Insha Fitzpatrick, Lilla Bölecz. Quirk Books. (128p) ISBN 9781683693451
Chilling with Ghosts
Late last year I read “Hanging With Vampires” which is coming out at the end of this March (2023) and thought it was a fun and informative little book about the supernatural.
Written in a chatty, breezy style hits approaches the idea of ghosts in a way that acknowledges all the different sides of the debate, real or not.
Like the first in the series it also explores different cultures view on ghosts and on how people were buried and treated after they died.
It also looks at fiction and how ghosts are portrayed in the mass media and historically, but one of the most important parts of what the book talks about is dealing with loss and grief and that these htings do happen and their natural as are your feelings.
It’s very light on content but it has fun little snippets about how to make slime and different recipes throughout.
Overall a nice quick read and introduction to the idea of ghosts.
I was given this book by NetGalley in exchange for and honest review.
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Stephanie’s first children’s novel, Dandy the Highway Lion, was shortlisted for the Times/Chicken House Competition in 2020, and will be published by Chicken House on the 2nd March. After studying English Literature with Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, she stumbled, semi-intentionally, into life aboard a boat, where she now lives with her husband, two spoilt cats (rescued while sailing in Spain), and several visiting swans.
Tell me what inspired you to write your debut novel?
The original idea came from a very obvious pun – Dandy-lion. My husband and I were tossing around ideas and came up with the name Dandy Paws. I immediately thought that had to be a lion, and that such a lion should be a highwayman, thanks to the Adam and the Ants Song Stand and Deliver (‘I’m the dandy highwayman who you’re too scared to mention’). Once I had that concept, I knew I had to write it – the idea was too much fun to resist!
What came first the characters or the world?
Definitely the character of Dandy! Everything else formed around him. I did make the conscious choice to set his story in 1920s London, though, largely because I wanted to write in the world of P. G. Wodehouse, and to share its warmth, nostalgia and plain old fun with a younger audience.
How hard was it to get your first (debut) book published?
I think I was actually very lucky! I entered Dandy in the Times/Chicken House Competition before I’d got very far with looking for agents (and then promptly forgot I’d done so). I was shortlisted for that competition, but before I could be too disappointed about not winning, Chicken House got in touch to ask if I’d like to work on a rewrite with them – naturally I jumped at the chance! Having completed that rewrite, Chicken House then made me an offer.
Dandy the Highway Lion
How long did it take to write?
The first draft took precisely one month – I can be sure because I completed it during National Novel Writing Month. After that it gets very hazy, between the rewrite and subsequent edits. But from originally having the idea to the book being published has taken almost five years – although that is partly due to delays thanks to Covid.
Do you have a writing playlist? If so do you want to share it?
Yes – my writing playlist is about as incoherent as a playlist can be, but I’m very happy to share it!
What’s the favourite reaction you’ve had to your book?
I think my favourite is what Barry Cunningham (who founded Chicken House) first said to me, when he called to tell me I’d been shortlisted for the Times/Chicken House prize – he described it as ‘a breath of fresh air’. I hadn’t quite realised at the time that my book was so different to most other children’s books being published at the moment, and it was especially wonderful to get such encouraging feedback so early on.
What can you tell us about your next book?
Well, I’ve got a few ideas I’m working on developing, one of them being a Dandy sequel – I’d love to see him in another book, and I think there’s abundant scope for him to get himself into lots more adventures!
Would you ever consider writing outside your current genre?
Absolutely! I ended up writing for children mostly accidentally, because I knew a book about a highway lion had to be a children’s book. I tend to be drawn to writing historical fiction, but one of my current projects is contemporary, though still somewhat fantastical. I also have an adult historical novel that I’m working on between children’s projects, and I’m very much hoping to eventually find it a home with an adult publisher.
Which author(s) inspire you?
P.G. Wodehouse probably has to be first on this list! Susanna Clarke, Jane Austen and Agatha Christie have been very influential too. In children’s books I loved Joan Aitken, and in particular Arabel’s Raven, as a child, and I can see that relationship between children and extraordinary animal characters mirrored in Dandy.
Which genres do you read yourself?
I will try almost anything! But I tend to gravitate towards historical fiction, detective fiction, some fantasy, literary fiction, and of course children’s books!
What is your biggest motivator?
I think the feeling of accomplishment – of having started from nothing but the kernel of an idea and taken that to a fully fleshed out story that has now become a real book. The fact that this is even possible seems like a small miracle.
What will always distract you?
Myself, usually! I have to work hard to be disciplined, and I’m not always very good at it. An exciting email is always going to send me squirrelling away from whatever I’m supposed to be doing.
Do you have a favourite bookshop? If so, which?
I love The Petersfield Bookshop, which is the most wonderful labyrinth. Every time you think you’ve run out of shop you find another unexpected section – I could spend hours in there.
What books can you not resist buying?
Books with an impossibly rich, gorgeous cover, or occasionally even a particularly good font. I’ve bought several books on the strength of the cover alone, and discovered my favourite novel, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, because I loved the font on the cover.
What is your current or latest read?
I just finished The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell, and in children’s books I read Wildoak by C.C. Harrington most recently. I really loved both, so it’s been a very good couple of reading weeks!
Any books that you’re looking forward to in the next 12 months?
I’m really looking forward to Over My Dead Body by Maz Evans! I’ve also heard very good things about Yellowface by Rebecca F Kuang, and my mum just recommended Still Life by Sarah Winman, which has gone straight into my TBR list.
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I am an illustrator and author based near Cambridge. I create bright, engaging, and expressive images using dip pens and ink washes.
