Anita Loughrey's blog. This is my journal about my experiences and thoughts on writing. As well as news about me and my books, it includes writing tips, book reviews, author interviews and blog tours.
For more information about me and my books see my website: www.anitaloughrey.com. Follow me on Twitter @amloughrey, Facebook @anitaloughrey.author and on Instagram @anitaloughrey
It is with great pleasure that I am taking part in the blog tour for Monster Max: This Time it’s Sirius by Robin Bennett and illustrated by Tom Tinn-Disbury.
Max can turn into a huge monster just by BURPING, and back again when he SNEEZES. Now Max and his best friend Peregrine realise that a dangerous pack of werewolves from Max’s home country of Krit are closing in on him and his family. But Max hasn’t told anyone about Sirius the tiny werewolf cub he found, smuggled home, and decided to keep but they soon realise… Werewolf cubs are not just for Halloween.
When Robin grew up he thought he wanted to be a cavalry officer until everyone else realised that putting him in charge of a tank was a very bad idea. He then became an assistant gravedigger in London. This is a photo of Robin with his cat Gnasher.
After gravedigging, Robin had a career frantically starting businesses (everything from dog-sitting to cigars, tuition to translation)… until finally settling down to write improbable stories to keep his children from killing each other on long car journeys. Robin claims he plays most sports. Poorly.
My spot on the blog tour will take the form of an extract from the prologue of Monster Max: This Time it’s Sirius.
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High up in the mountains, the tiny country of Krit was even more hidden than usual.
For it was a dark and stormy night.
Fanghorn, leader of the Red Eye wolves, and fearsome enemy of Monster Max, prowled the chilly corridors of his grim castle, getting crosser by the minute. Fanghorn was a wolf who didn’t like people leaving Krit, and that meant Max’s mum (and Max). And he also didn’t like people who made him look stupid and that also meant Max’s mum (and Max).
‘They think they’re free, running about doing good in this England place!’ he snarled. ‘But no- one leaves Krit without my permission. I want them here … I want to punish them!’!’
But how to capture them, when all his efforts had failed so far?
I must have werewolves for this job, he thought. Not just any old ones; I need the strongest and the most loyal.
He burst out onto the castle battlements just as the moon appeared from behind a black cloud, raised his huge jaws into the night, and he howled into the frozen air, ‘Bring me the leader of the Varkas pack! Wooooo!’
Almost immediately, he heard answering howls from the ice regions of Krit and it didn’t take long for the sound of running feet to reach his wolfish ears.
Fanghorn leapt from the battlements to greet his guest in the castle courtyard.
‘Raise the gate!’ he snarled at his guards.
But before they got their paws on the lifting lever, there was a terrible splintering noise and the gate exploded into pieces. A wolf burst into the courtyard and came to a screeching stop a whisker away from Fanghorn’s nose.
The Varkas pack leader was even bigger than Fanghorn – like the werewolf equivalent of a cage fighter but with extra bits, like teeth and claws. Fanghorn had to stop himself from gulping.
‘Yes, sir!’ the Varkas wolf barked. (He probably would have saluted if he’d had hands, not four paws.) ‘At your service!’
‘YES!’ said Fanghorn, thinking: these guys are great, they’ll always follow orders. ‘I have a job for you and for twenty of your best fighters.’
‘Sir!’
‘You must go to England, to a place called Oxford, and find a Grey Eyed wolf who escaped from Krit, who now calls herself Sally Forbes, and her son, Max. Bring them to me!’ Fanghorn turned to go.
‘Sir?’
‘Yes? What is it?’ He turned back to the Varkas wolf impatiently.
‘Well, um…’ The huge wolf looked embarrassed. ‘Did you want us to go, like, right away?’
‘Of course, like right away. Otherwise, I would have waited until morning instead of doing this dramatic midnight howling… Anyway, why?’
‘It’s just that we’ve just had a cub, lovely little fella, and my wife and I kind of run the pack together – like a family thing, you know – and, what I mean to say, your Royal Highness, is that it gives us a bit of a childcare issue … um…’ He stopped as Fanghorn glared at him in furious silence.
‘Well, take the cub along – everyone travels with kids these days. You’ll probably get a discount.’
‘Sir!’ The Varkas pack leader looked relieved. ‘Thank you, sir! So, twenty vicious wolves wot know no mercy and are extremely terrifying, against one kid and his mum?’
‘Yes… Anything wrong with that?’
‘Er, no, sir.’ The huge wolf looked a bit unsure but wasn’t going to push his luck with Fanghorn’s terrible temper. ‘Consider thems got!’
The Varkas wolf turned and leapt.
‘Wait, hold on … argh! RAISE THE GATE!’ Fanghorn barked at the guards, who had only just finished sticking the broken pieces together with rope and glue. He was too late. There was an awful crashing noise like a small meteorite ploughing through a forest as the Varkas leader smashed the gate all over again.
‘Oh, for heaven’s sake, don’t these Varkas ever use doors like normal werewolves?’ Fanghorn growled. He watched the warrior disappear into the night and, instead of dwelling on his broken gate, he thought about what he would do when he finally had his captives in Krit.
Fanghorn slowly grinned with several dozen very large fangs. He couldn’t wait to get his teeth into them.
Extract from the Prologue of Monster Max: This Time it’s Sirius by Robin Bennett.
