Buy or Borrow Maya and the Crystal Skull from Amazon Kindle

You can now buy or borrow my new book Maya and the Crystal Skull from Amazon Kindle.

Please click on the following link to Amazon Kindle to preview Maya and the Crystal Skull:

http://www.amazon.com/Maya-Crystal-Skull-ebook/dp/B0069WE3GK#reader_B0069WE3GK

Happy reading.

Love and Light,

Robyn Opie Parnell

http:www.robynopie.com

Another Review of Maya and the Crystal Skull

Maya and the Crystal Skull by Robyn Opie Parnell 

Publisher: R&R Books Film Music

PB RRP: $19.95

ISBN: 9780975609675

Reviewed by Zoya Nojin of Buzz Words Books http://buzzwordsmagazine.blogspot.com/2011/11/maya-and-crystal-skull_21.html

Although Robyn Opie Parnell has had over eighty books published, this is her first foray into a longer novel for middle grade readers and it displays a ‘new direction’ to her writing. Her enthusiasm for her thoughts on the ‘spiritual connectedness with reality’ pervades this story which starts with the main character, Maya learning about ‘universal consciousness’ from a spirit boy as she deals with the loss of her mother.

When Maya discovers that her father is in danger in Mexico, she must travel there with her spirit guide to rescue him while trying to elude a mysterious villain and recover ancient crystal skulls. She soon learns of the skulls’ significance to the future of humankind and that her destiny is intertwined with them.

Written in the first person, Maya’s thoughts and discussions of the spiritual can slow the pace a little while her guide explains how ‘everything in the world is connected’. But the teen voices are realistic, it is easy to read and there is enough action and plenty of dialogue to keep the story moving. Readers will love to hate Sophia, Maya’s minder and enjoy the thrill of the chase through jungles and Mayan ruins.

The cover will whet the appetite for adventure with its gleaming crystal skull staring out over a fiery ancient temple. As this book is the first in a series, one can presume there will be more adventures to come in seeking crystal skulls, with further insights into how Maya’s future is linked to them.

Maya and the Crystal Skull is being marketed as a ‘paranormal thriller for children aged 8+’.

© Zoya Nojin of Buzz Words Books http://buzzwordsmagazine.blogspot.com/2011/11/maya-and-crystal-skull_21.html

Please visit the following websites to purchase Maya and the Crystal Skull:
R & R Books Film Music
http://www.rnrbooksfilmmusic.com.au/maya.html
Amazon Kindle
http://www.amazon.com/Maya-Crystal-Skull-ebook/dp/B0069WE3GK/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1321834871&sr=1-1

Booktopia and other online bookstores
http://www.booktopia.com.au/maya-and-the-crystal-skull/prod9781873671009.html 

Coming in March 2012 Maya and the Ancient Legend - start collecting the series now!

 

A Review of Maya and The Crystal Skull

Review of Maya and the Crystal Skull
Author: Robyn Opie Parnell
Publisher: R&R Books Film Music
ISBN: 978-0-9756096-7-5
http://www.rnrbooksfilmmusic.com.au/maya.html

Maya and the Crystal Skull is the latest book from best-selling children’s author, Robyn Opie Parnell. The book follows the fortunes of fifteen year old Maya King after the death of her mother in a car accident. Maya’s father took the death of his wife hard. In his grief he travels to Mexico in search of the legendary Crystal Skulls. He believed that the Mayan Indians did possess these skulls before their culture vanished. This self exile of her father sees Maya stranded at home with Sophia, a housekeeper hired by him.

Sophia is every child’s nightmare, bossy, grumpy and no sense of fun. Maya has her routine of chores strictly controlled by Sophia. Each of her tasks, of which there are many, must adhere to Sophia’s strict code of practice. The fact that Maya is the child of a client does not deter Sophia. Having the run of Maya’s house and no one to answer to is the perfect world for Sophia to exploit. Maya finds herself no more than a slave in her own house, to a domineering woman.

One ray of light that comes into Maya’s life is Ethan. He is a spirit who has come to warn her that her father is in danger. Ethan also tells Maya that in a past life he was a Shaman priest with the Mayan Indians. Maya finds it hard to accept Ethan at first but then realizes that he is not a product of the stress she is under while living with Sophia.

Maya is quite concerned about her father and contacts her Uncle Peter. She is dismayed to discover that his fear of flying prevents him from going to Mexico. So instead of Uncle Peter, Maya and Sophia take the flight from Sydney to Mexico.

In Mexico she finds her father and discovers the power of the skulls. Kidnapped and in danger of losing her life, Maya finds that life is a precious gift no to be wasted. She also discovers that if you are prepared to help yourself, others will help you too.

I found Robyn Opie Parnell’s book a delight to read. The portrayal of the characters was realistic, and the story flowed quite well. Young readers will find this adventure a riveting read and easily empathise with Maya. Maya’s term for Sophia, witch-dragon, is an apt description of the lady. At times I felt like tearing Sophia from the pages and punishing her severely.

Maya and the Crystal Skull is a book I highly recommend all children read.

Review by Warren Thurston
Children’s Author
http://www.puddlywuddly.com

Maya and the Crystal Skull by Robyn Opie Parnell is available from leading booksellers, on- and off-line and by visiting the publisher - http://www.rnrbooksfilmmusic.com.au/maya.html

Coming Soon - Maya and the Crystal Skull by Robyn Opie Parnell

Move over Indiana Jones...

Maya's life has changed.

Her mother is dead, killed in a car accident; she's befriended by Ethan, a boy who claims he's from the spirit world; and now her father is missing.

What does the legend of the crystal skulls have to do with her father's disappearance? Will Maya travel to Mexico to save him? How can Maya's destiny have anything to do with the future of humankind?

