Lauren Beard is our lovely illustrator for our Fairytale Hairdresser series, which is written by Abie Longstaff! Lauren has put down her pens and had stepped away from working on Kittie the Hairdresser’s next adventure to give us a sneak peek into her world and talk little about this fantastic series for us.

What drew you to becoming a children’s illustrator?

As a child my two favourite things were drawing and reading, so what better thing to do than draw books!

Kittie is such a quirky character! Where did you get the inspiration for Kittie’s look?

I wanted Kittie to be cool and not overly girly hence the jeans, utility belt and cowboy boots. I was thinking 80’s pop star with her big pink hair and purple streak.

Heres some initial ideas for how Kittie could have looked…

The Fairytale hairdresser is set in a magical fairytale land…  do you enjoy coming up with the different characters that populate it?

Yes, I’m a big fan of fairy tales and folk tales, and it’s a lot of fun drawing them. Getting out my old books from my childhood brings back lots of happy memories.

Who is your favorite fairytale character?

Goldilocks, because she’s a bit cheeky and Little Red Riding Hood for her taste in fashion.

What’s your favourite children’s book?

It’s a tough question as there are so many. As a child a lot of my favourites were Roald Dahl’s stories.

If you could be any children’s book character who would you be?

Fantastic Mr Fox

Who or what inspires you?

Other illustrators, artists, people I meet and places I visit. I love animals and drawing them the most.

If you had to do another job what would it be?

I’d quite like to work with Kittie in her salon so I could drink tea and have nice chats with the other fairytale characters.

What’s your favourite medium to use?

Dip pen and ink, gouache and Photoshop.

Do you prefer digital or the physical book?

I love traditional physical books but digital books are opening new doors where stories can be interactive and animated and I think this is very exciting.

Lastly can we have a random fact about you..?

If I don’t know the words to a song I tend to meow them.

Thank you Lauren!

And if you haven’t heard of Kittie here are the first two books in this magical series…

Join Kitty Lacey, the fairytale hairdresser, as she tames the wildest of locks, deals with the most demanding and unusual of customers, ultimately foils the Witch’s evil plan and plays cupid to the newly coiffed Rapunzel. (A decent haircut really can work wonders!)

The queen of hearts is holding a ball to find the PERFECT girl for her PERFECT prince. But Cinderella doesn’t have an invitation or a dress — what’s a girl to do? Luckily, Kitty Lacey, fabulous hairdresser to the fairytale stars is on hand to give Cinderella a job, find her the PERFECT dress and get her in to the ball.
But with so many other fairytale characters to fight through, including a pair of all-too-familiar sisters, will Cinderella and her PERFECT prince ever find each other?

…it’s of course time to tuck in with a gorgeous, sumptuous snowy story. Which is what we did on Sunday afternoon when author and illustrator Richard Collingridge read from his beautiful new book and held a Christmas drawing workshop. Yes, it’s not quite snowing in town yet, but there’s a nip in the air and a definite feeling of festivity at lovely Clapham store Under the Greenwood Tree.

For his first ever author event, Richard read to an enthusiastic audience of children and then took suggestions for various Christmas-themed pictures. All the children we soon keen to have a turn at a reindeer, a Christmas Tree, and various ‘snow shapes’. Richard then signed books with a beautiful bespoke sketch in each one.

Back in January Waitrose Weekend ran an interview with author and BBC Radio 2 Broadcaster Simon Mayo about his debut ITCH, which was a travel piece focussing on his love of Cornwall and why he had chosen to base the story in a town like Bude. Two teachers in Bude saw it and wrote to Clare asking if Simon would like to visit their school, Budehaven Community School. Nine months later that’s exactly what he did.

Simon with Sally and Amanda from Budehaven School

Simon’s West Country tour was to mark the publication of ITCH in paperback – starting at the independent Winstone’s in Sherborne with an informal signing on Saturday. It then took in an event with Waterstones Yeovil at The Swan Theatre, and then a family event at Kea Primary School outside Truro which had opened specially for us on Sunday. Simon took a day off from his BBC Radio 2 Drivetime show for the tour – but managed to fit in some broadcasting on The Roseland Community College’s own radio station, Radio Roseland, on Monday, and recorded an intro for the school’s Children in Need single. You can watch their unique cover of Fun’s ‘Some Nights’ on YouTube (search for Roseland children in need) – it features Simon’s intro, student soloists, the school rock band, the Roseland Voices choir, staff choir, jazz band, staff and student steel bands, samba band and many more of the students at the college. If you if you’ve enjoyed watching the single online and would like to donate to BBC Children in Need, please use their JustGiving page – it’s so easy and all money goes directly to support children across the UK: http://www.justgiving.com/roseland

Simon Mayo recording at Radio Roseland

Afterwards it was on to Budehaven Community School, where Simon was practically mobbed by the audience after his session. The students had listened very attentively throughout, but then couldn’t contain their enthusiasm as they surged towards him. The grand finale was a public signing at the independent bookshop Spencer Thorn in Bude.

