Deadwood Hall Book Tour
Cover Blurb
An illustrated magical fantasy adventure. It’s midwinter's eve and everything is about to change for Dylan and his sister Emily. Being shrunk down to three inches is the easy part. They end up racing through underground tunnels – riding on the back of a very angry centipede – and trying to outsmart a whole army of slimy Whivicks. Deadwood Hall is about secrets, friendship, magic, weird creatures and looking out for each other when things go very wrong. This adventure is just the beginning – that’s if Dylan and Emily can survive until midnight!
Other Titles By the Author
Author Bio
When I finally learned to read in my early teens, books became my escape – away from pressure at home at school– Diving into a fantasy or a mystery let me close everything out at least for a while. As a teenager, I’d write reams of poems and prose, articles for the school and I dreamt about the possibility of becoming a journalist –Coming to terms with the reality that the dyslexia I had would never let this happen was a bitter pill to swallow. – Back in the 70’s, computers and grammerly didn’t exist! So, I buried the dream and scrambled my way into a nursing career. But the urge to write never went away and I read avidly. There is such joy in sharing books with your own children. That was something I’d missed in my own childhood although I remember my grandmother reading to me when I was very young. When my own two were small, we read together every day. My youngest is dyslexic – reading became a lifeline but, finding books that were as much a pleasure to read out loud as they were to here was not so easy! Thank goodness J K Rowling came along when she did. (yes, I read every single word of all seven books!) Then life took a dramatic turn – I developed a chronic illness - found it difficult to walk for a while because of swelling joints, constantly catching infections… It became impossible to continue with the work I’d grown to love. I lost my job - contact with friends, colleagues… Simply put, I desperately needed something to fill the gap and keep me sane. And here I am, some twelve years on, thanks to serendipity and the brilliant Ray Hearne, Mick Jenkinson and the other amazing folk from the Doncaster writing group who encouraged my unsteady beginnings with positivity and humour. My health is still up and down but my writing skills are slowly improving book by book. When I first seriously contemplated stepping out on the road as an independent author/publisher, I had no idea of the learning curve I was about to undertake or the amount of constructive critique I would need to absorb… I now have skin as thick as a rhinoceros! Without the support and guidance of two incredible editors, my work would never have seen the light of day. David Hailwood, a talented illustrator and editor of Deadwood Hall and the Oozing Magic series patiently talked me through the whole process. Holding my newly published book in my hands for the first time is a thrilling sensation. I cannot explain the wave of euphoria and satisfaction that brings – Is it worth the hours of writing – re writing, angst sleepless nights and editing conundrums? Definitely… Is it easy? No – but, nothing worthwhile ever is…
The Book Tour
Day 1 - Favourite Quotes
Day 2 - Character Summaries
It was difficult picking a favourite character, for I enjoyed all of them. If I had to pick one it would be sister, Emily. Her camaraderie with her brother is realistic, and it reminded me of my childhood and the way our young family behaved. (Andrew Bell)
I do like Dylan. He’s got a big imagination but he has his feet on the ground. He thinks he sees things and then he convinces himself that it isn’t the case. Plus he’s a damn creative kid with what he creates! I also like that he wears glasses. We don’t see many characters with spectacles. I think his character development was good, he was thrown headfirst into an adventure and after a while he began to use his brain to get them out of a sticky situation. (Eryn McConnell)
Emily: I have to confess to definitely being more of an Emily than a Dylan growing up! Whilst Dylan thinks of the excitement of being stranded and having to get rescued, Emily thinks of the practicalities of it being winter and how cold that would be. She’s a little on the cynical side at first, not believing the strange goings on without seeing them happen with her own eyes. She’s happy to ignore them and go back to reading her book. She looks for ways to make things easier for her parents and to avoid getting into trouble. Although her brother often considers her to be boring, she actually looks out for them both, to avoid them getting into trouble wherever possible. At times she seems protective of him, which fits well with her position as the elder of the siblings. (Michelle Marshall)
Dylan was my favourite character because he was just as a young, inquisitive boy should be. I could relate to him in various ways: as the somewhat annoying younger brother; as an imaginative, adventuresome, fun-loving boy; or as one who has some fears but works hard to overcome them in order to do the right thing. Dylan does some things that might make you roll your eyes but as you get to know him, you find that deep down he truly cares for his family – even his somewhat bossy older sister! The author did a fabulous job of developing this character in a way that has you feeling what he feels and seeing what he sees as you read. You come away feeling like you truly know him. (Tania Marshall)
I enjoyed the character of Emily, who, as an older sibling, I found to be relatable in a lot of ways, especially when it comes to keeping to the rules and trying (usually unsuccessfully) to convince her younger brother to do so before eventually giving in and joining in with his schemes. Her skeptical and no-nonsense attitude also provide a grounding for the story, and I thought the connection between the siblings felt very believable. (Tim Marshall)
Dylan is the main character in the book, and I loved his interaction with Archie, especially when they ride the centipedes into battle with the Whivicks! He is the younger sibling, but at times seems as if he is smarter than his older sister. Going to rescue her with Archie’s help when she is taken by the evil Whivicks, he knows that he is putting himself in danger but boldly goes to her aid anyway. What a brave boy! The interaction of the children with their parents is spot on, very realistic - and the magical creatures are just as real! Dylan shows compassion when he apologises to Archie for using him in the slingshot that propelled the tin soldier out of the window and into the snow. A great character that I can imagine all readers getting behind. (Yvonne Marrs)
