I am painfully shy and I do not Tweet or have a blog or a website. I do not even have a mobile phone (gasp). There are no pictures of me anywhere on the Net and I use a cover from Memoir of a Gothic Girl as an avatar. However, I have been persuaded to show my virtual face on Facebook. You can see more essential details at my Facebook page and my Goodreads page or my Amazon page
Author Interview
1) Who
was your favorite teacher, and how did they influence your writing?
I had a number of inspirational English teachers who encouraged me to write but probably my biggest inspiration came from a poet who visited our school. The idea that you could actually earn a living from words, was quite revolutionary and he seemed very brave to keep introducing himself to new people and have to win them over by the power of his words.
2)
What advice would you give children for the beginning of school?
I’m sure plenty of parents and teachers say this but ‘do your best’. What they don’t often add is no-one knows what this is- not even you! Some of you are growing so fast that teachers won’t recognize you between years and the amazing thing is NO-ONE knows what you’re capable of (in every sense) so go out there and AMAZE people. That doesn’t mean get top grades for everything (although that would be nice, of course). It means be the best you can be in every way- the most thoughtful, the best friend, the most reliable…
3)
Did you have any role models growing up? Who were they? Why did you
admire them?
I think it’s important to have people around you who may be family, friends, characters in books, it doesn’t really matter, but people with whom you can identify and who offer you potential paths to follow. It doesn’t have to be a matter of wanting to be like someone, just the sense that you do have options, often many more than you realize. For boys, who may not always have fathers in the family home, this is particularly important, so male teachers carry a special burden of responsibility. For me, my father who was a teacher, was more of a touchstone than I ever realized at the time. And it’s worth remembering kids that however much you fight it, however depressing a thought it is, eventually you turn into your parents.
4)
Do you do anything to help organize your writing or inspire a story?
I always have a notebook with me as my memory is very bad and as soon as I think of something I have to scribble it down or it’s gone.
5)
What is the kernel of wisdom you have learned about writing?
Stick at it and keep doing it. It took me many years to get my first book published and I was rejected countless times. So was JK Rowling (not that I’m saying I’m that good).
6)
What other projects or books are you working on right now?
I’m writing several different books- one is a love story about a school exchange (From Brighton to Berlin), one is about a boy forced to ‘go undercover’ as an actor in a Shakespearean theatre (A Boy Called Juliet) and another is about the last three members of the human race, stuck on the dark side of the moon (Losers in Space). These are not part of a series.Target ages
All of the following can be read by adult readers. What I write is a deliberate mix of ‘funny’ and ‘thoughtful’.Rainbow is probably open to youngest readers. At the moment, it’s my only ‘serious’ book but there’s plenty to think about here. From 10+.
Luke, I am Your Father, Memoir of a Gothic Girl and the Keith Ramsbottom series (three episodes so far; more to come) are YA.
Live Long & Prospero is shorter but slightly more YA/adult crossover.
Gagfest UK is my only book aimed primarily at an adult reader (albeit a childish one).
Scott Pixello- The First Box-Set collects my first four books (Luke, Gothic Girl, Rainbow & Prospero).
Pixello Links (Calling all Pixellites…)
* Available now on Kindle, Apple iPad/iBooks, Nook, Sony Reader, Kobo, and most e-reading apps including Stanza, Aldiko &Adobe Digital Editions.
Luke, I am Your Father
Memoir of a Gothic Girl
*Live Long & Prospero
Rainbow
Pixello- The First Box Set
*Gagfest UK Also available as a Createspace paperback
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