Christopher Mackie - CLOUDLANDERS - Book Review - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

 

Hello everybody. We hope you are ready for summer and are looking forward to some great new children's adventure stories. The first book we recommend is the debut book by author Christopher Mackie. This story was written in lockdown and shares the feeling at this time in an ingenious plot. The book will be published on the 17th of August 2023 with Scottish indie publisher Floris Books. I would also like to name-check the fabulous illustrator of the book cover who is Vietnamese-born illustrator Houang Giang. She has done a fabulous job of representing the characters of the book and the story. 

How do you save an unusual island floating in the sky?  Like this brilliant story, you need a bucket full of imagination and some help from great characters who come together to save the last county on EARTH. Bastion is the last island and is in need of saving from deadly enemies the WAVEWRECKER and the tricksy little TIDEKIN. The author introduces us to a wonderful pallet of great characters and an amazing setting to produce an adventure like no other. The characters in this book are cleverly crafted and made out of pure fantasy dreaming. There’s Lycan a shapeshifter, Flicker a gemstone faerie, One-zero the outsider, Kurt the Shroomling and finally Aliana & Garrett the wood nymph twins. They all have the potential to be heroes of this story providing they can work together to bring a happy and peaceful ending. However, other characters might just have other ideas!

Each character has a fantastic role to play in this fast-paced, rollercoaster dystopian read that will be a brilliant and memorable hit. You will skip through danger whilst also understanding the meaning of friendship and hope in a nostalgic way.  I wish more stories would embrace this concept. For me, reading for pleasure should be exciting and so different from our very own lives. It’s a chance to be transported from your armchair to a magical and amazing place - just like this one REALLY does.  

If you are ready for a madcap adventure that is thrilling and gloriously different then it’s time to wave your TENTACLES in the air. Join the brave gang of misfits in mayhem and madness as part of a thrilling and unpredictable new fantasy world just above the CLOUDS. I think we can look forward to the next instalment as there will be another book I feel sure.

Justin Davies - HAARVILLE - (Kelpies) - Book Review - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

 

 

                                                       Welcome to Haarvlle. 

                If you've haarived, you've survived...

Are you ready for a fishy adventure or some limpet buns? Welcome to the latest book by jet-setter Justin Davies. Haarville will be published by Floris books based in Edinburgh on the 23rd February 2023. We love the cracking, golden shiny book cover by Francesca Ficorilli which is an absolute STUNNER. 

It's time for you to dip your fins into the sea of tranquility and mayhem in this fantasy adventure with this glorious story. It's a UNIQUE and quirky blend of imagination and setting that will set you off on a mesmerising expedition that will have you glued to the pages. This has to be my favourite read so far this year; layered with dark humour, and a big perpetual mystery it is an amazing story. You will definitely ride the amberose roller-coaster storm as you follow the main characters of the book. Orphan (Manx Fearty), his best friend Fantoosh and drag-queen guardian Father G, face two unexpected arrivals on a little-known off-grid island town. It is notoriously difficult to get to with its rolling haar (mist) and fishy pongs that hide a powerful secret. 

This brilliant well-written story transports you to a murky seaside town that is the life and soul of the party. The characters are colourful and heartwarming whilst the villains make it an edgy race to uncover secrets to save the family's legacy and Haarville from sinister newcomers. It's full of Gaelic charm, food references and some smashing world-building that will captivate the reader's imagination. 

It's time to have your salt 'n' sauce with this battered treat in an epic outrageous narrative that will lift the human spirit regardless of age. We have a great action-packed MAGICAL ending that leaves a wanted expectation for more books in the series - at least we really hope this is the case!

Robert J. Harris - Artie Conan Doyle and the Scarlet Phantom - Book Review - Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books

Here we are, the sleuths are back again with the third brilliant book in The Artie Conan Doyle Mysteries. The Scarlet Phantom is the work of Scottish writer, Robert J. Harris, and features the young amateur detectives of Artie Conan Doyle (Boy Detective) and Edward Hamilton (Stalwart Companion). The book has already been published (October) by Floris Books (a small independent children's publisher in Edinburgh).  

It's time to investigate the criminal mind with another unusual and thrilling mystery to ponder over. I really love this series; it's one of my personal favorites as it reminds me of the books I used to read when I was a young person. It has the same DNA profile as the books I read and loved at that time such as The Hardy Boy Stories which were full of vivid action and great moments. It also has great settings and characters similar to The Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators books. Around every corner, there's suspense and deadly peril. These books made me an avid reader as they expanded my imagination and created a great appetite for new and exciting books. 

