By Allan | Saturday, 30 October 2010 at 09:02
Category: Writing | Tags: Sundered Lands, The Faerie Path, Warrior Princess
Well, I’ve been mentioning this for a while now, so I think it’s time to give you all the relevant details:
The Location: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Across-the-Pond
The Date: Saturday November 27th 2010.
The Time: 11am Eastern Standard Time (Please check to fit with your own time zone!)
The live interview will last for one hour.
You can listen, or you can dial in on: 347 237 5398 if you want to say hello to me or ask a question.
By Allan | Tuesday, 20 July 2010 at 08:35
Category: Writing | Tags: Sundered Lands
Most of you will know about the new series for younger readers that I’ve been working on with the illustrator Gary Chalk. Well, book one of the series “Trundle’s Quest” came out in the UK last Saturday, so we all have our fingers crossed that people are going to like it. The book is aimed at readers from 8 years old and upwards, so if any of you have younger brother and sisters or cousins or brothers or sisters of friends or relations or neighbours, and these people like fantasy and talking animals and flying ships and adventure romps, these books might be just the thing for them. Or maybe you like that kind of thing yourself? I know I did when I was in my teens!
The books are also going to be published in America - by Greenwillow (They’re affiliated to Harper Collins who publish Faerie Path and Warrior Princess), but they will have a different series title. In the US the series is going to be called THE SIX CROWNS. If you check out Amazon.com you’ll see that book one “Trundle’s Quest” is due to hit the stores on March 22nd 2011. In America the books will have different covers, so don’t get confused - despite the completely different covers Trundle’s Quest in Sundered Lands and in The Six Crowns is exactly the same book.
Something else you could do if you have time is to check out the brand new website Gary and I have put together for the series here in the UK - www.sunderedlands.co.uk. (You can find it on my “links” page). We’re not sure if there will be a different website for the US version, or what, but I’ll let you know as soon as we do.
Oh, by the way - one thing you will notice in the US version is that I’m called “Allan Jones” - this is because the publishers don’t want to confuse readers of Faerie Path and Warrior Princes by using “Allan Frewin Jones” or “Frewin Jones” - because this new series is very different from those other two series.
I have two copies of the UK version of Trundle’s Quest which I will sign and send to the two first people who ask.
By Allan | Friday, 2 July 2010 at 11:21
Category: Writing | Tags: Sundered Lands, Warrior Princess, Writing
Well, can I start off by wishing all my American friends an early Happy 4th of July! Have a really great day, all of you, no matter what you do to celebrate. Hey - what do people in America actually do on the 4th July? I’d really like to know.
I do have a few things to tell you. Last week Claudia and I went to see the Mozart Opera “The Marriage of Figaro” at the Royal Opera House. The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, is one of the most prestigious cultural venues in the world, so its really something to actually go there. Its an amazing place. We had “champagne tickets” - Claudia bought them for me for my birthday. They were excellent tickets and we had seats in the stalls, in row G, right near the front. Some people dressed up for the event in tuxedos and evening gowns (despite the fact that it started at 6pm and it was broad daylight out there!). But other people turned up in jeans and t-shirts. We were somewhere in between and we arrived early and had a couple of glasses of champagne while we watched the other people arriving. Claudia used to work in the fashion industry, so she spent the time making really funny remarks about the curious and bizarre clothes some of the people were wearing. (I know - not very kind to make fun - but we did it very quietly, so they didn’t know!) It was a really marvellous performance - the scenery was excellent and all the singers were world-class! I had a really great time - even though Mozart is not my all-time favourite Opera composer. My favourite is Richard Wagner, and my favourite Operas are his Ring Trilogy, which are based on old Norse Legends and are full of goblins and dragons and giants and Norse gods and magic swords and excellent fantasy stuff like that.
Another thing that has happened recently is that an American radio show host has asked me if I’d like to take part in an hour-long interview on his show - which includes dial-in questions from fans. I’ve agreed to do this - and I hope that some of you might be up for calling in and asking me questions. Does that seem like a good idea? The show isn ‘t till later in the year, and I’ll of course give you more details closer to the time, but I thought you might like to know that you could have the opportunity to actually talk to me. Anyone interested in doing that?
