Cathryn Constable - The White Tower - Blog Tour 2017 - (Top 5 Distractions Blog Post)

As part of the White Tower blog tour for Chicken House, I'm very pleased to welcome author, Cathryn Constable, to the blog today to tell us about here top 5 distractions. Have you ever been distracted from your writing? 


The perfect writing day will leave plenty of time for a bit of distraction, either at the start when you want to ease yourself back into your story or at any point when you begin to feel that the writing isn’t fluid. These distractions might be something to do with what I’m writing, but sometimes they’re things which keep me in an attentive mood but are nothing to do with the book. 


1 Old films on Youtube 
This can be a bit like going down the rabbit hole (in fact, I’ve watched quite a few versions of Alice whilst writing The White Tower). A recent discovery was Morgiana, a strange, Czech film made in the 1970s where the two sisters, one bad, one evil, are played by the same actress. Amazing makeup and costumes. 



2 Korean drama 
A terrible admission, but I’m hooked. There’s something so satisfying about getting lost in Korean dramas because they just go on and on and on… And there’s every genre. Recent faves included a mermaid, an immortal alien (that one was heartbreaking) or a sorceress concubine. Not standard Netflix fare. 

3 If the writing is really not going well, I’ll go for a manicure. This is risky because you’re stepping away from your desk and can get doubly distracted going to buy flowers on the way home (although I’m very strict not to keep walking and go to the excellent vintage shop a bit further up the road). But keeping the nails piano teacher short is essential for quick typing. 

4 Tarot 
I’m hopeless and will cheat to get a decent reading. 

5 The London Review of Books 
Only to be risked on the days when falling into a vortex is not the worst thing that can happen. I can spend hours in the online archive. HOURS…

Synopsis: Alchemy meets dreamy reality in this new atmospheric adventure from the author of the bestselling debut, The Wolf Princess. 
The White Tower is the uplifting and magical story of Livy, a young girl lost in throws of grief and forced to move schools. Struggling to cope with life, Livy finds solace high up on the rooftop amongst the domes and spires of her new home. With the perfect blend of science and dreamy reality, Constable paints a rich and atmospheric story of a lonely girl coming to terms with the death of her best friend and finding a way to let go of her pain. My Book Review Here. 

Cathryn Constable’s debut novel, The Wolf Princess, was one of the best-selling debuts of 2012. It swept the board with gorgeous reviews and was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize and the Specsavers National Book Awards.

To find out more about Cathryn Constable:

Twitter / Website

Published 5th January 2017 in paperback by Chicken House. 

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Cathryn Constable - The White Tower - Book Review (Chicken House Books)

When Livy's accepted at Temple College, a school for the very brightest, no one is more surprised than her, though she has always felt different. Recently, Livy's been drawn to the roof, where, among its towering stone angels, she has the strangest desire to fly. But her behavior is noticed by others, for whom the ability to defy gravity is a possible reality ...one that they'll stop at nothing to use for their own ends.

In 2012, The Wolf Princess was published by Chicken House and captured the hearts and minds of many readers. This is the second children's book to be published by Cathryn Constable. The White Tower is a similar story; it is a dreamy and nostalgic book that will transport the reader to a place in time that the author has chosen. The book is scheduled to hit the bookshops in January 2017, but you don't have to wait that long as I've already seen it on the shelves of many well- stocked bookshops. 

Livy is the main character of the story and you will certainly warm to her from the very first page. The doors close behind her and the bus lurches away to uncertainty, a new chapter and a new and unwanted life that will pull on the delicate heart strings.

A new start at Temple College, one of the oldest schools in London, but Liv is missing her best friend. She doesn't want to replace her with a new life at a rich school. The sadness and the loneliness exude through the plot. Liv does not want to fit into her new environment. The struggles of life will draw you into this plot unexpectedly; the atmospheric ambiance will suck you into a vortex of mystery, old-fashioned sense of adventure that will have you glued to the pages.

Cathryn has painted a brilliant narrative just like John Constable paints a landscape. A flourish of colour and a romantic palette painted in words and language that will transport the reader into a classic timeless fairytale. You will fly high into the clouds of mystery in search of forbidden knowledge and rummage through the secrets of the past. Science or magic, alchemy or mayhem? All of these will draw the reader into this brilliant and engrossing adventure. 

This is another fantastic publication from Chicken House. It is a great story of sadness, but it pulls the readers through the pages with uplifting charm and dreamy reality. Cathryn has a great sense of imagination turning dreams into good classic adventures that you will love and enjoy, regardless of time and age. 

A girl, a roof and the cold winter sky... A scattered snowflake of magic realism and a festive delight for everyone. I hope you read and enjoy it!