Claire Fayers - Tapper Watson and the Quest for the Nemo Machine - Blog Tour - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

 

Welcome to readers and all sixty-seven cousins of Tapper Watson as we embark on another exciting Blog Tour stop. Tapper Watson and the Quest for the Nemo Machine is one of our favourite reads of the year. Therefore, we’re delighted to have a post from the author introducing The World of Tapper Watson – A Guide for New Adventurers and really hope that you enjoy finding out more. You can also read our raving review for the book HERE. 

The book is due to be published by all eight limbs of the publishing house (otherwise known as Firefly Press) on the 7th September 2023. Hope you enjoy it and see you on the next BIG ADVENTURE! 

Greetings, adventurers and welcome to Swansea, the capital of Earth and home to Earth’s only portal into the river Lethe.

Before you travel, there are a few things you should know.

SMILE - the Swansea Multiworld Institute of Lethe Exploration is situated on the far side of Swansea Bay. SMILE is Earth’s largest exploration and research centre, attracting visitors from hundreds of different worlds. The guards here have many powers: to grant and revoke submarine licenses, to confiscate goods and even issue arrest warrants. They take their jobs very seriously. It is said that the only thing a SMILE guard cannot do is actually smile, so please do not annoy them.

Submarines – These, of course, are our means of travel between worlds. We exit Earth via Swansea Bay and you may experience a momentary weight loss as you enter the Lethe. Your vessel will be fully equipped with the latest artificial gravity so do not worry.

The Lethe – The great space river is our pathway to a thousand other worlds. It is, of course, named after the Greek river of forgetfulness. You knew that, didn’t you? You will also know that the Lethe’s waters contain the memories of everyone who has ever lived, and that drinking a single drop will strip every memory out of your head. Submarines are tightly sealed so there is no cause for alarm, however, if you do notice a drop of water on your person, do not panic, but keep your mouth tightly shut and report to your submarine captain, using Morse Code, or mime.

Morse Code – As you are all aware, radio waves upset the waters of the Lethe, causing riverstorms, and so all submarines communicate by Morse Code. I assume you are all fluent in Morse, but if not, I suggest you brush up on your skills quickly.

Echolings – The memories in the Lethe are in constant motion and as they collide, they merge to create strange new shapes. Don’t be surprised if you spot a duck with an elephant’s trunk, or a teapot floating past your submarine window. Despite recent warnings of “incidents”, echolings are not alive and they are not dangerous. Most of them are insubstantial, like ghosts, and the few that take solid form will simply bounce away from the submarine. 

Worlds – Our first stop will be the octopod world, Zymandia. Take time to enjoy the pastel rivers and the curious towns on stilts. The low gravity means you will see the octopods flying. Please do not try to fly yourselves, the gravity is not that low.

From Zymandia, we will proceed to the fire world of Cassini where the dragonlike inhabitants have evolved scales that change colour according to their mood. Remember – a pale dragona is an angry dragona.

Our final stop will be a shopping trip to Eris. We allowed extra time for this as the Erisean merchants will ask you about your families and tell you all about theirs before letting you buy anything. A large family is a sign of status on Eris and it’s customary to have at least eight brothers and sisters.

Thank you for listening to this safety announcement. Now, please buckle up and enjoy the ride.

Philip Caveney - STAND AND DELIVER - Blog Tour (Top Five Adventure Books Post)

Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books has been running for over fourteen years now and from the very start, Philip Caveney has been a big influence on this website. We have read and loved every book both he and his alter ego have written and published. Every story is different, unexpected, and thrilling, and Stand and Deliver is just another example of how great a writer he is. 

It's a wonderful privilege to be on this blog tour celebrating the publication of Philip's new book. This post covers his top 5 adventure books which are all classics that have shaped the landscape for future writers. Just like Philip's books will also do in the future. What would be your choice?

