The Ghosts of Craig Glas Castle

A Cover Reveal of Michelle Briscombe’s new novel with Candy Jar

The Ghosts of Craig Glas Castle, a spooky yet warm-hearted sequel to The House on March Lane, is due to be published on World Book Day, March 2nd 2023.

It had been ten months since the ghosts had started talking to Flora and her best friend Archie at her dad’s reclamation and antiques warehouse. So, when the two friends are offered a trip to Wales, and a break from the ghosts, to pick up some antiques from Craig Glas Castle, they can’t wait to go. But not everything at Craig Glas Castle is what it seems! Another unearthly mystery awaits to be unravelled by the intrepid duo.

The cover, shown below, was created by artist Martin Baines.

Michelle told us, “I’ve always wanted to write a story about my own Basque heritage. One of the main adult characters in the book is an opera singer from Bilboa who owns a castle in Wales in the late 1800s. She is so famous that she’s invited to sing at the Eisteddfod. She is based on the opera singer Adelina Patti, the Spanish opera singer who made her home in Swansea. I really love the cover and feel it ties in with the cover of The House on March Lane.

Michelle Briscombe was born in Cardiff but now lives in Barry, South Wales, with her husband and two children. She has been a Primary School teacher for over 18 years, enjoys walking and often takes walking holidays with her family who all have a keen interest in the natural world. She has been a Literature Wales Bursary recipient and placed second in the Wells Festival of Literature short story competition. Michelle has also been shortlisted for a short story competition by Royal Society of Literature.

Artist Martin Baines is a professional storyboard and concept artist. He has worked extensively in the field of storyboards for advertising agencies. As an illustrator of book jackets and comic strips he has worked with Match of the Day Weekly, the Wallace & Gromit comic, the Beano and People’s Friend. He is a regular illustrator for Candy Jar and has done several covers for the Doctor Who spin-off, Lethbride-Stewart.

Huge thanks to Michelle for inviting us to host this reveal. Follow Michelle and Candy Jar on Twitter.

To preorder The Ghosts of Craig Glas Castle by Michelle Briscombe, please ask at your local independent bookshop, or find out more at the Candy Jar website.

The Song Walker by Zillah Bethell

The Song Walker by Zillah Bethell

**Cover Reveal**

Wales Book of the Year Award winner, Zillah Bethell’s new novel is published with Usborne on 2 February 2023. We are delighted to present an exclusive reveal of the cover, illustrated by Saara Söderlund.

Synopsis

The Song Walker is an extraordinary new story of friendship, discovery and courage from Zillah Bethell, author of The Shark Caller which won the Wales Book of the Year and the Edward Stanford Children’s Travel Book of the Year 2022.

“There are three questions that I need to find the answers to:
Where am I?
What am I doing here?
And… Who am I?”

When a young girl wakes up in the middle of the desert, she has no idea who she is. She’s wearing one shoe, a silky black dress, and she’s carrying a strange, heavy case.

She meets Tarni, who is on a mysterious quest of her own. Together, the two girls trek across the vast and ever-changing Australian Outback in search of answers. Except both are also hiding secrets…

Zillah told us, “As a child growing up in Papua New Guinea, I learnt about the songlines. I particularly liked how the melody and rhythm of the songs seemed to follow the contours of the land they passed over because it felt as if the land were being sung into existence; that the song created the land as much as the land created the song. The beauty and power of this idea seemed immeasurable to me as a child and it still does.
I’m super thrilled that illustrator Saara Söderlund came on board again as the The Song Wallker is something of a companion piece to The Shark Caller. Saara has brilliantly articulated the blaze of the desert in colours that have huge symbolic resonance to both Papuan and First Country Australian communities, whilst managing to evoke a sense of infinite space and untethering by presenting spare and ever so slightly changing images to our gaze.”

Cover artist Saara Katariina Söderlund is a freelance illustrator. She paints with gouache, sometimes mixing coloured pencil or digital tools into the process. Her other covers include books by Sophie Anderson, Skye McKenna and Tom Avery. You can find out more about Saara’s work on her Instagram, @saarainfeathers or visit her website.

Zillah Bethell was born in the shadow of the volcano Mount Lamington in Papua New Guinea. She grew up without shoes, toys or technology. Consequently, she spent a lot of time in the sea swimming and in canoes. Zillah’s family returned to the UK when she was ten, and she now lives and walks in the hills of South Wales. A few of her favourite things include swimming in the rain, cheesy fridge magnets, Chopin, dancing and diphthongs.

Huge thanks to Fritha at Usborne for inviting us to host this reveal. Follow Zillah on Twitter and follow illustrator Saara’s work on her Instagram, @saarainfeathers or visit her website.

To preorder The Song Walker by Zillah Bethell, please ask at your local independent bookshop, or find out more at the Usborne website.

Honesty and Lies by Eloise Williams

We are so pleased to be kicking off the Honesty and Lies Blog Tour. Eloise Williams is a true hero of ours and we absolutely adore her writing. As Wales’ first Children’s Laureate she worked her socks off to encourage a love of reading and writing for pleasure across the whole of the country. She is also the most amazing encourager and supporter of artists in Wales, raising the visibility of quality children’s literature on both sides of the River Severn. When we’ve met her, she has been kind, thoughtful, optimistic, funny and always willing to chat. As an editor of The Mab (with Matt Brown), she brought together an incredible assembly of talent to produce new versions of the Mabinogion stories for the children of the 21st Century.

Honesty and Lies is a truly brilliant novel. Set in Elizabethan times, in the court of the Queen, Honesty has fled West Wales for London. A chance meeting with Alice finds her working as a maid. Whilst Honesty is keen to make a name for herself, to escape the menial tasks and get closer to the Queen, Alice has a reason to stay hidden. She keeps her head down and aims to go unnoticed. The friendship between the two is put under the spotlight by Eloise, expertly aided by a dual narrative in the first person. You really feel a part of the secrets and lies – the frustrations, the claustrophobia, the anger and desperation of the teenagers. It is a thoroughly enjoyable read with a brilliant climax. Eloise’s best yet!

