Girl Meets Boy - Ali Smith

Summary from Amazon:

"Girl Meets Boy" - It's a story as old as time. But what happens when an old story meets a brand new set of circumstances? Ali Smith's re-mix of Ovid's most joyful metamorphosis is a story about the kind of fluidity that can't be bottled and sold. It is about girls and boys, girls and girls, love and transformation, a story of puns and doubles, reversals and revelations. Funny and fresh, poetic and political, "Girl Meets Boy" is a myth of metamorphosis for the modern world.

~~~

There are things in life which I can never truly explain. They can be fundamental to my essence as a person, or a mere whim, but I can never find the right words to explain exactly why that is. Being a reader is one of these things. I love reading. A large part of my time is spent reading, or talking about reading and even thinking about reading. That's just what I do. Other readers understand (we even have a secret handshake and everything), but to non-readers or occasional readers, I find it hard to put into words what reading does to me, why I do it so much and why that's what I do when I could easily spend time watching cricket or becoming an astronaut. 

After finishing Girl Meets Boy, my first thought was - "THAT'S why I read". That's it. There hasn't been a better example than the 180 pages of this book to remind me why I am a reader. The story is rich, unpredictable, deep, funny. The characters are quite simply mesmerizing, whether they're too involved in their routines or projecting ideas to the universe. And the writing is just exquisite. An elaborate dish you're both eager and almost too afraid to start eating for fear of never being able to experience that first impression again. 

I'm going borderline lyrical on this (fine, I've reached and passed that border) because I just fell in love with the book. Which is appropriate because this book is about love. And not just any kind of love. That incredible feeling you have when you fall in love for the first time. When you feel yourself falling and falling and falling into immense all-encompassing emotions you never thought your heart could hold. This book has some of the most beautifully written love scenes I have ever read.


Set in Inverness, the book is told from the point of view of two very different sisters, Anthea and Imogen. When Anthea is wild, spiritual and clever, Imogen (Midge) is serious, unobtrusive and very eager to please and succeed. Midge works at a bottled water company, Pure, and wants to evolve in her role despite being surrounded by sexist men. There is only one person she likes, Paul, but she fears he might be gay. Midge manages to get Anthea a work experience position at the same place, but Anthea doesn't really care much about her career or the company. One day, everyone in the company witnesses an eco-warrior trespassing and writing something against Pure on a wall.  Everyone is appalled except Anthea. She immediately falls for Robin, the girl who painted the wall (and who she happens to mistake for a boy at first). After falling for Robin, Anthea questions her sexuality and her identity. After this happens, Midge can't stop thinking about the consequences of her sister being gay.


The political ideas behind the characters' stories bring more depth to the book and make it very inspiring to read. I loved the idea that every little thing can have a bigger impact in the end. There are also quite a few statistics about gender inequalities which are just shocking and almost make you want to grab a paintbrush too. 


The book is an interpretation of the story of Iphis, in Ovid's Metamorphosis. The girl who was brought up as a boy to prevent her father's wrath and who appeals to the gods on the day of her wedding to be changed into a boy so that she can make her future wife happy. The story of Robin and Anthea is wonderfully told from the point of view of the two sisters. I loved reading the passages in Midge's point of view, seeing all the doubts in her head, as well as her beliefs. Her transformation was one of the most interesting things in the book. 


I'm going to stop now, because I could go on for hours. But do read this book for the sheer beauty of its writing and for the journey. 

~~~

Here are some quotes I'd like to share:


Robin telling Anthea about Iphis:
"The thing is, Iphis and Ianthe had actually, for real, very really, fallen in love.
Did their hearts hurt? I said. Did they think they were underwater all the time? Did they feel scoured by light? Did they wander about not knowing what to do with themselves?"


Anthea about Robin's smile:
"Then I saw her smile so close to my eyes that there was nothing to see but the smile, and the thought came into my head that I'd never been inside a smile before, who'd have thought being inside a smile would be so ancient and so modern both at once?"


Paul and Imogen's thinking:
"I feel met by you, he says afterwards. It's weird.
(That's exactly what it feels like. I felt met by him the first time I saw him. I felt met by him all the times we weren't even able to meet each other's eyes.)"

~~~

Also, Nymeth has posted a lovely review of this book on her blog Things Mean A Lot with some other quotes (here)




Girl Meets Boy, by Ali Smith | 2007 | Canongate | I read the ebook version

Interview with Andrew Prentice and Jonathan Weil about Black Arts

After gushing about the book, the trailer and the book launch of Black Arts (here), I am positively thrilled to received the authors on the blog today to answer a few questions about their writing.

