David by Mary Hoffman - Blog Tour

When I met up with Mary last year at a book launch, I had the chance to talk to her about her "next book" and was super excited when I heard about her writing the story of the boy/man behind Michelangelo's David. 

I love Mary's historical novels and I know Sarah is always very excited about Mary's Stravaganza novels, so we are definite fans of the author. 

But I had my doubts before tackling David.  I was wondering if the statue which I do love, which had always seemed so distant, so aloof, needed to have its story told.   Of course I needn't have worried and trusted in Mary's very capable hands.

We meet Gabriele, milkbrother to Michelangelo, when he moves from his small village to the larger more prosperous, Florence. He travels there to become a stone-cutter but on his first night, he is robbed and welcomed into the arms of Clarice, an aristocratic lady of means.  Gabriele left behind his sweetheart Rosalia and we see that he is perhaps a bit fickle and easily led astray by how easily he succumbs to Clarice's charms. 

It is only when Michelangelo returns from a trip away, that Gabriele leaves Clarice's arms and goes to live with the artist. Through Gabriele we are introduced to the artist he calls Angelo.  Angelo's character is intense, obsessive and a bit paranoid and possessive about his creative work.  He takes this large piece of marble and works on it with a wild energy, carving this vision of the young David, having conquered Goliath. 

Angelo works on the statue's carving for two years and during these two years, Gabriele, the face of David, goes through this tremendous character arc, changing from a rather backwards young man who becomes comfortable with his good looks, he finds a cause and he becomes a thoughtful young man who learns far more about himself than he probably thought he ever would. 

I found that the novel was written, as always with Mary, with a great sense of style and grace.  Her attention to detail is incredible.  It feels like, should you rub your hands or you face you will come away with a dusting of marble powder.  If you walk down the road, you will come across a well dressed young noble dressed in elegant clothes, who may give you a sly and cheeky smile.  

I hesitate to recommend this for younger readers as the themes are quite mature, so I think it is definitely appropriate for the upper and older age range of our Under 14's Only age group and older.   And it is a must read for anyone who has an interest in art. 

Find Mary's website here. 

Edited to add: Apologies to Mary and Bloomsbury for this - Blogger ate the review and refused to set it live.  I had to copy it across, delete it twice and resave it ... it was a nightmare, BUT I hope the MFB blogtour stop was worth it. 

Gorilla Adventure by Willard Price

Hal and Roger Hunt head off for another challenging mission- this time to search for gorillas deep in the Congo jungle. But when the boys stumble across the evil trade in baby gorillas, someone seems determined to silence them once and for all..

While Gorilla Adventure is part of the Adventure series, it's essentially a standalone story that can be read either on it's own or as part of the series. First published in 1969, Gorilla Adventure is part of a classic tradition of stories from the golden age of adventure, before the world and the magic of uncharted territories was googled into extinction.

The story sees brothers Hal and Roger Hunt being sent on a mission into the Congo by their wildlife collecting father. Their purpose? To capture a series of rare and exotic animals and bring them home to be sold to zoos and conservatories, with the prize specimen on their list being a highland gorilla from the deepest jungle, a concept which in today's eco-conscious world seems utterly bizarre and quite shocking. But, written in the era that it was, no great fuss is made on this point, and while Hal and Roger's attitude seems disconcertingly mercenary at first, as the story progresses and the come up against the ugly truth of the impact of poaching a distinctly pro-conservation message comes through which makes them far more sympathetic and likeable.

The story itself is a rolling catalogue of the stars of the African jungle interspersed with a cast of supporting characters drawn in broad brush strokes, who are really only there to support Hal and Roger as they stumble across a increasingly fantastic array of the rarest animals. Price, however, presents his menagerie in a way that makes you want to plan a safari, or at least a day trip out to a decent zoo, which more than makes up for it.

An unfortunate by-product of portraying the brothers as cool headed, larger than life adventurers though is that they come across as too cool, that the wondrous animals that seem to be all but throwing themselves at their feet are all a a bit ho-hum and to be expected. This persists with some of challenges thrown at them, and while I could live with this, the one example of this that jarred me from the story was when Roger is hit in the eyes by a spitting cobra. Rather than be incapacitated by this, he proceeds to first suck the venom from a colleague's snake bite, administer an anti-venom serum to the hapless man, and then capture said cobra in a sack before deciding to succumb to its venom!

That said, the book is still fun to read- don't overthink it, and just let yourself go along for the ride. For all its idiosyncrasies, the sudden ending and the years that have passed it has a quaint innocence and manages to conjure the sheer wonder and magic of Africa, and to bring home the unexpected fragility of some of its mightiest denizens.

Five Fabulous Books for Girls by The Bookette

When we decided to host another Under 14's Only Month, I sent the "call" out to some of our blogging mates for guest blogs as I know the majority of my blogging chums are ace and enthusiastic readers of books for all ages.  But, not only are they readers, a lot of them are teachers and librarians too, (as well as parents) and I trust them implicitly as I think their brilliance is sort of underscored by being "professionals" - and yes, I count being a parent as being a professional!  I am very pleased and flattered that Becky, The Bookette, said yes to a blogpost and she decided she'd put together a list of five titles for younger girl readers. And because I love her blog and I knew she'd come from a completely different direction, I knew that we'd be offered a host of great and unique titles that many readers, including myself, may have overlooked.

Over to:

***

Liz, thanks so much for inviting me to be a part of fiction for the under 14s. Young Adult fiction seems to have a momentum all of its own in the book industry right now. So younger children’s fiction isn’t getting the attention it deserves. As a school librarian who works with children aged 3 – 13, I am always interested in finding titles that will appeal to my students. Here are some of my favourite novels for girls under 14.

1) I Was Jane Austen’s Best Friend by Cora Harrison – recommended for readers 10+

This book is a charming historical novel which will appeal to girls who are looking to read an innocent romance. It takes the character of Jenny and explores her friendship with the well-known literary figure Jane Austen. Cora Harrison somehow manages to give this historical book a contemporary feel and yet also charms the reader with her characterisation of Jane Austen. It is a truly adorable ‘Will they, won’t they?’ romance. Beautiful gowns, dazzling balls, witty dialogue and handsome chaps... this book will appeal to girls who love fashion and dancing and Disney endings.

2) The Thirteen Treasures by Michelle Harrison – recommended for readers 9+


This story is full of the dark side of magic and those fey creatures who like to meddle in the lives of humans. The heroine is Tanya who is gifted with the second sight. She is sent to stay with her Grandmother for the summer after causing yet more trouble at home. Except that it isn’t Tanya who is causing the trouble, it is the faeries who are meddling in her life. My students had been raving about this book long before I had read it. The dialogue is great, every character an individual and when you add that to the sinister woods, tight plot and genuine character journey you get an absolutely satisfying read. The Thirteen Treasures is a real page-turner.