Another Eloise novel means another chance to ask her some questions! Thanks for indulging us once again Eloise!

What are you reading at the moment?

I’ve just finished reading Fear Ground by Jennifer Killick which is a little bit creepy but absolutely hilarious and a definite must read. Balanced at the top of my teetering TBR pile is The Shadow Order by Rebecca F. John. I’m really looking forward to it.   

Where and when do you write?

All over the place and at no specific time. It depends how busy I am with other things. Often, I’m dashing from school to school, so I only have time to write in the evening or make notes on scraps of paper throughout the day. If I’m at home, I sometimes write in my attic room which is very small and has a slanted ceiling so it’s easy to bump your head if you aren’t careful, but I can often be found writing in the garden, the kitchen, in the woods, or on the beach. Lots of my writing is done in my head before I ever put pen to paper, or fingertips to laptop keys.  

What was the seed that began Honesty and Lies?

Honestly, I can’t remember what it was exactly. A mixture of things, I think. I’ve always loved London and am fascinated by its history. I recently took a trip to Greenwich and a boat back along the Thames to Southwark. I think that had a lot of influence as you get a very different perspective of London from the water. I’ve also been wanting to write something through two different points of view for a while and the contrast of rich versus poor, appearance versus reality, honesty versus lies seemed to fit perfectly into the court of Queen Elizabeth I.  

This is your 6th novel. What do you know now that you wish you’d known before Elen’s Island?

That you should define what success is for you as a writer and not compare yourself with anyone else. It’s not a linear path and there are huge emotional ups and downs. I’ve been extraordinarily lucky and I’m very grateful, but I have had lots of times when writing has been hard for many different reasons. I now define my success as a writer by my dedication to telling the story in the best way I can. That’s the only thing I can control and really, it’s the most important part.   

As Wales’ inaugural Children’s Laureate, you travelled the country inspiring hundreds of children to read and write. You must have learned some lessons yourself?

Absolutely. It reaffirmed my belief that stories connect generations. I also learned that young people are endlessly creative and courageous and that made me challenge myself more. They taught me to take risks and to laugh at myself when something failed. If you are failing, you are trying. They’ve also taught me about individuality and how it should be celebrated. One group of young people made me a thank you card which advised me to ‘stay weird’. It’s one of my favourite possessions.

What is your writing routine?

I laughed when I read this question. I’m not very good at routines. For a while, I tried to kid myself that I had a routine but really, I was just aspiring to be an organised writer. I’d keep reading about other writer’s routines and thinking, yes, that sounds like the right way to do it! Then I’d get up at the crack of dawn and write and think, yes, I am better at this time, until that pattern dwindled. Then I’d try writing late at night until that dwindled too. Eventually I just accepted that my writing routine is a bit haphazard, I’m afraid. I spend long periods of time thinking and then I’ll write something in bursts. It always seems like a minor miracle when I’ve managed to finish a story.

Honesty and Lies is brilliant, and totally brings into focus a relationship between two girls. Interplay between characters and particularly the development of friendships is a common theme for you. Did you enjoy writing these characters?

Thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I loved creating Honesty and Alice. Creating different characters is one of my favourite parts of writing. These two were particularly fun because they are both flawed in different ways. I always give my characters a really hard time and I felt really guilty to put them through so much! That’s why their friendship was so important. Together they are strong.  They are so real to me, and it was very difficult to leave them behind.

What is your favourite period in history? Why?

Ooh, I’m not sure. I loved writing about the Elizabethans, but I also loved writing Gaslight which is set in Victorian Cardiff. I’m a big fan of historical fiction so am reading lots about different periods of history at the moment. This is a tricky question. Can I go for the 1980s? My niece learned about the TV adverts from the Eighties as part of her homework once and it was so strange to think of my own childhood as ‘history’. That was a good lesson for me. It made me remember that people from history were real people. I mean, I knew it, but it brings it home every time I think about it.

What do you hope young readers will get out of Honesty and Lies?

I’m really hoping they’ll enjoy the story if they love historical fiction and that it will give them a taste for it if they haven’t read any before. There is so much wonderful historical fiction out there and if this book opens the door to the past for even one young reader, then my work is done!

Which of your characters is most like you?

That’s a really difficult question – I can see elements of me in both. I think probably Alice though. She keeps a lot on the inside and gets irritated easily because she is worrying. I’m a worrier too! She also chooses to be kind at every opportunity, and I hope that I do the same. Alice has a quiet nature and that’s one of the qualities I like most about her and about myself too.  

What books can you recommend for fans of Honesty and Lies?

Flight and Safe by Vanessa Harbour are great historical reads. Anything by Emma Carroll, Lucy Strange, Lesley Parr, Catherine Johnson, Phil Earle or Kiran Millwood Hargrave.  

If you want a pre-order I’m really looking forward to Rhian Tracey’s forthcoming book, ‘I. Spy’.

What are you excited about right now?

I may have some exciting book news on the way, but my lips are sealed!

How would your 10 year old self react to what you do now?

I think I’d be very surprised! It took me a long time to realise that I’m at my happiest when I’m allowed to be quiet. For a long time, I thought that I had to be loud and outgoing to be interesting. I think that being loud is often confused with having something to say and with being a success. I love that I can now accept myself for being the quiet person I was always meant to be.

What is next for Eloise Williams?

I’m working on a few writing things in my own haphazard way but am mostly looking forward to spending some time with my family. Autumn is my favourite season so there’ll be lots of dog walks, warm jumpers, pumpkin soup and ghost stories involved.  

If you weren’t an author what would you be?

A detective. I like to think I could be the next Miss Marple!

Huge thanks to Eloise for putting up with our questions, and to Karen for organising the blog tour. Honesty and Lies is available to buy now. Order direct from Firefly Press.