Wandering around the back streets of Edinburgh, August 1873, and something is afoot once again. A mystery is sweeping across the murky Scottish streets leaving the public fearing for their lives. Priceless jewels are being stolen by an invisible thief who walks through walls and disappears at will. All of which is bafflingly the local police force. However, the Scarlett Phantom is just about to pull off the biggest robbery in history. Can the greatest detective (not Sherlock Holmes) solve the puzzle before he or she gets away? Or will a strange paranormal investigator, who claims he can capture this phantom burglar, get there before them? You'll have to read the book to find out. 

In this story, we are introduced to a new female character, Peril Abernetly (Girl Scientist), to aid the detective team in finding out the answers to this fiendish plot. This character adds another interesting dimension to the story. She introduces a scientific approach to the inner-thought processes and dynamics of the sleuthing trio. In contrast, there is also Edward who is always hungry and has food about his person but is not always hungry for adventure. He especially fears danger and has to be persuaded by his best friend (Artie Doyle) to follow him in his thirst for solving inexplicable crimes.  

Like all the other books in this series, there is a fantastic plot full of imagination, which has been executed particularly well. It has twists and turns which leave many possibles alternatives to develop and explore. There are many quirky details included which provide a great reading experience. The time and gothic setting have a wide and fantastic appeal. Historically, it makes the story very interesting and atmospheric.

This is another fantastic book aimed at the younger reader. It will feed their imagination and set them off on an amazing fantasy adventure. As the story comes to a climatic and turbulent end, it will leave them feeling content. It's a book that is definitely worth tracking down. You never know, it may even inspire new avid readers to be born. So are you ready to solve the clues and follow in the footsteps of the characters? If so, then you definitely need to read this book.

Victoria Williamson - Where Do Ideas For Stories Come From? (The Fox and the White Gazelle Blog Tour)

It's a pleasure and a delight to be hosting a guest post from Victoria Williamson.  'The Fox and the White Gazelle' was published on the 19th April 2018 by Kelpies of Edinburgh. 

Reema runs to remember the life she left behind in Syria. Caylin runs to find what she's lost. What follows both characters in this book makes for a thought-provoking and moving journey. It takes you through a set of emotions that will stay with the reader. It's a life story that came from a seed of reality and ends in the realm of fantasy. Nature versus nurture with a strong sense of belonging. 

Many thanks to Victoria for sharing this post with us all. I hope you enjoy - thank you for taking the time to read it.  

One of the most frequent questions an author gets asked is ‘Where do you get your ideas from?’ 

That was an easy question to answer when I was six or seven: I stole them. And not even subtly. There was no half-hearted attempt to disguise the plagiarised re-telling of books I’d read, tv shows I’d watched or films I’d seen. My early ‘books’ were made of pieces of paper stapled together and filled with scenes from my favourite cartoons. The first play I wrote and performed with some friends in my P3 class was a rewrite of the plot of The Worst Witch. I retold the stories that excited me, imagined myself going off on the adventures I read about and saw on the screen, and changed a few details here and there to make myself the hero of these tales. 

And soon a funny thing happened. The adventures began to take on a life of their own. I was still writing stories about the Thundercats or dreaming up mysteries for Tintin to solve. But the plots were new, and all of my own making. Later, when I stepped through the magical wardrobe in my imagination, instead of finding Narnia on the other side, it would be a different world, peopled by characters I had invented, with stories all of their own I had never read before.

That’s why as a teacher I get a bit annoyed by the insistence on ‘originality’, particularly for children in the early years. It’s one thing for a twelve-year-old to hand in a half-hearted retelling of a tv show for a creative writing exercise, but surely we should be helping younger children to become enthusiastic writers by letting them tell the tales that truly thrill them? ‘Write about anything you like’ is so vague that adults who’d love to write a children’s book are left scratching their heads wondering where on earth they’re going to find a great idea, so why do we expect small children to be able to do this from a young age? Yes, children have vivid imaginations, but if you listen carefully, most of the stories they’re telling are about tv shows they’ve seen and books that have been read to them, just like mine were. The children who are encouraged to write these down while they’re still excited about them, instead of being told to think up something completely new, are often the ones that, years later, become authors with stories of their own to tell. 

And like many authors, even as an adult I spend a ridiculous amount of time living in my head, in worlds filled with characters I had invented from tv shows, films and books. Some of the best stories I’ve written in my head but never committed to paper are fan-fiction episodes of Game of Thrones, Doctor Who or Supernatural. Writing well requires constant practise, just the same as playing the piano proficiently or playing a great game of tennis. But just like practising the piano or tennis, there’s no need to do something new every time. Writing has its scales and service games to rehearse too, but they needn’t be a chore. 