3) Knife by R J Anderson – recommended for readers 10+

This novel is incredibly well-written. It is fairytale unlike any other. Knife is not your magic wand or sparkly dust fairy. She is a warrior and a rather savage character and determined to protect the faeries’ colony against the mysterious disease that is killing their kind. R J Anderson wonderfully conveys the faery viewpoint and so the reader can see the human world in an entirely new perspective. Girls will love Knife’s rebellious and disobedient nature. But there is also depth in this novel as the author explores the themes of duty, creativity and self-esteem.

4) Ingo by Helen Dunmore – recommended for readers 10+

I absolutely adore this series and so will girls who love holidaying on the English coast and imagining the mysterious Mer who live in the ocean. Sapphire lives in Cornwall. Her life is turned upside down one night when her father takes his boat out on to the sea and never returns. Sapphire can’t move on from the loss of her dad because his body is never discovered. Her mum is starting a new relationship and Sadie finds this difficult to come to terms with. Her solace is the Cornish cove where she and her brother Connor while away the days. But there is a voice calling Sapphire to the sea and she can’t stop listening. Ingo is the perfect summer holiday read. Girls will enjoy the fantastical elements of the story as well as the emotional challenges which Sapphire faces. Oh and let us not forget her adorable dog!

5) Paradise Barn by Victor Watson – recommended for readers 9+


This is a wartime murder mystery which will appeal to both girls and boys. Mysteries are a genre that my students are increasingly keen on and this book was a complete hit with our Year 6 book group. There are two girls in this story – Molly and Abigail. Both have incredibly distinctive and believable voices; they really could have been my students. The story is set in the rural town of Great Deeping; the lives of the girls are shook up by the arrival of an evacuee, Adam. The year is 1940, war is raging and Adam is forced to leave his family and London behind. Together the trio set out to solve the murder of mysterious man who might have been a spy. It is twisting tale, full of clues, red-herrings and is vividly evocative of the historical setting.

Read all of the above?

Other titles that are popular with girls in my library right now are:

Dork Diaries by Renee Russell

Spy Girl by Carol Hedges

Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls series by Meg Cabot

Silk Sisters series by Fiona Dunbar

Dead Man’s Cove by Lauren St John 

Castle of Shadows by Ellen Renner

Thanks for having me spot by MFB and do share if you have other recommendations for books that will appeal to ‘Under 14’ girls.

***

Thanks so much for these fantastic reccommendations.  My Amazon Wishlist just exploded with a handful more titles.  Thank you, Becky, for being an enabler.

Gollancz announces SF Gateway - Press Release

Gollancz, the SF and Fantasy imprint of the Orion Publishing Group, announces the launch of the world’s largest digital SFF library, the SF Gateway, which will make thousands of out-of-print titles by classic genre authors available as eBooks.

Building on the remarkable success of Gollancz’s Masterworks series, the SF Gateway will launch this Autumn with more than a thousand titles by close to a hundred authors.

It will build to 3,000 titles by the end of 2012, and 5,000 or more by 2014. Gollancz’s Digital Publisher Darren Nash, who joined the company in September 2010 to spearhead the project said, “The Masterworks series has been extraordinarily successful in republishing one or two key titles by a wide range of authors, but most of those authors had long careers in which they wrote dozens of novels which had fallen out of print. It seemed to us that eBooks would offer the ideal way to make them available again. This realization was the starting point for the SF Gateway.” Wherever possible, the SF Gateway will offer the complete backlist of the authors included.

The SF Gateway will be closely integrated with the recently announced new online edition of The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, which provides an independent and definitive reference source of information on the authors and books included. Direct links between the Encyclopedia and the Gateway will provide easy access to eBook editions, for sale through all major online retailers.

The Gateway site will also act as a major community hub and social network for SF readers across the world, allowing them to interact with each other and recommend titles and authors. The site is planned to include forums, blogs, regular promotions, and is envisaged to become the natural home on the net for anyone with an interest in classic SFF.

Authors featured in the launch include such names as Marion Zimmer Bradley, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Arthur C. Clarke, Philip K. Dick, Frank Herbert, Alice B. Sheldon (James Tiptree, Jr), Robert Silverberg, Kate Wilhelm and Connie Willis. A full list of authors so far under contract is appended to this announcement; negotiations are in an advanced state for many more.

The SF Gateway was conceived by Orion Deputy CEO and Publisher Malcolm Edwards, who commented: “It’s clear that publishers need to show that they can respond to the challenges and opportunities of the digital revolution imaginatively, particularly when it comes to backlist. The SF Gateway is just such a response, creating what we hope will become a destination website which will promote the books and authors it features in an active way. We hope it will not only be a success in its own right, but that it will provide a model for future developments in backlist publishing.”

Built to the latest standards of HTML5 and CSS3, the SF Gateway site will use responsive web design to ensure a rewarding user experience across a range of mobile and desktop platforms and operating systems. Both the SF Gateway and the previously announced Encyclopedia of Science Fiction are being developed by STEEL, a London-based full service digital agency with over 15 years experience, whose clients include AOL, BBC Worldwide, Debenhams, FT.com, Greggs and TalkTalk.

The project has been praised by authors for connecting new generations of readers with classic stories they may not, until now, have been able to enjoy.

British Science Fiction Award-winner Alastair Reynolds said: “When I first started reading SF seriously, as a teenager growing up in Wales, one of the first walls I hit was the realisation that many classic and influential works of the field were either out of print or so hard to obtain that they may as well have been. SF is a forward-looking genre but its past has always been as fascinating as its future, and for that reason the SF Gateway is an exciting and groundbreaking venture, which should prove an enormous asset to the field.”

Double Arthur C. Clarke Award-winner Pat Cadigan added: “This is exactly what I've been hoping for now that the digital book is becoming more widespread. I have always said that the eBook will not be the death of the physical book – the eBook will save so many wonderful books from being lost. We have to remember that what we read is the book – what we read it on, whether ink and paper or pixels on a screen, is just the interface. I'm honestly thrilled about this new project and delighted to be on the list.”

The SF Gateway will be officially launched by Gollancz in September as part of the celebrations to mark the 50anniversary of its SF list.

For more information, please go to http://www.sfgateway.com/, where updates on the project will also appear.