I should perhaps apologise for the fact that my choices are not recent releases. Like so many writers, I have been an avid reader since early childhood and I genuinely believe that it’s the books you read as a youngster that stay with you forever. Of course I still read. All writers begin as readers and it’s important to keep doing it, but these days I’m reading a lot of different kinds of fiction  And the focus here is on ‘adventure,’ so… here goes.

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. 

This is pretty much the book that set the template for the public perception of what a pirate says, does and thinks. It features pretty much all the qualities we identify with such men - and yet, only a little research will confirm that they tended to be more complex than this gives them credit for. No matter, it’s a classic tale of scurvy dogs and buried treasure from Scotland’s greatest writer. What’s not to like?

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne. 

Verne’s brilliant undersea adventure, written in 1871, is one of the first adventure stories I ever read, along with A Journey to the Centre of the Earth and Around the World in 80 Days.  20,000 Leagues is both thrilling and prophetic. Captain Nemo’s famous submarine, The Nautilus is powered by sodium/mercury batteries, something that wouldn’t widely be used until the 1940s! It also features incredible underwater battles with terrifying creatures of the deep.

War of the Worlds by HG Wells. 

People will argue that it's actually an early sci-fi novel, but this account of a martian invasion, first published in 1897, soon develops into a fast-paced adventure story. The main protagonist (known only as ‘the narrator’) struggles to survive in a transformed world where the squid-like Martians and their giant fighting machines lay waste to everything they encounter. Its scenes of the disintegration of society have rarely been equalled.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding.

Published in 1954, this is the dark and troubling tale of a group of schoolboys whose plane crashlands on a remote desert island. They are compelled to organise themselves and find ways to survive, but they soon break into two separate factions, who consequently find themselves at war with each other. It may be a comment about the nature of mankind, but it’s also a thrilling tale of adventure, brilliantly written.

Brazilian Adventure by Peter Fleming

Not fiction this time, but a fascinating account of a real life adventure deep into the heart of the unexplored Amazon. In 1932, the author, Peter, Fleming joined an expedition to look for the lost explorer, Colonel Fawcett who, with his son Jack, had disappeared on a similar trip seven years earlier. Reading this book inspired me to write my third novel, The Tarantula Stone.

Book published by UCLan Publishing 03.11.2022. Book Cover Illustration by Jill Tytherleigh. 

Synopsis: Ned is awkward, a little shy, and just trying to find his place in the world. He also happens to be the assistant to the nation’s most feared highwayman, The Shadow . . .

In a time when highwaymen ruled the roads, Ned is reluctantly swept up into a whirlwind of adventure. Whilst escaping the grasps of the thief-takers, Ned soon finds himself stepping into his Master’s shoes and an unwanted life of crime. The pressure is building with new friends and enemies galore when Ned stumbles upon a long-infamous gem, The Bloodstone, which forces him to make an important choice. Can he ultimately escape this new threat and finally free himself from the grips of The Shadow?

Eve McDonnell - The Chestnut Roaster Blog Tour - The Chestnut Roaster Illustrations Post

 

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books welcomes you to the last day of The Chestnut Roaster blog tour (see all dates below). Today we are celebrating the publication of Eve McDonnell's fantastic book published by Everything With Words. We're delighted to have a post from Eve about the brilliant illustrations inside the book by Ewa Beniak-Haremska. The black-and-white illustrations are absolutely amazing as they really open your imagination to possibilities We highly recommend this book, especially at this time of year. If you want to catch a memory thief and treat yourself to a Halloween read then you can buy a copy of the book HERE. 

You are a very visual writer and the illustrations by Ewa Beniak-Haremska blend beautifully with the story. How did the collaboration work. Which are your favourite illustrations?

One of the highlights of The Chestnut Roaster’s publication journey was being introduced to artist Ewa Beniak-Haremska. My publisher has an eye for the extraordinary and was certain Ewa’s style would not only complement the story but lift it to another level. Not all authors have the opportunity to work closely with their illustrators, but I had the joy of seeing Ewa’s work unfold. 

