It’s official! I have two new websites that are linked under one umbrella – or should I say tree? It’s taken months to get all the materials together for my new author site and to update my illustrator site, but I think it was well worth the effort.
It’s wonderful to have the sites ready in time for the launch of The Shadow Lantern on 1 May. I hope you’ll click here to check out my new landing page and navigate to both sites from there. Comments and suggestions are welcome!
UK readers, it’s only a matter of weeks until The Shadow Lantern is published by Templar Publishing! You can now pre-order the final book in the Blackhope Enigma trilogy online. I’ve made it easier for you by including some links here.
I’m pleased to announce that ace book blogger Serendipity Reviews is the first to reveal The Shadow Lantern‘s cover here. Once again, I’m thrilled with the fine work Tom Sanderson of The Parish has done with the design. I couldn’t have asked for more appropriate and classy covers for all three books!
It’s been a week since I said goodbye to The Shadow Lantern and wished it well on its journey to the printer. The next time I see it, the pile of papers that made up the proof copy will have been transformed into a bound book with another stunning cover. One small part of me feels a bit melancholy about finishing my characters’ stories, but mostly I am excited about the book launch and UK tour later this spring.
It still feels slightly unreal to have created three novels. If anyone had told me seven years ago that I would morph into a novelist, I would have laughed in disbelief. But the sudden urge to start writing The Blackhope Enigma was so strong, I knew I had to go with it. The process was never easy because I had so much to learn (and always will!) about crafting stories, but it was fascinating and fulfilling. Knowing so many young people (and adults) had enjoyed reading it really spurred me on. By the time I began planning The Crimson Shard, I was hooked on my characters and their stories. The sequel grew organically out the first book and as soon as I had finished it, I knew that there would be a third and final story.
I’ve always loved trilogies. There is something about the number three that is quite powerful and complete for me. I feel very proud of all three books and am looking forward to presenting The Shadow Lantern to the world in just a few months.
Two weeks in and 2013 is looking pretty eclectic. Just the way I like it.
There hasn’t been any time for hibernating. I’ve just finished inking the interior illustrations for The Shadow Lantern and, any day now, the typeset script will come back to me for proofreading. By the end of this month, the book will be ready for reproduction and I will begin looking forward to the first of May, its publication date.
I’m also juggling a couple of other projects right now: a downright fun illustration commission that I hope to reveal later this spring and my two new websites. Yes, two. One will be about the writing side of things and the other will be about my art and illustration. Stay tuned for the launch date!
Throughout this year I’ll be presenting at various book festivals as well as leading some exciting writing and illustration workshops for young people and for adults. As each event is announced I’ll post information here and on my Facebook and Twitter feeds.
This looks to be a year of rich variety, change and experimentation. One of my favourite bands, I Am Kloot, is bringing out a new album soon and their song, These Days Are Mine, sums up the surge of optimism I’m feeling right now. Consider it my January anthem. (And you can have a free listen to the whole album here.)
Last week children’s author and friend Lynne Rickards kindly ‘tagged’ me in her blog post called ‘The Next Big Thing’. I was one of five authors she mentioned – just as she had been mentioned along with four other writers in author Lari Don‘s blog the week before. Each tagged author answers some set questions about his or her current project and tags five more authors whose work s/he admires. This ‘meme’ has grown and grown in the children’s book online world and this week it’s my turn to answer the questions and mention some wonderful writers!
What is the working title of your next book? The Shadow Lantern
Where did the idea come from for the book? This is the third book in my Blackhope Enigma trilogy and I knew I wanted to set it in Scotland at Halloween. From there all the elements fell into place: new characters, spooky influences and the arrival of a strange sixteenth-century invention that draws in my main characters, Sunni and Blaise.
What genre does your book fall under? It’s fantasy/mystery for age 9+.
What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition? We’d need some talented teenagers (several Scots and one American) as well as Javier Bardem, David Tennant and a few other character actors for adult parts.
What is the one sentence synopsis of your book? The arrival of a special magic lantern at Blackhope Tower pulls Sunni and Blaise back to the infamous castle and into new danger.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? I’m represented by the lovely Fraser Ross Associates.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript? Approximately eight weeks.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? My books have occasionally been compared with Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series and Cornelia Funke’s books.
