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Showing posts from 2013

Happy Dancing Christmas Pony

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When I was a little girl, all I ever wanted for Christmas was a real live pony. Now I'm a fantasy author I want a real live unicorn, which is a bit trickier (so I probably won't get one of those, either!) I do, however, still have my virtual unicorn muse, who has done some digging over at YouTube with his glittery horn and returned with this cute dancing Christmas pony... if you visit the site, you can even create gift ponies for your friends. Enjoy! HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL MY READERS!

Tamora Pierce and Me

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It's amazing what you can discover online, years after the event itself. Browsing my profile in Goodreads recently to see if any stray "Katherine Roberts" books had been added to it by mistake (there are at least four different authors with books published under my name), I discovered this book listed: Actually not a book, but a sampler that my American publishers must have produced to cross-promote my titles back when they still published me. I knew nothing about it at the time, which just proves how much publishers do that authors are not aware of... a belated thank you, Scholastic! If I had known about it, I'd have been quite flattered as a new author to be compared to the queen of young US fantasy writing Tamora Pierce (still am, if the truth be known!). But this sampler is now a small piece of history, and my two books listed in it - Song Quest and Spellfall - have moved on to a new stage of their life after going out of print at Scholastic/Chicken House.

MUSE MONDAY - The Trolls of Rosen Trevithick

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This week the unicorn welcomes Cornish author Rosen Trevithick to tell us about her unusual muse. (WARNING: Do not read this post if you are eating, unless you have an unusually strong stomach!) Rosen Trevithick Who (or what) is your muse?   Rosen: My muse is a troll called Loodrip Stinkleboss, and she has lived in my toilet since I was ten years old. When did you first meet? Rosen: I first met Loodrip on Devoran Quay. I was strolling around on the shingle shore when I spotted a creature stuck in the mud. Real trolls aren’t like the ones you read about in fairy tales – they look much more human. She has big, scruffy hair that covers her horns. So, at first, I thought she was a person. I began to dig her out. Just as I was freeing her pudgy legs, she declared her desire to gobble me for lunch. I had to think on my feet, so I explained to her that I was still growing. I said, if she ate me, I might grow in her belly causing her to pop. She thanked me for the warn

Tower Hamlets Book Award 2013

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Last Friday, I had the pleasure of attending the finale of the Tower Hamlets Book Award at Swanlea School in East London. My book Sword of Light had been shortlisted, and I was one of three authors invited along to judge the book presentations performed by the children of eight local schools. Tower Hamlets Book Award shortlist 2013 This event is organised annually by the Tower Hamlets Schools Library Service, and it's obvious a great deal of energy and enthusiasm had gone into the afternoon. Gillian Harris, head of Tower Hamlets Schools Library Service, kicks things off Meet the authors... Sam Gayton and Katherine Roberts (me!) judging the presentations Sarwat Chadda and Sam Gayton signing books   Then came the performances, which I had been looking forward to very much. Two schools performed my book Sword of Light - Swanlea Secondary and John Scurr Primary - taking quite different approaches to the story. John Scurr's presentation was so enjoyable

MUSE MONDAY - Nicola Morgan and her great outdoor muse

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This Monday the unicorn is delighted to welcome author and and publishing guru Nicola Morgan, whose muse is rather large and sometimes a bit scary... Nicola Morgan Who, or what, is your muse? Nicola: My muse is an outdoor empty space. It is silent, apart from wind, or running water, or birdsong. It asks nothing of me. I can go where I want in it and no one else is ever there. There are trees in parts of it, solid ancient trees with gnarled trunks and twisting branches and holes for owls and secrets. It’s quite scary because things can hide behind the trees and there are deep shadows and dark possibilities, but the pleasure of coming through the woods into the sunlight and minty air and clear blue spaces is worth it. sunlight, minty air and clear blue space When did you first meet? Nicola: When I was five. I lived in the country in a life of strange freedoms and risks and miles of open spaces and rafts on rivers and dens in hay and treehouses and tunnels and hideaways

