A Guest Blog Post from YA Author, Miriam Halahmy

I first met Miriam Halahmy a few years ago at a get together of SCBWI-BI writer pals in London. I've since gone on to watch her career with much admiration. Unafraid of tackling big issues, Miriam is a strong and courageous writer, able to blend the strong stuff with humour and insight. I'm delighted that she has, as part of her promotional tour for her new novel, Illegal, agreed to do a guest blog post for Absolute Vanilla readers.

A Cannabis Farm on Hayling Island?
By Miriam Halahmy

Miriam Halahmy, YA author

Hayling Island is a small quiet little island off the south coast of England where my parents lived for 25 years. I have been visiting the island for over 40 years and five years ago started to write a teen book set there. This grew into my cycle of three Young Adult novels, Hidden, Illegal, Stuffed, (Meadowside Books.)

I like to read realistic novels with challenging themes so inevitably my Y.A. novels deal with quite strong issues. Hidden (March 2011) focused on asylum seekers, racist bullying and human rights. Illegal (March 2012) picks up the character of Lindy who first appears in Hidden, the bad girl with a nail sharpened to a spear and tells her story. I had become interested in the rising number of cannabis farms being discovered and raided by the police along the south coast. What if someone set up a cannabis farm on little Hayling Island and asked Lindy to run it?

My initial inciting idea was born and at first I thought it was quite an amusing theme. But very quickly this became a serious story and I wanted to show how dangerous ‘smoking a bit of weed’ can become. I have taught a lot of young people on the margins of society and some of them had been sectioned because of the terrible effects of cannabis on their mental health.
Lindy puts the facts very succinctly herself in Illegal :

Everyone in school boasted about smoking weed. No-one ever mentioned it could drive you mad, make you walk naked down the motorway out of your mind, like Jay. She noticed more and more stuff about drugs on the telly since she’d been at the Greenhouse. There were hundreds of secret cannabis farms, just like Colin’s, all over the country. She had no idea. The police had raided two farms in Portsmouth just last week. Would they find out about the Greenhouse?
The weed they were growing these days was so strong apparently it made you go psycho, gave you schizophrenia, one doctor said. That must be what happened to Jay. Terrence said he was on a mental ward now.
The doctor on the news also said you can get cancer of the tongue from smoking skunk. She began to imagine all the kids at school with huge cancerous lumps sticking out of their faces and everyone blaming her. If the police don’t get me first, the parents and teachers will beat me to a pulp.
What would Joyce at the Ambulance say if she knew Lindy was growing drugs? Joyce would kick me out, school would kick me out too. Then where would I go all day?

For Lindy running the cannabis farm is only the beginning of her problems. In fact her cousin wants her deal in cocaine. He has cunningly chosen her because she is a vulnerable lonely girl from a dysfunctional family with no-one to look out for her well –being. Lindy teams up with another neglected boy who because of his own problems hasn’t spoken for two years. Karl is a mute but he is attracted to Lindy and together they make a desperate bid to save her from prison and the crooks.

All of my Y.A. novels deal with strong themes but it is the characters that drive the plots, their highs and lows, their desires and wants and needs, how they interact with each other. I believe in creating complex layered characters, I think that humour is very important in books which have strong themes and ultimately if I have created convincing three dimensional characters, then my readers will want to turn the page and find out what is happening to them, no matter what they are mixed up in. I don’t write to drive home political or social messages, I write to create characters and situations and I am constantly making new discoveries about my characters and their tangled lives. This is the mystery and ultimately the pleasure of being a novelist.

Hayling Island

ILLEGAL (March 2012 Meadowside Books)
"touching, surprising and painfully honest"

HIDDEN (Meadowside Books)
Nominated for CILIP 2012 Carnegie Medal
Shortlisted : 2012 Portsmouth Book Award
Shortlisted : 2012 Essex Book Award

What the reviewers have said about HIDDEN:

"Written with clarity and immediacy.... a book to counter bigotry" Nicolette Jones, The Sunday Times

"Tautly written throughout this fine novel deserves the widest audience" Nick Tucker


To find out more about Miriam Halahmy and her books, please visit her website, Miriam Halahmy.com

You can also become a fan of Miriam and her work on Facebook.
And you can follow her on Twitter.