I am excited to be taking part in another of The Write Reads Ultimate Blog Tours for Victoria Williamson this time for her fabulous middle-grade novel, Norah’s Ark.
Victoria Williamson is an award-winning author who grew up in Scotland surrounded by hills, books, and an historical farm estate which inspired many of her early adventure stories and spooky tales. After studying Physics at the University of Glasgow, she set out on her own real-life adventures, which included teaching maths and science in Cameroon, training teachers in Malawi, teaching English in China and working with children with additional support needs in the UK. Victoria currently works part time writing KS2 books for the education company Twinkl and spends the rest of her time writing novels, and visiting schools, libraries and literary festivals to give author talks and run creative writing workshops.
Victoria’s previous novels include The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, The Boy with the Butterfly Mind, Hag Storm, and War of the Wind. She has won the Bolton Children’s Fiction Award 2020/2021, The YA-aldi Glasgow Secondary School Libraries Book Award 2023, and has been shortlisted for the Week Junior Book Awards 2023, The Leeds Book Awards 2023, the Red Book Award 2023, the James Reckitt Hull Book Awards 2021, The Trinity School Book Awards 2021, and longlisted for the ABA South Coast Book Awards 2023, the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2020, and the Branford Boase Award 2019.
Her latest novel, The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams, is a middle grade fantasy inspired by classic folklore. Twenty percent of the author royalties for this book are donated to CharChar Literacy, an organisation working to improve children’s literacy levels in Malawi.
You can find out more about Victoria’s books, school visits and free resources for schools on her website: www.strangelymagical.com
Her latest book Norah’s Ark is about two very different lives. One shared hope for a brighter future. No time to waste. The flood is coming…
Eleven-year-old Norah Day lives in temporary accommodation, relies on foodbanks for dinner, and doesn’t have a mum. But she’s happy enough, as she has a dad, a pet mouse, a pet spider, and a whole zoo of rescued local wildlife to care for. Eleven-year-old Adam Sinclair lives with his parents in a nice house with a big garden, a private tutor, and everything he could ever want. But his life isn’t perfect – far from it. He’s recovering from leukaemia and is questioning his dream of becoming a champion swimmer.
When a nest of baby birds brings them together, Norah and Adam discover they’re not so different after all. Can Norah help Adam find his confidence again? Can Adam help Norah solve the mystery of her missing mother? And can their teamwork save their zoo of rescued animals from the rising flood? Offering powerful lessons in empathy, Norah’s Ark is a hopeful and uplifting middle-grade tale for our times about friendship and finding a sense of home in the face of adversity.
My stop on the tour will take the form of an author interview.
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Welcome to my blog Victoria. to start us off could you please tell us a little bit more about yourself and the inspiration for your book Norah’s Ark.
As a former teacher, I’ve got to know a lot of children in my years in school, and have been struck by the very wide range of background experiences they bring to the classroom, despite often living in the same area. A lot of my contemporary issue stories explore these differences, and the ways in which they can be overcome so that children can form lasting friendships. In previous books I’ve explored subjects such as cultural differences and neurodiversity. For Norah’s Ark, I wanted to explore something that can have a big impact on children’s educational experiences: class differences – how the cost of living can be a big struggle for some families, while barely affecting others. However, I didn’t want it to be a book about how children from poor families who experience homelessness have negative outcomes while children with stable home lives whose parents have well-paid jobs all have positive experiences. Life is much more nuanced than that, and Norah – who lives in temporary accommodation and relies on food banks, and who initially sees only the positive sides to Adam’s life – eventually comes to learn that Adam’s battle with cancer and his problems with his overprotective parents have led to him to live a much more lonely life than she imagines. Their friendship gives them both something to look forward to and provides them both with hope for a better future – this is a theme that I particularly enjoy emphasising in books, as I’ve often seen the transformative power of friendship in my work as a teacher.
Why did you decide to write Norah’s Ark from a dual viewpoint?
I think empathy is a vital thing to teach children – how to see the world from the point of view of someone else who might live a very different life. While single-narrative stories give children the opportunity to walk in the shoes of someone else and experience their thoughts and feelings, I particularly like using dual narratives to help children explore prejudice and biased initial impressions. We’re all guilty of making assumptions about other people, but dual narrative stories give readers the opportunity to see how two children might make assumptions about each other based on external factors – such as clothes, where they live and how they speak – and how these assumptions make each character feel. Dual narrative stories are particularly good at teaching children that there are two sides to every story, and that two people might experience the same event in very different ways. This can help them to understand a very common occurrence: why, when they argue with someone in the school playground and they come running in to tell the teacher, there are often two conflicting stories being told about the same event, and both children are convinced they’re the one telling the truth about what ‘actually’ happened!
What are the underlying themes of Norah’s Ark?
There are the initial themes which jump out at the reader from the blurb and opening chapters – childhood poverty, childhood illness, bullying, loneliness, homelessness, the cost of living and the problems associated with it (foodbanks, temporary accommodation, zero-hours contracts, lack of certainty and stability for families). But this is very definitely not intended as a ‘doom-and-gloom’ story. Ultimately this is intended as a story of hope – of friendship, overcoming adversity, and of developing close family relationships through honest dialogue.
Where did you get the idea of rescuing such an odd menagerie of animals?