I often say to writers who are struggling to come up with ideas to go back to writing the way they did when they were very young, before the need to be original became a stifling requirement. Turn writing into a game, and rediscover the excitement of slipping into the role of your favourite character, battling monsters or flying dragons in magical faraway lands that are already 
out there waiting for you. Soon you’ll be meeting unexpected characters and coming up with different plots along the way, and with a bit of luck and a lot of practise, some of those will turn into brand new stories that have never been told before.

Victoria Williamson grew up in Kirkintilloch, north Glasgow, surrounded by hills and books, and started writing adventure stories at an early age, with plots and characters mostly stolen from her favourite novels and TV shows! These days her stories are all her own, featuring the voices of some of the many children she has met over the years on her real-life adventures around the world.

Victoria has been a teacher for many years, working in all sorts of exciting places from Cameroon, Malawi and China to the UK. She has lots of educational resources available to go with her books, and she is very happy to visit schools to talk to students about reading, writing and the issues raised. 

You can find out more about Victoria by following her on Twitter or visit her website.

Robert J. Harris - Artie Conan Doyle and the Vanishing Dragon (Kelpies) - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Book Book Review

One day Arthur Conan Doyle will create the greatest detective of all -- Sherlock Holmes. But right now Artie Conan Doyle is a twelve-year-old Edinburgh schoolboy with a mystery of his own to solve. 

Artie and his friend Ham are hired to investigate a series of suspicious accidents that have befallen world-famous magician, the Great Wizard of the North. It seems someone is determined to sabotage his spectacular new illusion. 

When the huge mechanical dragon created for the show vanishes, the theft appears to be completely impossible. Artie must reveal the trick and unmask the villain or face the deadly consequences. 

The cards have been dealt, the spell has been cast, and the game is afoot once more! 

Artie Conan Doyle and the Vanishing Dragon is the second book in the series by Robert J. Harris. The book swooped into bookshops on the 22nd March 2018 just in time for the Easter Holidays. The book has been published by Kelpies, which is a small but perfectly formed children's independent publisher in Scotland. To celebrate this brilliant publication I hosted a stop on the blog tour which you can read HERE. The post talks about a new generation of mystery adventures for the young. 

This series is definitely a mystery series that I would choose to read. It is definitely worth tracking down if you want a jolly good read. Fast-paced and full of action, it follows two absolutely brilliant characters. Artie and his sidekick Ham are a loveable and perfectly crazy pairing. They solve mysteries across Edinburgh's Victorian landscape - Ham follows the crumb trails whilst Artie follows the clues. Where there is danger and a crime to solve, Artie and Ham will find themselves in the thick of it. 

In this book, there is a theatrical feel to the story as it starts with a mysterious invitation to an evening with magic. To be exact it is a performance by the Great Wizard of the North. This sets the plot in a shroud of mystery as the duo, armed with humour, will have you chuckling to yourself as they set off on another detecting spree. It is a brilliant adventure full of complex puzzles to solve that will leave you captivated.

This story is full of thrills, chills and excitement around every corner. It is a  brilliant and well-imagined story that will leave you feeling very satisfied as the adventure unravels. It's a story borne from the author's childhood reading based on the theme of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his most famous character, Sherlock Holmes. This is a great book for the reluctant reader as it is easy to follow, packed with great imagination and no unnecessary dialogue.  

Robert J. Harris - Artie Conan Doyle and the Vanishing Dragon - UK Blog Tour (Kelpies)

Welcome to day two of the UK blog tour for Robert J. Harris and his brilliant new mystery 'Artie and the Vanishing Dragon'. This is an opportunity to celebrate the unveiling of a brand new book in the Artie Conan Doyle Mysteries. Published by Kelpies, The Vanishing Dragon will fly into bookshops on the 22nd March 2018. 

This is a week-long mission to entertain and entice you to pick up these brilliant books and read them. So sit back and relax as we're going back to the scene of the crime to investigate where and how it all began. Have your magnifying glasses at the ready throughout the week to follow the author's footsteps each day. Please see the blog tour list in the top right-hand corner of the blog.  Happy Reading. 

THE YOUNG DETECTIVES - NEW MYSTERIES FOR THE YOUNG GENERATION

I was about eight years old when I read my first detective story. It was The Mystery of the Pantomime Cat by Enid Blyton, featuring a group of young investigators called The Five Find-Outers. Though they never achieved the same level of success as Blyton’s other quintet (The Famous Five), nevertheless the Find-Outers had a long run of cases from 1943 to 1961.

