Claire Fayers's Blog, page 5
July 1, 2019
Happy Birthday, Pirates!
In three minutes you can boil an egg.
In three weeks you can grow a lettuce.
In three months you write the first draft of a book.
In three years you can…
See your first book published. Write another book. Write another book. Write another book.
Three years. In some ways, the time has flown and I can’t believe it’s been that long. But, looking back, I’ve learned so much and met so many wonderful people, I can’t believe all that could have happened in only three years.
Three years. Four books. And so many friends made along the way. Today I’m off on a writing retreat with a whole group of authors, most of who I haven’t met before. I’d never have dared to do that three years ago. I’m looking forward to some intensive writing time and hoping to come away with inspiration for many more books.
Want to win a signed copy of The Accidental Pirates? Pop over to twitter. I am running a birthday giveaway this week.
June 10, 2019
Storm Hound Extras
Here’s a lovely pair of activity sheets made by the team at Macmillan’s Children’s Books.
Why not make up your own adventures? Here are some ideas:
What if you had a pet with magical powers? What would your pet be, and what could they do?
What if someone evil wanted to steal your pet? How would you stop them?
In Storm Hound, Jessie and her family have to get used to a new home. Imagine you had to move somewhere new. Where would you move to and what would you do there?
Write a story including these words (you can use them in any order, but try to use them all.)
storm
mountain
sheep
fly
fall
school
Finally, here’s a super animated gif made by Emma at Macmillan
May 21, 2019
Festivals and filming
Thanks to everyone who came to the Pontypridd Children’s Book Festival last weekend. I had a fantastic time, meeting new people, catching up with old friends and chatting to readers.
You can read a full summary of the day from The Reader Teacher.
And here are a few photo highlights.
PG Bell takes us on the Train to Impossible Places
Sibeal Pounder leads a Witchy workshop
YA Lit Cardiff with Ruth Morgan and Kristina Perez
My Storm Hound event was written specially for the festival and I’m glad to say it was a hit!
I love signing books!
Maybe I shouldn’t have stayed up past midnight to watch Eurovision on Saturday night, because it was an early start on Sunday to film some videos for VIP Reading with authors PG Bell and Eloise Williams.
Thanks to Griffin Books in Penarth for opening their shop on a Sunday just for us!
VIP Reading is a wonderful new scheme for schools to encourage reading. The website already has a wealth of resources to download and more will be coming soon. Be sure to take a look if you’re a teacher.
Speaking of schools, I have some spaces available for July visits, and I’m taking bookings for September onward. If you’d like to experience Norse Gods, Mythical Beasts and Sheep, do get in touch!
April 25, 2019
Spring News
March was a veritable whirlwind of events. Storm Hound has been going down a… well a storm. I’ve been bowled over by everyone’s enthusiasm for my little stormhound. I’d like to thank Literature Wales again for the aid of a writer’s bursary. Also the Welsh Books Council, Shrewsbury Bookfest, all the Waterstones stores and independent bookshops who’ve been such a huge support. The school teachers who put in so much hard work all through the year and especially around World Book Day. And of course, everyone who came to my events or cheered Storm on from afar.
First there was the Abergavenny launch where the staff in Waterstones welcomed Storm with all the grandeur due to a creature of legend. Special thanks to the Family Bookworms for coming along. It was great to see you all. (If you haven’t seen the Bookworms Storm Hound book trailer, you can watch it here.)
The wonderful chalkboards at Abergavenny Waterstones
I’ve never had my name on a banner before!
Storm examines the cakes.Then, on to Swansea Waterstones (famous for their hugely entertaining twitter feed) to meet the Alderman Davies School from Neath. Here I am, demonstrating my author’s thinking position.
Want to be an author? You need a proper serious thinking positionThe next day I was off to Newtown for the World’s Biggest Book Show. Organised by the Welsh Books Council, I shared the stage with four amazingly talented authors. PG Bell, Eloise Williams, Max Low and Lucy Owen. Max is an author-illustrator, published by Graffeg Press and this was his first ever event. He is hilarious and the children loved him. Definitely a name to watch out for.
