Tim Flanagan's Blog, page 19

Interview with Lawrence Pinkley

In preparation for the release of the first Lawrence Pinkley mystery, The Curious Disappearance of Professor Brown, within the next two weeks, I thought it would be nice to get Mr Pinkley to visit my blog. Here is an interesting and candid interview I conducted with him yesterday in a secret hotel room in London.

Tim Flanagan : Good afternoon Lawrence. Your first book is due to be released in less than two weeks, how would you describe your journey?

Lawrence Pinkley : Well, I got a train from Whitby to Kings Cross Station, then a taxi to the Dorchester. It was a pleasant journey, but I wouldn’t recommend the cheese sandwich – bit limp!

TF : What about your metaphorical journey to print? How did the book come about?

LP : As you know, I first met you at a book signing event in Yorkshire. I was searching the shelves looking for Volume 2 of The History of Fake Moustaches when you asked if you could borrow my hat to escape a crowd of teenage fans. Once we had successfully left the building and grabbed a coffee we began talking. You asked about my outfit and I told you my story. We met up several times after that when I talked about some of the cases I have worked on whilst you scribbled away in your notebooks. Later you introduced me to Dylan Gibson, who began sketching me whilst we talked.

TF : You have become quite a celebrity in Whitby I believe?

LP : Yes, they’ve even named a small woodland after me – Pinkley Copse. I’m told it’s a popular place for dog walkers to visit.

TF : You were unexpectedly thrown into the Private Detective business when your father died – had you any previous experience in this field before then?

LP : Only a little. My father took interest in the strangest of small details. We would often play games trying to work out information about people we had never met. I always thought it was just him inventing stories, but now I know he was observing the world around him and understanding the people in it. For example, the tears on an envelope would indicate a left or right handed person. The way someone walked could tell him something of their medical problems, or the how their eye contact could betray their reactions.

TF : I know a lot of readers will want to know why you wear a Fedora Hat and trench coat?

LP : That’s my fathers fault. It’s one of the stipulations of my inheritance. Apart from the office, which is where I live, and the detective business, all his money is withheld for five years. I have to run the Private Investigation business and uphold the image that my father developed for that time for the money to be released. He read a book about branding once and got carried away with the idea. But, people seem to like old fashioned things. I actually feel quite comfortable in the uniform now.

TF : What do you think you will do when the five years is up?

LP : Five years is a long time, Tim. Ask me again nearer the time.

TF : The Curious Disappearance of Professor Brown was your first high profile case, what others have you done since?

LP : I have to respect client confidentiality, but what I can say is that I am currently working on a sensitive case with Hollywood movie star, Dunstely Prude of the Jim Stick Spy film franchise. When I have some free time we could schedule some more meetings to document that case. I think your readers might enjoy a bit of Hollywood glamour.

TF : I’m sure they would. We must schedule those in for next year. Okay, some fun questions from fans: Maria wants to know what you like to eat for breakfast?

LP : Well that’s an odd question?

TF : I think she likes you…

LP : I like a toasted teacake with coffee. It’s especially tasty with melted cinnamon butter on the top – finger licking good!

TF : Daisy asked: what do you like doing when you’re not working?

LP : I have a strange fascination for carnivorous plants, I like playing Angry Birds on my phone and walking along the cliffs around Whitby.

TF : Well, thanks for having a chat Lawrence. I know you have a train to catch back up to Yorkshire.

LP : Thanks Tim. I’ll be in touch…

Coming Next

EXCLUSIVE SHORT STORY – Test your detective skills – All the clues are there!! First person to correctly solve the mystery will win a set of limited edition signed artwork from the book.

First 2 Chapters FREE – The Curious Disappearance of Professor Brown

Friday 15th of November is not far away now! The Kindle version of The Curious Disappearance of Professor Brown will be released on that day, closely followed by a beautiful large format colour paperback – perfect stocking fillers!!

Today I’m releasing the first two chapters of the book, together with the artwork that goes with those chapters. Everyone who leaves a comment on this post will be put into a draw to receive a free ebook copy once it is released. Don’t worry – there are other competitions coming very soon, giving you more chances to win ebooks and exclusive limited edition signed artwork.

Ladies and gentleman – I give you Lawrence Pinkley in The Curious Disappearance of Professor Brown…

CHAPTER 1. A Monkey Mystery

Have you ever wanted to be a detective

When my father died, I inherited a large sum of money, but I couldn’t touch it until after I had run his private detective business—Pinkley Investigation Group, or PIG, for short—for five years. I wanted to be a detective as much as I wanted to wear underpants made from sandpaper, but my dad’s instructions were clear.

The job came with a few other conditions, too. My father had always been a fan of the 1930’s, when all good private detectives were American and wore brown trench coats, white shirts, and Trilby hats.