Catching Fire - a review

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Ever since I downloaded the free sample chapters on my Kindle, I’ve been a fan of the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. The sample grabbed me by the throat, so even though I am about 35 years older than the target readership I ordered all three paperbacks and read them back to back. I saw the first Hunger Games film last year shortly after reading the book, and while I enjoyed it, I remember a bit of a flat feeling afterwards because the book (of course) is better than the film almost every time... or maybe I just remembered the plot too well so there were no surprises? Now, a year later, I’ve just seen the second film Catching Fire – and I'm happy to say yes, it delivers! Obviously having a year between reading the book and watching the film helps, because although I had a vague memory of the plot, it was not enough to mean I spent my two and a half hours in the cinema comparing the screen version with the book. Also, I think the second story is more powerful. Kat

MUSE MONDAY - Ann Turnbull's bird-on-the-head

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Today the unicorn welcomes author Ann Turnbull to tell you about her wonderful muse! Ann Turnbull Who (or what) is your muse? Ann: My muse is a small ceramic figure of a woman with a bird on her head. She was made in Cornwall by Shelagh Spear. As soon as I saw this figure I knew she was a goddess and would be my muse. You can see her in the photo, surrounded by the clutter on my desk (she doesn’t really have quite such a short lower body – that’s the camera angle). Unfortunately she is rather easily knocked over and her bird has lost its beak. I hope this doesn’t affect her powers. The bird on the head of Ann's muse (No beak = less tweeting, more writing?) When did you first meet? Ann: A few years ago. My sister gave her to me as a birthday present. Does your muse appear in any of your books and/or artwork? Ann: I think she may be one of the many goddesses and nymphs who appear in my Greek Myths. And she could well have a role in a new YA novel I’m thin

World Fantasy Convention 2013

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Normally at Halloween I turn off the lights, hide behind the sofa, and keep a bowl of exploding chocolate eyeballs beside the front door in case my house gets mobbed by gangs of trick-or-treaters. But this year, I got to party myself... in Brighton with several other fantasy/horror genre authors, all of us attending the World Fantasy Convention (the first time it has graced British shores in 16 years, so how could an author with a unicorn muse possibly miss such a great event?). Teresa Flavin, C J Busby, and me The weekend kicked off on Thursday night with a children's fringe event at the Book Nook in Hove, organised by my publisher Templar, where three of us who write for younger readers dressed up ready for a spooky evening in the shop. Here I am at my 'magical station' ready to show prospective young knights of the Round Table how to decorate their shields with heraldic symbols: Arthurian shield-making CJ Busby hosted some spell making, which obviously h

Dragon Riding and Singing in Spanish

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My author spirited me away for the Halloween weekend, partying in Brighton at the World Fantasy Convention - a great place for a unicorn, as you can imagine (although there were rather a lot of dragons to avoid, too). Here are some of the goodies I carried home for her in my unicorn panniers... World Fantasy Convention 2013 goodies. She's ordered me to write a couple of blog posts about the convention and what we got up to at Halloween, but first I should explain the title... it seems the moment I turn my back on my computer, a whole rash of guest posts go up which Katherine had conveniently forgotten to tell me about. Singing in Spanish First of all, at Halloween while we were busy partying with witches at the Book Nook in Hove, Katherine's virtual self visited Authors Electric to do some Singing in Spanish . This post tells how she came to publish a dual language ebook version (English /Spanish) of the short story that became the seed of her Branford Boase Award win

MUSE MONDAY - Savita Kalhan and her trees.

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This week the unicorn welcomes Savita Kalhan, who would like to introduce you to a muse that changes with the seasons. Savita Kalhan Who or what is your muse?   Savita: My muse is that most ancient of beings: the mighty tree. When did you first meet? Savita: I don’t recall when we first met, possibly in India when my grandfather used to carry me in his arms in the mango tree orchard – the only way to quell my crying. My first readings of The Faraway Tree and the other books in The Enchanted Forest series I remember so clearly. I literally lived in the children’s library, surrounded by the most amazing stories and worlds, but myths and folklore were a favourite and devoured very quickly. The humble tree figured in many. Does your muse appear in any of your books and/or artwork? Savita: My book, The Long Weekend, is set in a mansion surrounded by woods, with much of the action taking place in the woods. The woods provided both a sanctuary and a hiding place. The tree tha