The Shadow Order by Rebecca F. John

The Shadow Order by Rebecca F. John

We are delighted to conclude the blog tour for Rebecca F. John’s first novel for children, The Shadow Order. The book has been hotly anticipated and most definitely does not disappoint. Beginning with a unique premise, that shadows begin to show people’s real character rather than an outline of their shape, this is a book that has many curious twists and turns. Those in power ban citizens from going out in the daytime, thus passing ‘The Shadow Order’. From the outset it is pacey and intriguing – the fantasy world is built with care and skill, and the characters are immediately believable and totally likeable. There is a threat that hangs over the characters throughout and these ingredients make for a thrilling and edgy pageturner – authored by a writer with serious talent. Whilst there are pertinent central messages about government control and confinement, the power of rebellion and the will for change, there is an overriding sense of hope. It’s a brilliant read, and we’d say that even if we weren’t in the blog tour.

As with all #TheShadowOrder blog tour posts, we have some exclusive content from Rebecca. First, in a series of posts about the world of Copperwell, we get to know one of the alleys of this fantasy world. (Do visit the other stops on the blog tour to find out more about this wonderfully realised world).

Judge Marlow’s Way   Before it was renamed, Judge Marlow’s Way was called Runaway Alley. It was where all the petty criminals of Copperwell lived, stacked together in houses where nothing was safe. Men and women tricked and stole from one another, and no law-abiding citizen dared to set foot there… Except for Judge Marlow, who strode onto the alley one rainy autumn day and declared that from then on Runaway Alley would be made honest, Judge Marlow’s way. Betsy was only a tiny bit of a girl that day, but, cowering in a doorway, she had laughed at Judge Marlow’s declaration. People could not be changed so easily, she’d thought. But that was before the Shadow Order, before she met Teddy and Effie, and before she understood that people really can be changed entirely.

We are also very pleased to bring you this Q and A with author, editor and publisher, Rebecca F. John. Thanks so much to Rebecca for answering our questions with such care – a lot of work goes into organising a blog tour and we are extremely grateful to Rebecca and to Karen at Firefly Press.


What are you reading at the moment?

As usual, I’m reading more than one book. My work as an editor means that I’m always reading several as-yet-unpublished books, in various stages of the editing process. But beyond that, I tend to be partway through two or three published books simultaneously. At the moment, those books are Liz Hyder’s middle-grade novel Bearmouth (which I’m really excited about as I ADORED Liz’s adult novel, The Gifts), and a proof of a novel called The Circus Train, by Amita Parikh, which is due to publish in the UK in 2023 but which I think has been a bestseller elsewhere in the world. I’ve only just started reading both, but I’m equally entranced by the two completely different stories.

Where and when do you write?

Anywhere and everywhere. I’m busier than I ever have been: I started working as an editor for Firefly Press very recently; I set up my own publisher, Aderyn Press, last year; I have published three of my own books this year, and I’m currently working on edits for another which will publish next year; and I had a baby four months ago. So at the moment, I write in bed for about ten minutes between the time when the baby falls asleep and I do! I’ve always felt able to write just about anywhere, though, luckily: at a desk in my study preferably, yes, but also in doctors’ waiting rooms, or in car parks, or hotel rooms, or at the beach. Once I’m writing, it’s very easy to tune out from the rest of the world and exist instead within the one I’m creating.

What was the seed that began The Shadow Order?

As I wrote The Shadow Order, it became apparent that it was being shaped by a number of different ideas, memories, books and more. There was a specific moment, though, when the concept for the central idea – the shifted shadows – came to me. I was walking my dogs, Betsy, Teddy, and Effie, along the beach one early morning. It was cold, just after sunrise, and I noticed that our shadows were very clearly cast across the sand, but also that they were quite distorted: stretched long. With that observation came the inciting incident for The Shadow Order – what would happen, I wondered, if our shadows suddenly started revealing our secret feelings? – and also the characters. It was the presence of the dogs as I had this thought, I suppose, which caused them to become integral to the idea in my mind. Or versions of them, at least. I didn’t start writing the novel for another year or two, but that idea stuck with me, and the world of Copperwell started to build around it, so I knew I had to write it.

You have written for adults and this is your first book for children. Was The Shadow Order always a children’s book?

I never really thought about writing for children, though I’ve long stated that it was a children’s book that made me decide to become a writer. When I read Philip Pullman’s Northern Lights, aged roughly ten, I was so blown away by the characters, the world, (and jealous, of course, of the animal daemons), that I decided immediately that I would become a writer. For some reason, I always imagined I’d be a novelist for adult readers – and I have been and will continue to be. But when the idea for The Shadow Order came to me, I knew it was supposed to be a children’s book. I never questioned that. The concept and the characters came to me quite completely, and, as with all my best story ideas, my task was then to transcribe what was already so well realised in my mind. I ‘see’ my stories in that way: like films, almost; as though they already exist. I was fairly nervous about writing for children. I thought of them as a tougher audience – I still do. But the story existed for me by the time I finished that beach walk, and so I had to tell it.

In terms of the writing process, was writing ‘The Shadow Order’ different to your other

books?

Not really in terms of process. I’m not a great planner and I’m not a great plotter (though I’m a better one now, having written a children’s book!). The story tends to play for me like a film – though not as neatly of course – which I desperately try to get down on paper. I think most writers will say, however, that none of it is ever as good, as vivid, as it is in your mind by the time is reaches the page… I suppose I’m quite a simple writer in that sense, though. I start at the beginning and write to the end, stopping to research when I reach a sticky point. What did feel slightly different was the editing process, which was often focussing on not holding the young reader up, through description, but also through punctuation, for instance. That was a learning curve for me.

Do you have a writing routine?

