BLOG TOUR: Below Zero

I love being an author. Apart from being Han Solo, it’s pretty much the only thing I’ve ever wanted to be. And one of the really cool things about writing books for younger readers is that I spend a lot of time visiting schools, doing my best to inspire young readers. Reading is amazing; it opens up new worlds and new ways of thinking. Reading for pleasure makes people better people, (it’s true, I’ve seen science that says so) so I feel privileged to be able to play a small part in guiding young readers to stories.

Usually when I visit a school I talk to a large group. I’ll show them some embarrassing pictures of me growing up, tell them about why I write, why stories are important to me, that kind of thing. And I talk about reading for pleasure.

When I was at school, we would read a book in class. Every student had a copy of the book and we would take turns to read aloud. Paragraph by paragraph. Some students would read quickly, some would read slowly. Some had boring, monotonous voices. Some could barely read. I remember reading ‘Lord of the Flies’ that way, and what a bore it was.

When I tell students about this now, I see them nodding their heads. Yep, that’s still how they do it in some schools. In fact, some schools can’t even afford the books, so they only read photocopied extracts.

That’s not reading for pleasure. That’s reading because you have to. That’s reading for school. It’s work. It’s ‘Literacy’.

Reading for pleasure, I tell them, is when you read the first chapter of a book and decide it’s not the right book for you. Reading for pleasure is putting that book down and doing the same thing again until you find a book you DO want to read. Reading for pleasure is when you can’t wait to read the next page, you fall in love with the characters, hate the characters, cheer for the characters. Reading for pleasure is when a story stays with you forever, giving meaning to the things that happen to you. It’s that feeling you get when you think about the story. It’s when the smell of the pages lifts you to another place. Reading for pleasure is . . . pleasurable.

I sometimes worry that I may be speaking out of turn when I say these things at schools, but I often see the teachers nodding. They know it too. Where is the pleasure in stopping every few lines to discuss why this character said such-and-such, or that character did this-and-that?

I understand we need to read for school, for education, for all the boring reasons. But we also need to read for pleasure. That’s how we grow.

I LOVE it when a teacher tells me they’re reading a book in class just for the sake of reading it. No stopping, no analysis, just pure, unadulterated reading for pleasure. Hooray for those teachers! Hooray for school libraries! Hooray for school librarians!
Oh, and there’s one other thing; I have re-read Lord of the Flies, many times, and I now see it in a different light. It speaks to me in a way it didn’t speak to me when we read it and analysed it. What an amazing book.

BELOW ZERO
by Dan Smith



Twelve-year-old Zak, who has an inoperable brain tumour, is with his sister and parents when their private plane is disastrously diverted. Wrecked on a remote research outpost in the Antarctic, they find themselves in an abandoned base. Then Zak's parents disappear, and the base's equipment starts 3D-printing nightmarish spiderlike creatures. Zak's bizarre visions appear to suggest a link to something else - beneath the ice - which only he can understand...




BELOW ZERO by Dan Smith out now in paperback (£6.99, Chicken House). Find out more at chickenhousebooks.com and connect with Dan Smith @DanSmithAuthor

ABOUT THE AUTHOR



Growing up, Dan Smith lived three lives: the day-to-day humdrum of boarding school, finding adventure in the padi fields of Asia and the jungles of Brazil, and in a world of his own, making up stories. 
Dan is the author of My Friend the EnemyMy Brother’s Secret,Big Game and Boy X. BELOW ZERO his fifth children’s book with Chicken House. He lives in Newcastle. 
Connect with him via twitter @dansmithauthor




In case you haven't yet had your fill of Dan and all things Below Zero check out some of the other posts he has done for the tour at the blogs below. 






REVIEW: Below Zero

BELOW ZERO
by Dan Smith



Pages: 304
Publisher: Chicken House
Publication Date: January 4th 2018
Received From: Chicken House


Twelve-year-old Zak, who has an inoperable brain tumour, is with his sister and parents when their private plane is disastrously diverted. Wrecked on a remote research outpost in the Antarctic, they find themselves in an abandoned base. Then Zak's parents disappear, and the base's equipment starts 3D-printing nightmarish spiderlike creatures. Zak's bizarre visions appear to suggest a link to something else - beneath the ice - which only he can understand...