SF Gateway is on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SFGateway and on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/pages/SF-Gateway/171262786268228

SF GATEWAY AUTHORS

as at 20July 2011

Poul Anderson
Barrington J. Bayley
Gregory Benford
Michael Bishop
James P. Blaylock
James Blish
Marion Zimmer Bradley
John Brosnan
Fredric Brown
John Brunner
Algis Budrys
Kenneth Bulmer
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Pat Cadigan
John W. Campbell, Jr
Terry Carr
Arthur C. Clarke
Hal Clement

D.G. Compton
Michael G. Coney
Edmund Cooper
Richard Cowper
John Crowley
L. Sprague de Camp
Samuel R. Delany
Philip K. Dick
Gordon R. Dickson
Christopher Evans
Philip Jose Farmer
John Russell Fearn
Alan Dean Foster
Mary Gentle
Mark S. Geston
Joseph L. Green
Colin Greenland
Nicola Griffith
Joe Haldeman
Harry Harrison
Frank Herbert
Philip E. High
Robert Holdstock
Cecelia Holland
Robert E. Howard
Raymond F. Jones
Leigh Kennedy
Garry Kilworth
Damon Knight
Henry Kuttner
Tanith Lee
Murray Leinster

H.P. Lovecraft
Katherine MacLean
Barry N. Malzberg
Phillip Mann
David I. Masson
C.L. Moore
Ward Moore
Edgar Pangborn
Frederik Pohl
Rachel Pollack
Tim Powers
Mack Reynolds
Keith Roberts
Eric Frank Russell
Josephine Saxton
Bob Shaw
Robert Silverberg
Clifford D. Simak
Dan Simmons
John Sladek
Cordwainer Smith

E.E. ‘Doc’ Smith
Norman Spinrad
Olaf Stapledon
Theodore Sturgeon
William Tenn
Sheri S. Tepper
James Tiptree, Jr
E.C. Tubb
George Turner
Harry Turtledove
Jack Vance
Ian Watson
Ted White
Kate Wilhelm
Connie Willis
Robert Charles Wilson
Gene Wolfe

***

I am genuinely excited about this.  There are so many great authors on this expansive list, all of whom I'd like to try and read, but don't have space for on my shelves, so they make complete sense to be part of the e-book revolution.  Suddenly I love my Kindle even more than before!

The Tail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler

Synopsis

Emily lives on a boat, but her mother has always been oddly anxious to keep her out of the water, and it is only when she has her first school swimming lesson that she discovers it is her natural element. As soon as she gets into the sea, she grows a tail!

I've cut most of the synopsis as it appeared to give a great deal of the plot away! I see this series of books whisk in and out of the library and they're ever popular so I thought I'd see what the fuss was all about. Emily's mum has brought her up alone and never speaks about her dad. As a result they've become a close unit and have always lived on a permanently moored boat. Emily's recently started a new school and is trying to make friends and settle in. However, her first ever swimming lesson is a disaster. As soon as she hits the water her legs fuse and she's left with a beautiful tail instead. Feigning cramps she gets out and her legs reappear but is left with an almost seemingly insurmountable difficulty - what to do about her newly discovered tail?

Emily's voice is so striking, from the first page she held my attention. She's both appealing yet feisty and independent. She trusts her gut instincts and doesn't give up on anything. Despite the fact that she's afraid she's a freak she has to know more so sneaks into the water that night to see if it's true. Once back in the sea and her tail emerges she swims until she meets Shona, another young mermaid. Their friendship develops and soon Emily discovers more about herself than she thought possible. I loved the way that the friendship comes from the most unexpected quarters and that her peers at school aren't the only people who can make her feel like she belongs or has worth

Aside from single-parenting, friendship struggles and identity themes, The Tail of Emily Windsnap is also incredibly heartwarming. There's also a mystery side to the story as Emily struggles to work out what has happened to her father. She's forced to make difficult decisions and I was right there beside her, completely engrossed in her tale (sorry!). It was also very funny in parts especially the conversations between Emily and Shona as they try to understand each other's phrases of speech or ways. It's a lovely book or, as Shona would say, very swishy.

Alone: Chasers by James Phelan

Jesse is on a school trip in New York when his subway carriage is rocked by an explosion. When he and three friends crawl out of the wreckage they discover a city in chaos. Streets are deserted. Buildings are in ruins. And the only other survivors are infected with a virus that turns them into horrifying predators...


Chasers is very much on the upper spectrum of our reviews on #u14so for July.  I'd recommend it straight off for readers who enjoyed Charlie Higson's The Dead/The Enemy. 

It is written by James Phelan who is an Australian author.  I checked out his site and love that it so active with lots of information about everything else he's done and it gives you an idea of who he is, what his interests are and what he has planned for the future.

You're wondering why I'm talking about James instead of reviewing the book? Well, I wanted to know who this guy was who wrote this book that kept me gripped for several hours whilst I read it.  I could not put this book down.  It went with me to the kitchen, the lounge, the dining room.  I was so involved in Jesse's story of survival that nothing else really mattered to me, including making Sunday roast for Mark and the little dog.

Firstly, I found Chasers extremely cinematic.  It opens with Jesse and his friends on the Subway in New York.  They are all chatting and keeping an eye on a group of slightly dodgy looking gangsters in the same carriage as them.  Jesse is from Australia, he's one of the younger UN Ambassadors and they are all en route to Ground Zero after meeting at the main UN offices.

With Jesse we have Dave, his American friend, the solid, dependable one, Anna, the English girl whom Jesse really quite likes and Mini, a Taiwanese girl, who is the random out there one who does and says crazy things. They are standing, chatting, as the train ratchets along when an explosion rocks the tunnel and everything goes dark.

Jesse wakes up about an hour later and discovers that its only the four of them from the coach that's survived.  They make their way above ground and their relief is immense when they see that there are other survivors.  But these survivors do seem friendly.  In fact, they seem distant and odd.  And when they start chasing Jesse and his friend, the kids realise these survivors are hostile and they've somehow been changed by whatever it was that happened to cause the explosion.  Oh, and to crown matters, making it all worse, is the fact that several buildings have been destroyed and that some are still busy collapsing in and around New York and Manhattan.

The "chasers" soon show that they are suffering from some kind of uncontrollable thirst.  They thirst for water and blood and spend hours standing by the Hudson river drinking water and staring into the distance.  When they find anyone hurt and bleeding, they drink from them too.

As I said, it started in a supremely cinematic fashion and this impression continues throughout the novel.  Jesse and his friends take shelter in one of the big Manhattan landmark buildings and they barricade themselves in on the top floor to make sure that they have a 360 degree view of what was happening all around them.  They go through the apartments in the building and find food, gas, guns, MP3 players and everything else you may need to sit out an event of apocalyptic scale. There is no TV, no radio, nothing.  All they can see are the chasers down below and nothing else, apart from the occasional building burning / collapsing.

The tension flags quite dramatically in this bit as the group settle in and try and make sense of what's going on.  They have ice cream feasts and listen to music whilst staring out at the world crumbling around them.

When it's decided that Jesse has to go out to try and figure if there was a way to get to the other side of the river, so that they could all perhaps head to Dave's house, the action takes off once again and the tension escalates.

Jesse has a run in with one of the chasers and in an awkward Samaritan moment he does not kill the chaser, but instead he gives him an apple...the whole book is spun on its head.  The chaser allows Jesse to go free and it is such a weird suspended moment that I wondered about it for the longest time.

Back at the Empire State Building nothing has changed when Jesse gets back.  He gives his report and everyone decides that it might be a good idea to leave the building to head somewhere else.

It is an involved cat and mouse game between the four of them as they all have strong personalities.  In the end they decide that yes, they should go.  Try and get to a boat to sail away. 

Things, of course, go pearshaped for the characters AND the author pulls the rug straight from under the readers and we are left gasping.  I re-read the last few pages a couple of times thinking: no! It can't be right! He's kidding, right? But then, when I thought about it, I picked up on the indicators and could only applaud him for being a very devious but brilliant writer. I didn't like what he did, I have to say that, but I completely understand why he did it and where he came from. 

