Holly & Kelly Willloughby & their School for Stars!

With the summer holidays almost upon us what better time to think about ur ideal schools?  Perhaps you are looking back at the best year you have ever had or thinking about how exiting the year to come will be?

School is a wonderful place full of amazing opportunities to shine in many things and School for Stars: First Term at L'Etolie (Orion Children's Books) by Holly and kelly Willoughby is no exception   The children here may all have a super talent and be yearning to join the stars but they all still experience lessons, teachers they love and those they like a little less, friendship ups and downs and a variety of other challenges.  The love and closeness of sisters is a theme in the book, reflecting the closeness of its authors, but there are many other moments to make you laugh and sharply intake breath at the audacity of the children.  This book is fun, it is bright, cheerful and loving.  Holly and Kelly seem to have had great fun wiring it and it is the first in a promising series.  Here they explain a little more about how and why they wrote it and reveal a few things about themselves too ...

When did you know you first wanted to write a children’s book together?

Holly: We’ve always wanted to write a story together ever since we were kids.  When we were little we were always making up plays and every Saturday or Sunday, and if we had family or friends over, we would all get together and make something up to perform to them.

Kelly: I can remember having chats together about maybe one day writing these plays down on paper and then I actually started writing a book after I left university - I just woke up one night as I couldn’t sleep and started writing a story and it was one of the ideas Holly and I used to talk about.  I remember phoning Holly and she was so excited and we promised each other one day would we see if we could actually get something published.

How did you find writing together?

Holly: It was great fun, but sometimes we had quite contrasting ideas and we’d have to fight about which way a story would turn. 

Who would win?

Kelly: It was never one of us who always got our way - we would end up compromising - it wouldn’t be a straight win – we are sisters!

Where did you write:

Holly: Usually over dinner with a glass of wine to get away from the kids!  Or in the back of a car.

Kelly: Often while Holly is cooking dinner in the kitchen and we just sat and talked about all the ideas and quickly got them all down. Or my favourite time for writing is when I’ve just got up in the morning, sitting in bed, in my pyjamas on my laptop with a cup of tea.

Why do you think reading is so important?

Kelly: I read loads when I was growing up - all the Enid Blytons – Secret Seven, Famous Five, Mallory towers and Nancy Drew books, but I think it’s different now – kids watch a lot of TV or they’re on iPads, computers, the internet. But it is so important to read as your imagination is used best when you’re sat there with a book inventing the pictures in your mind, rather than looking at them.

Was your school like the school in your book, School For Stars?

Holly: No, sadly not! Obviously there will be elements of similarity because you can’t help but draw on your own experience when writing, but we certainly weren’t singing and dancing every day!

Kelly: It was particular places we remembered the most - so writing about the school hall or the dining room we pictured where we both went to school and used that.

Holly: Do you remember how terrified we were of the head dinner lady?

Kelly: Yes!  And we used that for a story in the book!

The main characters in the book are twins, did you ever wish to be twins?

Holly: We’re quite close in age so it’s always felt like we are practically twins.  Our Dad always called me ‘Rose-White’ and Kelly ‘Rose-Red’ because we’re sort of the same.

Kelly: But I’m brunette and white skinned whilst Holly is blonde and tan-skinned.

If you could have one super-power, what would it be?

Holly: I would be invisible for the day and have a snoop around Buckingham palace and see what goes on there. I want to go through the Queen’s wardrobe!

Kelly: To fly.

What’s in your handbag?

Holly: I have two Thomas the tank engines because they are there to keep Harry and Belle entertained in emergencies. I have my purse, my phone loads of make-up and loads of unidentifiable objects floating around at the bottom which have been there probably for about 4 years.

Kelly: Toys! I had a baby just before Christmas so there’s always something to chew on – and baby bottles.

What’s your best make-up tip?

Holly: Always curl your eyelashes before putting mascara on. Heat your eyelash curlers up with a hairdryer (but always be careful you don’t burn your eyes) as that makes it last longer.

Kelly: I’m never without a black liner on my eyes. My husband says put your liner on and you’ll feel normal!

What’s your guilty TV indulgence?

