Today I am taking part in the Book Birthday Blitz for Eye Spy by Tessa Buckley.
Tessa Buckley was an inveterate scribbler as a child, and spent much of her time writing and illustrating stories. After spending fifteen years working for architects and interior designers. She took up writing again when her young daughter complained that she couldn’t find enough adventure stories to read.
This led, in 2014, to the publication of Eye Spy, the first in a series of detective stories for 9-12 year olds, designed to encourage reluctant readers. The second book in the series, Haunted, was a finalist in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards 2017. She lives with her husband and a large white cat called Pippa in a town on the Thames estuary, which inspired the seaside setting for the novels. She also writes about family history, which has been her passion for many years.
Her book Eye Spy is a middle grade detective story.
Over the course of ten days, the lives of thirteen-year-old Alex Macintyre and his twin sister Donna will change forever.
When Alex and Donna set up Eye Spy Investigations and start looking for a valuable missing dog, they soon have an interesting assortment of suspects. There is the mysterious man in the fur hat; a gang of bikers who hang out at the Starship Café; and Crazy Kath, the bag lady, who may know more than she’s letting on.
But as they struggle to make sense of the evidence, the twins begin to uncover an even bigger mystery in their own family. As events spiral out of control, can Alex resolve a family crisis, save Donna from imminent danger, and return the missing dog to its rightful owner?
Blurb for Eye Spy by Tessa Buckley
I will be celebrating the Book Birthday Blitz with an author interview.
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Tell us a little about yourself and the inspiration for your book Eye Spy. Why did you decide to write a spy mystery for children?
The genesis for this story came a long time ago, when my daughter, an avid reader, was ten. She told me she couldn’t find enough mystery stories to read in the library. What she seemed to be looking for was a Famous Five type story, but with modern technology. I remembered howI’d spent much of my childhood writing and illustrating stories which were heavily influenced by Enid Blyton’s books. I had always wanted to be a novelist. Now I had the incentive to prove I could do it.
Talk us through your writing process.
I usually start with a setting rather than a character. Writers are often told ‘Write what you know.’ We live in Leigh-on-Sea, a town on the Thames estuary, so I chose to set my stories in a small seaside town. My main character, Alex, just popped into my head one evening after supper, and I immediately sat down and wrote the first page of Eye Spy, where he talks about his dad, who is an eccentric inventor. The story evolved slowly from there, with much trial and error.
How do you ensure you keep children turning the pages?
I know how important this is, particularly for boys, who tend to leave books behind at about eleven, in favour of all things digital. All the books in the series are narrated in the first person by Alex, and are fast-paced and action-packed. The language is straightforward so everything is easy to understand. And hopefully the desire to solve the mysteries will also keep the reader interested.
What are the underlying themes of Eye Spy?
Money is tight in the Macintyre family, and twins Alex and Donna have few luxuries. Sadly, this is a situation many children are familiar with today, and there is also a key character who is homeless. Eye Spy also explores the way that hidden family secrets can impact on the lives of the children.
Is there a particular place you like to write?
I am lucky enough to have my own study, where I can shut myself away and write in peace and quiet, with only our large white cat, Pippa, for company.
What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?
I’ve visited Bath, and Lyme Regis, which appear in Jane Austen’s Persuasion, and Poldark country in Cornwall.
What writing advice would you give to people aspiring to write a children’s detective novel?
The writing process is a lot quicker if you can, plan as much as possible in advance. This is especially useful in a detective story if you want to plant red herrings along the way. Alas, I’ve never been a planner, so the plot of Eye Spy and many of the characters evolved as I wrote, and I didn’t know until the end who the ‘baddie’ was. However, I think it’s a more interesting story because of that.
Is there anything else you would like to tell readers about your Eye Spy and the rest of the series?
Both Haunted and Lady in Red were inspired by real buildings. Haunted features an old priory, similar to the one near where I live, which is now a museum. The artist’s home in Lady in Red, and the derelict house next to it, are based on the old Edwardian house I lived in as a child, and the deserted house next door whose garden I used to play in. I love old buildings, and they have always been an inspiration to me.
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You can purchase a copy of Eye Spy by Tessa Bukley on Troubador and Amazon
You can find out more about Tessa Buckley and her books on her website: www.tessabuckleyauthor.com and follow her on Facebook at @Tessa_Buckley-Author.
I would like to thank Rachel for Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to take part.