Authors Electric

  What is it about dragons that fascinates and sparks the imagination? These mythical reptiles are found in cultures as diverse as those in China and the UK. They are the staple of story and legend and their presence can be found in the most unlikely places. It is the prevalence of dragon imagery that sparked off one of the threads that runs throughout “The Adventures of Letty Parker”, my series of children’s books set in an alternative Victorian world. In my Bristol, dragons are to be found on roofs, on the top of drainpipes, as sculptures and door knockers. During the day, they are inanimate, at night they fly over the city searching out dark deeds of “’napping, slitting and robbing” and reporting their findings to the gargoyles that await their news. I’ve always had a thing about dragons. When I was a kid I had to share a bedroom with my sister and at night I would tell her stories about Roostance, the dragon that lived under my bed. One of the first plays I wrote was “B...

As a writer, when things get too difficult, I can escape into another world. Recently I have spent a good deal of time with Letty Parker, in an alternative Victorian Bristol. Like its nineteenth century model this is a place of stark contrasts between rich and poor. The Downs are lined with the mansions of the rich, while the threat of the workhouse looms over those who can barely scrape a living to feed themselves and their families. Letty starts off making a living selling pies. She is twelve years old and prides herself on being an independent business woman. Her friends are the street children. They are the pickpockets, the burglars, the runners for the criminal gangs that are operated by Miss Liddy and The Bear. Having divided the city between them, the gangs keep to their own territory. To stray over the boundary is to risk a stabbing, or to be thrown into the river for the eels to devour. The eels that slide up from the river to coil in dark corners awaiting th...

For a recent story acceptance I was asked to provide a short insight into the inspiration behind my fiction. And as always that question gave me pause for deep thought. Where do those ideas begin? Most of us will recall being given a word of phrase as inspiration to write a story for homework. It was good practice for spotting a headline or story in a newspaper, or maybe an incident at work or with friends, which sparked that train of thought. Writing fantasy and horror it is the folklore and local legends that have always been a passion that figure large in my back catalogue. I readily admit to plundering those sources, but the resources are vast and forgiving. That said, a seed of inspiration is needed to even begin to know where to start in such a sea of riches. Mermaid's Pool - between Leek and Buxton The market for this story had the wide open guideline of Folk Horror, which is a vast area that means different things to different people. Think Algernon Blackwood...

 My latest small book with Franklin Watts came out around ten days ago. It's the story of a dragon who's fooled by a princess into attacking his own reflection in a deep pool. He does this because he can't bear to accept that there may be another dragon who might be even better than himself at laying waste the countryside, barbecuing knights and capturing (preferable blonde and subservient) princesses, like the ones pictured in his reference book, to be his slaves. I first came up with this story for a Kingfisher anthology called: "Don't Kiss the Frog" - a more sophisticated version, so a much more grown-up presentation. Visually, I love both versions. Interesting to see that in both, the dragon has come out scarlet, maybe because he breathes out flames? I love the elegant typography in the older version, which I've shown here. And for the vegetarians among you, you'll be pleased to learn that the dragon was converted, and currently lives on his fi...

Here I go again, doing what I'm told you absolutely should not do - Foiling The Dragon by Susan Price that is, talking back to your critics. I did it here, when people said my villain in the Sterkarm books, James Windsor, was not believable - and now I'm going to defend my poetry-loving dragon in Foiling The Dragon. I recently put Foiling The Dragon. out as a paperback and e-book. It is, as the strapline informs you, 'A light-hearted fantasy of poets, sorceresses, dragons — and wrapping paper.' It's not epic fantasy. It's meant to amuse for a few hours, and maybe make you smile. On Amazon it's collected some positive reviews. J. Mathews says,  ' I enjoyed this book as a child, and have just read it again. I found it equally enjoyable.' Thank you, J. Mathews. I don't know who you are, but I greatly appreciate your taking the time and trouble to post a positive review. The Sterkarm Handshake by Susan Price D. Lamb says: ...

So far, 100 Aker Wood looks like being the winner. I wonder if Piglet would take a lodger? It may be true that you can always escape into a good book ... but supposing you really could, quite literally get away from it all and go live in the fantasy land of your choice?  I was thinking about this the other day ... Narnia was the first to spring to mind. I like animals, and the idea of being able to chat to them definitely had appeal. Until I remembered that the Talking Animals tend to come across as an elite minority who refer rather snootily to the 'Dumb Beasts' .... some rather unpleasant echoes there put me off that particular destination.  OK, so how about Middle Earth instead then? More particularly the Shire ... like hobbits I enjoy eating, and the idea of all those meals and of listening to Bilbo telling tall tales definitely added to the attraction. But knowing my luck, I'd probably end up with a hole which was constructed below the water table and so was...

The Kids' Lit Quiz   is an annual literature competition for children aged 10 to 13. It puts bookworms at the heart of things and lets them compete for fantastic prizes. The quiz has heats in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Canada, USA, Hong Kong, China, Singapore and Australia; winning teams qualify for national and world finals. The Kids Lit Quiz is not for profit and run entirely by volunteers. International sponsors include Serco, Softlink, Scholastic and Oxford University Press. I’ve been in the authors’ team a couple of times – it’s a for-fun addition to the teams taking part in the regional finals. In 2013 there were about 26 teams, and the questions were grouped into categories such as Owls, the Supernatural – and Mythical Beasts. I felt really honoured that one of the questions was about a character in The Divide . The authors’ team acquitted themselves well (as surely they ought, having the benefit of many more years’ reading, and an example to ...

TWICE TIMES DANGER Enid Richemont Here's my latest ebook, originally published by Walker Books. It's a thriller, involving two girls who are doubles, a crazy mongrel called Dracula, a fashion designer who's in deep trouble - and some very scary people. The book's set in West Cornwall , in the little coves and inlets around St Just. To celebrate Chinese New Year - the Year of the Dragon - here are the opening lines of DRAGONCAT, my as-yet unpublished junior novel about a kitten born with extra flaps of skin under its front paws which enable it to glide (a bit like a flying squirrel). The story takes place in and around a small Chinese supermarket in North London. The kittens were born in a cardboard box. Ma showed them to Wing-Yu after breakfast. Wing-Yu tried to pick one up, but Ma wouldn't let him. "They're much too new," said Ma. "You let me hold Mei-Ling," grumbled Wing-Yu. "Mei-Ling was your sister,' sai...