Children love animals – I think that’s why they feature so often in my stories. As adults we tend to think of ‘suitable’ pets as being dogs, cats, rabbits – if there’s space for them – and hamsters if space is an issue. However, children tend to be much more curious about the world, and will befriend pretty much anything that moves! Norah lives in temporary accommodation and can’t have the dog or cat she’s always wanted – she’s not even supposed to keep a hamster in the hostels or B&B the Council moves her and her father to. She loves animals, though, and is always on the lookout for anything she thinks might need to be rescued, which includes baby birds, the occasional hedgehog, and even a spider called Boris!
Is there a particular place you like to write?
I don’t have a writing shed or anything like that! I do need peace and quiet to write, though, and I like to be fairly close to the kettle so I can easily reward myself with endless cups of peppermint tea for getting through particularly tricky pages!
What made you decide to donate 20% of your author royalties for Norah’s Ark to Shelter?
I like to give 20% of my book royalties to a particular charity, as it’s my way of ‘giving back’. I’ve been lucky that I’ve had the opportunity in life to work towards the career I’ve always wanted. Becoming a writer hasn’t been easy, but it has been an option for me. I’d like to make sure my books contribute in some small way to ensuring other children get the option to work towards the career of their choice too. Shelter and Shelter Scotland both do a great job in supporting children like Norah whose families experience homelessness – as well as making a small contribution to this work, I’d like to use this book as an opportunity to open discussions in schools about homelessness and to hopefully help publicise the work that Shelter and Shelter Scotland do.
If you could spend a day with another popular author, whom would you choose?
I know I should pick a current author, but there are so many wonderful authors out there, it would be impossible! I’ve been very lucky to have had many opportunities to spend time with other lovely authors in real life – at book events, festivals, on school visits and even on special occasions such as the recent ‘Children’s Publishing Picnic’ in Edinburgh. So I’m going to cheat a little and pick my favourite author – Jane Austen. I adored her books when I first discovered them in my late teens. I used to swish around the Glasgow University campus in empire-line dresses and lace-up boots with my hairstyles copied from whichever period drama I’d most recently watched. I might not have looked so out of place if I’d been studying English Literature, but since I was doing a degree in Physics at the time, the white lab coat and safety goggles really messed with the Regency Period look I was aiming for!
If you had to describe yourself in just three words, what would those be?
Oh, that’s a tough one! The three words would depend on the day of the week and what mood I was in at the time! I’ve been working hard on a new writing project over the summer, and unwinding after battling with first drafts and edits by watching some of my favourite period dramas in the evening, so I suppose right now I’m:
Lost. In. Austen.
Is there an aspect of writing for children you wish someone had told you when you started out?
‘Don’t write in a vacuum!’
When I first started writing, I thought that you were supposed to hide away for ages while working on your magnum opus and only show it (and yourself!) to the world when you were finished. Now, I always tell other aspiring authors to engage as much as possible with local writing groups, talk to other authors, and attend lots of writing events. It’s really hard to keep the momentum and motivation going on your own, and there are lots of wonderful people out there you can learn from and who will support you on your journey, so the more you share ideas and discuss writing with other people, the better your stories will be.
Is there anything else you would like to tell readers about your books and writing for children?
A bit of a plug here on behalf of myself and other children’s authors, but to all the lovely readers out there – please do consider leaving a book review or even just a rating on Goodreads, Amazon or another website after reading a book! It makes a very big difference in terms of other readers being able to find a particular book, and makes writers like me very happy!
Thank you Victoria for such an insightful look into the writing of Norah’s Ark and the themes behind it. I look forward to reading more of your books in the future.
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You can find out more about Victoria Williamson, her books, her free resources and competitions for schools on her website: www.strangelymagical.com. She can be found on Twitter (or ‘X’ as it is now!) at: @strangelymagic.
You can buy a copy of Norah’s Ark by Victoria Williamson direct from her publisher Neem Tree Press at: https://neemtreepress.com/book/norahs-ark/. You can also purchase a copy from any independent bookshop or online at uk.bookshop.org, an organisation with a mission to financially support local, independent bookshops.
I would like to thank The Write Reads for inviting me to take part in this ultimate tour. Thank you.
To follow the rest of The Write Reads Ultimate Tour please take a look at the schedule below:
It is finally my stop on the last day of the blog tour for this quite honestly brilliant duology by Sarah Daniels. I have been eagerly waiting to post my thoughts on these fantastic books. The whole premise is brilliant.
Blurb for The Stranded
Welcome to the Arcadia.
Once a luxurious cruise ship, it became a refugee camp after being driven from Europe by an apocalyptic war. Now it floats near the coastline of the Federated States – a leftover piece of a fractured USA.
For forty years, residents of the Arcadia have been prohibited from making landfall. It is a world of extreme haves and have nots, gangs and make-shift shelters.
Esther is a loyal citizen, working flat-out to have the rare chance to live a normal life as a medic on dry land. Nik is a rebel, planning something big to liberate the Arcadia once and for all.
When events throw them both together, their lives, and the lives of everyone on the ship, will change forever . . .
Blurb for The Exiled
Trust no one.
It is four months since the Arcadia set sail for the first time in forty years. But this wasn’t the freedom the inhabitants were hoping for. Esther Crossland did what she had to do, but it has left a trail of destruction in her wake. Now the wrecked ship is abandoned. Its inhabitants are in exile, trapped in sprawling make-shift shelters made up of warehouse, tents, shipping containers.