All images courtesy of Miriam Halahmy.

An interview with debut children's author, Jackie Marchant

I’ve known children’s author, Jackie Marchant, for several years and we’ve been in two critique groups. Not only is she an incredibly active and insightful critique partner, when it comes to her writing, Jackie is one of the most self-motivated people I’ve met.

Jackie has been writing since she made a Millennium New Year’s resolution in front of family and friends to write a novel. She wrote four and a quarter novels for adults before switching to writing for children. She landed an agent with her first children’s novel Dougal Trump, which will be published by Macmillan Children’s books in July this year.

I’m delighted that she has agreed to this interview.


Hi Jackie and welcome to Absolute Vanilla!

Thanks very much for having me – I’m really excited about becoming one of those new authors being interviewed for your blog!

Debut children's author, Jackie Marchant
(Image courtesy of Jackie Marchant)

You first started writing in 2000. Did you ever imagine when you started writing that it would take this long to get a publishing contract?

When I started out my ambition was to have an agent ask to see the rest of my manuscript. When that happened I was thrilled. Even though it went no further, it was one of my best moments and I remember it well. It was my second attempt at a novel for adults and is now amongst a big pile of stuff that didn’t make it.


What made you switch to writing for children?

A writing competition that I entered on a whim for the Annual Writers’ Conference at Winchester (something I can highly recommend). I thought I may as well test my idea, as all entries get feedback. So, I entered my 500 words and a synopsis, forgot all about it, and was quite surprised when it came second. I was disappointed that my winning adult entry didn’t get anywhere, but then I was approached in the bar by the editor who judged the children’s writing competition. We had a conversation that went a bit like this:

Editor: How much writing for children have you done?

Me: I’ve written 500 words and a synopsis.

Editor: Oh, I thought your entry was really funny.

Me: Funny? Oh, I don’t write humour. And I don’t write for children.

Editor: Oh yes you do . . .

So I bought her a drink, finished writing Dougal Trump and haven’t looked back since. I had no idea I was a children’s writer then, but making the switch has been the best thing I have ever done. I absolutely love writing for children.


How did you feel when you landed an agent?

Finding an agent is a tough old business and I was very lucky to be taken off the slush-pile. I’m quite proud of that and glad to say I’m living proof that the slush-pile really does work. And I was taken on just before Christmas, so that was a lovely Christmas present.


Did you have to wait long for a deal?

I think I once made a joke that having an agent just meant you got your rejections second hand! But, when you get a deal, you forget about the wait. And those quick deals you hear about, when the author gets a phone call as soon as the Ms has landed on an agent’s desk and then two weeks later they have a mega trans-atlantic deal with film rights sold? That is very rare. The fact is that the wheels of publishing turn very slowly and these things can take time.


How did you keep yourself motivated and positive while waiting? Were there ever times when you thought you should chuck it all in? If so, how did you get past that?

In a word – writing. Even when I had those ‘why oh why did I ever think I could write?’ moments, I still found writing helped. In fact, I have now coined a phrase – comfort writing. Escaping from the world by writing – very soothing.


How supportive were your friends and family and did you ever have moments when they’d ask if you were published yet?

My wonderful, fantastic, brilliant writing friends (too many to mention but you all know who you are!) have been a life-line. I don’t know what I would do without email and social networking, which is how we keep in touch most of the time – and meeting up is lovely. Yes, fellow writing friends are the best!

My family have been great. They have accepted that I’m not really there at mealtimes and may take time to answer their questions, more often than not answering something completely different. My husband, who reads about one book a year and only if it’s by John Grisham, has been wonderful. He has never insisted that I go and get a paying job, instead saying that if writing makes me happy, then I should do it. I often wonder whether he knows just how happy writing makes me (probably because it also makes me moan a lot, writing’s like that).

As for my other friends, well, I suppose they are learning that it’s not a good idea to mention J K Rowling and my name in the same sentence! As for the term proper job . . .

But they were thrilled when I got my deal and will be invited to my launch.


As well as actual writing, you’ve also been incredibly active in the SCBWI-British Isles. How important was it for you to keep active within the children’s writing fraternity? What has it given you?