Absolutely not. I wish I did, but I genuinely don’t have the time. I snatch writing minutes or hours whenever I can. Perhaps if I were a full-time writer, I might develop a routine, but I’m not sure that would suit me particularly. I think those aspects of routine which, by necessity, I lack, are made up for with industriousness. I work incredibly hard, whenever I’m able. And I LOVE the time I spend writing, so I’m always looking forward to it. One of my favourite things to do is get up very early and write while everyone else in the house (dogs included) is still asleep… I suppose there is one aspect of my life which is routine driven, and which certainly feeds into my writing, and that’s my daily walk. I start almost every day with a dog walk and, like many writers, I find that the act of walking allows my ideas to grow and settle in ways I might never have expected. I don’t know whether it’s something to do with the rhythm of footsteps, or being out exploring and experiencing nature, but whatever it is, I don’t feel that I’d be the same writer if I wasn’t able to walk along the coast or amongst trees.

The Shadow Order has a very unique, almost sci-fi idea at its core which is to do with

space, time and horology. Is this something that interests you? (and how on earth did you

come up with it!?)

It does now! Really the idea grew from that one moment I described on the beach. As I wrote further into the novel, the world obviously needed to be more and more realised, it needed to have its own set of rules – a fantasy novel can’t work otherwise. And as the world grew, so too did these ideas around space, time, and horology. I soon realised that Betsy was a keen amateur astronomer and that added another layer to those developing ideas. I won’t pretend to know very much about any of it. I was learning along with the characters. But it certainly was fascinating to write… As for how I came up with it… Who knows? Writing is so often exploration of a question or an idea the writer wants to know more about, and probably that’s what I was doing with this novel – exploring and musing on the human relationship with the natural world and all that we cannot control.

The main characters of the book are inspired by your dogs, not just in name but in

personality too. Did this lead to any confusion for you?

It actually helped me to develop the characters. Oftentimes, characters begin as a true blank slate. But with Betsy, Teddy, and Effie, I had their funny little ways to refer to, to flesh out the characters which would, inevitably, grow apart from their canine counterparts as human concerns increasingly shaped their thoughts and actions. Still, the characters have retained the essence of Betsy, Teddy, and Effie’s personalities, I think. Betsy remains the apparent leader of the pack, but with a need to lean on her friends for support. Teddy still lacks confidence compared to the others, but is loyal and true. And Effie’s mature and more sensible nature reflects that of the real Effie-cocker-spaniel. It was a lot of fun to humanise them in that way.

The world you have created is fantastically realised. What is the key to making it so tangible?

Thank you… Practise! World building is just another facet of writing – like character development or description – and hopefully, the more we do it, the better we get at it. There are techniques, of course: writing the senses, moving your characters with attention through the space, allowing yourself to develop aspects of that world that will never belong on the page, so that you can know and feel them. But really what I’m saying is you have to believe in it. You need to be able to envisage what your characters might do off the page. Just knowing those things, even if they never leave your mind, will enable you to write more convincingly.

You are a keen walker. How important is walking to your writing process – if at all?

Ah, I touched on this earlier! I think it’s hugely important. So many writers walk, and that can’t be coincidental. There might be something to the rhythm of just putting one foot in front of the other which, I don’t know, encourages ideas to … solidify, almost. Perhaps being in nature nurtures creativity. Maybe it is simply that doing something physical, as opposed to sitting still with your thoughts, helps to shape them. I really don’t know; it’s probably all of those things. What I do know, though, is if I don’t walk, I experience the same feeling I get if I can’t write: an itchy, uncomfortable, discontent which can’t be assuaged by any other means.

What do you hope young readers will get out of The Shadow Order? Particularly, what do

you hope they might learn from Betsy, Teddy and Effie’s journey?

I hope The Shadow Order will encourage young readers to explore and adore the natural world, to challenge the systems they live within, and to nurture their true talents, whatever they might be. Those ideas are central to this novel for me. I hope, too, that they will learn to accept themselves, as Betsy, Teddy, and Effie do. That is something I came to later, after I turned thirty, and something which I think we could talk to young people about more, rather than expecting them to figure it out by themselves. Self-acceptance is not necessarily something we all just arrive at over time.

Which of your characters is most like you?

Betsy, probably. She’s the one who reveals the least of herself, and I think that’s one of my traits. I’m very self-contained. I like to be perceived as always calm, always capable, and so does Betsy. I think, though, that we are forever mining different parts of ourselves for characters. They are perhaps all variations on who the writer is or might be.

Tell us about working with Firefly Press.

Working with Firefly Press has been amazing. Penny Thomas is an incredible editor: experienced, wise, and sensitive. She’s taught me a lot about writing for children and in a completely unobtrusive way. I’ve admired Firefly’s books for a long, long time, so when I had the idea for The Shadow Order, I knew exactly where I wanted it to be published. I’m so pleased the Firefly team were willing to take a chance on me as a first-time children’s writer.

You recently set up Aderyn Press. Why did you feel there was a need and will there be

children’s books?

Aderyn is dedicated to adult books – specifically spooky, historical, and speculative stories. There were a lot of reasons for setting up Aderyn. I wanted to help prove that books of wonderful quality, with global appeal, can be produced in Wales. I wanted to offer a home to those stories which ought to be told, but perhaps don’t quite fit within the parameters of big-five publishing. I wanted to be a female business owner. I wanted to publish first-time authors and really support them through the process. I could go on… I decided, though, that this big project needed to have quite a narrow focus for it to work, so I came to the conclusion that I should publish the kind of books I most like to read. ‘Spooky, historical, and speculative’ best summed that up. Aderyn will publish only three titles a year, since I’m going it alone and there really is SO MUCH involved in publishing a book. I’m scheduled up to the end of 2023 with novels which are completely different which all tell compelling, intricate, and heart-breaking and/or hopeful stories.

What books can you recommend for fans of The Shadow Order?

Philip Pullman’s Northern Lights. Anything by Kiran Millwood Hargrave: The Way Past Winter is a favourite of mine. Eloise Williams’ Gaslight. Catherine Fisher’s The Clockwork Crow. October October by Katya Balen. I loved all of these books.

What are you excited about right now?