Esther and Nik, architects of the rebellion, are on the run. Esther is in hiding, desperate to do something to help her people, and Nik seems to have abandoned all hope, on a journey taking him further and further from home. And neither of them want to face up to their true feelings about one another . . .
Not only that, there is a new villain in town. With the fall of Commander Hadley, it’s left to the ruthless Admiral Janek to deal with the traitors, and her own past is beginning to catch-up with her.
Then the shaky ceasefire negotiated by General Lall, Nik’s mum, falls apart. Nik and Esther find themselves in a world of betrayals and double crossings – a game of power, with no one to trust but themselves.
It’s time for the final showdown.
For my stop I have written two separate reviews as I read both books and once I’d started I found it hard to put them down.
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Title: The Stranded
Written by:Sarah Daniels
Cover Art by: Thomas Walker
Published by: Penguin
After the first few pages of The Stranded I was hooked. This is a fast-paced dystopian that quickly draws you into the world and rooting for the main characters.
The concept is excellent. In 2050 ten cruise ships had left Europe just before a European biological war broke out. Any survivors from the impact contracted the deadly virus contained in the missiles. Unable to go home, the ships were stranded at sea and had hoped to find refuge in the US. Their arrival caused tension and disagreement throughout America some wanted to accept the refuges others thought the threat of contamination and the expense of accepting so many immigrants too great. The areas closer to the where the ships were docked declared themselves independent from the United States and became the Federated States. Forty years later, in 2094, the refugees are still aboard. Aid is minimal. The ships are slowly being cleared and the passengers are being killed, or sent to workcamps run by the prison corporations. The Arcadia is next in line.
This is so realistic. You can imagine this persistent quarantine really happening especially when you consider that in July 2020, there were 67 cruise ships stranded at sea, or in docks around the globe, waiting to finish Covid quarantine. I found it highly believable that a newly formed independent state that sees itself as a separate country from the United States would let the sudden freedom of power and the threat of contamination overwhelm them to create such a repressive regime. The brutality of the Federated States reminded me of Animal Farm by George Orwell in that ‘power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.’
It is written from several points of view in mostly alternating chapters:
Esther Crossland who is trying to keep her head down so she can graduate earning her place off the ship and to freedom at a Federation medical school on land.
Nikhil Lall who works in the engine room and is a member of the resistance, led by his mother.
And Commander Hadley, head of the security force aboard the Arcadia for seventeen years. He is a bitter, cruel man with issues of his own compounded by the fact he is also a victim of the Federated States, as he was placed on the ship as a sadistic punishment.
All the characters are highly believable and well-written. I liked the way Esther’s sister, May, who was training to be a soldier for the Federation is a double agent and Nik’s love interest. I thought the way Esther is reluctantly pulled into the world of the resistance was clever and plausible. Esther’s long-term controlling boyfriend is manipulative and not beyond deceit, hoarding food and encouraging Esther to cheat on her tests to ensure her place in the medical corp. I thought the development of his character and how Esther was torn by her family loyalties, her familiarity to Alex and to do what she knew what right in her heart was well-plotted and credible.
In fact, the whole plot of The Stranded was brilliantly intricate and totally compelling. It is a realistic story of survival, which I found difficult to drag myself away from. I felt lucky I had the sequel ready to dive into when I’d finished the last page.
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Title: The Exiled
Written by:Sarah Daniels
Cover Art by: Señor Salme
Published by: Penguin
Before I started reading The Exiled I was wondering if Sarah Daniels would keep up the momentum and the plot moving forward as well as she did in The Stranded. I was not disappointed. The second in this dystopian duology was just as gripping as the first.
Again it is written in several points of view, that of Esther and Nik again and this time we meet new character Meg and a more devious and cruel antagonist, Javik who we had briefly met in The Stranded.
The book opens in the makeshift cramped camp of the survivors from the crashed Arcadia with alternating chapters from Esther and Meg. The second half of the book is then told from the point of views of Nik who is now working in the Gulf of Mexico cleaning trash from the ocean and Janik who wants the survivors neutralised.
We learn how the events unfolded since Esther crashed the ship into the mainland. Nik and Esther have been exiled from the main resistance headquarters, so Nik left the camp to get away from his mother and her desire to take over as leader of the resistance and Esther is acting as a medic for the other refugees from the Arcadia along with her former teacher, Corporal Harriet Weston (Corp).
The characters of Corp, General Lall and Silas are expanded as we discover their motivations and goals and these effect their actions and the development of the plot. Meg is another great character. Her infatuation for Alex was scary and the way he has manipulated her is true to his own character. Meg’s final heroic actions brought a tear to my eye. I was pleased with the way Alex got his comeuppance in the end. I also liked the introduction of Harveen, Javik’s assistant, and was intrigued by how her life become entangled with the sinister Javik.
Esther has a new love interest in Patrick Huang and the love triangle between them and Nik was well-written but I found myself wanting her to choose Patrick rather than Nik who I still feel was on the rebound from her sister and so them getting together was not a good idea. This logic illustrates how three-dimensional the characters are in that as I read I was trying to advise Esther against Nik all the time knowing realistically the heart wants what the heart wants, so I was fighting a losing battle.