But this was not Chicago; it was Whitby, in the cold north east of England.

Whitby was your traditional English coastal town: wet, windy, and smelling of fish. Whitby’s biggest claim to fame was the abbey made famous for being a scene from Dracula. Saturdays added new sights and smells brought by the market, but included yet more fish.

So here was I, Lawrence Pinkley—eighteen years old, in possession of a moth-eaten trench coat and greasy-rimmed hat, sitting inside a stale, smelly room— every young man’s dream.

It was a rainy, grey Monday morning. There was nothing else to do but tidy away some of the folders that contained my father’s life’s work. As I stacked them in a pile I added a tatty brown folder of my own, one that contained the case notes from my first investigation.

I had been called to the local wildlife park, where one of their monkeys had gone missing. “I’m here about the missing monkey,” I said to the girl at the ticket kiosk.

After a short wait, a tall, athletic-looking man with a blonde moustache appeared from behind an office door. “Hello there. Are you from PIG?” he asked in a loud, old-fashioned English accent.

“Yes sir, I’m here to investigate your missing monkey,” I said, offering him my hand to shake. “Lawrence Pinkley, Private Detective.”

“Major Bumble, Zoo Manager,” he said in reply, shaking my hand with a strong grip. “Mr Dingley, I’m so glad you could come.”

“It’s Pinkley,” I corrected. People often pronounced my name wrong, but I was used to it.

Major Bumble continued as if I hadn’t corrected him. “I arrived this morning to find that one of our Tibetan Red-Bottomed monkeys had gone missing.”

“And you are quite sure the monkey was here last night?”

“I can assure you, Mr Dingley—”

“Pinkley,” I interrupted once again.

“—that everything was correct before I left. I pride myself on completing a thorough check of the zoo every single night,” he explained.

“Could you tell me more about the monkey, Major?”

“Yes, of course. The young chap’s called a Tibetan Red-Bottomed monkey, so you can probably guess what his most recognisable feature is. They are quite rare, really. Worth a bit, I’d say.”

“Has anyone expressed an interest in buying the monkey?”

“Buying it? No. The only people we hear from these days are those people who think it’s cruel to lock up animals. If it were up to them, we’d have lions and tigers roaming the country, weeing up car tyres and leaving giant tiger turds on our lawns.” The Major’s cheeks puffed red. “Would be like the game hunts of Kenya all over again. Rhinos hanging around street corners and baboons harassing old ladies. Simply wouldn’t do, now would it?”

“Certainly not. Do you have a picture of the chimp, to help in me in my investigations?”

Major Bumble pulled a photograph out of his jacket.

Looking at the picture, it was easy to see where the animal got its name. It was a surprise that no one had seen its ripe behind disappearing up the nearest tree. It made me wonder why the monkey would be the lucky owner of such a red rear. Maybe it was due to its limited and prickly diet, or possibly a lack of soft jungle toilet tissue.

If an animal lover had taken it, it wouldn’t be long before we started hearing of sightings. After all, it would be quite against their beliefs to keep an animal drugged and confined to an escape sack for longer than necessary, so they would have released it at the first opportunity.

I decided to spend the afternoon exploring the countryside around the zoo, trying to tease the monkey from its hiding place with bananas hanging from my belt. A cloud of flies and wasps quickly began to follow me, attracted by my fruity perfume.

After two hours I had seen no sign of the monkey, so I sat down on the grass to have a rest. I had completely forgotten to remove the bananas attached to the back of the belt, which had pointy ends and caused some discomfort. My squealing attracted looks from concerned dog walkers, but no red-bottomed monkey.

The following day, I returned to the wildlife park. I needed to take a look at the animal’s enclosure to see if there were any clues to its disappearance. Major Bumble led me from the entrance kiosks past the tiger enclosure to a building that looked more like a museum than somewhere you would house an animal.

It was only then that he told me the missing monkey was actually a showpiece in a stuffed animal display, and not a live animal at all.

Aargh!

Rule one of the detective handbook: ask the right questions before wasting time in the field!

“Was anyone working in the museum the night of the theft?” I asked Major Bumble.

“The cleaner would have been the last to leave.”

Putting my banana encounter behind me, I decided to question the only member of staff that had been present on the evening of the disappearance: Mrs Shirley Buff, the cleaner.

Mrs Buff was a short podgy woman that could easily have passed for a school dinner lady. “Oh yes, Mr Pinkleak—”

“Pinkley.”

“—I was in the museum as usual. Mr Buff was going to be home late, so I told the major I would stay after all the visitors had gone home and give the cabinets a good polishing. Those kids do leave so many finger marks on the glass!