The Mexican jungle, ancient Mayan ruins, dangerous bounty hunters and evil kidnappers...

Yes, Maya's life has changed.

The fate of the world now depends on her.

Coming in November 2011!

Title: Maya and the Crystal Skull
Author: Robyn Opie Parnell
ISBN: 9780975609675
Publisher: R & R Books Film Music
RRP: $19.95
Genre: Paranormal thriller for children aged 8+
Website: http://www.rnrbooksfilmmusic.com.au

An Interview with Sean McMullen to Celebrate the July Release of His Current Book Changing Yesterday

July 1st saw the official release of Sean McMullen's book Changing Yesterday and to celebrate the release, Sean is visiting my blog to participate in an interview. Thanks Sean!

CHANGING YESTERDAY - An Interview with Sean McMullen

• How was your current book, Changing Yesterday, inspired?

I was on a United Airlines flight returning to Australia during the S11 attacks, so terrorism was brought into pretty sharp focus for me. A couple of years later I was looking at a painting of the opening of the first Australian parliament in 1901, and I wondered how history might have changed if someone had bombed the building with so many leaders and royals inside.

Britain would have been pretty annoyed, and declared war on someone. In my novels, this was the aim of the British conspirators, the Lionhearts: they wanted to start a war that would unify the increasingly shaky British Empire. I then imagined a world war that lasted a hundred years, and that was the basis for the novels. I added two idealistic cadets from the future, Liore and Fox, who travel back through time to stop the bombing and so prevent the war.

• What sort of characters are needed to save the world in 1901?

Resourceful characters from diverse backgrounds. Changing Yesterday follows Before the Storm, where Liore and Fox come back through time to stop the bombing of parliament. Four teenages from 1901, Daniel, Emily, Barry and Muriel help them. Fox and Liore are like machines, they are sort of human Terminators with a bit of social responsibility added. Daniel and Emily are from a rich family and are very respectable, but Barry is a school dropout who is sort of training to be a petty criminal. Muriel wants to be an artist, and she does wild and bohemian things like hanging out in coffee shops and posing nude for art classes. Daniel and Muriel fall in love, which scandalises his sister Emily. Emily is that ageless type of character who likes nothing better than ordering other people about.

• So does the world get saved from a century of war?

In this timeline of history, yes. The six teenagers stop the bombing in Before the Storm, but in Changing Yesterday things go seriously wrong. Muriel dumps Daniel and runs off to Paris with Fox to become an artist. Daniel loses interest in life, so his parents send him to an English school to learn a bit of discipline. Barry steals the plasma weapon that Liore brought with her from the future, then boards the same ship as Daniel. He hopes to sell it to the king in return for a knighthood. Liore chases after Barry on another ship. The Lionhearts sail after Barry too. The weapon he has stolen would be ideal for another attempt at starting a war.

• It sounds like a lot of the book is set on ships.

Oh yes, quite a lot of action takes place on ships sailing from Australia to England. Not many authors have used the Australia-England voyage in their novels, which is a pity. It's a wonderful setting, a bit like the movie Titanic, but without the iceberg. The down side was that I had to do a lot of original research to get the details right.

• Changing Yesterday sounds like an exciting adventure, but is it more than that?

Definitely. There are lots of other threads woven into the story. At one level Changing Yesterday is about growing up. While aboard the ship Daniel changes from an awkward, overgrown boy into quite a suave adult over a few weeks. By contrast, Barry is so good at being a streetwise kid that he can't let go of that lifestyle. Liore, the commander from the future, was never really a child, and she remains a machine warrior, neither teenager nor adult. I suppose the book shows teenage readers that they have to leave some of their life behind them as they get older, but also that there are lots of new things to look forward to.

The book is also a cleverly disguised history lesson. A lot of young readers can't really imagine living in a world without iphones, movies, cable television and computer games, but the passenger ships of 1901 didn't even have radios or telegraphs. And it gets worse. Today the trip to London is just a 24 hour flight, but try to imagine six weeks in a floating hotel with a thousand other totally bored people, and you have the 1901 trip to England. I have included a lot of material on the concerts, dances, costume parties and deck games that were meant to amuse the passengers on these voyages, and have also shown how some people just went along in search of romance.

At a deeper level, the characters are faced with a lot of really big issues, like saving the future. Currently, all of us have a few concerns about saving the future. Climate change may not have the drama of a world war, but the two problems have a lot in common. They are both really big issues, seemingly far too big for kids to handle, but by working together it's possible to handle big issues. This is the ultimate message from Changing Yesterday.

Changing Yesterday was released on the 1st of July, and will be distributed by Macmillan for Ford Street.

About Changing Yesterday
It’s 1901, and Battle Commander Liore has travelled back in time to stop a war that will rage for over a hundred years. But time itself is against her. Whenever she changes history, a new beginning to the war emerges and the world once again teeters on the brink of disaster. To make matters worse, Barry the Bag has stolen Liore’s plasma rifle, the most dangerous weapon in the world. The owner is on his trail, and she doesn’t take prisoners. Can anything prevent Liore from risking the world’s future for the sake of revenge?

'... his action sequences splendid, his comic timing impeccable’ Locus
'... fans of Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams will appreciate McMullen’s dry wit ...’ Romantic Times
'... one of the star names of Australian SF’ Interzone

About the Author
Sean McMullen is one of Australia’s leading SF and fantasy authors, with fifteen books and sixty stories published, for which he has won over a dozen awards. His most recent novels are and The Time Engine (2008), The Iron Warlock (2010) and Before the Storm (2007). In the late 1990s he established himself in the American market, and his work has been translated into Polish, French, Japanese and other languages. The settings for Sean’s work range from the Roman Empire, through Medieval Europe, to cities of the distant future. His work is a mixture of romance, invention and adventure, while populated by dynamic, strange and often hilarious characters. When not writing he is a computer training manager, and when not at a keyboard he is a karate instructor.