Sarah Daniels has certainly racked up the tension in The Exiled. The shorter chapters made this an even faster, more exciting and breath-taking read than the first book. Great plot and fantastic characters.
I would highly recommend this duology.
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Sarah Daniels is an ex-archaeologist who escaped academia and now writes stories from her home in rural Lincolnshire.
Her work has been published in various online magazines and has been nominated for best British and Irish Flash Fiction and Best Small Fictions.
I would like to thank Dave from The Write Reads not only for inviting me on this blog but also for inviting me into the fabulous Write Reads community. Thank you.
It is my delight to be taking part in the blog tour for this breath-taking picture book, Deep by Stephen Hogton. I am quite excited about this tour as not only is it a beautiful picture book but today, Thursday 3rd August 2023, is launch day.
Stephen Hogtunis an author/illustrator who lives on the west coast of sunny Norway with his partner, two children and several rescue animals in an old house overlooking a lovely fjord. His house sits on the edge of a beautiful fjord, and his artwork is inspired both by the love he feels for his family and the views he sees from his window.
This is his second picture book for Bloomsbury, following his acclaimed debut, Leaves. Both picture books cover serious topics in a very gentle, child-friendly way and feature visually stunning illustrations.
Deep encapsulates a mother’s love for her child. When a tiny whale calf is born, his mother raises him to the surface to take his first breath. She guides him as he grows, until he is strong enough to swim at her side, and they set off together on a great journey across the oceans.
One day, the time will come for the grown calf to set out on his own . . . but wherever he goes and whatever he does, his mother will be waiting for him and sending her song of love across the oceans. Filled with beautiful, luminous artwork, this stunning picture book tells a universal story about love and family that’s perfect for readers young and old.
My stop on the tour will take the form of a book review.
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Title: Deep
Written and Illustrated by: Stephen Hogton
Published by: Bloomsbury
A story of love through the generations. Deep portrays how the mother whale guides, protects and teaches her young calf about the ocean. They travel on a long journey and back again to learn the way before she is confident her child is old enough and strong enough to fend for themselves.
This touching picture book of highlighting a mother’s love for her child is such a joy to read. I found myself reflecting back on my own children when they were younger, like leaving them on their first day at primary school and more recently as they go off to study at university. In this way this book will appeal to adults and children alike.
The illustrations are gorgeous. I love the use of colour and the way the light appears to sparkle off the sea. Absolutely mesmerising. There is a hypnotic effect created as you imagine these enormous yet elegant creatures gliding through the water. Stephen Hogton’s use of colour draws you in – from the warm still waters to the stormy choppy seas.
There are several heart-warming philosophical messages throughout the book I feel will get children thinking. A few of my favourites are:
“There is always calm is you seek it.”
“If you search, hidden beauty and truth can be found.”
“It’s not how quickly you travel but who you travel with.”
“Remember to treasure each moment because each one goes by quickly as a blink of an eye.”
Extracts from Deep by Stephen Hogton
I think teachers and carers could use some of these insights to open some very fruitful and enlightening discussions with the children.
On the whole I think Deep creates an atmosphere of calm, which leaves the reader with a feeling of safety and belonging. Young children will want to hear Deep read again and again.
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To follow the rest of the tour take a look at the schedule below:
I would like to thank Bee from Kaleidoscopic Tours for inviting me to take part in this tour. Thank you.
I am pleased to announce that today is my stop on the The Light Thieves Search for the Black Mirror by Helena Duggan blog tour. This is the second adventure in the gripping and mysterious eco/tech series, The Light Thieves.
The energy from the sun is being stolen. It’s a catastrophe for the planet and every living thing on it. Friends Grian, Jeffrey and Shelli are desperately trying to work out how it’s happening. They know tech genius Howard Hansom is behind the theft and they’re determined to stop him. But they can’t use any of Hansom’s smart technology in their quest as it will track them wherever they go.
The three young heroes need to find a strange black mirror to help them save the sun. They unwittingly uncover the massive hoax tech-billionaire Howard Hansom has planned and refuse to stay quiet whilst he hoodwinks people into thinking only he can save the world. But who would you trust, the adult or the kids? Time is running out. Can kids really save the world?
Helena Duggan is from Kilkenny, a medieval, haunted city in the south of Ireland. She writes stories for middle grade and they are always full of adventure. She’s also a graphic designer, which means she draws and colours pictures for a living. She writes in a treehouse built by her husband Robbie and his brother in the bottom of their garden. She lives in a small house with Robbie, their daughters Jo and Bobbie and dog Tinker.
A Place Called Perfect was her first book. It was published in August 2017 and was a Waterstones Book of the Month. It won numerous awards including Crimefest Children’s Book of the Year and was nominated for the Irish Book Awards and Waterstones Children’s Prize.
My stop on the tour will take the form of a book review.
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Title: The Light Thieves Search for the Black Mirror
Written by: Helena Duggan
Illustrated by: Katie Kear
Published by: Usborne Publishing
The Light Thieves Search for the Black Mirror is a dystopian middle grade action-packed eco-adventure.
The world has been tilted by a huge earthquake leaving a shadow across the sun which is gradually getting bigger until the sun will eventually be extinguished. We all know we can’t live without the sun and this becomes evident with the consequential changes in the environment and the way the days are gradually becoming shorter.