I read Chasers a few weeks ago now, in preparation for #u14so and I'm still thinking about it, loving how real it all felt.  I highly recommend the book - it may not be to everyone' taste as there are more questions than answers at this stage and we are also left wondering about our own sanity.  I sort of regret reading Alone: Chasers as I wanted to motor through the entire story in one go.  But that's the whole thing about good books, isn't it?  They make you want to eat every single bit of it!

Find James Phelan's website here, along with the Alone site here.  Alone: Chasers is out now from Atom in the UK and is a fast paced, apocalyptic novel for younger readers who are looking for something a bit different, scary and challenging to read.

Cosmo's Story by Sarah Hawkins

Synopsis

Cosmo the kitten with bright green eyes and tabby stripes, looks just like a tiny tiger - but he definitely doesn't act like one! Shy and timid when he is brought home from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, soon he and his new owner Megan are the best of friends. One day, Cosmo notices a bluebird nest in a tree in the garden - Mum jokes that Cosmo is only interested in the nest because he wants to catch the birds inside! But when a baby bird tumbles from the nest, will gentle Cosmo end up wanting to help or harm it?

When Liz and I were going through the books for July this range of titles caught my eye. There's loads of kitten and puppy (and at work I saw a rabbit one the other day!) related stories available but these are produced in association with Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. It's a simple and sweet story aimed at ages 5 and upwards about Megan who has been promised a kitten for her birthday. Rather than taking one from her friend's cat who has a litter then go to Battersea and choose one.

Cosmo was abandoned in a box on Battersea's doorstep and Megan instantly falls in love with him. The book follows the process they go through; from choosing him, their house visit to the moment he finally comes home. I especially loved how he explored his surroundings and quickly became a part of the family. The best bit about this series of books is the information about Battersea in the back plus tips on how to look after your dog or cat. Full of lovely illustrations Cosmo's story manages to be both educational but also fun.

As an owner of a rescue cat I wholeheartedly support the message in Cosmo's Story!

MFB chats to Cristy Burne, author of Takeshita Demons and The Filth Licker

I fell for Cristy Burne in a big way when I was sent Takeshita Demons to review last year. I loved that it made use of a mythology I knew so little about, apart from the anime Hellboy movie: Sword of Storms, I had not heard or read much about Japanese folklore and mythology, which, considering that folklore and mythology is totally my "thing" is actually embarrassing.

I received Cristy's second book: The Filth Licker to review too (review here from yesterday) and I have to say, the stories are going from strength to strength.  But, before I ramble on too much like the fan-girl I am, here is the blogpost Cristy did for us about writing and research for Miku's world.


Cristy and her friend, The Head


1) Can you tell us your route to publishing?

I don’t have an agent and I have never been plucked from a slush pile, but I have always entered writing competitions, even when I was at school. Although I’ve long-forgotten the competitions in which I got nowhere, I will never forget the buzz of being short-listed or winning other competitions. Getting feedback on my writing in this way was really important: just hearing someone who wasn’t my Mum tell me that my writing had promise was invaluable. It gave me courage to keep writing through the times when I’d think, ‘this is rubbish, why do I bother?” And then one day, in 2008, I spotted the Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices Childrens Book Award (http://cristyburne.wordpress.com/2010/05/27/the-frances-lincoln-diverse-voices-childrens-book-award/). I knuckled down to write Takeshita Demons and entered it into the award and voila! I was short-listed and won. Part of the prize was publication, and that was my foot in the door. Since then I’ve pitched six books to Frances Lincoln Publishing and they’ve signed three of those books so far.

2) What kind of research did you do for the various creatures?

The creatures featured in the Takeshita Demons series are mythological Japanese monsters, called yokai. I began researching yokai while living in Japan, nearly ten years ago, but I didn’t ever plan to put them in a book. I was just asking questions about some of the weird and wonderful ghost stories and traditions in Japan’s history. When I decided to write Takeshita Demons, I began my research in more earnest, using websites and texts in Japanese and English, as well as traditional art, stories and general chat with Japanese friends.

3) How did you make sure the demons fit into your story?

I am a plotter, not a pantser, which means I drafted the plots of each Takeshita Demons book before I started writing them (while sitting pregnant in a Starbucks at Angel station, to be precise!). In each case, the plot is driven by the needs of the human characters – Miku Takeshita and her pals – and the yokai they meet along the way also influence what happens. I find that if I don’t draft the plots, I write myself into boring spots or dead ends and end up very stressed and unhappy. Pre-plotting means I love the book right from the start.



Cristy at a signing with some fans!

4) What was it like bringing this "exotic" culture to British readers?

It has been fabulous! Many British kids already know some of the Japanese yokai, from manga and movies, and they’ve loved the books, which is great. It’s really fun to find other yokai fans out there. Some yokai are so quirky that even Japanese people haven’t heard of them, and that’s been fun too. But I think the best bit is that Miku Takeshita is seen as just like any other kid. She speaks Japanese at home and eats Japanese food in her school lunch, but she still freaks out when her supply teacher turns out to be a cut-throat demon. I think there’s something of Miku in every kid. We can all relate to her adventures.

5) What is the best advice you were given as an aspiring writer?

“Read, read, read”. I think it’s useful to read great books at any time, but if you want to be a writer, you need to read, read, read from a young age, so the love of words and stories is a solid, breathing part of you.

6) What is your advice now to aspiring writers?

Enter writing competitions! Pick and choose the competitions you enter (I would only enter if they interested me, seemed reputable, and had a low or zero entry fee) and then forget all about your entry. Just move on with your next writing project. That way, if you get no news or bad news, you’re already engrossed in a new, more exciting project anyway. And if you get good news, well…that’s just a wonderful surprise! Good luck!

And, because Cristy is cool and she knows what big fans we are, we get to show a sneak preview of the cover for Takeshita Demons: Monster Matsuri, released in June 2012:

Isn't it fabulous?

Takeshita Demons: The Filth Licker by Cristy Burne

Miku is going to School Camp in the forest, with her friend Cait and the rest of her class. It should be fun. But Miku has premonitions of danger, and when Oscar goes down with a festering rash, and a rushing wind blows out the bonfire she's sure something bad is going on. Then Alex finds the frog-like Filth-Licker in the boys' toilets, and all at once Miku, Cait and Alex are on a secret mission to overcome the vengeful Shape-Shifters or Super Demons before it's too late… Later that night, with Alex kidnapped by a pyromaniac fox, and Cait possessed by some angry sickle weasels, it's up to Miku and the Filth-Licker to save them all from disaster.

This is the second instalment of Cristy Burne's series about a young Japanese girl called Miku who has moved to London with her parents.

In the previous book - Takeshita Demons - Miku and her best friend Cait discover that the legends Miku's grandmother told her about demons and creatures from mythical Japanese lore does in fact exist. And that they are only too happy to cause chaos in young Miku's life.

In this, the second book, Miku and Cait are off to Summer Camp. They are good friends but it is odd as Cait seems to not quite remember what's happened to them not so very long ago. Added to this is the peculiar goings on, on their way to the camp, and also, at the camp. Is someone playing a rubbish trick on Miku or is what they are experiencing another attack by supernatural creatures?