“Anyway, I worked my way towards the monkey display, as I do every night, and I saw the red rear of that monkey. I often look at his lovely big red bum and wonder why he’s like that. Mr Buff says he probably had fleas or something that made him scratch a little too vigorously, if you know what he means. Anyway, I saw his matted fur and thought he needed a bit of a clean, so I took him home for a shampoo and blow dry.”

Major Bumble gasped, the ends of his moustache raised almost to his eyes, whilst he clutched at his chest in shock.

“Mr Buff kindly gave his teeth a polish, and he looks as good as new. His fur took longer to dry than I thought, so he’s been hanging on the washing line. Amazing what a bit of shampoo and conditioner can do. The red-cheeked chap’s wrapped up in a blanket on the back of my moped. He’s all ready go back in the display.”

Accompanied by Major Bumble’s mutterings of disbelief, Mrs Buff took us to her moped. There, wrapped in a blue fleecy blanket, sat the Tibetan Red-Bottomed Monkey, his soft downy fur standing on end as if he’d been subjected to an electric shock. Static crackled as Mrs Buff removed the blanket and handed him to the major.

Case solved.

I don’t know what happened to Mrs Buff, but I had heard rumours she was now working in a nudist camp in Scarborough, polishing the tops of bar stools.

Reclining in my chair, I wondered what my father would have done differently if he’d been here. One thing I’d learnt from the monkey mystery was to ask the right questions, not jump to conclusions, and examine the evidence closely right from the beginning. If I had, I probably wouldn’t have had my own close encounter with a banana. I adjusted the pillow on my chair.

That’s the sort of thing a P.I. does. Missing items, the things the local police force lose interest in or don’t class as important, as well as situations of a more peculiar nature.

I kicked my chair away from the desk, unhooked my trench coat from the stand, positioned the trilby firmly over my wild hair, and walked out of the office.

I went to get a coffee: cream with two sugars. Stirred, not shaken.

CHAPTER 2. Brea kfast at Piffany’s

After leaving the office, I made my way to a little coffee bar I had recently made my local hangout. “Piffany’s” was etched on the outside of the glass windows, and trendy canvas photographs hung on the walls. It was named after its owner, Randolph Piffany, a gentleman of unknown origin. Randolph—Randy to his friends—was rarely seen inside the café; he seemed to prefer spending his time at home on his computer.

The glass counter of the coffee bar displayed enough different cakes and pastries to tempt even the strictest dieter, together with an overly large variety of coffees available at overly large prices. But I liked it there.

Rather, I liked one of the waitresses that worked there.

I found a small table in a shaded corner and sat down.

Only a few of the tables were occupied this morning. A giggly young couple held hands around an oversized cappuccino, whilst at another table, an elderly man with a bushy black moustache was studying the menu, looking confused and worried.

“Morning, Mr Pinkley.” The young waitress smiled as she approached me. “What can I get you?” Her short blonde hair was tucked neatly behind her ears, and she was the only person I have ever met who managed to say my name properly.

“Hi, Vicky. The usual, please.” I smiled back at her.

“I should have guessed,” she joked and went back behind the bar.

The usual consisted of a toasted teacake accompanied by a coffee with cream—no frothy top, no flavourings, no ice, no bits, and no bobs.

I took the local newspaper from a stand on the wall and spread it out on the table. Front page news reported that a cut in budget would mean the Whitby Christmas lights this year would be reduced to eight flashing LEDs, one threadbare string of red tinsel, and one conifer tree (to be retained in its pot for recycling the following year).

As I scanned through the front-page article, Vicky brought my breakfast to the table.

“Lovely. Thanks, Vicky.”

“No problem, Mr Pinkley. Always nice to see you,” she said with a smile. “How’s business?”

“Not bad,” I said. I took a bite of the teacake and wiped a dribble of melted butter off my chin. “I just helped recover a very valuable and rare monkey that had gone missing from the wildlife park.” I dropped two sugar cubes into the coffee. “Maybe—if you’re free one day—we could go down there? Together?” I asked hesitantly, feeling rather embarrassed.

Vicky blushed slightly, “I—”

“Mr Pringley, I presume!” interrupted a soft but commanding voice from the entrance.

The smile dropped from Vicky’s face, and she turned around.

An elegantly dressed woman had entered Piffany’s and seemed to be floating gracefully towards my table.

I looked over to Vicky, but she had already retreated behind the bar.

“It’s Pinkley, Lawrence Pinkley,” I corrected.

“Whatever,” she said, standing in front of my table. “I’m Brown, Russet Brown,” and she was. Her red-brown hair tumbled across her shoulders, framing an olive-toned face and dark brown eyes. A thick coat that reached down to her knees was tightly wrapped around her body.