Ewa read The Chestnut Roaster and her initial feedback was very encouraging – we could see that she had grasped the spirit of the story whole-heartedly. Based on Ewa’s previous work (check out her website here), it soon became clear that full spreads rather than smaller illustrations would showcase her amazing talent and Ewa endeavoured to retell the story in blocks of double full-page spreads to appear in four sections of the book. This way, the reader could recap the story to-date through illustration before moving on. This tickled me pink as one of my all-time favourite childhood books similarly had blocks of illustrated spreads – L Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – and as a young reader, I would find myself being pulled forward through the story in great anticipation of the art.

Once the format was agreed, I prepared a summary for Ewa, focussing on the visual aspect of each major scene, and we delivered it to Ewa as a kind of ‘pick n’ mix’. She merged scenes together in her magical way leaving so much for the viewer to unpick and interpret.

I adore the image of Piaf on her corner at Rue du Dragon. It captures Paris of the 1880s so perfectly – the cobbled roads, the flapping birds, the musicians, the diners at the café. We see ladies straining their necks looking down, seemingly knowing that something is about to happen. A black cat ominously walks across the street while the silhouette of a stranger draws his attention to his target – little Piaf, the chestnut roaster.

Piaf on her corner at Rue du Dragon – illustration by Ewa Beniak-Haremska

Another illustration I particularly love is the depiction of Piaf falling through a circular hole, arriving in Paris’s underground twin where miles of squirming tunnels await her adventures. You can see Piaf in the top left and the image sweeps your eye to the right, past eerie tunnels filled with of bones and danger until she arrives at a remarkable place – the Museum of Objects. This is where we meet Bertie, Paris’s finest button maker. In his underground nest, he has carved objects from wood. What objects can you see? Russian dolls? A fox? How many roosters can you find? I could stare at this image for hours!

There are seven more double spreads as stunning these for readers to explore, and together they tell the full tale of The Chestnut Roaster so beautifully. The illustrations and words are all wrapped up in a stunning cover, designed and illustrated by the award-winning artist Holly Ovenden who also created the cover of my first novel, Elsetime.

Finally, I will leave you with one image by Ewa that spoke straight to my heart – that is the image of Piaf, the tiny girl who cannot forget. She might look small and fragile, but inside, I can assure you, she is a giant.

Hannah Moffatt - SMALL! BLOG TOUR - What Next For Harvey Small? (Everything With Words)

Hello everybody! Welcome to the final stop on the Hannah Moffatt blog tour. This post is about the main character Harvey Small and WHAT NEXT? This brilliant book is now available to buy and READ.  However, if you need any more encouragement to purchase a copy then you can check out our BOOK REVIEW HERE. All the stops for the blog tour are at the bottom of the post if you have not had the chance to check these out already. Anyway, without any further ado, if you are sitting comfortably and ready for unspeakable trouble then you have come to the right place!

Hmm, what next for Harvey Small? That’s a hard question to answer without giving away lots of spoilers! So, what can I say?

First up, don’t worry. Book one doesn’t leave you hanging. Stories that end on ‘you’ll never guess who was at the door’ moments feel unfair on readers who’ve picked up a book expecting a complete story. So, although I drop a big hint about what might come next, I hope you’ll feel excited rather than frustrated.

With that in mind, here are some ways I’ve tried to pave the way for a sequel without putting readers off. (If you’re writing a series, feel free to try them, too.)

Leave room to explore

The Stinking Sinking Swamp is a big place. One of the reasons I don’t feel done with Harvey yet is that I want to visit more of the world beyond Madame Bogbrush’s School for Gifted Giants. A second story gives me room to roam. I hope you’ll come with me.