The Shadow Lantern will be published by Templar Books on May 1, 2013.
And now, on to the author tags in alphabetical order!
I’ve known author, poet and teacher Magi Gibson for a number of years and have been delighted to follow the success of her Seriously Sassy book series for young people. Maggi is currently busy with some very interesting projects that I hope she’ll describe in her blog post.
I met the engaging debut author Jane McLoughlin during the Edinburgh International Book Festival in August and am really pleased that her book, At Yellow Lake, has just been long-listed for the 2013 CILIP Carnegie Medal. This is a fantastic achievement!
Daniela Sacerdoti has already met with success as a writer of books for older readers but her new book, Really Weird Removals. com, will appeal to a younger audience. I had the pleasure of attending Dani’s book launch for Really Weird Removals last month and and was impressed with her passion and excitement about her work. If you click on the link, you can read about her next book, as she has already participated in The Next Big Thing – but I decided I’d like to tag her anyway!
It was great to meet Elizabeth Wein at the Edinburgh International Book Festival in August. I had already heard about her latest novel, Code Name Verity, which has been storming onto lists of 2012′s best young adult books as well as being nominated for numerous awards including the Scottish Children’s Book Awards and the 2013 CILIP Carnegie medal long-list.
Deborah White‘s first book, Wickedness, was an intriguing and atmospheric fantasy revolving around ancient Egyptian spells, an emerald casket and a powerful prophesy connecting two red-haired young women in different centuries. I’m hoping Deborah will talk about the next book in her series, Deceit!
I now hand over the reins to Maggi, Jane, Elizabeth and Deborah, who will answer questions about their Next Big Things on their blogs next week. Many thanks to all of them.
Things have been go, go, go since I last wrote a post on this blog – which I am ashamed to say is many months! What’s been going on since I got back from Finland in April? Let’s see. I finished a first draft of a new book, revised it, did quite a few events around Scotland, including the Edinburgh International Book Festival, went to the USA, did a lot of paperwork, constant social networking on my Facebook page and on Twitter…You get the drift.
I was also working on a secret side project over the summer. I’d been thinking for some time about making a book trailer and had admired lots of ones that are out there, but I had no idea how to go about it. A casual chat with a filmmaker friend got us excited about making a short live action trailer in time for the September release of THE CRIMSON SHARD in the USA. Over the past couple of months, we created a one minute trailer. I’m going to write a longer post about the ins and outs of making one of these cinematic gems, but suffice to say it takes a lot of careful planning and attention to detail.
Today I put the trailer up on my new Vimeo and YouTube channels and I hope you’ll visit whichever site you prefer! The response so far has been so positive and wonderful.
Pasila Library's water feature
I was given a lovely tour of Pasila Library last week (which has this stunning water feature). It’s Helsinki’s main library with almost 200,000 items, including materials in over 100 languages which can be sent all over Finland to other communities. Pasila Library does a particularly good job of supporting immigrants who are learning Finnish and about local culture.
I was very impressed with the whole library, but especially the children’s section, which had an excellent selection of books in English and many other languages. Many older Finnish children read in English, which I find pretty astounding, and there is plenty for them to enjoy here. The children’s area is decorated with quite a few animal sculptures and one very pretty water spirit. There is also an activity room where children come to paint and even to knit while they are read to by the librarian.
The library takes an active role in inviting young children to become library users, creating brochures, invitations and games that encourage them to visit. They even produced a high-end sticker game showing cartoon characters using the library.
The tiger is one of many sculptures in the children's department.
Many thanks to the enthusiastic librarians for showing me around and giving me some of their very interesting materials to take back to Scotland. And you can see a few more pictures of the library’s sculptures here.
Mural at Estonian Children's Literature Centre by Jüri Mildeberg
I recently traveled across the Baltic Sea to Tallinn in Estonia and found not only a beautiful, atmospheric medieval city to explore, but a fantastic children’s book centre and library in the Old Town. The Estonian Children’s Literature Centre was established in 1933 and its archive library collects children’s books and periodicals in Estonian and published in Estonia, world classics in children’s literature and awarded books in their original languages, reference materials on children’s literature and illustrations from children’s books. It maintains an information centre and performs research on Estonian children’s literature, as well as organising conferences, workshops and lectures. It also runs major projects such as the Young Reader’s Choice Awards, exhibitions and creative competitions. To get a sense of what Estonian children’s books are like, click here.