It’s been great. I spent two years putting together a programme of speakers for bi-monthly SCBWI meetings in London and I thoroughly enjoyed doing it. That has been one of the bonuses of writing. SCBWI is a great writing community and I’ve made a lot of good friends there.


You have long been part of critique groups. How have you found that this has helped you to develop as a writer and how important do you believe a critique group is to writers who want to be published?

Crit groups are invaluable for several reasons. Firstly, it’s a chance to be brave and show other people your work. It enables you to talk about your writing without being shy, which is so important when you meet agents and editors.

Then it’s a chance to get used to working with other people on your book, taking on board suggestions and working on them. This is really important for when an agent or editor wants you to make changes. And it’s invaluable for when you finally get your first edits from an editor – you’ll be used to all that red on your precious work!

Plus, it’s lovely to talk to other writers about their work. And critiquing other work is very helpful in the revision process of your own.

And then there’s the huge support you get from your fellow critters. And those fantastic cheers when one of you gets some good news.


How important has it been for you to have an agent?

I know some writers do manage without an agent, especially with picture books, but that’s rare.

Without an agent, I would have said ‘Yes! Oh yes please, thank you, thank you, anything you want!’ the moment I got my offer. But my agent worked really hard, negotiating a contract that was best for me. I had absolutely no idea how much goes into a contract – that’s when I really appreciated my agent!

Apart from that, not counting the moments I thought Alice might wake up and realize she made a huge mistake, it does give you confidence that you may be able to write after all.


What did it feel like when you first had news that a publisher might want to offer you a contract? And how did it feel when the deal was actually signed making it finally “real”?

Having news that a publisher might want to offer you a contract is actually very nerve-wracking. When I privately mentioned that I might have an offer to a few close writing friends (your good self included) they were jumping about absolutely thrilled, while I sat there all quiet. I didn’t want to celebrate until I’d signed, but once my agent had agreed terms, she told me it was all right to get the champagne out. So I did.

The arrival of the contract was an excuse for another bottle. And the actual signing of it merited one as well. Then I had a celebration at home for my wonderful critique groupers. So, the drawn-out process does have its advantages.




Since landing your contract, how has your life changed and what have you learned?

My life hasn’t changed much – although I do get people congratulating me and stuff, which is really lovely. And I’m often heard muttering to myself – ‘I’m a writer and I’m going to be published, yippee!’

What have I learned? That getting a book on to the shelves is a team effort – a lot goes on behind the scenes. And everyone involved in it has to love it. Which is frustrating when you’re trying to get a deal, but lovely when it happens – because everyone loves it! (Which actually takes a bit of getting used to.)


What advice do you have for other writers fighting their way through the slushpile?

KEEP WRITING!!! In capital bold letters and lots of exclamation marks. If it’s in your blood, you can’t not do it. And, when you finally get a deal, you’ll have lots of other stuff to offer as well.



And now, for a view from Jackie's agent, Alice Williams of David Higham Associates.


Alice, could you tell me what it was that made you take Jackie’s manuscript from the slush-pile?

Initially it was the concept that got my attention: having Dougal’s Will as the framework for the story was quirky and original and had obvious scope for humour. And then it was quickly apparent that Jackie had the confidence and skill to develop a fantastically funny, distinctive voice for Dougal (actually I secretly think it might be her own inner voice!), and sustain a clever, fairly complex plot as well.

I would like to reiterate what Jackie says above – the slush pile does work, for agents as well as for authors. We take it very seriously, and although it takes time to work through, and we sadly have to decline so many submissions for a range of reasons, it’s very exciting when a novel or text really stands out, like Dougal Trump.


What advice do you have for writers, who are waiting for “the moment”?

Keep writing. Trust your own judgement, but listen to feedback and be clearheaded and bold when considering whether to persevere with a given project, rewrite it, or start a new one with the benefit of what you’ve learnt along the way…

And read. It’s so important for writers of books for young people to know what is being published and read today. There’s no better way to learn the craft of storytelling, and an understanding of the market.


Many thanks to Jackie Marchant, and her agent, Alice Williams, for this interview. I wish them both every success with Jackie’s writing career!


