Thursday, 18 October 2007
Blogging at Inside a Dog..
Last week, I started a blogging stint as Writer In Residence at the Inside A Dog website, the website of the State Library of Victoria's Youth Literature Centre. I'll be blogging there for a month, till November 9, on all kinds of things to do with books, writing, life and everything--including Thomas Trew, spooks, and murderous magpies! Come over and join me on www.insideadog.com.au/residence
Thursday, 6 September 2007
New look for Thomas Trew!
There's a whole new look to Thomas Trew, starting with the 4th book in the series, Thomas Trew and the Selkie's Curse, which comes out in Britain on September 21, and in October in Australia. Here's a sneak look at the great new jacket, complete with reviews by young readers!
And why the change? Because it was felt the original covers(as you see them to the right of this) weren't quite eye-catching enough, and that it would be good to have reviews from actual readers. Which is an excellent idea, I reckon. What do you think?
The next two in the series, Thomas Trew and the Flying Huntsman, and Thomas Trew and the Island of Ghosts, will similarly have bright new revamped covers and readers'reviews. Watch out for them!
Sunday, 19 August 2007
Melbourne Writers' Festival
Next week, I'm off to Melbourne for the Writers' Festival, where I have a few gigs talking about my books, and reading from them. The Thomas Trew series will be prominent in them!
Here's a list of events, for my Melbourne and Victorian readers:
Saturday August 25, Children's Literary Afternoon Tea. This will feature Garth Nix and myself, at Sofi's, the Sofitel Hotel, Melbourne, 2.30--4.30. This is a paying event, and you need to book.
Sunday August 26: The Big Family Read, with me, Garth Nix and Michael Gerard Bauer, at the Malthouse, Southbank, 10.30--11.30 am. Free event(but get there early!)
Tuesday, August 28, I'll be on a panel on using historical sources to write fantasy, with Kate Forsyth and Anna Ciddor. This is part of the schools programme, and you need to book. Malthouse, 10.15 am--11 am, aimed at students in years 7 and 8.
Wednesday August 29, I have a session by myself on creating the fantasy worlds in both the Thomas Trew series and my older-readers El Jisal series. this is at the Malthouse, 11.30--12.15, and is also part of the Schools programme, and aimed at students in Years 5 and 6.
The Melbourne Writers'Centre website is at www.mwf.com.au You can book online.
After each session, I'll be in the book tent, signing books. Do come and say hi, if you're there!
Here's a list of events, for my Melbourne and Victorian readers:
Saturday August 25, Children's Literary Afternoon Tea. This will feature Garth Nix and myself, at Sofi's, the Sofitel Hotel, Melbourne, 2.30--4.30. This is a paying event, and you need to book.
Sunday August 26: The Big Family Read, with me, Garth Nix and Michael Gerard Bauer, at the Malthouse, Southbank, 10.30--11.30 am. Free event(but get there early!)
Tuesday, August 28, I'll be on a panel on using historical sources to write fantasy, with Kate Forsyth and Anna Ciddor. This is part of the schools programme, and you need to book. Malthouse, 10.15 am--11 am, aimed at students in years 7 and 8.
Wednesday August 29, I have a session by myself on creating the fantasy worlds in both the Thomas Trew series and my older-readers El Jisal series. this is at the Malthouse, 11.30--12.15, and is also part of the Schools programme, and aimed at students in Years 5 and 6.
The Melbourne Writers'Centre website is at www.mwf.com.au You can book online.
After each session, I'll be in the book tent, signing books. Do come and say hi, if you're there!
Thursday, 12 July 2007
Seeking reviews..
To all young readers of Thomas Trew: Want to see your name in one of the Thomas Trew books? My publishers will be printing one-line reviews of the books in the next three books. If you or your friend or classmate has read one or more of the books and want to write a very short review(don't just say you like it, say why), leave it in comments on this blog or else send it to me in an email at sophievmasson@gmail.com If your review is selected, it will appear in one of the last three books. Only your first name and age will be printed.
The Hidden People, Part E: The Ariels
The Ariels are the Hidden People of the sky-country. They are city dwellers and live in the huge, beautiful cloud-city of Seraphimia. This city looks rather like a Venice in the sky, set on a sky-lagoon, and with lots of cloud-canals down which go gondola-like boats.
On one side of Seraphimia, the lagoon leads into the sky-ocean and then to a weird cloud-valley where float all kinds of strange shadows, leftover shapes and bits and pieces from the beginning of time. This valley is also the way into the land of the Ariels. Nobody lives there.
On the other side of Seraphimia is the wild wasteland country where dwells beings like the storm giant, Uryon, also known as the Flying Huntsman because he gets around on a huge black hunting horse with a pack of red-eyed dogs. Uryon isn't an Ariel; he's older than them, he's from the beginning of time.