So much! The Shadow Order publishing, of course. The book I’m publishing next year being announced. The new ideas I have that I want to write. The huge stack of books I have yet to read. Winter – I LOVE the winter. And planning what comes next. I’m not much of a planner when it comes to narrative, but I love planning for life: little excursions; big ambitions. I try to make the most of every minute.

How would your 10 year old self react to what you do now?

My ten-year-old self would be seeing her dream come true! And actually, I think that’s really important to reflect on every now and then. It’s incredibly easy in this industry to always be comparing yourself to someone else and finding yourself lacking. I published a book, but why didn’t a bigger publisher want it? Or… I sold a book, but not in a big auction. Or… why didn’t my book win a major prize? I’m pretty sure everyone falls into those traps now and then, and I definitely include myself in that. But I do try to remind myself that I have fulfilled my ten-year-old self’s dream. I have published books. They exist in the world for people to pick up and read and find their own dreams or comfort or hope in. My ten-year-old self would be ecstatic about that!

Will there be more books for children?

I hope so. I would like The Shadow Order to become a trilogy, as I don’t think Betsy, Teddy, and Effie have finished with me yet, and I do have an idea for their next adventure. But we’ll see!

If you weren’t an author what would you be?

My first dream was to become a tennis player. I was a very practical child, however, and I soon realised that I really wasn’t very good at tennis. Still, I love to watch it and, in my heart of hearts, I can still quite easily envisage myself on centre court at Wimbledon. Ha! I’m a good dreamer, aren’t I? … Like many writers, there are a hundred things I’d like to be. Perhaps that’s part of the reason we’re writers. I’d like to be a historian, a psychologist, an artist. But at the top of the list is a desire to work with animals. I’d love to offer a retirement home to elderly unwanted dogs – as many of them as possible – and see them live out their days happy.

Thanks again to Rebecca for the content and to Karen for organising. The Shadow Order is available to buy now from your local bookshop or direct from Firefly Press.

The Blackthorn Branch by Elen Caldecott

The Blackthorn Branch by Elen Caldecott

**Cover Reveal**

Carnegie Medal nominee and Tir na n-Og Award winner, Elen Caldecott’s new novel is published with Andersen Press on 2 June. We are delighted to present an exclusive reveal of the cover, illustrated by Rachael Dean.

Synopsis

Cassie’s older brother Byron has fallen in with the wrong crowd – it’s soon clear these boys are wild, reckless and not human at all. They are tylwyth teg – Fair Folk, who tempt humans down into the dark places of the world. And Byron is tempted.

When he goes missing, Cassie and her cousin, Siân, follow his trail to an old abandoned railway tunnel which goes down and down into Annwn, the underworld. Here they find that the tylwyth teg are restless – and angry. Their leader, Gwenhidw, wants to protect Annwn from the damage humans are doing to the world. Byron is part of her plan. Cassie won’t let her big brother be part of anyone’s plan. But can rescuing him really be that easy?

Andersen says the book is suitable for age 9+, and there seems no doubt that this is going to become one of our favourite Middle Grade adventures in 2022. Anticipation levels are heightened!

Author, Elen Caldecott, told us, “When I was a child, my sister and I would beg Mum to read to us from her collection of Welsh Folk Tales – both of us had been named after characters in the book (I’d got off lightly with Elen, my poor sister, not so much). We’d listen, enthralled, to stories of the tylwyth teg, the magical creatures who were easily angered, who beguiled careless humans and led them astray. As an adult, I wanted to return to these stories. But now, I wondered, what would the tylwyth teg make of post-industrial Wales? What would they make of council estates, of children on tablets and smart phones, of chapels converted into flats or boarded-up completely? What would these creatures of legend make of the Wales of today? In The Blackthorn Branch, the past and the present, the myth and the reality, come together in one story. It was a joy to write, and I hope that young readers find just as much to love about it as my sister and I found in those old tales.”

Cover artist Rachael Dean lives in a seaside village just north of Liverpool. Her work is traditionally and digitally painted, and she loves to illustrate natural scenery. She recently became the new illustrator for Dame Jacqueline Wilson and has also illustrated covers for Sally Nicholls, Aisha Bushby, Lauren St John and Bali Rae.

On illustrating The Blackthorn Branch, Rachael told us, “I thoroughly enjoyed delving into the world of welsh folklore for The Blackthorn Branch cover. It was a wonderful story to illustrate and I absolutely loved working on the decorative elements!”

Elen Caldecott grew up in North Wales. After her Welsh language education she studied archaeology and then creative writing, graduating with an MA in Writing for Young People from Bath Spa University. Her debut novel, How Kirsty Jenkins Stole the Elephant, was shortlisted for the Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize and longlisted for the Carnegie Medal.

Huge thanks to Andersen Press for inviting us to host this reveal! Follow Elen on Twitter or visit her website. You can also follow illustrator Rachael Dean on Twitter and find out more at her website.

To preorder The Blackthorn Branch by Elen Caldecott, please ask at your local independent bookshop, or follow these links to Waterstones and Hive.

The Boy in The Post by Holly Rivers

The Boy in The Post by Holly Rivers

What’s the strangest thing to be sent through the post? Well, after a few hours down several internet rabbit holes, I can tell you that there are no limits to the things that people have attempted to send through our beloved Royal Mail. Pets, children, suffragettes, bricks, shepherd’s pie (warm), game (just a label around the neck will do) and a severed ear have all been wrapped and sent in the history of the international postal service. “Mail artists” have sought to push the envelope (thank you very much) and write addresses on unwrapped items such as leaves, apples, potatoes and a piece of toast.

It appears Holly Rivers was inspired by these tales to write The Boy in The Post (charming and funny with a golden heart), her second novel with Chicken House. The book features children mailing themselves to New York in order to solve their problem. You see, the Shalloo siblings have taken on a job for the summer holidays. Their mum is too wrapped up in her second-hand car business to give them her attention and so they answer the call of Grandy Brock to help him establish a new kind of postal service. The kind of postal service that has animals delivering the mail. Animails. Yes that’s right – Grandy Brock has a menagerie of feathers and furs (as well as a rather impressive number of his own children) and is trying to get his new business venture off the ground.