The scent of her perfume carried on the breeze from the open door. It had an exotic, sweet smell that matched the wearer perfectly.

“May I?” Miss Brown motioned to the chair opposite my own.

“Of course,” I answered as I made an effort to politely stand.

I cast an apologetic look to Vicky, but she was noisily creating the froth for a coffee. She didn’t look up.

“What can I do for you?” I asked.

Miss Brown glanced at the newspaper spread out on the table. “I see you’ve been reading the local gazette, Mr Pringley, so you may already know why I’m here.”

“You wanted to see me about the Christmas decorations?” I replied.

“No, I am the eldest daughter of Professor Cobalt Brown, the world famous plant scientist,” she said dramatically.

The name meant nothing to me, but I tried to look impressed, for appearance’s sake.

‘My father mysteriously disappeared three days ago from his laboratory in Goathland, on the North York Moors, and has not been seen since. There were signs in his office door of a break-in—papers and equipment were scattered all over the floor—but nothing had been stolen. The laboratory assistant made a list of all of the equipment and supplies, which the police checked against the room contents. The only thing not present was my father.”

Miss Brown sniffed and lightly dabbed a tissue against her nose. She then reached over and began nibbling delicately on one half of my toasted teacake. She was clearly upset, so I didn’t like to protest. I looked up guiltily to see if Vicky had noticed I was sharing my teacake with Miss Brown. Fortunately she was re-sticking a blue plaster back on her finger after its little adventure into a tuna mayonnaise club sandwich.

I waited until Miss Brown had sufficiently composed herself.

“I’m afraid the police have registered him as a missing person and at the moment can do nothing else.”

“Do you think your father was kidnapped?” I assumed she was there to consult with me as a detective rather than just wanting to talk about her problems to the first stranger with a hot buttered teacake that she saw.

“Possibly,” she responded.

“Would there be any other reason for him to go missing? Arguments with your mother, for example, or with you?”

“My mother, Golden Brown, has been dead now for six years. He has no other relatives except for me and my younger sister, Sienna Brown, who is currently living in America. I have a very good relationship with my father, and I can assure you that he is not the sort of man to run away.”

“So if your father was kidnapped, do you have any idea who may have done it and why?” I asked.

“I don’t know who, Mr Pringley, but I assume the why would be the sensitive nature of his work. The night before he disappeared, he came home all excited. He couldn’t contain himself. I hadn’t seen him looking so young and alive for years.” She smiled as if remembering the image.

“Did he say why?”

“He mentioned an exciting development on an experiment that involved pumpkins.”

Well, I’m excited, I thought sarcastically.

“Could you help me find my father, Mr Pringley?” she finally asked. “Money is no object. I will pay you twice your normal fee. I just need to know where he is.”

Twice the normal fee!

I quickly made my decision. “Of course I’m happy to help, but I will need a little more information about certain aspects of his disappearance first.” After the case with the missing monkey, I wanted to make sure I had all the information I needed right from the start.

“Thank you, Mr Pringley.” She ate the rest of my teacake.

I took my notebook from my coat pocket. “Where did Professor Brown work?”

“He was working at a research laboratory on the outskirts of Goathland. The facility belonging to the ZIT Corporation,” answered Miss Brown, who now had a raisin skin stuck to her front tooth.

I chewed on the end of the pen. “What does the ZIT Corporation stand for?”

“I believe they’re all for equal opportunities and the female vote, but I don’t see what moral issues have to do with my father’s disappearance.”

I tried again. “No, you misunderstand me. Do you know what the initials Z.I.T. stand for?”

“Zenith Intellectual Technology.”

“You mentioned a laboratory assistant— what’s his name?”

“Rodney Tangle. Nice chap, but a bit slow.”

I scribbled the name in my notebook. “Thank you, Miss Brown; this gives me something to start on. Do you have a number I can reach you on if I have any further questions?”

I wrote down Miss Brown’s telephone number and slid the notebook back inside my coat pocket.

Miss Brown stood to leave. “Goodbye for now.”

“I’ll be in touch,” I said as I shook her gloved hand.

As she floated out of the door, Vicky came back over to the table.

“Here you go, Mr Pinkley. Another toasted teacake.” Vicky gave a sympathetic smile. “And this one’s not for sharing. Except with me.”

“Are you free Saturday night?” I quickly asked before I lost my nerve.

“Why?” she teased, obviously pretending not to understand the meaning of my question.

“I’d like to cook you a meal.”

“I would like that very much, Mr Pinkley.”

“Please,” I said. “Call me Lawrence.”

THE END… for now!

Coming next:

An Exclusive interview with Mr Lawrence Pinkley

Don’t forget to leave a comment under this post to be in with a chance of winning an ebook copy of The Curious Disappearance of Professor Brown as soon as it is released. You can also subscribe to my mailing list for up to date information on this and other new book releases.

