All about Middle Grade: Interview with Kurt Chambers + Surprise

Today, I am very excited to welcome Kurt Chambers, author of Truth Teller, to the blog. Hope y'all will give him a very warm welcome.

About the author:

I live in the UK in the county of Hertfordshire, have done all my life. I’m married with three children and three grandchildren. I’ve known my wife since we went to infant school. We used to walk home together at about the age of eight and have been together as a couple for over twenty eight years. It’s the ultimate childhood romance story. My wife is, and always has been my best friend, and the one person in the world I trust the most. Aww, I hear you say, and I guess you’re right. Life is hard, and having a life-long friend to share it with does make it much easier.
I’m a young granddad, which is great fun. I absolutely adore children. So much so, that I worked as a volunteer for about six years helping to run the Stevenage 17th Brownie pack. I’m still a member of the Girl Guiding Association, though not an active member at any more. Kids are cool. They can teach us adults so much if only we would take the time to listen to them.
Working with children is what inspired me to start writing in the first place. Kids books obviously. I haven’t always been a writer. I spent most of my life working in the building trade as a carpenter. I actually wrote most of my first fantasy series, Truth Teller, whilst at work at the side of the road in a builder’s van. It was the only place I could get piece and quiet from my crazy household. And believe me, my house is a crazy place to live. (from author's website)

You can haunt Kurt Chambers at-

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Interview


1.Tell us a little about your book, Truth Teller. 

How could a modern day girl like Charlotte ever envisage that magic really exists? Even with her own vivid imagination, the place for other realms belongs in a child’s fairy tale. Or so she thinks, until she stumbles across a hidden curio shop and an even stranger shopkeeper. He gives her a gift that resembles an antique snow dome, but this is not an ordinary globe. The world Charlotte has always known disappears as she’s spirited away into a mystical land.

This is the beginning of a lifelong friendship that changes Charlotte’s life forever. Discovered by a young elf alone in the forest, she embarks on a journey in search of a group of travelling Entertainers. She encounters heart-stopping dangers and real life monsters, but a far greater threat shadows her every move. Even the strength and skill of her new found companions cannot protect her against a ruthless druid assassin.

But in this realm, Charlotte is not the vulnerable little girl she thought she was.

2. Charlotte seems like an interesting character. Could you tell us a little about her and why you think readers will love her?

Charlotte is such a lovable character. Ten years old is such a great age for kids when they are old enough to have their own character and traits, but still retain that childish cuteness and humour. To me, this innocence is the most endearing part about her character. It makes me smile and laugh out loud when I write her reactions into some of the most unexpected scenes that you can only find in a fantasy story. It also makes me sad when terrible thing happen to such an innocent individual. It's one of the main reasons I love writing for this age group. You get a much bigger reaction.

3. After reading the synopsis for Truth Teller, I have just one question. How does the snow globe play into the book? *am very curious about this*

The snow globe isn't actually a snow globe, but a gateway into another realm. When I started writing my story, my youngest daughter used to collect snow globes, and I always found them fascinating to look at. This is where I got the original idea from. In the story, the globe contains a tiny spinning world.

4. What are top three favorite MG fantasy book? Why?

Northern Lights by Philip Pullman. The whole series was a great read. It was an original fantasy story with a main character I really got attached to. It also inspired me to write my newest novel, Unknown Reality.

Eragon by Paolini was another great series of books to read. A little slow to start with, but once you got into the story, you just have to read it to the end. I was very disappointed with the film after I read the books.

Magic Kingdom For Sale/Sold by Terry Brooks. He is one of my favourite authors. I read the whole of his Shannara series and it inspired me to write fantasy. The Magic Kingdom series wasn't quite as good, but still a great series. I chose this because it seemed more MG to me than the Shannara series and aimed at a younger audience.

5. Silence or soundtrack when writing?

As a rule, I'm easily distracted, so it has to be silence for me. I have used music, though, when trying to write in my noisy household. War of the Worlds, and the sound track to David Bowie's film, Labyrinth.

6. I know that writing can be a difficult path to embark upon, what called you to wanting to pursue this path? What made you want to write a MG book?

I was probably the most unlikely person in the world to write a book, but I was inspired by the children I worked with as a volunteer. For many years I helped run a Brownie pack as a member of Girl Guiding UK. Anyone who works with children will know what a massive inspiration they are.

7. The world has fallen to a robot invasion and only one heroine/hero can possibly save the day. Who do you choose?

I'm going for someone totally off the wall here, and I'm going to choose, SpongeBob SquarePants LOL He always manages to save the day in the funniest and most stupid way possible. He makes me laugh a lot, he's my hero. And he puts Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy to shame.

8. Care to share with us a glimpse of your writing cave (include picture if you want)?

I think I have the strangest cave possible. I wrote most of my novels on the side of the road in my car, or a builders van. I'm a carpenter by trade, so I always take a notepad and pen with me to work and write during my tea breaks accompanied by my Thermos flask and sandwiches. It's the only time I can get total solitude as my house is so noisy.

Thanks so much, Kurt, for stopping by. I am always excited when an author choose not only one, but two of my personal favorite reads as favorites of their own.

Truth Teller (Truth Teller, 1) by Kurt Chambers, January 25, 2012. Published by UK Children's Publishing.

How could a modern day girl like Charlotte ever envisage that magic really exists? Even with her own vivid imagination, the place for other realms belonged in a child’s fairy tale. Or so she thought, until she stumbled across a hidden curio shop and an even stranger shopkeeper. He gives her a gift that resembles an antique snow dome, but this is not an ordinary globe. The world Charlotte has always known disappears as she’s spirited away into a mystical land.
This is the beginning of a lifelong friendship that changes Charlotte’s life forever. Discovered by a young elf alone in the forest, she embarks on a journey in search of a group of travelling Entertainers. She encounters heart-stopping dangers and real life monsters, but a far greater threat shadows her every move. Even the strength and skill of her new found companions cannot protect her against a ruthless druid assassin.
But in this realm, Charlotte is not the vulnerable little girl she thought she was.

There's also a very awesome surprise for you lucky readers of my blog. Author Kurt Chambers, has kindly offered y'all a chance to download a free ecopy of his book Truth Teller. To download your copy just visit : http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/119775 and use the code: QJ97D. *new updated code*