The artowrk by Siku is wonderful - it's dotted throughout the novel and enhances Ms. Burne's text, showing us what these creatures Miku and Cait and their newly made friend, Alex has to face. And, as previously in Takeshita Demons, the creatures they face may not always wear a demonic or critter-like face, so once you become used to this, you can't help but wonder who are the bad guys.

The book is slender - giving younger readers the sense that they have read quite a bit - but do not let its slenderness put you off. The story is twisty and turny and told in a great voice and pacey way. I really liked it and think that Ms. Burne's has created a wonderfully feisty character in Miku and that I am happy to read Miku adventures till the cows come home.

The folklore is superbly researched and given a modern twist. I love that we are, without realising it, taught some great bits of mythology and Japanese culture. It never gets preachy and reads very natural. It really is one of my favourite series for younger, confident readers.

As full disclosure, I was asked by Amazon Vine to review this book and as a geeky fan girl, I of course said yes!  The review above appeared on Amazon's site several weeks ago now, but I knew I wanted to feature Cristy on the site for #u14so, so I thought I'd re-post my initial review back on the blog and urge you to give it a try.  The artwork really is so great and it does compliment the story wonderfully.  Do visit back tomorrow as we chat to Cristy Burne about writing the two Takeshita Demon books and Japanese mythology

Indigo Bloggers Event

We were very lucky to be invited to the Indigo Bloggers Event held at Orion's offices last night.

This wasn't the official launch of their new Indigo imprint, but rather it was an exclusive preview and a nod of thanks to the bloggers who review Orion's existing children's list.

Sadly, I was around ten minutes late due to the Central Line dying - eejits - so I had to bus it along Oxford Street - eejits - and managed to slip in late...only to be shown to the VERY front row! I was mortified, much to everyone else's amusement.  Thanks guys!

However, the lovely Nina Douglas and Louise were on hand to get everyone else's attention yet again.  They talked enthusiastically about the books being launched from September through to April next year as part of the list:


Marcus, Sara, Kate, Sally


September 2011

Darkness Falls by Mia James - the second novel by the Mia James authors which does sound very involved and interesting and I know Sarah really did like the first novel, By Midnight.

Soul Beach by Kate Harrison - she read from the book and it is sounding very good! She also gave a little talk about the idea behind Soul Beach and what she did in her Previous Life as journalist and romance writer. 

The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

Shelter by Harlan Coben

October 2011

Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick - the Sedgwick also read from his new book and it sounds incredible.  The story starts in the future and moves backwards through time, basically making use of the "have you ever felt that you've lived another life" idea and toying with that.  It sounds superb.

Dark Parties by Sara Grant - who also read an extract.  I am very proud to know Sara as she is a fellow SCBWI member as well as a great writing coach and I've had the benefit of sitting through one of her classes on revising.  Listening to her read made me realise how much hard work she's put into this, her debut novel.  Sara is also one of the key members at Working Partners so she knows how stories go!  Am really looking forward to reading this dystopian novel.

White Cat - Holly Black (Love It!)

The Wizard Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

November 2011

The Double Shadow by Sally Gardner - Sally read the opening sequence of her novel and on the way home Mark turned to me and said: That lady, Sally Gardner really knows how to write, doesn't she?  The words just flowed and the descriptions were amazing.  I couldn't agree more. We are looking forward to reading The Double Shadow as the concept just sounds wow.

The Dragon Heir by Cinda Williams Chima - now, I've not been saying anything about these books because I know nothing about them apart from he fact that Jenny over at Wondrous Reads is a fan.  Which is good enough for me.  I actually have the first book which I bought last year on a whim from Foyles as one of their imports and it sounds excellent.  However, Indigo/Orion confirmed that these will be released in standard sized paperbacks which is far better for me personally as I tend to read the majority of my books on commute and travelling with oversized books is not idea.




Kate chatting to us about Soul Beach


January 2012

The Hunting Ground by Cliff McNish - ah, yes.  Lovely Cliff writes deeply worrying things and I'm very much looking forward to this!

Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding - Chris is a tremendously prolific writer, writing for both adults and younger readers.  Retribution Falls was published in the past by Gollancz, the science fiction and fantasy imprint of Orion.  However, it was decided that Chris has such a strong following of younger readers that it would be a great idea to offer them Retribution Falls and the follow up novel, Black Lung Captain, on the Indigo imprint too.

Crossing Over by Anna Kendal - also a Gollancz release in the past, but again it was felt younger readers would love the intrigue.

The Double Edged Sword by Sarah Silverwood - Sarah is also equally prolific and this is her fantasy novel for younger readers.  Adult readers would know Sarah as Sarah Pinborough who excels at writing darker fiction for adults.

February 2012

Hollow Pike by James Dawson - looking at James in Real Life you would never expect anything dark and supernatural to come from him.  However, we have it on superb authority to not be fooled by James's lovely looks because, like Cliff, looks can fool you and Hollow Pike is grim and scary and dark and wonderful.  I can't wait! Also, the cover which I did not take a photo off (sorry) is simply stunning.



Sally being utterly charming whilst talking to us about The Double Shadow

 An Act of Love by Alan Gibbons - Alan is such a mainstay of great writing and I cannot wait to read this novel about two blood brothers who grow apart.  I know he has done a tremendous amount of research to get the facts and story right for this novel and it sounds like it is one of those books that might become a game-changer.

Dark Mist Rising by Anna Kendall

March 2012

Firespell by Chloe Neill

Darkness Falls by Mia James

Raining Fire by Alan Gibbons

The Traitor's Gate by Sarah Silverwood

April 2012

My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher

A bright and Terrible Sword by Anna Kendall

The evening ended with much applause and we all decamped to their outside patio balcony area for air and lovely treats.   We got the chance to chat to the four authors in attendance and get all fan-girly. 

It was a really lovely evening and Mark and I are very proud to have been asked to attend.  The Indigo imprint looks like it is going from strength to strength and I wish Nina and the editors the best of luck in their new endeavour.

Also a massive shout-out to all our blogging friends who were there - it's always so great to see them all because (selfishly) events like this always make me feel like we're at some kind of convention of our own.  I know, totally self-centred but hey, what can I say? If I can't talk books and blogging to my mates, who can I talk to?

In attendance were (the ones I can remember speaking to!):

Wondrous Reads
Floor to Ceiling Books
Bookzone for Boys
Feeling Fictional
Teenage Fiction for All Ages / Eurocrime 
Books and Writers
The Bookette
Carly Bennett
Matt Teen Librarian
Serendipity Reviews

This is the original Indigo press release sent through to us a few months ago, should you be interested in reading it.