The Biggest Book Show On Earth 2019 at The Hafren, NewtownAuthors Lucy Owen, P.G.Bell, Claire Fayers, Eloise Williams and Max Low. Photo: Welsh Books Council/Tall & Short Photography
From Newtown it was back down to Abergavenny to visit Deri View and Llanfoist primary schools with Bookish Bookshop. We had great fun playing with props and inventing stories.
Llanfoist Primary get in props
Deri View are awed by the author’s thinking positionThen a quick pop home for the weekend before I caught the train back up to Shrewsbury for the Bookfest, where I covered six classes in five different schools over two days. The welcome was overwhelming. I didn’t manage to get many photos but I’ll never forget walking into a class to see 32 children wearing pirate hats and waving flags. And the Mirror Magic display in Bicton Primary school – fan fiction, drawings of new characters for the book and a display of magical hats each with their own power.
I got back from Shrewsbury in time to make my first ever video call with a conference in the States. After two weeks of Storm Hound and Mirror Magic, it was great fun to go back in time and talk about Voyage to Magical North (and find out that some of the kids knew more about the book than I did!)
A few days later, it was time for the Cardiff launch in the ever-lovely Wellfield Bookshop. We had to compete with the bad weather and the rugby, but it was great to catch up with old friends.
With fellow SCBWI member, Abigail
My old colleagues from the University Health Centre
The wonderful Wellfield booksellers…And finally. A trip to Chorleywood, a stay in a very nice hotel, and two visits to a pair of fantastic primary schools. No photos of the events, sorry, but I do have a very nice shot of my hotel room door.
I knew this hotel was going to be posh when they told me I was in the Lady GeorgianaApril was quieter. I’ve been ill most of the month, but we had a lovely visit from friends just before Easter and I’ve had our new kitten to keep me company. Now I think my latest cold is on it’s way out so it’s back to writing.
Cassie
March 26, 2019
Unwyse Magic publishes in the US
I’m nearing the end of a busy and exciting March – I will post a full round-up soon, but first here are two most exciting pieces of news.
Kitten
I met this little girl while I was doing school visits and obviously I had to bring her home with me. Her name is Cassie and she’s already getting the hang of sitting on my lap and stopping me from writing.
Even more exciting than kittens, however (if that is possible) is the publication of The Book of Unwyse Magic. The US edition of Mirror Magic is truly beautiful and it is out today! Here’s a quick video preview. I love all the spooky magical swirls and the little image of Lord Skinner hiding inside the front cover.
http://clairefayers.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/The-Book-of-Unwyse-Magic_Small.mp4
And, finally, a favour. If you have enjoyed any of my books, please would you consider leaving a review on Amazon? It doesn’t have to be long – simply look up the book online, click on ‘leave a customer review’ and write a few words. It makes a huge difference to have some reviews. It’s one of the easiest ways to support the authors you like.
Thank you all for your support so far. I will share more book news and kitten pictures soon.
February 26, 2019
In Praise of Book Bloggers
The weeks around publication are a nervous time. What if no one likes the book? What if no one even notices the book? And so I am very grateful to Macmillan and Karen Bultiauw for organising a most exciting blog tour giving a ‘behind the scenes’ look at the world of Storm Hound.
I am also enormously grateful to all the fantastic book bloggers out there.
None of them get paid for their work. Many also have jobs as teachers or librarians. They spend their days encouraging a love a reading and then they go home and do it all again in front of the computer. They are the life of the book world, talking about books, putting books in front of readers, encouraging the most reluctant readers to pick something up and give it a try. If books are flowers, bloggers are the bees, creating the buzz around a new book and doing their bee dances to show everyone where to go for their next read.
Bee on Sunflower. Photo: Phillip FayersMaybe that metaphor got a bit overstretched.