This tour has not just been about book sales, unknown to author or publicist at the outset each venue set out to out cream tea the next- there was Dorset apple cake (Winstone’s in Sherborne) 200 specially ordered sherbet lemons (Waterstones in Yeovil) seriously good homemade biscuit cake (thanks to Waterstones Truro), cream tea, homemade chutney, very superior coffee, a special care package of warm pasties, chutney, cornish fairings (Roseland) then truly tasty sausage casserole and raspberry tart with a take home tray of cakes with clotted cream, fruit salad, homemade chocolate cookies (made by Chef Anthony at Budehaven). The last cream tea of the day was at Spencer Thorn.

Treats from Anthony at Budehaven

Helen’s homemade scones at Roseland

Thank you to everyone who helped to make Simon’s tour of Somerset and Yeovil a success. Simon returned to London to the fabulous news that ITCH has been shortlisted for the Specsavers National Book of the Year Awards – great news!

Andy McNab continued his exciting UK tour last week to promote THE NEW RECRUIT…

Hello, it’s Andy again, sorry I haven’t been able to post that often but it was a manic week with three events a day – they are working me hard! The last couple of days of the week were spent in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, starting with a day at RAF Waddington, home of the Vulcan and two events to raise money for the RAF Benevolent Fund. Then on to a packed evening event at Huddersfield Library, meeting some Six Book Challenge winners beforehand.

 On Friday we headed up to York and a visit to St Olave’s School which started with their Remembrance Service. It is great to see the new generation remembering the sacrifices made in the past, and those still being made in Afghanistan today. A lively talk and Q&A, with lots of chat about Bravo Two Zero and weapons! The kids at the talk organised by West Yorkshire Police in afternoon came from a variety of schools and referral units and I hope I’ve encouraged some of them to start reading and recognise the opportunities out there waiting for them. As I have said before, if I can do it, anyone can!

The exciting UK Fire Chronicle tour continued on to York on Wednesday afternoon. John was given a wonderful tour of the city by Susie Lockett from St Olave’s School, including a trip to the Minster to watch the Evensong. The next morning was spent talking to the lovely pupils of St. Olave’s, before travelling to Newcastle to meet students at Kings School in Tynemouth in the afternoon. On Friday morning John spoke to school children visiting Newcastle City Library, before  his final event at Ponteland High school…

Fun with the pupils of Kings School

Wednesday 7th – Thursday 8th November

A wonderful evening and morning in York. Evensong at the York Minister was magical. Then the next morning, a fabulous event at St. Olave’s school with 300 engaged and charming kids. And to top it off, we ate Fat Rascals at Betty’s.

John with pupils from St. Olave’s

Delicious Fat Rascals from Betty’s

Friday 9th November

Last day of the Fire Chronicle UK tour. Began with a great event at the Newcastle City Library, and in the afternoon spoke to students at Ponteland High School. Great audience, and I was even asked what kind of car I drive. I think my answer might have disappointed.

Signing books at Ponteland High

Wednesday 7^th November

Woke to discover Barak Obama has been elected US President for another 4 years – awesome! Then to Nottingham to Waterstones for a great event with the Annie Holgate School and Cotmanhay Junior School and a sampling of Lincolnshire Poacher cheese provided by Amy in Waterstones. Awesome and more awesome!

John signing at Waterstones Nottingham

Lincolnshire Poacher is the cream coloured cheese...

Tuesday 6^th November 

Election Day in the US. I talked to students at St John’s on the Hill in Chepstow and walked through the ruins of Tintern Abbey, which is reputed to have been the inspiration for the Great Hall in Hogwarts as JK Rowling grew up nearby. 

John Stephens at St John's School, Chepstow

Autumnal leaves blowing through Tintern Abbey

In the evening we drove out of Birmingham to the Earls High School in Halesowen where I did an event last year for The Emerald Atlas. I saw many familiar faces and received another warm welcome from Ros Bartlett and the Dudley Children’s Book Group team, and a young man named Peter whom I met last year. This time he won a free copy of the book in the raffle.