And these are the titles I nabbed for MFB's reading pleasure:

Laura Marlin Mysteries 2: Kidnap in the Caribbean by Lauren St John

Synopsis

Laura cannot contain her excitement when she wins a trip to the Caribbean for herself and her uncle, Calvin Redfern, especially when her best friend, Tariq, and her three-legged husky, Skye, accidentally find themselves on board too. But when they dock at Antigua, they discover that Calvin Redfern has vanished, and Laura and Tariq are about to be kidnapped by the fearsome Straight A gang. Dramatic escapes, an erupting volcano and a race against time to stop the deadly undercover 'Marine Concern' make Laura's second adventure every bit as exciting as the first.

From Cornwall to the Caribbean, 11-year-old ace detective Laura Marlin comes face to face with pirates, sharks, criminal masterminds and an erupting volcano in her second mystery adventure, which follows the Blue Peter award-winning first book DEAD MAN'S COVE.

I loved Dead Man's Cove and was really looking forward to reading the follow-up. Before I get into the review proper I just want to talk about how lovely this book looks. It's hardback with a beautifully illustrated dust cover and pictures throughout. It looks like a little gem before you even open it. Don't get me wrong, I love my Kindle for the ease of reading massive tomes whilst on the go but there's something about books like this that means, I hope, they will never be replaced.

The book opens with Laura content in St Ives except for the dreary weather. However, when she wins a holiday to the Caribbean she can't wait to get on board and head for the sun. The wonderful Tariq and Skye also find themselves stranded on the boat but even before they have left port suspicious things start to happen. Laura's Uncle Calvin is bedridden after a mysterious fall and then disappears leaving Laura and Tariq to cope alone. But once they reach Antigua things get worse and worse.

I found Dead Man's Cove reminiscent of Enid Blyton but in a better written, more exciting kind of way and still get this feel from the Laura Marlin series. Laura is self-reliant after her unfortunate start in an orphanage and drives the plot along with her determination to be as good a detective as Matt Walker - star of her favourite books. If she finds herself in a situation which seems impossible she tries to think of what Matt or her uncle would do. Tariq is her steady and calm friend who's just so loyal and sweet - however, he's no pushover and not to be underestimated. A new character, Jimmy, goads Laura and Tariq and is initially obnoxious. But his parents are so awful and pushy that I soon felt sorry for him. Laura and Tariq take time to get to know him and, happily, he's an integral part of the book.

A really enjoyable book, Kidnap in the Caribbean is a great for confident younger readers but probably too young for those aged 11- 14. It has just the right amount of action, friendship and danger to make it a compelling and exciting.

Mistress of the Storm by M. L. Welsh

Synopsis

Verity Gallant has always struggled to fit in. Outshone by her perfect sister and tormented by her schoolmates, she knows there is nothing special about her.
But everything changes when the Storm docks at the quiet harbour town of Wellow, and Verity receives an ancient book from a mysterious stranger. It tells the chilling story of the Mistress of the Storm – a story that has been kept from Verity all her life.
Suddenly Wellow is stirring with long-hidden secrets and bitter rivalries. As dark clouds roll menacingly above and Verity begins to uncover the truth about her family’s past, she becomes dangerously entangled in a web of dark magic and powerful revenge.

My first review for Under 14's Only month and I'm absurdly excited. I was kindly given a hardback copy of this book at the Random House book bloggers brunch earlier this year but as the paperback was coming out in June I thought I'd save it until now. As a huge fan of Susan Cooper I've got a soft spot for coastal adventures and the synopsis really intrigued me.

From the synopsis I expected to feel sorry for Verity, pity her even. She's a bit of an outcast at school and finds comfort in her local library where she tends to hide out. Unlike her sister she describes herself as sturdily built and can't find pretty clothes to fit. As a result she's low on confidence but has a quiet strength that I admired. Far from feeling sorry for Verity I was cheering her on from the first few pages when she stoically ignores the boys who steal her schoolbag or put her gym skirt up a tree. Hope comes in the form of Henry, a boy at her school and soon her only friend. Also, her perfect sister may be adored by all around but she's an incredibly sweet character who supports Verity and tries to help her.

Verity's life is jolted into the extraordinary when a stranger gives her a book and her Grandmother comes to stay. The latter is a poisonous woman who clearly hates Verity from the beginning. I was reading with clenched fists as she steals Verity's room and throws away all of her out-of-print and first edition books. At first the grandmother simply throws snide remarks at Verity but soon she shows a more supernatural side and when angry starts to look almost skeletal. The passages that involve the grandmother are totally gripping and eerie. Soon Verity starts to find out more about her own past and with Henry and later Martha at her side she is able to discover how her family history could be tied into current events.

There's so much to love about this book. Firstly, watching Verity grow in confidence as she builds friendships and discovers sailing. Also, this book is so creepy. Verity's mother is pregnant and the book covers three seasons. As the pregnancy progresses so does the feeling of menace. Towards the end I was flying through the pages, almost too scared to continue! I honestly couldn't think of a better book to kick this month off for me. If you like stories that are full of adventure, magic but with a firm footing of solid friendship try this - a wonderful book.

Diary of a Lottery Winner's Daughter by Penelope Bush

Does money have to change everything?


Charlotte and her family are determined that winning £3.7 million on the lottery won’t change them. But they haven’t counted on how everyone around them will react.


Charlotte’s best friend is acting strangely, and someone’s spreading cruel rumours at school. Can Charlotte use the money to change things for the better?


Penelope Bush goes beyond clichés and creates quirky, truly believable characters with complicated lives.

When we meet Charlotte (who I'm so pleased to say never is called anything but Charlotte) she is about to go on holiday with her mum and dad, her oldest sister Chelsea and Spencer, her older but smelly brother.  They are borrowing their aunt and uncle's caravan and heading to Weston Super Mare for a week's break by the sea.  We very early realise that Charlotte and her family aren't wealthy and that their house on one of the estates in Bristol is too small for them.  Charlotte has to share with Chelsea and everything about Chelsea is hard work.  She seems permanently sulky and miserable.  She kicks up a fuss about everything and makes her parents lives very difficult indeed.

Charlotte is sweet and kind and generous and she's a bookish kind of girl.  She is also quite small for her age.  She is about to turn 13 so finds it very difficult to relate to her older sister.  She is close to her brother, Spencer, which I quite liked and the two of them form a good unit and buffer against Chelsea's bad ways.

When they get back from their holiday Charlotte's mum has them stop at the local Tesco to quickly run in to do some shopping and to buy a new lottery ticket.  In the process of buying the new ticket, she finds the week before's ticket and when the staff check it...they advise her to ring the number on the back of the ticket.  She does when they get home and it's revealed that it is indeed a winning number.

Cue the dramatic screaming and shouting.  Slowly but surely things change for Charlotte and her family.  Chelsea starts househunting for them, Spencer who is clever and good at maths asks to be sent to a better high school and Charlotte, Charlotte asks for more books and some stationery.  A girl right after my own heart.

So, after the initial shrieking and the initial random clothes buying, what next? Life goes back to normal, really.  And that is what happens to Charlotte.  She goes back to school but she finds that her best friend Lauren is acting a bit standoffish towards her but she doesn't really think anything about it.   As the weeks go by, and her mum and dad reveal that they are moving into a new (older house) place, moving away from the estate, all that Charlotte can think about is: a room of her own and also floor to ceiling bookshop. And that is exactly what she gets.