Holly: Made in Chelsea, I’m obsessed with it. I didn’t watch it right from the beginning but I’ve watched all 4 series on catch up in about 3 months and I love it!

Kelly: Colombo on a Sunday afternoon. Sad but true. Again, a real treat since having a baby because you don’t get the chance to watch anything anymore.

Holly and Kelly in school uniform

What celeb would you most like to be stuck in a lift with?

Holly: Rupert Penry-Jones for obvious reasons.

Kelly: Michael Buble for all the wrong reasons.

One piece of advice to your childhood self

Holly: Practice makes perfect.

Kelly: Be confident.

Holly & Kelly’s favourite things:

Favourite children’s book:

Kelly: Matilda by Roald Dahl

Holly: At the moment it’s the Gruffalo because both my children absolutely love it.  My favourite adult book is Pamela des Barres Im with the Band, it’s a really good story set in the 60s about the original groupie.

Favourite song:

Holly: Paul Weller’s English Rose – first song at my wedding

Favourite musical:

Holly and Kelly: Blood Brothers. The only musical our dad is obsessed with, and won’t whinge all the way through.

Holly: It’s just a really good story and it makes me cry every time I see it even though I know what’s going to happen.

Favourite meal:

Holly: Roast chicken, roast potatoes and tons of gravy - but it has to be my gravy, because I’m the best at making gravy!

Kelly: I’d say fillet steak or chateaubriand with mashed potato.

Favourite holiday:

Holly: My honeymoon to the Maldives. It’s the most beautiful place on earth. It’s the only place on earth that looks like it does in the postcards.

Kelly: Sunshine anywhere - I’d love to go to the Maldives as I haven’t done it yet.

Either / Or

Home cooked meal or takeaway

Holly: Home cooked meal every time

Kelly: Home cooked meal

Film or theatre

Holly: Can’t choose

Kelly: Film

Corrie or Eastenders?

Holly: Corrie

Kelly: Corrie, probably

Night owl or morning bird?

Holly: Morning bird - otherwise I’d be in trouble with my job

Kelly: Morning

Cosmopolitan or Coffee

Holly: Cosmopolitan

Kelly: Cosmo

Personal trainer or yoga

Holly: I’ve been to yoga once but I’m beginning to quite like it

Kelly: Yoga

Sara Grant launches 2 books!

Wednesday 1^st May, launching not one but 2 books, Sara Grant threw a party for friends, family, publishers and a few bloggers/press on the 2^nd floor of Waterstone’s Piccadilly, London.  A lovely party it was too, refreshments included some charming little cupcakes which Sara herself declined to eat not wishing to spoil her appetite for dinner but which the rest of us tucked into with delight!  Nothing however it seems can spoil Sara’s appetite for writing!

Having spent a number of years in the US working in PR it was moving to England that encouraged Sarah to take up her pen and begin writing.  Completing an MA in creative writing she went on to write her own titles for publication whilst setting up a number of groups – which she is still part of – for authors.  It is her unstinting support for others, her selfless and generous spirit and her friendship which always goes the extra mile which stand out for her publishers and agents and it is these qualities, along with the skill to write great stories, that she imbues her fiction with.

Versatile is the word which best sums Sara up and her Orion editor explained how lucky she felt to work with Sara.  Sara’s books fill a gap, catering for two age groups she displays a skill which is not often found in authors, many prefer and feel more comfortable in only one place!  Sara began with YA fiction but found herself naturally drawn to a younger age group too.  Working simultaneously she explained can be a challenge and can turn her from a monster to a delight depending on the stage of writing and the book!  To distinguish between her two roles last night she donned a witches hat complete with pink bow to read from Magic Trix, swapping to a smiley t-shirt for Half Lives, both outfits summing up characters from the books

Sara read from both books and explained what a delight it was to write Magic Trix – book 3 was launched and there are 6 planned (more if she is allowed!).  The aim was to try and make the reader laugh, if the giggles from the assembled group were a guide then she has got it right – and we were all adults!  Erica-Jane Waters, the Magic Trix illustrator was there too and Sara not only thanked her but explained how, with Erica’s amazing talent had captured the story so expertly even prompting a change in the text at times to suit the illustrations!