~~~

Hi Jonathan, Andrew,

Congratulations on your wonderful book and welcome to Portrait of a Woman!

It was lovely to meet you at your book launch and I devoured the book in just a few days. I loved how rich, atmospheric and dark the story was and I can't wait to read the second book in the Books of Pandemonium series!

My first question to you would be: how did you meet and how and when did you decide to write a book together?

We first met at school: we got to know each other better in our sixth form English class, and editing the school newspaper together. After school we went to different universities, but stayed friends, and when we finished we decided we wanted to write an epic graphic novel that reimagined all of human history. We got about sixteen pages in until reality intervened and we had to get jobs. After floating around a bit we landed a very strange job for an aquarium/sushi tycoon: we wrote dialogue for robots and put on Nativity circuses in the snow in December, as well as scripting animation and comics. We learned a lot about how not to do things there. When we were sacked in one of the blood-lettings that periodically swept the company, we tried to write comics again. It was then our agent spotted us. She hinted that we might make better authors than artists, which was a very wise suggestion. With her encouragement we decided to change our comic proposal into a novel.  

Very wise suggestion indeed! I really loved the book and really liked how you managed to write with one voice. Writing a book together, how easy is it? Do you split the tasks or scenes by "specialty" or do you write everything together?

It took us a while to iron out the kinks in the system, but we've been collaborating on various projects for nearly fifteen years, so we know each other pretty well.

We don't have specialties - we just split the chapters between us, and then rewrite each other's drafts. In the end, we've found that writing with one voice is a matter of bashing each chapter back and forth - like a long tennis rally. We both have an idea of the tone and rhythm we are aiming at. It's very hard to get there at first draft, but by the time a chapter has been swapped seven or eight times, it usually gets the zip and zing that we are listening for.  

That method clearly works! What are the hardest and the best parts of writing a book with another person?

The hardest part is accepting that one of your treasured phrases or pet ideas Just Isn’t Right.  The best comes when ideas start to spark off each other – a semi-serious remark by one person gets misunderstood by the other, in a way that actually makes much more sense than the original . . . and ends up leading both of you to something great that neither could have achieved alone.

It does sound like you two could invent quite a few things together. When I was at your book launch, you hinted that the story hadn't started exactly like it is now, what was your initial idea?

We've always been writing about a vast historical conspiracy, magic, and mayhem, and the book has always been set in the grotty, treacherous streets of Elizabethan London. The initial plot was a very different beast. There was more high politics (Sir Francis Walsingham, the Armada, religious persecution and court intrigue) and the magic system was completely different.

That said, through five major redrafts, we've slaughtered a dozen different plots, hundreds of characters and millions of words. Their frozen corpses lie behind us like French troopers on the retreat from Moscow. We particularly mourn Sir Julius Jamstock, the talking dog from drafts four through to eight. He was amazingly fun to write.

Well I do hope we'll get to see Sir Julius Jamstock in action in future books. How much research did you do on the period and on magic / black arts in general? Was being historically accurate an important concern for you?

Real historical detail is usually richer, sicker and more unexpected than anything you could come up with yourself. A really important change came when we decided to base the magic in what they actually believed at the time. We'd been using a completely made-up system until that point, but the story really came alive when we decided to take on the central belief of historical renaissance magic – the idea that you did magic by striking deals with devils.

That said, you don't want to clog up the story by showing off how much research you’ve done. We try to use real historical details like a spice, adding to the fun and lending their flavour to the things that we invent ourselves.

Which part of Jack's story did you enjoy writing the most?

Dialogue is always the most fun, especially thieves' cant. Mr Smiles' and Sharkwell's conversation became a kind of competition between us as to who could come up with the most elaborate villain-speak.

Dialogues definitely were some of the best parts of the book! Beth Sharkwell is quite possibly one of my favourite characters; she is strong, passionate and full of surprises. How did she come to life and was she inspired by anyone in particular?

