Eibhlís Carcione - Welcome to Dead Town Raven McKay - Author Interview - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

Today's post is a gothic mystery interview with author, poet and teacher Eibhlís Carcione. We wanted to highlight the wonderful publication of Welcome to Dead Town Raven McKay published by Everything with Words last month (June 2023). This is a book for readers who love an illustrated supernatural ghost story with bags of imagination. What did we ask the author? Well, come and find out!

1. What kind of atmosphere did you want the reader to feel and how did you go about laying the foundations to deliver the tone of the plot?

I thought it would be exciting to write a story about a place where the living and the dead live side by side. I like dark, lyrical, atmospheric storytelling. I had to delve into my own imagination to create a gothic world of my own. This took time. Folklore and mythology were a huge inspiration. Grave’s Pass and Dead Town are inspired by the winding narrow hills of Cork City where I live. They’re also inspired by places in Sicily like Taormina, Erice and Randazzo where I’ve been on holidays. There is a town in England called Grave’s End. That gave me the idea for Grave’s Pass. I include some of my favourite characters from folklore: A white lady, a redcap, a werewolf, a bogeyman and pooka horses. I also include animals that I like: a Maine coon cat, a labradoodle, and a tortoiseshell cat. I also include a three-wheeled car as I like retro things and antiques.

2. How was the process of teasing ideas out from your memory and getting these down in word form? 

I’ve always liked ghost stories. I’ve always been interested in the supernatural. When I was eight my grandfather died. I stayed at my gran’s for a few weeks because she was lonely. She told me wonderful stories about ghosts, goblins and changelings that made my heart beat faster. These stories have stayed with me. 

In Celtic mythology, black butterflies symbolise the souls of the dead. I knew from early on that the black butterfly was important in my story. It fluttered continually in my subconscious as my story took shape. One of my favourite novels in the Irish language is Cré na Cille (Graveyard Clay) by Máirtín Ó Cadhain. It’s set in a graveyard where the newly dead arrive bringing all the local news to those already in their coffins. I love the dark humour and the roguish characters in this novel. This book probably influenced me unknown to myself. Raven McKay came to me in a dream. I saw her with her suitcase with the faded sticker of the black butterfly in a hilly town with twisty narrow streets. She stood there and looked at me. It was as if she was asking me to write her story. The first few pages came quickly. At that stage I went back to plotting. I let things grow and flourish. I thought about the other characters. When I could see the story unfold like a film in my head, I knew I was ready to write it. I soon found myself in the heart of Dead Town.

3. What do you think is special about the main character, Raven McKay? 

Raven is curious, individualistic, loyal and brave. She stands out in her long dark hair, her beautiful hat with the raven feather, her velvet coat, her blouse with the embroidered butterflies and her boot with the tassels. She is mysterious as she has in her possession an old suitcase with a faded sticker of a black butterfly. Lots of kids go through stages where they feel they don’t fit in, where they feel they should do what others do although a voice in their head is saying, “no, I’d prefer to do something different.” Sometimes they feel odd like Raven McKay. Sometimes they feel alone. 

4. What do you think she would change about the story? 

I think Raven would have liked to arrive in Grave’s Pass sooner so that she could have stopped the ghoul from causing the accident that left her friend Mack in a wheelchair

5.  I'm a very big fan of the publisher. What advice were you given by them that led to the finished book? 

Mikka from Everything With Words was enthusiastic about the book from the start. That really helped with the editing process. We worked very well together. Mikka is a very thorough and thoughtful editor. She recommended some name changes. We both came up with some suggestions and we chose the most suitable. I’m very grateful to Mikka for her passion about my book, her insight and for choosing Ewa as the artist. A perfect choice. 

6. What can you tell me about the illustrations inside the book? 

Ewa Beniak-Haremska, the artist, read the book and loved it. She said Raven reminded her of her younger self. I chatted with Mikka and Ewa over zoom a few times. What’s interesting is that Ewa said the cover of the book came to her in a dream also, which in itself is mysterious. Eva’s illustrations are sublime and wondrous. They’ve added another gothic layer to the book.

7. What do you love most about being a published author?

The past year has been amazing. Meeting kids, meeting other writers, calling into bookshops, chatting with booksellers and seeing my book. Kids have sent me drawings of Raven. They’ve told me they’re going to dress up as Raven McKay for Halloween. Others have told me that they’re going to dress up as the redcap, Bram and Callie. It’s all very exciting!

