Q & A

Not being sure what to write to introduce myself, I asked wise young people I work with; What questions would you ask of your favourite author? You can read their questions and my answers here. 

Thank you, Gracie, Jay, Chloe, Liam and Joseph for your fabulous questions. I hope you are not too disappointed it’s me and not J.K Rowling, giving you answers.

Gracie: What are you writing now?

I am writing a novel called KestanePark about a new friendship between two boys from different worlds. Kes is a dryad warrior who has crossed over from The Murmur, a powerful world where the spirits of nature dwell. Lucas is a young boy recently, ‘kidnapped.’

The boys risk their lives as they cross over from one world to the other. Ancient laws forbid this. Both agree that some things are worth breaking rules for and Kestane Park is one. Once a beautiful country estate, now wild and desolate. It has become a secret hangout for Lucas, but for Kes, it is home to nature, wildlife and beautiful trees, including his Sister Tree, a 300-year-old Horse Chestnut. 

Together with other friends, they take on a greedy landowner, a school bully and scary beings from The Murmur, in their quest to save the park. 

It is a book I am excited about writing and sharing with readers. I am sure boys and girls will want Lucas and Kes to overcome the challenges their quest brings. 

Jay: What were you like when you were little?

When I was little, I was a very starving caterpillar… feasting on book leaves and falling through their magical portals into mysterious and exciting worlds. I would go missing for hours at a time. No one worried about me as they knew I would always return to eat. I loved to eat.

Chloe: Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Birkenhead, a shipbuilding town on the West bank of the River Mersey. Growing up, we had many trips on the ferryboat from Birkenhead to Liverpool. These trips inspired a story I have written called the ‘Mersey Pearl’, about a young girl, Gracie-Mae, who believes if she can swim to the bottom of the river and fetch her father’s legendary pearl, she can save him from the heartache and loss of his wife and Gracie-Mae’s mum, Jenny. 

Liam: When you were little what was your favourite book?

Too many to mention- I loved books by Enid Blyton and spent a lot of time rowing to Kirrin Island with the Famous Five and Timmy the dog. I loved going to boarding school at Malory Towers… who wouldn’t love a school that had a swimming pool set in the rock of a cliff face, filled by ocean waves? I loved the world of Stig of the Dump, a caveman and good friend. I loved Mary Poppins’. She had the best use for an umbrella by anyone ever. I loved AKestrel for a Knave, in awe of Kes and Billy, worried by the sad things that happened to them both. I loved book after book after book after book, and it niggles me, I can never read all the books I want to.

Joseph: What were your favourite games?

I liked imaginary games. We had a fun household with a mum who encouraged us to build dens, tents and hidey holes under stairs. We were encouraged to play… play… play. With three brothers, it was never a quiet house. Like a lot of children in those days, we played cowboys and Indians. My eldest brother would be Big Chief Crazy Horse. To him, this meant he could ride his horse all over our wigwams with the rest of us trapped inside. Whilst he yollared at us.    

It is worth noting we all wanted to be Indians, not the Cowboys, because of our surname being Craze and our dad telling us ‘Big Chief Crazy Horse’ was our great, great grandfather. We all believed this. True or not, I think Big Chief Crazy Horse was a noble and honourable chief who fought against enemies to protect his people and their lands. 

So there you have it, a mish-mash profile of me. I hope you will join me on my site again soon, as I will be adding more stuff about me and my writing.