Create characters you want to hang out with

I love Harvey’s relationship with his giant best friend, Walloping Toenail. A sequel gives that friendship time to grow. So far, we’ve seen Harvey struggling to fit in a giant’s world. But what will Walloping do if his lifelong wish to be an explorer is scarier than he expected? How will he cope if the rest of the world really is too small for him?  

Whatever happens, I know Harvey and Walloping will stick together, no matter what scrapes they get in.

Build a boomerang problem that can keep coming back

There are two levels of problem in Small! There are the one-off problems, that have to wrap up nicely to make the end feel satisfying. They include answering the obvious questions:

• Will the giants figure out Harvey’s not a giant? 
• Will Harvey’s bad luck change?
• Will Madame Bogbrush’s School for Gifted Giants pass the Beastly School Board inspection?

Then there’s what I’m calling the boomerang problem: the one that goes away when the book ends but could easily come back to clonk Harvey on the head if he’s not careful.

In Small! the child-stealing threat from the Unspeakable Circus is that boomerang. So, expect lots more unspeakable trouble in Harvey’s next adventure. You’ve been warned!

Sinéad O’Hart - Skyborn - Blog Tour Day One - Book Review - Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books

Hello Everybody and WELCOME to Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books. We are really delighted to be starting the #SKYBORN blog tour today celebrating the imminent release of Sinéad O’Hart’s third Middle-Grade children’s book. Which is being published by Stripes Publishing. 

The book cover is a cracker - we particularly love the choice of colour and sparkle. It has been illustrated by the very talented Sara Mulvanny and really sets the mood well. 

The other sites to visit, each day, as part of the blog tour are listed on the banner below. Make sure you drop by and say HELLO. There is a fantastic competition on Twitter to go with this post. To have a chance to win a copy of the book and a £10 Book Voucher and a bar of chocolate, all you have to do is head over to our pinned Tweet and find out more @Enchantedbooks 

Anyway, we’re now ready to kick off this amazing blog tour with our spoiler-free book review.

A watchful girl stands before the walls of a silent city. As we look over the walls, we take our first steps into a fantasy wonderland. The story starts with a rather intriguing prologue but as you turn the pages, a vortex of imagination and world-building leads through the narrative on a high wire adventure. Deadly and perilous situations lead to both surprising and captivating outcomes. 

The plot is very mysterious and enticing as it features magical and slightly dark supernatural theme. The second part of the story features a struggling circus that features larger-than-life characters who you may come to love or hate. The circus element of the story feels realistic without too much detail as it brings the story to life. It sparkles like a performer's sequin leotard!

I love books based on circus themes - the traditions and the history are all fascinating. It is easy to become immersed in this world as you do in the BOOK. You’ll find yourself instantly transported to the big top circus tent! 

Bastjan is the main character who will do anything he can to save his home and the circus. Even if it means participating in a death-defying new act. We are also introduced to a mysterious man by the name of Dr. Bauer. He and the ringmaster together make plans, however this creates a good plot twist. 

There is so much to keep you on your flexible toes. The eclectic mix of ideas make this book so enjoyable. For example, the runaway child called Alice who is a pickpocket and thief. There are also secret shape-shifting creatures, a mysterious island, a strange box, and a ride in an airship! All of which you will not want to miss. It's a pop fizz of static, a roller-coaster ride fuelled on adrenalin. There’s a lion’s roar here, an elephant's trumpet there followed by an acrobatic tumble. Finally, it all ends in a brilliantly climactic finish that you will just LOVE. Finishing this book may require a cup of YORKSHIRE tea, a chocolate biscuit, and a lie-down. This book is one to be read and savoured. 

Jenny Pearson - The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates - Blog Tour

Good Morning. Welcome, Everybody to Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books.  I hope you are all faring well and keeping safe.  It's a great pleasure to be apart of The Super Miraculous Journey of the Freddie Yates blog tour. This is one of my favourite funny books of the year. It has bags of humour and features many fantastic characters. If you like to find out more about the book please check my book review Here. 