8. Do you believe in ghosts or the supernatural? 

I’m not sure. I would like to believe that there is another world. There are things in life we can’t explain. I think spooky stories help us deal with our own fears. It is the same for children. Supernatural tales bring us into an unknown realm where we often come face to face with our own fears. 

I’ve always loved ghost stories but I was easily scared as a child. I didn’t like going up the stairs to bed. I thought there could be a ghost lurking in the shadows. Dark winter evenings often left me on edge. Maybe this was because I secretly believed that there was something out there. Still I was brave enough to sit in a dark loft and tell ghost stories with my friends. But it shows that even if you’re scared of things it’s still fun to be scared too. There is a great thrill to be had from a spooky tale.

9. What would your favourite day look like? 

Coffee. A walk with our dogs, Maddie and Bella. Music in the background while I write. I never write without music. (I write in the mornings when I’m on holidays and in the evenings when I’m teaching.) After lunch I read, usually a novel and some poetry. Sometimes I listen to podcasts. Another walk with the dogs. Dinner with my husband Jay and our daughter Rosa (16). We usually watch a film or series. We’re enjoying Black Mirror at the moment. 

10. Has anything spooky happened to you?

When I was a student I stayed in a hostel on an island off the west coast of Ireland. There was an old portrait in the room. I swear it was staring at me all night. It gave me chills down my spine. The same chills I got from the hostel owner. The sound of crashing waves and the wind added to my unease.

Delighted to see Welcome to Dead Town Raven McKay out in the world
Order here: https://t.co/F8fcgpoflE @EveryWithWords #RavenMcKay
🎬👻🖤👻🖤Book Trailer 👻🖤👻🖤 pic.twitter.com/4xcj4zJCit

— Eibhlís Carcione (@eibhliscarcione) June 1, 2023

Andy Ruffell - Lily Grim and The City of Undone - Author Interview (Q&A) - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

This is another fantastic debut author interview. This week, we're delighted to introduce Andy Ruffell and his new book - we are really looking forward to reading this. Lily Grim and The City of Undone will be published by Hodder Children's Books on the 11th May, 2023. We hope after reading this interview you might dare to put this gothic adventure on your reading list. You can preorder it from all the best places you usually buy your books from and help LILY GRIM unravel her mystery. 

1. Your book sounds wonderful, can you tell us something about the book that we might not find in the publisher's synopsis? 

Although the story is set within the claustrophobic streets of Undone (and the sewers and tunnels beneath them) there’s a whole world that already stretches way beyond the city walls which I’m itching for readers to discover. If I get the chance to share the sequels, you’ll see the frozen lands of the Wintermen with their ghosts, the walking dead, volcanoes and wolfriders, and you’ll visit the Cities of Fire far to the south of Undone, deep within deserts whose coasts and dunes are plagued with pirates.

The map in the front of the book (which I absolutely love!) hints at some of these future possibilities and I can’t wait to bring the places on the map, and the people who live there, to life. Incidentally, the name of the northern port of Freeside is a nod to real-life Teesside, the area that welcomed me nearly 30 years ago, as is the name of one of my favourite characters from the book (all Teesside readers will instantly know which one when they read it!) 

2. Undone is a dark and dangerous place to live, what survival tips can you give to potential readers to stay alive? 

First of all, trust no one… Except for Dekka, he’s great: he’s the kind of friend we all wish we had and the person we wished we were. 

Secondly, make sure you’ve got a strong stomach as you’ll be spending a lot of time intimately acquainted with the insides of the sewers and all that gathers there.

Thirdly, if in doubt, just trust your feelings and go for it.

Lastly, beware of the flesh-eating sewer pigs! If you hear a snorting in the darkness, you’d better start running or you’ll be eaten alive.

3. The main characters in the book have a second-hand shop, what would be able to purchase if we were to visit, and would we get a bargain?

Lily’s guardian Gabriel is so kind that everyone ends up with a bargain! The shop sells anything and everything: old false teeth, jewellery, second-hand clothes, watches, tools, glass eyes, umbrellas, books, maps… If I were you, I’d buy a good pair of boots (because you’re bound to need to run away from someone at some point), a hat or scarf to disguise your face, and some old clothes to help you blend into the crowd because, if there’s anything that’s going to put you in danger in Undone, it’s standing out and getting noticed by the evil Master.