Also by Sean McMullen
Souls in the Great Machine
The Miocene Arrow
Eyes of the Calculor
Voyage of the Shadowmoon
The Ancient Hero (The Quentaris Chronicles)
Glass Dragons
Voidfarer

Ian Irvine and The Calamitous Queen Blog Tour

Welcome to Ian Irvine. Thank you Ian for agreeing to this interview. And welcome and thank you to visitors to this blog. Ian has been busy with a blog tour for The Calamitous Queen, which is book 4 in Ian's Grim and Grimmer series, and I'm grateful that Ian has time to answer the following questions. I hope everyone finds Ian's answers as interesting and fascinating as I do. So, without further ado...

Q. As an introduction, what would you like to tell us about yourself and your books?

I never considered becoming a writer when I was young, though I loved books and reading even before I went to school. I don’t recall what my early ambitions were (I imagine being some kind of adventurer featured heavily, e.g., space explorer, fighter pilot). I’d always been fascinated by science, however, and by the age of 13 I’d decided I wanted to become a scientist.

My first interest in being a writer came when I was at uni studying geology and chemistry, though I haven’t kept anything I wrote from those days; it was a load of old rubbish. I was also reading a lot of SF and fantasy then and, while doing my doctoral research (30+ years ago), I began to amuse myself by making door-sized maps of a great fantasy world, developing thousands of years of history, societies, ecosystems, etc, as one does, and writing disconnected scenes based on the history and characters I’d sketched out. It was around that time that I decided I wanted to become a writer. But what with little children, renovating one of the most decrepit Victorian houses in inner Sydney, and setting up my consulting business doing marine pollution studies, there was no time in the next decade.

In 1987 the creative urge became overpowering, and I began A Shadow on the Glass, the first book of my Three Worlds epic fantasy series, http://www.ian-irvine.com/threeworlds.html, which has since grown to 11 books and more than 7,000 pages. And more books to come.

A Shadow on the Glass was first published in 1998, with the remaining books of The View from the Mirror quartet following at 6-month intervals. The quartet became rather successful, both in Australia and internationally, and still reprints regularly both here and in the UK. I’ve now written 27 books in a variety of genres, including a trilogy of thrillers set in our world during catastrophic climate change (Human Rites, http://www.ian-irvine.com/humanrites.html), plus 12 books for YA readers and children. I’m having the time of my life writing, and never plan to stop.

Though I still do some of my consulting work, too. In fact I’ll be wading through a sand-fly infested mangrove swamp next week, collecting pollution samples. It adds to the variety of life and writerly inspiration.

Q. The Calamitous Queen is the fourth book in the Grim and Grimmer series. Do you prefer writing a single, stand-alone book or a series of books about the same characters?

I’ve never written a stand-alone book. All my books are part of trilogies or quartets. I guess I’m a long-winded kind of guy. Although it’s also true that I mostly write fantasy, and fantasy readers prefer long books that are a part of a series – I know this because of the overall state of the market and also because it’s what my readers keep telling me. In fact I’ve just asked the question on my Facebook author site; you can see the responses here, http://www.facebook.com/ianirvine.author.

I am considering writing some stand-alone books in future, though, partly for variety, and partly because writing such long series represents an enormous commitment of time and creativity. I love doing series, but it would also be nice to have a break and just work on a project that has a definite beginning and ending.

Q. What inspired the Grim and Grimmer series? And how did you develop this series?

It wasn’t inspired by any particular idea or character, but rather by the urge to write more stories for a particular age group. I particularly enjoyed writing my little Sorcerer’s Tower books, http://www.ian-irvine.com/sorcererstower.html, and librarians have frequently said that these books, which are only 10,000 words each, are ideal for reluctant readers in mid-primary schools because the books have driving plots and strong heroes and heroines. One librarian said that reluctant readers often end up with what they regard as ‘books for dummies’ and the kids would sooner read nothing than be seen reading such books.

I wanted to write more books for these readers, though for slightly older ones, say 9-14. I wanted the books to have clearly drawn, extravagant characters and powerful, exciting plots. I also wanted them to be funny, because I’d never written humour before and wanted to have a go at it. And also because, while there are lots of fantasy novels for this age group, and lots of humorous novels, not many books successfully combine both.

I developed the series by creating a character, Ike, who was different to other characters I’ve written about because at the beginning he’s a failure at almost everything. Useless Ike. I wanted to show how a failure can become a hero. Then the series title, Grim and Grimmer (my all-time favourite title; it took many, many hours to come up with it), and the descriptive titles of the books – The Grasping Goblin, The Desperate Dwarf etc. Then I plotted out the first book, The Headless Highwayman, constantly analysing the plot events and the characters, and rewriting so as to overturn clichés and change the familiar into the unusual. That was the extent of my planning. I didn’t plot the remaining three books at all until I was ready to write each of them, though I always had in my head how the story would end.

Even so, when I was writing the final book, The Calamitous Queen late last year, the ending did surprise me (favourably). Every one of the many characters gets their just desserts (in good ways or bad, and nearly always humorously). Poor Ike, though. I still shudder at his humiliation with the troll-bum door, just at the moment that’s supposed to be his greatest triumph.

Q. How does writing a series differ from writing a single, stand-alone book?

I can only speak from the series viewpoint. It’s a major undertaking, both in time, perspiration, hair-tearing and creativity. And sometimes, when a book is not going well (which occurs in the early drafts of all my books) I rage to the heavens, ‘Why am I doing this to myself, why?’

