Matthew Wainwright - Out of the Smoke - Book Review (Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books)

We recently had an author guest post by Matthew Wainwright about his experiences of being a debut author (Read Here). Unfortunately, having his book published in the midst of a global pandemic (October 2020) has not been ideal. However, after reading the guest post, I really wanted to read this book as it covers a setting that I'm very fond of. I did have my reservations regarding the editorial side of the book with it being published by a very small publisher (Wakeman Trust). However, my concerns were unnecessary as the narrative runs as freely as the River Thames and has been very well edited. The book cover is amazing and I think it might have been produced by the author himself. I'm really pleased to able to get behind this fantastic book and give it a massive thumbs up.

This is a Young Adult book that introduces a host of characters that will melt the reader's heart. It's a story set in Victorian London that shows the harsh realities of that era. The plot is gripping as it delves into the working and living conditions of a group of chimney sweeps (or soot monkeys) as they were known. These boys could be as young as 4 years old! Billy is one of the main characters you follow as you plunge into the criminal underworld of Victorian London. Unfortunately, he clashes with the notorious gang leader (Archie Miller) who is a very bad man as he believes that gangland life is the best place for an education. 

This is a fully immersive and fantastically told story with historical detail that makes the book shine with reality and realism. It was a real treat to get to know the characters and the bloody side of the gangland culture (a way of living) that was so prevalent at this time. It magically weaves a plot of faith (from a Christian standpoint) but is not overly used, in my opinion. There is just enough of a driving force to show the strong feelings of religion at that time. I really liked the introduction of the British politician and social reformer the Seventh Earl of Shaftesbury. When the 'Poor Man's Earl' offers Billy a chance to exchange his gangland life for an education, he must decide what to do. What would you do in this situation? I thought it was very well thought out and researched; it certainly encompassed the narrative very well. 

This story was a glorious read. I would love for more people to read this book and, by doing so, to support the author and small publishing company. Whilst it's a sad, heartfelt, and sorrowful story, it is still full of hope, courage, and fighting spirit. If you want to know more about Billy, Tosher, and Clara and follow their plight, then please pick up a copy from your local bookshop. This is a heartfelt story for all ages. It's one that you will reflect upon and take to your beating hearts. 

Guest Post: Matthew Wainwright - Expectation vs Reality - Out of the Smoke - Mr.Ripley's Enchanted Books

 

Welcome to our second guest post. The first was by Philip Womack talking about his forthcoming Young Adult book WILDLORD which will be published this October. The second post (below) is by Matthew Wainwright and talks about his debut book OUT OF THE SMOKE being published in a national pandemic. It's a brilliant post about facing a new set of realities. Thank you Matthew for taking the time to write this post. 

If you fancy reading this brilliant book and want to support the author and small publishing company then you can purchase a copy from Waterstones HERE

Equally, you can order it from your local independent bookshop which will perhaps encourage more bookshops to stock it. Thank you for reading and we hope you all have a great day. 

Debuting in Lockdown: Expectation vs Reality

Every aspiring author dreams of landing a publishing deal. For many of us it’s our entire reason for existence. We can spend so many hours daydreaming, picturing how it will happen and building up the moment in our imagination, that when it finally comes there is usually an alarming jolt as expectation violently collides with reality.

For me, this jolt was twofold. Firstly, my deal was not with a Big Five publishing house, was not for a six-book series, and was not attended by a nationwide publicity campaign. Instead (and probably in common with most authors) I signed with a small independent label, for a single book, with the expectation that I would shoulder at least some of the responsibility of spreading the word about it.

And actually, this was fine. I was excited about the prospect of talking to people, drumming up support, and whipping up a bit of excitement. I have a background in graphic design, and was looking forward to flexing some pixels on social media and beyond. Being with a smaller publisher meant I had more direct contact with my editor and more editorial input; I was even allowed the opportunity to design my own cover (for better or worse).