The Artwork of Lawrence Pinkley

What if you could create a book that was not only a journey in words, but also a journey for the eyes.

For my latest novel, The Curious Disappearance of Professor Brown, I wanted the pictures to not only illustrate the story, but also feed the imagination of the reader, take them into the story and involve them. Thinking back to my childhood, I enjoyed regular comics, but the ones I loved most of all were those that had additional things happening on the page, other than the story.

Working closely with the illustrator, Dylan Gibson, we took each chapter one at a time, breaking down ideas for illustrations and colour scenes that would feed the readers imagination. In the end we had too many illustrations and had to cut quite a lot for the final book, but the important ones were always going to be the colour full page scenes. These are the ones readers can glance at to supplement the story, or study to find the extra information and additional jokes that are added in the background that the main characters are oblivious to.

These are the sort of pictures that I loved as a child that would make me get my pens out and copy.

In this article I want to share with you some of my favourite pictures from the book, to whet your appetite!

Top of my list is this great image taken inside Professor Brown’s crazy lab. (top left)

Our detective, Lawrence Pinkley, has broken into Professor Brown’s secret lab during the night (hence the balaclava) to investigate the scene of his disappearance.

I love the variety of items you can see inside the room, including a head, eyeballs, pickled onions, hands, feet and a bum! Don’t forget to have a look at Professor Brown’s ‘To do’ list for some pretty funky ideas.

Another one I love is this retro film poster (left). It is used to represent an imaginary dystopian scene where pumpkins take over the world and cows have no control over their excessively toxic farts!

The final image I would like to show you (bottom left) is a sketch that we haven’t used in the book, but it shows a nice selection of some of the characters in the book.

In the center is Lawrence Pinkley, then clockwise from the top right of the image:

Miss Russet Brown, Professor Brown’s beautiful daughter who hires Pinkley to investigate her fathers disappearance,

Shadwell, one of the hired hitmen,

Angus Pacarlicoff, a Russian reporter who works for the Whitby Gazette with dubious connections with the Russian mafia,

2 creepy looking pumpkins,

Rodney Tangle, Professor Brown’s lab assistant with an unhealthy interest in dressing up,

Spike, the second hired hitman who has a particular liking for chocolate,

Vicky, the waitress at the local coffee bar with a soft spot for Pinkley.

The Curious Disappearance of Professor Brown is aimed at middle grade and teens, perfect targets for the illustrations. Working on this project with Dylan is only the beginning; we have other ideas for the future. The style of writing and illustrations set our book apart from the other reading material for young adults creating an individual brand image that is easily recognisable to readers.

Coming next:

EXCLUSIVE : Read the first two chapters of the book, complete with artwork

Introducing – Lawrence Pinkley

On 15 November The Curious Disappearance of Professor Brown is released. The book’s protagonist is Lawrence Pinkley, an eighteen year old private detective. When Pinkley’s father dies he leaves an unusual inheritance for his son in the form of the Pinkley Investigation Group (PIG).

Pinkley doesn’t know the first thing about being a private investigator, but he’s willing to learn (with a bit of guidance from The Complete Book of Sherlock Holmes). He enthusiastically grabs every case that comes his way, but things don’t always work out the way he hopes.

[Drumroll....] Please be upstanding for the cover art:

The Curious Disappearance of Professor Brown
or, The Pumpkin of Doom.

Eighteen year old Lawrence Pinkley is Whitby’s greatest Private Detective. In fact, he’s Whitby’s only Private Detective.

Pinkley’s skills are called into play in the first case of a reluctant career.

One night, in a high security laboratory, a scientist mysteriously disappears, leaving behind an overly nervous assistant and a trail of pumpkin juice. Pinkley is hired to investigate the disappearance by the professor’s beautiful daughter, forcing him to quickly learn the skills he needs to solve his first major crime.

But every move Pinkley makes is being watched.

As he blunders from one clue to the next he stumbles across secret messages, talking pumpkins, the Russian mafia, and hired hitmen. His life now depends on him solving the case. Not to mention the future of mankind!

Available :

15th November 2013

Formats :

Kindle

B&W Paperback

Colour Paperback

Coming next:

Discover the artwork of Pinkley! Including colour art from the book, preliminary sketches and others not included in the book!

A Mysterious Countdown…

Starting next week the countdown to the release of the first Lawrence Pinkley mystery begins.

Because of the increased hype and excitement surrounding The Curious Disappearance of Professor Brown the release date has been brought forward three weeks to Friday 15th November.

This exciting collaboration between author Tim Flanagan and illustrator Dylan Gibson has resulted in a unique and humorous detective story that draws the reader in, like no other.