But it’s also pleasant to come back to familiar and much-loved characters, and to take them in new directions, or even overturn their lives and everything they stand for.

Q. Is selling a series to a publisher different from selling a single, stand-alone book? In what ways?

It can be easier, or it can be harder. For instance with my first series, The View from the Mirror. I sent this to Penguin in 1996, and it was read and favourably received by several people, including a free-lance editor who had been a former publisher at Penguin. Kay recommended that Penguin buy the series, though she was not confident that they would, because they would have to buy four long books and at the time Penguin had not published fantasy for the adult market. If the first book failed, the others must fail as well, which would be costly. But Penguin did buy the series and it went very well for them.

On the other hand, because most fantasy readers are looking for series, it can be easier to sell a strong series than a good single work.

Q. What advice would you give to writers who wish to write and sell a series?

The advice is generally the same as for writers who write single books: create an engaging, clearly drawn protagonist who wants something desperately; an equally engaging and well drawn antagonist (this doesn’t have to be a person, it can be a force of nature, society or group) who wants to stop the protagonist at all costs; show their struggle in a series of conflicts and reversals; and write a powerful resolution which also shows how the protagonist has changed at the end. Create empathy for the protagonist by showing his or her emotions, feelings, hopes, fears and conflicts in every scene. Finally, create a unique and clearly visualised story world that’s based on the observation of small, unusual details, rather than being a clichéd version of another writer’s story world.

But with a series, the story and the characters have to be big enough to last and grow and change through a series of books. Well, most characters. Despite what books on writing tell you, not all characters have to grow and change. The charm of many series characters (e.g. Stephanie Plum in the Janet Evanovitch crime novels, or James Bond, etc) is that they never change. And readers don’t want them to: they like these characters just the way they are.

Once again, thank you Ian for sharing your insights in regards to writing and, in particular, in writing a series. Good luck with The Calamitous Queen, the Grim and Grimmer series, all of your other books, new ventures and, well, life in general. I wish you every success, as I do to everyone reading this blog. I wish you all every success!

To read more about Ian Irvine, The Calamitous Queen, the Grim and Grimmer series and plenty of fascinating stuff, here are the details of Ian's blog tour. Enjoy!

Blog Tour Dates:

6 June 2011
Ian Irvine http://bloggingwithianirvine.blogspot.com
Introducing The Calamitous Queen blog tour

7 June 2011
Nords Wharf Public School https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/blog/437508-nordswharfschoollibraryboard/
Questions from students

8 June 2011
Susan Stephenson, The Book Chook http://www.thebookchook.com
Literacy and writing

9 June 2011
Catriona Hoy http://catrionahoy.blogspot.com/
Humour and writing

10 June 2011
Kid’s Book Capers – Dee White http://content.boomerangbooks.com.au/kids-book-capers-blog/
Review of book and interview

11 June 2011
Sally Murphy http://www.sallymurphy.blogspot.com
The exciting (or otherwise) life of a writer

12 June 2011
Claire Saxby http://www.letshavewords.blogspot.com
Fun, fantasy, fiction: mix and stire (or how it all comes together)

13 June 2011
Alison Reynolds http://www.alisonreynolds.com.au/
Why Ian wrote this book...

14 June 2011
Dee White (deescribewriting blog) Tuesday Writing Tips http://deescribewriting.wordpress.com
Tips on how to finish a series

15 June 2011
St Joseph’s Primary School http://stjyear52011.blogspot.com
Questions from students

16 June 2011
Sheryl Gwyther http://sherylgwyther4kids.wordpress.com
The 10 best things about writing 'Grim and Grimmer' + things that almost drove you nuts!

17 June 2011

Braemar College, Christine Wilson http://cawilsontl.edublogs.org.virtural-blog-tour/
Questions from students

18 June 2011
Writing Children's Books with Robyn Opie http://www.robynopie.blogspot.com
The how-to's of writing a series

19 June 2011
Angela Sunde http://angelasunde.blogspot.com/
Where Ian's ideas for the series came from and how he knew there would be four books in it

June 2011

Hysterical horror, hopeless heroes -

Grim and Grimmer 4

The Calamitous Queen

Publisher: Scholastic Australia
Paperback, 280 pages

Emajicka is marching on Grimmery with an army of a million Fey. Can things possibly get worse?

Yes, they can, for Ike is all alone. Mellie has gone, attempting to pull off the perfect crime. Lord Monty is at war with his reattached head. The beautiful sprite Mothooliel wants to steal Ike’s eyeballs, and Grogire the firewyrm plans to kill him in the most disgusting way.

Can Pook and Ike free the Collected children? Will Ike discover the secret of the Gate Guardians and clear his parents’ names in time to save Grimmery? Or will Spleen and Nuckl finally feast on Ike’s innards?

Brace yourselves for a wild ride.

• "Fast and furious and very funny." Reading Time
• "The funniest horror story you'll read in a long while." Good Reading
• "Very funny, as well as dangerous, gory and grotty." www.aussiereviews.com
• "Funny and fast paced. Recommended." Bookseller and Publisher.
• "The fun explodes off every page." Richard Harland, international bestselling author of Worldshaker, www.richardharland.net
• "A wonderful tale. Delightfully dark and delicious." Jacq Ellem, www.hittheroadjacq.com
• "I gasped and laughed my way through these three books." Dee White, Kids' Book Capers.

The Calamitous Queen Blog Tour With Ian Irvine

June 2011

Hysterical horror, hopeless heroes -

Grim and Grimmer 4

The Calamitous Queen

Publisher: Scholastic Australia
Paperback, 280 pages

Emajicka is marching on Grimmery with an army of a million Fey. Can things possibly get worse?