But then the second jolt hit. On the 23rd of March 2020 England went into a national lockdown, closing schools and bookshops across the country and, in one fell swoop, cutting off the two main avenues I had been counting on to carry the bulk of my publicity. My book was due for release at the end of October, so it seemed likely things would be open again by the time it was ready to land in people’s hands, but it was still a huge blow to my pre-publication timetable.

To cap it all, this was my publisher’s first foray into YA novels, and they spooked a little. Not enough to pull the book, but enough to scale back the release to two stages: an initial limited release in October as planned, online and to selected bookshops who already stocked their titles; and a later, wider release once things had calmed down.

At first this seemed like a killing blow. I had been looking forward to walking into Waterstones and seeing copies of my book on shelves, and somehow my success or failure as an author was bound up in this image. Having a limited release, especially being largely online, felt fake, as if I wasn’t a ‘real’ author. I was afraid that poor sales and a lack of publicity would put my publisher off the idea of pursuing further titles. The dream had soured.

I swallowed my disappointment. After all, what else was there to do? I redoubled my efforts online, firing up Photoshop and running a cover reveal on Instagram over the course of two weeks in the summer, as well as teasing extracts of the book along with the gorgeous chapter header illustrations. I shelled out some of my own cash to promote Facebook and Instagram posts, encouraging people to preorder from the publisher and Amazon, and the response was encouraging. Not overwhelming, but enough to make me think that maybe there was still hope.

October came around. I received my first author copies, and held (and smelled!) my own book for the very first time, feeling a muted thrill of the heady excitement I had long dreamed about. Preorders were not staggering, but still respectable, and my publisher was happy. Reviews began to trickle in, and they were universally good. Everything had gone about as well as could be expected.

And there, I think, is the point: the release of my first book was not an earth-shattering moment, but then it was never going to be. Reality can never live up to expectation; things are never as incredible or dreadful as we think they are going to be. Sometimes life takes us by surprise, but it’s surprising precisely because it happens so rarely. I was always going to be a very small fish thrown into a very large sea, and sink or swim I was unlikely to make very large waves. Releasing in lockdown gave me a reason to temper my expectations and ration my hope. Even very small things, the fewest words of praise or encouragement, felt incredibly precious to me. Every win was a big win, because the odds were suddenly so astronomically high.

Since October my publisher has gradually begun to cast their net wider. We’re reaching out to schools, and I’ve begun to develop a pack of learning resources. Home educators have been a surprising customer base, and word of mouth has done what it does best in that community. I have one virtual author visit booked in for the Easter holidays, and a handful more pencilled in with various schools for when “things get better”. My daughter dressed up as one of my characters for World Book Day, and the headteacher at her school emailed me to thank me for the copy he received in the post. My old primary school tweeted about how they looked forward to having me in. Small things, but each one of them precious and beautiful. The bookshops are still closed (for now), but that’s fine with me. I’m concentrating on building relationships with teachers and home educators, and I know that things will progress in their own time.

Now I look back on it, I realise my expectations had never been realistic — I had been dreaming the dream, rather than visualising the future. Had I not released in lockdown, I might have been immensely disappointed with the exact same things I have come to cherish: the small messages of thanks, the gradual outreach to schools, the slow accumulation of feedback.

This was not a disaster: it was merely an alternative. As it stands, I am probably a happier author for it.

Richard Lambert - The Wolf Word (Everything with Words) - Book Review - Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Book Review

The Wolf Road has been written by poet, Richard Lambert, and is soon to be published by Everything With Words this October (2020). I've thought long and hard about this book as it is so different from my usual reading material. In my opinion, you will either love or hate it depending on your own outlook and connection with the unique style and writing of this book. Some readers may just not connect with it or the issues that the book tackles such as coping and denial. However, if you do connect with it (like I did) then it will be one of the best books that you will read this year.