In some of the earlier drafts we had two female characters – Beth Plaistow, a slightly priggish sailor’s daughter who hated all thieves, and an older character called Queen Moll.  She was based on ‘Moll Cutpurse,’ a real historical figure from the early seventeenth century – a cross-dressing, pipe-smoking bandit queen who once robbed the roundhead General Fairfax on Hounslow Heath. She didn't quite fit into the final version, so we took what we liked about her and put it all into Beth – and that was when the character really came to life. Stuck-up Beth Plaistow became stick-’em-up Beth Sharkwell, thieves’ princess – but still with a bit of the old Class Monitor, follow-the-rules-or-else quality that we’d put into the original character. 

So now I'm fascinated by Mary Frith aka Moll Cutpurse ' I'll definitely be looking up some books to read on her. What was the strangest idea either of you came up with for the book (which may or may not have ended up in the final version!)?

In one of the early drafts there was a scene where Jack jumped a galloping camel (which was on fire) off a cliff to escape from pirates.  There was a football match where the goals were giant wheels of cheese three yards across.  There was a man who had to be tethered by a rope to the ground at all times, or he'd fly off and hit the moon.  There are loads more, but it’s a little depressing to list them: hopefully we can recycle the best bits in later books. 

A galloping camel on fire? Yes please! You mentioned that it took 5 years for you both to write the book. What did you learn during those years as writers and what did the story and the characters bring you on a more personal level?

We definitely thought that writing a book would be easier than it turned out to be. We learned an enormous amount – much of it through the sage advice of the editing team at David Fickling Books.  Perhaps the biggest lesson we learned was about consistency. To start with we were trying to do too many things. The story oscillated between comedy and horror, joke-driven magic and serious world-building. The result was a mess. We've learned to pare our ideas down, and be much more ruthless. The book is better for it.

Although this process has been frustrating at times, we're so lucky to be allowed to do this.  Writing a book with your best friend is the best job in the world.

Yes indeed, sometimes less is more. You are currently writing the second book in the Books of Pandemonium series, what can you tell us about it? Is it set in the same time period? What will Jack, Beth and the Intelligencer have to face?

It's going to be immense. Beth is trapped in the eighteenth century – Jack wants to rescue her from the clutches of the Worst Man in London – but Beth ain’t so sure she needs rescuing. Meanwhile, the imp is threatening rebellion and Kit is working on a time-travel scam to become the greatest gambler ever. Oh, and they’re going to find out who the real bad guys are. We are having so much fun!

~~~

Wow! That sequel sounds positively awesome! Thank you both so much for answering my questions and good luck with the writing (and don't forget the galloping camel!)! 

You can follow the authors on Twitter (@prenticeweil)

Lollipop and Grandpa's Back Garden Safari - Penelope Harper and illustrated by Cate James

Summary:

Back gardens have never been this exciting! Lollipop and Grandpa are intrepid explorers, always on the lookout for the next adventure! It’s often just the two of them against the world in their expeditions, armed only with ham sandwiches and imagination. In this book they set out on an exciting expedition in the back garden where they encounter Chimpan-trees, a Hippo-potta-compost and even a Croco-logus. They’re prepared for action, but will Lollipop and Grandpa make it back home safely?

~~~

I was given this book a little while ago and I completely fell in love with it. The story is charming, imaginative and heart-warming. It's great for kids who want to have some adventures in their garden or in the park - instead of a boring patch of grass, they can discover a world full of danger and scary creatures like the Chimpan-trees or the Croco-logus. Any corner of the garden can transform into a scary creature and there really isn't a peaceful place to eat ham sandwiches!

The illustrations by Edinburgh-based illustrator Cate James are simply fantastic. They're very stylish and evocative and play on textures as well as colour. The font is really easy to read and Penelope Harper's story is well-paced, funny and an amazing springboard for children's imagination. 

This is an adorable book for grandparents to read to their own little explorers and this is the start of an amazing picture book series about Lollipop's adventures with her Grandpa. Thumbs up from me!

Lollipop and Grandpa's Back Garden Safari, by Penelope Harper and illustrated by Cate James | 2012 | Phoenix Books | Age 3 to 5 | Gift

LGBT YA Week - Guest Post by James Dawson

This guest post is part of the LGBT Teen Novels Week, hosted here.

For more information about the week, please head over here.

