Newsletter #9 - Of Inspiration and What Comes Next...
HERE SHE COMES, READY OR NOT!
Welcome to another newsletter! It’s been very busy here and I’m so excited that The Unchosen One is finally out in the wild and receiving some lovely reviews. If you’ve already ordered a copy – thank you very much for your support. It is very much appreciated! Please do leave a star-rating or review anywhere you like if you enjoyed the book – they make a huge amount of difference to authors. Thank you so much!
Have you seen the book trailer produced by Walker Books? It’s really fun. I love book trailers – how the images and music come together to communicate the heart of the book. I think this trailer communicates The Unchosen One very clearly!
READER EXCLUSIVE
Back in 2019, I wrote a story for the fantastic Aquila Magazine. I love writing for them, and do so on a regular basis. The story was called 'How To Make A Raven Laugh' and was written with much giggling around the time I was working on The House At The Edge of Magic. If you've read the series, you'll notice the similarities in the voice with the character of Nine, who was clearly very much in my head. After I'd written my short story, I remember thinking, 'there could be a novel in here' but because I was writing 'House', I didn't really dwell on it. But the short story stayed with me and kindly added itself to the swirl of thoughts, memories and dreams for when the time was right. If you read The Unchosen One, you might notice a familiar character who began in this short story. But I'll let you discover that for yourselves! Enjoy!
Download “How to Make a Raven Laugh” here.
Every time I create a new series, a different key element goes into it. For me, that gives me an opportunity to explore different aspects of life and experience and stops different series becoming too similar, although there will always be a little overlap. They have all been inspired by something different. The Players Act 1 was inspired by my love of folk and Shakespeare, rooted in my folkie childhood where we’d hang out in caravans, dance together in the open air, and go from inn to inn watching or taking part in performances. There was always music, banter and ale on the breeze.
The House At The Edge of Magic was inspired by a recurring dream I had about exploring this strange, wonky house of many doors, ladders and passageways – but every time I finally reached a door and opened it, I would wake up. My brain was saying NO. You want to see behind the door? Then get yourself in gear and write the book. Fine. So I finally gave in and wrote House, and from the moment I started writing, the dream vanished and has never returned since.
The Unchosen One is very much inspired by my childhood. There are many little personal Easter eggs in there! For a start, I have never written a character so similar to myself. Many characters carry a little part of their authors in some way, but Tassie really reminds me of Young Amy. We share the same optimism and timekeeping skills. The game she plays in an early chapter is based on one I used to play. The mysterious Shadow who threatens the Isles of Peryll is based on a story I wrote as a child called ‘The Shadow’s Revenge’. The Chief Steward definitely has echoes of my dear grandad, who I was very close to, and would despair of and be amused by my antics in equal measures.
And there are many more examples, but I will say no more for fear of spoilers! But it’s been an absolute pleasure weaving in little colourful moments of childhood experience and imagination in this particular series. Which brings me onto…
What Comes Next?
It might seem crazy to be thinking about what comes next when the first book of a trilogy has only just come out. But things take a long time in the publishing world. Book 2 is in the developmental editing stage, and I’m ready to write book 3 as soon as we go to line-editing (which is looking at word choices, consistency, tweaking sections, and so on). So, my mind has been pondering on what comes next.
I’m excited to have The Players Act 2 to be working on, but I like to have multiple projects on the go, so I’m just starting to develop a new middle-grade series! The inspiration feeding the ideas in this book is my love of the sea, and our relationship to it. Having grown up in a coastal town with the beach at the end of my road, I strongly feel a connection with the sea and have wanted to write about it in more depth for a while. The idea is growing all the time and feels exciting – so I’ll see where it takes me.
EVENTS!
I’m really excited about some events coming up! I always love meeting my readers! Dates are still coming together so I’ll be sending out more information as it comes in. Currently:
Saturday 23rd May, 11am - 1pm - Eastbourne Waterstones, where I’ll be in-store, signing a whole variety of my books.
Tuesday 26th May, 2pm – 2.30pm - Book Nook independent bookshop, Hove – I’ll be running a short event and signing books.
Saturday 20th June, 2pm - Eastbourne Library. I’ll be running a fun Unchosen One event, with a reading, activities and a competition to win a free signed copy.
I’m also planning to visit bookshops around the country, so do keep an eye open for a little magical trail of signed copies I’ll be leaving behind – and please do let me know if you find one!
CURRENTLY READING
The Tolpuddle Woman by E.V. Thompson.
A little bit of research for yet another idea I’m working on! This one is an older novel from 1995, and the style of writing feels quite different from more recent books. I’m really enjoying it, though – the world-building and description is fabulous – so immersive.
Werelock And Scratch: Robbery Most Puzzling written by K. R. Thompson & illustrated by Binny Talib.
This is the second in the series, and such a great read for younger children, complete with puzzles and activities throughout the story. It’s energetic and engaging, and I particularly like the way that illustrations and graphics are worked into the text. Great fun!
COMING UP NEXT TIME
I’m really excited to share that going forward, I’ll also be including a little mini-interview with other authors. Some you may know, some you may not. It’s a lovely way to introduce new books and exciting voices, get a deeper insight into authors you already read, and cause more trouble for your To Be Read pile :) I’m a big fan of authors supporting authors and I’ll admit this industry is a pretty tough one – so it’s nice to do what we can to lift each other up.
I really do value your support, so thanks so much for reading the newsletter! Please do feel free to forward it on to anyone who might be interested.
If you ever have any questions for me, do feel free to contact me through my agent via my website or send me a DM via my social media platforms:
Mastodon: @amysparkes@wandering.shop
Happy reading,
Amy
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