I studied children’s book illustration at Cambridge School of Art and graduated with a MA with distinction. As well as creating my own stories I illustrate books for other people, including Joseph Coelho and Anne Booth. Before I started making books I designed sets, costumes and puppets for theatre, a job which took me on many adventures.
My most recent book – Hedge Lion – was a finalist for the 2023 Bologna illustrators exhibition.
My books have been selected as The Sunday Times children’s book of the week and among The Guardian best books of the summer 2020, long listed for the UKLA book awards and the Spark book awards, and selected to be part of the Empathy Lab ‘read for empathy’ list. I was shortlisted for the Batsford Prize 2018 and the Searle Award for Creativity 2019 and I am represented by Elizabeth Roy Literary Agency.
When did you know you wanted to become an illustrator?
I came to illustration rather late, after a long love affair with theatre. I trained as a theatre designer and worked in wardrobe and design for many years creating sets, costumes and puppets. I always loved to draw and wanted to draw, but I never felt I was good enough. Eventually I got old enough to stop caring and just got on and did it! Theatre design and illustration are very similar in many ways, just now I don’t have to worry about the practicalities of how to make the background stand up, or whether the actors will agree to wearing the costumes!
How long does it typically take to make a page or cover for a book?
Making the final artwork for a spread takes a day or two, but that is only a very small part of creating the image. Before the final artwork there are hundreds of pencil sketches and colour experiments. When I come to make the final artwork everything is already very carefully planned out.
What’s your favourite piece of art equipment?
My dip pen and collection of vintage nibs.
Do you have a favourite colour scheme, if so what and why?
I have quite a specific range of colours I like to use, which vary slightly with each book. I try to use colour very deliberately to convey meaning and guide the eye. I tend to use specific red, blue and yellow inks to mix all the colours I use. I supplement those with an occasional pop of magenta and paynes grey for shadows, alongside sepia ink for my line work. I like sepia for my line as it feels just a touch softer than black line and I feel it sits more comfortably with my colours.
No Longer Alone
Bloom
Hedge Lion
Close Your Eyes
Who were your inspirations when starting out?
I grew up on a diet of AA Milne, Shirley Hughes, Brambly Hedge, and the Albergs, I just love line and detail and stories about the small every day parts of life which I think that comes from those very earliest of influences. My favourite book, which had to be read over and over as a small child, was called “Plucky Pufftail’ by Willy Schermelé. It is very old fashioned and has lots of black and white line drawings, which have clearly permeated my subconscious and influence everything I do.
Do you have another job beside being an illustrator, if so what?
I teach non creatives how to think creatively for Cambridge Uni, I teach drawing in evening and weekend classes, and I work as publishing assistant for Boxer Books. I have in the past also been a school librarian and a bookseller.
What do you do to overcome a creative block?
I draw. I don’t really believe in creative blocks though, I’m a craftsperson who just gets on with their craft every day. If one story isn’t working I move on to another. If a drawing isn’t working I go and find something to draw from life that will inform it. Creative blocks are just a fear of failure/perfectionism I think, once you get used to the idea that everyone makes bad work sometimes you can just get on with it.
What was your first book related project?
The first picture book I illustrated was ‘No Longer Alone’ by Joseph Coelho. Joseph’s writing is amazing, and I was very lucky to have such wonderful words to work with for my first professional project. Joseph is now the children’s laureate, so I’m incredibly lucky to have been in the right place at the right time and got to work with him.
Whathat type of media do you prefer to work in and why?
I work in ink line, I like the permanence, that you have to accept mistakes and incorporate them. I also use waterproof ink for my colours and again I like the permanence, and that I can work in layers. I feel like I am a printmaker who paints.
Do you have a playlist you like working to? If so do you want to share it?
I am a Beatles obsessive and at the moment I always put the the ‘Get Back’ documentary on when I work so I can pretend John, Paul, George and Ringo are my studio mates bickering in the background!
Has your illustration/art style changed over time?
I have massively refined the way I work over the past few years. I have learnt a lot about nibs and ink and paper and spent a lot of time looking at how other artists approach line work. I have always found colour really difficult and I have worked hard at developing full colour illustrations, at the beginning my colour was very limited. I still love extremely limited colour but to move forward I had to expand my range.
How closely do you work with the author on developing the illustrations for a book?
Not closely at all! I am generally given a text and left to interpret it as I see fit. I then produce pencil roughs and respond to feedback on them. That feedback has always come via the publisher, so I’m rarely aware whether it’s something the author thinks or a designer/editor etc. I didn’t directly interact with Joseph until long after ‘No Longer Alone’ was finished, and I have never met Anne Booth who wrote ‘Bloom’ in person.
If you could illustrate any classic book which would it be and why?
I’d love to have a go at the Wind in Willows. All that gorgeous nature and potential for delicious details…
Which illustrated books in the last year have you loved?
the Worry Jar illustrated by Jenny Bloomfield, Don’t be Silly by Padmacandra and The After Christmas tree by Bethan Welby.
If you can please tell us about your latest project and if not your last project
Hedge Lion was published on February 2nd in the UK and March 7th in the US. It’s an incredibly special book for me, one I have been working on for 6 years and is based on a place where I lived for 14 years. The main (human!) character is my youngest daughter, Ida. In the book she sees Hedge Lion every day on her walk around town. Hedge Lion wants everyone to think he’s a hedge, not a lion, because nobody is scared of hedges. But Ida is brave, she notices things that other people don’t, and she’s not fooled. She knows Hedge Lion is a lion, she just needs to help him find his roar…
Do you have any events on in the near future?
I am doing a variety of school and bookshop events over the next few months, all the details can be found on my website http://www.robynwilsonowen.com I love running events so if you know a school or bookshop who would like to have me then get in touch!