Hello,

Please welcome James Dawson, author of Hollow Pike, who will talk to us today about queer characters in YA books.

~~~

UKYALGBTOMGWTF!

I recently had the best email from a bookseller who had just finished Hollow Pike, my debut novel. she was thanking me for the inclusion of the three queer characters in the book. She said that when she was at school there weren’t any characters like her to relate to in books, and it was fantastic that today’s young adults were being represented in fiction.

If I may, allow me to introduce you to the characters she means. Hollow Pike sees a young Welsh girl called Lis arrive in the mysterious town of Hollow Pike where she is spellbound by the school outcasts Kitty, Delilah and Jack. Kitty and Delilah are a couple while Jack clearly hasn’t made his mind up whether he likes boys or girls yet.

The characters were vaguely based on people I knew at school, so their sexuality was a no-brainer. At my very ordinary school in West Yorkshire, a lot of young people were figuring it out. Those are experimental years. Some of us ended up gay, some ended up straight, a lot ended up somewhere in the middle, winding up in relationships with men and women – but then, as sixteen year olds, we were finding our way.

It makes sense to me, therefore, that a lot of young people are still finding their way and should be able to see themselves in the books they are reading. Something that I found hard back then was that LGBTQ relationships weren’t really presented as an option. You were straight or ‘wrong’. It would have been cool if there had been young gay or bi role models in films and TV shows and books for me to go, ‘ah he likes boys, so it’s probably OK that I do too.’ I have always been gay, but I might have figured it out sooner with more visible role models.

The main goal when writing Hollow Pike was to tell a cracking scary story, but I was determined that Kitty, Jack and Delilah would retain this element of ‘figuring it out’. These were never meant to be books about ‘coming out’. Issues books have their place, but I didn’t want it to be a sad, sad story about how hard it is to be young and queer. It is difficult, but being a teenager is always hard. In Hollow Pike, frankly, the characters have bigger things to worry about! What’s more, issues books often become ‘gay books’. I was gay and I wouldn’t have read a ‘gay book’ out of fear of having the shit kicked out of me. The hope is, that young readers will see Kitty, Jack and Delilah going about their business and simply think –‘ they’re OK, I’m OK too’.

But for this to really work, it needs to be on a much bigger scale than my lone book can achieve. We need more books, TV shows and films with queer characters front and centre. Not in a token, box-ticking way (no more sassy gay sidekicks, I implore you), but in presenting characters who are more than their sexuality.

 I can’t wait for you to get your hands on Book Two – Book One has only begun to scratch the surface of these complex characters! Writers shouldn’t be scared to reflect diversity – we live in diverse times so all we’re doing is painting an accurate picture. If it seems that young queer people are in a minority it’s probably because they aren’t empowered to be more visible in schools. We can help overcome that. I’m so thrilled that both Attitude and Diva magazines have chosen to review Hollow Pike alongside Bliss and SFX, this is recognition that a very mainstream release from a major publisher can feature queer characters without becoming niche gay fiction.

I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating – presenting young gay characters in the media is the best way to make being young and gay normal. Because it is.

~~~

Thank you James for this fantastic post - I can't agree more on the media needing to include the diversity which exists in real life!

Hollow Pike is already out in the UK

Find James on:

His website

Facebook

Twitter

Heart Of Stone - M. L. Welsh

Summary from Amazon:

After a wonderful summer sailing, Verity Gallant just wants life to stay the same for ever. But as she should know by now, not everything in life turns out as we would like.

The land is shifting beneath the ancient harbour town of Wellow, causing mysterious caves to appear in cliff faces, terrifying rock falls and dangerous landslides. And the earth isn't the only thing crumbling... Verity is thrilled that Jeb has returned, but their feelings for each other threaten her friendship with Henry and Martha.