The Light Thieves Search for the Black Mirror startsfrom where the previous book left off but I found it a little frustrating that even though a detailed flowchart had been provided outlining the events in the previous book of the trilogy, a lot of the beginning of this book was spent summing up and reflecting on the first and yet throughout, the first few chapters I had the distinct feeling I was missing something.
The tech billionaire Howard Hanson has built the Tipping Point and persuaded volunteers to move there by claiming with enough weight in that particular location the world will shift back to its original axis and everyone will be saved. However, the Tipping Point was not the technological haven Howard Hanson claimed it to be.
I thought it was clever the way Helena Duggan used the idea of ‘fake news’ to show how Howard Hanson manipulated people to believe the children were responsible for the catastrophe and how other events (fake or otherwise) were used to distract people from what he was doing right under their noses. This would be an ideal discussion point in the classroom to highlight how similar techniques have been used in real life
Our main character, Grain has been set the task by his grandad of finding three more letters containing clues which each lead to a separate piece of a larger puzzle. When they find all four pieces they have to find grandad who can put them together to reverse the destruction to the sun.
The relationships between the three friends is well established and I liked the way they contrasted each other with the intelligent yet socially awkward best friend Jeffrey and the nature-loving Shelli. I thought it was good the way Grain was a little slow and depended on his friends to help him, which broke the usual stereotypical role of the hero. His lack of confidence in his abilities and the feeling of ‘imposter syndrome’ worked well and is realistic of how many young children feel.
I also enjoyed the way Grain finds it difficult not to use the smart technology he has become dependant on and how lost and inadequate he feels without it. This is true of many children and adults today and I have heard it said there whole life is on their phone, their calendar, their banking, contacts, etc. This reflection on our increasing dependency on technology that is only going to increase in the future struck a chord with me.
I think The Light Thieves Search for the Black Mirror is ideal for KS2, especially years 4 ,5, and 6. It is full of twists and turns which grip the imagination, making the reader want to find out more.
Today is my turn to spotlight on the Peril on the Atlantic by A. M. Howell on her blog tour.
Peril on the Atlantic is a Mysteries at Sea adventure set in July 1936 just as the Queen Mary sets sail across the Atlantic. The main character Alice can’t wait for the summer of adventure that lies ahead. She’s excited to explore the huge ship, with its shops, animals and even celebrities on board. The cover illustration is by Marco Guadalupi.
When Alice’s sailor father focuses on winning a prestigious race, she witnesses a shocking attack. Alice and her new friend Sonny start to uncover a dark plot to sabotage the race, and as they investigate gold bars, anonymous notes and lost silk gloves, secrets in their own lives come to the surface.
While fog threatens the ship’s journey, and dangerous enemies show themselves, Alice and Sonny are in their own race to solve all the mysteries unfolding. But what they discover might change both their lives forever.
Here is an extract:
A.M. Howell has always been inspired by the stories around her, and how imagination can unlock the secrets of the past.
Her thrilling historical mysteries have garnered great critical acclaim, winning both the Mal Peet Children’s Book Award, and the East Anglian Book of the Year Award, as well as being shortlisted for lots of other prizes. A.M. Howell lives in Suffolk with her husband and two sons.
I am happy to announce today is my stop on the Don’t Disturb the Dragon by Rhiannon Findlay and Siân Roberts blog tour.
Don’t Disturb the Dragon is a brilliantly interactive rhyming read-aloud adventure before bedtime from the bestselling author of the Ten Minutes to Bed series.
Somewhere near, a huge beast lies, with giant claws and great big eyes . . . DO NOT DISTURB THE DRAGON!
Tiptoe over, under, round and through the book, just . . . don’t disturb the DRAGON!
Extract from Don’t Disturb the Dragon by Rhiannon Findlay and Siân Roberts
Fans of Ten Minutes to Bed, Little Unicorn will love helping our heroes on their quest in this immersive, interactive adventure with a wind-down-to-bedtime ending
Rhiannon Findlay lives in Hertfordshire, England. When she’s not writing, she can be found exploring, playing and reading with her young daughter, who provides endless inspiration for her stories.
Under the name Rhiannon Fielding, she wrote the Ten Minutes to Bed series, which has sold over two million copies in 25 languages. Rhiannon has over 13 years’ experience of working in children’s publishing, currently as Associate Publisher for Quarto.
Siân Roberts is a children’s book illustrator based in the South East of England. Before working professionally Siân studied illustration in Bournemouth, gaining a BA Hons degree.
Her debut picture book published in 2021 with Little Tiger Books and she has since worked on numerous projects with multiple publishers and authors, with stories ranging from pirate princesses to sparkling unicorns, dancing dinosaurs to creepy crawlies. She works from her small home studio, surrounded by potted plants and fuelled by many cups of tea!
My stop on the tour will be in the form of a book review.
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Title: Don’t Disturb the Dragon
Written by: Rhiannon Findlay
Illustrated by: Siân Roberts
Published by: Puffin Books
Don’t Disturb the Dragon is a fun rhyming picture book with a message of not jumping to conclusions based on appearances. The heroine of the story is the princess of Wingbeat Island. and she is searching for her baby brother who has just learnt to crawl. At each stop she is determined not to disturb the dragon. She is prepared for any encounters with her rucksack containing her dragon-fighting kit.