If you want to help and support this blog and my other projects (Indie Publishers and Indie Bookshops) you could become a Patreon which would help pay for my hosting, domain names, streaming services, and the occasional bag of popcorn to eat while watching films.
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Thomas Leeds. Hachette Children’s Group. (288p) ISBN 9781444968637
Jayben and the Golden Torch
Another that I fancied the brief description on NetGalley and glad I persevered through a bout of brain fog to finish.
This sees Ben/Jayben switching between Earth World and Elf World and discovering that he is the ninth and final Dreamer, and he has a great destiny to fulfil to set the balance of the worlds right once again, but in the Elf World he has no memories of who he is or what he has to do.
Worse still there is a fake Dreamer who is after him and his power, throw in an acid-spitting witch who can duplicate things, agents who can see his purple aura, and an array of fantastical creatures out to stop him you can see how this might be a wee bit difficult.
Jayben though is not alone and gathers a group of friends, all with different skills and from different elf clans and not only does he discover his own inner strength but the strength of friendship and trust.
Loved the world building and strange creatures that inhabit the world and was kept on edge throughout the book as to what was going to happen next, laugh out loud at times and really sad at others.
It was also a warm and honest look at a child who has seizures and how they felt and how they made him feel and I’m sure this will be developed further in the next book. The best part of this is that it didn’t feel tacked on and felt as though it was part of the main theme of memory and what we all take for granted and how that would feel if taken away.
Overall a great magical adventure with great potential.
I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
If you want to help and support this blog and my other projects (Indie Publishers and Indie Bookshops) you could become a Patreon which would help pay for my hosting, domain names, streaming services, and the occasional bag of popcorn to eat while watching films.
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Richard C. Bower is an award-winning writer, poet, and journalist. He’s the official Mansfield Town Football Club poet. He has worked with the BBC, OCD UK, and Gitanjali and Beyond (a peer-reviewed academic international journal) amongst many others.
Accredited by UNESCO Nottingham City of Literature, and a member of the prestigious Authors Club (as was Oscar Wilde et al), Richard C. Bower is the international selling author of ‘POSTMODERN’, the inspirational bestseller ‘Sanctuary’, and the imminent new release ‘Pleasures In The Pathless Woods’.
Originally from Mansfield, Richard and his work have recently been celebrated as part of the very first Nottinghamshire Day, and his work is being critiqued in classrooms around the UK and Europe; being compared alongside the classical works of Ted Hughes and Dylan Thomas.
Tell me what inspired you to write ‘Pleasures in the Pathless Woods’?
The seedlings for this book were planted a few years ago. Ever since the public became aware that I was a writer, I was quickly compared to Lord Byron and also referred to as ‘the nature poet’. My first two collections – POSTMODERN, and Sanctuary – both contained flashes of nature based writing, which was well received, so with Pleasures in the Pathless Woods I decided to write a full collection around the theme of nature and its cyclical rhtyhm through the seasons. It is also replete with mystical magic and insightful spiritual philosophy.
How hard was it to get your first (debut) book published?
Pleasures in the Pathless Woods is my third book as part of my current four-book publishing deal that I have with the Soulful Group.
I was blessed in how my deal came about – there’s a bit of a story to tell here! I’ve been a writer all of my life – keeping journals, note pads, diaries, etc ever since being young. It was normal for me to do such – and because it was normal to me, I assumed it was the general norm and that everyone did it. I thus never thought much of it and never told anyone. This way it remained until as recent as 2013. My mum suddenly passed away with cancer. I started to see a bereavement counsellor to try and help stabilise me at a crucial juncture in my life. After a couple of sessions, my counsellor spotted my introverted nature and suggested I wrote a basic journal throughout the week in which to write down any emotion or thought as it occured. So I did. When i took it into her the next week – and I remember this moment vividly – my counsellor read it, every page, before closing it carefully and looking me in my eye and asked if I had ever shown anybody my writing? (This is very emotional to me – it’s bringing tears to my eyes right now as I type this) I replied ‘no, why would I?’ She strongly encouraged me to do so, of which I did – very tentatitively, at first, to close family and friends. Each person I showed encouraged me further and further until I, with trepidation, started to post my musings on social media. This is where my publisher spotted me … and was quick to offer me my four-book deal. I see my entire journey as a writer as my mums passing gift to me. I love, and miss, my mum dearly. People often remind me how proud she would be of me – and I believe she is beaming up there right now as she looks on, and observes, the world!
How long did Pleasures in the Pathless Woods take to write?
Sanctuary was released in 2020 so after that I honed in on my concept for Pleasures. It documents a magical journey, with an abundance of hidden delights, and messages, for the reader. I believe that – like nature – the test of a good piece of work is that it can endure and grow with you, and you can continue to rediscover it, and it rediscovers you.
Do you have a writing playlist and, if so, do you want to share it?
My aural delights were derived from immersing myself in the beauty of natures rhythms whilst writing this book. My ‘playlist’ therefore aptly includes the early rising Blackbird with its low-pitched fluty verses, the clear and rippling notes of the Robin, the confident voice of the Song Thrush that dominates a dawn chorus, the fine warbling of a Black Cap, the rocking sense of the Great Tit, and the voice of the Coal Tit that resonates loudly from the conifer tree in my garden!
Do you take notice of online reviews?
I do glance an eye over them and am interested in people’s thoughts. I am not driven by them though, as (experience has taught me) some people have dishonest agendas.
Would you consider writing outside your current genre?