Young detectives have long been a part of the mystery genre, including such stars as The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. My own favourite series is The Three Investigators, who began their career in 1964 with The Secret of Terror Castle. Their stories were introduced by famous film director Alfred Hitchcock, who played a role in that first case. I personally think the best of these is The Stuttering Parrot, which is both very clever and entertaining.

One of the most significant features of these mysteries for younger readers is that they are not centred on the sort of gruesome murders that dominate adult crime fiction. A good thing too, I say.

While I think of the tales I tell as primarily adventure stories, these adventures always include an element of mystery. With The Artie Conan Doyle Mysteries I have shifted towards detective stories (though they are still exciting adventures). As with all my books, my main rule is that a good book for younger readers should be one that adult readers (like me!) will also enjoy. By the same principle the mysteries in these novels are to be just as good, just as baffling, as any you would find in the great crime classics.

Part of the fun is trying to guess not only who committed the crime but why. In Artie’s first adventure, The Gravediggers Club, he needs to discover not only who has been digging up dead bodies, but also why they’re doing it.

The clues are another vital element to a good mystery. The clues, far from shedding any light, should make things even more baffling. The clues Artie comes across give him a headache more than anything else - that is until he finally understands what they mean.

It’s also hugely fun for the writer and reader if the crime itself appears to be utterly impossible. My favourite mystery writer John Dickson Carr is the acknowledged master of such puzzles as ‘How was a man able to jump into a swimming pool surrounded by witnesses and completely disappear?’

In The Vanishing Dragon Artie is faced with a similarly impossible crime; a gigantic mechanical dragon is stolen from a warehouse when the only exits and entrances are a door securely fastened with multiple locks and a window far too small for the dragon to fit through.

The crucial point in any mystery story is when the truth is revealed. If this is done well, the reader will see all the pieces of the mystery falling into place like a magical jigsaw puzzle fitting itself together. My aim is that as they behold the completed picture readers will cry out in delight, “Of course! Now I see!”

That’s what I enjoy in a good mystery.

Spellchasers: The Witch's Guide to Magical Combat Blog Tour with Lari Don 2017 - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

It's fantastic to be hosting the wonderful Lari Don on Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books. This is an opportunity to celebrate the release of the final thrilling installment of the spellbinding Spellchasers trilogy. The Witches Guide To Magical Combat was released on the 17th August 2017 and was published by Floris Books! It's been a fantastic trilogy and one that I would definitely recommend that you read. This is the penultimate stop on the blog tour where Lari Don talks about the writing process and what she has learned from writing a trilogy. This is a brilliant insight for readers and writers alike. 

For the last couple of years, I’ve had to change where I write. In order to get any peace and quiet round growing teenagers, I now do most of my writing in the garden shed, surrounded by rusting paint pots and lurking spiders... 

And over the last couple of years, I’ve also changed my writing process, in order to cope with the new experience of writing a trilogy. 
I’ve just finished writing the Spellchasers trilogy, and I have loved spending so much time with the same magic and characters. But it’s also been the biggest challenge of my writing life! 



Here are a few things I’ve learned about writing a trilogy: 

A trilogy is not three stories. It’s four stories. One story across all three novels, and a distinct story in each novel. That’s a lot of stories to juggle all at the same time. 

Keep hold of your central question. The first Spellchasers book begins with a girl, who has been cursed to turn into a hare when she hears a dog bark or growl, going to a curse-lifting workshop. So the big question of the whole trilogy is: will Molly lift her curse? How the curse affects her, how she tries to lift it, and who tries to stop her lifting it, those questions change in each of the three books, but ‘will she lift the curse?’ remains the central question. My job was to keep the central question fresh and new in each book, and to allow the subplots to enhance it, not obscure it. 

Make a decision about cliffhangers. I love cliffhangers at the end of chapters, but I find cliffhangers at the end of books really frustrating. I don’t want to frustrate my readers, so I made sure I didn’t end any of the Spellchasers books on a cliffhanger. I resolved a significant plot at the end of each individual book, and didn’t end on a ... 

Look for titles that play happily together. My editor and I didn’t agree on the titles of the individual Spellchasers novels until I was nearly finished writing the first draft of the third book. ‘The Beginner’s Guide to Curses’ was a line from the first book, and suggested a structure for the two titles, then we had to work out what character or aspect of a character to highlight in the other titles. The second title The Shapeshifter’s Guide to Running Away was suggested as a joke by my kids. (Even if they do drive me to the shed, they are still useful!) The final title The Witch’s Guide to Magical Combat gave me the perfect way into the big battle at the end of the last book.

