Nicola has offered to give away one free copy of
her book! Comment to win!
K.T. Hello and welcome. I am very excited to have you here today. Why don’t we start off with a small introduction? Tell us a little about yourself.
N.P. Thank you so much for inviting me. I’m an aspiring children’s writer from Warwickshire in the UK. I self-published my first book, ‘Alice Parker’s Metamorphosis,’ in December 2011 and I’m working on the next one.
K.T. Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?
N.P. Well, Alice was named after my grandmother. She loved books and taught me to read at a very early age, so I have a lot to thank her for.
K.T. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?
N.P. I loved creative writing at school but never pursued it as a career. As it always seemed a difficult business to break in to, I considered putting off writing books until I retired! But then two years ago, I had an idea for a book which I couldn’t wait to write.
K.T. What genre do you write?
N.P. The ‘Alice Parker’ fantasy series is primarily for children of 7+, though it has been read to children as young as four, and enjoyed by a few adults too.
K.T. What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career?
N.P. I’d have to say the success of many self-published writers. They have managed to gain a following of readers, some have even got traditional publishing contracts and/or films as a result of their hard work and determination.
K.T. What does your family think of your writing?
N.P. My family have been very supportive. In an ideal world, I would write full-time – my day job as a garden designer/landscaper has taken its toll on my back!
K.T. What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book?
N.P. I was amazed how just how much I enjoyed writing it and how easily parts of the story flowed. On the other hand, it proved incredibly difficult to edit the novel myself. I studied at Oxford and a large part of my degree was literature. Could I apply those literary criticism skills to my own work? Absolutely not! I think I was too close to the story to step back and assess it.
K.T. Can you tell us a little about your novel?
N.P. Feisty thirteen-year-old Alice Parker knows something isn't right. Aches and pains have started, her craving for sugar is out of control and she keeps imagining something outside her bedroom window. Suddenly she is top of the class in every subject. Baffled by what is happening to her and feeling at odds with the world, Alice can't take much more. Only when she collapses and experiences a life-changing transformation does she learn why she is different. But this new, amazing identity brings its own challenges and Alice isn't convinced she can rise to them. She just wants to be normal! The fact is she's anything but...
K.T. Where can we find your novels?
N.P. Amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, Smashwords and in the near future, Barnes & Noble.
K.T. Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?
N.P. Yes – please! I’d love to hear from you there. Any comments welcome!
K.T. Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers?
N.P. I’m new to this myself, so I’ll just say stick with it. If it’s worth having, it’s worth waiting for. Good luck!
This book sounds so exciting. I would love to read it with my kids. -Shawna Young
ReplyDeleteThis book is a delight, I'm an "Older" child and thought it enchanting. I recommend that you read it soon.
ReplyDeleteAs a first book, brilliant!