Introducing the authors who will be at the Tenby Book Fair, http://bit.ly/27XORTh, the first event of the Tenby Arts Festival http://bit.ly/24eOVtl .  I’m looking forward to having many more such chats over the next couple of weeks.

So far I’ve cross-examined interviewed Rebecca Bryn: http://bit.ly/1XYWbtF, Thorne Moore: http://bit.ly/1P6zDQh , Matt Johnson: http://bit.ly/1RUqJFg , Christoph Fischer: http://bit.ly/1svniAr , Sally Spedding: http://bit.ly/1VNRQci, Wendy Steele: http://bit.ly/1PMoF8i ,Kathy MIles:  http://bit.ly/1twN3Bg , Carol Lovekin:http://bit.ly/1Y2z6HT, Colin R Parsons: http://bit.ly/1tvBc5G , Lisa Shambrook: http://bit.ly/28NMI5v:  ,Alex Martin:  http://bit.ly/28VLsQG ,  Judith Arnopp:  http://bit.ly/290cJMl , Sharon Tregenza: http://bit.ly/29frGPq    Juliet Greenwood:http://bit.ly/29jylrM , Nigel Williams: http://bit.ly/29racfO , Julie McGowan:http://bit.ly/29CHNa9 , John Nicholl: http://bit.ly/29NtdtX  ,Tony Riches:  http://bit.ly/29y3a8k:  ,Wendy White: http://bit.ly/29TMCpY  ,Angela Fish:http://bit.ly/2a5qY2U  and David Thorpe: http://bit.ly/2a9uG0V . And thanks to Thorne Moore for interviewing me: http://bit.ly/1VTvqGq  Over the next week I’ll be introducing the last of the authors. I’ll also be showcasing the publishers who will be in attendance and who will be giving short talks and may be able to give advice to would-be authors: http://honno.co.uk/ ,http://www.fireflypress.co.uk/   and  http://www.cambriapublishing.org.uk/ ,

There may also be a short chat with John and Fiona of http://showboat.tv/ who, as usual, will be filming the event.

Today  I’m really pleased to  introduce Eloise Williams

 

 Welcome Eloise, good to be chatting with you today.

It’s good to be here, Judith

First of all, tell us what genre are your books?

I write for children, middle grade and young adults.

My first book ‘Elen’s Island’ is aimed at 7-9’s and my second, ‘Gaslight’ which comes out next Spring (EEK!) is for age 10 upwards.

What draws you to this genre?

Anything can happen. Magic can happen. Things can be ridiculous, scary, funny, sad, sometimes all in one page. I like the scope of writing for the young. I love it when children tell me what they thought of my book. I am so grateful for their honesty when they give feedback. One of my favourite quotes from a child I worked with is;

‘I felt ALMOST excited to get to meet an author.’ Lara, aged 9.

My readers make me laugh. They also make me work hard to keep their attention.

I want to recreate the feeling I had when I was a child reading a book. I want the rest of the world to disappear around the reader so they are living through the pages. I have no idea if I’m there yet but it’s what I’m striving for!

Do you have a trailer for your own book?

I do have a trailer for ‘Elen’s Island’.

 

 

I think it’s a really important way of giving a flavour of what the book is about. Money is hard to come by and people need to know whether the book is going to be right for them. I hope that my trailer gives a hint of the story without ruining anything. Also it is lovely and sparkly. I love a bit of sparkle.

What is your favourite saying?

‘Do what you love – Love what you do.’

I have no idea where it comes from but it really speaks to me. It took me a very long time to rediscover what I loved doing and I intend to spend the rest of my life doing it. I’m talking about writing of course. Though the same rule could be applied to eating chocolate.

What is your favourite quote?

‘Time held me green and dying

Though I sang in my chains like the sea.’

It’s from ‘Fern Hill’ by Dylan Thomas. I love his work. I try to say this line to myself every day. It reminds me that time is precious and to make the most of life.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

This is really difficult to answer. I think I’d need a few hundred pages and perhaps a therapist to answer this properly.

What I try to teach myself now is something I have learned from my favourite children’s character of all time, Luna Lovegood – it is OK to be weird!

Find Eloise at:

http://www.eloisewilliams.com/

https://twitter.com/Eloisejwilliams

Buying Links:

Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/2atpR2e

http://www.fireflypress.co.uk/node/181