Your baddies aren’t just there to growl, they’re part of the evolving story too. Even though I introduced new (darker, scarier, more powerful) baddies in each book, I wanted them to have connections to each other. I wanted each new baddie to be reacting to the defeat of the previous baddie, and to be picking up their dastardly plot and moving it ahead in a new way. So my Spellchasers team always had to deal with the consequences of their previous adventures... 

Accept you might need to change your writing process. I’m not a planner. I don’t want to know the end of a book, or even the middle when I start to write. I like to find out what happens next by writing it. I like to meet my characters by seeing how they cope with obstacles. I don’t use storyboards or mind maps or outlines. I just jump into the story and see what happens. That has worked fine for the last six novels. It worked fine for the first Spellchasers novel too, but by the end of the second novel, I started to have my doubts about it as a process for writing a trilogy. I realised that if I just wandered into the third book with a fistful of subplots, an increasing cast of characters, and a vague desire to see what happened next, I would end up with a book that was twice as long as the first two books put together. I abandoned my usual process (a terrifying thing to do!) and actually sat down and worked out what was going to happen. Though I made sure I left a few questions unanswered, so I had some discoveries to make as I wrote. And Molly’s final decision was a surprise to both of us! 

So, that’s what I’ve learned from writing my first trilogy. But everyone has to find their own writing process. Perhaps each of us needs a new writing process for each new story? Whatever I write next, I’ll be finding out ‘what happens next’ in my shed, looking nervously above my head for spiders... 

About the Author

Lari Don is a full-time children’s writer and storyteller. She grew up in the North East of Scotland and now lives in Edinburgh. She writes in her garden shed, helped by purring cats and hindered by lurking spiders. Lari has written more than 20 books, including adventure novels, picture books and retellings of traditional tales.

She can be found on Twitter @LariDonWriter or at www.laridon.co.uk 
The Spellchasers trilogy is available and out now.

Robert J. Harris - Artie Conan Doyle and the Gravediggers' Club (Artie Conan Doyle Mysteries) - Book Review

One day Arthur Conan Doyle will create the greatest detective of all -- Sherlock Holmes. But right now Artie Conan Doyle is a twelve-year-old Edinburgh schoolboy with a mystery of his own to solve. While sneaking out to explore Greyfriars Kirkyard by night, Artie and his best friend Ham spot a ghostly lady in grey and discover the footprints of a gigantic hound. Could the two mysteries be connected? These strange clues lead them to a series of robberies carried out the sinister Gravediggers' Club and soon they find themselves pitted against the villainous Colonel Braxton Dash. Will Artie survive his encounters with graveyards and ghosts in the foggy streets of nineteenth century Edinburgh -- or will his first case be his last?

Robert J. Harris, author of the brilliant The World Goes Loki series, has now exploded onto the middle-grade fantasy scene with another new series entitled Artie Conan Doyle Mysteries. The first book in the series is "The Gravediggers' Club" which was published by Floris books on the 16th February 2017. As soon as you turn the page, you find yourself instantly transported back to 19th century Edinburgh, where it is swirling with fog, danger and a slight hint of bagpipes playing in the background. 

Welcome Artie Conan Doyle onto the stage with his friend and sidekick in tow, Ham.You will love Ham's laid back character and the way he deals with the danger and on-going adventure. He would rather be somewhere else where it is warm, safe and allows him to eat cakes, rather than a spooky graveyard late at night with a howling beast or a spooky apparition scaring him witless! As you'll be able to tell, he is very reluctant to engage in the mystery that suddenly smacks them in the face. 

The adventure follows Artie's suspicions around the young trainee doctor lodging at their house who is up to no good. It's a very easy-going story to follow with a mystery to solve. It is full of action and brings together an eclectic cast of characters to give it some Scottish charm. It reflects the time and period very well through the reality of sickness/poverty and the hardships family faced at that period in time. The setting and backdrop are very well written. They enable you to recognise aspects of the city as well as get a brilliant feel for the story. 

The villain of the story, Colonel Braxton Dash, has a great name but he did not quite live up to his reputation. In my opinion, he needed more dark deeds to heighten the tension and develop his character. A little extra side story would have turned this into a dark macabre story and made the reader sit up a little more and take notice. 

This is a very enjoyable detective story consisting of some brilliant dialogue. It has a fantastic ending which makes a good impression for the rest of the series.  