For more about Jackie Marchant and her work, please see her website www.jackiemarchant.com, which contains some practical advice about getting published, including how to get an agent and what a perfect submission package looks like.

You can also follow Jackie on Twitter.


I’m Dougal Trump – and it’s NOT my fault! will be published my Macmillan Children’s Books, July 5th, paperback £5.99 – "Bart Simpson meet Just William!"

‘A hilarious new character for havoc-raising boys’ The Bookseller.

A whale of a tale - the birthing of ideas

If there is one thing that makes me growly, it's the number of authors who say they hate being asked, “Where do you get your inspiration from?” Honestly, I’m not entirely sure why this should be an issue. For non-writers, for those who don’t eat, drink, sleep and dream stories, it’s an obvious question to pose – you know, like, yo dude, where does the story come from? Well, yeah, authors, where do you get your ideas from?

I often wonder, when I’m reading, from where the author drew inspiration, or how the germ of an idea sprouted. Was it a face in a crowd, an article in a newspaper, a place, a personal experience, a memory from years ago? I think it’s a fascinating point of discussion because not only do you learn something about the author, but you also learn how they set about creating a story, and in that way, the reader is able to learn about the nature of story itself. And that, for any reader, particularly a non-writer, is akin to a mystical and magical process. And I do think it behooves authors to share this with their readers.

In case you’re wondering why I’m pondering this maligned topic it’s because once again, for the eleventy-hundredth time I’ve read of an author bemoaning the dreaded “where do you get your ideas from” question. And truly, I do want to smack your authorial butts when you do this! Come on, get over yourselves, your readers are genuinely intrigued and interested, don’t be so bad-ass as to whinge when they ask. They want to know. And you owe it to them to tell them. It’s part of the magic you create. (Unless, of course, you’re hiding deep dark secrets and it was really you who committed that murder and not your character, or you really are plotting to bring an end to the world…)



Right, now that little rant over, (and I make utterly no apologies), I’ve also been pondering the matter because I’ve been dreaming rather a lot about whales lately – wonderful, rich and vivid dreams. And last night’s dream not only involved whales but also a story-teller. And as I thought about the dream and the shamanic interpretation of whale symbolism (it’s all about creativity), I started thinking about the mythology of whales, which set me to thinking about mythology per se, which in turn directed my thoughts to local mythology, and that in turn brought a setting and two characters to mind... And before you know it, I’d leapt out of bed and gone sprinting down the passage to switch on the ‘puter so I could scribble down a sort of prologue thing and the flurry of ideas that suddenly started invading my consciousness.



So, when this story sees the light of day and someone asks me, “Where did you get your inspiration from?” I shall smile and say, “From a dream and a place and a bit of mythology - and you can read about it in a blog post I wrote back in 2012.”

And on that note, there will now be a short blogging break while I go off and stare at the ocean and look for whales.



Whale song...

Capturing the Past - the vivid appeal of YA fiction

Following on my post about the abundance of dystopia in so much of YA fiction, I’ve been pondering exactly what it is about YA fiction that captures not only the imagination of its intended audience and those who write it, but also the imagination of the increasing number of adults reading YA fiction.

If I jump back a moment, I’m struck how, from my mid-forties, it suddenly became so important to find friends from my later teen years. Friends lost along the way and whom I hadn’t necessarily thought about in 20 or 30 years but who had suddenly started invading my subconscious.

While I was wondering about it out loud, Lovely Husband observed that our young adult years are such an important time. And he is right. At that age we are no longer children and we are not yet adults. It’s a time of life which gives us a unique freedom. It is vivid, vibrant, full passion and zeal. It’s the time of life when we are exploring so much on our own, but also in the company of our friends. We think about the “meaning of life”, we indulge in wild parties, we push boundaries, we discover our independence, we savour the intense flavours of love, are swamped by heartbreak, we find ourselves, we lose ourselves and we find ourselves again. We join protest marches, we try to save the world, and in doing so we save ourselves. The good and the bad, the highs and the lows are all caught up in an intense whirlwind of living and feeling – of Being - in the most utterly vivid, sometimes painful and, frequently, guileless self-absorbed way.