Lauren's not at all happy and immediately makes friends with the new girl who moves into Charlotte's old house on the estate.  Chelsea is having problems too.  Suddenly the girls who used to hang out with her become antagonistic and fights start breaking out.

Charlotte becomes deeply upset when she realised that Lauren and the new girl, Stacey, have become good friends.  And they were basically freezing her out.  Annabel, a girl who lived near to Charlotte (someone she had seen in class but never really spoke to) starts speaking to her and before their friendship can really grow, it all goes wrong.

I enjoyed reading this novel - I thought that Charlotte's character deserved to have everything she wished for her and others.  She is honestly a nice kid and really likeable.  She's just not very adept at dealing with the real world, so that when the new girl Stacey takes advantage of her, she's so shocked that instead of telling her parents, she bottles it up and tries to work through it herself.  When she bungles telling Lauren, Lauren doesn't believe her.

Her fragile friendship with Annabel starts growing but things are falling apart at home.  Chelsea runs away from home after a bad fight with her dad and her parents start blaming themselves.  It's a complete nightmare.

As the story evolves and changes, Charlotte is a complete heroine and does her utmost to find and help everyone.   And of course, we are so vested in Charlotte's story, we can't wait for everything to be fine for her.

I thought that the writing was first class and the characterisation works very well.  The story and situations all make complete sense as they are super-believable.  It's not all sunshine and roses all the time, not even when you've won the lottery, as it brings its own ups and downs.

Diary of a Lottery Winner's Daughter is a fun read and it's given us a great new heroine who is just a tiny bit fabulous and cool, for all her geeky bookishness.  This is the author, Penelope Bush's second novel and I have to say...I think we've got a new voice for younger girls in the vein of Cathy Hopkins and Cathy Cassidy.

PBS #7 - Little Monster Did It by Helen Cooper

Everything was quiet and peaceful in the house until Little Monster arrived. 


Little Monster loves Amy, but he hates the new baby.  Soon he starts doing some very naughty things and Amy gets the blame...

Little Monster Did It by Helen Cooper is a wonderfully illustrated picture book for younger readers.  I would say under six's would get most enjoyment out of it, and of course, us older folk too.  Especially in the fine detail of the artwork which is not intensely coloured, but instead, by using muted hues, their impact is quite striking and...thoughtful.  It's difficult to explain.  The colours used throughout made me want to pause in my consideration of them, they drew me in, which I really liked.

Amy loves her mum and dad and loves the time they spend together.  She likes that it's only the 3 of them.  But when her mum goes to hospital, after giving Amy a large Little Monster as a present, and she comes back with a new baby, needless to say, Amy is not best pleased.  And Little Monster is deeply upset.  He throws tantrums and makes a noise when the baby wants to sleep.  When they all cuddle in with mum and dad and the new baby, Little Monster spitefully opens the hot water bottle in the bed and empties it all out.  Of course, all his naughty actions are blamed on Amy.

It is a very fast read, mostly because the pictures themselves tell most of the story - the prose is light and clever, but not as clever as seeing Amy's naughty face peer out from behind the tv watching Little Monster push donuts into the VCR.  The expression is surprisingly sly and naughty and works so well.

I know exactly what Amy was going through and although I didn't have Little Monster, I acted very badly towards my nieces and nephews until I realised that they would become my best friends forever.  All I had to do was give them a chance.

Little Monster Did It is a clever book for young readers struggling to cope with a new addition to the family or an upcoming new addition to the family.  It makes them stop and think and it made me, as a reader, feel very nostalgic for my own overly busy childhood with hordes of nieces, nephews and cousins underfoot.

Find Helen Cooper's website here.  A bit thanks goes to Random House who have listened so kindly to my pleas for more picture books to be featured on Picture Book Saturdays.  They give me immense enjoyment and I find my wishlist of picture books growing and growing!

In Conversation: Lucy Coats and Nicola Morgan

Click on the photo to be taken to the Offical ABBAlitfest Site

This weekend is the stupendously cool Awfully Big Blog Adventure Literary Festival.  What makes it superb is: it's an online festival.  Which instantly makes it accessible to anyone who has internet access, which translates into an international festival the likes I've never seen.

Like many other aspiring writers and a big fan of various authors, I have never actually had the chance to attend a  literary festival.   I know, I have no one but myself to blame but as I was chatting to Lucy about doing something for ABBA to help promote the LitFest, she suggested (in this calm way of hers): how about talking about the importance of literary festivals but not just actual ones but also online ones, like we will be having this weekend?

I could have hugged her.  Yes! I wanted to know all about this.

So, she grabbed the Crabbit aka Nicola Morgan and wrestled her into doing a Q&A and this is the result:

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Nicola Morgan eats, drinks and talks with Lucy Coats about the wonderful online literature festival organised by the Awfully Big Blog Adventure this weekend - 9th and 10th July. It’s going to be exciting, fun and fascinating. And hectic!
_____________________________

Hello, Liz, and thank you for inviting us to come and talk about the first ever online lit festival organised by children’s authors! Lucy Coats is hugely busy with her role as Publicity Campaign Director, so we decided that I (Nicola) would write up our thoughts. Lucy, along with Sam Mills, Penny Dolan, Ellen Renner and John Dougherty, is one of the driving forces behind the whole festival. I’m not – I’m a mere contributor, and eater of chocolate fondue. But that was Lucy’s fault.

We made the enormous sacrifice of meeting for lunch in the glorious surroundings of the Court Restaurant at the British Museum in London. So, over a glass of dry white wine and some delicious food, I picked her brain about the festival and we discussed how online stuff, counter-intuitively, makes us more connected to real people.

I asked Lucy about the aims for the festival. “I see it as reaching out to an even wider audience,” she said. “The ABBA blog is full of fabulous content and has become a really strong community, making wonderful links between writers and readers, but with the third birthday of the blog it seemed time to do something different, something to make a big splash, something to celebrate and shout a bit, and get even more people involved. We children’s writers are very proud of what we do, and we want people to see that.”

Lucy has seen the blog’s stats rocket since the announcement of the festival went out a couple of weeks ago, so something’s working already. There’s been masses of press interest and all of it positive—there’s been coverage by The Bookseller, Reading Zone and Mslexia, as well as approaches from The Sunday Times and the Guardian. ABBAlitfest has even been mentioned in papers as far away as the Dallas Morning News (USA), as well as on countless snippets, author interviews and general chat on blogs, Twitter and Facebook. The ambition over the festival weekend is to get #ABBAlitfest trending on Twitter!

Lucy and I decided to focus our chat on why there was a need for an online festival when there are so many actual ones, such as Cheltenham, Edinburgh and Hay. Some people might think we should all spend less time online and get out more, meet real readers. Well, frankly, Lucy and I could talk for Britain on the subject of the value and advantages of online activity and how ungeeky and actually human it is, but at this point the waiter arrived with this…

Yum!

