Blog interview with Babs.

Book:


A First Christmas: Friends and Festivity by Sean Noonan

Interview by:

Barbara Hightower --- South Carolina (http://babs-worldofbooks.blogspot.com/)

First of all, Barbara, thank you very much for our interest in my adventures.

Q How did you come up with the idea for A First Christmas; Friends and Festivity?

Honestly? I am an author by accident. My life has not been full of literary achievements. I completed high school and attended St Andrews University at the age of sixteen. But I soon realised that academia was not my calling so decided to have some adventure instead, so I joined the merchant navy. Life at sea was good and I worked my way up from cadet to captain, with a sea going career of twenty years.

How did I go from being a salty seadog to being a writer?

Being an avid reader is a key component to being a writer. I think my love of books led me to think that I may have at least one book in me. Most people hope they do, don't they?

I started writing the 'Everlasting and Fantastical Adventures' for my children in the second half of 2009. Liz (my wife) and I always read to them every night. So I thought it might be fun to create stories that would give my kids something special to hear at bed time. A story about themselves in the back drop of a fireworks display.

With the wonderful reviews I had received from the first book (Of Lights in the Night: Friends and Adventure) I was inspired to continue with the adventures. I am a father, and like all fathers, I want the best for my children. One of the reasons I write is to provide guidance to my kids on how to understand and 'get' more out of life. The adventures are written to entertain but they are also designed to educate.

The theme of this book is Christmas. I wanted to make sure that the lessons of giving and sharing were at the fore front of the tale. Elannah and Sam visit their friend Rodger the Badger to give him his Christmas presents, a white winters feather found in the woods for his hat and 'smelly' mushrooms, of a fragrant variety, for his cooking pot. The presents are well suited to Rodger the Badger and come from a more thoughtful place rather than from commercial considerations. When they speak to Rodger they find out that their new friend the Bridge Troll has never celebrated Christmas. So they decide to throw him his first Christmas party that will make up for all the ones he has missed.

I think I have been able to capture at least some of my intentions for the book, as this review tells.

"Noonan keeps his story flowing with magical speed, but he also takes time to insert some important childhood lessons that makes his book a worthy addition to the libraries of all children. For example, Elannah muses 'After tonight she would never doubt that she could achieve big things in her life if she just applied her imagination and effort. With friends, anything is possible. Especially here in the land of dreams.' Noonan accompanies his little story with line drawings that give the simplicity of thought and vision of children drawing their own versions of what is happening. This is a winner of a book for all seasons, but particularly for Christmas. Grady Harp, (top ten reviewer) November 10"



Q How long did it take to write?

Writing is a pleasure. It is hard work but, when all is said and done, it is a pleasure. I am very fortunate to find myself, at this point in my life, being able to type on a computer just as fast as I can write by hand. The best part of which is that people can actually read what I write on the keyboard, whereas my hand writing leaves a lot to be desired. Messy stuff.

I remember, in the last year of primary school, that I won an award for my writing ... because it was so much like spiders had stepped in the ink and walked across the page. Not the best way to encourage children, though it just goes to show that anyone can overcome any challenge. If I can do it, anyone can.

Most of the adventures I have written so far were actually typed on airplanes, in airport lounges and in hotel rooms. I have a little ritual when I intend to write, particularly when I am flying. As we taxi down the runway I close my eyes and relax. I just drift off into the Land of Dreams and visualize the plot and scene. Then when I am ready to write (and the pilot switches off the "fasten your seatbelts" light) I pull out my computer and let the characters loose across the pages.

I started to write the second adventure in February 2010. With rewrites and editing, proofing reading and all of the efforts from the publishers, we were able to release the book for publication in October. So all told it took me about 8 months or writing and polishing, writing and polishing, writing and…

Though I must say that what anyone writes is a product of who they are, the life they have lived and all the years of their reading.



Q Do you have other books in the making?

Currently I am writing the third adventure in the collection - Salty Seadogs and Oceans of Fun. I started writing this one before I had finished the second book. It's been four months already and the end is not yet in sight. The stories seem to have a life if their own.

As I write this piece for you, I am once again crammed into an airplane seat thinking of what is coming in the story, how to best write down what my mind sees. The characters themselves sometimes hijack the plot. The latest chapter sees Elannah taking a more prominent role than I intended. She can be very persuasive, when she sets her mind to it. This time it was her wanting to help her friend Myrander the Mermaid and the other mermaids of the lagoon, that had her step forward to take on the main part of the story.

After this one I have several more adventures impatiently pushing forward in my mind. The fourth adventure will be a Halloween adventure with Sam and Elannah trick or treating Grumphspawn the Wizard's home. Though all is not as it should be and they find themselves being drawn into a mystery of wondrous proportions. The whole adventure will take place in the wizard's magical house in search of Grumphspawn's missing pets, the pigs Piggywiggy and Oink. This story is very impatient and keeps intruding into my musings. I file away the best bits but always return to the adventure at hand.

I derive such pleasure from the stories I write that I can see myself writing till I am at least one hundred. The looks on children's facing when I am reading them the adventures shows me the joy which is possible to bring.



Q What books do you like to read?

I am an eclectic reader. I have always read so much. Most nights I will read a chapter or two before falling asleep. I read on planes in taxi, airports and in hotels, particularly as a await the arrival of a meal. My favourite genre tends to be fantasy novels. I particularly like Terry Pratchett with his sense of humour and imaginative stories he always makes me smile. Currently I am reading the Hobbit by Tolkien. I have lost count of the times I have read that one.

But I also like Tom Grisham and Michael Crichton, Wilbur Smith, J.K. Rowling and A.A. Milne… To tell the truth there are so many authors whose work I have loved that I don't think I can either remember them all or have the space for them here.

I have always read books, always will. Finding a new author that lights the light within is very thrilling.



Q When you are not writing what are your other hobbies?

Unfortunately I am not blessed with a lot of free time so when I am not working and travelling I like to be home with my family.

Reading has always been one of my passions, always will be. I intend to do more hill walking once I have more time. Last summer the whole family walked up the 'Cairn Gorm', Scotland's tallest mountain. Elannah was seven and Sam only four, they made it up none the less. We stopped off quite often to check out frogs and unusual mountain flowers which gave us all an interest, breaking up the journey. At the top we looked back down at the beauty of the valleys below and they could see what they had accomplished. There was also a pile of snow so we threw a snowball or two. Coming down we cheated and caught the train but I think the kids had done enough for the day already.



Thanks for inviting me onto your blog, Barbara, it's been a real pleasure.



Sean



As this quote confirms... "All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once they grow up. Pablo Picasso" … Maybe I just refuse to grow up.