Yes, they can, for Ike is all alone. Mellie has gone, attempting to pull off the perfect crime. Lord Monty is at war with his reattached head. The beautiful sprite Mothooliel wants to steal Ike’s eyeballs, and Grogire the firewyrm plans to kill him in the most disgusting way.

Can Pook and Ike free the Collected children? Will Ike discover the secret of the Gate Guardians and clear his parents’ names in time to save Grimmery? Or will Spleen and Nuckl finally feast on Ike’s innards?

Brace yourselves for a wild ride.

• "Fast and furious and very funny." Reading Time
• "The funniest horror story you'll read in a long while." Good Reading
• "Very funny, as well as dangerous, gory and grotty." www.aussiereviews.com
• "Funny and fast paced. Recommended." Bookseller and Publisher.
• "The fun explodes off every page." Richard Harland, international bestselling author of Worldshaker, www.richardharland.net
• "A wonderful tale. Delightfully dark and delicious." Jacq Ellem, www.hittheroadjacq.com
• "I gasped and laughed my way through these three books." Dee White, Kids' Book Capers.
  
  

Blog Tour Dates:

6 June 2011
Ian Irvine http://bloggingwithianirvine.blogspot.com
Introducing The Calamitous Queen blog tour

7 June 2011
Nords Wharf Public School https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/blog/437508-nordswharfschoollibraryboard/
Questions from students

8 June 2011
Susan Stephenson, The Book Chook http://www.thebookchook.com
Literacy and writing

9 June 2011
Catriona Hoy http://catrionahoy.blogspot.com/
Humour and writing

10 June 2011
Kid’s Book Capers – Dee White http://content.boomerangbooks.com.au/kids-book-capers-blog/
Review of book and interview

11 June 2011
Sally Murphy http://www.sallymurphy.blogspot.com
The exciting (or otherwise) life of a writer

12 June 2011
Claire Saxby http://www.letshavewords.blogspot.com
Fun, fantasy, fiction: mix and stire (or how it all comes together)

13 June 2011
Alison Reynolds http://www.alisonreynolds.com.au/
Why Ian wrote this book...

14 June 2011
Dee White (deescribewriting blog) Tuesday Writing Tips http://deescribewriting.wordpress.com
Tips on how to finish a series

15 June 2011
St Joseph’s Primary School http://stjyear52011.blogspot.com
Questions from students

16 June 2011
Sheryl Gwyther http://sherylgwyther4kids.wordpress.com
The 10 best things about writing 'Grim and Grimmer' + things that almost drove you nuts!

17 June 2011

Braemar College, Christine Wilson http://cawilsontl.edublogs.org.virtural-blog-tour/
Questions from students

18 June 2011
Writing Children's Books with Robyn Opie http://www.robynopie.blogspot.com
The how-to's of writing a series

19 June 2011
Angela Sunde http://angelasunde.blogspot.com/
Where Ian's ideas for the series came from and how he knew there would be four books in it

Paul Collins Has a New Series - the First Book is Mole Hunt

An Interview with Paul Collins

Welcome to Writing Children's Books with Robyn Opie.

Mole Hunt - the latest novel from award-winning author Paul Collins - was released on 1 June 2011. We're lucky today to have award-winning author Paul Collins here with us to answer questions about Mole Hunt, The Maximus Black Files and anything else I throw at him. Well, perhaps not "anything".

Thank you Paul for visiting my blog and participating in the following interview. I know you're a busy man. Thanks for having me here, Robyn.

Q: Dystopian fiction is big right now. Did you write The Maximus Black Files specifically because of this genre’s popularity?

A: All modesty aside, I’m usually ahead of my time. I published Australia’s first heroic fantasy novels way before the major publishers decided there was money to be made in fantasy – I only stopped because two distributors folded on me, one taking all my stock and owing me a lot of money. I actually wrote the trilogy in rough form years ago. Last year I started polishing Mole Hunt, book #1. I could see dystopian fiction was on the rise, but the publishers I’d submitted it to were keeping it for ages. I knew if I didn’t act quickly, the fad would fade and I’d have missed my opportunity. One publisher has had it now for two years! I should let them know I’m withdrawing it! I also pulled it from another publisher who had had it in their slush pile for five months. Regardless, it’s Out There now.

Q: What inspired you to write dystopian fiction?

A: I’ve written in this genre before. The Earthborn Wars was an SF trilogy (The Earthborn, The Skyborn and The Hiveborn) set after an apocalyptic event on Earth. Civilisation as we know it ceased to exist and roaming bands of thugs took over. Of course, although it’s bleak, there has to be some hope. In The Earthborn Wars I have Sarah, who brings together a gang of life-minded individuals and strikes out against the baddies. Maximus Black has his own nemesis in Anneke Longshadow.

Q: Do you base your characters on anyone you know?

A: I have done. My picture book, The Glasshouse, is based on a writer friend to whom I gave sound advice but she chose to ignore it. But it’s not often I’m driven to writing about “someone”. Anneke Longshadow is based on a character I know, and that’s Modesty Blaise. Maximus is everything I imagine an anti-hero to be: despicable, in control, conniving, darkly handsome/brooding with an unquenchable lust for violence. I could go on!

Q: Apart from Peter O’Donnell, then, has anyone influenced your writing?

A: I didn’t read as a kid, so I had no preconceived ideas on how I should write, conventions, etc. I did read a lot of comics. Reviewers over the years have said my fiction is fast-paced and filmic, so I imagine if anything, I’ve been influenced by Stan Lee and his team at Marvel Group Comics. I used to devour The Hulk, Spiderman, Captain America, Daredevil and a host of others.

Q: Do you have a favourite genre apart from dystopian fiction?