When you start on the road of this narrative the path is very tragic and hard-hitting. There really appears to be no light at the end of the tunnel. Lucas is the main character of the book and the story is told from his viewpoint. Unfortunately, he is involved in a car accident that kills both of his parents. Some books would play down this situation, but not this book. It faces the loss and grief head-on placing it at the epicentre of the plot. However, there is a little sense of mystery and a little glimmer of fantasy magic as Lucas has only one memory from the car accident. He remembers that it was a wolf that caused the crash but how? and what actually happened?

The book really resonates with me when he has to leave his family home to go and live with his nan in the Lake District. This is an area I can relate to very well. The story for me really comes alive as the setting of the book takes a vital hold on the plot. It's told in a poetic way that grips the reader. The detail and description of the wild and beautiful landscape cut through the hard and relentless element of grief, loss, loneliness, and bullying which have a huge stronghold on the story. This really is one of the many strengths of this story. At certain points, the climactic story leaves you clinging on for dear life.

There are so many great things to mention about this book such as the situations the characters face. They feel very real to me as they have been particularly well narrated. Another strong point is that it's not predictable in any way, you have absolutely no idea where the author is going to take you. However, this makes it particularly engaging and keeps you guessing throughout.

I loved this book so much - it really made me reflect on life, especially at a time like this. It's a powerful book about coping and dealing with grief, having the courage, determination, and understanding to find out who we are as a person. The book helps us in showing us the way. A wolf that comes in the dark and leaves in the light showering the reader and the characters with a beam of sunshine. We are not in charge of our own destiny just like Lucas, however, we can poke it in the right direction with the choice of stories and memoirs we keep in our heart. This is a story that will stay with me for a very long time. It's an incredible debut book from a fantastic new literary voice.  Many thanks Mikka for the opportunity to read and breathe this book.

Corrina Campbell - The Girl who Stole the Stars - Author/Illustration Interview - Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books

Welcome to Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books. Today, I'm delighted to introduce Corrina Campbell who is a self-taught illustrator/author with a background in primary education. This interview looks to find out more about her writer/author experiences in the lead up to her new picture book. The Girl who Stole the Stars is due to be published this October (2020) by Little Door Books. 

I hope you enjoy reading our interview. Don't forget you can pre-order the book in advance if it sounds like something you and/or your family would enjoy. Thanks for reading - stay HAPPY and SAFE. 

The Girl Who Stole The Stars is your debut picture book (published later this year), can you tell us a little bit about it?

‘The Girl Who Stole the Stars’ is a story about a little girl who decides she wants a star of her very own but ends up taking all the stars from the sky with disastrous consequences, not just for her but for millions of other children around the world.  But what will it take for her to put them back in the sky?  You’ll need to read the book to find out!

Did you focus on the words or illustrations first for this picture book? 

I started with the words but those first few words that I jotted down are not necessarily the words you’ll see in the book today.  Once the illustrations were introduced a lot of the text changed, mainly because the illustrations tell so much of the story.  There is a huge amount of editing, redrafting and redrawing that happens along the way with both the words and the illustrations taking the lead at various points and influencing the direction of the final look and feel of the story.  

What are the processes involved in writing and illustrating your own picture book? 

When I have an idea for a book I first consider whether I can actually turn it into a story.  This usually involves thinking about the setting and characters but more importantly the plot and storyline.  I then consider whether it would fit a standard picture book size;  usually 32 pages and often under 1000 words.  If my idea is still ‘alive’ after this stage then it’s time to get the pencils out!  I usually sketch out small thumbnail images of how each page will look – these are really rough but it gives me an idea of how I think the book could look.  Then I start working on more detailed illustrations – the best part of the whole process and usually the point where I feel I’ve got something with book potential!

Where and what do you generally get your ideas and inspirations from?

I am a primary teacher and a mum so most of my ideas come from either my children or an aspect of life I am looking to teach in a child-friendly manner.  ‘The Girl who Stole the Stars’ was an idea that came from my eldest daughter when she wrote to Santa asking for a ladder to the stars so that she could have one.  I loved the idea of being able to climb up into the sky and take a star so the story grew from there.  I am also currently working on a story that looks at the impact of plastic on the Planet and wildlife which is a focus in many schools at the moment.