I loved the characters of Dylan and his sister Emily, however for me I wanted to commend and mention the authors development of a much smaller secondary character, who whilst had a brief appearance very much played a significant part in the rescue of Emily. Call it the nature and animal lover in me, but I really get a warm fuzzy feeling when an author gives them a personality and shows a different side that humans would never see or appreciate. So if you are like me who fell in love with the Ant in the film 'Honey I Shrunk the Kids,' and wanted one of her own (although without the shrinking), then the centipede in Deadwood Hall will be a firm favourite for you too. (Kirsty McKay)
Day 3 - Favourite Excerpts
I love stories with unexpected turns. A story must have a hook, and I found the one in the first chapter particularly engaging. From then on, I knew Deadwood Hall was going to be a great mystery. “…Dylan’s eyes had bulged wide open in horror. Clinging to the outside of her window was a hidden snake-like creature.” (Andrew Bell)
Dylan leant over, grabbed the thin whiskers on one side of the insect’s face and gently tugged. The centipede did a strange sort of shiver, which rippled all the way down its back, and turned. Dylan dug in his heels. ‘Hold on tight to the ridge,’ he warned. ‘This could get hairy.’ Dylan got brave! (Eryn McConnell)
It was the wintery sunlight streaming in through the window that woke Dylan. He stretched, wondering why his legs and arms ached so much. Memory flooded back. He pushed on his glasses; everything was still blurry. (Michelle Marshall)
But Dylan’s eyes had bulged wide open in horror. Clinging to the outside of her window was a hideous snake-like creature, its huge purplish face squashed tightly against the glass. Jagged teeth bared, it was snapping and biting, trying to tear its way into the car. (Tania Marshall)
‘These paper bullets are too light,’ he complained. ‘There might be something we could use on those shelves out in the hallway.’ ‘No!’ hissed Emily, but he was already opening the bedroom door. ‘You’ll get into so much trouble.’ ‘Only if they find out,’ he whispered. From downstairs came the sound of music and laughter. ‘And it isn’t like anyone’s going to hear us with that racket going on.’ He pushed aside the ancient maps, carved pieces of bone and some large model cars. It was then he spotted the three small lead figures. ‘What are these doing here?’ he whispered. ‘They're usually in Grandad’s study.’ (Tim Marshall)
It was like trying to ride a bucking bronco, but gradually the creature got used to the extra weight. Dylan even managed to sit up a little. The centipede certainly made light work of the twisting roots, running up and over them without any effort. (page 52) Such descriptive imagery, we can see the creature as it moves along!(Yvonne Marrs)
"Hi-yah!" she roared as loudly as she could. Kicking out at the creature to her left, she'd spun around, pushing over the one to her right. Down they toppled like skittles. The fallen Whivicks rocked on their backs, kicking their hairy legs in despair. They couldn't get back up! Others had leapt forward, but she'd spun fast, kicking and jabbing. They'd kept falling one on top of the other. It would've been funny if she hadn't been so scared. (Kirsty McKay)
Day 4 - Video Interview
Day 5 - Reviews
Overall rating: 4.5 stars. A great, fast paced, children’s mystery story. Linda Jones grabs the attention immediately, hooks the reader in and questions the characters’ reality throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to reading more tales from Linda Jones. (Andrew Bell)
Overall rating: 4.5 stars. This is a story about Dylan and Emily, two siblings, who are staying at their grandparent’s house. Strange things start to happen, beginning with a mysterious tin soldier who takes him off an adventure. This book has elements of the Nutcracker for me which was great. It was a favourite as a child. The world building is good with just enough darkness to keep a child, or even the parent, entertained. I liked the tone of the story and the lovely illustrations that went with them. It was a nice touch! (Eryn McConnell)
Overall rating: 4.5 stars. A fun filled adventure story for children and adults who still maintain their sense of whimsy and wonder. I enjoyed following the two siblings, Dylan and Emily through their exploits and believe they make ideal candidates to feature in further books in this series. The descriptions throughout were wonderful and really conjured up the terrors and excitement that can occur in childhood. The setting was atmospheric and gave off the impression of a place with a lot more secrets to reveal! (Michelle Marshall)
Overall rating: 4.5 stars. Deadwood Hall is a well-written junior novel. It is extremely well-edited with no noticeable errors to slow you down and proper grammar throughout so that it was easily understood without the need to reread. All characters were well developed, each evoking an emotional attachment – you either admire them or detest them but you can relate to all of them. There was good progression within the plot – one scene flowed into the next seamlessly – grabbing your interest early on and holding it until the end. The dialogue was very natural while providing additional insights on the personalities of the characters. The only slower parts of the story are by design to emphasize how the characters felt in their circumstances – well done! Overall, it is a delightful book that I would highly recommend. (Tania Marshall)
Overall rating: 4.5 stars. Deadwood Hall is a tale of two siblings visiting their grandfather’s home for Winter Solstice and finding that there’s more to the place than they realise. For me, it both harkens to the stories that I used to read or watch in my early school years, as well as to my own experience visiting family with younger siblings. I found the pacing of the book to be a strong point, with a hook to latch onto appearing in the first scene followed by a steady acceleration through to the climax. Along with the light horror, magical realism, and adventure elements, I think it should suit the young readers that the book is aimed at. (Tim Marshall)
Overall rating: 4.5 stars. Overall, I’d say this is the perfect length for a children’s book. Not too long, not too short. Nothing that is too far fetched in the magical areas of the story. It has been written in such a way that the reader is drawn in straight away, and we can’t wait for the next instalment in the story! Having a brother and sister as the main characters in the story, and the younger one rescuing the older child, is a format that a lot of children will be able to personally relate to. I can see this being acted out in back gardens in the following snowy weather! Excellent writing. (Yvonne Marrs)
Overall rating: 4.5 stars. If you loved the Nutcracker then you will most certainly enjoy Deadwood Hall. This is a well written children's tale with characters that both children and adults will love and relate to. A brilliant introduction to the Oozing magic series and a story that children will enjoy reading over and over again. (Kirsty McKay)
Book Tour Reviewers