But bloggers do a vital job, and I’d like to thank you all for your time, effort and enthusiasm. Here’s a complete round-up of the Storm Hound blog tour. Please do take a look.
(Make sure you also check out the Bookworms Storm Hound book trailer, starring the young bookworms and one very confused sheep.)
February 14, 2019
Pirate Extras
A map of Dragon Island by the brilliant Becka Moor!
Why not design your own treasure island with this guide:
Test your knowledge of pirates in this fun quiz:
The pirate ship, Onion is a legend of the Eight Oceans. Write your own legend starring yourself with this helpful guide:
Everyone loves pirate jokes, but these jokes have got mixed up. Have fun sorting them out:
And finally… a wordsearch. See how many of these words you can find:
Mirror Magic Resources
Here you will find The Wyse Weekly Mirror, bringing you news and views from Britain’s only town of magic. There’s a newspaper template so you can create your own newspapers, and if you’re looking for inspiration, here is my look at newspapers through the centuries: If we had magic.
What if the 17th Century had magic
What if the Industrial Revolution had magic
What if the Middle Ages had magic
January 9, 2019
US edition – The Book of Unwyse Magic
Exciting news!
The US edition of Mirror Magic will be published in the States on March 26th this year. It will be called The Book of Unwyse Magic (the Book is very pleased about that.) The fabulous cover is by Hannah Peck. I love the spooky feel. The cover wraps all away round so you can see the houses of Wyse, and if you look closely you may spot Lord Skinner hiding on the cover flap.
Back cover. Is that Mr Bones lurking in the misty street?
Hiding away won’t help, Lord Skinner
And that’s not all, take a look inside the book and you’ll find some very fine endpapers and other nice touches, too.
The ancient fairy-human covenant looks very magical
Endpapers – Wyse looks just as good in black and white
I can’t wait to share this beautiful book with everyone. I loved the dramatic US covers for my pirate books. This one is very different and suits the spooky story perfectly.
Also, don’t forget, Storm Hound will be out in the UK on February 21st, just in time to buy as a very late Valentine’s present!
December 11, 2018
A Retreat, and a Treat
I am back from a wonderful writing retreat with some of the Scattered Authors Society
The annual winter retreat takes place at Folly Farm, just south of Bristol, which is a lovely place set in stunning countryside. It was so good to catch up with old friends and meet new people. 2018 has been a strange year for many of us and we were all in need of refreshing. In one session, we thought about letting go and moving on, which made me realise how very reluctant I am to let go of Storm Hound. It is such a special book to me.
However, a story really only comes to life when you share it, and I had a publishing meeting last week to discuss how we are going to launch Storm into the world next February. The response from reviewers so far has been amazing – thank you all!
Here is the final cover, with artwork by Becka Moor.
And here, because I am firmly on the side of cats in real life, is a snippet from the book, where Storm meets the cat next door. (The photo is of my cat, Penny, who celebrated her 19th birthday this year.)
Storm ran to the middle of the garden. Begone, foul enemy!
The cat didn’t move. A skinny tabby, fur thinning with age, she stared at him with faded green eyes. This is my territory, dog. Don’t go leaving your stink all over it.
Storm stopped still, not quite sure how to respond. The cats in Odin’s halls would never dare to come near a stormhound, never mind address one in that impertinent fashion. But in the world of humans he and this cat were about the same size – and the cat had the advantage of claws.
The cat hissed, a sound that seemed to be made up of malice and icy wind. Storm stood up straight, his shadow spreading to swallow the grass. I am Storm of Odin, stormhound of the Wild Hunt. How dare you speak to me like that?
The cat watched his shadow spread and started to clean behind one ear with her paw. Don’t bother me, stormhound. I’ve watched the Wild Hunt pass by in the dead of night. It doesn’t impress me. I am a cat – descended from gods. I don’t need to run in a pack and snap at lightning to feel important.
A happy festive season to all cat people and dog people, and every other sort of person too.