Once again Verity and her friends are embroiled in a tale of evil, intrigue and lost love, as a powerful force works its way towards Wellow, hell-bent on putting an end to all happiness. The Heart of Stone is the key, and the race is on to find it...

~~~

Heart of Stone is the second book in the Verity Gallant series, if you haven't read Mistress of the Storm, the first book in the series, find my review [here]. This review will have a couple of spoilers for the first book so don't read any further if you don't want to be spoiled!

I absolutely adored Mistress of the Storm so I was very excited to read Heart of Stone and very intrigued to see where the story would take Verity this time around. And I was not disappointed! The sequel is brilliant and Verity has become one of my favourite heroines!

This installment sees Verity, Henry and Martha face a new challenge as they start their school year. The land seems to take a life of its own and it shifts beneath their beloved Wellow. It is unveiling mysterious caves in cliffs and causing landslides and rockfalls. Sand also seems to spread everywhere and you can't do anything without finding some in the most unusual places. The population of Wellow also seems affected and people are unable to get any sleep because of nasty nightmares and the town is slowly disintegrating because of the land. But soon, our heroes discover that all these events aren't just a coincidence and that the disappearance of the Mistress of the Storm has caused an unexpected consequence.

I don't want to spoil the book for you guys so I won't say what this consequence is, but let me tell you that it will be as original, surprising and thrilling as the first book, if not more. It seems Wellow has been keeping more than one secret!

M. L. Welsh is delving more into the mythology she created in the first book surrounding the Original stories and we are getting a much better insight at some of the characters and stories. It also shows how original the whole setting is and I find it to be a refreshing story among all those doomy-gloomy apocalyptic books drowning bookshops these days. Not that this is all cupcakes and unicorns either as there are some chilling moments, but Wellow seems like such a beautiful and magical place just waiting to be explored!

The book is also about love and friendship and how these can go wrong during hard times. And hard times the characters face, as some invisible force seems to be determined to end all happiness in the world. I really love how positive the books are and how being friends is about what you go through together and how much you are willing to go through for what you feel is right. It doesn't hurt that there is a bit of romance in the story either. From eternal soul mates to first love, the romance fans (such as myself, that goes without saying) will really enjoy this book!

I could go on for hours about this book! With a fantastic cast of character, some thrilling adventure, a pinch of mystery and a budding romance, Verity Gallant's adventures are a must read! 

Info: Books are perfect for teens and tweens (and adults clearly :) ) and for both boys and girls!

Thanks to RHCB for sending me this fantastic book for review!

Heart of Stone, by M. L. Welsh | January 2012 | Random House Children's Books | Book proof from the publisher

Joanne Harris Interview!

Hello book lovers!

Today I am deeply honored to welcome the one and only Joanne Harris on Portrait of a Woman to talk about her fascinating fantasy series of which the second book, Runelight, is out today!

Very different from her more contemporary novels, Runemarks and Runelight tell the tale of feuding gods, long forgotten prophecies and feature some feisty heroines.

~~~ 

Hi Joanne,

I have literally devoured Runemarks and Runelight in just a few days and have fallen for your fantastic characters (Loki!) and fascinating story! Thank you so much for answering a few questions about them!

Portrait of a Woman: I read on your website that you've always had a fascination for Norse Myths, but what attracted you to them at first?
Joanne Harris: I've liked them ever since I was seven years old, and read a library book called THUNDER OF THE GODS.


PoaW: If Runemarks was set in a very organised and regulated world, Runelight, which takes place three years after the first book, starts off in a chaotic, violent and grim setting - what can the reader expect from this new story and which challenges will await Maddy and the other characters?

JH: If RUNEMARKS was about self-discovery and the power of stories, RUNELIGHT is about finding out how we fit into the world, the power of friendship and community. Maddy has grown into young adulthood, and must now face the responsibilities of her new role among the old gods of Asgard.


PoaW: In Runelight, we meet Maggie Rede, how different a heroine is she from Maddy?

JH: The girls are in some ways very alike; independent, imaginative, strong. But Maggie has been brought up in the Universal City, among the Order, and her beliefs and attitudes have been shaped by her upbringing. In some ways Maggie can be very naive, and her fear of magic and of her own powers puts her into danger, both physical and emotional.


PoaW: How did you approach the writing process in Runemarks? Did you have to make a lot of research on Norse myths or learn runes?
JH: I didn't really do any specific research. My knowledge of Norse culture is the product of many years of interest and study; I've been learning Old Icelandic for 5 years, have a reasonably knowledge of runic systems and have brought a lot of what I've learnt into the books.


PoaW: Also, how different was writing Runemarks and Runelight from your other books? Do you plan on writing more fantasy books (not necessarily in the same world)?
JH: It's the first time I feel I've had the freedom to write out-and-out fantasy; imaginary worlds, alternate realities, other races; magic as a part of life. It's liberating to be able to do that, and on such a large scale; although I think that thematically my fantasy books and my mainstream books still have quite a lot of themes in common. Alienation; the outsider; tolerance; the power of words. There will almost certainly be at least one more book in the RUNE series - I'm having such fun writing these books that as long as people want to read them, I'm more than happy to keep writing them.