As well as being a published author (my next two books are different to my first three by the way – you’ll have to trust me with that as they are top secret for the time being) I am also a journalist and freelance writer by trade so therefore consider any genre of writing. The key for me is that it (a particular project) has to appeal to me – it has to sit well with me as a person, and then on a creative level. I have worked with a lingerie brand, my local football club, a race horse owner, music and culture magazines, the BBC, OCD UK, international academic journals, etc etc … that’s just a small sample of the type of work I have considered and undertaken.
What did you do before you became a writer?
I primarily worked in professions where the role was to help others. I did so in the guise of an Employment Advisor and a Careers Advisor.
Which authors inspire you?
On The Road by Jack Kerouac really opened up the doors of literature, and inspiration, for me. My influences range from William Blake, Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Charles Bukowski, etc. When younger, I considered Irvine Welsh as my ‘favourite’ author and would consume everything he released. Right now, I’m also discovering the work of some 18th century female poets such as Anna Letitia Barbauld and Mary Robinson that I’m finding really interesting.
Which genres do you read yourself?
I can be reading upto a dozen books at any one time. To answer this question the genres of the books I am reading at the moment include spirituality, history (of literature), religion, philosophy, psychology, self-help, biography, mythology, fiction, and poetry. This actually gives you an insight into my writing too.
What is your biggest motivator?
I am motivated by the pursuit, and attainment, of happiness – right here, right now – and by spreading a positive message, and energy, on an individual level and, indeed, with the whole world!
What will distract you?
Life and obstructive thoughts that find their way into ones mind can potentially cause distraction. To circumnavigate such, I adhere to rising early (often 5/6am) and writing for a few hours before, and as, the day awakens. I do this daily, when the mind is fresh and full of awe, wonder, and inspiration.
How much say do you have in your book covers?
As with all my creative output, I have complete control with everything I do. I have a fantastic relationship with my cover artist, Natalie Mosley, who understands deeply the concept of my work and translates it perfectly in a visual way. Natalie is an inspirational artist in her own right.
Any books that you’re looking forward to in the next 12 months?
Well, next up in my ‘to be read’ pile – that I’m particularly looking forward to – are Ethics by Benedict Spinoza, Ghosts Of My Life (Writings On Depression, Hauntology, And Lost Futures) by Mark Fisher, and Love & Fury by Paris Fury.
Any plans, projects, or events in the near future?
Pleasures In The Pathless Woods is due to be released in Spring 2023, and I will be performing at a number of events up and down the country to promote the book. To keep a track of where I’m going to be appearing (my tour hasn’t been publicly released at the time of me writing this), people can follow me on social media. I am on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube … just type in my name, Richard C. Bower – or just Google me!
If you want to help and support this blog and my other projects (Indie Publishers and Indie Bookshops) you could become a Patreon which would help pay for my hosting, domain names, streaming services, and the occasional bag of popcorn to eat while watching films.
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Ian Beck was born in Hove on the Sussex coast in 1947. At the age of thirteen, after seeing an exhibition of drawings for the Radio Times, he was fired with enthusiasm about illustration and began attending Saturday painting classes at the nearby Brighton College of Art.
Ian left school at fifteen and went immediately to Brighton to study art full-time. There he was taught by both Raymond Briggs and John Vernon Lord.
Ian has worked in many fields of illustration. He’s been involved in the record industry, and painted the cover of one of the most popular records of all time: Elton John’s ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’. One of Ian’s titles, Lost in Snow, was made into an animated film for TV and his books have now sold a million copies worldwide.
When did you know you wanted to become an illustrator?
There were various triggers. A copy of The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe which I borrowed from Hove Library circa 1956. I loved the drawings by Pauline Baynes they conveyed something magical to my nine year old self. Closely followed by the comic strip Buck Ryan in the Daily Mirror (my parent’s paper) and all kinds of comics really. I suppose commercial art was the kind of art I saw every day and I always admired it (still do) but I was constantly warned off pursuing it as a career by concerned relatives. They fussed on about how difficult it would be to become such an artist. The implication was that it wasn’t for the likes of me, a working class lad. Mercifully Art School (Brighton 63-68)released me.
What’s your favourite piece of art equipment?
I would have to say a Faber Castell Black crayon pencil
Do you have a favourite colour scheme, if so what and why?
I like juxtaposing muted colours against more vivid ones such as putting Paynes Grey next to Scarlet Lake.
Who were your inspirations when starting out?
I moved from Hove to London in 1969 and I was lucky to be taken on by an agent for illustration work. This was John Craddock at Anglo Continental Artists. He had premises next door to the Old Curiosity Shop at Lincolns Inn Fields.I worked for a while at a desk there. I was alongside a variety of older professional commercial artists ands learned a lot from them, and John generously took me round to various magazines with my portfolio, such as it was. I was encouraged early on with regular commissions by art directors such as Stafford Cliff at Conran Design and Joy Hannington at Homes and Gardens to both of whom I shall always be grateful.
Do you have another job beside being an illustrator, if so what?
No I have never had a conventional job, I have always been freelance.
What do you do to overcome a creative block?
I don’t think I have ever suffered from that.
Do you have a favourite piece in your portfolio, if so could you share it and talk about it?
I have produced a lot of work in the past 50 years or so. Hard to single out one thing which I find a favourite. The problem being that I just see the faults and wish they were better.
Home Before Dark
Alone in the Woods
The Secret History of Tom Trueheart
The Happy Bee
The Little Mermaid
Lost on the Beach
What was your first book related project?
My first illustrated book was: Edward Waring: Ghosts and Legends of the Dorset Countryside. Compton Press, 1977. 100 pp. It consisted of a series of Black and white illustrations. I didn’t get near to making images for children’s books until the early 1980s.
What type of media do you prefer to work in and why?