Taber, the youngest of the Shalloo siblings, is responsible for training Geronimo, a pelican, to find it’s way home. Using inbuilt navigation systems, this all goes rather swimmingly (soaringly?) and the bird becomes the best homing pelican you can imagine. However, following an international flight, the bird fails to return home and Taber holds himself responsible. The young boy takes off in the middle of the night, posting himself with a shipment to New York. Taber’s brother and sister become very concerned for him and crate themselves off in a similar manner, embarking on the adventure of a lifetime.

The book has a very classic, vintage feel. The characters are brilliant – written with so much joy you can’t fail to fall in love with them. Grandy Brock is a favourite. He’s eccentric and peculiar but has “a mischievous twinkle in his eyes that hinted at adventure and excitement and fun.” He’s warm and generous and shows kindness that the Shalloo siblings have rarely seen. The book is also laden with some of the best postal-related puns you are ever likely to feast on (it’s all in the delivery!) Now that’s definitely something to write home about.

We’re delighted to be able to share this Q and A with Holly Rivers which delves a bit further into the inspiration behind the book:

Tell us a little about your new novel, The Boy in the Post

The Boy in the Post is a postal-themed adventure story set across land, sea and sky! It follows the Shalloo siblings — adventurous twelve year old Orinthia; nature-loving five year old Taber; and sensible middle child Séafra.

During the summer holidays the three siblings accept a summer job from an eccentric old man called Grandy Brock who lives in a tumbledown windmill. He and his five adopted children are opening a very special postal service called The Mailbox Menagerie, which is to be staffed entirely by animals and birds! The Shalloo siblings become especially fond of Geronimo, a homing pelican. But when the big bird fails to return from a delivery to New York, the Shalloo siblings have no choice but to post themselves across the Atlantic to find her…

What inspired the story?

The story was inspired by a fascinating article published by The Smithsonian Institute, about children who were sent through the mail in the 1900s.  Yes, back then it was legal to send your kids through the post! The first child delivered by the U.S. parcel post service was a boy in Ohio, in 1913 — his parents paid 15 cents for the stamps and insured their son for $50, who was then delivered to his Grandmother’s house a few miles away. Even though these children weren’t technically stuffed into mailbags (and instead travelled in the mail vans of trusted postmen) I couldn’t help but start imagining prospective characters being wrapped in brown paper and stamps being stuck to their foreheads; and the idea for The Boy in the Post was born!

What was your favourite piece of information that you uncovered in your research?

I loved reading about loads of other weird and wonderful things that have been sent through the post and intercepted over the years — a turnip with the recipient’s address carved into its flesh; a hive of live bees; false teeth; jars of scorpions; prosthetic limbs; a pair of underpants with an address scrawled across the crotch; a first edition copy of Ulysses deemed ‘obscene’; a brace of game birds; a tree trunk; a building’s worth of bricks; and two suffragettes hoping to get to Herbert Asquith! The bizarre and eccentric side of humanity never fails to inspire and entertain me!

Who were your favourite characters to write?

I had a hoot (excuse the pun) coming up with ideas for my animails — the animals and birds that work at The Mailbox Menagerie. I really let my imagination run wild and ended up penning a homing pelican who gets paid in sardines; a fruit bat who will only work the night shift; a pair of Sphynx cats in charge of licking stamps; an octopus who can deliver 8 parcels at a time; and snakes who cane spell out postcodes with their bodies. All the while I had my own pet chihuahua, Silver snuggled up on my lap — whose snores and farts and woofs made the experience all the richer! She even turns up in the last chapter of the book…..

What do you think the key message is to take away from the book?

I hope that the story inspires readers to embrace more old-school ways of communicating in their post-pandemic lives. During lockdown — a time dominated by zoom calls and emails — sending and receiving  letters from family and friends during brought me so much joy; and there was nothing lovelier than hearing the postman coming up the garden path. I hope the book inspires children to switch off their screens, go buy some stamps and put pen to paper. I’m always open to receiving letters from new pen-pals!

You wrote the book during lockdown, how was that as an experience compared to writing your first novel Demelza and the Spectre Detectors?

When I was working on Demelza I was able to take my laptop to so many different locations to write — libraries, cosy pubs, cafes, parks, the northbound Piccadilly line, number 91 bus! But because of lockdown and the fact that all of our worlds had suddenly become a lot smaller, the entirety of The Boy in The Post was written at an antique desk gifted to me by Grandma. I was surprisingly focused and motivated during lockdown and managed to write the first draft of the book fairly quickly. Penning an epic transatlantic adventure also meant that I could travel the world and go on a journey even though I wasn’t allowed to leave the house — it felt like a real tonic!

You work as a children’s workshop facilitator, does this help to inform your writing?

As you can see from the acknowledgments sections of both Demelza and The Boy In The Post, the children I work with are a huge inspiration to me and my writing. They buoy me with their ideas, energy, humour, warmth and imagination, and I’m  always jotting down the unusual and funny things they come out with! Being around children so much reminds me to remain playful, and they stop me from turning into too much of a grumpy old grown-up!

Thank you to Holly and Laura for the Q and A and for allowing us to host today’s post on the Blog Tour. The Boy in The Post is available now to buy in your local independent bookshop, published by Chicken House. You can follow Holly on Twitter.

Thimble and the Girl from Mars Blog Tour

It’s a totally bonkers feeling that we get to celebrate the publication day of Thimble and the Girl from Mars with you. An honour and a pleasure to be kicking off this blog tour.

