Meet UK Middle Grade Author Rosie Morgan

Carpinello's Writing Pages welcomes Cornwall's own Rosie Morgan. Rosie introduces us to her MG fantasy series The Camelot Inheritance. Bet you can't guess what legend this series revolves around!

First, a bit about Rosie in her own words:

Hi, I’m Rosie Morgan, and I live in beautiful Cornwall, in the UK, with my husband Pete and our two attention-seeking cats Oz and James. Our kids are all grown up, and now we’ve got mini-grand-kids. For many years I taught some wonderful young people in Cornish village schools. The smallest school had just two classes – and an outdoor toilet! The spiders liked the toilet but I didn’t like the spiders.

Teaching taught me that EVERYONE has a talent. One of the boys I taught could mend a tractor when he was nine years old; he was also pretty good at driving a quad bike but not all that interested in reading.

Oh and I’ve got a very old sports car, she’s nearly seventeen, and she’d feel very left out if I didn’t mention her – she’s called ‘Purr’.

Why did you pick to write books for MG?

I taught middle-grade kids and loved it and writing for them is an absolute delight. For me it was a natural choice – my favourite audience!

What types of books do you like to read?

My own reading is so varied that it’s hard to put it in a nutshell. So instead I’ll give you a few of my favourite authors. CS Lewis was a wonderful writer, and how about Roald Dahl? If I’m reading something a little deeper I enjoy Louis de Bernières. Jane Austen was way before her time and one of my all-time favourites. h and I’ve just discovered Pietro Grossi, an inspirational Italian author. I could go on and on!!

When you are not writing, what do you like to do?

Apart from teaching I paint and draw, run our church youth club and brush up on my French. When Pete and I want to get away from it all we go to France, you can see the photos on my blog.

Tell us about The Golden Sword (Book I of The Camelot Inheritance) and how the story came to be.

The story is a contemporary fantasy with a dash of time travel and magic. It’s set in Cornwall which has strong connections with the legendary King Arthur; we have many ancient sites, even a castle!
The idea for the book started to percolate through into my imagination, the characters took hold and before I knew it, I was writing and I couldn’t stop!

We meet Arthur Penhaligon on the day his life changes – forever. On the day he skateboards into the past and into a world of magic and mystery. Because a long time ago - a VERY long time ago - Arthur was Chosen.

Join Arthur and his friends, Nick and Tamar, as they journey into the unknown and find themselves in the grip of powerful forces. Follow them as they travel into a world where there are those who are determined to rob Arthur of his birth-right – at any cost.

Here's a peek at The Golden Sword:

At the end of the street the mist swirled and shifted, a shape flew out of the enveloping cloud and circled before settling on a gate post. Moments later a dark, tall shadow silently followed, his long coat flowing out behind him, a wide-brimmed hat pulled down low over his face. He strode purposefully along the street before coming to a halt outside the house where the bird waited.

The stranger examined the house intently, starting at the top and shifting his gaze downwards. Then he nodded towards the bird and, taking something out of his pocket, tossed it to the ground before spinning around and retracing his steps to disappear, once more, into the mist. The bird cawed once, spread its wings and followed.

What’s next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?

The second book in the series The Time Smugglers was just released in October 2013. Also, I excited to announce that in the paperback version of  The Golden Sword should be released hopefully by the end of this March!

What advice do you have for other authors?

Whilst writing I’ve learnt that I have to be self-critical and be prepared to edit and edit and edit.
I read it out loud, just as if I was reading it to an audience – or a class. And I ask other people to read and criticise it.

BUT I take heart from praise because we all need that!

Anything else you want readers to know?

To find out more about The Golden Sword (The Camelot Inheritance – Book 1), you can read the first two chapters FREE on Amazon.
 

Where can readers find you and your books?

Please drop by and say 'Hi' at these sites!

Blog

Twitter

Goodreads

To Buy The Camelot Inheritance Series

Amazon US
Amazon UK
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ANP31XA