I like working in watercolour on good paper, either using a black crayon pencil or a fine black or sepia pen for the line work
Do you have a playlist you like working to? If so do you want to share it?
I do listen to music as I work. The playlist would be vary varied and wide ranging. I love certain composers and play their music a lot,Vaughan Williams, Arnold Bax, Malcolm Arnold, Debussy, Ravel, Poulenc, Bernard Herrmann, Erich Wolfgang Korngold,etc. I also listen to Radio Plays while knitting away, or filling in as we used to call it there are selections of cosy old detective and spy dramas on YouTube which I like.
Do you have any rituals when working?
Not really, I just start and get on with it. Time dilates I find when I am working and I might look up from the desk and suddenly realise hours have gone by without my realising it.
Do you have a favourite artist outside of the world of books, if so who and why?
I have several painters that I admire apart from the obvious ones (ie Vermeer, Velasquez…) William Nicholson (although he does have a connection to books of course) George Clausen, Algernon Newton and Meredith Frampton especially.They have a certain atmosphere in their work, beauty and mystery and mostly connected with everyday things.
Did the books you read as a child influence your work?
I already mentioned the C S Lewis books. I also devoured all the Just William’s and loved Thomas Henry’s line drawings in them. Perhaps most of all Geoffrey Willan’s Molesworth books with Ronald Searle’s wonderful drawings.
Has your illustration/art style changed over time?
I suppose it has, though it hard for me to pinpoint exactly how and when. My methods remain similar but eyesight fades and thisa might affect things such as the size and scale of the work. If I can I like to work same size and that might prove difficult with ageing etc.
How closely do you work with the author on developing the illustrations for a book?
Some authors are happy to leave it up to me and then see things at rough visual stage and perhaps comment/suggest then. Others might take a much more hands on approach and like to be in at the start on any discussion pre drawing.
If you could illustrate any classic book which would it be and why?
I have already illustrated the one classic book I always wanted to illustrate: Alain-Fournier: The Lost Domain (Le Grand Meaulnes). Afterword by John Fowles. OUP, 1986. I didn’t do it justice then so I would welcome a second attempt (unlikely)
Which illustrated books in the last year have you loved?
I was very impressed by A Far Away Country by Ruth Boswell published by Hand and Eye and illustrated by the wonderful Angela Barrett.
If you can please tell us about your latest project and if not your last project
During Lockdown I rediscovered the pleasures of painting purely for its own sake not to illustrate anything. I made a series of paintings of the houses, trees, and streets of my suburban area in Twickenham west London. They were published in book form by Unbound as The Light in Suburbia.I have continued to paint the seasons and especially the effects of sunlight ever since. I painted a series of pictures of my childhood places at the seaside in Brighton and Hove.There is a set of cards which make a continuous landscape however you arrange them. They are called a Myriorama, I have been developing a set with Philip Pullman connected to his books which I hope will be published at some point. I am now attempting to record in words and pictures the world of my working class childhood a kind of opposite take to the ongoing crop of misery memoirs.
Leo from Good Housekeeping, 1980s
If you want to help and support this blog and my other projects (Indie Publishers and Indie Bookshops) you could become a Patreon which would help pay for my hosting, domain names, streaming services, and the occasional bag of popcorn to eat while watching films.
If you can’t support with a monthly subscription a tip at my Ko-Fi is always appreciated, as is buying things from my Ko-Fi Shop.
Phellip Willian, illus. Melissa Garabeli, trans. Fabio Ramos. Oni Press. (120p) ISBN 9781637152072
Missing You
I picked this up at the same time as Tiny Fox and Great Boar without realising what either were about I was just drawn in by the wonderful art on the covers.
I also didn’t realise at the time that both were from Oni Press.
Reading a second book about family, loss, grief, and growth in as many days may have been a bit too much, but these were so well presented and thought out that it really wasn’t.
Missing You is about a young family who have lost their mother/wife and in the case of grandma, daughter.
As the young family are driving through a forest they come across an injured fawn which they take home and into their hearts to fill that gap.
Lion (the fawn) also grows and has their own thoughts and desires which don’t always mesh with those of the family and it is this tension which comes to a head that drives the conclusion of the story.
The art work throughout uses a soft, almost pastel palette for most of the book, except there are some dark and threatening passages that are enhanced by the appropriate palette.
Sweet, humorous, and supportive. Well written and drawn and suitable for a larger age range than to 8-12 suggested.
I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Berenika Kolomycka. Oni Press. (64p) ISBN 9781637152058
Tiny Fox and Great Boar: Dawn
My head has been in the bin recently and again I’ve been unable to read so thought let’s read an illustrated book and I like the cover art for this one so went here first.
I wasn’t disappointed as the art work throughout the book is stunningly beautiful and kept track with the tone of the book throughout, getting darker or lighter as needed.
The story is about two friends, tiny fox and great boar, continuing to explore the world and generally having a great time of it all, frolicking through forests and plains until they come upon a marsh.
In it they make a new friend with the nymph form of a mayfly who is looking forward to becoming a mayfly, but fox and boar don’t fully understand the lifecycle of a mayfly.
This book explores the meaning of death, loss, grief, and growth in a straightforward yet beautiful manner.
It shows that life is different for all of us and we should celebrate each others lives whilst realising we will miss them and that though we may be left behind the memories of others will always be there.
Warm and uplifting whilst also being truthful about death.
If you want to help and support this blog and my other projects (Indie Publishers and Indie Bookshops) you could become a Patreon which would help pay for my hosting, domain names, streaming services, and the occasional bag of popcorn to eat while watching films.