Below Zero is one of those books that took me by surprise. It's common knowledge that I have issues with young protagonists so when I read that our young hero was only 12 I had my reservations. However, Dan Smith did something no other author I've read has done before... well other than the likes of J.K and co. For Dan made me forget about age. There was nothing childish about the story, it felt grown up, serious and constantly left me sitting on the edge of my seat.

But I'm getting ahead of myself here... lets go back to the beginning.

Below Zero is a story told in two parts, one of the present and one of the very recent past. This book follows 12 year old Zak as he and his family crash land on Outpost Zero - a small research base at the Antarctic, training for life on Mars. However, when Zak arrives at the base nothing is as it should be. The scientists that inhabit Outpost Zero are nowhere to be seen, the power is out and the spider like robots Zak's parents helped create are acting more than a little bit strange. As the story unfolds the reader slowly discovers what happened to the now abandoned base and most importantly what lays beneath the ice that has everyone so scared.

The tag line fore this book is, "Your blood will run cold" and I can't lie there were moments when I literally found myself shivering. From the very first page I found myself being pulled into this story. The world in which Dan creates is eery and dangerous and 100% unpredictable. For me though it was the way in which Zak's illness played into the plot, it made a book that I was already a little in love with someone that I can honestly say I've never read before. It was a unique story arch than had me questing until the very last page.

Overall, Below Zero is faced paged, exciting and un-put-downable. There are moments in the story that are pure genius and I can't wait to see what Dan writes next. I'll admit I wasn't sure what I was expecting with this book but it surpassed my expectations and I hope you all give it a go because I will guarantee you won't regret it.

BLOG TOUR: The Fandom

Q&A with Anna Day
author of The Fandom



What was the inspiration behind The Fandom?

You may already know this, but The Fandom combined two ideas. An idea by Angela McCann, in which a group of fans are transported into the world of their favorite story, and my own pre-existing novel entitled The Gallows Dance. So I feel like I need to break this question into two parts: the inspiration for my first novel, The Gallows Dance, and my inspiration for the final novel, The Fandom.

The Gallows Dance is a world in which mankind is divided into two camps, genetically enhanced, and non-genetically enhanced. This was inspired by my daughter’s birth. I just couldn’t bear the thought of her ever feeling not good enough, or feeling she had to change in order to be ‘perfect.’ I do feel our society is obsessed with perfection. We’re given a very narrow definition of beauty, and then pressured to adhere to it by altering our natural appearance. Often this is at a financial and more importantly, emotional, cost. There’s also huge pressure on young people to achieve at exams, and to be healthy, glowing citizens. This is obviously hugely damaging for people with Learning Disabilities and/or health issues. I wanted to highlight this obsession in my book. I guess I wanted to make the world a more accepting place for young people. I know a single book can’t change society, but you know, if it helps just one person feel more comfortable in their own skin, then I’m a happy lady!

The Gallows Dance was also inspired by my Psychology background. I’ve always been fascinated by group dynamics: the way one group lifts themselves up by shoving another group down. We’ve seen it throughout history, and it feels like we’re seeing it more now, and this breaks my heart. The way the genetically enhanced people subjugate and humiliate the non-genetically enhanced people was written to highlight this issue. Again, in the hope that raising awareness of an issue may help readers think and talk about it.

Which makes my book sound a bit soap boxy, but I really hope it isn’t!

The ‘fandom’ part of the book was obviously inspired by Angela McCann, as it was her idea. But during the actual plotting and writing of the book, I was just filled with my love of all things nerdy and fandom-ish. The world of the online fandom kind of passed me by due to my age, and the fact I was so focused on my career and family in my twenties and thirties. But I’ve always been obsessed with stories and bands and TV programmes. I have a list of embarrassing fandom stories. Just a taste: at ten, I painted a giant mural of Buddy Holly on my wall, it was terrifying, and in my early twenties, I held a Moulin Rouge mystery party, to which only four people came. So embracing all things fandom came so easily, and it was an absolute joy to indulge the part of myself who loves The Hunger Games andTwilight and Harry Potter.

Sorry, that was a long answer!


Who was your favourite character to write and why?

