Lowering the Tome is back... and it's mini again

Hi all. Clearly I’ve let my newsletter on Substack fall by the wayside, so I’m relaunching it but with a bit of a new vibe. Here’s the plan. I’ll be taking the short, snappy ‘mini-blog’ format that used to work well (and that, crucially, kept me motivated), and use it to share things under headings such as Writing News, Recent Reads, Writing/Thinking Prompts (these will be suitable for all ages), Peeks Inside Publishing and In Other News. I’ll also be sharing it in full here on the website too. Essentially it’s the return of the mini-blog – yay!

I still expect to write monthly posts – fortnightly at most. I may still write the odd piece where I witter on about something esoteric, but these are likely to be in the minority. Thanks for sticking with it, Tomers – I hope that all sounds good to you. If there’s anything you’d really like me to talk about or that you’d especially like to see here, please do let me know, as I’m open to suggestions. And if you know anyone who you think would enjoy what I’ve set out above, do please point them in my direction.

More to come very soon!

Katharine x

What I learned about humanity from playing Snake

You can read my latest Substack all about the trappings (and teachings) of the humble game Snake here – this time though I’ve included my ‘other news’ below in case that’s the part you’re interested in. Please consider subscribing to my Substack though if you’d like. Happy reading – until next time!

In other news:

I haven’t heard anything back yet about the manuscript for the children’s book that I sent off recently, so I’ve been distracting myself by trying to write a sci-fi for adults. I’ve started this book a few times now and keep getting stuck on it, but after some rethinking of the backstory/plot I think I’m ready to try again. Or will be, when I get the opportunity (life’s a bit chaotic right now – my son is having school struggles and extended family members are having health crises, and it’s a bit all-consuming).

Totally separate from that, I've just started an Etsy shop! I’ve wanted to do it for ages to give me something else to focus on: another creative outlet that doesn’t feel too pressured. It’s called 7 Magpies Boutique and I’m selling lots of handmade, nature-inspired glass jewellery that I’ve made in my kiln – you can find it here. I’ve already sold out of a few bits and need to make some more. Later this month I’ll also be taking part in the Sponsored Write for Macmillan Cancer Support – you can find out more about that and also donate if you want to here.

My blog is moving to Substack

Hi all,

You might have noticed that I haven’t written my blog in a long time – it’s been both a supremely busy and rocky year and by springtime even the monthly posting just became impossible to keep up with. So now I’ve decided to start afresh (even though things are still both busy and rocky) with a brand new Substack. It’s called Lowering the Tome and I’m happy to say my first post is now up – you can read it here, and please do subscribe if you like what you see! It’s all free right now so there’s nothing to lose.

Hope to see some of you readers, writers, teachers and general book enthusiasts there.

Onwards!

Katharine x

The World Book Week 2023 mini-blog

Hello and welcome to the February mini-blog.

I’ve just come from a school visit in which the children of Southville Primary invented their very own magical creature with me: a maths-loving, pea-eating lizard called Gary Scrumpfry. I had a brilliant time exploring the writing process with them, and talking about what inspired many of the creatures in Mountainfell, too. In other news:

Book Pen Pals

This month I sent off some letters to my brilliant Book Pen Pals. For those who don’t know, Book Pen Pals is a really lovely scheme that connects schools with authors and illustrators, who then correspond throughout the year via postcards and letters. I absolutely love talking to my book pen pals, answering their questions, giving them writing tips and recommending books they might like. If you’re a school, author or an illustrator, why not check them out, or give them a follow on Twitter. (If you’d like to get a one-off postcard direct from me, I can do that too – do just get in touch.)

World Book Week – easy costume ideas!

As an author, it’s flattering to see children who feel inspired enough by reading your books to dress as your characters. I’ve already seen an excellent Leif costume and had requests for dressing-up ideas, so this year I thought I’d put some very easy costume suggestions for Mountainfell characters online:

Erskin – she wears simple trousers and a jumper, and because her pet cat, Scrat, likes to climb up and sit on her shoulders, the more holes (because of cat claws) the better. For an added extra, if you can find a piece of fluffy material that might make a good cat’s tail, why not have it dangling out of one side of a bag or satchel, so it looks like you’ve got Scrat with you, too…

Leif – again, simple trousers and a jumper or top will do, but remember that Leif has pockets full of odds and ends, and really, really loves plants… so perhaps you could have a friendly vine over one shoulder, or dangling out of the side of a bag, to keep him company.