A: I’m primarily known as a science fiction writer. This is odd because I’ve written more fantasy than SF. But over the years I’ve possibly written within just about every genre, including romance (although that one didn’t sell!!!!). In a nutshell, I like fantasy.

Q: Which other writers do you admire?

A: When I get time I read Eoin Colfer (Artemis Fowl) and Philip Reeve (Mortal Engines). I think both write in the same vein as me, that is, filmic action.

Q: Do you ever get writers’ block? If so, how do you get around it?

A: I’m usually working on too many projects to get blocked. If I do, I just shift on to something else and come back to the previous project if/when I’ve resolved the problem. I find brainstorming ideas with my partner, Meredith Costain, or with friends, usually fixes any problems.

Q: Now that Mole Hunt is in the shops, how do you plan to promote it?

A: Social media is the best way to promote books. Facebook, Twitter, writing articles and blogs for online shops and blog sites, getting reviews in newspapers and magazines, etc. On June 10 I’ll be launching the book at Continuum. I can honestly say promoting books these days is just as time-consuming as writing the books.

Q: Are you writing anything new right now?

A: I suspect I’ll be promoting Mole Hunt for the next month. I’ll then reacquaint myself with Dyson’s Drop, book #2 in The Maximus Black Files. Once I’ve fixed up any glaring errors, I’ll start polishing the manuscript. Other than that, I have a fantasy novel called Broken Magic that’s looking for a home. But I suspect I’ll leave it in the bottom drawer until I have this current trilogy put to bed.

Q: Last but not least, do you have a plot outline you can share with us?

A: Certainly. Here it is:

Special Agent Maximus Black excels at everything he attempts. The problem is, most of what he attempts is highly illegal. Recruited by the Regis Imperium Mentatis when he was just fifteen, he is the youngest cadet ever to become a RIM agent. Of course, being a certified sociopath helps. He rises quickly through the ranks, doing whatever it takes to gain promotion. This includes murdering the doctor who has certified him, as well as a RIM colonel who Black deems to be more useful dead than alive. Now seventeen, he is a valuable member of a highly secret task force whose assignment is to unearth a traitorous mole. Unfortunately for RIM he is the mole, a delightful irony that never ceases to amuse him.

In the two years he has been with RIM he has only met his match once. Anneke Longshadow, another RIM agent, who nearly succeeded in exposing him. But nearly wasn’t enough. Now she is dead and he is very much alive to pursue his criminal activities.

Right now, Black has a new problem; one that will challenge him to the max. He has a lot of work to do and little time to do it but as with every facet of his life, he plans each step with meticulous precision.

Maximus needs to find three sets of lost coordinates to rediscover the power of the dreadnoughts – a powerful armada of unbeatable power, long since put into mothballs by the sentinels whose job it is to keep peace and harmony in the ever expanding universe.

Sadly for Black, complications arise. It seems Anneke Longshadow isn’t dead after all. Every bit his match, Anneke eludes the traps Black sets for her. Born on Normansk, a planet with 1.9 gravity, Anneke is more than capable of defending herself against Black’s hired help, the insectoid Envoy, and his professional mercenary and hitman, Kilroy.

Power-hungry, Black usurps the throne of Quesada, a powerful crime syndicate. His ultimate aim is to replace the Galaxy gate-keepers, RIM, with his own organisation. Matching him step by step, Anneke collects as her allies all those who Maximus has deposed in his march to becoming ruler of the universe.

Paul Collins
Melbourne June 2011
www.fordstreetpublishing.com
http://www.paulcollins.com.au/

"Bitingly clever and a cross between Total Recall, Dexter and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” Bookseller and Publisher.

"The pace would give Matthew Reilly a nosebleed." Buzz Words

"I couldn’t put Mole Hunt down.” Kids' Book Capers.

About the author
Together with Michael Pryor, Paul is the co-editor of the highly successful fantasy series, The Quentaris Chronicles; he has also contributed seven titles to the series as an author. Paul’s other works include The Jelindel Chronicles, The Earthborn Wars trilogy and The World of Grrym trilogy written in collaboration with Danny Willis. Paul has been the recipient of several awards, notably the inaugural Peter McNamara, the Aurealis, and the William Atheling. He has been short-listed for many others, including the Speech Pathology Australia and Ditmar awards. Paul has worked as a pub bouncer, served time in the commandos, has a black belt in both tae kwon do and ju jitsu, was a kickboxer, and trained with the Los Angeles Hell Drivers.

Also by Paul Collins
Trust Me! (editor)
The Spell of Undoing
Dragonlinks
The Glasshouse

Catriona Hoy's Blog Tour for Her New Picture Book "George and Ghost"

Today is the official release day for Catriona Hoy's new picture book George and Ghost.

To celebrate the release of George and Ghost, this week Catriona Hoy is on a blog tour. On this auspicious occasion, the official release day, I have the privilege of interviewing Catriona about the idea for George and Ghost and how this idea became her latest picture book.

Congratulations, Catriona, on another wonderful picture book and welcome to my blog. Thanks for visiting during your blog tour for George and Ghost.

Hi Robyn, thanks for having me here today to celebrate my latest picture book George and Ghost and....its release day. I'm definitely going to have a champagne today! It's like watching my little girl go to school for the first time...I'm sending this little book off into the big world and hoping it does okay.


I'm sure your little one will be a great success.

I'm also sure my readers would like to know about the birth of George and Ghost. Did the idea for George and Ghost pop into your head? Can you explain the inspiration to us?

George and Ghost was an idea brought about by a combination of living in England and having my children learning science over there. We were surrounded by lots of ghosts and traditions. I loved the fact that the pub just down the road was supposedly haunted and things like Guy Fawkes' Night. There were articles occasionally in newspapers about ghost hunters and how they would go about measuring paranormal activity. I wondered what a child would make of all that.

