A FEW WORDS FROM THE AUTHOR

– The Inspiration Behind the Books

AUNTY CIS

When I was a child and later as an adult, I used to love to visit Aunty Cis. She was a truly amazing person, a little eccentric by some people's standards and certainly not without faults but she was always a lot of fun. Even when I was in my twenties and she was in her eighties, I always regarded her as one of my closest friends. My parents would usually take us to visit her at Easter time and certainly Raventhorpe always looked at it's best then. Raventhorpe was a beautiful house, which was a private school during term time. It was enormous and when we stayed we would sleep up in the attic where there were several bedrooms, a bathroom and….a dressing up room (the inspiration for the costume room in the book). Aunty Cis was always a fantastic storyteller and I have wanted to write something about her for a long time. When she passed away, it was clear at her funeral just how many people's lives she had touched – not just her immediate family and friends but pupils and parents past and present. She had a great sense of humour, which I hope I have captured in the books. Mrs. Plum, the housekeeper is also based on another real life character – Jean.

Jean did in fact work at Raventhorpe and was always smiling. She was the type of person where nothing was too much trouble and I have very fond memories of her.

THE CIRCUS

Shortly after I gave birth to Isabella, a close friend of mine David, gave me a wonderful book on the Cirque de Soleil. The theatre of circus had always fascinated me but this particular circus took the tradition to a totally new level. Also I was raised as a strict Catholic and though I am not inclined towards any religion now, it still had a very profound influence on me – hence the 7 deadly sins.

After I moved back from Paris, I went to work at The Riverside Studios in London. It was there I meet my inspiration for FADF agent, Jet Black and Detective Fredrick Valise. James Thierry, is Charlie Chaplin's grandson and was at that time performing in an amazing ‘circus' with his mother and father. He performed all the acrobatic feats, flying into the crowd and then sky high again. My recollection of him was an attractive and mysterious character that was great fun to be around. His parents were equally fascinating, his father (who's name I don't recollect now) was the ‘clown' and played surreal jokes on the audience with an ever-changing suitcase from which he produced all number of strange items as props to his jokes. James' mother was an illusionist of sorts, transforming everyday cutlery into dinosaurs and other such interesting creatures.

KROCK O'DILE – THE RINGMASTER

I have always loved the story of ‘Oliver Twist' and in particular was drawn to the character of Fagin. For those who haven't seen the film version of the story, Fagin is a lovable rogue, a thief and scoundrel. He seemed the perfect template to base Krock on. I wanted Krock to be a reluctant hero, because he is really quite a selfish character. He is also a larger than life character who I hope people will be drawn to.

THE THINKER

One of my favourite all time comedies is the ‘Fawlty Towers' series with John Cleese. The character of Basil Fawlty is so outrageous you can't help but cringe at his antics and I decided to use this inspiration as a starting point for The Thinker. I wanted The Thinker to have multiple personalities and to behave in a crazy way, so that the reader is left wondering whose side he's on. In contrast, I wanted his housekeeper Electrica Bulb to act as a foil to his madness. She is an archetypal ‘matron' character, firm and no-nonsense.

THE MERCHANT

A friend of mine gave me a lovely book a few years ago called ‘The Merchant of Marvels and The Peddler of Dreams' by Frederic Clement. This delightful book depicts ideas for fantastical presents and set me thinking what this merchant might actually be like. I also had to work out how to introduce the 7 Deadly Sins into Zartarbia and came up with the idea of an ancient locket. Though The Merchant doesn't feature hugely in the first book, he is an on-going character and through him the history of Zartarbia is gradually revealed in the future books.

ISABELLA AND LUJZKA

After Isabella was born, I really wanted to do something very special not just for her but for my stepdaughter Lujzka as well. I wanted to create something they could enjoy with their children one day. In this day and age, many children are affected by divorce or are part of a family where they have half sisters and brothers and it isn't always easy for them. I am very fortunate that I have a very strong relationship with Lujzka, as does Isabella, so it was natural for me that the series of books should be for both of them.

My most magical memories of childhood were books and films like ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory', ‘James and the Giant Peach', ‘Alice in Wonderland', ‘The Wizard of Oz', ‘Tin Tin' and ‘The Chronicles of Narnia' – all classic stories that encourage a child's imagination. There have of course been many recent books and films that are hugely creative and influential including obviously the Harry Potter series, Shrek and Spiderman – all of which will remain a fond memory once the child has grown into an adult. I believe all children need some escapism and I hope this book is something other people enjoy reading as much as I have enjoyed writing it.