There is just so much that happens as a young adult and as we transition from childhood to adulthood. Despite the intensity of emotion and living, it is one of the most carefree times of our lives. We are not hampered by the responsibilities of adulthood, and we are no longer hamstrung by the well-intentioned restraints of our parents. It is also the first time we are given to a wide range of freedom of expression which is taken seriously not only by our peers but the adults around us. It’s a time when we create so many of our own stories and are part of so many of the stories of those around us. It is hugely fertile ground.

And as Young Adult authors dig deep into their own pasts, their own emotions and memories, and connect them to the present to create stories that touch the intended YA audience, it is no small wonder that other adults are increasingly turning to YA fiction. Those years represent some of the best, the most vibrant and intense years of our lives – why on earth would we not want to recapture them in some way? Particularly so if words on a page wring poignant reminders, stir deep wells of memory, evoke gleeful laughter (and possibly waves of embarrassment!), and are as beautifully written and richly evocative as so much YA fiction is.

I know I lamented YA fiction last month – but really, what I lament is the industry focus on dystopia and the lack of balance of what is available on the shelves. In my heart I still love YA and always will - simply because of the wide range of richness it evokes and embraces.

The Pinnacle of Procrastination

There’s been a lot of talk lately on various blogs and writer’s groups about the fine art of procrastination at which writers appear to be so incredibly adept.
I know from years of experience that things like doing the ironing and mowing the lawn can all, on occasions, become far more riveting and urgent than writing. When it reaches these levels, you know you’ve got a bad bout of procrastination, because, let’s face it, who in their right mind would rather iron than write? (I hasten to add, that I do draw the line at vacuuming the house.)

As a master procrastinator who can spend days and weeks researching, creating mood boards, sourcing character representations (which, like Sue Hyams, usually involve Ben Barnes), creating video trailers, which will never see the light of day, and cover art, which equally will never move beyond my pinboard, there is little I don’t know about not sitting down to write.

But in this last year I have found the Pinnacle of Procrastination and I advise all of you to try it if you want to heighten and hone your procrastinatory skills: build a house.

Oh yes, building a house will not only take you away from your research, your characterization, your mood boards, your video trailers, your faux cover art, it will take you right away from your desk. You will stop reading anything but décor magazines and websites. Your Twitter status updates will change from #amwriting to #housebuilding. You will find yourself gazing at finishes and fittings for days, you will find yourself sourcing images to create multiple mood-books, you will spend hours in site meetings and discussions. You will tell your build team that you really, really need to go and write and you will rush away, only to once more start Googling “contemporary light fittings” or “modern garden design”.

Then you will find yourself waking up at 3am in the morning with your characters kicking the inside of your brain. You’ll mumble, “Yes, yes, later. I’m too tired now. I had a long day looking at taps; I’ll deal with you in the morning.” And of course you won’t. Your characters, thus rejected, will start turning up in your dreams, they will haunt your gym sessions and you will, occasionally even call your project manager by your character’s name. But you will still not write.

And why? Because you know full well that once you do actually sit down to write, the muse will seize you by the nose hairs, smash your face against the keyboard for daring to go AWOL, and writing will then become a source of procrastination for not getting on with the important business of choosing tiles and blinds.

It is, I advise, at this point that you should resort to chocolate. Or drink. Truly, it is the only way.

Excuse me while I now run away and indulge in a spot of photography.

For further enlightenment on procrastination – I direct you to these excellent blog posts:

Sue Hyams on How to Start a Novel
Sally Poyton guesting blogging on Notes from the Slushpile on Procrastination Tools for Writers.

An interview with debut author, T G Ayer

For as long as she can recall Bryn Halbrook has seen a golden aura around certain people, and it is only when her new best friend Joshua dies that she understands the glow means death. Bryn struggles to adapt to a new town and a new foster home while trying to deal with the guilt of being unable to save her friend. Until mysterious biker-boy, Aidan Lee arrives.

When Aidan unexpectedly takes off he leaves behind a shattered heart, a ton of unanswered questions and a mysterious book that suggests Bryn may be a Valkyrie. Bryn is faced with questions about Aidan’s real identity, the real reason he came to Craven, and that Odin, Freya and Valhalla just might be real.

