MUSE MONDAY - The Trolls of Rosen Trevithick
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!)
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| Rosen Trevithick |
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 warning and decided not to eat me.
However, after getting stuck in the mud, she developed a fear of the great outdoors and decided to follow me home and live in my toilet.
Does your muse appear in any of your books and/or artwork?
Rosen: Loodrip herself is too disgusting to appear in any of my books. I don’t wish to terrify children. However, she has inspired many troll characters such as Gunkfreak, The Ogre of Uggle and Wilfred Whiffwizard. She reads all my books to check for factual inaccuracies before I publish them. She’s anxious for trolls to be properly represented.
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| Lavinia Loopywits by Katie W Stewart |
(NOTE: Loodrip is too vile to share. However, this is an illustration of the character Lavinia Loopywits, depicted by Katie W. Stewart. Lavinia is partially based on Loodrip.)
Rosen: I’d like to build Smelly Troll World. It would be an imagination theme park where children would go to be inspired. There would be exhibits and the occasional ride featuring characters from the book, but most of the park would consist of interactive features where children could create monsters, storyboard and even put on plays.
Before you go, does your muse have a message for the Unicorn?
Rosen: Do unicorns do bottom burps, and if so, what do they smell like?
Well, of course - though ours smell like roses on Midsummer's Eve and sound like the soft sighs of a maiden in love. (I am not sure unicorns would be welcome in Smelly Troll World!)
More about Rosen
Rosen was born in Cornwall. She studied psychology at Oxford before moving back to the West Country. She now lives on the south coast of Devon with two imaginary cats, fantasising about getting a real one.
Readers have downloaded over 245,000 copies of Rosen's books. Several titles have broken into the Amazon charts, including a number 1 humorous fiction bestseller.
Visit her website for more about her books for children and adults http://rosentrevithick.co.uk/
The Troll Trap : Book 1 in the Smelly Trolls series.
Rufus Sebbleford is the only boy in the world to have ever seen a real troll. So, when he finds out that trolls plan to attack Sludgeside School, he must stop them with the help of his good friend Polly.
Meanwhile, the Super-Troll-Knobbly-Foot family decide to turn their backs on smelly bottoms and eating children. They don't want to be bad any more. So, they paint themselves orange and try to live like humans. However, being enormous, horned and slimy makes it difficult to blend in.
Will Sludgeside ever be safe from the disgusting bad trolls and their horrifying leader, The Ogre of Uggle?
A stinky, squelchy adventure packed with secret dens, tree climbing, troll traps and lots and lots of revolting smells!
Rufus Sebbleford is the only boy in the world to have ever seen a real troll. So, when he finds out that trolls plan to attack Sludgeside School, he must stop them with the help of his good friend Polly.
Meanwhile, the Super-Troll-Knobbly-Foot family decide to turn their backs on smelly bottoms and eating children. They don't want to be bad any more. So, they paint themselves orange and try to live like humans. However, being enormous, horned and slimy makes it difficult to blend in.
Will Sludgeside ever be safe from the disgusting bad trolls and their horrifying leader, The Ogre of Uggle?
A stinky, squelchy adventure packed with secret dens, tree climbing, troll traps and lots and lots of revolting smells!