Toby's New World Book Discussion

[E.C.]

So we just finished reading, Toby's New World, by Victoria Zigler. I have a few questions about the book and will be starting a thread to interview Victoria.

Victoria,

Was it easy for you to write Toby's New World? When beginning this book project, what were some things you kept in mind? What was the main message you wanted readers to understand?

I was impressed with the tangible emotions throughout the book. Did you brainstorm before writing or did you just let the story come out?

[Victoria]

Thanks, E.C!

I first started writing the Toby books as a way to heal. I've always had sight problems, but lost the last of my sight a few years before the first Toby book was published. My brother was born with the same eye condition as me, but lost his seeing eye in a car accident as a toddler. I wanted to write something to express my own frustrrations, as well as address some of those I knew he faced. I tried writing a completely non-fiction piece, but I was too close to the subject, and never got far. Then someone suggested I used my preference for writing stories for children in order to distance myself from the story a little. I tried it, and was finally able to write the first Toby's Tales book, which - for those who don't know - deals with the frustrations of performing even simple tasks when you can't see, and how much difference even small changes can make to a blind person's life.

Each book deals with a different issue: frustrations of doing daily tasks, fears caused by sounds you can't see the source of, being left out when activities are very visual, missing being able to do things you could do when you still had sight (or wishing you could play what sighted friends and family play) and schools for the blind. Each book also discusses ways to make these things easier. Well, apart from the fifth book, which is more an example of a potential first day at a school for the visually impaired.

The series as a whole is designed to tell others in my position that they aren't alone. I had my brother, who understood to a certain extent, but he couldn't remember being able to see, so how much he understood was limited; even he said so. As a result, even with the experience of growing up with my blind brother, I felt very alone. Others don't have someone else, and I didn't want them to feel alone too. I also wanted to give sighted family members and friends a glimpse in to what it really feels like to be blind in a sighted world, and how they can help.

I had a rough idea of what I wanted to achieve with the series as a whole, but beyond that I just let the words flow, and worried about tidying it up later. If any brainstorming occurred, it was subconciously.

I think that covered all your questions. If I missed anything, or you have more, let me know.

[E.C.]

I really liked your comment about having to distance yourself from the theme by writing the perspective as a child character. Did writing the book help you? Or did it open up more emotional thoughts that you wanted to share and help others? Have you met any visually impaired children that have made a connection with your book?

[Victoria]

E.C. wrote: "I really liked your comment about having to distance yourself from the theme by writing the perspective as a child character. Did writing the book help you? Or did it open up more emotional thoughts that you wanted to share and help others? Have you met any visually impaired children that have made a connection with your book?"

It was a bit of both. It helped me with the healing process, but I did find myself with some other potential ideas for things it might be useful to give sighted people a blind person's perspective on.

I haven't met a visually impaired child who has made an emotional connection with my book as yet, but I have had some comments from sighted readers who are glad for the opportunity to gain some insight in to a visually impaired person's world.

[E.C.]

After reading your book, I would think it would leave quite an impact on sighted readers. I really see a use for your book in a classroom. It is so important for young people to learn empathy.

Are you finished writing the Toby series or are there future books in the making?

[Victoria]

E.C. wrote: "Are you finished writing the Toby series or are there future books in the making?"

I'm finished writing the Toby's Tales series. If I explore the other potential ideas on a similar theme, which I do hope to do at some point, they won't be Toby's stories to tell.

[E.C.]

Any carrots you want to dangle for us readers? Any future projects coming out?

[Victoria]

E.C. wrote: "Any carrots you want to dangle for us readers? Any future projects coming out?"

I have a historical fiction story based on the Battle of Hastings coming out in October. It's for ages eight and over, because... Well, it is a story about a real historical battle. It's scheduled for official release on the 950th anniversary of the battle in question. The story is about a young lad named Eadweard who, along with his best friend, has dreams of becoming a great war hero, so joins the battle even after being forbidden to do so. He learns that war isn't the wonderful and fun adventure he'd dreamed it was, while also being a witness to the events of one of history's famous battles.

Beyond that... Well, I'm always working on something new, and have a long list of notes for potential future projects. Most of the time though, even I'm not entirely certain where a story is going until it gets there, so it's difficult to give out details. I will say though that I'm working on a Christmas story involving a giant learning about Christmas for the first time after an encounter with a human child a few days before Christmas. I've also written some new poems since my latest poetry collection was published, so there will most likely be another poetry collection coming in the not-too-distant future.

[E.C.]

Thank you for your time and I look forward to reading more of your books.

[Victoria]

E.C. wrote: "Thank you for your time and I look forward to reading more of your books."

You're very welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed this one, and hope you enjoy any other books of mine you read too. :)

[Gita]

Victoria, I have reviewed your first Toby book, and I consider it the best book I've read about a child coming to terms with a disability.

[Victoria]

Gita wrote: "Victoria, I have reviewed your first Toby book, and I consider it the best book I've read about a child coming to terms with a disability."

Thank you, both for the compliment, and for taking the time to read the book in the first place.

[Victoria]

To celebrate my "Toby's Tales" books being made available in audio, I'm doing some promotion of the series, and running giveaways for the audio versions of the entire series.

To get your hands on free Audible.com or Audible.co.uk copies of the entire five book series, check out my post from Sunday, join me and the narrator for the live Facebook event tomorrow night, or check out the post that will go live on my blog on Friday.

My blog can be found at http://ziglernews.blogspot.co.uk and there's a link to the Facebook event in Monday's post.

Victoria Zigler

[Victoria]

If you want to check it out, there's a round-up of all the posts and interviews relating to my Toby's Tales books and the blog tour I did to celebrate them now being in audio here: http://ziglernews.blogspot.co.uk/2017...

And, yes, at this moment in time the giveaways are still running.

[Victoria]

I’m delighted to announce that Kindle versions of all five books in my "Toby's Tales" series are now also available directly from Amazon.

Just so you know though: if you can’t find them on the Kindle store for your own country for any reason, or simply prefer to buy from Smashwords, you can still buy Kindle friendly versions via Smashwords too.