If you do decide to dress up as Erskin or Leif, or as characters from any other of my books, I always love to see the pictures!

What I’m reading

At the moment I’m really privileged to be reading an early copy of Winter’s Keep by Tamsin Mori – book 3 in the Weather Weaver adventures and out on the 2nd March. With cloud sidekicks and sea witches, it’s a feat of fun and imagination. Keep your eyes peeled for it in March! Illustrated by David Dean (cover) and Hannah Blackman-Kurz (interior), published by Uclan Publishing.

The book, Winter's Keep by Tamsin Mori on a fluffy grey background

I hope the rest of this month is a breeze, leaving you feeling as chilled out as Stevie clearly is today. Until next time!

A tabby cat fast asleep on a blanket with her arms outstretched

First mini-blog of the year: 2023

Hello all! Hope you’ve had a brilliant time seeing out 2022 and welcoming in the New Year (depending on the calendar you follow of course). I wish I could say I’m starting 2023 feeling fresh and ready to go, but sadly, due to various factors, January has felt less like a walk in the park and more like trying to wade through a spillage at a glue factory. Nevertheless! Once I’ve dragged myself across the room and out the other side, I have high hopes for this year. With a number of creative projects planned and a strong need to free myself up and experiment, it’ll be great to get to a place where I can be productive again. So anyway, what’s been happening? Let me show you. Onwards!

Mountainfell reviews:

Books for Keeps wrote a wonderful 5-star review of Mountainfell which made my heart soar like a cloud dragon. The wonderful comments from friends and strangers alike have really been keeping me afloat this winter too. Thank you – and please do consider leaving a review on the usual sites if you feel so inclined, to help others decide whether they’d like to give the book a try :)

School visits:

I’ve been enjoying visiting some schools in and around Bristol lately – and in particular I’ve loved hearing the brilliant ideas the children come up with when set a task. Towards the end of my visit I like to get their help to invent a magical creature who lives in their school, and answer the question: why haven’t we seen it? Some of my favourite suggestions have included, ‘It’s so big that we live inside one of its cells’, ‘It shape shifts: maybe it’s that table!’ and ‘It hides in the staffroom and eats doughnuts.’ If you’d like me to visit your school (I travel outside of Bristol too) please get in touch.

Planning and plotting:

That’s right: I’m planning and plotting (and generally up to no good). Now all I need to do is get started on the actual writing…

Great reads:

My kid’s been loving all things medical lately, and has recently devoured – and loved – Kay’s Marvellous Medicine by Adam Kay. Given the choice of what to read next, he decided on… The Ghouls of Howlfair by Nick Tomlinson. Again. This’ll be the second time he’s read it, which must be a good sign! As for me? I’ve been listening to the audiobook of Do You Dream of Terra Two by Temi Oh and I’m really enjoying the idea of a group of young, slightly underprepared people in close quarters with one another bringing all their personal baggage with them to space. Intriguing!

And finally, cat likes box:

Apparently, cat likes box. And bag. And TV. (And apparently I love having cats again).

So what’s new with you? Are you having a good/not-so-good/insert-other start to the year? And, crucially, what have you been reading? Thanks for reading, and see you for the mini-blog in Feb!

The last mini-blog post of the year: 2022

I always forget what a weird day the 31st December feels like. Usually grey and rainy, with a sense of waiting for something intangible (though realistically that thing is midnight, I guess, and the new year). But the sense of waiting always makes me feel unsettled, like I’m forgetting something important. The ‘did I lock the door?’ feeling when you’re halfway into town.

Anyway, a lot of people like to look back at their year, the things they’ve enjoyed and the things they’ve achieved. I love to read these reflections but I’m not very good at writing my own, because my brain smooshes stuff together, then goes blank, and then I start losing all sense of time (was that this year or 3 years ago? What IS time?!). And then we’re lost.

But suffice to say that in amongst what’s been a challenging year for me, particularly the latter half, I’ve enjoyed so many brilliant things – from books to music to film and TV and more. I usually talk about these things throughout the year, either on this very blog, or on Twitter and Instagram, so it’s worth following those if you’d like to hear me randomly pipe up about how much I love Andor, rave about Piranesi or the Murderbot series, or talk about an unforgettable line from the film 1917.