4. When and how did this story start to take shape? Did it start with a light bulb moment? 

I was driving to work one morning (in ‘real-life’ I’m a primary school headteacher) when Lily Grim’s name came to me. Funnily enough, it arrived in the first person, as though she was speaking to me and she said, “I am Grim, Lily Grim.” I loved the name and knew I wanted to tell her story, but I just let her sit awhile and put on a bit of flesh before I was ready to write.

I’m terrible at getting started on anything and had basically managed to put off writing a book for several decades because I was so worried that I’d fail and would have to kill off the last of my childhood dreams. However, my amazing wife Joanne, told me I had to find something to do to take my mind off the stress of running a school during the pandemic, and she insisted I tried writing the book I’d always said I’d write someday.

Within eight weeks, I had the first draft finished and couldn’t believe I’d managed it after all those years of procrastinating. I was obviously just waiting for the combined powers of Lily and Joanne to kickstart me into action!

5. Would your younger self enjoy reading this book?

Absolutely! I loved anything dark and mysterious and devoured books by Alan Garner, Ursula K Le Guin and Susan Cooper. I liked a bit of magic in a story, but always preferred magic that was unpredictable and dangerous and put the user at risk (like the magic that Wart experiences in T H White’s Sword in the Stone). I kept the otherworldly powers of Lily and the Others well within this branch of ancient and shifting magic as I didn’t want them to find things too easy, or too safe!

Lily Grim and the City of Undone is full of darkness and danger but, at its heart, is the great friendship that grows between Lily and Dekka, the Other boy who rescues Lily and helps her discover who she is. With two daughters, I wanted to write a book that had a really strong girl as the lead character, but Dekka is such a fabulous friend to Lily and such an easy character to love, that I ended up writing a book that essentially has two leads. 

6. I love the book cover. Could you tell us more about the cover and what your thoughts are about it? Do you think it is a good reflection of the story inside?

I love the cover so much! Everything from the dark colours which make it feel different from most middle-grade books, to the skull detail on the lettering, to the jumbled cityscape of Undone, to Dekka featuring on the cover, to Lily’s own gothic style. The fabulous illustrator, Francesca Carbonari, and the design team at Hachette have done such a great job in using the book as a starting point and producing something totally new. 

Francesca has captured Lily’s bold wilfulness and spark of mischief perfectly. In the book, I deliberately avoided giving Lily much of a description, so that readers could see her how they wanted. My daughters love the extra details that Francesca has added – the dark eyeliner, the ghost hair tie, and the double ear piercings – none of which are described in the book. It’s endlessly fascinating to imagine multitudes of different Lilies existing in other people’s heads. 

The idea for the feel of the City of Undone itself came from a combination of mediaeval cities like Canterbury, York and Durham with their overhanging, tightly packed and crooked buildings, along with the joyless growth of Dickensian slums, mills and factories of the Industrial Revolution. Francesca has distilled this grime and claustrophobia so well on the cover and I’m thrilled to see the city itself featuring so strongly. I also love Francesca’s addition of the watchful ravens, whose beady eyes seem so malevolent and full of dark intent - they ramp up the gothic atmosphere and give it all a delicious air of threat and malice.

The cover captures the feel of the story so well and I will be eternally grateful for the fabulous job that Francesca has done! Thank you!

7. Are there any stories that have been a key influence in writing and developing your storyline?

As mentioned earlier, I loved reading dark and mysterious books when I was younger. In addition to the writers previously discussed, as a child I read Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings pretty much on repeat (which may be why I absolutely LOVE a map in a book and why I was overjoyed when Hachette said I could have one in Lily Grim!)

I’ve always enjoyed folktales, fairy tales and ghost stories and I guess this back catalogue of reading experiences, coupled with a foray into horror as a teen and more recent TV programmes like Inside No. 9, all mixed together to create the dark, gothic adventure of Lily Grim.

Weirdly, about 10 years prior to writing Lily Grim and the City of Undone, I wrote the opening couple of pages for a different story. I’d forgotten that I’d written it, and only rediscovered it when I opened an old notebook. Although the characters have different names, the setting is undeniably Undone and it’s clear that the atmosphere and many of the themes of this unfinished story share their DNA with Lily Grim – to the extent that some sentences are spookily similar. 

