quest by Katherine Roberts is back in print and her new novel the Sword of Light is released, I'll be sharing with you a question posed by me and answered by Katherine. The most in depth answers ever offered by an author in bitesize daily doses. Enjoy! And my thanks to Katherine for taking part.

If you haven't read my review of Sword of Light, follow this LINK.

More information about the Song Quest Campaign can be found HERE.

Question 2

Can you tell us a bit about the process of Song Quest being taken on by Catnip? Are there any different steps in the process for a book that has been with a previous publisher? Is it a different experience second time around?

The publishing process picks up later, at proof stage, missing out all the detailed editing and rewriting that happened the first time round. This makes sense, since that part of the work on the book has already been done. There are still proofs to check, though, because the layout of a book is copyrighted to the original publisher. In this case, I believe Catnip bought a copy of the Chicken House edition and retyped it, then reset the story for printing with fresh illustrations. They also commissioned a new cover image, which they put to a vote for the final colour decision – black or gold – and readers voted for gold. So the finished book looks a bit different, but I resisted rewriting the story so the words are the same. In this age of e-books, I’m delighted that “Song Quest” will soon be back in print as a proper book.

The experience of being published this time around is different because I have moved on to new projects. Song Quest’s first publication ten years ago was very exciting for me, since it was my first published novel and represented a personal achievement after five years of rejection from publishers and agents. My first editor Barry Cunningham visited me at home to make the offer, and then worked closely with me throughout the editing process, bringing the book out in hardcover with Element Books, where he had moved to set up a children's list after signing JK Rowling for Bloomsbury.

"Song Quest" could easily have sunk without trace, as many debut books do, except Waterstones in Piccadilly ordered 150 copies and displayed them around their foyer, and soon after that I got a phone call to tell me the book had won the Branford Boase Award, and would I be coming to the ceremony? Since I had no agent at the time to tell me what to expect, I thought this was all quite normal for a first novel! Then Disney asked to read it and things got even more exciting, but in the end they decided not to make the film, which was probably just as well because any money from such a deal would have been lost when Element went into receivership a year later... publishing is full of such ups and downs!

Anyway, after noticing your wonderful campaign to get the book back into print (THANK YOU!) Catnip must have visited my website and seen that the rights had reverted to me… and so a new edition was born, making Song Quest my longest surviving book in paper format with three UK editions so far – Element, Chicken House, and now Catnip.

Katherine Roberts

Three UK editions! And in just eight days, I will own them all. I am so excited! I can't wait to see the cover in the flesh (well, paper).

You can visit Katherine's website:

www.katherineroberts.co.uk

Rhianna Pendragon, heroine of Sword of Light, is on Twitter. Follow her here: www.twitter.com/PendragonGirl

Tomorrow, Question 3!