Once you realized you wanted to write this book, what did you do next?

Once I had in my mind that I'd like the book to be about a little ghost trying to prove his own existence, I had to think about the kinds of things that could be measured and the kinds of questions that little children would ask. I brainstormed a lot of ideas and kept the ones that I thought would work well visually. I tried to work these around a pattern of threes; I like threes. Three reasons Ghost couldn't exist, and three reasons he might. I had to have my sad page in the middle and my happy page at the end.

Did you have to write many drafts? And how long did the drafts take from idea to submission?

I'm not sure how many drafts I wrote...probably lots of scrappy ideas on paper at first, which I gradually shuffled till they made sense visually and literally. Once I wrote it, it was probably one draft which I continually refined.

I must say, it was edited quite severely! When I sent it off to the publisher, it came back half the size, with a lot of my science teacher extraneous stuff taken out. I wanted it to have a section called "big ideas for little people" at the end but that ended up on the cutting room floor too. The editor and I decided that it could form the basis for curriculum notes, which it now has.

Here is a link to the curriculum notes: http://www.catrionahoy.com.au/George_and_Ghost_curriculum_notes_1_.pdf

How did writing George and Ghost compare with your first published book?

My first published book was My Grandad Marches on Anzac Day. I guess I did a lot more research for that one and checked out the text with the RSL to make sure they were happy with it. In the end that was a good move as they have been really supportive of the book and were one of the reasons for its successful promotion to schools. Like most of my picture books, I carried Grandad around in my head for a while, but sat down to write it eventually in one long slab. Then it went through many drafts.

George and Ghost was more of a progression because I had to fit together some fairly complex ideas, while making them seem simple. I was also more confident about what I was doing. I know the kind of structure that I like to use. In fact, most of my books have the same pattern....look for those threes!

What was the hardest part about writing George and Ghost? And what was the easiest part?

Definitely getting those complex ideas to hang together and flow. The easiest part...the characters came really easily and I could see them in my head. I was so pleased to see Cassia's roughs, as Ghost looked so lovable.

Is there any advice you'd like to pass on to aspiring writers?

Learn as much as you can, network, join SCBWI and read, read, read. Be critical of your own work and don't fall into the trap of thinking that just because your friends like it, a publisher will.

You need to find out what else is on the market like your book and tell a publisher why yours is different and better and why it will sell. And be positive about rejections. We all have them and it's nice to have a group of like-minded friends to share with.

Thanks again for visiting my blog today, Catriona, and sharing with us your journey in writing George and Ghost. We wish you every success with your latest picture book and all your future books. Congratulations!


Title: George and Ghost
Publisher: Hodder (UK)
Publication Date: Nov 2010 (UK) March 2011 (Aust.)
Author: Catriona Hoy, http://www.catrionahoy.com.au
Illustrator: Cassia Thomas, http://www.cassiathomas.com
ISBN: 9780340988855 (hardback)

George and Ghost are friends, but George isn’t sure he believes in Ghost anymore. How can Ghost prove to George that he is real?

A delightful tale of friendship, with a little bit of science and philosophy thrown in. Guaranteed to be the starting point for many interesting discussions.

George and Ghost Blog Tour Dates:

Mon 7 March 2011
Claire Saxby's Blog - http://www.letshavewords.blogspot.com
Topic: Art vs science

Tue 8 March 2011
Alphabet Soup Magazine Blog - http://soupblog.wordpress.com
Topic: Does a picture book need editing? How do you work with your editor?

Wed 9 March 2011
Trevor Cairney's Blog - http://trevorcairney.blogspot.com
Topic: Writing journey

Thur 10 March 2011
Robyn Opie's Blog - http://www.robynopie.blogspot.com
Topic: Writing George and Ghost

Fri 11 March 2011
Book Capers Blog - http://content.boomerangbooks.com.au/kids-book-capers-blog/
Topic: Ghosts? Do you believe?

Sat 12 March 2011
Chris Bell's Blog - http://christinemareebell.wordpress.com
Topic: Writing picture books

Mon 14 March 2011
Lorraine Marwood's Blog - http://lorrainemarwoodwordsintowriting.blogspot.com/
Topic: In conclusion…

Win all titles in the Lightning Strikes series!

Walker Books are thrilled to announce the launch of their brand new
Lightning Strikes website!

http://www.lightningstrikes.com.au/

• All Lightning Strikes material in one convenient location
  
  
• Free downloadable teachers’ notes on every Lightning Strikes title
  
  
• Updated regularly with reviews from teachers and other
  education professionals
  
  
• To include great competitions and special offers

For your chance to win a copy of every book in the series, all you have to do is visit the website and subscribe to the education newsletter. Then, in the ‘please specify’ field, simply write in 30 words or less which title in the series appeals to you most and why.*

Best of luck

Will you be struck?

*Terms and Conditions of Entry

1. Information on how to enter and the prize form part of these Conditions of Entry.
2. The Promoter is Walker Books Australia (A.B.N 67057547396) of 5 Wilson St, Newtown NSW 2042.
3. If you are under 16, please check with a parent or guardian before entering this competition.
4. The competition is open only to residents of Australia or New Zealand.
5. Competition not open to employees of Walker Books and their families.
6. There is only one winner; the entrant whose answer is deemed to be the most thoughtful and well-expressed. The winner will be decided by a qualified education expert at Walker Books Australia.
7. The winner will receive a copy of all books in the Lightning Strikes series as of March 2011. The total retail value of the prize is AU$233.10/NZ$287.82.
8. Competition closes on the 20th March 2011.
9. We'll contact the winner by email by the 1st April 2011 to organise delivery of the prize.

