Children’s author K.R Thompson joins us in The Reading Realm today to talk about her new WERELOCK AND SCRATCH series, which is illustrated by Binny Talib…
Before we settle down in The Reading Realm for a chat, what’s your drink and snack of choice?
A cup of tea and a custard cream. Yum!
Tell us about your book in three sentences and then three words!
Each book in the Werelock and Scratch series is a fast-paced, highly-illustrated, interactive mystery fantasy adventure for readers aged 7 and over. Readers become detectives alongside Werelock, the werewolf detective, and Scratch, his raven assistant, searching crime scenes for clues, examining evidence and ultimately solving the crime – perhaps even before Werelock! And while doing that, they also take on the role of treasure hunters, solving puzzles and riddles to follow treasure trails across Gothica City in search of dangerous magical artefacts – racing to find them before the villain!
Haha – I really stretched those three sentences to the limit! Now for three words…
Mysterious puzzling adventure!
If one of your characters could come to dinner, who would you invite and what would you cook them? What do you think you’d talk about?
I’d invite Werelock, the ten-year-old werewolf detective from my Werelock and Scratch series. He eats anything, as long as it’s served with tomato ketchup (he always carries an emergency bottle of ketchup in his detective bag!), so I’d probably serve one of my favourite meals – Greek mezze. We’d spend the whole meal chatting about mystery stories, because we’re both huge fans of the genre (and I’d hopefully snag an invite to follow him along on his next adventure!).
What’s the funniest word you know that always makes you laugh?
‘Discombobulated’ always makes me smile, because it’s such a fun word to say and it sounds like a silly made-up word! Also, ‘shrubbery’! If you’ve watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail you’ll understand!
What’s the silliest or strangest thing you’ve ever researched for a story?
I spent a few days researching animal’s belly buttons for a picture book idea that never made it… that was pretty random. Plus, as someone who writes mysteries, I’ve researched quite a few ‘murdery’ things, so I’d hate to think what my search history would say about me!
Do your characters ever surprise you?
Yes, absolutely. As a mystery writer I tightly plan my stories, but I always leave room for surprises along the way – I don’t think it’s ever possible to entirely predict how a character will react by the time they get to a certain point in the story, especially after you’ve made them suffer through various obstacles along the way!
If your writing desk could speak, what would it say about you?
That I don’t visit it often enough! I mostly write on my laptop on the sofa, because it’s comfy and cosy, and I can perform my job as Official Door Opener For The Cat! If I’m working at my desk, then you know I’m really on a deadline… or my kids are home!
Did you like reading when you were a child? If so, what?
I adored reading when I was a child – my parents had to tell me to put down books and engage with the real world (but who’d want to do that when you could be solving murders and saving the world alongside fabulous characters?!). I read anything and everything – borrowing as many books as I could from the library every Saturday and then devouring them, usually well before the next weekend. Some of my childhood favourites included Charlotte’s Web, Nancy Drew mysteries, The Northern Lights trilogy and The Lord of The Rings.
What’s your favourite book that isn’t yours?
This is such a hard question. The Lord of The Rings is the overall standout read of my life – I first read it when I was in year three at primary school and have re-read it countless times. It’s the book that first made me fall in love with fantasy stories, which have formed such an important part of my reading life. My favourite mystery book for younger readers is definitely High-Rise Mystery by Sharna Jackson – a really fresh detective duo solving an intriguing murder with plenty of twists and turns!
What book do you wish you could read for the first time again?
Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library. Such a clever and moving concept for a book.
What’s the funniest thing a child has said to you?
A child once eagerly put their hand up at the start of the Q&A and when I got round to them, they asked if they could go to the toilet! Another really memorable (and sweet!) thing that happened at a recent Werelock event was that a child who’d read the first book came up to me with a whole booklet she’d made for me about it. This booklet contained all her burning questions and a list of things she loved and didn’t like about the book. I was almost too scared to look, but she insisted I read it before my session! Luckily the list of things she loved was long and there was only one criticism (that she thought the story was too wordy). My fragile writer’s ego was able to cope and I assured her that there was even more action squeezed into books two and three, so hopefully that wouldn’t be an issue in them! Definitely a first for me, but one of the reasons I love writing for and working with children – they never fail to surprise you!
If you weren’t an author, what would you be?
A primary school teacher, probably. I almost signed up for the PGCE after my law degree, but then managed to snag a much-desired training contract at a law firm, so ended up becoming a solicitor instead. But after having my own children, I know for sure that I enjoy working with young people (which is why I love school visits so much!), so if authoring doesn’t work out, I’ll likely be looking for some kind of school-based work.
What BAD advice would you give to someone who wants to be a writer?
Don’t bother reading any books – who needs to expand their vocabulary, see the wonders of creativity in action or have any sense of what contemporary stories are like? Not you!
SPEED ROUND:
Cake or biscuits? Biscuits every time.
Dinosaurs or unicorns? Dinosaurs – the spikier the better!
Pirates or astronauts? Pirates – I can’t resist a quest for hidden treasure!
Museums or theme parks? For my characters – a museum wins, because of all the possibilities for magical artefacts and secret doors. However, for me, I LOVE a day at a theme park with my children… even if I do get a bit wobbly after the fast rollercoasters!
Cats or dogs? Cats – I have a beautiful white cat called Winter (named so we could exclaim ‘Winter’s coming!’ whenever she runs towards us! Sorry to anyone who doesn’t get the Game of Thrones reference!)
Summer or winter? Winter – you can’t beat a cosy evening at home under snuggly blankets while it’s cold outside.
Aliens or robots? Robots – there is a tiny appearance by a super cute robot in Werelock and Scratch – Kidnap Most Puzzling!
THANK YOU Kate for joining us in The Reading Realm today!