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Juliet E McKenna is a British fantasy author living in the Cotswolds, UK. Loving history, myth and other worlds since she first learned to read, she has written fifteen epic fantasy novels so far.
Her debut, The Thief’s Gamble, began The Tales of Einarinn in 1999, followed by The Aldabreshin Compass sequence, The Chronicles of the Lescari Revolution, and The Hadrumal Crisis trilogy. The Green Man’s Heir was her first modern fantasy rooted in British folklore, followed by The Green Man’s Foe, The Green Man’s Silence, The Green Man’s Challenge and The Green Man’s Gift.
There will be more books in this series for as long as Juliet has new ideas, and readers are enjoying them. Her shorter stories include forays into dark fantasy, steampunk and science fiction. As well as reviewing for various magazines, she promotes SF&Fantasy by blogging on book trade issues, attending conventions and teaching creative writing.
Her Arthurian novel The Cleaving will be published in April 2023.
Tell me what inspired you to write your debut novel?
Back in the early 1990s, I’d read rather too much disappointingly generic secondary world fantasy fiction. I decided I should see if I could do better myself. My debut novel The Thief’s Gamble was the result in 1999, after I had discovered that this writing lark is nowhere near as easy as I had naively imagined.
What came first the characters or the world?
The world, in that the world of Einarinn was the setting for the Dungeons and Dragons campaign I was running. The first of a great many lessons I had to learn was what makes a good tabletop scenario and what makes a decent fantasy novel are very different things.
How hard was it to get your first book published?
The very first hopelessly derivative brick-thick fantasy that I wrote went the rounds of more agents and publishers than I can recall, and they all said thanks but no thanks. With the benefit of hindsight, I am intensely grateful for that, as well as for the occasional scribbled notes on rejection slips highlighting things I was doing right. When I stopped tinkering with that non-starter and started fresh with a blank page and a new idea, I wrote The Thief’s Gamble, and that was picked up within a few months.
How long did it take to write?
About six months for the first draft, and then another six months to substantially improve it with invaluable editorial input.
Do you have a writing playlist? If so do you want to share it?
I don’t ever write to music, unless there’s something like roadworks going on outside and I need a less jarring noise to ignore. So no playlists, sorry.
How many publishers turned you down?
Thinking about my most recent experience, which was looking for a publisher for The Green Man’s Heir, I stopped looking fairly soon. The responses were all ‘This is urban fantasy so your epic fantasy fans won’t read it. Since you’re an epic fantasy writer, urban fantasy fans won’t pick it up.’ So I offered the novel to Wizard’s Tower Press, the small independent publisher who had been putting out my backlist as ebooks. The rest is history and nearly 20,000 copies sold since 2018.
What kind of reactions have you had to your book?
As far as The Green Man’s Heir and its sequels are concerned, it turns out most SF and fantasy fans are happy to read widely across all variations of the genre. Readers particularly like the way these books gender-flip the urban fantasy template – the human caught up in supernatural goings-on is a man and the scary supernatural figures are mostly female. Of course, that’s been the pattern in the British folklore I’m drawing on since the way back when. The woodcutter’s third son goes on a quest and meets the witch in the woods…
What’s the favourite reaction you’ve had to your book?
‘Honestly, Dan’s such a bloke!’ That’s Daniel Mackmain, the central character the Green Man books, and the reader was referring to – sorry, spoilers. Anyway, that made me laugh out loud, and it was also very reassuring to know I was writing a young 6’4” male carpenter’s point of view so convincingly, when I am obviously none of those things.
What can you tell us about your next book?
This is something different again. I’ve written a feminist take on the Camelot myths, looking at Uther, Arthur, Merlin and the rest from the viewpoint of the women in these legends. The Cleaving will be published by Angry Robot in April 2023.
Do you take notice of online reviews?
I always take a look at them because it can be useful to see reactions to aspects of a book that hadn’t occurred to me. I don’t fret if a book of mine hasn’t worked for a particular reader. It’s a shame and I wish them enjoyable reading elsewhere, but I accepted a long time ago that not every book works for everyone. I’ve had good friends recommend books that have left me cold and got ‘meh’ responses from them to books I have loved.
Would you ever consider writing outside your current genre?
I’ve written three murder mysteries set in ancient Greece as JM Alvey. Unfortunately, internal reorganisations at the original publisher saw the books lose two editors inside six months and they abandoned the series six weeks before the second book was published. Canelo picked up the ebook rights and we’ve added a third story I had planned, but we have a long way to go before those sales justify me writing the next one I have outlined. Some day, who knows? I live in hope.
What did you do before you became a writer?
I worked in recruitment and personnel management after university. Finding the right people for the right jobs and vice versa was fascinating and very satisfying. When my children were small, before I was first published, I worked part-time as a bookseller for Ottakar’s. That taught me many things about the book trade that are invaluable for an author.
Which author(s) inspire you?
I always find that an impossible question to answer. I could come up with a list of ten writers and tomorrow I’ll realise I left out someone crucial. Then someone will tell me they see something in my work that reminds them of an author I’ve forgotten I ever read – and they’ll be absolutely right. All I can say is, one way or another, I’m influenced by everything I read.
Which genres do you read yourself?
Crime, thrillers, historical fiction, science fiction and fantasy, non-fiction of all kinds. The only thing I definitely don’t read is horror. I appreciate the skills needed to write it well, but I simply don’t enjoy it. Each to their own.
What is your biggest motivator?
Deadlines. I plan ahead and I like to stay ahead. Yes, I used to do my homework on a Friday evening as soon as I got home from school. Habits like that stick.
What will always distract you?
Nothing short of an actual disaster. I’ve always been very good at focusing on the job in hand.