KELPIES BIG BOOK COVER REVEAL: Lari Don - The Beginner's Guide to Running Away/The Witch's Guide to Magical Combat (Spellchasers)

It has been a very along time since 'Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books' has had the opportunity to show you new children's book cover bling. These have come courtesy of indie publisher Floris Books (Kelpies) which is a great Scottish publisher in my opinion of children's books. 

For the first time, I have all three book covers to show you as part of the fantastic new trilogy,  Spellchasers, by Lari Don.  I recently reviewed the first book in the series The Beginner's Guide to Curses (book cover above) which will be published on the 18th August 2016.

All three book cover Illustrations have been produced by the talented artist, Jordi Salano. I personally love these and feel that they work really well across the series. If you also like them then you might want to check out some other great works by the artist HERE.

 

There will be three books, all connected, to make one giant Scottish ride of magical fantasy that you will not want to miss. The sequel will be: The Shapeshifter's Guide to Running Away (Book 2) and is scheduled to be published in spring 2017. Whilst the final book in the series, The Witch's Guide to Magical Combat (Book 3), will be published in the autumn of 2017. I hope that you really enjoy the book covers. Thanks for looking! 

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Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: The Beginner's Guide to Curses: Spellchasers 1 By Lari Don (Kelpies)

Molly Drummond is cursed: whenever a dog barks, she turns into a hare -- which can make life quite dangerous...So she does the sensible thing and attends a curse-lifting workshop, run by a local witch. She tumbles into a world of magical beings, all desperate to reverse their curses. But will the power that feeds on the curses prevent them from returning to their normal lives? By the author of the bestselling Fabled Beasts Chronicles series, this is the dramatic first instalment in the brand new, long-awaited Spellchasers trilogy.

This is the start of a new spirited adventure series which has been born out of Lari Don's great love of storytelling. There will be three books, all connected to make one giant Scottish ride of magical fantasy, that you will not want to miss. The follow up books will be: The Shapeshifter's Guide to Running Away (Book 2) which will be scheduled to be published in spring 2017 and The Witch's Guide to Magical Combat (Book 3) which will hopefully be published in the autumn of 2017.

In the first book you will learn a valuable lesson not to annoy your neighbours as you are likely to get cursed in the process. Unfortunately this curse is not the easiest of things to lift and so, like Molly, you might need to undertake a CURSE-LIFTING WORKSHOP. There's no need to panic though, as in chapter 2 you take a visit to Skene Main's shop where you can enrol in one. On slight draw back is that you have to be between the ages of 11 and 21 years old. Nevertheless the course has guaranteed results and they also sell great organic vegetables! The potatoes are to die for, but you have to dig them up yourself. 

You will hurtle into a brilliantly created world of Scottish myth folklore and fantastic wild outdoors. This is a captivating adventure for the young at heart which will enchant the socks off any magical beings through its mystery, dark danger, humour and riddles. The book includes some really great character friendships, regardless of their backgrounds, and will make you feel warm at heart. The story is a fast paced, family read which will leave you breathless as you chase headlong into danger through a race against time. You will encounter some deadly pecking crows, sleeping trapped wyrms and nettle knickers, do I need to say more....?!

The further you venture into this book the more you get caught up with the characters as they discover a deadly secret which turns them all against each other. The suspense and the tension hits the reader in the face and brings about a different side to the characters which turns out to be rather unpleasant.....

I really loved the eclectic mix of characters which included: a tree spirit, a kelpie, a shapeshifter and a mysterious frog found just at the start of the story. It really gets your fantasy taste buds going. It's a vivid fairytale-like story set in Speyside, which is the place where the author grew up and famous for its wee tipple of whisky. Just like the drink, it creates a distinctive blend of flavours, a dash of wild imagination, a natural splash of Scottish landscape and some immersive climatic action all distilled in a magical dark folklore twist.  This is a great start to a series with so much more set to come...

Mr Ripley's Interview with Ross MacKenzie - The Nowhere Emporium (Kelpies)

This has to be one of my favourite middle grade reads so far this year; pure fantastical fantasy. I'm really pleased to have been able to ask a few wee questions about the book and Ross's writing career. Thank you for your brilliant responses. 

Tell us a little bit about The Nowhere Emporium?

The book follows Daniel Holmes, an orphan who stumbles across an enchanted shop called The Nowhere Emporium. Daniel sort of falls into a job as apprentice to the mysterious owner of the Emporium, Lucien Silver. The shop contains a huge labyrinth of passageways, and behind the many doors lie Mr Silver's "Wonders" - rooms where nothing is impossible and the only limit is the imagination. Daniel loves his new life in the shop, but when a shadow from Mr Silver's past shows up and threatens everything, it falls to Daniel to save the day.

Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?

Daniel is an orphan. He has vague memories of his parents, and when we meet him at the beginning of the book his life is pretty miserable. He's lonely. He's having a bit of bother with bullies. But that changes when he finds the Nowhere Emporium. It becomes quite obvious that Daniel has a gift for magic. But I think it's Daniel's bravery and cleverness that really sets him apart, even over and above the magic stuff.

Will you be writing a sequel? If so what can you tell us about it?

I wouldn't rule it out but I really don't know!  The kernel of an idea for an Emporium sequel is definitely there, but there are so many other ideas pushing and shoving in my head, and I'm always attracted to shiny new things. And of course it also depends on whether readers actually want a sequel.

Do you write an outline before every book you write?

The short answer is no. The slightly longer answer is that I do make notes of where I think the story will go. It's a bit like setting of on a journey with a few places marked on a map, but lots of space between those destinations for exploring. Sometimes there's treasure waiting on those unexpected detours.

While you were writing, did you ever feel as if you were one of the characters?

I do get lost in a story when I write, and for me that's one of the joys of being a writer. The characters come alive and do unexpected things, and I suppose there must be a bit of me in all of them.

Do you proofread/edit all your own books or do you get someone to do that for you?

My lovely agent Stephanie is the first person to read any of my new stuff, and she's really good at telling me right away if something is working or not. We worked hard to get The Nowhere Emporium in shape, and it's a better book because of that process. 

And of course, once the book finds a publisher, all the fun starts again when you get to work with an editor, refining the story even more.

How do you think you have evolved creatively?

I'm definitely more confident now, and I'm becoming comfortable in trusting my gut on what works and what doesn't. Also, I think The Nowhere Emporium is a big leap forward for me in terms of finding my voice and the sort of stories I want to tell. I'm just getting started.

Have you ever hated something you wrote? 

Loads of times! If I wrote longhand I'd have wasted an unthinkable amount of paper on rotten ideas by now. Thankfully I write on computer so the trees are spared.

What books/authors have influenced your writing? 

Neil Gaiman for sure. Everything he writes sticks with me afterwards for the longest time. The Ocean at the End of the Lane is one of my all-time favourite books. I'd also say JK Rowling, Terry Pratchett and Stephen King have been major influences.

What book are you reading now? 

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.

Is there anything else that you would like to tell us?

My new blog/site will be up and running soon. I'll be posting about my journey as an author, writing the occasional short story, and answering any questions readers might have. You can find it at rossmauthor.com

Ross MacKenzie - The Nowhere Emporium ( Kelpies) - Book Review

What a magical start to a story . . . . . welcome to The Nowhere Emporium. You start this glittering adventure hanging on to every word, of every page. The author will dazzle you and entice you to feast your imagination on the story ahead. A spectacular entrance will have you gripped, as the door swings open on this enchanted tale, in a spectacular ride of plot and mayhem. 

We start in present day Glasgow with Daniel Holmes, as he finds himself jostling against the hoard of shoppers. However, he soon finds himself being chased down the High Street by Spud Harper and his gang of bullies. The plot takes flight just like the magpies in this adventure, who are watching every step as you are sucked into this brilliant read. 

Brimming full of excitement and mystery, Mr Silver draws Daniel into an unimaginable and breathtaking world of magical enchantment. The shop from nowhere has arrived. A vast maze of passageways and an infinite amount of rooms containing wonders can be found - wonders that will stir up your wildest imagination. 


Placed into a world that feels like a dream, you will skip and dance through time from wartime London to New York. It is really one of the most imaginative plots that you will probably read this year - it has elements reminiscent of Cornelia Funke stories. I loved everything about this book, but I'm not going to say anymore, as I don't want to spoil it for you. Although, you may need a wee hankie at some point, as it does have a slight emotional bite. 

This is another fantastic and exciting Middle Grade read which I'm so excited to tell you all about. Just like the book cover, it's brilliant. The story inside does it justice and really lived up to my expectations. It  has to be one of my favourite reads of the year, with its palette of explosion and colour that lifts off every page. You will zip through this book quicker than Vindictus Sharpe pulling out a rabbit from his hat. 

Find out if Daniel can save the day.... 

Who will love this book?  Well, I feel that everyone will love this book, so go out and buy a copy as it is definitely worth tracking down. Take Mr Ripley's word for it. 

