Katherine Roberts

Seeing pictures of the characters you've created for a book is always interesting. When my cover artist Scott Altmann sent pictures of the four main characters in my Pendragon Legacy books, I fell instantly in love with two of them - Arianrhod and Squire Cai. Arianrhod Cai But I was a bit surprised by Rhianna, who appeared far tougher than I had imagined her to be when I started writing the first book Sword of Light! Rhianna Pendragon by Scott Altmann Thinking about it, I realised this was because she was the only character I had actually drawn myself before starting to write... I sometimes do this to get me "in the mood" for a book, after I've written a chapter or two and need something to keep me going. Rhianna riding Alba by Katherine Roberts My publisher had requested the tougher version, which obviously matches the story better. And then of course, Scott's picture of Rhianna (which I pinned to the notice board above my computer) influe...

All good things have to come to an end. We checked out of our hotel on a drizzly Friday morning and headed to our final event of the week in the little town of Kinver near Stourbridge, where Brindley Heath Junior School had invited back Year 7 pupils from the nearby senior school to join Year 6 in their hall to hear Katherine's talk. Everyone waited very quietly for Year 6 to carry in their own chairs from assembly - thank you - and after a lot of interesting questions Katherine finished off with a reading from her new book "Crown of Dreams", Book 3 of the Pendragon series. There followed some more book signing with Waterstones Wolverhampton back on the case, during which we handed out the final bookmarks from Stourport High (see them on the table in green and pink?) still smiling... A quick cup of tea, and then a taxi arrived to take me and Katherine through the fog to Birmingham New Street station to catch the train home to Devon. The train carried us out o...

It's a bright and early start for Day 4 of our tour... well, it's a wet and gloomy one weatherwise with rain bouncing from the cars in the hotel car park, but that doesn't dampen a unicorn's spirits on World Book Day! Katherine is determined to dress up, despite having left half of her wardrobe at home. Encouraged by a question from St Stephen's School earlier in the week " Why are you dressed up ?" (when she wasn't really, except for the plastic crown), she digs a long purple dress out of her case and adds the sparkly belt that must have triggered yesterday's question. She gets a few strange looks at breakfast in the hotel from grumpy businessmen in their sober suits, and forgets to add her pink hair extensions, but that doesn't really matter since she's still got the crown... Stourport High School - book signing The morning event at Stourport High was for Year 7, who were obviously getting a bit old for dressing up (though not as ...

My publisher sent me to Coventry! Yes, really! But it's not as bad as it sounds. A smooth train journey on a beautifully sunny day got me and Katherine there via. a random platform change at Birmingham New Street station. Here's the view from the 5th floor of the Ramada hotel (take note of it, because it's the last you'll see of that gorgeous sunshine for some time). Coventry isn't exactly a beauty spot, the unicorn has to admit, and the next day dawned grey and damp, which made it seem even less pretty. But the morning event at Christ the King Primary School was colourful and warm and welcoming, and turned out to be one of the best events of the whole tour. Christ the King School The lovely Joy Court from the Youth Libraries Group had organised things at the Coventry end, and children from several different primary schools joined the pupils at Christ the King to hear Katherine talk in their atmospheric school hall, watched over by dramatic pictures of Jesu...

The unicorn spent most of last week hiding in Katherine's sparkly bag, while she toured the country introducing young readers to Rhianna Pendragon and friends... Rhianna, Elphin, Cai, Arianrhod Believe me, it was a bit squashed in that bag along with a jewelled crown (lookalike gold), King Arthur's sword Excalibur (plastic version), three published Pendragon Legacy books ( Sword of Light , Lance of Truth , Crown of Dreams ), the fourth book Grail of Stars draft cover, two mist horses (Rhianna's mare Alba and Prince Elphin's Evenstar), various bookmarks, plus poster-sized portraits of Rhianna Pendragon, Prince Elphin, Squire Cai, and Maid Arianrhod. Good thing Katherine also carried emergency water and muesli bars, or I'd be a very hungry unicorn by now. Our tour started early on Monday morning with a misty drive across Dartmoor to Tavistock Community College, who welcomed Katherine to their comfortable "octagon" where she spoke to Year 7: ...

King Arthur's daughter Rhianna Pendragon would like to wish all her readers a very happy St David's Day! The third book in the Pendragon Legacy series takes Rhianna and her friends on a quest to Dragonland (Wales), where her cousin Mordred has just discovered the third magical Light, the Crown of Dreams, in a dragon's lair. Not only has he found the Pendragon Crown, he's also found the body of his witch-mother Morgan Le Fay, who was wearing it when she died... They emerged in a vast cavern, which stank of dragon. Jewelled daggers, rusty swords and dented shields were piled around the walls, along with what looked suspiciously like human bones. One of the piles had avalanched, and his bloodbeard captain lay groaning underneath it. His men hurried over to help.     “Leave him,” Mordred snapped, seeing that the man was still breathing. “Find the crown, you fools! Quickly, before the shadrake comes back.”      While his men searched through the dr...