John at Earls High School, Birmingham

US screenwriter and producer John Stephens is not only one of the great minds behind amazing shows like Gossip Girl and The OC; he is also the author of the best-selling children’s hardback debut of 2011 – The Emerald Atlas. His stunning series, The Books of Beginning, continues this Autumn with The Fire Chronicle – and we are privileged to have John over in the UK this week on a packed schools and events tour with this fantastic book. Join John on tour as he sends postcards from around the country….

Monday 5th November
I began my UK tour for The Fire Chronicle at Ilford County Grammar School. It’s a great boys’ school and there were some terrific questions – and then there was time for champagne and photos at the Random House offices in Ealing before heading to Wales in the evening.

Andy McNab’s currently on his biggest ever tour, he’s visiting schools and colleges across the country to promote his new YA book THE NEW RECRUIT, which we’re publishing in digital extracts. You can download the first extract for free here: http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/editions/the-new-recruit-episode-1/9781448120710#popup-back

Here he is from the tour:

Hi it’s Andy here, 2 fantastic school events yesterday, with the morning at Christopher Whiteheads in Worcester and afternoon at Wreake Valley Academy in Leicester. Julie and the team at Christopher Whiteheads had made a cake and chocolates with The New Recruit book jacket on, and were all wearing New Recruit t shirts. A great great effort. One question to really get me thinking was who would I most like to collaborate with on a book. My answer was Muhammad Ali. I would love to write his life story (with his blessing). Then on to Leicester, an event organised by my mates at West Yorkshire Police. The kids at Wreake Valley were brilliant, loads of questions and they all stayed on after the bell went at the end of the day! Not sure I would have done the same when I was that age! Couldn’t resist sharing these photos. These are the chocolates from Christopher Whiteheads (didn’t last long once the kids arrived!) and the cake they made for me. Great cake, ate it all the way to Birmingham where I was for a dinner last night.

When I was briefed to create a cover for Candace Fleming’s On The Day I Died, I knew that Dominic Harman was the illustrator to approach. With his wealth of experience of creating atmospheric and haunting images for among others, His Dark Materials trilogy, he was the perfect choice!

To Learn a little bit more about Dominic please see below to read our Q&A, or visit his website: www.bleedingdreams.com

You have created smashing covers for many children’s books – have you any favourites?

Thank you for your kind comments. Yes, I have created covers for acclaimed authors such as Philip Pullman, Terry Pratchett, Michael Morpurgo but that’s a tough one, I like all the ones I have illustrated:)

What drew you to becoming a children’s Illustrator?

Well I started out doing Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror book covers but the market was changing and there was an explosion of Y/A titles coming out, a lot of fantastic and intriguing book covers which really caught my eye so it was a easy cross over for me to make.

What’s your favourite children’s book?

Harry Potter off the top of my head, I had to see what all the fuss was about but I really enjoyed it. Terry Pratchett’s Death, Would you say J.R.R Tolken’s Lord of the Rings is a children’s book?

If you could be any children’s book character who would you be?

Voldemort! Sometimes its good to be bad:)

Who or what inspires you?

Anything really, When I first got into art when I was young I was inspired by the old masters like Velazquez, Michelangelo, Caravaggio then Boris Vallejo and Derek Riggs. Watching the Paralympics was a great source of inspiration to see people achieve so much after coming through terrible adversities in life. It’s great to get inspired but also to try and inspire, it feels like you are making a positive difference to people even in a small way.

If you had to do another job what would it be?

I would love to be a sculptor, or doing special effects for movies, that looks like a lot of fun and very imaginative. If none of those work out, maybe work in a bakers because I love the smell of fresh bread:)

What’s your favourite medium to use?

When I was younger, I absolutely loved using oil paint and graphite and set out to make a living from it but when digital/ computers came in and started to dominate the book cover market I made the decision to use computers exclusively as my main medium to create my work commercially and keep oils/ pencils to my personal projects.

Would you ever collaborate with another illustrator?

Yes definitely, I think that would a great experiment, I suppose the best way is to get artists that compliment each other. I think one could even create something digitally then print it out then work on it to create something physical. Sounds very exciting to me:)

Do you prefer digital or the physical book?

The book! I loved going into old book shops when I was kid and buying the old fantasy and SF novels and the books had the old paper smell and the way every crease, every line on the cover told a story in itself of its age, its authenticity, I can understand that going on holiday for instance having a Kindle is a great idea as it can hold so many books without taking up any more space. But if it’s  a choice between old or new, I am definitely old school in the respect:)

Random fact about you…

I always wanted to sky dive and haven’t yet so I might a find an excuse like doing it for charity so I can do it! If not I will just jump off the end of the pier:)