The Next Big Thing is a chain of book and author recommendations.Richard Harland tagged me on his blog and now it's my turn. Check out the books by the people I tagged at the end of this post
What
is the [working] title of your next book?
Black Tengu, the eighth and final
title in the Samurai Kids series.
Where did the idea come from for the
book?
The first book in the series, White Crane, was
published in 2008. I had written it as a stand-alone novel but my publisher,
Walker Books Australia, felt it would make a good series. I had to go back through White Crane looking for something that I could use as the arc for a series. I found
a throwaway comment that Sensei had once made a terrible mistake. I had originally only
included this because I did not want the wise, eccentric teacher to be perfect
but it was destined for greater things and grew to become the link that ran through the whole series and is finally
resolved in this last book.
What genre does your book fall under?
The Samurai Kids series is
historical fiction, set in the mid-17th century when the golden age
of the samurai was drawing to a close.
What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
I am not sure how to answer
this. It might require clever costuming as the main character has one leg,
another boy has one arm – each character has a difficulty to overcome although
this is not always physical. I’m sure there is a film company and actors out there who
could meet the challenge. Maybe it would be an anime film so perhaps I should choose voices...
What is the one-sentence synopsis of
your book?
In the harsh snow lands of
Ezo, the Samurai Kids must find a way to help Sensei Kiyaga face the terrible secret
from his past.
The series is published by
Walker Books Australia and I am represented by Pippa Masson of Curtis Brown.
How long did it take you to write the
first draft of the manuscript?
It took longer to write this
last book than any other in the series. The first draft took six months but
there are many redrafts still ahead. I am found it a challenge to draft as I am
not a plotter. I just write the stories my characterstell me.
But in this book I had to follow the plotline I had spent seven prior books
preparing. I did not find it easy but am happy with it.
What other books would you compare this
story to within your genre?
The Samurai Kids series is
often compared by reviewers to John Flanagan’s Rangers Apprentice and Brotherband
series. I find this a wonderful compliment and wouldn’t want to suggest anything
else!
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
I was thinking about what it
would be like to be a samurai – as lovers of ancient history like me do! I knew
that if you were born into a samurai family you had no choice but to serve. I
began to wonder what it would be like for a boy (or a girl, there is one girl
samurai in my books) who wasn’t very good at their lessons. And what if they
weren’t very good because of something that wasn’t their fault. Like
being born with one leg. That’s when my one-legged narrator, Niya, first spoke
to me. “Give it a go,” he said. So I went down into my backyard, tucked up one
leg and karate kicked. I found the beginning of my story. “My name is Niya Moto
and I am the only one-legged samurai kid in Japan. Famous for falling flat on
my face in the dirt.”
What else about the book might pique the reader's interest?
I think this question is best
answered in terms of the series. The group of characters is unusual, the time
of swords and battles is exciting, there is a strong focus on a range of
martial arts, the children travel across Japan, China, Korea and Cambodia and
the Zen humour is quirky. In short, most readers tell me it’s very different to
any other books they’ve read.
Claire Saxby http://letshavewords.blogspot.com.au/
Sharon McGuinness http://mrsmacsbookblog.edublogs.org
Sharon McGuinness http://mrsmacsbookblog.edublogs.org
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