Today's stop features a post by Jenny Pearson. It talks about her favourite books with heaps of humour and heart. What are your favourite funny books? Please let us know what yours are on the blog or share them with us on twitter using the #Freddie Yates and tag us all in the tweet. 

Happy reading and enjoy your day. 

While I hope there are lots of funny parts in the Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates, from accidental pant snuffling to exploding toilets, I wanted to make sure it was also packed full – like Phyllis’s pear and potato turnovers – with some heartfelt moments.  I love books that have heaps of heart and humour and I’m going to share with you some of my favourites. 

Frank Cottrell-Boyce is an absolute genius. I love all his books. All of them. I first read Millions and adored Damian – he has such a unique look on the world which is both endearing and amusing – I laughed, I cried, and I became a lifelong fan at that moment. I then read Sputnik’s Guide to Life on Earth and I could not have loved that alien-dog more. Framed, Cosmic, The Forgotten Coat, Broccoli Boy, Runaway Robot – honestly, if you haven’t read any of Cottrell-Boyce’s books, do yourself a favour and read them all. They are so so good. You will thank me for this, trust me. 

Lara Williamson is an author who knows how to create wonderfully loveable characters who take you on an emotional rollercoaster of laughter and tears. If you haven’t met Beckett (The Boy Who Sailed the Ocean in an Armchair), Dan (A Boy Called Hope), Adam (Just Call Me Spaghetti-Hoop Boy), and  Mabel (The Girl With Space in her Heart), you simply must get yourself acquainted. 

The Charlie Changes into a Chicken series by Sam Copeland is a firm favourite in my class, and as a teacher, I have had so many parents tell me how this is the series that got their child into reading. It is incredibly funny – from the narrator teasing his readers and arguing with the publishers and his illustrator, to the footnotes and the hilarious plot – this series guarantee laughs and lots of them. But alongside the laughter, Copeland deftly touches on childhood anxieties including illness, loss of a parent’s job, and divorce.

The Best Medicine by Christine Hamill is another one of my favourite books. Twelve-year-old Philip writes hilarious letters to his hero, Harry Hill, looking for advice to help him achieve his goal of becoming a comedian. But Philip’s life is interrupted when his mum gets breast cancer. What follows is a story which is heart-warming, uplifting, moving and also very funny. 

Jenny Pearson has been awarded with six mugs, one fridge magnet, one wall plaque, and numerous cards for her role as ‘Best Teacher in the World’. When she is not busy being inspirational in the classroom, she would like nothing more than to relax with her two young boys, but she can’t as they view her as a human climbing frame. She has recently moved to the North East of England and while she has yet to meet Ant or Dec, she has learned how to use canny in a sentence. Which is dead canny, like.

Michelle Paver - Viper's Daughter - Book Review - Blog Tour 2020 UK

Viper's Daughter by Michelle Paver is out now, published by Zephyr (an imprint of Head of Zeus) priced £12.99 in hardback.

• Viper's Daughter is the seventh book in the award-winning series that began with Wolf Brother.
• Selling over 3 million copies with a million copies sold in the UK 
• Published in 36 languages 
• Winner of The Guardian Children's Fiction Prize

WOLF BROTHER began the literature journey back in 2004 when the world was a different place for you, I and even the characters. The series continued with another five books, ending in 2009 with GHOST HUNTER. All explored the adventures and the troubles of Torak, Renn, Wolf, their friends and, of course, their enemies. I'm sure that many avid readers (like me) have held the characters in their fantasy hearts for all those years; they have lived on in spirit within us as we have not wanted them to disappear. 

Eleven years have now past and, finally, the characters have been brought to life once again. We have an exciting new adventure full of courage, hope and another dramatic quest to follow and indulge in. On opening VIPER'S DAUGHTER, my heart beat a little faster as I found myself at home once again. The spirits were awoken and continued to live on through another amazing adventure.

