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Madonna and Cat
Posted on August 13th, 2010 No commentsOn An Awfully Big Blog Adventure, author Michelle Lovric has posted a fascinating look at why so many medieval and Renaissance portraits of the Virgin Mary include a cat. Well worth a look, art lovers (and cat lovers), and make sure you read the comments, too.
Michelle will be discussing ways to write about Venice with Katie Hickman at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on August 21st.
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This Saturday at the Traquair Fair 2010…
Posted on July 29th, 2010 No comments…I shall be doing an event and reading at 2:45pm!
After making my little promo video for The Blackhope Enigma on the grounds and in the maze at Traquair House, I was invited to come back on July 31 and do an appearance as part of the Traquair Fair 2010.
I’ll be talking about the book, reading selections from it and doing some drawing in the Children’s Tent from 2:45-3:45pm. The event is aimed at 8-12 year olds and the drawing theme is “Mazes and Monsters” (of course). We’ll be designing and drawing our own illustrated mazes to take home.
The Blackhope Enigma will be on sale, and I will be around to sign copies after my event. Hope to see you there!
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The Blackhope Enigma Book Launch
Posted on July 4th, 2010 4 commentsDebut book, debut book launch!
Well, The Blackhope Enigma has set sail, launched last Thursday by a wonderful crowd of well-wishers who enjoyed a glass of bubbly and a slice of “Corvo cake” (dark chocolate-raspberry amazingness) named after the Renaissance painter in my book, Fausto Corvo, aka the Raven. It’s astonishing what you can achieve with a simple cardboard cut-out and some confectioner’s sugar.
Photo by J Jamieson
The venue, a working studio lent to me by a very generous friend, had three rooms. This one served beautifully as a book-selling area and tiny gallery. The excellent Blast-off Books came all the way from Linlithgow to sell books, and to my delight, returned home with very little stock left. I framed a few of the illustrated maps from the book and put them on the mantel. The chilled-out skeleton oversaw book sales (skeletons figure prominently in the story, but you’ll have to read it to learn why).This is a corner of the largest room, before it got crowded, showing one of a collection of ravens I cut out of large black paper as wall art. When I was at art school I enjoyed making work from cut coloured paper, and got pretty good with a scalpel, or x-acto knife, as we called them in the USA. Fairy lights completed the decorations.
Photo by J Jamieson
While we were celebrating the book, we also celebrated the virtual launch of The Blackhope Enigma website. Not only is it a handsome looking thing, but it has cool features on it, like downloadable wallpaper, a bookmark and some book plates that I drew, and which can only be found on the site. I also contributed an audio clip, produced by Cheer Productions, and a video clip made by Oak’s Bark, with the additional assistance of Pablo the sound man. Thanks to all those gentlemen, as well as Lighthouse Photographics, who took my publicity photo!
Last but not least, you can register to win a visit from me to your school (or your child’s school). So please do check it out!
I would like to thank everyone who came to the launch, especially those who traveled from far afield. They all made it a wonderful success and reminded me what great friends and colleagues I have. And I can’t thank Templar Publishing enough for all their support and hard work in bringing my book to the world!
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What’s The Blackhope Enigma About?
Posted on June 30th, 2010 2 commentsA fine question indeed.
The Blackhope Enigma is a historical fantasy-mystery-adventure and it’s suitable for readers age nine and above. Read more about it on the Templar website, including an excerpt.
I just did a guest blog for the Scottish Book Trust about my path to becoming an author, and you can read that here.
I am really delighted that The Blackhope Enigma has been chosen as their July Book of the Month!
Tomorrow is Publication Day! The next couple of days will be busy, busy, but I shall be back with updates and photos forthwith.
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More from Independent Booksellers Week 2010
Posted on June 23rd, 2010 No commentsIn which The Blackhope Enigma appears at Atkinson-Pryce Books.
We rolled into Biggar (no jokes please, my husband has exhausted them all) last Saturday to introduce The Blackhope Enigma to children at the very lovely and welcoming Atkinson-Pryce Books. It’s a cosy and bright shop that I wish was in my neighbourhood!
Armed with the book, postcards and laptop containing a riveting (I hope) presentation about labyrinths, Renaissance paintings, Venetian galleys and early maps, I had a fine old time introducing the children to some of the story’s background and inspirations. We even did some drawing together (mermaids, monsters and mice) while lying on the carpeted floor. I can’t think of a nicer way to spend an hour on Saturday afternoon. Thanks to all the children for coming and to Atkinson-Pryce Books for arranging my appearance there.Psst, by the way, only one more week till The Blackhope Enigma is launched!
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Independent Booksellers Week Events 2010
Posted on June 16th, 2010 No commentsSupport your indie bookseller!
Yesterday was a big day. The Blackhope Enigma roadshow took to rail and road with Blast-Off Books in support of Independent Booksellers Week 2010.
Photo by K Ross
I love all book stores but I am particularly fond of indie bookshops like Blast-Off Books, which specialises in children’s books and provides an amazing service to its local community and schools. That’s why I volunteered to participate in IBW events this week.
We headed out into the gorgeous countryside in the sunshine and visited the lovely Dalmeny Primary School, where the pupils were already well into The Blackhope Enigma, being probably the first school on the planet to have had almost half of it read to them by their excellent teacher. That’s me in the photo, showing one of the illustrations inside the book. I was bowled over by their positive response and great questions. Wow, is all I can say.