Next, I have been approached by the editor of a “steampunk” book anthology, asking if I would be willing to write a story for a new book of short stories all based in a steampunk world and all kind of fantasy/romances. I said yes, because I already have a short story idea that would fit really well. For those of you who have never heard of steampunk, it’s set mostly in a kind of Victorian world, only with inventions that never really existed - like computers, and steam powered submarines and airships - a bit like the League of Extraordinary Gentleman movie, if you have ever seen that. I thought it would be fun to write something like that! I need to submit the story by October this year - and as with the radio show, I’ll give you a better idea of it all nearer to the publication date.
We are also only two weeks away from the UK publication of the first Sundered Lands book. Gary Chalk and I have been working hard on the website and it’s almost ready to go live. I’ll give you more details soon, and I hope you’ll check it out and let me know what you think. I still don’t have a date for US publication of this series, but as soon as I do…well…you know the rest.
So? What else? We’re having a bit of a heatwave over in the south east of England right now, which makes a change. Siouxsie doesn’t like it too hot and right now she’s sprawled on the carpet down by my left side and - oh! No, she’s just got up and she’s clambered into “her” office chair which is set up alongside mine. Claudia is asleep at the moment and everything is quiet, which is good because I have a big pile of stuff in my in-tray that I need to do.
The fourth Warrior Princess book is with the American Publishers now and it has a provisional title: The Bright Blade. This may change, though.
Bye for now.
By Allan | Tuesday, 20 April 2010 at 09:30
Category: Writing | Tags: Sundered Lands, Warrior Princess
Those of you who have been paying particular attention may know that for the past two and a half months, I have been scribbling…well, typing…away at Warrior Princess Four. Well, last Friday I wrote “The End” at the end and sent it off to my UK editors with a sigh of relief.
Those of you who pay even closer attention will also know that this is far from “The End” in real life! This is what’s called the “first draft” of the book. It is now going to be read by two colleagues of mine - a really smart guy called James, with whom I occasionally go out for an evening of wine and conversation, and a rather charming woman named Clare, who actually lives in New York and who I have only spoken to via the phone - on conference calls, which are a bit odd, if you have never done such a thing.
They are now going to read the book and come back to me in a few weeks time with their thoughts, suggestions and comments about how it could be improved. (For anyone reading this, who doesn’t already know, this is all fine and perfectly normal. Every book ever published in the whole world always goes through this editing process).
I will then take a look at their suggestions, change the things where I agree with them, and write back with things I don’t think want changing, explaining why. One of the good things about this process is that it makes me think about why I have written certain things - are they really as good as they could be? Have I really explained things properly? Do I need that scene at all? Could I make this piece of action a bit more swift and involving? Etc etc.
Then, I will send the “new improved” typescript (now called the “2nd draft”) off to them, and they will forward it to the American Publishers in New York - who will also read it and make sugestions etc, before sending it back to me again. I will do the same lot of things again to try and fit in with what the American Publishers think the American readers would want - then it gets sent back. Providing everyone is happy, the book will then go off to be copy edited - meaning the grammar and punctuation etc will be checked. Once that has been read and approved by everyone - the book goes to typesetting and printing. Phew! Oh, and somewhere along the route, it will get a title!
Anyway - despite the problems with the Icelandic Volcano and the clouds of volcanic ash floating over Europe, my friend and collaborator Gary Chalk is coming over from France to visit tomorrow for a few days. We’re going to be working on the Sundered Lands website, so that should be fun.
Oh - and if you haven’t already done so - check out the new Fan Forum on http://faerieroom.proboards.com - it looks really good and lots of fans are already getting involved with it.
Well, that’s about it for now. The garden is beginning to look good, what with the spring and everything. We got out all the solar lights over the weekend and now every evening the garden is full of twinkling lights! Ahh! Cute! Claudia is off to Germany in a week or so to visit her folks over there, and I’ve promised to decorate the living room while she’s gone. Then I have to clean the decking and the patio - and by then, Warrior Princess should be back for me to get busy with. A writer’s work is never done! Bye for now.