The sense of adventure and the human soul are captured with maturity. Michelle Paver's sense of adventure is an absolute joy to read; the landscape and the characters have come of age with her great passion for the outdoors and a great sense of history. The plot has a wonderful sense of drama that is captured in this new episode and could easily be read as a standalone story or as a continuation of this wonderful series.

So, if you have not read any of the other books in the series then what can you expect?

• A setting that is set deep in the past that will have you engrossed and intrigued; 
• Brilliant descriptive detail that transports you to that place and time;
• Characters that are full of warmth, realistic, complex and yet still very relatable;
• A plot full of action, drama and suspense. 

The story is driven by morals, giving the reader a real sense of emotion and dilemma as it pulls the threads tightly through the eye of a storm. Especially, as the darker side of the story deepens and situations become more tricky to deal with. The book has been brilliantly researched - you can tell the author has visited the places depicted in the book. It really helps the readers to resonate with the setting as you visualise the places. The detail is really astounding and, at a time like this, it makes you feel as if you are outdoors in the wilderness living and breathing the story. 

This is your chance to enter a world that will captivate and enthrall you with a large body of work that has already found many readers across the world. The book covers are all wonderful and look brilliant on any bookshelf! I believe another book in the series will be published midway in 2021. These are already a classic (in my opinion) but perhaps they will become even more widely known and cherished as they are being adapted for TELEVISION.

As part of this post, I have included the synopsis to give you an idea of what this book is about. There are also some YOUTUBE Videos for you to watch including an author talk and a reading by Sir Ian McKellen. Finally, I have embedded a link to obtain free readers' notes which are very useful, fun and a great tool for learning. I hope you really enjoy this post and extra materials. Please stay safe and be kind to each other. 

A boy. A wolf. The legend lives on. 

The world of Torak and Renn is that of six thousand years ago: after the Ice Age, but before farming spread to north-west Europe when the land was one vast Forest. The people looked like you or me, but their way of life was very different. They lived in small clans, some staying at a campsite for a few days or moons, others staying put all year round. They didn’t have writing, metals or the wheel – but they didn’t need them. They were superb survivors. They knew all about the animals, trees, plants, and rocks around them. When they wanted something they knew where to find it, or how to make it. Like the previous books in the series, Viper’s Daughter takes place in northern Scandinavia. The wildlife which Torak and Renn encounter on their adventures is appropriate ➔

And don't forget to check out the rest of the blog tour! Details are below:

Viper's Daughter Readers' Notes

Free download perfect for home learning - Download for FREE HERE

Interview with Marie Basting - #PrincessBMX Blog Tour - (Chicken House Books)

Welcome to Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books. Today, we are celebrating the debut publication of Marie Basting's book, Princess BMX. The book was published on the 1st August 2019 by Chicken House Books and has been superbly illustrated by Flavia Sorrentino. You should check out the website link for more examples of amazing artwork and design.  

The book is a perfect fairytale adventure for the summer that will entertain younger readers or possibly the inner princess within you. This week, the author will be zipping by on her BMX bike showing off her tricks and riding the air on some of the best children's blogs around. Please see the blog tour banner at the bottom of this page for more information.

Marie has kindly answered some questions to give us a thought-provoking insight into the book. Hopefully, it will also give you a taste of what you might find amongst the pages of this brilliant story. So, without further delay, here is the interview with Marie. I hope you enjoy this post and follow the other posts as part of this tour. 


How would you describe Princess BMX to potential readers? 
Princess BMX is a funny, upside-down fairy tale adventure that brings the princess story bang up to date. It’s upside-down for a number of reasons. Firstly, it features a fairy tale character who finds everything changes when she comes to our world – she’s been brought up surrounded by dragons and unicorns and yet she finds magic in the urban chaos of Camden and BMX. The other characters are a bit upside down too, playing with reader expectations and challenging the tropes of the fairy tale.