I was impressed from the start by the Centre’s permanent exhibition by one of Estonia’s foremost children’s authors and illustrators, the late Edgar Valter. He was a self-taught artist who is well-loved by Estonians. Not only were there examples of his illustrative work but also his paintings, which I thought were gentle and luminous. There was also a showcase of current award-winning Estonian books, which had a distinctive look.
The Centre’s library is comprehensive and very welcoming. The librarians showed me various Scottish books in the collection, just some of the many foreign editions they collect. We climbed upstairs and took in a wonderful exhibition of Russian illustrators’ work in the stairwell. This show, The Water of Life, features many artists’ interpretations of Grimms’ fairytales, and while I didn’t like every piece, I found most of them lovely and beautifully rendered. On the next floor there is also a comprehensive exhibition on the history of Estonian children’s books, including beautifully decorated stools to use in the space.
The back of each seat is unique
The real magic of the Centre began, for me, in the lecture space. Each chair was decorated with a unique chair cover made by an illustrator. There were also gorgeous shutters covered with murals by Jüri Mildeberg. This grand space was made even more special by these original designs.
But perhaps my favourite area was the top floor, with its relaxed reading and activity area for children. The walls are covered with stunning murals by Piret Mildeberg and giant wooden puppets. To see photos of these, click here. There were showcases full of puppets and dolls, many from Russia. I wish I could have documented every painting on the walls, because each was amazing. I felt very inspired by the Centre and would love to spend more time there and in Tallinn!
Shutter mural by Jüri Mildeberg
My inspirational week started when I visited Villa Kivi overlooking lovely, frozen Töölönlahti Bay. This beautiful house is known as the Writer’s House and ever since it was built in 1890, it has been associated with literature. Famous Finnish writers and linguists lived and visited there until it fell into disrepair and the city of Helsinki bought the building and gave it to the Kivi-house Foundation in 1985.
Villa Kivi
Villa Kivi was renovated by the Kivi-house Foundation, which was founded to improve the working conditions of writers and to facilitate contact with their readers. The house has 14 workrooms for writers, a library, a festival hall and Lukukeskus, the Finnish Reading Centre, a bi-lingual centre for the promotion of reading on a national level. This being Finland, there is also a sauna for ten people!
I was lucky enough to meet with the Executive Director of Lukukeskus, Anu Laitila, who gave me an overview of how the Reading Centre supports author visits into schools and publishes book review magazines for children, young people and adults. I was very impressed with the support the Finnish government gives to writers, not least the stunning Villa Kivi. Anu was also very helpful in helping me set up an upcoming visit to a Finnish school.
Moomintroll!
When I was leaving the villa, I couldn’t resist snapping of photo of a slightly melancholy Moomintroll, from Tove Jansson’s Moomin books. The Moomins and their author are national treasure in Finland!
The next day I was pleased to meet Literature Officer Päivi Haanpää, who has been a pivotal part of setting up the programme that brought me to Helsinki, and well-known author Eppu Noutio for tea at the famous Kappeli cafe. We talked about everything from Scotland to social networking and once again, I was delighted with their warm welcome and special gifts of books and music.
Matias at the helm
On the same day I was excited to visit the Finnish Children’s Bookshop, which is only a few months old. Owner Matias Saarni is an energetic and dedicated advocate of children’s books and art, as evidenced by his sensitively designed shop. He has collaborated with Kuvittajat, the Association of Finnish Illustrators, to present exhibitions by contemporary artists in one part of the shop.
Exhibition area
I was heartened that Matias’ business is growing and thriving as customers discover his shop. I was also interested to see that there were hardly any titles in paperback. Finns seem to prefer their children’s books sturdy, even though it means the prices of books are high. It’s not unusual to see a picture book for 19 Euros.
Table for little readers.
One of my favourite aspects of the shop was this bridge to the reading area in the window. Yours truly will be in that reading area doing a Special Event on Monday, so stay tuned to find out what it was!
The bookshop bridge..