 

PoaW: Are there some aspects of Norse myths that you changed to suit the story or did you try to stay as close as possible to the myths?
JH: I have stayed fairly true to the original myths, but these stories are new, set in a post-Ragnarok world to reflect the changing roles of the gods in a society that has mostly forgotten their legends.


PoaW: Your interpretation of Loki is one of the best I have ever read and he is such a fascinating character in your books - which aspect of his famous personality did you want to put forward in the story?

JH: Loki is is such an ambivalent character - by far my favourite among the Norse gods - that I wanted to portray his complexity rather than (as most interpretations do) simply set him up as a villain. He's a very modern antihero in some ways; an outsider; rejected both by his own people and the community he inhabits and permanently conflicted about his role in the world. He's also a natural comedian - using his profound insight into human (and god) nature to find the best ways to ridicule and to upset his fellow-gods. And unlike the others, he is not a fighter; his weapons are not swords, but words. That's a theme that runs very strongly through both books; the power of words.


PoaW: The book has some very serious themes woven in the fantasy story - why did you want to illustrate the fact that "Not kings but historians rule the world"?

JH: We're back to the power of words again. I wanted to write about the nature of history and that of story, and how we, as a culture, are defined by what we choose to celebrate and the stories we pass onto the next generation.


PoaW: Last but not least, if you could invite one of the characters of Runemarks and Runelight, which one would it be and what would you cook?

JH: I'd invite Thor, who wouldn't care what I cooked (as long as there was a lot of it), but who I sense would be a fun drinking companion...

***

Stay tuned for reviews of Runemarks and Runelight on the blog if you haven't already been convinced to read them!

Where you can find Joanne Harris:
Website: http://www.joanne-harris.co.uk/
Follow me on Twitter: @Joannechocolat

Thanks a million to Joanne and RHCB!



The Dragon Whisperer - Lucinda Hare

Summary from Amazon:

Imagine you could talk to dragons...

Quenelda has always had a magical bond with dragons, and her greatest wish is to fly one and fight alongside her father in the war against the hobgoblins.

Root, on the other hand, wishes only to avoid the fearsome creatures, so the role of Quenelda’s esquire is the last thing he needs.

But an unexpected friendship is forged, and when Dragons Dome is besieged by a deadly plot, this unlikely duo must find a way to defeat the dark forces.

Epic battles, whispered legends and soaring magic combine in this breathtaking debut fantasy, with black and white illustrations by David Wyatt.

~~~ 

I'm not sure whether I'll be able to convey with words what I felt reading The Dragon Whisperer and Flight To Dragon Isle. The books were so irresistibly wonderful that I've read them back to back one after the other in a couple of days. I felt like I was ten again and that the universe was just a big adventure waiting to be discovered. This series is an absolutely fantastic story and it brilliantly fills the void left by the end of Harry Potter.

Quenelda is the daughter of the Earl Rufus DeWinter, Commander of the Stealth Dragon Service (SDS), the force composed of humans and dragons fighting in a place where hobglobins threatened the very existence of both species. Quenelda's mother is unknown and her step-brother is arrogant and proud. Unlike other ladies of the Court, Quenelda doesn't care much about etiquette or pretty dresses, she only has eyes for dragons. Quenelda meets Root, a young gnome, who is afraid of dragons but is brave, courageous and a fabulous compagnion who will stay by Quenelda's side. Theirs is a story of true friendship. They are different but are brought together by circumstances and a strong will. When a horrendous plan is put together to overthrow Quenelda's father and hurt the peace created by the SDS, Quenelda doesn't hesitate to act even though she is a girl and still a child.

I absolutely adored the dragons, their names (Two Gulps And You're Gone is the funniest dragon name!) and the way they interacted with Quenelda in particular. Lucinda Hare has created a fantastic world revolving around those fabulous creatures and you can see the passion she has for animals bursting through every page. I really wish this place existed so that I could live there!

It is a beautiful story but there is so much more to it. The story is about being different, about courage, loss, compassion and so many things which makes this series deep without trying to be serious (hence my comparison with Harry Potter). Quenelda and Root, being a girl and a gnome, fight all preconceived notions and prejudice from the entire society to get to what they want.
Quenelda has some spunk and will not let society and tradition dictate her life. Root is a sweetheart and gains confidence in himself by staying with Quenelda. With Quenelda's knowledge, we learn together with Root how to differentiate, love and take care of dragons. You cannot but love the sudden fascination he has for a dragon, Dancing With The Stars!
There is also a mystery surrounding Quenelda's mother and her strange talent with dragons and we keep wanting to know more!

This book is compelling, unputdownable and utterly irresistible. Children of all ages will love the personalities of the characters and the dragons. There are also adorable illustrations in the book so it is a great book for younger readers (and older readers) (much older). It is also a great book for either boys or girls.
They will relate to the characters' story and be shown that you might be small and laughed at by everyone but you still can save the day by pursuing what you feel is right. It is really a fantastic adventure with a lot of action and laughs!

And if you want to discover the first 45 pages of the book, click on the widget below:

 

And if you want to read Lucinda Hare talking about dragons, head over to her guest post here.

 

The Dragon Whisperer by Lucinda Hare | 2009 | Random House Children's Books | Sent to me by the publisher!

A Tangle Of Magicks blog Tour - Interview with Stephanie Burgis

I am thrilled to receive today Stephanie Burgis, author of A Most Improper Magick (my crazy fan-girl review here), to talk about the release of the second book in the Unladylike Adventures of Kat Stephenson, A Tangle Of Magicks. I have finished reading the book and I loved it so much! I'll post my review during the week so you can see how in love I am with the story :)