What fun and games does Avariella get up to in this book? 
Avariella, or Ava as her new friends call her, spends a lot of time hanging around the skate-park in Camden, BMX being a natural progression from her extreme sack racing back home. Through BMX, she finds the freedom and acceptance she’s been seeking, but her radical sporting adventures are not without consequence triggering a whole host of magical fun and games. 

What is the Bubblegum Bazaar? 
The Bubble Gum Bazaar is whatever the reader wants it to be. We know it’s a fete in the far reaches of Biscotti, and that it’s significant enough for the royal family to put their best togs on, but much of the detail is left to the imagination. It’s important to me not to talk down to or spoon-feed young readers, to leave gaps for them to fill. It’s their imaginations that complete the story. 

Do you use humour in this book? What effect do you think laughter has on the reader? 
I’ve been told by my dog, who can be quite mean about my writing if I don’t feed her sufficient biscuits, that Princess BMX is a very funny book. I’m hoping readers agree and my fluffy critic hasn’t just had one gravy bone too many. Humorous books are increasingly important. Thanks to the mess adults have made of things, kids have far too much to worry about. Laughter provides a release, allowing them to focus on the now. Funny books are sometimes looked down on but they can help nurture a lifelong love of reading, and what’s wrong with having a little fun? 

If you could choose one BMX bike, what would it be and why? 
I’m rubbish on a BMX so probably one with magical powers that would stop me being such a wussy knickers and help me attack the berm with the same ferocity as Ethan, Ava’s first proper friend. And, NO, he is not her boyfriend!!! 

The book cover and interior illustrations are by one of my favourite illustrators, Flavia Sorrentino. How do they complement the story? 
I adore Flavia’s illustrations. She captures Ava’s adventurous and rebellious nature so well, reinforcing her unconventionality. Flavia’s illustrations allow readers to pause and really consider the characters and the magical world I’ve created while also adding an extra element of excitement and awe to the key action scenes.

When writing books for children, what do you think they look for in a good story? What do you think they will like the most about your book? 
There are so many different genres within children’s fiction, it’s difficult to generalise, but I think the one constant is the desire for a character they can connect with. Princess Ava may come from a different world but she wants the same things any child does – friendship, acceptance and for grown-ups to stop moaning at her. She’s also funny and kind and brave, so while the humour is likely to be the first thing to draw the reader in, I think it’s Ava’s spirit they’ll love the most.

How hard was it to get your first book published? 
On the surface, it wasn’t that hard at all. I pitched the book more by accident before it was ready to submit and feel extremely lucky that Chicken House wanted to publish it. You have to remember, though, it took me until I reached my forties to actually shake off the self-doubt and believe someone like me could become a writer. Believing in myself and rising above the expectations set by others was the hardest bit of my writing journey. 

You're hosting a literary dinner party, which authors/illustrators would you invite and why? 
I’d invite all the fantastic writers and illustrators who have supported me on the way: SCBWI friends, my MA cohort and the lovely middle-grade debut authors I’ve connected with more recently. They are my real literary heroes and they’re probably much more likely to turn-up than Neil Gaiman or Jack Kerouac.

Marie Basting is the author of Princess BMX, a true story which provides conclusive proof that magic is real and bikes are the new broomstick. OK, that is a big fat lie, but Marie mostly speaks the truth particularly on Tuesdays when she teaches synchronised swimming to mermaids and helps out at a shelter for homeless goblins.

Princess BMX is Marie’s debut novel. But she plans to write lots more as soon as she has finished watching Adventure Time. Marie loves Adventure Time because, like Princess BMX, it is a kind of modern fairy tale, and Marie wants to show children that magic is everywhere even if it is sometimes hard to find. That sounds corny but trust me it is not as corny as Marie’s feet. 