We first met Thimble, the anarchic Monkey Superstar, around 4 years ago. The debut was a fresh and funny madcap adventure full of hilarious slapstick episodes. Plenty of toilet humour and unbelievable escapades, with the parents (particularly Douglas, the dad) ending up as the ‘butt’ of the joke. Our children have laughed out loud with Thimble and Jams and have grown up loving this favourite series.

That first book was rightly nominated for the Lollies Laugh Out Loud Award, at which point Jon Blake wrote us a rather wonderful blog introducing Thimble to the nation. Do check it out.

Subsequent books, Holiday Havoc and Wonga Bonkers, continued to thrill new generations of the Bookworms family and even inspired one to commit an outrageous act in a branch of IKEA.

All this brings us to Thimble and the Girl from Mars, the newly published installment featuring an extremely unlikeable girl who wants to claim Thimble as her own. This feisty and intelligent foster child, with fantastic football skills, is a mean match for Jams as she manipulates his family and charms his primate pal. Jams needs to use all his wits to keep Thimble on his side. Just like the rest of the series, this is great fun, fast-paced, light-hearted and ever so slightly unhinged!

Jon Blake has written over 60 books for children (and many more radio scripts and books for adults). He is well used to questions, having regularly carried out school visits. Indeed he answered our Q and A back in 2017. But “What are the best questions that children have asked Jon Blake?” we hear you call through the Internet. Here is some exclusive Blog Tour content:

We are very grateful to Jon for sharing this video with us and look forward to finishing Thimble and the Girl from Mars as our current bedtime read. The book is out now and you can buy signed copies from Jon here. Follow Jon and illustrator Martin on Twitter, and check out Jon’s website because there is plenty to explore!

The Queen on Our Corner Book Tour

The Queen on our Corner is a very special picture book written by Lucy Christopher and illustrated by Nia Tudor. Both Lucy and Nia were born in Wales so we are delighted to take part in this book tour (and even without the Welsh connection, we’d jump at the chance to celebrate such a lovely book!).

The Queen in question is a homeless lady who lives on the corner of the street with her pet dog. She is ignored by most, feared by some and often seen as a nuisance. But as Lucy Christopher writes, “She is just tired from all the battles she has fought and won, and the ones she has fought and lost too.” The adult reader may see real-world problems in this statement, but the child narrator imagines the fascinating adventures that the Queen may have had combatting dragons and journeying to the far reaches of the globe. It is clear that illustrator Nia Tudor enjoyed these flights of fancy too and these imaginings form the basis for the wonderful endpapers.

Later in the book, the Queen is responsible for an act of extreme braveness and kindness which averts a certain disaster in the street. Suddenly, attitudes change and the residents want to give their thanks and support to the lady who they now acknowledge. But what can they do to show their gratitude? The child narrator has a wonderfully generous and heart-warming thought, but you’ll need to read or listen to the book yourself to find out!

Lucy Christopher was inspired to write this story by the compassion and charity of her friends. She urges all readers to look for the queens in their lives and to reach out. Don’t you think we should treat everyone like a queen? You never know the adventures they have had in their lives.

We absolutely adore Nia’s illustrations in The Queen On Our Corner, her first published picture book. The autumnal palette is just gorgeous and we love the characterisation of the people in the street and have enjoyed spotting the nods to adventure through hidden items in the wonderful spreads. Nia was very kind and answered a few questions from bookworms Kit and Nina to mark the occasion.

What was your first reaction to Lucy Christopher’s words? I thought it was a beautiful story with an important message, and I instantly started imagining the possibilities for the illustrations.

What is your favourite illustration in the book? The picture that shows the whole street. I loved how much detail I was able to put into it.

How do you illustrate? I illustrate digitally using my iPad Pro and Apple Pencil in Procreate.

What is your reaction to seeing the book in the shops? It’s very surreal! I’m just really flattered that there are people out there who are enjoying the book.

We love the dragons and mountains that you included in the book. Are you inspired by Wales? Yes, it was great to include a little homage to my heritage through the dragon!

THE QUEEN ON OUR CORNER is now available in all good bookshops! OR, buy your copy from Lantana’s online shop and donate a book to children who need books the most with your purchase.

Thank you to Katrina and Lantana for inviting us to participate in the book tour. You can follow Lucy, Nia and Lantana on Twitter, and find out more about the author and illustrator at their websites.

Blog Tour: His Royal Hopeless

We are very happy to be part of the blog tour for His Royal Hopeless, the debut novel from Chloë Perrin, published by Chicken House. We heard that Chloë had been brought up in North Wales so were keen to support them and find out more.

His Royal Hopeless is funny, tender and wise, centering on Robbie – the heir to the Sinistevils – the most wicked dynasty in the world. He can’t wait to pledge his heart to the menacing power of the family Sceptre and embark on his bloodthirsty future. The thing is, Robbie is … well … nice. And when he discovers his heart has been swapped for clockwork, he’s incapable of believing Mother had dark intentions. Instead, he embarks on a quest to retrieve his heart, claim his wicked destiny, and secure Mother’s pride at last. But Mother has other ideas …

Billed as ‘Despicable Me’ meets ‘The Descendants’, this is a fun and absorbing fairy tale from a new voice in middle-grade fiction.

What are you reading at the moment?

I’m reading The Peculiar Tale of the Tentacle Boy by Richard Pickard at the moment – it’s an offbeat adventure about a girl and a mysterious boy with tentacles for hair and crab claws for hands. It’s really heartfelt, funny and wonderfully twisted (all my favourite things in a book).

What are your favourite books?

I absolutely LOVE Terry Pratchett and the Discworld series, his “fantasy-gone-wrong” tone really influenced me as a writer! I also love Diana Wynne Jones’ Howl’s Moving Castle, for the wonderful and hilarious characters but also for the complete Welsh-ness of it all.

Where and when do you write? Do you have a routine?

My writing routine is woefully non-existent!! I tend to end up writing in any spare moment I have, usually late at night fuelled by dangerous amounts of coffee and toast (would not recommend).

What was your journey to publication?