8. What are you particularly looking forward to as an author once your book has been published?

I can’t wait to see someone, somewhere reading the book and discovering Lily and Dekka for themselves. Knowing that Lily and Dekka are running around the City of Undone in that person’s imagination is so humbling. I loved creating the characters, the world, and the story that pulled them all together, but sharing it is equally important. The thought that everyone will imagine Lily in a different way is amazing. Through sharing stories, we create infinite characters and settings that are personal to their own reader and it’s really quite overwhelming when you get given the opportunity to do this.

9. Who would you like to invite to your book launch and why? 

Ha! Despite spending 20 years in primary education as a teacher and headteacher and always having to be ready to ‘perform’ in lessons or assemblies, I’m actually really shy. Even the thought of a book launch where I am centre of attention makes me nervous so, certainly for this first book, I think I’ll just be enjoying the day of publication itself with my family. 

That said, if I was having a launch and could invite anyone, I’d definitely ask Gandalf, Bilbo Baggins, Indiana Jones and Michael J Fox (all childhood heroes) along with Laurie Lee, my favourite writer of all time.

10. What do you love to do in your spare time?  

I absolutely love reading and, of all my pastimes, that’s the one I’d really struggle to live without. Reading in a hammock in the garden on a sunny day with our lovely cat Otis curled up on my chest would be my perfect way to relax.

I’m also a big fan of TV and, although I don’t watch a great deal of it, I love being drawn into a great story and I’m a sucker for a really compelling drama. 

I hate being stuck indoors, so I’m often outside and I’m happiest when I’m close to the natural world – either getting muddy in the garden, or out running or walking. I’m lucky enough to live near the North York Moors and I love being out in the hills.

From April to October, I try to go to the beach at Saltburn-by-the-Sea as much as possible to surf (really badly). It’s such a friendly place and there’s nothing like surfing for making you feel like a child again – it’s pure joy, even when you’re rubbish like me and spend more time underwater than riding the waves.

Alice M. Ross - The Nowhere Thief - Author Interview (Q&A) - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

 

Hello readers and welcome to our fourth interview. This week we are meeting the fantastic author, Alice M. Ross, who has recently had her debut children's book published (March 2023) by Nosy Crow. The book is called The Nowhere Thief but watch out as there really is a thief about. This book is surely going to steal your heart! We loved this story and wanted to find out more so check OUT the review. We hope you are loving this series of interviews - thank you all for contributing and reading. 

• How would you describe your multi-verse adventure The Nowhere Thief?

The Nowhere Thief is a mind-bending multiverse adventure aimed at 9-12-year-olds that is also about finding your family. 12-year-old Elsbeth is stealing things from other worlds to sell in her family's antique shop but as a strange boy starts to follow her and the weather turns weird whenever she travels she starts to ask herself: does her gift come with a price?

• Elsbeth and Idris have a special power where they can steal from other worlds. What would you like them to steal for you and why?

Well it's actually only Elsbeth that can steal things: Idris tries to but every time he does it the objects just disappear! His grandmother makes him feel bad about this. Obviously I wouldn't feel comfortable about possessing stolen goods myself, but if they did come across an interesting object by legal means I think it would be pretty cool to have a chamcha, which is a flying sort of cat that lives in Idris's world.

• Which other world would you like to visit in the book and why?

I'd like to visit Victoria's world, where the sea is rising and children are sent on wilderness survival trips: maybe we could get some tips for our own world. I'd like to meet Victoria, who seems like she would be really cool!  

• Do you have any plans for the characters after this book?

We'll have to wait and see! I definitely have ideas in my head of things that will happen to them, but whether that will end up in book form remains to be seen.

 

• You have spent most of your time being a journalist. Can you share a favourite story you wrote or reported on? How do you think a good journalist can make a difference in the real world?

I've reported on lots of things in my career at the Financial Times but recently I've been writing more about climate change, and how investors can get involved - in fact I wrote a non-fiction book on this topic called Investing to Save the Planet in 2020. Journalists can definitely make a difference by highlighting people's voices when they're not heard that often. 

• How do you juggle real-life with fantasy and do they both play important roles in your life?

Well, I guess it would be a bit weird if real-life didn't play an important role in my life! I have kids and cats and a house and all that grown-up jazz to tend to: I find they complement each other quite well right now but I do have to carve out certain times of the day to write or I'd never get it done! 

• Which book or literary work made you think about the impact we have on the planet?

I did write a book myself about the impact we have on the planet, so I certainly thought about it then. I'm not sure I've ever read a fiction work specifically about climate change but I think it's interesting that this is becoming more of a trend in both adult and children's literature.  