By Allan | Thursday, 4 February 2010 at 12:24
Category: Fan Club, Writing | Tags: Sundered Lands, The Faerie Path, Warrior Princess
Wow - February already! For the time being all the snow we’ve been getting in England has gone away - and we were getting plenty! Up to 16 inches in the Counties around London. I’ve had to trek to the bottom of the garden to break the ice from off the bird-baths, but apart from that, I’ve learned that working from home can be really great when there is four inches of snow outside!
I have been working on the suggestions for The Charmed Return (Faerie Path book 6) that came to me from the American editors, and the manuscript is back with them again at the moment. I think the book is not due out till January 2011 - which must seem like entire lifetimes away! The thing is, publishers like to have a “finished” book in their hands 12 months before they publish - I’m not really sure why, but it is partly to do with advance publicicty and print-runs and stuff like that. Hopefully, in a few months, I should get a cover I can show you and then some sneak-peeks like I did with The Enchanted Quest.
I have the green light for starting to write Warrior Princess 4 now - so I’m going to be getting down to that from next week. It should take me till about mid-April, so if I’m slow at answering your mails or posting new blogs over the next eight or nine weeks, I apologize in advance.
As the eagle-eyed among you may have noticed, I have a couple of new “Coming soon” books on the Home Page - and I’ve added some new information about Warrior Princess Book 3 (The Emerald Flame) and also more about The Sundered Lands series.
My information at the moment is that The Emerald Flame will be out in October this year. I’m intending to post some sneak-peek stuff for this in the same way I did for book 2 - but it will be a few months before that starts happening.
Some of you will have noticed that Marisa’s Fan Site is down at the moment. I’m hoping this will be sorted out quickly, but for the time being there’s not really anything I can do about it. Sorry.
On the other hand, I have been speaking with a friend of mine - the one who helped me to set up this AllanFrewinJones site in the first place, with the plan of adding a “Picture Gallery” page here. I can post some photos and drawings and paintings of mine here, as well as letting you see alternate books covers for other countries. And I’m also thinking that maybe I could post pictures that you guys create - I think it would be fun to see how you imagine the characters and places in Faerie look. Does that seem like a good idea?
Also, I’m considering adding a “Fan-Fiction” page, which might work a little like the Fan Site - letting you chat among yourselves and post your stories online for other people to read.Thing is, that kind of site really needs a moderator - someone who will regularly check what’s being posted and weed out spam mails and anything else that shouldn’t have gotten in there. I’m not sure I’ll have time to do that, but I’ll have a think about it and let you know what’s what in a little while.
A lot of you guys are asking about the possibility of a Faerie Path book 7.
Here’s the thing: originally I was asked to write three books. These books sold well enough for the publisher to come back to me and ask for three more. So, in answer to fans who are clamouring for book 7, 8, 9 etc - it’s really out of my hands right now. If the word is spreading about The Faerie Path series, and plenty of people are buying the books, then there’s a good chance that the publishers will want more. I know that some of you are already out there spreading the word - and the more you do this, the more likely it is that there will be a 7th and an 8th book.
Amy Havre posted a comment a few days ago, asking for good ideas about how to spread the word. So - why not let us all know your thoughts on this. If you’ve already started telling people, tell us what you’ve done, and also post some ideas about what you think might work. You know the kind of thing: airships flying over New York with BUY THE FAERIE PATH BOOKS! written on the side. That kind of thing! Over to you!
By Allan | Thursday, 24 December 2009 at 12:02
Category: Writing | Tags: Sundered Lands, The Faerie Path, Warrior Princess
Well, Christmas Eve already! Claudia has decorated our tree and our refrigerator is crammed solid, and most of the presents have been wrapped, so we’re all set for a few days off.
I’d just like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have posted and commented and written to me on this site - and all of those who have joined the fan club. It makes a huge difference to me to be able to interact with people who are reading my books and enjoying them.