Whereupon, frankly, it all became a bit messy. So, what you will now get is not so much a conversation as a list, and you could imagine the bullet points as the unavoidable chocolate splodges at the corners of our mouths. (Note to self: if you want to look elegant, do not talk while eating chocolate fondue. This also explains why there are no pics of me and Lucy.)

• One might think that online activity takes us further from our readers, that it becomes impersonal. But actually it allows us to connect with far more readers, in far more countries. Those readers are less inhibited than if they had to pluck up courage to come and talk to us, and we end up often in lovely conversations by email or on blogs or Twitter.
• Once we’ve struck up relationships via the internet, whether with readers, fellow-writers, editors, journalists, book bloggers, librarians or booksellers, we often find ways of meeting in real life, too. Both Lucy and I have met countless people after getting to know them online. Most authors would say the same.
• Similarly, those online conversations have often led to new writing opportunities for both of us. So, not just enjoyable, but useful – a real way of opening doors to unpredictable possibilities.
• After the rise (and, apparently, wane?) of book groups, an online litfest seems like the next big step, bringing forums for discussion and opportunities for writers and readers to engage as fully as they wish.
• Sometimes, it feels as though physical literature festivals have a certain demographic but online is fully open to all, whatever class, income, ability, background. Basically, if you know about it and can access a computer, you are our guests and equally welcome.
• It’s green! Lucy was very keen that this festival should be green – so, no travelling, no expensive electricity generators for the marquees, no printing of brochures. OK, so there was some carbon footprint to the production of our meal…
• It doesn’t matter if you’re late or even if you’re away that weekend – all the blogposts from the online festival will go into a separate bit of the blog, easily accessible forever.

 All of which seems like a mass of very good reasons for doing it. We hope you will all pop by and see what’s happening – something different every half hour through each day.

Oh, and one other thing – when you join us at the weekend, Lucy and I and all the other ABBA bloggers will be there but you will never know whether we have chocolate on our mouths. We (and you?) might not even have got dressed. How’s that for an advantage to an online festival?
_______________________

Lucy Coats is the author of the highly-acclaimed Atticus the Storyteller’s 100 Greek Myths and many other books for children of all ages. She tweets too much at @lucycoats and is currently wearing a fetching ABBAlitfest Publicity Campaign Director’s Hat.

Nicola Morgan is an award-winning and best-selling writer, mostly for teenagers. She is also founder of Help! I Need a Publisher! and the author of the new best-seller, Write to be Published. She also tweets too much, at @nicolamorgan.

The blogpost where we find out more about Irish publishers: O'Brien Press

We are pleased to have these guys take over MFB for part of the day to promote EDDA, Conor Kostick and themselves. Before we were approached by O'Brien we'd not heard of them before and I thought today, as part of Conor's blog tour, it would do us no harm to find out more about O'Brien Press and to see who their authors are and what kinds of books they publish.

***

The O'Brien Press was established in 1974, evolving out of a family-run printing house, and over the past 37 years has established a reputation for quality and excellence in publishing for adults and children.

Since its foundation, The O'Brien Press has published over 1,200 books, approximately 550 of which are still in print. From the beginning, Publisher Michael O'Brien has been committed to quality in writing, editing, design and illustration. This commitment has been recognised by numerous awards down through the years including the Irish Book Awards, the Bisto Book of the Year Award and awards from the Reading Association of Ireland. This has extended to awards from abroad also.

The O'Brien Press is the only Irish publisher to have received the prestigious International Reading Association Award and boasts over 400 works available in translation in over 30 languages and 50 countries.

The O’Brien Press has a strong history of finding the best, new talents in writing and illustrating and was the publishing house that discovered Eoin Colfer, Judi Curtin and the current Irish Children’s Laureate, Siobhán Parkinson.

The O’Brien Press has an extremely successful record in securing exclusive biographies of some of the biggest names in Ireland and the UK, such as X Factor star Mary Byrne and The President of Ireland, Mary McAleese.

It is the publisher of the bestselling Agnes Browne Trilogy by BAFTA Award nominee Brendan O’Carroll, whose hit TV series Mrs Brown’s Boys was based on characters from his O’Brien Press books The Mammy, The Granny and The Chisellers.

You can view a full list of our titles, including our exciting new range of books for 2011, at www.obrien.ie.

A big thanks to Donna and everyone at The O'Brien Press for indulging MFB and trotting out this blogpost for us!

Edda

We are super pleased to be part of the Edda blog tour. The author, Conor Kostick (apart from having a fabulously sounding rock god name) seems to be a bit of a writer too. I've not read Saga or Epic and was tempted to read them but then I thought: will this work for me as a standalone? It is the last in the trilogy and should therefore wrap up the Avatar Chronicles and be quite a neat package in itself.

And I'm happy to say that it does work as a standalone. I didn't for a second feel as if I was out of my depth, that the characters were unfamiliar or that the setting was peculiar. I had my own issues to deal with regarding the realities, but that was a personal thing completely.

Edda tells the story of an electronic world, EDDA, which had been created by humans but for whatever reason, no one now plays this game. The characters in this game had become sentient and so we have Lord Scanthax - a particularly grasping and motivated warmonger - battling other electronic worlds, killing everyone and taking over their territories. But, because he's a sentient being, he cannot script (create) new weapons. This is of course a problem but he's a clever bad guy because back in the day he searched and found the only human child left on the uninhabitable planet that houses EDDA's servers. He is basically keeping 15 year old Penelope prisoner, so that she can script for him. And Penelope in turn is Princess in EDDA and has started questioning not just the role she plays in EDDA but who she really is and what she's really doing there. She rebels, as much as she can as she desperately tries to figure out how to search for avatars with humans running them.

It is a story full of vivid imagery and strong characterisations and writing. I think that older readers (I'm talking adults here) will be intrigued by Kostick's storytelling because it is a complex, layered plot, that grabbed my attention and refused to let go. We have characters from the previous two books coming through to try and figure out what exactly Scanthax is planning as they discovered his envoys tealing into SAGA stealing weapons, which they take back so that Penelope/Princess can script.

I had to work really hard at keeping the avatars and humans and sentient beings straight in my head. Ghost, who is the queen of Saga, stole my heart though and I liked reading about these strong independent characters.

It is a roiling mix of punk and rock n' roll and military science fiction and would suit gamers (boys and girls) to a T. I would recommend this to the upper scales of our #u14so readers and definitely for adults. The reason I'm recommending it for older readers is because of the complexity of the storyline, more than anything else. I suspect it would suit younger, very confident readers, who have no problem following layered storytelling and science fiction concepts who may be avid gamers themselves.

I think, had I found this as a younger reader, instead of reading Asimov and Herbert, I would have become a very big science fiction fan indeed.

I am very proud to have read and understood EDDA and not just that, but liked the writing and the storytelling. I have no reservations about recommending it to readers. And that man Conor Kostick better hurry up pretty sharpish with something new for me to read.

Thank you so much to O'Brien for sending this along and for introducing themselves to MFB. Please pop by later this afternoon when I've got a small blogpost going live, showcasing who O'Brien are and some of their titles.

Find Conor's friendly and down to earth website here.