I loved all my characters, even Alice. But ultimately, it has to be Violet, the protagonist. I just connected with her so easily. Probably cos she reflects aspects of myself: she’s awkward, geeky and can’t climb trees, and she overthinks everything.


Do you belong to any fandoms and if so which ones?

The obvious ones, like Harry Potter and The Hunger Games, though I tend to dip in and out depending on how busy I am and how much I need them. I actually have my own little fandom with my dad. We are a fandom of two. We love all the same bands and music and sci-fi. And we both obsess over stuff.


 If you ended up the main protagonist in YOUR favourite book how do you think you would react/adapt?

Well now I’m a Mum I think I’d be the super-organized annoying character who problem solved, carried a clipboard and provided healthy snacks. So basically, imagine Hermione Granger and make her a little more nurturing and snack-obsessed, and that would be me. I flatter myself, I’m sure. But in my head, I would be a middle-aged Hermione dishing out carrot sticks! Bring on the Dementors, cos I’ve got stable blood sugars.


What are the most rewarding and most challenging parts of writing a book?

One of the most challenging parts for me is fitting it all in. I’m a single mum with two young children, and I work part time as a psychologist. It means sometimes I can feel like I rush things and haven’t given it my best, and that can be frustrating. Another challenging part is just that screaming anxiety that everyone is going to hate my writing. I manage it with distraction and denial and by listening to my mum when she tells me I’m the best!

The most rewarding part for me is the actual writing itself, I love pouring myself on to a page, and sitting back and feeling like I’ve really built something with words. Okay, that is an actual lie, the best thing is having lovely people telling me they like my book.


When reading The Fandom I felt that there was an emphasis on strong female leads. What do you think are the main qualities that makes a strong female protagonist?

This is such a good question. I think just making them human. So don’t make them too brave or selfless or clever. They should be filled with self-doubt and difficulties and broken bits like the rest of us. It makes them more believable, but more importantly, easier to relate to. And then, when they do something really brave or selfless or clever, there’s more of a character arc, and we, as readers, can think,maybe I could do that. The reason I loved writing Violet so much was she was a bit feeble, physically and emotionally, just like me!

Pages: 416
Publisher: Chicken House
Publication Date: January 2018

THE FANDOM
by Anna Day


Cosplay ready, Violet and her friends are at Comic-Con.

They can’t wait to meet the fandom of mega movie, The Gallows Dance. What they’re not expecting is to be catapulted by freak accident into their favourite world – for real. Fuelled by love, guilt and fear, can the friends put the plot back on track and get out? The fate of the story is in their hands ...





AMAZON UK | WATERSTONES | BOOK DEPOSITORY
 

Make sure you keep an eye out for all things Fandom this month as there are plenty of posts coming your way! Check out the rest of the tour on the pages bellow and I hope you enjoyed the Q&A with the awesome Anna Day!! Last but not least, if you haven't already, go pick up your copy of The Fandom now. 

#jointhefandom



If you haven't already check out my review of The Fandom HERE

REVIEW: Witch Born

WITCH BORN
by Nicholas Bowling


Pages: 368
Publisher: Chicken House
Publication Date: November 2nd 2017
Received From: Chicken House


It's 1577. Queen Elizabeth I has imprisoned scheming Mary Queen of Scots, and Alyce's mother is burned at the stake for witchcraft. Alyce kills the witchfinder and flees to London - but the chase isn't over yet. As she discovers her own dark magic, powerful political forces are on her trail. She can't help but wonder: why is she so important? Soon she finds herself deep in a secret battle between rival queens, the fate of England resting on her shoulders...


Witch Born is the story of Alyce, a 16th Century girl forced out of her family home when her mother is brutally murdered in front of her by the witchfinder. Fleeing the only home she has ever known Alyce runs to London in hopes of finding help but instead is greeted by the cold harsh gates of Bedlam. As the story unfolds Alyce is forced to find her way in an unknown and scary London with what feels like an army of witchfinders, ghosts and myths chasing her. But with the help of a young aspiring actor, Solomon, Alyce starts to discover secrets she ever knew existed and a royal plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

This is one of those books that had me hooked from the opening chapter. Personally, I have a fascination with this period in history and Nicholas Bowling's take on Elizabethan London is something not to be missed. He mixes the fantasy of witches and magic with the hardships of a Monarchy under constant threat, creating a London filled with treachery and possibility - just waiting for our young protagonist to take centre stage.