Book blurbin’

What I will say is that I’ve been honoured to read and review some absolutely brilliant books this year, including The Mooncatcher’s Rescue by Karen Lamb, The Late Crew by Rab Ferguson, A Billion Balloons of Questions by Amy B Moreno (such a beautiful picture book!) and something very exciting yet to come from the fantastic Ross Montgomery. They are all great and you should read them. For more books I’ve read and loved, check out my Goodreads, which I try to keep (fairly) up to date(ish).

Mountainfell-in’

Of course Mountainfell came out in November this year and I’ve been thrilled to see the fruits of my labour plopping into the bookshops. It’s brilliant to see people read and enjoy it (if you want to make an author ecstatically happy by the way, including this author, writing a glowing review of a book you’ve enjoyed this year is a surefire way to do that – just saying).

The reception to Mountainfell has been truly heartening and I’m grateful to everyone for their enthusiasm, their wonderful reviews and quotes. Particularly Nick Tomlinson who wrote to me to say, I’m sure Mountainfell will be amazing, and not just because it sounds like a pagan metal band. And I think that’s my favourite quote of any book ever.

Guest Blog Postin’

I’ve written a number of guest blog posts which you can find links to in my November mini-blog. I’ve also written a couple more since then which I’m particularly proud of – this one on Why I Love Writing “Complicated” Characters for the Federation of Children’s Book Groups, FCBG (ever wondered who the first fictional villain I ever felt sorry for was? Well wonder no longer!) and this one on Why I Love Writing (and Reading) About Magic for Peters.

Cat pics

Finally, we have welcomed two new members into our household this year. Meet Stevie (pic 1, left) and Snorlax (pic 2, right), our 5-month old rescue kittens. Snorlax has massive paws and we predict he’s going to be a big cat when he’s older. Similar to the Pokemon, he likes food and fuss, and then to flump onto his side and snooze. Stevie (think Stevie Nicks!) is a little kitty in a big scary world right now, but if her brother does something she’ll cautiously give it a try too. Though stealthy and wild, we seem to be slowly winning her over.

It is amazing to have cats again, even though I now spend most of my time scooping poo and being a human springboard when they get the zoomies. I predict more cat pics and updates in 2023 (though no poo, I promise).

A huge thank you to everyone this year, for everything, and sending you all my love and wishes for the new year. May your reflections be deep and may you find everything you’re looking for, including and especially the answer to whether or not you locked that door.

November – the month of Mountainfell!

November has been both a busy and exciting one for me, as my third book Mountainfell was released this month! I’m hugely grateful to everyone who made this possible, and to everyone who’s supported me, read, reviewed or bought the book, or shared it with others in libraries, bookshops, schools and more. As a thank you I still have a number of signed book plates to give away. Get in touch if you’d like me to send you one!

In other news:

Book launch

I was privileged to have a book launch at the wonderful Storysmith. After the lockdowns that surrounded Glassheart’s release it felt brilliant to come together with friends and family to celebrate. And, as someone who gets nervous giving speeches sometimes, I was pleased that I managed to not be sick. Bonus!


Blog tour

I packed the old van and went off on blog tour this month. Here’s some links to all the stops I made:

Inventing magical creatures Part One – Digging Deep on My Shelves Are Full @erinlynhamilton

Nature, red in tooth and claw on My Book Corner @MyBookCorner

Weird is Wonderful on Scope for Imagination @KateHeap1

Strange mountain encounters on Check ‘em Out Books @TJGriffiths

Inventing magical creatures Part Two - Diving into Dreams on Library Girl and Book Boy @booksuperhero2

And a bonus Q&A on Big Bearded Bookseller @IndieBookshopUK

School visits

I headed down to Tring to visit some fantastic schools with Our Bookshop and meet lots of eager readers and budding writers. I had a great time answering everyone’s brilliant questions and signing books!

Book signings

Right now there are signed copies of Mountainfell waiting to be had in Mr B’s in Bath, and soon to be Stanfords in Bristol. Watch this space for more!

Finally… listen out for me on BBC Radio Bristol!

And some exciting news to end with… I’ll be on BBC Radio Bristol on Sunday 4th December talking books, and also chatting about some of the news stories of the week that have caught my eye. I’ll be on from around 12.15pm so be sure to listen out if you’re free, or catch up later on BBC Sounds.