My journey to publication was quite a fun one. I entered His Royal Hopeless in the Times Chicken House competition in 2019 and was longlisted, which was amazing! However, when I didn’t make the shortlist I assumed HRH’s journey was over for the time being- until I got a phone call from Chicken House saying that while HRH wasn’t right for the competition they still wanted to have a chat about it. A coffee-shop meeting and several panicked emails to my university lecturers with the subject header “what do I do what do I do???” later, and HRH was on its way to publication!

You are a “North Walian writer who currently lives in London”. Tell us about your Welsh upbringing.

I grew up in the tourist town of Llandudno and lived there for most of my life. Llandudno isn’t such a rural area but there’s still mountains whichever way you look, castle ruins down the road and wild goats wandering the streets completely nonplussed by the people. And, of course, there’s Snowdon, Yr Wyddfa, less than an hour away. I love the history you see walking around London, but nothing will beat the wildness of North Wales for me.

Does Wales or coming from Wales, have any influence on your writing?

I think all the things I mentioned about North Wales in the previous question pretty much set me up to write fantasy-adventure stories. The fact that Robbie and Layla need to traverse through deep forests and treacherous mountains is a very Welsh influence on HRH. I also used to work as a storyteller, which involved reciting Welsh folklore by heart, and the constant practice of retelling exciting and often frightening stories about castles and magic and devious villains really moulded what I’d eventually end up writing down.

In His Royal Hopeless, there is an optimistic message for readers about forging your own path and accepting yourself for who you are. How deliberate and planned was this?

Without giving anything away, I always wanted HRH to be a book about understanding yourself in spite of what the world around you is telling you to be, so it was very deliberate. The optimism, I went back and forth on- I appreciate children’s books that give layers of reality to the lessons they teach, and I definitely didn’t want to completely sugar coat the ending of HRH. Hopefully I struck the right balance, but we’ll see what people think!

What are your hopes for His Royal Hopeless?

I hope that HRH will give perspective to people who may be in Robbie’s situation without realising it. It’s SO easy for us to get stuck trying to be something that’s actually harming us, and no one is immune to Robbie’s level of obliviousness. But honestly, I’ll just be happy if the readers laugh at the jokes!

What’s the best piece of writing advice you have received?

Have projects ready. They don’t need to be polished, but when competitions start calling for submissions you don’t want to be stuck with only a third of a first draft to hand.

The book is brilliantly illustrated by George Ermos, including some internal illustrations. What were your thoughts when you first saw them?

I ADORED them!! My biggest anxiety around HRH wasn’t “what if people don’t like it?”, but “what if it has a bad cover?” The moment I was told George Ermos was designing it, however, I never had that worry again. I was honestly stunned by the final design. George Ermos has done an absolutely amazing job. And Robbie’s crown! I very much want that crown.

Could you recommend any other books for those who enjoy His Royal Hopeless?

The books I mentioned before – any of Pratchett’s middle grade work or Diana Wynne Jones’ Howl’s Moving Castle. I wouldn’t dare put myself on their level but we do share a “this is fantasy but not quite how you remember it” tone I know children will love. Also, they’re hilarious.

Do you have any other projects on the horizon?

A few little things, but I’ll also be starting my Creative Writing MA at Brunel University London this year so I’m going to be busy either way!

What question have we forgotten to ask you?

What my favourite sweet is, and it’s Terry’s Chocolate Oranges. And yes, if you see me in the street you should definitely hand me one and I will graciously accept it.

HIS ROYAL HOPELESS by Chloë Perrin is out now in paperback (£6.99, Chicken House), available from all good bookshops including your local independent store.

Thank you to Chloë for answering our questions. Follow Chloë on Instagram @chloeperrin_author and Twitter @ChloePerrinUK 

Cover Reveal: I Give You The Moon

Ffion Jones’s new book, I Give You The Moon, will be published by Ventorros Press in November. It is inspired by a young boy from Bolton who died from a brain tumour and his younger sister Leyla. Baran Akarca, aged eight, died in January, having had a rare cancer since he was just two years old.

During lockdown Ffion set up a social enterprise called Fly Me Stories to send personalised stories to seriously unwell children in hospitals and hospices. Baran and his sister received a story when he was seriously ill and he sadly passed away shortly afterwards.

Ffion wanted to write a special story for them, celebrating the enduring bond between siblings. “I have two children myself and I really felt for them all. The pictures and videos of Baran and Leyla together really touched me and I wanted to write something special for the family celebrating that unique bond between siblings.”

The book is illustrated by fellow Welsh illustrator Gareth Jones, who also illustrated “Golden Flowers for Little Dragon,” Ffion’s book about sibling bereavement which is out in October with the Book Guild. Annabel, Baran and Leyla’s mum, said “We are so excited about the book and we feel it’s a wonderful way to keep Baran’s memory alive. He was a very special boy, not just to us as his family, but also to all who met him or heard about him.” http://ffijones.com

I Give You The Moon is published by Ventorros Press in November. You can pre-order from Waterstones and further information is available at Ffion’s website. You can follow Ffion and illustrator Gareth on Twitter.


Dr Ffion Jones Biography

Ffion Jones is a children’s author and illustrator, focusing on books that deal with challenging subjects. She has a PhD in English Literature from the University of Wales, Bangor. She writes and illustrates the Nurse Ted series (www.nurseted.com), which is used worldwide to help parents explain serious illness such as cancer to children. More recently, she founded a social enterprise called Fly Me Stories (www.flymestories.com) which sends personalised stories to seriously unwell children all around the UK. Her other books include Emily is Being Bullied: What Can She Do? co-authored with Professor Helen Cowie and Dr Harriet Tenenbaum (Jessica Kingsley Publisher, 2018), A School for Everyone: Stories & Lesson Plans to Teach Inclusivity & Social Issues (Jones, Cowie, Tenenbaum, Jessica Kingsley Publisher, September 2021) and I Give You The Moon (Ventorros Press, November 2021). Ffion lives in Swansea.