As part of the promotion we have the following features and activities exclusively on this blog from monday:


Cover Reveal


Introduction to the Pinkley world


First two chapters + illustrations to read FREE


An exclusive short story told in two parts + unique illustration – FREE. Solve the mystery before Pinkley reveals the answer in part 2 and you get the chance to win an exclusive prize.


Interview with Pinkley


How-to-draw Pinkley Video


WIN ebooks and signed prints


Exclusive Pinkley Puzzle


Artwork, including a sneaky peak at ones not included within the book


Downloadable screensavers – FREE


All will be revealed!

Teen Reading Week – Meet Catherine Stovall

I would like to introduce you to Catherine Stovall, author of Faire Eve, The Requiem of Humanity Series, the short stories, Fearful Day, Bloody Freedom (Broken Mirrors, Fractured Minds Anthology),and Condemned to Die. Upcoming publications for 2013 include Arcana: The Maiden (full length) and Eternity: Requiem of Humanity Series: Book Three (full length).

Stovall is a member of the International Thriller Writers & The Fictioneers. She lives in Southeast Missouri with her husband, three children, and pets. When not writing, she spends her time riding motorcycles, wearing elaborate hats, and genuinely enjoying the oddities in life.

In support of the Teen Reading Week, Stovall completed this interesting interview.

Why do you think Teen Read Week is important?

Anything that encourages young people to open their minds to the educational benefits of reading is very important. The books they read in school are just the tip of the iceberg. I know I learned most of my greater vocabulary from fiction books.

How do you think we could encourage youngsters to read more?

I think the best thing for anyone to do to encourage the younger generation to read would be to set an example. You have to read, if you want kids to read. Parents need to have just as many books in their house as they do movies or video games. Make the material available for the kids to explore it.

When you were a teenager what books did you like to read and did you have an all-time favourite character?

I read everything! I loved books like War and Peace, but just as easily get lost in Nancy Drew. My all time favourite character as a teen was Claudia the child vampire from Interview with a Vampire.

Were you writing as a teenager? If so, what were you writing and what inspired you? Did a person inspire you to write?

I did write as a teen, but not with the intent of sharing. My inspiration was the less than perfect environment that I grew up in, and writing was my way of coping.

Do you think today’s teens are in a better position if they want to be a writer than you were all those years ago (hee hee)?

I think that teens today have a much greater resource than some of us did back in the days before the dinosaurs. The internet has really provided a new way of doing things with self-publishing, small independent presses, and instant research availability thanks to the net.

What advice would you give a youngster who enjoys writing?

Don’t ever give it up. No matter how busy or crazy your life gets, no matter if people don’t understand about your love for the art, do not walk away from talents.

What is your latest book about?

The High Priestess and her consort, the Magician, have stripped away all vestiges of technology and cast the world of Wade into a magical dark age. In order to further their aims of domination, the evil pair murders sixteen-year-old Bianca’s family and captures her, intending to use her ethereal blood to wake a powerful spirit and rule the universe.

Three years later, nineteen-year-old Bianca breaks the sacred circle and allows an outside force to free her from her imprisonment in an evil place that the people of Wade call The Tower. When she wakes in the rebel encampment, Bianca finds herself faced with the boy she had thought dead and the Hierophant, who offers her something no one else has—a choice about her own destiny. On the verge of greatness or failure, Bianca must face down her darkest fears or die.

Are you working on anything new at the moment?

I’m always working on something new. Lol. There are no less than five WIPs open on my desktop at one time.

What do you love about being an author?

The immortality. Now let me explain. No one can live forever, but with books, I know that my words will be around long after I’m gone.

Where can fans follow you?

Facebook, Twitter, Website and Amazon

Competition.

Fancy winning a copy of Condemned To Die?

Book description

Nineteen-year-old Vega Williams is dead by her own hand and her tormentors still walk the streets. In fact, her funeral is nothing more than a social engagement to most of Oakdale’s finer society. With their good intentions painted on their faces, they believe their secrets and hate-filled thoughts are safe behind the veneer of propriety. However, they didn’t count on Zane Allistor’s presence. Using his strange ability to read and manipulate minds, he tracks down those guilty and uses their misdeeds against them. In a bloody twist of fate, two hearts are united when death leads to life.

To enter, answer the following question in the comments section:

If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?

Teleportation In The Rain – Why I Write For Teenagers

As part of the Teen Reading week, my article on ‘Why I write for teenagers’ is featured on Lisa Cresswell’s blog today.

Pop over and have a read, then enter the competition to have a chance of winning one of 5 sets of all three Moon Stealer ebooks!

