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Welcome to my journal, a place to record and to share interesting and inspiring images, memories and news, impressions and ideas, and also to answer questions and comments from you. To which end, please feel free to submit either or both from the FAQ page, over yonder. 

Monday
Jun142010

Trailer for The Distant Hours

DateMonday, June 14, 2010 at 12:35PM
I have much to tell you--book tours are being planned, covers are being finalised, I've just come back from a brilliant writing retreat in the mountains--but there are deadlines to be met and meet them I must.
Must. Keep. Going.
In the meantime, I just have to share this beautiful book trailer made by Andersen M Studio for The Distant Hours. How divine is this??

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton from Pan Macmillan on Vimeo.

 

Oh, and all right, here's a tiny sneak preview of my mountain writing boot camp:

 

I don't know, it might have something to do with having grown up in the mountains, but there's something about a rise above sea level that makes me breathe and think a whole lot easier. I'll tell you more about the boot camp as soon as I can. Promise.

AuthorKate Morton |
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Saturday
May292010

The Distant Hours

DateSaturday, May 29, 2010 at 2:28PM

Would somebody please tell me what happened to April? And most of May?? I swear, I just sat down to edit The Distant Hours and time sped up and now it's almost June.

Well.

Without further ado, here is the synopsis for The Distant Hours. There is a most amazing, gorgeous trailer to come, so please check back soon. I'll upload it as soon as I have a blog-friendly copy.

 

THE DISTANT HOURS

It started with a letter. A letter that had been lost for a long time, waiting out half a century, stifling summer after cooling winter, in a forgotten postal bag in the dim attic of a nondescript house in Bermondsey…

Edie Burchill and her mother have never been close, but when a long lost letter arrives one Sunday afternoon with the return address of Millderhurst Castle, Kent, printed on its envelope, Edie begins to suspect that her mother’s emotional distance masks an old secret.

Evacuated from London as a twelve year old girl, Edie’s mother is chosen by the mysterious Juniper Blythe, and taken to live at Millderhurst Castle with the Blythe family: Juniper, her twin sisters and their father, Raymond, author of the 1920s children’s classic, The True History of the Mud Man. In the grand and glorious Millderhurst Castle, a new world opens up for Edie’s mother. She discovers the joys of books and fantasy and writing, but also, ultimately, the dangers.

Fifty years later, as Edie chases the answers to her mother’s riddle, she, too, is drawn to Millderhurst Castle and the eccentric sisters Blythe. Old ladies now, the three still live together, the twins nursing Juniper, whose abandonment by her fiancé in 1941 plunged her into madness.

Inside the decaying castle, Edie begins to unravel her mother’s past. But there are other secrets hidden in the stones of Millderhurst Castle, and Edie is about to learn more than she expected. For the truth of what happened in the distant hours has been waiting a long time for someone to find it...

AuthorKate Morton |
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Tuesday
Mar162010

Nearing the end, Christina Ballerina, and an upcoming author appearance

DateTuesday, March 16, 2010 at 4:22PM

I have been writing very, very hard, and I'm thrilled to say that THE DISTANT HOURS is almost finished.1 It's such a bittersweet moment: on the one hand there's a fierce drive to reach The End, on the other, a sort of grieving sets in. I'm not ready to say goodbye to the world and the characters who've lived inside my head this past year, and yet I must. Certainly, if I'm going to share them with you in November. (And I'm looking forward to that very much.) 

And speaking of sharing. Today I broke free from the computer long enough to buy some lunch and while I waited in line, a song started playing that I recognised immediately as one that I love. It took me a moment to place it and when I did I was filled with the most delicious nostalgia. It's called Christina Ballerina and was written some years ago by one of the most creative people I know, Mirko Ruckels: a musical chameleon who at one time sang opera and is also known as the ambient artist deepspace. It's an utterly happy-making pop song, so if you're in the mood, have a listen. 

***

I haven't been doing much in the way of author talks lately (due to a certain pressing deadline!) but I'll be appearing at the University of Queensland on April 18th to take part in their centenary festivities. I'm particularly happy to be sharing the stage with Kim Wilkins who is not only my very good friend but also a brilliant writer. You can find all the details here.

This is a picture taken during another 'in conversation' that Kim and I did together at Secret Garden on Tamborine Mountain:

As you can see, it is a very, very serious writerly chore and not at all fun. See you there!

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Angus & Robertson are collating their annual Top 100 list at the moment and you may like to vote for The Forgotten Garden or The Shifting Fog (Riverton).

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A few people have asked whether my books are enabled for 'Text to Speech' on Kindle; I'm not sure, but have sent out enquiries and will let you know as soon as I hear back.