George and Ghost Blog Tour Coming Soon!

Title: George and Ghost
Publisher: Hodder (UK)
Publication Date: Nov 2010 (UK) March 2011 (Aust.)
Author: Catriona Hoy, http://www.catrionahoy.com.au
Illustrator: Cassia Thomas, http://www.cassiathomas.com
ISBN: 9780340988855 (hardback)

George and Ghost are friends, but George isn’t sure he believes in Ghost anymore. How can Ghost prove to George that he is real?

A delightful tale of friendship, with a little bit of science and philosophy thrown in. Guaranteed to be the starting point for many interesting discussions.

George and Ghost Blog Tour Dates:

Mon 7 March 2011
Claire Saxby's Blog - http://www.letshavewords.blogspot.com
Topic: Art vs science

Tue 8 March 2011
Alphabet Soup Magazine Blog - http://soupblog.wordpress.com
Topic: Does a picture book need editing? How do you work with your editor?

Wed 9 March 2011
Trevor Cairney's Blog - http://trevorcairney.blogspot.com
Topic: Writing journey

Thur 10 March 2011
Robyn Opie's Blog - http://www.robynopie.blogspot.com
Topic: Writing George and Ghost

Fri 11 March 2011
Book Capers Blog - http://content.boomerangbooks.com.au/kids-book-capers-blog/
Topic: Ghosts? Do you believe?

Sat 12 March 2011
Chris Bell's Blog - http://christinemareebell.wordpress.com
Topic: Writing picture books

Mon 14 March 2011
Lorraine Marwood's Blog - http://lorrainemarwoodwordsintowriting.blogspot.com/
Topic: In conclusion…

The Meaning of Life is Imagination!

The number one definition for imagination, as defined by Dictionary.com, is: “the faculty of imagining, or of forming mental images or concepts of what is not actually present to the senses.”

As a writer, I recently found myself wondering about the imagination. The imagination is an integral part of our species. Every human being has an imagination.

Why? I wondered. Why does every one of us have an imagination? Why is the imagination so important to us?

Human beings have certain needs. We need food, water, shelter and clothing. These needs are necessary for our survival. They are survival needs.

Okay, so perhaps humans have imaginations to help us to survive. Perhaps our imaginations are necessary for our survival.

Let’s see…

My imagination could inspire me to create an apple pie. But my survival doesn’t depend on the apple pie. The apple, itself, is all that’s necessary as a basic need – food.

My imagination could inspire me to build a house. But my survival doesn’t depend on the house. A cave is all that’s necessary as a basic need – shelter.

I realize that today’s population can’t all live in caves. We don’t have enough city-sized caves. Honestly, I don’t need my imagination to work this out. I need logic.

If I’m being pursued by a man-eating tiger, my survival isn’t based on whether I can imagine becoming dinner or not. I know I’ll be dinner, unless I can escape. Will my imagination help me to escape? Again, I need logic. Good instincts would help, too.

If I fall in a lake and am in danger of drowning, my survival isn’t based on whether I can imagine being rescued or not. Let’s say I imagine being saved by aliens. Sure, that’s going to help. Not! Again, I’m back to logic and instincts.

Imagination could come in handy if I want to cross a river. My imagination could inspire the invention of a boat. But is the boat necessary for my survival? I doubt it. Surely, I could survive by remaining on my side of the river.

I kept thinking about basic human survival. Try as I might, I couldn’t establish imagination as a necessary tool for human survival. Food, water, shelter and clothing – yes – but not imagination.

What about imagining fairies who live at the bottom of the garden? No, that doesn’t help our survival. What about a boy who goes to a magical boarding school to learn how to be a wizard? No, that still doesn’t help our survival. What about a girl who falls in love with a vampire? Maybe the girl should worry about her survival but this idea has nothing to do with our real life survival.

Then, why do we have imagination?

So we can have light-bulb moments like this one?

I realized that imagination isn’t connected to basic human survival. But there’s no doubt that we have imagination. Follow the logic here – or use your imagination.

If imagination isn’t connected to basic human survival, but we have imagination nevertheless, then logically humans are meant to do more than just survive.

Get that?

Imagination isn’t necessary for our survival. Yet, we have imagination. Therefore, humans are meant to do more, much more, than survive.

We’ll assume that humans are surviving – and I don’t think we need our imaginations to make this assumption – then our survival needs are largely under control. We don’t have to worry about food, water, shelter and clothing to the same extent as our cave-dwelling ancestors did. We’ve come a long way over the millennium.

So, we’re assuming our survival needs are under control. Now what? This must be where our imaginations come into play.

We survive. Great. Then what? We use our imaginations.

Imagination assumes that our survival is under control because imagination isn’t necessary for our survival. With our survival under control, we can enjoy the pursuits of our imaginations.

With imagination, we go beyond, further, than mere survival. Humans are meant to survive. That’s why we have survival needs and instincts. Then we can go beyond survival, to a better place, of potential, growth, self-improvement, development... imagination.

We use our imaginations to:

• Visualize;

• Create, design and invent;

• Solve problems:

• Cope with anxieties and challenges;

• Relax and play;

• Improve our lifestyles and quality of survival; and

• Achieve and maximize our potential.
  

If you’re just surviving, then you’re missing the meaning of life. The meaning of life, for humans, is to go further than survival, to utilize the imagination. So that we can make this world a better place for ourselves, our families, our friends, our neighbors and everyone else.

The meaning of life is imagination!

We are here to use our imaginations and make this world a better place for all of us.

The question is: Are you surviving, or are you making this world a better place?

Use your imagination!

Thanks for reading. Until next time....

Take care and all the best,
Robyn Opie
http://www.robynopie.com