As if accepting her new wings, new life and new home in Asgard isn’t difficult enough, Bryn is forced to find and return the precious necklace of the Goddess Freya. The only problem is – if she fails, Aidan will die.

Saturday the 25th of February saw the launch of South-African born, New Zealand-based, T G Ayer’s debut novel, Dead Radiance, the first book in the Valkyrie series. I “met” Tee online and we’ve been corresponding for a while, sharing stories of our respective writing journeys.


Now I’m delighted, as part of her promotional blog tour, to welcome T G Ayer to Absolute Vanilla.

Debut author, T G Ayer

Thank you for having me, Nicky! This is my first interview in South Africa and I feel rather special about it *grin


Now that it’s finally happened, Tee, tell us what it feels like to be published?

Slightly surreal, actually. I’ve been so looking forward to the release day that, to be quite honest, I would have blinked and missed it had I not slowed down. I’m pretty glad that my family organized an awesome little Release Day celebration to commemorate the day. I did feel awfully special when the 26th of Feb drew around.


Can you tell Absolute Vanilla readers a little about Dead Radiance and what inspired you to write it?

Dead Radiance is story about a teenage girl who discovers she is a Valkyrie. But such a privilege must have a price, and she is soon at the mercy of the goddess Freya, forced to find the goddess's precious necklace. The price for her failure - the life of the boy who betrayed her. Bryn's story is about dealing with the wishes that are finally granted, it's about yearning for closeness and then allowing oneself to trust. It's about a family that is joined not by blood but by love.

Watching my teens and their friends tiptoe through the minefield of teenhood was enough of a reason for me to write about Bryn. I wanted to inspire my readers, to remind them that courage and strength is always inside you, and that no matter what life throws at you there is always a positive side to life. Above all I didn't want to write a dark book. I have plenty of dark manuscripts to share with readers in the future, but Dead Radiance wrote as a story with hope and courage and trust within its pages. I hope that after reading Dead Radiance readers go away with a great experience in Norse Mythology and a desire to learn more about this interesting lore. And secondly I hope that readers are inspired to have take a chance on themselves, to trust in their own strength and to have courage to pursue life to its fullest.


As a South African, living in New Zealand, you have a wealth of mythologies you might have draw on, so what prompted you to explore Norse Mythology? And why Valkyries in particular?

I’ve always been a mythology nut. I have a deep respect for the concept of a mythology in that it is a representation of a society and its vision of what the world and life means. Each culture has a unique way of explaining how life works and what life and all its complexities really mean. But even then one can identify the similarities, the sharing of myths among cultures through trade and time.

Norse mythology is one set of Western myths which have not been overdone. Indeed it’s barely been touched within the YA genre itself. I’ve seen a bit of it in Carrie Jones’ NEED Series and Jennifer Esteps’ Mythos Academy


You must have done intense research for Dead Radiance, can you tell us about your process of researching and can you give other writers any tips about researching their own novels?

It was double action research – I used Google- there are so many amazing websites and blogs that are filled with information, its really interesting to read different opinions and analyses . I also use textbooks on the relevant subject so my non-fiction library is growing slowly :-)


Your main character, Bryn, is a very feisty girl. Can you tell us more about her, the development of her character and your thoughts about the importance of strong female characters in fiction?

I do believe, as a storyteller, you tell more than just the tale. Isn’t there always a moral to the story? End even when writers claim not to write a story with a moral running through it, as humans, we cannot deny that our life experience, opinion and essence of beliefs filter through to the words on the page.

You are right though, Bryn is a strong character, and although she is lonely she is not a wilting maid in desperate need of male attention. In fact, at times, she is too independent and does need to learn to trust again.


Aidan, the mysterious love interest in Dead Radiance, is a very vivid character. How important do you feel it is for YA fiction to contain a love aspect?

That’s a good question. I think in most tales, no matter the author, the love aspect plays a part. It’s part of human nature to need someone, and teenhood is the maelstrom of human emotion. Even as adults we yearn for closeness, for a spouse, for a family. As such I don’t think it’s easy to remove all romantic tones from any novel. And I think it’s only as important as the story itself.