Twitter: @riewriting
Website: mariebasting.com

(Blog Tour Banner)

Claire Fayers - Storm Hound Blog Tour - Guest Post - Finding the Right Place

Hello everybody. Welcome to Day 4 of Claire Fayer's Storm Hound blog tour. HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY. To celebrate the book release today, we are flying across the Welsh sky in search of "Finding the right place" which is the brilliant topic of today's guest post. So sit down, relax and hopefully, this post will inspire you to pick up and read this loveable rogue of a book. 

If you fancy reading my book review click Here. Make sure you check out all of the stops on this fun blog tour - please see the banner below for all the tour stops.

Storm could see mountains from here: a low peak rising up in the distance, and three hills in front of it, which, if he squinted, looked a bit like the paw of a giant dog. He knew the mortal world was indifferent to the world of magic, but the sight cheered him a little, as if the landscape had made an effort to welcome him. 

I’ve been asked many times already why I chose to set a fantasy adventure in Abergavenny. It doesn’t seem a likely place for adventure – a little Welsh town, tucked away between mountains. What could possibly happen in Abergavenny?

A few years back I’d have agreed. I’ve always loved fantasy set in invented worlds, and when I started to write, that’s where my imagination went. Fantastical stories needed fantastical settings. But, after two adventures with the Accidental Pirates, and a mystery set in an alternative Britain, I began to wonder. What if we didn’t have to go to other worlds to find magic? What if magic could find us (as we say in Wales) over by here?

That’s why, when Storm fell from the sky, he didn’t crash into a fantasy landscape or even somewhere big and important, like New York or London, or even Cardiff.

At first, I did it purely for comedy. I thought it would be hilarious to dump my arrogant young stormhound in a place that had no pretensions of grandeur. Within a couple of chapters, though, I knew this little town was absolutely right. I love the way the town is surrounded by mountains as if they’re standing guard. Walk along the narrow High Street and you’ll find all the essentials – a book shop, some lovely cafes, and a cheese shop.

Also, of course, there is a castle. 

(Abergavenny Castle – photo by Claire Fayers)

Storm enjoys going for walks here. The site dates back to 1087 and there’s a real sense of history. Most of the castle was destroyed during the civil war in 1645-46, but there’s a small museum sitting right on top of the original motte.

I had to invent a few things for the story. Abergavenny High School doesn’t exist. Neither does the Abergavenny Dog Rescue Centre. But I know exactly where Jessie’s house is. If you stand in the back garden you’ll be facing the Sugarloaf Mountain and, if you squint a bit you may think the three foothills look like the paw of a giant dog.

I didn’t actually find out about the Sugarloaf hills until I was well into editing the book, but that little detail had to go straight in. It was proof if anyone needs it, that Storm’s story could not happen anywhere else. 

Author Bio: Claire Fayers grew up in South Wales, studied English and Comparative Literature at the University of Kent in Canterbury, and is now back in Wales where she spends a lot of her free time tramping around castles in the rain, looking for dragons.

She has worked as a church caretaker, a shoe shop assistant, in accountancy, in health and safety, in IT, and in a library. Only one of these prepared her in any way for life as a full-time author.

Her first book came about after she won a writing competition. She was more surprised than anyone.

She works from her home in Cardiff, sharing her workspace with a pair of demanding cats and an ever-expanding set of model dinosaurs who sometimes like to pretend they are pirates.

More about Storm Hound…
Storm of Odin is the youngest stormhound of the Wild Hunt that haunts lightning-filled skies. He has longed for the time when he will be able to join his brothers and sisters but on his very first hunt, he finds he can’t keep up and falls to earth, landing on the A40 just outside Abergavenny.
Enter 12-year-old Jessica Price, who finds and adopts a cute puppy from an animal rescue centre. And suddenly, a number of strange people seem very interested in her and her new pet, Storm. People who seem to know a lot about magic . . .
In Claire Fayers’ electrifying adventure Storm Hound, Jessica starts to see that there’s something different about her beloved dog and will need to work out which of her new friends she can trust.

For more information please visit Claire Fayers’ website, and do follow her on Twitter.