A Treat for Halloween

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Trick or treat? If you're anything like me, you'd probably prefer a treat! So, for this weekend only, you can read my Halloween fantasy thriller SPELLFALL on your Kindle for under £1 (or under $1 or under 1 euro , depending on where you live). Natalie saw the first spell in the supermarket car park. It was floating in a puddle near the recycling bins, glimmering bronze and green in the October drizzle. At first she thought it was a leaf, though as she drew closer it began to look more like a crumpled sweet wrapper – a very interesting sweet wrapper. Pick me up, it seemed to say, glittering intriguingly. Surely I’m worth a closer look?    She shook her head and hurried past. She was wet and cold and had more things to worry about than picking up someone else’s litter. But the trap had been baited by one who knew a lot more about spells than she did. Before she knew what she was doing, she’d put down her chinking carrier bags and gone back for it. As her hand

MUSE MONDAY - Karen King's Giraffe-Cow

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On this autumnal morning, the unicorn welcomes Karen King, whose muse might warm you up a bit... Karen King with some of her books. 1. Who (or what) is your muse? Karen: My muse is a soft cuddly baby giraffe. This is a picture of him. He’s a ‘hottie’ actually, which means he has a microwavable bag inside him that can be heated up to keep my hands warm. He sits on my desk and watches me write. Sometimes I tell him my ideas and he always listens very carefully. I also take him on school visits with me. "Shall I warm your typing fingers for you?" 2. When did you first meet? Karen: We met a few years ago, a friend of mine gave him me as a present. Only then I thought he was a baby cow! Now I call him 'Giraffe-Cow'. 3. Does your muse appear in any of your books and/or artwork? Karen: No but I did blog about the time I took him on a school visit when I still thought he was a cow. The children soon put me right! Read the full post on Karen's blog .

Full Pendragon Flush

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I just wanted to share this lovely photo of all four Pendragon Legacy books in shimmery hardcover format, plus the gorgeous bookmarks my publisher Templar have produced for the series. Here they all are displayed on my own little Round Table in my kitchen: So if you come to see me talk about these books before they run out, you should be able to pick up a bookmark too! (and if you don't manage to escape quickly enough, I might even sign it for you on the back... see bottom of picture). I wonder how many other readers have the full hardcover set? All four titles are now available in hardcover, paperback and ebook (except Grail of Stars paperback, which publishes 1st Feb 2014). SPECIAL OFFER: Save £6 until October 31st! Sword of Light Kindle ebook only 99p

MUSE MONDAY - Emma Barnes and her Talking Wolf

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This Monday, the unicorn welcomes Emma Barnes - and a rather scary muse! Who (or what) is your muse? Emma: A wise and witty talking wolf! At least she was for my latest book,'Wolfie'. Emma Barnes When did you first meet? Emma: A few years ago when I was lucky enough to spend some time in the warm sunshine of California...and my imagination strangely started to follow a magical wolf into the winter woods and snow. Does your muse appear in any of your books and/or artwork? Emma: Yes – she’s in my book 'Wolfie', where her full name is Fang-That-Bites-Sharp-In-The-Forest. If you won the lottery and had complete artistic freedom, what would you write/create? Emma: I’ve written an epic fantasy, which I haven’t published, simply because it was what I wanted to write. To be honest, it’s hard to predict the market, so why not write what you believe in? Before you go, does your muse have a message for the Unicorn? F-T-B-S-I-T-F: Greetings

MUSE MONDAY - Lydia Syson, Clio, and Romney Marsh

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This week, the unicorn welcomes author Lydia Syson, who has a traditional muse as well as subsidiary muses for her books...  Lydia Syson Who (or what) is your muse? Lydia: I suppose for some time my muse has been one of the actual nine muses: Clio, the muse of history. But the invitation to contribute to Muse Mondays and think about the idea of a muse rather harder than I ever have before, makes me realise that her real importance is in introducing me to other, subsidiary muses, which vary from book to book. For ‘That Burning Summer’ she took me to a most inspiring place: Romney Marsh, in Kent. Clio, the Muse of History When did you first meet? Lydia: Clio and I got to know each other late in life.   I didn’t answer her call until I was in my 30s, and I almost completely failed to listen to her at school. As for Romney Marsh, I encountered it so long ago that I feel it has always been in my head, though it was years before I actually went there and disco