Today and the rest of the week, look something like this:

Tuesday, October 15

Blogger - Kate Bainbridge - http://read2review.com/

Author - Greta Burroughs

Blogger - Jennifer Loiske - http://jenniferloiske.wordpress.com/

Author - Cedar Sanderson

Blogger – Lisa Cresswell - www.lisatcresswell.blogspot.com

Author - Tim Flanagan

Blogger - Debra J Jameson Smith

- http://creationsbydjamesonsmith.com/blog/

Author - Sharon Ledwith

Blogger – David Lowbridge - http://indieebookreview.blogspot.co.uk)

Author - Amanda Haulk Taylor

Writing Contest at  7.45-8.45pm CST / 12.30am GMT

Blogger – Wendy Strain - http://www.writeonwendy.com/

Starring author Greta Burroughs

This is a five-minute fiction contest open to everyone. Please join in. The task is to write a short story using a prompt provided by Greta. A prize will be awarded to the winner. It’s a lot of fun and an exciting way to show off your skills at writing.

Wednesday, October 16



Blogger - Kate Bainbridge - http://read2review.com/

Author - Debbie Manber Kupfer

Blogger – Maria Savva - http://quietfurybooks.com/bestsellerboundrecommends/

Author – Linda Deane

Blogger – Debbie Manber Kupfer - http://debbiemanberkupfer.wordpress.com/

Author - Lisa Cresswell

Blogger - Ey Wade - http://dna-bloodtiesandlies.blogspot.com/

Author - Armen Pogharian

Blogger – David Lowbridge - http://indieebookreview.blogspot.co.uk

Author - Dianne Gardner

Blogger - Robert DeBurgh - http://robertdeburgh.weebly.com/blog-blogging-through-the-mire.html

Author - Christine Hughes

Thursday, October 17



Blogger - Kate Bainbridge - http://read2review.com/

Author - Hugo Jackson

Blogger - Vickie Johnstone - http://vickiejohnstone.blogspot.co.uk/

Author  - Paul Plunkett

Blogger - Kim Mutch Emerson - http://masterkoda.com/category/master-koda-blog-tour

Author - Donna Dillon

Blogger - Karen Pokraz Toz - http://kptoz.blogspot.co.uk

Author - JR Simmons

Blogger - David Lowbridge - http://indieebookreview.blogspot.co.uk/

Author – Saoirse O’Mara

Blogger - Brenda Perlin - http://homewreckertheblog.com/

Author - Charlotte Blackwell

Friday, October 18

Blogger - Kate Bainbridge - http://read2review.com/

Author - Tianna Scott

Blogger – Tim Flanagan - http://timflanaganauthor.wordpress.com

Author - Catherine Stovall

Blogger – Sharon Rose Mayes – http://www.notyourmomblog.com/

Author - Wendy Siefken

Blogger – Cassie McCown - http://gatheringleavesreviews.blogspot.com/

Author - Alan Tucker

Blogger – David Lowbridge - http://indieebookreview.blogspot.co.uk/

Author – Michael Chulsky

Blogger – Wendy Siefken - http://siefkenpublications.blogspot.co.uk/

Author - Juli Caldwell

Saturday, October 19



Blogger – Robbie Cox - www.themessthatisme.com

Author - Debra J. Smith

Blogger – Jonathan Gould - http://daglit.blogspot.co.uk

Author – Sibel Hodge

Blogger - Greta Burroughs - http://booksbygretaburroughs.weebly.com/-a-new-day-has-begun.html

Author - Chris Baker

Blogger – Cassy Wood - http://reviewmetwice.blogspot.com

Author - Vicki Kinnaird

Teen Reading Week Starts Today

Last week I mentioned that I would be taking part in the Teen Reading week.

It starts today!

There will be 35 authors taking part in the event as well as 27 bloggers featuring a variety of guest posts and interviews specifically aimed to encourage teenagers to read. Plus, there are some great prizes to be won all week!

Here is a full list of what is happening every day this week:My post, about why I write for teenagers, will be featured on Lisa Cresswells site on Tuesday 15 October. I have an interview with Catherine Stovall on my site on Friday 18 October.

