I'm pleased and honored to be a part of the Princelings of the East by Jemima Pett blog tour. I've been reading and reviewing the books in this delightful series, so it was fun to interview the author and get the inside scoop! When you finish reading here, check out the other blog stops and support some great bloggers as well as Ms. Pett--and don't forget to enter the Giveaway!
About the Book
Title: The Princelings of the East (Princelings Trilogy, Book 1)
Author: Jemima Pett
Year published: originally published 2011
Publisher: Princelings Publications
Number of pages: 103
Recommended age: 10+
Summary (Amazon):
The Princelings of the East is the first of a trilogy telling of the adventures of Fred and George. When the King's Birthday feast is ruined by an unnatural power drain, our Princeling heroes leave their scientific experiments to set out in search of answers. They encounter the enigmatic businessman Hugo, the impressive Prince of Buckmore, the wise Lady Nimrod, the irrepressible barkeeper Victor, but find themselves threatened by those with vested interests. The scene shifts from a rural, feudal setting to the towers and heights of the curious Isle of Hattan, but where, or when, are they? Time is of the essence in solving this puzzle, and our heroes must keep their wits sharp and their heads clear if they are to survive. Suitable for good readers aged 10 and over, The Princelings of the East is a fantasy adventure with the charm of the Wind in the Willows in a world reminiscent of Anne MacCaffrey's Pern.
Eight questions (because everyone does ten!) with Children's Author Jemima Pett
1. What are your books about and who is the audience?
Start with the difficult ones, eh? When I originally wrote the books, I was just writing stories for the fun of it. They are the adventures of my guinea pigs living in their own world where they are kings and princes and goodies and baddies and have their own complicated society. After the first book I realised I didn't have enough female interest in them. Lost City addresses some of the problem of only having male guinea pigs and introduces issues about male dominance and wasting half the resources of the world, i.e. women. From there my stories continue to develop in a changing society, where population growth and new technology all start to put pressure on the old feudal society. But that's not what they're about. They're about doing things and using your talents and initiative and friends to solve the problems you come across.
My first audience were my fellow guinea pig owners, and some of them were reading them to their 6-12 year old children. So when I came to the stage of publishing, I found it very difficult to classify them. I think they are fantasy stories for good readers about 10 and up. They are the sort of stories I like, and I think they are the sort of stories I would have enjoyed at that age. But as someone said in an interview recently - today's kids are different from how we were at that stage. I take guidance from fellow-bloggers and reviewers on the appropriate age group, but I think there is a big cultural difference in what is seen as suitable reading for kids in different countries.
2. What is the best thing about being a writer?
Letting all those people out of my head! I realise I've always lived in this alternative world, where adventures were happening while I carried on with all the everyday stuff like school and work. I expect most of us have fantasies and daydreams, but some of us get more lost in them than others. Don't let them take over your lives, though. And if they start telling you what to do, get some help.
LOL! I'll try to remember that!
3. Do you write longhand or compose at the keyboard?
I am chained to my keyboard and screen. Fortunately I bought a wifi keyboard so now I can take it in the garden if I fancy, since the keyboard on my laptop is too small to be used for serious writing.
4. Which authors have influenced you the most and how?
I suppose Kenneth Graham must have influenced me from a very early age. He wrote for children and adults at the same time – I used to skip the chapter “Piper at the Gates of Dawn” when I was a kid because I thought it was boring; now I read it and it’s just so beautiful!
I read a lot of Enid (pronounced Ee-nid) Blyton and she probably influenced me in terms of story telling. I remember I was told not to mention her at my interview for secondary school (age 11-18) because she was out of favour at that time, but I did and I defended her style (early campaigner)!
More recently, Anne McCaffrey and J K Rowling, for world building and the background detail required in a story for nerds like me, and JRR Tolkein, who was an expert in that, but also the prose style, which I love. Me too! We share a lot of old favorites!
5. So. . . if you could invite any 5 authors to dinner who would you choose?
Well, my first thought was Julie Grasso, Rebecca Douglass, Steve Lothian, Sally Harris and Stanley and Katrina (can they count as one?) because that would be really cool! If any of them can’t make it, then Paul Hewlett and Krista Michelle Breen! I know I’m suppose to think of more famous authors, but really, that’s who I’d like!
Wow, thanks! I accept the invitation--it'd be a great evening!
6. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I used to have this conversation with my dad over the dinner table. I'd talk about the places I'd been lucky enough to visit and how nice it would be to live there (like Australia or New Zealand), but they'd be too far away, and anyway they have most of the same socio-economic problems as the UK does, although in different shades. We discussed a few more countries. I like a number of European ones, influenced by the nice people and colleagues I've met in them, but when it comes down to it, I'd really rather live here, where I am, in Norfolk, on the east coast of England, in the UK.
7. About that--You mentioned your garden. Do you focus on vegetables or flowers?
I focus on vegetables and enjoy the flowers! Vegetables take planning and cossetting and coaxing, and protecting, but it's rewarding especially as I eat the good bits and the guinea pigs eat bits I wouldn't. OK, they eat bits I would too. I tend to have flowers that inhabit odd corners and come up year after year like old friends. They spread around and I pull them up when they are in the wrong places. The Michaelmas Daisies that I planted around Fred and George's grave have bloomed non-stop from July this year, and it makes me feel good about them.
Aw. It's sad to realize that the real Fred and George are gone, but great about the flowers. And, of course, they have a whole new life in the great books about them! And by the way--I like best the garden I can eat, too :)
8. And finally: If someone wrote a book about your life, what would the title be?
“Snorkeling with guinea pigs – the woman who learnt a lot about many things, but never went into any of them too deeply.” I might write it :D
Well, you are deep enough into some great writing now, but if you write that book I'll be queued up to buy it! Thanks for coming by and answering my questions!
Follow the links for my reviews of Ms. Pett's first three Princelings books:
Purchase
The Buzz
"Jemima Pett has woven a suspenseful mystery featuring a cast of memorable characters headed by the two charismatic guinea pigs, Fred and George. Pett dives into the story right away introducing Fred and George and establishing the crux of the plot early in the book - namely, the mysterious Energy Drain. The plot line, with its many twists and turns, is very intricate and complex; thus, making it enjoyable for older tweens and even adults. Science fiction aficionados in particular will be interested in the element of time-travel in this book." ~ Mother Daughter Book Reviews, 5 Stars
"It was easy for me to settle into Pett's writing style; it's been a while since I've read anything by Anne McCaffrey or J.R.R. Tolkien, and Pett's writing is a welcomed reminder of how that style of writing can really add to a good plot-line. I have to say that I was impressed with the novel overall. Although it is for older children, it's still written in a way that will appeal to many adults." ~ Megan, Amazon, 5 Stars
"After reading The Princelings of the East, I felt as if my IQ had gone up a few points with Ms. Pett's vocabulary choices - what refreshing text. This true adventure book which includes a fight, time travel and mysterious strangers is reminiscent of Wind in the Willows - with a twist...I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed it very much and look forward to reading the next book in the Princelings series." ~Christine M. Goodreads, 5 Stars.
*** The Princelings of the East Blog Tour Schedule 2013***
September 24
September 25
September 26
September 27
September 28
September 29
September 30
October 1
October 2
October 3
October 4
October 5
October 6
October 7
*** The Princelings of the East Blog Tour Giveaway ***
Prize: One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card or PayPal cash + a paperback copy of
The Princelings Trilogy by Jemima Pett
Contest runs: September 23 to October 20, 11:59 pm, 2013
Open: WW
How to enter: Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Terms and Conditions: A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. If you have any additional questions - feel free to send us an email!
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