If things go according to plan, the next Faerie Path book will be in the stores on 1st February 2010 - that’s only a few weeks away now!
I have some other news about which I am rather excited. Those of you browsing my site will have spotted a new series I’ve been working on with the illustrator Gary Chalk - Sundered Lands. Well, the good news is that the series is going to be published in America as well as in the UK. Interestingly enough, the series has been picked up by a publisher who has links to the publisher of Faerie Path and Warrior Princess. But as this new series is a fantasy adventure for younger readers (8-12 years old), the publishers don’t want it to come out under the Frewin Jones name as they think people might be confused. So, I’m to be called Allan Jones on the covers of the new series. Oh, and it probably won’t be called Sundered Lands in the USA. The publishers have asked whether they can give the series a different title, and I’ve said that’s okay with me (and with Gary, of course - co-creator!).
Although Faerie Path readers might be a bit old for these books, they will be really good for younger brothers and sisters and for young cousins and possibly even nephews and nieces. I’ll let you have more details as soon as I get them.
Meanwhile, I’m working on new ideas with Gary, which is a lot of fun. I also have the American edits of Faerie Path 6: The Charmed Return to work on in the new year.
Here’s the opening comment from the American editor:
Oh my goodness, I can’t believe book #6 of Faerie Path is here! Bravo to Allan for wrapping this final adventure up in so much fantastic drama, magic, intrigue, and suspense.
But then the editor goes on to say that there are some things she’d like me to look at again for various reasons - so I’m going to be busy with this for a few weeks in January.
Then what? Well, the American editors still have the storyline of Warrior Princess Book 4to look at - I haven’t heard back from them about that yet, but once I do and everyone’s happy, I’ll start writing that.
And some time in Jan or Feb, Gary and I will be having a meeting with a website designer to put together a website for Sundered Lands.
Well, I think that’s all that’s new for now. Once again, I’d like to wish all of you a great Holiday Season and a really exciting and happy new year!
By Allan | Tuesday, 20 October 2009 at 11:11
Category: Writing | Tags: Sundered Lands, The Faerie Path, Warrior Princess
Well, yesterday a big padded envelope arrived at my house with my advance copies of the hardback edition of Warrior Princess 2: Destiny’s Path. So now I know for sure that the book really does exist out there in the real world, rather than only on my computer!
I’m hoping to get the time to read it through soon. You know, what with all the trans-Atlantic editing and tinkering and rewriting that goes on, I only actually get to read the book cover-to-cover once it’s in print! So I have my fingers crossed that it’s good. I do know it has one of my all-time favourite characters in it. She’s Blodwedd the Owl-Girl. She was sent by one of the Old Gods - The Shining Ones - to be a guide to the hero Branwen. Thing is she used to be an owl. In fact, to explain it properly, she still is an owl, but she looks like a young woman. This proves tricky for everyone. I’ll give you a small example - owls sleep standing up - so Blodwedd doesn’t know how to sleep as a human. Plus, owls don’t chew when they eat. They rip bits off and swallow them whole, or they just chug small animals down as one solid chunk. So Blodwedd doesn’t even know how to eat - imagine trying to swallow a mouse whole and you get an idea of the practical problems she encounters. Plus she thinks like an owl - which is a deadly predator without any sympathy or compassion. Like I said, things are tricky with her in the mix!
Anyway, copies of the book should be hitting the stores in a few days now, so if your local bookstore doesn’t have it on the shelves, and you’d like to buy it, ask them to order it for you, why not?
On other issues, I’ve got the UK editorial suggestions back for The Faerie Path 6. I haven’t looked at them yet, because I’m in the middle of writing the 6th Sundered Lands book. Have any of you taken a look at the Sundered Lands pages? The covers are really great, I think, done by an artist who specializes in fantasy and sci-fi. The books are for a younger age group than The Faerie Path or Warrior Princess, so maybe they’d be good for younger brothers or sister or cousins or whatever?