I love maps in books and we all know children love exploring maps so I think the addition of the map of Wingbeat Island at the beginning of the book is a brilliant addition. Young children can spend hours discovering where each of the locations she visits to hunt for her brother is on the map and follow her adventures around the island.
It is written in rhyming couplets with the repeated phrase of “Don’t Disturb the Dragon” which the children can eagerly join in with at story time. The illustrations add a sparkle of magic to this glorious story. there are so many things to discover in the pictures.
A great book for reading aloud and for young children to explore during reading sessions.
Please join Shami Stovall on the next stop of her blog tour for her fantasy YA novel, Academy Arcanist.
Gray Lexly, son of a candlemaker, wants to escape his life of old-world technologies and study at the prestigious Astra Academy, a school for arcanists—those who can wield magic. But Gray has a major problem. Every night, as he sleeps, he’s visited by monsters. When they injure Gray in his dreams, he wakes with the same wounds in real life. On the night Gray might finally die in his nightmares, he is saved by the kind and mysterious Professor Helmith, a powerful arcanist. She offers to protect Gray and invites him to attend Astra Academy.
Before that can happen, Gray must bond with a mystical creature, such as a unicorn, pegasus, or kitsune, to become an arcanist himself. Whatever he bonds with will determine his magical abilities, so he must choose wisely. When trouble finds Professor Helmith, Gray must become powerful enough to help her and fend off the terrible nightmares, before it’s too late.
Shami Stovall is a multi-award-winning author of fantasy and science fiction.
Before that, she taught history and criminal law at the college level, and loved every second. When she’s not reading fascinating articles and books about ancient China or the Byzantine Empire, Stovall can be found playing way too many video games, especially RPGs and tactics simulators.
My stop on tour consists of an author interview.
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Tell us a little about yourself and the inspiration for your book Academy – Arcanist
Hey there! My name is Shami (that’s my full name, it’s not short for anything, and it’s not an alias). I love reading, video games, my two dogs, and my husband! Sci-fi and fantasy have always been my jam, and I’m so lucky to get to write stories for my living.
The inspiration for Academy Arcanist is equal parts Pokémon and Harry Potter. I love monster-catching video games, and I loved the fantastical world of Harry Potter, so obviously I had to merge the two!
Talk us through your writing process.
I typically outline all of my novels into three act structures. After that, I add in minor subplots, and then I get to writing. Once written, I submit the novel to my author’s group, and then some beta readers. Once I’m happy with the story, I get it all professionally edited. It’s a lengthy process, but I think it’s well worth it.
What is your favourite thing about writing fantasy?
My favourite part about writing fantasy is developing the magic system. I love really interesting uses for abilities! I’m especially drawn to shadow and light magic, or the ability to copy or steal magics. Any stories that involve those things are just -chef kiss- good.
What are the underlying themes of your novel, Academy – Arcanist?
The underlying themes are about growth and confronting fears. Gray, the main character, desperately wants to grow out of his small environment, but dangers are lurking around every corner. Or in his case, they’re lurking in his dreams! And he must face them in order to save his professor.
How did you create and keep tabs on your fantasy world in Academy – Arcanist?
I do love outlines. It helps me keep the story on track, and it helps me to develop all the characters and magic at an easy pace.
Do you listen to music whilst you write, if so what do you tend to listen to?
I LOVE listening to video game soundtracks while I write! I prefer no lyrics, and I love to have emotional music tied to the tone of the scene I’m writing. It’s a lot of fun, actually, and I highly recommend to others.
What writing advice would you give to people aspiring to be a fantasy novel writer?
Just write.
That’s always my number one advice. It takes people (on average) 10,000 hours of practice to get good at a skill, so you should start writing RIGHT NOW if you want to become good. And don’t worry if it’s not the best thing ever.
You can’t edit a blank page!
Get your thoughts out there, and you can “fix” everything later.
Is there anything else you would like to tell readers about your books and Academy – Arcanist?
I love interesting characters and dramatic endings. All my books have over-the-top finales. Sorry, not sorry?
Thank you Shami for agreeing to be interviewed on my blog. It has been fun. I have enjoyed finding out about your writing process.
I am excited to announce today, the 20th July 2023, is not only my stop on the Rhino’s Don’t Cry by Mark Grist and Chris Evans blog tour but it is also their Launch Day. Congratulations to both Mark and Chris for the release of this extremely moving picture book, which is planned to be the first in a series highlighting the importance of children expressing their feelings.
Mark Grist is an ex-teacher and now a multi-award-winning poet and international battle rapper with over 40 million views for his poetry & rap videos online. He has been honoured in two categories at the Webby Awards, won two Lovie Awards for his poetry online and toured hundreds of schools around the world. Recently, Mark’s work has appeared on BBC1, ITV, BBC Teach, Channel 4 and BBC 6 music.
As well as writing picture books for Bloomsbury, Mark is working on a second series of his hit podcast Mark Can’t Rap, which is backed by Arts Council England & National Centre for Writing. He lives in Peterborough.
Chris Jevons studied art and design at college, and 3D animation at university. He then worked as a graphic designer, animator and illustrator before moving into children’s book illustration.
Chris has a passion for character design and storytelling, and his books include Goldilocks in Space, My Daddy is Hilarious and 101 Bums. He lives and works in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.
My stop on the tour for this emotional and engaging rhyming story, involves a book review.