The roadshow headed next to Torphichen Primary, another lovely school with keen pupils, who are now clued up on all things Blackhope. Again, excellent questions and comments all round.
The roadshow heads out to Biggar on Saturday, stopping in at another indie bookshop, Atkinson-Pryce Bookshop, at 11:30am. I’ll be doing a Blackhope-inspired workshop-talk for children age 9+. It’s free but ticketed, so if you are interested, contact them.
Both Blast-Off Books and Atkinson-Pryce will be stocking The Blackhope Enigma.
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London Book Fair 2010
Posted on April 22nd, 2010 No commentsKeeping calm and carrying on.
Well, I lucked out this time. I bought a train ticket to London and worried that there might be a train signalmen’s strike…but who knew that the volcano would blow and suddenly trains looked pretty good?
This was my second time ever at the London Book Fair, but my first time as an Author. The Fair was a lot quieter than usual, since so many people were stranded elsewhere, but it was no less impressive. I got a new insight into the work that takes place on Templar’s stand: rights being sold to other countries, events being set up, orders being taken. And it all happens in a pretty small area. Kudos to everyone working so hard to make Blackhope a success!
It was exciting to see The Blackhope Enigma up there on the shelf with all of Templar’s stunning range of books for children. I positively drooled over the new picture books especially. And the new Vampireology (Ology Handbook)
! I thought I was tired of vamps, but when I saw it, I knew I’d have to have it. That, and Dracula (Collectors Classics)
, illustrated by Anne Yvonne Gilbert. Wow, and double-wow.
I was pretty amped to meet up with a couple of great people from my Arvon course last year. It was over a fleeting falafel sandwich in the Terrace Cafe, but grand nonetheless.
I fairly floated home yesterday, under crystal clear blue skies, the train racing through the blooming countryside. It was a good time to catch up with myself, make a mental list of all the exciting stuff coming up, and of all the writing and drawing I am anxious to get back to!
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SCBWI Scotland’s Summer Conference
Posted on April 5th, 2010 No commentsCalling all aspiring children’s book writers and illustrators!
The Scottish chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators has just published its schedule for the 2010 Summer Conference, featuring top authors and illustrators, including Jane Yolen, Bob Harris, Elizabeth Wein, Nicola Morgan, Sara Pinto, Gillian Philip, Keith Charters, Gill James and John Fardell.
For the full schedule and prices, click here.
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Craigmillar Book Festival
Posted on March 26th, 2010 No commentsI went to foggy, foggy Edinburgh yesterday to participate in the Craigmillar Book Festival and visited Primary 7 classes at Castleview and St Francis Primary Schools. What nice pupils and staff in both schools - and what lovely buildings!
Thanks, Castleview P7, for this snappy drawing of a mouse who looks like a certain super-famous pop singer!
After showing examples of my children’s book illustrations, I read out excerpts from The Blackhope Enigma for the first time, which I really enjoyed.
Thanks to the organisers of the Festival and to all the staff and pupils!
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Templar Publishing’s New Fiction for 2010
Posted on March 5th, 2010 3 commentsThe Launch Event in London!
I was really delighted to attend last week’s event in this lovely room at the Covent Garden Hotel - as one of Templar’s new authors! Yes, after months of keeping things under wraps, I can now reveal that The Blackhope Enigma will be published this summer. It’s my first illustrated novel for ages 9+ and I categorize it as “a historical fantasy-adventure with lashings of art and magic”.
That’s me on the right of the photo, with the wonderful duo of Anne Finnis, Consulting Editor, and Emily Hawkins, Senior Editor. If I look at all starry-eyed, it’s because I was certainly feeling that way! I had just seen the advance review copies of my book, with its very classy cover, and it began to sink in that after years of hard work, The Blackhope Enigma is on its way.
I feel honored to have my book on the Templar 2010 Fiction List with a host of excellent authors and illustrators: Not Bad for a Bad Lad by Michael Morpurgo, former UK Children’s Laureate, and illustrated by the multi-talented Michael Foreman; A Right Royal Disaster by fabulous author-illustrator Simon Bartram; and the much anticipated The Dragonology Chronicles: The Dragon Diary by Dugald Steer.
There is already online buzz about Australian Richard Harland’s steampunk novel Worldshaker and Stephanie Burgis’s A Most Improper Magick. (If you visit Stephanie’s website, you can watch a neat book trailer and enter a competition to win an advance review copy.)
I am intrigued by Kate de Goldi’s The Ten O’Clock Question, which was an award-winning bestseller in her native New Zealand. The same goes for Johnny O’Brien’s Jack Christie books. I met Johnny at the launch - you could not meet a nicer man, and he’s a history buff to boot. Read more about Day of the Assassins and Day of Deliverance at his very cool site.
Last, but not least, is the beguiling story of Eric from one of my heroes of contemporary illustration, Shaun Tan. You can reread my blog about Tales from Outer Suburbia here.
What illustrious company I find myself in! As I type, I am eyeing the pile of advance copies I was given at the launch and wondering which I should read first. It’s going to be a difficult but pleasurable choice.