Monday, October 14

Blogger – Kate Bainbridge - http://read2review.com/

Author - Vickie Johnstone

Blogger - Sharon Ledwith - http://sharonledwith.blogspot.com/

Author - Jennifer Loiske

Blogger - Armen Pogharian - https://armenpogharian.wordpress.com/

Author - Ey Wade

Blogger – Candice Conway Simpson

- http://booksforboysreviewsandfun.blogspot.co.uk/

Author - Sharon Rose Mayes

Blogger – Cedar Sanderson - http://cedarwrites.com/

Author - Kim Mutch Emerson

Blogger – Maria Savva

– https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/5020446-inspiring-teens-blog-hop-interview-giveaway-with-author-ed-drury/

Author – Ed Drury  

Tuesday, October 15



Blogger - Kate Bainbridge - http://read2review.com/

Author - Greta Burroughs

Blogger - Jennifer Loiske - http://jenniferloiske.wordpress.com/

Author - Cedar Sanderson

Blogger – Lisa Cresswell - www.lisatcresswell.blogspot.com

Author - Tim Flanagan

Blogger - Debra J Jameson Smith - http://creationsbydjamesonsmith.com/blog/

Author - Sharon Ledwith

Blogger – David Lowbridge - http://indieebookreview.blogspot.co.uk)

Author - Amanda Haulk Taylor

Writing Contest at  7.45-8.45pm CST / 12.30am GMT

Blogger – Wendy Strain - http://www.writeonwendy.com/

Starring author Greta Burroughs

This is a five-minute fiction contest open to everyone. Please join in. The task is to write a short story using a prompt provided by Greta. A prize will be awarded to the winner. It’s a lot of fun and an exciting way to show off your skills at writing.

Wednesday, October 16



Blogger - Kate Bainbridge - http://read2review.com/

Author - Debbie Manber Kupfer

Blogger – Maria Savva - http://quietfurybooks.com/bestsellerboundrecommends/

Author – Linda Deane

Blogger – Debbie Manber Kupfer - http://debbiemanberkupfer.wordpress.com/

Author - Lisa Cresswell

Blogger - Ey Wade - http://dna-bloodtiesandlies.blogspot.com/

Author - Armen Pogharian

Blogger – David Lowbridge - http://indieebookreview.blogspot.co.uk

Author - Dianne Gardner

Blogger - Robert DeBurgh - http://robertdeburgh.weebly.com/blog-blogging-through-the-mire.html

Author - Christine Hughes

Thursday, October 17



Blogger - Kate Bainbridge - http://read2review.com/

Author - Hugo Jackson

Blogger - Vickie Johnstone - http://vickiejohnstone.blogspot.co.uk/

Author  - Paul Plunkett

Blogger - Kim Mutch Emerson - http://masterkoda.com/category/master-koda-blog-tour

Author - Donna Dillon

Blogger - Karen Pokraz Toz - http://kptoz.blogspot.co.uk

Author - JR Simmons

Blogger - David Lowbridge - http://indieebookreview.blogspot.co.uk/

Author – Saoirse O’Mara

Blogger - Brenda Perlin - http://homewreckertheblog.com/

Author - Charlotte Blackwell

Friday, October 18

Blogger - Kate Bainbridge - http://read2review.com/

Author - Tianna Scott

Blogger – Tim Flanagan - http://timflanaganauthor.wordpress.com

Author - Catherine Stovall

Blogger – Sharon Rose Mayes – http://www.notyourmomblog.com/

Author - Wendy Siefken

Blogger – Cassie McCown - http://gatheringleavesreviews.blogspot.com/

Author - Alan Tucker

Blogger – David Lowbridge - http://indieebookreview.blogspot.co.uk/

Author – Michael Chulsky

Blogger – Wendy Siefken - http://siefkenpublications.blogspot.co.uk/

Author - Juli Caldwell

Saturday, October 19



Blogger – Robbie Cox - www.themessthatisme.com

Author - Debra J. Smith

Blogger – Jonathan Gould - http://daglit.blogspot.co.uk

Author – Sibel Hodge

Blogger - Greta Burroughs - http://booksbygretaburroughs.weebly.com/-a-new-day-has-begun.html

Author - Chris Baker

Blogger – Cassy Wood - http://reviewmetwice.blogspot.com

Author - Vicki Kinnaird

Live Twitter Chat – today!

I will be the guest on a live twitter chat today (10 October), hosted by Bublish on Twitter.

Come over to #bublish

Starts at 3pm Eastern Time, (8pm GMT).

I will be talking about why I became a writer, my books, future projects and themes of my writing. You will also get the chance to ask questions.

Hope to see you there!

Teen Read Week

I will be participating in Teen Read Week from 13 – 19 October, a scheme to encourage more teenagers to connect with YA writers.

There will be 35 authors taking part in the event as well as connecting 27 bloggers. There will be a variety of guest posts specifically aimed at teenagers, as well as interviews and lots of fun and interesting prizes donated by the authors.

I have written a guest post about why I write for teenagers and you can have the chance to win one of five copies of all three Moon Stealer ebooks.

My post will be featured on Lisa Cresswells site on Tuesday 15 October. Lisa is the author of the fantasy series Storyteller, as well as her latest book Hush Puppy. I will be hosting Catherine Stovall here on my site on Friday 18 October.

For a full list of all of the authors, and the blogs taking part, keep your eyes on Greta Burroughs website.