• What would you do differently if you were to write another book?

I'd like to say I would plan it better, but I'm not a huge planner of books - I do think that if you just write you come up with ideas as you go. That said I think it's a good idea to have your themes in your mind/some vague idea of what you're trying to do, so that's what I'm trying to do in the next book I'm writing: I know how it ends but not how it will get there!  

• Finally three quick questions: favourite meal, place, and one wish for the future? 

My favourite meal has to be twice-baked potato - it is definitely my comfort food that my Mum used to make for me when I was a kid! These days I have it to cheer myself up or when it's a particularly cold day.

My favourite place is Berlin - it's such a cool city, and my kids are half-German so we spend quite a lot of time there.

My wish for the future is obviously to publish more books! I have lots of ideas and I just need to find the time to turn them all into novels!  

https://nosycrow.com/product/the-nowhere-thief/

Anna Brooke - Monster Bogey - Author Interview (Q&A) - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

Thank you for joining us once again. It's time to get messy and have a little sing-song with another one of our debut authors, Anna Brooke. Anna is the author of MONSTER BOGEY published by Chicken House this Jan 2023. The book is fantastically illustrated by Owen Lindsay and, as it states on the cover, just pick it up and come and have a laugh. To find out more, you just need to read on my little MONSTERS. 

How much slime should we expect to encounter in this book? Do we need to be wearing a hazmat suit before encountering this story?

Gooliemaloolie! There is so much slime in this book – almost on every page. Yes, I highly recommend wearing a hazmat suit. Or a diving suit. Or a rain suit. Or even just a few plastic bags. Anything you can to protect your clothes.

Can you tell us what the willy-willy-woo-woos are? 

The willy-willy-woo-woos are those uncomfortable feelings you get when you’re scared - like the ‘creeps’ or the ‘jitters’ or (the word most closely related to them) the ‘willies’.

How would you describe your debut book as a quick song?

Ooh. Good question. Either as a ballad (a very cheesy one) about adventure, friendship and accepting people as they are. Or it could be a proper upbeat number about nose-picking called Snot Ball Disco - which is precisely one of the two songs I wrote for it (with French composer Xavier Bussy)! 

The other song, called A-Chooooo! (also co-composed with pianist Sebastien Joly), is a silly Strauss-inspired aria about sneezing. 

I’m a huge fan of musicals, and for a while I sang in an electropop group, so right from the start I knew I wanted Monster Bogey to have a musical element. You can listen to the songs via QR codes and links in the book, or via all the usual streaming platforms.

Or here:

Snot Ball Disco, performed by Lucy Longlegs the cabaret-singing spider (featuring Honkerty Village’s Weird hedgehog): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulYFcLlq_S8 

A-Chooooo!, sung by Mum, an opera singer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk3yeGJvE-w 

Here are some of the lyrics:

Snot ball disco

Step in to the light

Greenie greenie

Forget all your strife

Snot ball disco

When you pick your friends

Greenie greenie

Love never ends

When you’re feeling down at the end of the day

Just Pick It

Just Pick It

Just Pick It

Yeah!

If you’re feeling shy and can’t think what to say

Just Pick It

Just Pick It

Just Pick It

Yeah!

And A-chooooo!:

Have you ever had a tickle in your nose? 

It gets you from your head down to your toes

Then there’s nothing left to do

But let out a sneezy, snotty, sloppy, sticky 

A-CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Don’t try to hold it in

It’ll make you feel so grim

Your eyes will pop with nasal slop!

If you keep it all inside

It’ll come out your behind

And who wants snot around their bot?

Just let rip – go for the goo

It’s the only thing to do.

Just let rip – it’s a breeze

It’s the only way to sneeze.

From Yorkshire to Paris, has this journey influenced any part of the book? 

Yes, definitely. The obvious part is baddy Willamina’s French ancestry. She’s the descendent of French king William the ‘Conkerer’! And she spews French-sounding insults without knowing what they mean – like, ‘ferry pour Calais’ (Ferry to Calais) and ‘saucisson sec’ (cured sausage). 

The other part is the book’s humour, which I think is very much linked to my years growing up in Yorkshire and Birmingham (where I lived until I was ten). People in both regions love a good play on words and have a great sense of humour. I like to think I absorbed some of that and put it into the book. 

Would you recommend tea drinking, Yorkshire pudding flinging, or baguette jousting as a way of limbering up to read Monster Bogey?