~~~

Hi Stephanie, 

I am absolutely thrilled to welcome you to Portrait of a Woman for the release of A Tangle Of Magicks! I was very excited to read A Most Improper Magick back in 2010 because I literally couldn't take my eyes off the cover! The book is just as original as the cover and Kat’s story is very adventurous, funny and magical. It really ticked all my boxes so I was even more excited to read A Tangle Of Magicks and see where Kat would take us next!

Portrait of a Woman: Both books mix magical elements with a Regency setting and an incorrigible main character, but how did Kat’s story come to you in the first place?

Stephanie Burgis: I was actually in the middle of writing a different book - a dark, angst-ridden adult novel. Then one day, as I was chopping onions in my kitchen, I suddenly heard a girl’s voice in my ear (it really was as unexpected and vivid as that), saying: “I was twelve years of age when I chopped off my hair, dressed in boys’ clothes, and set off to save my family from ruin…”

That was it! I was hooked. I abandoned the onions, ran to grab a notebook and began to write. Kat had swaggered right into my life, and I was caught up in her story from that moment onward.

PoaW: I have to admit that that first line got me hooked to the story as well! If A Most Improper Magick looks at the widespread phenomenon of highwaymen during Regency England, A Tangle Of Magicks takes us to the streets of Bath and the myths behind its famous roman baths. Why did you choose to write about this city? Did you have to do a lot of visiting and research to be able to recreate what it was like during Kat’s time? 

SB: I fell in love with the city of Bath years and years ago, well before I ever started writing about Kat - and the Roman Baths, in particular, just overwhelmed me. They are so amazing, and they feel genuinely magical to walk around even now! So when it came time to write Kat’s second adventure, I knew immediately that I wanted to send her and her family to Bath…not least because it gave me the perfect excuse to go back myself, again and again!

Luckily, Jane Austen actually lived in Bath around the period that Kat visited, so there’s been a lot of historical work done on Bath in that time period by Austen scholars, and I found all of those books and articles really helpful. I also read several tourist guidebooks to Bath that were written right around 1800. Finding those felt like striking gold!

PoaW: After reading A Tangle Of Magicks, I have been dying to go to Bath and see those roman baths for myself! I went on your (gorgeous!) website and realized that you have a very varied background in terms of studies, countries visited and work. What does this variety bring to your writing and to the themes in your books?

SB: Well, my background in academia really helped because I spent years researching late eighteenth-century Europe in connection to my degrees, as well as also reading letters and diaries of 18^th and 19^th century British women just for fun. And if I hadn’t spent a few years living in Vienna, Austria (which I loved!), I might have felt far more nervous about moving permanently from America to the UK to be with my now-husband…which directly led to writing about Kat! My first book, A Most Improper Magick, was set in exactly the area of Yorkshire where we lived as I wrote the book, and A Tangle of Magicks was inspired by our daytrip to Bath. I couldn’t have written any of these books if I hadn’t moved to the UK!

(And thanks for the kind words about my website! I’m lucky enough to be married to a fabulous web designer - Patrick Samphire, a.k.a. www.50secondsnorth.com - so I’ll pass the compliment on to him!)