How much (if any) say do you have in your book covers?
In the UK and the US, I’ve been extremely fortunate from my first book onwards. I’ve been involved in early discussions and I’m often able to share visual references I’ve used, as well as answering any questions the artists might have. This sort of collaboration makes for great covers, as a glance at The Green Man’s Gift and at The Cleaving shows.
Were you a big reader as a child?
Absolutely. I have a brother who’s two years older than me and when he went to school and learned to read aged five, so did I, aged three. I vividly recall sitting on the sofa with him and Mum and the Ladybird Key Words Reading Scheme starring Peter and Jane. I was in the local library every week getting my full allocation of books, and borrowing any tickets my brother wasn’t using.
What were your favourite childhood books?
I went back to E Nesbit’s books time and time again, along with Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons stories. I adored a trilogy set in ancient Egypt by Rosemary Harris; The Moon in the Cloud, The Shadow on the Sun, and The Bright and Morning Star.
Do you have a favourite bookshop? If so, which?
Blackwell’s, Broad Street, Oxford. When I first went in there as an undergraduate, it was my idea of heaven. It’s still a magical place.
What books can you not resist buying?
Those labour-of-love, small-press books about local history and folklore on the gift shop shelves of castles and stately homes.
Do you have any rituals when writing?
Not really. My routine is sit down, switch on the computer, read over yesterday’s writing to catch any obvious glitches and carry on typing.
How many books are in your own physical TBR pile?
I have half a dozen research, non-fiction titles waiting. Don’t ask me about the ‘ooh, that looks interesting and it’s only 99p’ ebook stash…
What is your current or latest read?
Remember My Name by Sam Blake. A crime thriller set in Ireland. I’ve only just started it, but it’s looking very promising.
Any books that you’re looking forward to in the next 12 months?
I’m going to restrain myself and only pick one. Val McDermid is writing a new series of crime novels with a decade between each book. So far, we’ve had 1979 and 1989, and the blend of a gripping mystery with the historical detail of years I remember has enthralled me. I am really looking forward to 1999.
Any plans or projects in the near future you can tell us about?
I’m currently reading around the ideas for the next book in the Green Man series. I’m also working on a short story that I’ll be submitting to an anthology.
Any events in the near future?
It’s a while off yet, but I’ve got next year’s Eastercon in Birmingham in my 2023 diary. There’ll be more to come.
and finally, what inspired you to write the genre you do?
When I decided to take everything I’d learned from writing the derivative fantasy non-starter, and from working for Ottakar’s, I was at home with two small children. I opted for epic fantasy rather than crime because I’d heard so many crime writers stress the importance of getting the real world details right, and there just weren’t the online resources we have today. I could create a fantasy world without leaving the house with one in a pushchair and one in a baby sling.
If you want to help and support this blog and my other projects (Indie Publishers and Indie Bookshops) you could become a Patreon which would help pay for my hosting, domain names, streaming services, and the occasional bag of popcorn to eat while watching films.
If you can’t support with a monthly subscription a tip at my Ko-Fi is always appreciated, as is buying things from my Ko-Fi Shop.
Tom Brown was raised by books in much the same way that Tarzan was raised by apes but with much less dramatic results. He got his first professional illustration gig when he was thirteen and has been working in the field since then. (Taking time out for meals and such) He is also half of the primary creative team responsible for Hopeless, Maine.
CV includes work for Penguin/Random House, Chaosium, Archaia, Hippocampus Press, Centipede Press, Gallant Knight Games, Outland Entertainment, Boom Studios, Archaia comics as well as work with individual authors, musicians and creatives. If you would like to commission him for Book cover, CD/ Album cover, promotional art, Comics covers/ Alternate covers, art for your kickstarter campaign, tattoo design or personal commission, please email him at hopelessmaine@gmail.com
When did you know you wanted to become an illustrator?
I started drawing when I was about six, and taking it seriously (as seriously as a six year old can be said to take things) Lions. I got that the back legs bent backwards and was ridiculously pleased with myself. Then I discovered Comic books, and illustrated books, and absolutely knew I wanted to be part of that world. That has not changed since (Though my expectations are now both more, and less realistic) Books, gods I love books, Even though the publishing industry is a hot mess right now, there is nowhere else I really want to be, art-wise.
How long does it typically take to make a page or cover for a book?
Comics page takes a day. That’s all the time you are really allowed for a comics page. This is one of the reasons I’m mostly doing illustration these days. I love going mad with detail and taking time to think about things. A book cover can take me from one to four days, based on complexity and (honestly) budget.
What’s your favourite piece of art equipment?
Grip pencil! Same one i have had for years and years. That and a lead pointer. Gives me a needle sharp point which digs into the paper just a bit and is deeply satisfying. First time I used it, I knew it would change my art forever and a lot. I was not wrong.
Do you have a favourite colour scheme, if so what and why?
I like earthy tones, sepia, buttery gold, parchment tones with a splash of medieval jewel like colour. Burgundies and emerald. I accidentally discovered that brick red and turquoise make a really good palette.
Who were your inspirations when starting out?
Very eclectic. Comic Books and Edward Gorey and characters on cereal boxes, monsters, all sorts of monsters, The Doré engravings from the divine comedy, John Tenniel, Pulp and science fiction book covers, The Addams family…Then when I went to art school in Rhode island I was exposed to a whole new swathe of art and illustration, Dulac, the Symbolists, Simes illustrations for Lord Dunsany.
Perhaps most importantly, some of the illustrators and comics artists working at the time as The Studio, Jeffrey Jones, Michael Kaluta, Barry Windsor Smith and Berni Wrightson, especeally Barry Windsor Smith. Those were my art heroes at the time, and they are still among my favourites.