Thank you Floris books for sending out a copy of this book for me to review. It is out in all good bookshops from the 19th March 2015 - not too long to wait!  

If you would like to read an exclusive chapter sample HERE

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Book: Exclusive Cover/ Chapter Reveal - The Nowhere Emporium by Ross MacKenzie

It's always exciting and a privilege to be able show off a book cover or a chapter sample of a book for the first time. In this case it is an absolute corker with an eye catching book cover and an explosively imaginative storyline. Unfortunately, Floris Books will not be publishing this book until March 2015. I'm really SORRY to be teasing you now with this book cover image and chapter preview, but I hope you enjoy the quick look into what is still to come and perhaps put it on your wish list for next year. Thank you Kelpies for asking me to share this with everybody - it really is an honour. 

Chapter 6: A bargain with Lucien Silver

 “I am offering you the chance of a lifetime, my boy – the chance of a hundred lifetimes. Come with me. Learn about the Emporium. Prove that I was right to interfere. See the world in a way nobody else can. What do you say?”

Daniel said nothing. He stared out of the Emporium’s windows. Glasgow was hidden beneath a veil of thick swirling fog.

“You need persuasion,” said Mr Silver. “Seeing is believing, or so they say.”

He strode towards the shop door, reaching for an elaborate metal instrument on the wall. To Daniel, it looked like a complicated cross between a clock and a compass. There were many dials, and rings of numbers set within smaller rings. Mr Silver began to manipulate the hands of the instrument. When he was satisfied, he spun and headed for the fire, scooping a handful of coal from a bucket on the floor. He tossed the coal into the fire. There was a great roar, and the flames became so bright Daniel shielded his eyes. For the briefest moment, the flames burned a deep red, and the fire exploded, sending a plume of soot billowing into the store.

As Daniel coughed the soot from his lungs, a bar of bright sunlight began to burn through the smoke. When the soot had settled, Mr Silver stood by the door of the Emporium and opened it with a flourish.

“See for yourself,” he said.

Daniel stepped to the doorway and felt a warm breeze on his face. He had been expecting, of course, to look out onto a Glasgow street; to see shoppers bustling past, weighed down with bags.

But that is not what he saw.

He inched out of the door, onto a wide walkway. The air was warm, the sky awash with deep reds and purples. Beyond the walkway, where a road should surely have been, there was a canal lined with tall narrow buildings, all columns and spires and colourful shutters.

“What happened to Glasgow?” Daniel said, inching back into the Emporium as a passing old woman, laden with a heavy basket, stopped and peered suspiciously at him.

Mr Silver shut the door and made sure the sign in the window read CLOSED.

“We left,” he said, as though this was the most regular occurrence in the world. “That’s Venice. We’re in Venice now.” He glanced at the instrument on the wall. “The year is 1854. July, I believe.”

Daniel craned his neck to get a better view from the window. He wiped the glass, which was foggy from his breath. He tried to find some words.

“It’s impossible!”

“Yet here we are,” said Mr Silver.

Daniel felt the need to sit down. “So we’re ... we’re ... we’ve just ... this is ... really?”

“Indeed,” said Silver.

“But. I mean. How? Just … how?” Daniel’s eyes widened.

“It’s magic, isn’t it? It has to be! How else can we have just come from a caravan in a meadow that’s inside a room? There’s no other way for all of this to be real, to be happening.”

Mr Silver smiled. “One thing at a time, Mr Holmes. One thing at a time.”

“And you want me to come with you? All around the world?”

A pause.

Daniel narrowed his eyes. “What’s the catch?”

“The catch, Daniel Holmes, is that you will work to earn your place here. What I am offering is not a holiday. It is an opportunity. A challenge. You must show me I was correct to bring you here, that you are, as I suspect, special. If you succeed in that, then the Emporium will become your home.”

“And what happens if I don’t come up to scratch?” said Daniel. “You sack me? Leave me somewhere halfway round the world a hundred years before I was born?”

“I will do no such thing,” said Mr Silver. “If you do not belong in the Emporium, you will simply be returned to your own time. Your old life.” He offered a hand. “So, do we have a bargain?”

Daniel organised the facts in his mind: he was an orphan leading a miserable life; he didn’t have any friends; a gang of bullies had made it their mission to ensure his life was as uncomfortable as possible; he was lost.

And now he’d been invited to escape all of that and travel through time in a magical shop, with a man he suspected was either a genius or a lunatic – or maybe both. He had the opportunity to be someone else, even if it was just for a while. And if he was someone else, maybe he wouldn’t feel so alone.

Twitter: @RossAuthor 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KelpiesTeen