I’m delighted to welcome to my garden, children’s writer,
and fellow MuseItUp author,
Suzanne de Montigny
During Children’s Book Week 13th– 19th
May, Suzanne is offering her novel
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| Cover Designer: Marion Sipe |
The Shadow of the Unicorn: The Legacy
Now Suzanne, allow us a peak inside an author’s imagination.
What is the most interesting thing about you that has
helped you grow as a writer?
I guess
it’s that I’m perseverant. When I get bitten by something, I simply can’t let
it go until I’ve got it right. To give you an idea, I learned to play the
violin with my children when they began Suzuki. This soon turned to fiddling.
Because I have a big music background and advanced quickly, I also got nasty
tendonitis in two places. Didn’t stop me. I carried on right through the
tendonitis – until I injured my shoulder sleeping on small European beds. Have
I stopped? No, but I’m going on for physio twice a week.
If a reader you know could enter your books and become one
of the characters, which one do you
think that would most likely be?
I think
it depends on who they are. A girl might like to be one of the unicorn twins
Jemmi or Cassi. A boy might prefer Azaria since he’s the hero. I can’t imagine
that anyone would be Darius because he suffers so much and has to face
difficult destiny of terrible loneliness. But what is more likely to happen is
that a person enters my story out of the blue. I’ll be sitting around writing,
then there they are, talking and doing things without ever being invited in.
They totally take over. It can be anyone from one of the neighbours, to one of
my husband’s employees, to someone I hated while growing up
Why is your book unique.
Haha! I
had a review a couple of months back that said The Shadow of the Unicorn: The Legacy was one of the strangest
books they’d ever read, but that they liked it. I mean, what can possibly be
stranger than unicorns, dinosaurs, and humans all at the same time, plus an
asteroid? But it works and quite well. So far all my reviews have been 4s and
5s.
With no limitations at all – a blank page
a) Where would you live
for the duration of writing your next novel.
Why?
Ew, I
love this question! I oftentimes dream of this very thing. Hmm, let’s see.
Okay, New York – right across from Central Park . I went to New York a couple of years ago and fell in
love with the place. It had changed dramatically since I had been nearly 30
years earlier. And now that I’ve seen The Great Gatsby, I’m even more in love
with it. I can just see myself stepping out for lunch in one of those Kosher
restaurants, eating matza balls, that sort of thing. But I’m not sure I could
stay out of the museums…oh, and did I mention Carnegie Hall? Oh dear, I feel a
story coming on.
b)
What hazardous situation would you place yourself in for
the sake of researching your story?
Well,
you’ll probably think I’m a sissy, but I’m not sure I’d put myself in any
hazardous situation. But I’d like to spend time in Cape Breton, in Canada
because I have a novel screaming to get out that takes place there, plus everyone
I know who’s from Cape Breton longs for ‘down home’, so it must be a great
place. I just love my country, Canada .
There’s so much natural beauty here and cool air.
c)
Who would you have as your most challenging villain
I think
Ishmael in The Shadow of the Unicorn: The
Legacy is as nasty as it gets. He’s totally possessed with that little hard
substance called gold and will get it no matter what, but at the same time, you
understand his thinking because we all have a bit of Ishmael in us since we
live in a materialistic society. Fortunately, people are more aware now of
animal rights today and aren’t ready to knock off an animal as easily as fifty
years ago just for its horn.
If you could live any time in history, which one would
you chose to be the writer you really want to be. Would this era be much
different from your writing experience now?
Definitely
the 1800s, but it would be tough on me since I’m used to social media and word
processors. When I was going to university, no one had computers yet. I wrote
everything out by hand. I’d have my rough draft, my first good draft, then my
second good draft. It definitely limits me not having technology. People say
that writing by hand frees up your mind. Not so with me. Since I play piano, I
can type almost as fast as I think. Writing by hand is difficult for me because
it really slows me down, not to mention my hand writing is really awful. I
can’t begin to tell you how many teachers couldn’t make out a note I sent to
them.
Who is your target audience?
My
target audience is kids 9 – 12, but I have a fairly big audience with adults
too because of the nature of the book. It’s a book that teaches. I do school
visits. I had one last week, and three this week. They’re fun to do since I was
a teacher for over 20 years and am very comfortable with kids. Afterward, I
post the pictures on my FB page and my website so the kids can see themselves
the minute they get home from school.
Thank
you Suzanne, I wish you much success with your enchanting Middle Graders novel.
Thanks, Wendy. It was a pleasure.
Watch the book trailer video of The Legend of the Unicorn: Legacy.
Watch the book trailer video of The Legend of the Unicorn: Legacy.
If you
miss out on the free book,
The Shadow of the Unicorn: The Legacy
is available from
Half of all Suzanne's proceeds goes to
the
9 comments:
What a fun interview with the author! I'm really excited to read this book and then to share it with my daughter. Thanks so much!
How great that the money also goes to a great cause!
And a great cause it is, Mia. On the Third World Eye Care Society's website, there's a poignant video of a 20-year-old girl who has been legally blind all her life because she needed a -20 prescription. TWECS gave that to her and now she can go on with her life. The video is really sad because she keeps crying and so does the woman fitting her with the glasses. I show this to every class I visit and in turn, they bring me used eyeglasses.
Great interview, Wendy and Suzanne. Of course, you're a sissy, Suzanne, but hey, for a free copy of your book, you're excused. ;-) Got my copy.
Awesome, Edith!
Great job, ladies!! :)
I've read The Shadow of the Unicorn and reviewed it. The strength of the characters pulled the reader in. I think it's cool that you're sharing through school visits.
Thanks, Sharon. It's a lot of fun talking to the kids.
This was very generous of Suzanne. I nabbed myself a copy and can't wait to read it! Thanks for linking your post in the Kid Lit Blog Hop. :)
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