Oh, and its suddenly gotten really wintery here in England. Not snowy at all yet, but with a cold north wind and grey skies and falling leaves. But on the bright side, this is exactly the time of year that I like to check out The Lord of The Rings. I have just bought myself the Audio CD version, which I’m listening to on an iPod kind of thing called a Sanza Fuse. Frodo has just arrived in Rivendell. When I was a teenager, I constructed a fake window on the wall in my bedroom and did a painting of Rivendell in it so it was like I had a magic window that looked out into Middle Earth. Do any of you do crazy stuff like that, or is it just me?
Anyway, I’d better get back to work now. Keep those suggestions coming for people you’d like me to do sketches of - I’m hoping to have some time in December to get my pencils out and do some drawing.
Someone suggested to me that I might like to add a page to this site where people could post fan-fiction. What do you guys think of that idea?
By Allan | Sunday, 31 May 2009 at 12:13
Category: Writing | Tags: Sundered Lands
our muses are with us
here is a drawing by Gary of the two of us, taken from a photo shot whilst we were visiting Sundered Lands for inspiration for book 5 of the series.
I’m the one with the quill pen and the patched trousers. He’s the other one. Note how we are both left-handed. Sinister, or what?
By Allan | Thursday, 28 May 2009 at 09:59
Category: Writing | Tags: Sundered Lands
The story so far…
…many years ago I worked with a Commissioning Editor on a book called Burning Issues…her name was Anne McNeil. Occasionally since then, I’ve met her at gatherings and parties and we’ve always talked of working together again. Well, late in 2007, I got a mysterious package from Anne. It included some artwork and the basis of a book series by an experienced illustrator called Gary Chalk. The Series was called The Sundered Lands. Her letter went thus:
…Gary Chalk is a terrific illustrator. Currently living in France – he was the original illustrator on Brian Jacques’ Redwall series. He has come up with some story proposals and black and white art for a new series for younger children called Sundered Lands. Now – I think he needs to collaborate with a writer. I also think the writer should have a level of freedom. I think you would like him. Would you mind taking a look at the material and then perhaps we could talk…
Well, I did and we did and then I called Gary in his rambling farmhouse in Normandy, France, and we agreed we’d meet up with Anne and see what would happen. What happened was that Gary and I got on really well and within a couple of months a plan for a six book series based on his original concept was put together.
We signed a contract for the series and Gary and I got down to plotting out the individual books. We quickly discovered that the best way of working together was in a room, face to face, bouncing ideas off one another. So, I took a trip over to Normandy in February 2008, and over a four-day period we plotted out two and a half books.
It was one of those times when you look across a table at the person you’re working with and you both think – are we really getting paid to have this much fun???
Anyway, I went home and put together what is called a “chapter breakdown” of the first book – Trundle’s Quest. This is done so that everyone knows pretty much what is intended to happen in the book. It means that Gary can start thinking of where he would like illustrations to go, and so the Publishers have the chance to say – hey, why not to that there instead, which can be helpful.
The overall “story-arc” of the series is that once, long ago, Sundered Lands, which is now a vast archipelago of islands floating in the sky, was a single round World, like our own, except that it was inhabited solely by talking animals. In the distant past, the world was destroyed by Badger Lords of great power, who spoke a terrible spell of Unbinding that shattered the planet to fragments.
In the aftermath of this catastrophe, the six Crowns of the Badger Lords were hidden among the shattered remnants of World – along with a prophecy that one day heroes would appear in Sundered Lands who would seek out the six crowns and bring them together again and unleash a Great Power.
Enter the very unheroic Trundle Boldoak, a hedgehog with a steady job and no desire for adventure, and the madcap Roamany Princess, Esmeralda Lightfoot, who is convinced he is the one person she needs to fulfil the prophecy and who is determined to drag him out of his quiet little home and introduce him to High Adventure!
Well, book one is written now, and fully illustrated, and as you will see if you go into the appropriate page in the Books section of this website – it even has a cover! The latest I have from the Publishers is that it is to be published in January 2010.
And so the quest for the crowns continues…
…more to come later…