The Ariels can be tall, small, thin or large; there are all kinds of people amongst them, good, bad and in-between. Generally speaking, they're friendly to the other Hidden Worlders--but that's not always the case, as Thomas and his friends find out to their cost in Book 5(which will be out towards the end of the year). The Ariels are famous for their baking--they make the best cakes in all the Hidden World--for their knowledge of stars, and star-magic, and of course, flying!
On one side of Seraphimia, the lagoon leads into the sky-ocean and then to a weird cloud-valley where float all kinds of strange shadows, leftover shapes and bits and pieces from the beginning of time. This valley is also the way into the land of the Ariels. Nobody lives there.
On the other side of Seraphimia is the wild wasteland country where dwells beings like the storm giant, Uryon, also known as the Flying Huntsman because he gets around on a huge black hunting horse with a pack of red-eyed dogs. Uryon isn't an Ariel; he's older than them, he's from the beginning of time.
The Ariels can be tall, small, thin or large; there are all kinds of people amongst them, good, bad and in-between. Generally speaking, they're friendly to the other Hidden Worlders--but that's not always the case, as Thomas and his friends find out to their cost in Book 5(which will be out towards the end of the year). The Ariels are famous for their baking--they make the best cakes in all the Hidden World--for their knowledge of stars, and star-magic, and of course, flying!
Friday, 22 June 2007
The Hidden People, Part D: The Seafolk
Th Seafolk, as their name indicates, live in the seas and oceans of the Hidden World. They are featured in the fourth book, Thomas Trew and the Selkie's Curse, but also appear in the third book, Thomas Trew and the Klint-King's Gold.
There's all kinds of Seafolk. Good ones, bad ones, and in between! There are mermaids and Syrens(dangerous mermaids); selkies(seal-people) and fin-folk(shark-people), and all sorts of others. There are dolphins and whales and fish and all sorts of other creatures too, some of which can communicate with the humanoid Seafolk like selkies and mermaids and such. The Seafolk's world is vast and much of it is wild and frightening, like the wasteland of Mirkengrim. But there are also villages and the huge city of Oceanopolis, which is where Thomas and his friends go. Oceanopolis, which is ruled by the Sea Duchess, is very rich and full of amazing mansions, shops and Seafolk!
The selkies are the Seafolk Thomas gets to know best. They're talkative, lively, bright, quarrelsome sort of people who have a great gift, the gift of music. From them comes much of the music of the Hidden World; so when that music is threatened, a dark cloud descends on all of the Hidden World..
You can start meeting the Seafolk, especially the selkies, in the third book, Thomas Trew and the Klint-King's Gold, which is officially out in Britain today!
There's all kinds of Seafolk. Good ones, bad ones, and in between! There are mermaids and Syrens(dangerous mermaids); selkies(seal-people) and fin-folk(shark-people), and all sorts of others. There are dolphins and whales and fish and all sorts of other creatures too, some of which can communicate with the humanoid Seafolk like selkies and mermaids and such. The Seafolk's world is vast and much of it is wild and frightening, like the wasteland of Mirkengrim. But there are also villages and the huge city of Oceanopolis, which is where Thomas and his friends go. Oceanopolis, which is ruled by the Sea Duchess, is very rich and full of amazing mansions, shops and Seafolk!
The selkies are the Seafolk Thomas gets to know best. They're talkative, lively, bright, quarrelsome sort of people who have a great gift, the gift of music. From them comes much of the music of the Hidden World; so when that music is threatened, a dark cloud descends on all of the Hidden World..
You can start meeting the Seafolk, especially the selkies, in the third book, Thomas Trew and the Klint-King's Gold, which is officially out in Britain today!
Monday, 11 June 2007
Guest blogging
Just come back from nearly two weeks away, talking about Thomas Trew and others of my books. Pretty good, but tiring, too. I'm glad to be back home!
And I've just started a stint as a guest blogger on the website of the Australian book magazine, Good Reading. It's a weekly gig, for three months. I'll be talking about all kinds of literary matters, the writing life, etc. Should be fun!
Good Reading is a terrific magazine. Every month, it's packed full of interesting news, reviews, and titbits. I've often discovered new authors and books through it. They have both a print and an online version. The website is at www.goodreadingmagazine.com.au
The blog, if you want to go directly there, is at http://www.goodreadingmagazine.com.au/blog/index.cfm
And I've just started a stint as a guest blogger on the website of the Australian book magazine, Good Reading. It's a weekly gig, for three months. I'll be talking about all kinds of literary matters, the writing life, etc. Should be fun!
Good Reading is a terrific magazine. Every month, it's packed full of interesting news, reviews, and titbits. I've often discovered new authors and books through it. They have both a print and an online version. The website is at www.goodreadingmagazine.com.au
The blog, if you want to go directly there, is at http://www.goodreadingmagazine.com.au/blog/index.cfm
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