Do you have another job beside being an illustrator, if so what?
Yes. Odd to say, but i’m apparently also a professional singer and performer with our group The Ominous Folk of Hopeless, Maine. No one was more surprised than I was. We were hired to do a performance during a book festival for our Hopeless, Maine project, and at that point, it was all graphic novels. Can’t really do dramatic readings from graphic novels, so we worked in folk music that we knew that suited our gothic themes. We sing together anyway. Nimue is a musician and singe and has been part of the folk scene in the UK for years. Well…people liked it. So Nimue wrote a show with a lot of songs in it, and we also developed a wider setlist for settings where a show won’t work, and… we are now booked at festivals, steampunk events, one sold out show at a gothic mansion, and we are recording our first album. I have also written two songs now, for OF well, the words at least. The tune to one of them was written by my son Cormac. Um. Strange sort of world, innit?
What do you do to overcome a creative block?
As an illustrator, that’s not really an issue for me so much. As long as I have time, something will come as a response to what I’m illustrating. Time is the key though. Burnout is real.
Do you have a favourite piece in your portfolio, if so could you share it and talk about it?
Oh… ok. I think Bridge Of Bottles sort of..sums up my overall work and themes pretty well, and it is from Hopeless, Maine which I co-created with Nimue, and has been a big part of my life for a lot of years. In the Hopeless, Maine graphic novels, we make the two page spreads do a different job in each book. In Personal Demons, they were journeying images. Moving from one place to another. This one just came into my head and was a pleasure and a compulsion while I was working on it. In the setting, it is only sensible to be superstitious, (the island is haunted and overrun by magic and strange things) So…just making small shrines of bottles at one spot is exactly what the people there would do just..in desperation to placate…anything or gain some sort of benign attention. That’s the main character, Salamandra as a young girl, with a crow on her shoulder crossing the bridge. The bottles, of course, quickly attracted occupants.
What was your first book related project?
First year of art school, I fell in with the HP Lovecraftian crowd. First paying gigs were cover art and Illustration for HPL and weird tales/cosmic horror. HPL is a problematic figure ( bloody awful human being in many ways) but the people that gather around his mythos are taken as a whole, absolutely amazing. When I have been in trouble, these are the people that have invariably helped.
What type of media do you prefer to work in and why?
These days it is invariably pencil originals scanned and coloured (or not) digitally. I used to use dip pen and watercolour and chalk and all sorts, but this is where I have landed for a lot of reasons.
Do you have a playlist you like working to? If so do you want to share it?
No steady Playlist. I have bandcamp habits and one of my favourite bands in the world at all ever, is Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken toys. They have got me through some hellish assignments. Recently a chap named Steven C Davis has been putting up a wonderful eclectic show on Mixcloud. Breathe, it’s called. Wonderful to work to, and lasts four hours or more. Love his tase in music. Also, he’s done a hopeless, Maine themed show. (with three tracks that other bands including Walter Sickert have done inspired by Hopeless,Maine. I’ll give you a link! https://www.mixcloud.com/stevencdavis10/ Also Genevieve Tudor’s Sunday folk show on iplayer. https://www.facebook.com/genevieve.tudor
Do you have any rituals when working?
Not really. I used to, but not so much now. Comics were such a time magnet that I became a bit..no frills. May be getting back to that sort of thing though.
Do you have a favourite artist outside of the world of books, if so who and why?
Could not possibly pick a favourite artist. I love a wide range of art. The pre raphaelites, the Symbolists, The Surrealists…Oh! Bosch! Bloody love Bosch!
Did the books you read as a child influence your work?
I describe myself as someone who was raised by books in the same way that Tarzan was raised by apes, but with less dramatic results. Books were my world, and still are a very large part of it. Profound impact, yes.
Has your illustration/art style changed over time?
A lot! Used to work on all sorts of media, sort of..middle of the road stuff, fantasy, horror, a lot of pen and ink with fine detail. Now i’ve just sort of wandered off on my own a bit. I had to re-teach myself how to draw after one difficult period and..well, here we are. Still very much a work in progress though, and always will be.
How closely do you work with the author on developing the illustrations for a book?
Depends on what the author wants and needs, and what sort of time constraints there are. It’s all sorts of different relationships with a lot of variety, which I love. I work very closely with Nimue on the Hopeless, Maine stuff, some people, just give me a few words, and have expectations based on my history with them. Others want a lot of input.
If you could illustrate any classic book which would it be and why?
Something by Ray Bradbury. Something Wicked This Way Comes, maybe. Or King of Elfland’s Daughter by Lord Dunsany.
If you can please tell us about your latest project and if not your last project
GAH! I’ve got a silly amount on at the moment, and, always. Several Hopeless, Maine projects, work for games companies, Chaosium inc. and Gallant Knight games, work with several individual game designers and authors, there is a new project in the pipeline with Professor Elemental, a film, I need to get moving again, currently also really enjoying doing the art for an Arthurian themed tarot deck, Variant comics cover art…um.
Do you have any events on in the near future?
Yes! Pretty much something every month, or.. more.
A steampunk event at Upton on Severn at the end of March
The Goblin Masquerade at the end of April, (Performing and being there with books, art and things)
and something every month for the rest of the year. We can still be booked for UK things if people are interested.
If you want to help and support this blog and my other projects (Indie Publishers and Indie Bookshops) you could become a Patreon which would help pay for my hosting, domain names, streaming services, and the occasional bag of popcorn to eat while watching films.
If you can’t support with a monthly subscription a tip at my Ko-Fi is always appreciated, as is buying things from my Ko-Fi Shop.