Before reading from Half Lives Sara explained that this YA novel was inspired by the ability of the human spirit to adapt and survive.  She has been thinking about it since 2009 after hearing about a nuclear power plant in the US and being asked if she would write something about the issue.  Inspiration struck and the story formed as Sara, fascinated by the idea of how the future would look and how we can communicate with them, began to write.  The story is about love, survival, language, belief and understanding ...

Sara was a wonderful host, chatting to everyone and trying to recall as many names as possible.  She oozes enthusiasm and warmth, read wonderfully and looked fetching in her special outfits.

A talented lady from whom we can hopefully expect to read more and who, for the time being has left us with two brand new books to get our teeth into.

As soon as she is back from a trip to America Sara will be writing a guest blog for us here at Armadillo so watch this space!

Liz Kessler takes us North of Nowhere...

Louise Ellis-Barrett recently had the pleasure of interviewing Liz Kessler about her beautiful and recently published North of Nowhere, read on to hear more about this and Liz's other magical stories.

You have written a number of books now, many with a nautical theme, is this inspired by your location or does it have a more longstanding connection than that for you? I grew up in a seaside town and have always had a sense of the hugeness and the power of the ocean somewhere nearby. I love the sea and I love boats and always have done, so I know that this inspires a lot of my writing. The fact that I now live by the sea once again does inspire my writing – but yes, this love for the sea is also pretty deep for me and is part of what makes me tick.

North of Nowhere is not your only standalone novel but I believe that it is unusual for you to write stand alone books.  Do you find series easier or did this story just lend itself to being a one off? I love doing both. I love Emily Windsnap, as she started everything off for me, and I love revisiting her story and writing books in that series. And Philippa Fisher was such fun to write, and moved me into new areas with the kind of subject matter I covered. But I also wanted to write some standalone books, and am very grateful that Orion have let me do that too! I absolutely love time slip stories, and my intention is that there will be three of these in total over the next few years, each dealing with time slip issues in a different way

When you set out to write a story how much do you plan in advance and how much is left to the whims and fancies or even personalities of the characters themselves? I am the biggest planner I know! I spend a long time planning and I don’t begin writing my story until I’m happy that I know what’s going on from start to finish. But that isn’t to say I don’t let my characters have any part in determining the plot. They are part of what guides me through the whole process – they just do more of it in the planning stage than the stage where I write the first draft. But even then, they do still surprise me along the way!

North of Nowhere is a very accomplished story of entwined lives and histories, read and understood on one level, I think, by adults, and on another by children.  Did you feel this as you wrote it? Thank you. I didn’t think about whether it would be read and understood on different levels by adults and children. I just wrote it in the way that felt right for me, and for the story. But I know that adult friends have enjoyed A Year Without Autumn, so I’d be absolutely delighted if they enjoy North of Nowhere in the same way.

There is one narrator in the story, Mia, and she speaks for herself, and I feel Dee.  how easy was it to create their voices, making them unique and yet similar? The important thing is to get to know the characters as well as possible. I do quite a lot of work on this before I start writing. Once I’m as familiar as possible with my characters, their voices tend to come quite naturally. If it’s worked in the way that I hope for it to do so then that’s great!

I love the way in which you have chosen to use narrative and diary entries to tell the story, it is real time and yet also not.  Which was the hardest part to write?

The hardest part of this story was getting the continuity right. With a quite complicated time travel situation, I made lots of mistakes and left lots of loose ends trailing, originally. Thankfully I have a wonderful editor (Amber Caravéo at Orion Children’s Books) and she hopefully spotted all of these before we went to publication.

Were you a diary keeper as a child, or did you ever, as Mia, feel that you just needed a friend who was coming from the same place as you - if that is not too personal a question? I think this is a key element of the book and one that young readers will very much warm too, it is a theme and a feeling that I think most will have at some point whilst growing up. I started writing a diary when I was about nine or ten, and continued to do so for about ten years. It was a massive part of this period for me and was the way that I tended to organise and understand my feelings about a lot of things. As to the second question, I probably did feel that I wanted to be understood and wanted someone coming from the same place as me. But then, I think most of us do!