Even though Witch Born is set in a VERY different time to a lot of YA fiction Alyce's journey is the epitome of the coming of age story. Forced to leave everything she has ever know, learning to live on her own, discovering who she really is... what more could you ask for? Alyce as a courage that I really admired, and even when terrified she finds a way to do what she has to do. She grows through out the story and by the very last page I was dying to know what she was going to do next.

Overall, Witch Born was one of those books I just didn't want to put down. It is also one of those books that I can't say ANYTHING about without giving away too much. However, I can say that Nicholas Bowling's magical story telling brings to life a tale of family, friendship and betrayals that will have your jaw hitting the floor. So if you haven't read this one yet I highly recommend it.

REVIEW: The Fandom

THE FANDOM
by Anna Day


Pages: 416
Publisher: Chicken House
Publication Date: January 2018
Received From: Chicken House




Cosplay ready, Violet and her friends are at Comic-Con.

They can’t wait to meet the fandom of mega movie, The Gallows Dance. What they’re not expecting is to be catapulted by freak accident into their favourite world – for real. Fuelled by love, guilt and fear, can the friends put the plot back on track and get out? The fate of the story is in their hands ...

A fast-paced, genre-flipping YA fantasy adventure from a brand new author, writing in homage to the best YA fiction.
 

Okay guys I'm so excited to FINALLY tell you all about this book! I read this last summer but due to its 2018 (how the hell are we in 2018 already!) release date I've had to hold back on telling you all about it and I have to say it is the hardest thing I have ever done!!! The Fandom instantly spoke to my inner nerd and from the second review copies started making the rounds I just knew I needed to read it. It is fasted paced, exhilarating, unique and so easy to read! From the second I picked it up I just didn't want to put it down.

The Fandom follows the story of a girl named Violet when her world gets turned upside down at comic-con. Violet, her two best friends Alice and Katie and her little brother Nate have been working on there cosplay for weeks and when they finally meet the leads of their favourite film, The Gallows Dance, they think the worst they have to expect is saying something silly. However, the room starts to shake and next thing they know they've found themselves in the middle of the world they've fangirled over. But as the old saying goes, be careful what you wish for, because in the heart of their new reality this group of teens will have to find a way to finish the story they keep interrupting. They will have to survive the hardships any protagonist would and most importantly make it to the end of the story without loosing themselves.

The story itself is a mix of The Wizard of Oz and The Hunger Games. It mixes that 'we're not in Kansas anymore' feel with a world destroyed by human greed. I don't want to say too much about the plot because it will spoil it but I will say that the juxtaposition of the main characters in this fantasy world had me hooked from the very first page. I think every fangirl (or boy) out there has imagined what it would be like to end up in your favourite book, TV show or film but when the dangers our beloved protagonists face aren't in our imagination anymore but chasing you down the dirty streets of a war torn London it might just loose its appeal.

As far as the characters go I'm completely and utterly in love with Violet! She is the epitome of every YA reader I know and the way in which she grows and adapts to this new world makes her all the more loveable. She's relatable and she messes up more times than you think she possibly could, but that makes her human. She isn't immune to the greed, lust or even the ambition to be more than she was back home and it is her journey that made this book for me. Then again, I've always got a bit of a soft spot for the underdog.

Overall this book surpassed expectations and was one of the most enjoyable reads of 2017 for me. It kept be on my toes from the very first page and had me crying for more by the very last. The characters were captivating, the plot was exciting and the overall concept of the book had me reevaluating what it would be like to be a part of some of my favourite stories. The Fandom has a special place in my heart now and for a debut I take my hat off to Anna! If you haven't yet, go get yourself a copy of The Fandom! You can thank me later!!!


 I ADORED this book and I was lucky enough to get to do a Q&A with Anna which will be part of The Fandom blog tour starting on SUNDAY!! So be sure to check out all things Fandom on the blogs bellow and come on Tuesday 9th so see what Anna had to say!!