PoaW: My favourite part of the book is the importance of family and I really love Kat’s evolution and how she is growing up. A Tangle Of Magicks features a bit more Kat’s father and her brother Charles and we start to see a bit more of their personalities. Are we going to see and learn a bit more about them in the next book? (why yes, this is a shameless attempt to get more info on book 3 :) )

SB: You absolutely will - especially Charles! I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but Kat 3 is definitely where Charles comes into his own. ;)

PoaW: Amazing! Can't wait to read book 3!! Kat is one of my favourite characters! She is strong, courageous and has the best personality ever! Do you have a top 5 of your favourite heroines in literature and which qualities do they need to have to catch your interest?

SB: Thanks so much! My biggest love as a reader is reserved for smart, feisty heroines who stand up for what they believe in, even if they make mistakes along the way. My top five are:

1. Amelia Peabody, the heroine of Elizabeth Peters’s Crocodile on the Sandbank and a whole series of funny mysteries set in Victorian-era Egypt. She’s smart, determined, and is never afraid to bash an evil-doer with her parasol!
2. Elizabeth Bennet, from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. She’s witty, intelligent, and refuses to give in to social pressure when she knows it’s wrong.
3. Ellie, the heroine of Joan Bauer’s Squashed (one of my favourite YA novels ever). She may be fighting an upward battle, but she’s passionate and loyal, two of my favourite qualities in a heroine - and the novel is hilarious!
4. Flora Segunda, of Ysabeau Wilce’s Flora Segunda. She’s theatrical, feisty and fabulous.
5. Jane Eyre, in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. She’s brave, analytical, and refuses to compromise her own integrity and sense of self-worth, even for the sake of romantic love.

PoaW: That's exactly how I love my heroines in books too! Young Adult literature is becoming increasingly important and as it grows, it gets regularly attacked for being too dark, too controversial and at times too influential. As a YA/MG writer, do you think there is too much darkness in YA literature these days and do you think teens need to be specifically shielded from some themes?

SB: I think kids deserve to have a wide variety of reading options. A book that’s too dark for one reader may well be the book that saves another. I personally tend to prefer writing and reading books that are bright and fun, high-spirited adventures - but I would be horrified if anyone took away the darker books from the shelves. Kids come from lots of different backgrounds and have a lot of different needs, and it would be terrible to take away a book that some kids really need just because some other kids aren’t ready for it yet.

PoaW: On the same topic, you recently participated in a panel about the importance of honesty and creativity in engaging young people organized by The Reading Agency, Bounce! and various publishing companies including Templar. What came out of this event?

SB: That event was so much fun! I really enjoyed being part of such a varying group of authors - Anthony McGowan and Colin Mulhern write very gritty contemporary YA fiction (Colin’s book is about 11-year-old cage fighters in a very freaky contemporary underworld)  while Isla Whitcroft writes glamorous, fun action adventures for a great teen heroine (and martial artist) who gets to travel around the world and use excellent spy gadgets. It was incredibly stimulating for me as a writer to get to discuss writing with such great writers who all write such different kinds of books.

PoaW: Goodreads links to Colin Mulhern's Clash (here) and Isla Whitcroft's The Cate Carlisle Files: Trapped (here)

PoaW: And last, there is a Kat book 3 in the works which will be published in 2012. Will there be more Kat books (pleeeaaase!) and do you have any other projects coming up?

SB: I honestly don’t know the answer to your first question, because it’s just too early to even guess. Truthfully, I would LOVE to write more Kat books - I have lots of ideas for where her further adventures will take her (whether I ever end up writing them or not). However, in terms of hard publishing reality, I can’t even try to sell any more Kat books until Kat book 2 has come out in America and had time to show sales figures, which won’t be for at least another year…so of course I’m working on other projects in the meantime, because I can’t bear to stop writing while I wait! I’m actually just about to send a couple of potential projects to my US editor, so I’m at the stage of feeling far too nervous to talk about them in public right now…

PoaW: I'll cross all my fingers and toes! Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions and writing such wonderful books!

SB: Thank you so much for having me here!

~~~

You can read a short story taking place between Kat book 1 and Kat book 2 on Stephanie's website.

Links:

Stephanie Burgis website : http://www.stephanieburgis.com/

Twitter: @stephanieburgis

Templar fiction facebook page