DEAD RADIANCE is about Bryn and her trials, her emotional journey. Her emotional connection with Aidan is part of the story but is in no way the essence of the novel. I hope readers will love the romance, but I do want them to indulge in the intrigue, to explore the new worlds that Bryn visits and to enjoy the growth she experiences too.


What, for you, is the most important element of Dead Radiance?

For me it’s about Bryn’s inner strength. A strength she never acknowledged. And it’s something that each and every person has within themselves. So many of us spend years being lost, unable to find that strength and stand up for ourselves, to defend our beliefs and have the courage to go beyond our social or familial constraints.

Bryn’s journey is essentially about her strength. But the strongest thing anyone can ever do is to put their trust is someone else, to let go just a little bit, and to allow yourself to lean on someone. Strength is important, but without trust strength is just bravado.


You have two more books in the Valkyrie series coming out this year – can you give us a sneak peak into what readers may expect?

I don’t want to give too much away so all I can say is expect more travels within the realms of Norse Mythology, a few revelations, and, of course, there is betrayal. Yup, big-time betrayal. You won’t see it coming...


Tell us a little bit about your writing journey and your writing influences?

I’m a horror fan so Dean Koontz, Stephen King and Anne Rice
I love fantasy too so Marion Zimmer Bradley, Tolkien and David Eddings
I’ve written most of my life, I read every genre out there including science fiction and even romance. (Although I am not a fan of contemporary fiction or chicklit)


Do you have a special place where you like to write and a set writing routine?

I have a little library and I have a thing about my books. I love being surrounded by my books when I write so generally my writing takes place in my ‘library’ which is technically a small area in the corner of my lounge.

As for routine I write every day from 8.30am to 11am, then again from midday to 3.30pm. Often after the dinner rush I get back to work and usually go from 9pm to 11pm or midnight.

When I’m editing everything else is put aside, sometimes even meals and housework. I hand everything over to the family and say feed me and check for signs of life every so often :-)


You’ve been published by Evolved Publishing which describes itself as “In the simplest terms, we’re an Indie Publisher that’s part publisher, part authors’ cooperative, part self-publishing on steroids — a new hybrid.” How have you found working with an indie publisher? And what prompted you to go this route?

I love the advantage of truly professional editing. I also adore the fact that I was able to use my own cover artist, giving me full control of the creation of my cover. It’s really special knowing that what you see on the cover was exactly what I wanted- my cover artist worked with me to make my vision come true.

Working with a small press/hybrid like Evolved has opened my eyes to the complexities of publishing, and educated me no end.

The only reason I chose this route was the control really. I enjoy the fact that I have a lot of say in how my book is created and promoted. I think it’s very important for an author to have sufficient impact of the final result and indie give you that much more say in the end product.


And finally, where would you like to see yourself in five years time?

I see myself writing away – no attic though. My aim is to coninute to create more stories, to bring to life all my ideas that I have stockpiled away for when I get the time to write them. I actually can’t wait.


Do you think you’ll still be writing genre YA fiction or do you think you’d like to try something else?

I love writing YA, and I do certainly see myself continuing within the genre, although as we speak I have a psychological horror and a good-old fantasy well and truly screaming to be written so who knows what the future holds.


And, do you think you might ever consider writing something that draws on the mythologies you grew up with in South Africa and those you currently live with in New Zealand?

Definitely. African Mythology is fascinating and you hear so many stories growing up - my favourite and most hair raising tale is the Tokoloshe – so who knows, that little poltergeist might be a good story source soon enough.

As for New Zealand I am still learning the Maori mythology- but again the most famous spirit is that of the Taniwha – the whole story scares the liver out of me so possibly it might surface as more of a horror than a paranormal YA.

Here’s wishing you all the very best the Valkyrie series, Tee!

Thank you so much Nicky and I am so happy to have stopped over in my homeland during this tour :-)


You can buy Dead Radiance at Amazon.com and all other Amazon marketplaces as well as Bookdepository– both in paperback and e-book.

Reviews can be found on both Amazon and on Goodreads

You can find out more about T G Ayer on:
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