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Title:Rhinos Don’t Cry
Author: Mark Grist
Illustrator: Chris Jevons
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Milo’s a rhino. He likes to do all sorts of rhino-y things . . . He likes writing and climbing and banister-sliding and mountain bike riding, he paints and he sings.
Milo just loves being a rhino – but there’s one small problem . . . rhinos don’t cry. At least that’s what Spike-O Mcree, his movie-star hero, always says. But when Milo meets Spike-O face to face, he finds out that not only is crying OK, it’s also very brave!
Extract from Rhino’s Don’t Cry by Mark Grist and Chris Jevons
Rhino’s Don’t Cry should come with a warning sticker: This book will make you cry – which is a good thing.
Written in rhyming couplets and illustrated with vibrant, bold colours and a good mix of page layouts from illustrations that bleed to the edges of the page, to vignettes that portray the story comic book style, Rhino’s Don’t Cry, will have young readers enthusiastically turning the pages. Chris Jevons has a talent for characterisation that is evident on every spread.
It contains an important message about how healthy it is to cry whatever the reason and how everyone should release their emotions rather than bottle them up, no matter your age, gender or job – there is no limit. I hope to see more children’s books of this calibre in the future. Although Mark Grist has set the bar quite high for writing an excellent plot, which conveys such an important message that does not feel contrived in any way.
I enjoyed this book and it definitely made me cry. I am going to get my husband to read it. There is adventure, a mystery, romance and a problem young children will be able to relate to. It is the first in the series and I am eager to see what other feelings are going to be covered.
It would be great for use in the classroom and stimulating discussion on emotions. Having spent many years teaching throughout primary schools myself, I would have loved a resource like this to use with the whole age range from pre-school to Year Six. I plan to use it as one of my BookPenPal books in September.
To view more of Chris Jevons’ impressive illustrations take a peek at his Bright House portfolio: here. You can also follow him on Twitter:@Chris_Jev and Instagram: @chrisjevonsillustration
To see the rest of the tour check out the Tour Schedule below.
I would like to thank Kaleidoscopic Tours for inviting me to take part in this tour. Thank you.
Join me today for my stop on the blog tour for the release of a new dynamic folk fantasy by Alex Woodroe. I am pleased I have been scheduled for the launch day, 11th July 2023.
Alex is a Romanian writer and editor of dark speculative fiction. She’s the author of Whisperwood, as well as several short horror, fantasy, and science-fiction stories published in venues like Dark Matter Magazine, Horror Library, the Nosleep podcast, and more. She lives in the heart of the Transylvanian region of Romania, and lets her country’s culture and unique natural landscapes influence her work.
She’s been a translator, a barmaid, a teacher, a copywriter, and a dog trainer, but ultimately realized she wouldn’t be happy until she terrified people for a living. Alex now runs her own company doing freelance editing, translations, and writing, as well as working as an acquisitions editor for Indie Horror upstart, Tenebrous Press.
Whisperwood is published by Flame Tree Press, which is the imprint of long-standing independent Flame Tree Publishing dedicated to full-length original fiction in the horror and suspense, science fiction & fantasy, and crime / mystery / thriller categories. The list brings together fantastic new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.
This novel is described as a must-read dark fantasy debut for fans of The Witcher, woodland survival guides, the gruesome original Grimm Brothers stories, and dark folklore from around the world…
A journey into the wild woods with a character who just needs a break—and the terrible things that stare back at her.
When curious nomad Anna hears about Whisperwood, a town that’s not on any maps, that nobody goes to, and nobody comes from, she sees an opportunity to hide from her violent witch-hunting ex.
But not everything is peaceful in the isolated community. A vanishing town, a gruesome funeral rite, an emergency field surgery—these surprises and more test Anna’s resolve.
Prevented from leaving the frontier settlement by folk magic she doesn’t understand, Anna lends helping hands everywhere she can, but quickly finds that investigating the forest too closely could end up being the last thing she does.
My stop involves a book review.
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Title: Whisperwood
Written by: Alex Woodroe
Published by: Flame Tree Press
The thing that I like best about this book was the world of Whisperwood. The setting is vividly described and very eerie. I understood why nobody would really want to go there unless they were desperate and found the dark magic that stopped Anna leaving quite intriguing. I enjoyed discovering how the village was connected to many of the Romanian folktales. The Whispers were mysterious and quite creepy.
I liked the main character Anna who has a gift of being friendly and supportive. She quickly makes a few friends and also a few enemies. I admired her bravery and determination to overcome . I can imagine myself being friends with her. I was rooting for her throughout the story from when she left the abusive partner who turned her whole family against her by claiming she was a witch, right to the very end when she confronts the kidnappers, in the exciting twist ending.
As with many of the books I have read recently, Whisperwood cleverly portrays the dark side of humanity and people’s character. The way Alex showed how people can be easily manipulated to believe someone was a witch reflects history and is reminiscent of the witch trials. Also the way people ignore many of the bad things that are happening in the world around them is a poignant statement of the whole world. Whisperwood is not the only place where the people choose to be blinkered.
On the whole Whisperwood is an exciting, fast-paced mystery suitable for the older YA readership.
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To follow the rest of the tour check out the schedule:
You can buy copies of Whisperwood by Alex Woodroe from your local bookshop, or online at uk.bookshop.org, an organisation which supports a wide range of independent bookstores.
Much To Do About Writing 