Can you tell us a little bit about your first illustration and what you were particularly proud of?

I started illustrating my written work two years ago after deciding to explore the self-publishing route.  I had written lots of stories and I desperately wanted to see one as a book.  I investigated using a freelance illustrator but it was far too costly for me so decided to give it a go myself.  I’ve always been very creative but had never focussed fully on illustration.  I spent hours exploring different art media, styles, techniques but the real turning point, and the part of the journey I am most proud of, was when I discovered how to make my artwork digital.  I spent two weeks sitting in front of my laptop, trying and failing.  I remember feeling it was impossible, that I’d maybe reached the limit of my capabilities – which was really upsetting.  However, eventually, things started to fall in to place and I was finally able to edit and produce images to a high standard that could be used in picture books, as well as on cards and as prints which I now sell on Etsy, via my website www.corrinacampbell.com and at local craft fairs and events.  I was then able to pursue and successfully sign a traditional publishing contract for ‘The Girl who Stole the Stars’.  This was a massive step in the right direction with regards to me carving a career path in illustration and indeed children’s picture books.

  

Is there anything that helps you to channel your creativity?

This is a terrible answer but lots of biscuits(!)…and a lot of determination.  I work in the evenings once my kids are in bed so when I sit down the exhaustion kicks in.  However, a couple of biscuits later I am usually re-energised and feeling creative again!  On a serious note, it takes a huge amount of discipline to focus in an evening and be productive after what can often be a long and busy day.  When I knew I wanted to write and illustrate a children’s picture book but I had to make some significant changes to find the time to make this happen.  As my evenings were my only free time I had to use them productively.  You’ll now find me most evenings at the kitchen table drawing, writing, editing, creating and learning.  It’s having that discipline that’s really helped me channel my creativity in a more focussed direction to reach my goal of creating children’s books.  

Do you think an illustrator should have a particular style or be known for trying/using different styles?

Great question.  Interestingly I think your style is always there, even when you try to be a bit different!  When I was in the early stages of learning how to illustrate a book I explored all the different techniques/styles that other well-known picture book illustrators were using and tried to replicate them.  Strangely what I created never looked anything like what they had done.  It was always my interpretation of what they had done, although by doing this I found my ‘comfort zone’ which I guess is my unique style.  I am always learning and experimenting so I have no doubt that my style will develop and change, but I’d like to think it will still be recognisable.

Which medium do you prefer to use when illustrating?

I love using crayons.  They create an amazing grainy texture and always make me feel like I am five again – which is a good mindset to have when you are creating illustrations for children’s picture books.

Could you tell us a bit about any of your upcoming projects?

I am terrible for having lots of projects on the go at the same time.  My main focus at the moment is really just preparing for the launch ‘The Girl who Stole the Stars’ and looking at how to best market this and make the most from the opportunity.  I am in the process of creating teaching resources, building content online, and organising author/illustrator events and school visits all around the book launch.  I am also in the early stages of writing the sequel to ‘The Girl who Stole the Stars’ as well as revisiting a story I wrote last year about a Puffin that I keep coming back to…some stories just don’t leave me alone!

Who are your favourite illustrators and why?

There are so many!  Going back to my childhood and my Scottish roots my favourite illustrator/author would be Mairi Hedderwick who is the creator of the Katie Morag series.  Her work always had so much detail and I would spend hours with my Dad looking for all the hidden gems she planted within her illustrations.  

I also love work by Oliver Jeffers, Lisa Stubbs, and Polly Dunbar which is where I draw a lot of inspiration from.

Which books/authors do you choose to read for pleasure?

With three kids under five reading for pleasure is, unfortunately, a rare occasion!  

‘The Girl who Stole the Stars’ is out October 2020 and is available for pre-order from Waterstones;

https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-girl-who-stole-the-stars/corrina-campbell/corrina-campbell/9781999955670