Do you put much of yourself or your own experiences, friends and places you know into your writing or do you try to keep it as depersonalised as possible? I think somewhere between the two. I never intend to put people I know into my characters, but the odd trait does creep in. And I never intend that my characters are a reflection of myself, but I often get told that certain ones are! For me, writing a book isn’t an autobiographical experience, but it is one that involves putting something of yourself into it. Margaret Atwood once said ‘There’s always a drop of blood in the cookie’ and whilst I don’t think I’ve ever actually cut myself whilst baking cookies, I understand what she means and I think she’s right.

Was the story difficult to write and plan?  How long did it take you to get it all right?  I am trying I suppose to ask you about the plot twist at the end without giving the story away! It was very difficult to write and plan. Probably the hardest yet – and I remember feeling pretty drained and exhausted once it was done! It just took so much thinking to make it all work. The plot twist at the end was always part of it for me. One thing that I love about time travel is the circularity (if that’s a word!) of it. It’s not about time moving forward in a linear way, but about the past, present and future all being able to affect and impinge on each other, and that’s what I hope you really feel happening in this book.

Have you ever considered writing for adults or are you very happy with children's fiction?  Is there more scope for the imagination and storytelling with a children's book? I love what I do and I love the audience I write for. Right now, I don’t have any plans to change it. I can’t really compare how much scope there is compared to a book for adults, because I haven’t tried to write a book for adults! But what I do know is that writing for children allows me to write with the imagination, plot and characters that I really enjoy.

Do you take inspiration from the people you meet in your author capacity or more from the world around you, where you live and stories or folk tales that you hear? I can take inspiration from anything and anyone! In terms of stories, it’s quite often a place that I visit that inspires an idea for a book. This has happened at least three or four times. But it can also be a memory, a tale that someone tells me, a person I pass in the street – anything. The important thing is to keep your author antennae fresh and in good working order so that you spot these moments of inspiration when they come along!

I found myself drawn to Mia and to an extent Dee but I felt that the adults were very much on the periphery of the story, there because children need them and they were an important part of the back story but not needed for the main action.  Do you like to have an adult voice in your stories to remind children they need adults? No not at all. I try to have all the characters in a book that feel right for the story. In a children’s book, I think it’s important that the children are at the centre of the action, but if there are adults who are relevant to the story then I don’t have a problem with them being there too.

Mia seemed to me to be older than her years in her reading f situations and yet very young  too.  Her age is not given but I imagined her to be 11 or 12.  Do you purposefully avoid being too prescriptive about ages? 

I didn’t realise Mia’s age is never mentioned. I thought it was! She is thirteen, and as she says early on, is in Year 8 at school. I don’t try to avoid anything about ages – I actually try to be quite clear about it!

Are you a big reader of children's fiction or do you prefer to keep it safely as your day job and then resort to adult literature? I read all sorts – children’s, YA, adult. As long as it’s got a good story and is well-written and holds my interest, I don’t mind what it is.

North of Nowhere is a clever and intriguing title.  What came first, the story or the title? The story, by a long way. It took a year of driving all my friends and fellow writers mad before one of them finally came up with the perfect title for me. (And she has a thank you in the book for doing so!)

Do you have a title in mind that you would one day love to use?  Do you have a favourite book title from a book written by someone else? Gosh. Short answer is no on both counts!

Who is your favourite author from childhood and what is your favourite childhood book?  Did you read the type of books you write? I didn’t really have a favourite author as such, although I did love a lot of Enid Blyton books. A couple of favourite books from my childhood would be The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster, and The Wishing Chair, by Enid Blyton. I don’t know if they are the kind of books I write, although I think there is quite a bit in common. Ordinary children living in a contemporary world but with a bit of magic coming into their lives in one way or another.

Who is your favourite author now and what book is currently on the top of your reading pile?  I still don’t really have a favourite author! I just like reading whatever I want to read at the time. Right now, I’m reading a YA book, How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr, as a bookshop friend recommended it. Before that, I read Eat, Pray, Love (Elizabeth Gilbert) and next in line will probably be one of the books given to me in a book swap with some fellow children’s authors!

Thank you for all your great questions, and thank you for having me here at Armadillo J