Like most Parisians, I always begin a good reading session with un petit peu of baguette jousting. And occasionally croissant chucking. And on special occasions discus throwing with camembert along the Champs Elysées. But I’d recommend any of the above. Or you could just pick your nozzle!

This book sounds wonderful, do you think laughter plays an important role in children's books? 

They say laughter is the best medicine and I think it’s especially true when it comes to reading.  Laughter releases endorphins in your brain, which makes you feel good, which makes reading a positive experience. And what could be better for keeping kids hooked on books than that? 

That’s not to say that children shouldn’t be exposed to all sorts of books. They should. But I think laughter can be a precious tool for attracting kids of any age to reading – especially reluctant readers. If they’ve had a good experience with one book, they’re more likely to want to replicate it by trying another story, and then another, and so on. 

How would you like readers to feel once they have finished reading the story? 

I’d love them to feel as though they’ve been on a wild, funny and mischievous adventure.

My dream comment would be, ‘This made me happy and laugh a lot’. 

I’d also hope that by the end—through Bogey’s character and what happens to him—readers will feel more empathy towards people who are different.

And maybe, just maybe, some people will feel that my book is a refreshing antidote to Covid. During the pandemic, millions of kids must have been told off (more than usual) for picking their noses. And for good reason. But perhaps reading Monster Bogey will—on some level—offer a naughty sense of release, after all that pent-up stress and unchannelled picking energy!

What type of books do you like to read? 

Oh gosh! All sorts. I don’t really have a ‘type’ but here’s a list of some of my favourites books, from childhood through to adulthood:

• Alanna by Tamora Pierce
• The Silver Chair by C.S Lewis
• The Lockwood & Co series by Johnathan Stroud
• The Third Policeman by Flann O’Brian
• Anything by Oscar Wilde, but particularly The Canterville Ghost
• The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly 
• The Monk by Matthew Lewis. In fact, this is probably my all-time favourite.

The illustrations in the book look amazing. At which point of the publication process did you get to see these and how do you think they support the story process? 

By the time I saw Owen Lindsay’s brilliant cover and illustrations, the book was approaching final copy-edit stage. But I was so overwhelmed with some of his pictures, that I actually tweaked a few lines of the text to make it match his drawings. For instance, in the revolving fireplace scene, Owen put a bowler hat on a werewolf carving, and it looked so good I had to write it into the story.

In terms of story process, the illustrations didn’t really support the writing of Monster Bogey per se (aside from the above), because they came at the end. But for the sequel, Monster Stink (due out on August 3^rd 2023), Owen’s style has been very much at the forefront of my mind. I now see Frank, Tiffany and Bogey (the main characters) as the people he has drawn. And I wrote certain scenes thinking about how Owen might portray them. There are some seriously sticky bits in Monster Stink, I’m telling you! And Owen has come up trumps!

What three things would your characters get up to if you let them loose in Paris?

I think Frank and Bogey would head straight to the top of the Eiffel Tower, where Bogey would do an aerial choreography with Paris’ pigeons.

Tiffany would take the slugs to Parc de la Villette, a modern park in the north-east of the city where there are regular circus shows.

Mum would hit the Garnier Opera House and reminisce about when she sang there. And Dad would go straight to the Cinémathèque film museum.

What was the scariest book you read as a child?

I’d have to say, the B.F.G. by Roald Dahl. I was genuinely terrified by the non-friendly giants and what they’d do to Sophie if she got caught.

Anna Brooke

Anna’s writing career started in journalism as a film critic for Time Out Paris and the author of seven travel guidebooks for Frommer’s. She has written for multiple publications, including the Financial Times, The Times and The Sunday Times Travel Magazine, where she was the long-standing Paris expert. Her debut novel, Frank ‘n’ Bogey, was a SCBWI Undiscovered Voices winner and longlisted for the Bath Children’s Novel Award. When not writing, she has been an actress, a cabaret singer and an electro-pop artist, performing on stage and composing songs for films and commercials. Raised in Birmingham and Yorkshire, she now lives in Paris with her French-Canadian husband and son. Author Website: https://www.annabrookewriter.com

Yvonne Banham - The Dark and Dangerous Gifts of Delores Mackenzie - Author Interview (Q&A) - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

 

Hello Everybody. It's time to walk this way to read our second interview. This week we are delighted to introduce Yvonne Banham who is showcasing her debut children's book. The dark and Dangerous Gifts of Delores Mackenzie is a gothic escapade that will be published by Firefly Press in April 2023. The book looks and sounds fabulous - I already have it on my purchase list. If you need any more encouragement then read our little interview to find out more about the book and the author. In the meantime, if you have any questions please leave them in the comments section below. You can pre-order copies of this book at Firefly Press using this link Order Book HERE. 