#jointhefandom



GUEST POST: Nicholas Bowling

Today I have something rather awesome for you all. Today I have the lovely Nicholas Bowling, author of Witch Born talking about why it is he writes historical fiction. I hope you all enjoy this guest post, it had me from the Bowling says KFC. 


Why Historical Fantasy?

Aged thirteen – so, old enough to know better – I wrote a history essay in which I tried to claim that the Bayeux Tapestry was a fake, because I had spotted a KFC family bucket among the legs of the charging Norman cavalry. To this day, I don’t know what it was that I had actually seen. I still somehow managed to get 14/20, thanks to the patience and indulgence – or perhaps genuine credence? – of good old Mr Neal.
Let the record show: I am not a historian. It’s perhaps a surprise, then, that I have found myself writing historical fiction, or, more accurately, historical fantasy.
Or perhaps it’s not (a surprise). Other, more articulate, more intelligent writers have put it better than me (if you haven’t listened to Hilary Mantel’s Reith Lectures, go do it, now), but suffice to say, history and fiction are not such strange bedfellows. It’s no coincidence that “history” is just “story” with a couple of extra letters, and I’ve always liked, and been quite good at, telling stories – particularly those at the stranger and more imaginative end of the spectrum (c.f. William the Conqueror and his bucket of chicken).
But why historical fantasy, as opposed to “pure” fantasy, or magic realism, or any other type of story for that matter?
In the Early and Pre-Modern Eras, most of the things that we would term “the stuff of fantasy” were vividly, frighteningly real. For us, “fantasy” books and films are thought experiments in which we can play out not just stories around us, but the stories we tell ourselves, in our heads – our dreams and fears and desires. Pre-enlightenment, though, these fears and phantoms could not be rationally explained away as the product of the subconscious or the imagination. The great thing about historical fantasy is that it can take those monsters conjured by the Early or Pre-Modern mind and make them as real as they seemed to the imaginer.
And this is not just bringing to life the superstitions of the uneducated. In the 16th and 17th centuries, magic, science and religion had not yet been comfortably categorised, and there was a good deal of handwringing (and occasionally bloodshed) when definitions were unclear, or misunderstood. A man like Doctor John Dee, who appears as a character in Witchborn, is a perfect embodiment of this. He was an alchemist, magician, astrologer, who claimed he spoke with both the dead and the angels; but he was also a talented mathematician, navigator, and counsellor to the Queen herself.
The prevalence and acceptance of the fantastical in a particular historical period also presents a functional solution to a writer of fantasy fiction. I am realising, as I write this, that this will probably just going to come across as laziness on my part. But here goes. World-building is hard to do right, and so often the choices made in creating a fictional world seem essentially arbitrary. (What do I call this town? Blenwyth? Blythven? Blythvenville? Belyhythhhg? Why? Because it sounds a bit Welsh, and hence sounds a bit like Tolkien? Oh.)
The restrictions of a ready-made historical period, you find, are not restrictions at all, but in fact the opposite: they free you to explore human drama in a world already replete with mystery and otherness. It’s a little like writing poetry – the strictures of rhyme and metre, the rules of the poem, create something far more interesting than anything in sprawling free-verse.
Besides, if there are no rules, you don’t get the fun of breaking them.

Find out more at www.chickenhousebooks.com and @thenickbowling

WITCH BORN
by Nicholas Bowling

Pages: 368
Publisher: Chicken House
Publication Date: November 2nd 2017


It's 1577. Queen Elizabeth I has imprisoned scheming Mary Queen of Scots, and Alyce's mother is burned at the stake for witchcraft. Alyce kills the witchfinder and flees to London - but the chase isn't over yet. As she discovers her own dark magic, powerful political forces are on her trail. She can't help but wonder: why is she so important? Soon she finds herself deep in a secret battle between rival queens, the fate of England resting on her shoulders...



Nicholas Bowling

Nick Bowling is an author, stand-up comic, musician and Latin teacher from London. He graduated from Oxford University in 2007 with a BA in Classics and English, and again in 2010 with a Masters in Greek and Latin Language and Literature, before moving to his first teaching job at Trinity School, Croydon. While writing Witchborn, he has also performed a solo show at the Edinburgh festival, and has co-written, recorded and released an album and two EPs with soul-folk singer Mary Erskine, Me For Queen. Witchborn is his debut novel.