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And last but certainly not least, thank you so much for the emails and letters. I'm overwhelmed by your kindness and look forward to replying (including the Q&As) properly just as soon my characters have sung their song.

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1 Covers are being designed as I type: I've seen some of the roughs and they look brilliant. I'll post them here as soon as they're finalised. 

AuthorKate Morton |
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Monday
Mar012010

Adelaide and the NYT

DateMonday, March 1, 2010 at 4:50PM

I am just back from a quick trip to Adelaide where the festival is now in full swing and writers' week has begun. The city is crawling with writers so if you're anywhere close by, check out the calendar for details. 

In other good news, THE FORGOTTEN GARDEN trade paperback has hit bookstores in the US and debuted at #15 on the New York Times Best Seller list. 

And finally, it's autumn in the antipodes and there's rain, rain, rain and much fog. Perfect! For those of you who've endured a fierce winter, I hope the dewberries are flowering and your toes are beginning to thaw.

AuthorKate Morton |
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Saturday
Feb202010

The downward slide and some questions

DateSaturday, February 20, 2010 at 12:35PM

 

Oh boy. There's a stage in the writing of every book; the crossing of an invisible line that feels a lot like being at the top of a roller coaster. You've been chugging uphill for some time, methodical, determined, aware of each notch and crank in the climb, then suddenly things even out, you're able to take in the view, to see how far you've come, to enjoy being at the peak... And then, it happens. The downward slide. The rush. The exhilarating, heavenly, oxygen-robbing drop as your story pulls you behind it to the finishing line.

***

Some questions from you: 

Is there a list of all the characters from The Forgotten Garden--a flow chart of sorts?

Lisa

There is not. But there definitely should be. Quite a few people have told me that they sketched family trees while they were reading THE FORGOTTEN GARDEN and it seems to me that it would be a good idea to put such a thing on this site. More on that anon.

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I would love to send The Forgotten Garden to a Spanish speaking friend. Is there a Spanish translation and where would I get it? Thanks!

Holly

The Spanish rights for THE FORGOTTEN GARDEN have been sold to Santillana/Suma who also published THE HOUSE AT RIVERTON as La Casa de Riverton. I'm not sure when it is scheduled for release but will let you know as soon as that changes. 

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Hallo, I'd like to know if the House at Riverton really exists, and if yes, where is it in England? I'd like to visit this place. Thanks for your answer.

L.

Riverton is a fictional house, but I'm so glad it felt real to you when you were reading the book. There's no shortage of fabulous manor houses open to visitors in England though, and I drew inspiration from a number of them when I was dreaming up Riverton. Have a look at the National Trust website for a list.

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Have you ever considered writing a book for children or teenagers?

Lynette

I'd love to write for children and young adults one day. I'm convinced that the books you read or have read to you as a child colonise parts of your brain and make you the person you become. I certainly see echoes of my earliest favourites (Enid Blyton, C.S Lewis, L.M.Montgomery, Frances Hodgson Burnett... and did I mention Enid Blyton?!) in the things I write and enjoy reading today (not to mention the things I think and dream about).

One of my sons is six years old and I read to him every night before bed (we're reading The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe at the moment); it's one my favourite times of the day. There's an extra layer of pleasure in speaking great words aloud and feeling the little body beside me tense and relax along with the story--just what writers hope to do to their readers!

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Why did you change the name of The Shifting Fog to The House at Riverton and when please? We are reading it at our U3A book broup this month and as it was my suggestion I am leading the discussion on 2nd of March. Thank you.

Maureen

The name change came about because some of my publishers were concerned that the word 'fog' might be off-putting for northern hemisphere readers. I'm from the antipodes so I tend to think of fog as romantic and mysterious. I gather, however, that it loses some of its dramatic appeal for people whose lives are frequently inconvenienced by it! I like both titles and didn't mind changing it. THE HOUSE AT RIVERTON is certainly more literal, and though I do like the idea of shifting fog as a metaphor for time and memory and age, houses are very important to me and to my books so it was fitting that it should feature in the title. 

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There's a slight ***SPOILER ALERT*** for the following question, so if you haven't read THE HOUSE AT RIVERTON  please blindfold yourself and hum while scrolling down...

In THE HOUSE AT RIVERTON, is there any significance in the wounded deer picture in Grace's Riverton room? You have her remember it so frequently that I wondered if she came to associate with something. Hannah's fate, perhaps?

Karen

Exactly. I'm so glad you noticed.

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Finally, if you live in London and visit the library, you may want to vote for THE FORGOTTEN GARDEN in the BILLY awards. 

AuthorKate Morton |
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