• The book cover is brilliant as it says so much about the story. What can you tell us about the plot that might entice new readers to give it a go? 

I LOVE the cover. Nathan Collins’ vision of Delores is spot on. The story opens as Delores is being chased home by a restless spirit These spirits crave Delores’ energy to help them return from the dead. They’re not like ordinary ghosts (simply memories stuck on repeat), these spirits know they’re dead and they’re not happy about it! So, Delores is sent to the mysterious Uncles in Edinburgh Old Town to learn to control her paranormal gifts, but a sinister apparition appears and threatens the lives of her strange new housemates. Can Delores Mackenzie really push back the dead? Read on to find out! If you like Jonathan Stroud, Phil Hicks or Frances Hardinge, you might enjoy this too!

• How much of your personality is featured in the different characters? 

Delores and Prudence have a lot of traits stolen from my daughters (though I’ll never say which is which!)  Delores’ love of gothic fiction, her hatred of coriander and the word lobule are all me, as well as a fair bit of Prudence’s sarcasm sorry to say! 

• Tolbooth Book Store is full of curious surprises, what surprises did you find when writing this book?

 I’m not a planner so there were LOTS of surprises. When I started, I didn’t know about the Uncles, or the little demon gargoyle Bartleby, or how unintentionally funny Prudence would be, I didn’t even know the ending. The biggest surprise was Prudence’s secret and I loved going back and weaving that through the plot.

• What do you think makes a really effective dark mystery and do you think you have achieved this in your debut book? 

Maintaining the tension is crucial, but also having resting spots so the reader isn’t overwhelmed by the dark; include lighter characters such as Katy Starr (great fun to write!), grumpy Bartleby, or Sweet-Shop Esme. Mix the clues amongst lots of twists and turns and tap into things that genuinely scare you. Use those feelings to keep the story dark. I hope I’ve achieved that tricky balance, but really that’s for the readers to decide.

• How much has your story changed since the first draft? 

I’m always going back over sections as I write, so I don’t have as many full drafts as most writers. The biggest changes came when I started to thread new ideas through the existing plot to give a more satisfying ending. I also got to add a scene at the end which in hindsight was crucial to the shape of the story. Delores’ world is also much now more richly curated, and I love doing that part. If I had to put a number on it, I’d say 80% of it is from the really proper, fully worked first draft. 

• If you could have a dangerous gift what would it be and why?

 I LOVE that question. I think I’d choose shapeshifting but as shapeshifters are basically outlaws, I’d need to make sure not to get caught. As I’m sometimes late, being able to fly everywhere would be amazing – and just image what you’d see from the sky! Or I’d be a cat next to a log fire when I wanted to just lie there and create spooky plots in my head.

• What has inspired you the most to write a book for children? 

I read lots of books for children and young adults. I love the plots, the characters and the worlds. When I write, that’s where my head’s at and that’s how my own stories come out. My biggest inspiration is Frances Hardinge. Her books show how far you can push the boundaries in children’s fiction and that subject fascinates me. She never patronises her readers in terms of plot, character, dialogue or levels of creepiness.

• What would you like people to know about you?

 I write dark stuff and adore dark stories, but I also love an uncontrollable, unstoppable belly-laugh. You feel amazing after! 

• What are some of the common traps for new writers as they pursue their dreams of getting their book published?

 Trying to guess the trends or following what’s popular. By the time you’ve written yours, the publishing world will have moved on. And sending stuff out too soon; join a writing community, get some feedback, let your story rest a while and come back to it. That story gets one chance to make an impression so make it count. 

• What and where is the spookiest place you've ever been to? 

The Blair Street Vaults under Edinburgh Old Town. SUPER creepy. There’s supposedly the ghost of a young boy down there. I didn’t see him, but other people say they have. It has a peculiar atmosphere and one of the rooms had a very odd kind of dark. It features in the book; go there, I dare you! I want to visit the Covenanter’s Jail in Greyfriars Kirkyard but so far, I’m too scared to go in! It supposedly has the most active poltergeist in all of Edinburgh and that’s up against some pretty steep competition!