October New Release: Book Two in the Adventures of Cecilia Sparks Series by Ngaire Elder

Today I'm happy to promote author Ngaire Elder by announcing the new release of book two in her charming Adventures of Cecilia Spark childrens book series!

The Adventures of Cecilia Spark - the Mystical Mountains of Terra  

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1479261572
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1479261572

'The beast was coming ... Cecilia kept running ... she heard the fearsome beating of Pyrbrok's immense wings and thudding behind her ...'

A race against time. Good versus evil. The Sceptre of Malvado is at risk of falling into the wrong hands, and Soldier’s fate depends on its recovery. Can Cecilia and Soldier find the sceptre before the total eclipse of the sun, or will someone else beat them to it?

Another gripping adventure for Cecilia Spark, with lots of thrills and spills along the way.

Illustrated by Peter Maddocks
Suitable for 4–9-year-old boys and girls.
The second book in the new children’s series, The Adventures of Cecilia Spark.

Jennifer: I have to start by asking about your lovely illustrations. How did you connect with your illustrator and begin collaborating on the Cecelia Sparks series together?

Ngaire Elder: Thank you, Jennifer. The illustrator of my series, The Adventures of Cecilia Spark, is Peter Maddocks. We have been friends for a number of years and I asked Peter if he would like to illustrate my children's books, and he kindly said 'yes'! I'm very fortunate to have such a talented artist illustrate my books. Peter Maddocks is a former Fleet Street cartoonist and is the creator of family greats such as Jimbo and the Jet Set, Penny Crayon and Family Ness.
I gave Peter a copy of the manuscripts and left him to it! No way would I start dictating to Peter how to draw ... he has interpreted both books beautifully ... the illustrations tell the story.

Jennifer: Do you have plans for book three and beyond?

Ngaire Elder: Yes, I do. I've started book 3; it's still at the planning stage, but hopefully in 2013 it will be published.

Jennifer: Please describe your writing and editing process?

Ngaire Elder: My writing process ... well, I start with a basic outline, listing various points I want to cover. From there I map out the stucture of the book ensuring there aren't any gaps which might affect the plausibility of the narrative, sounds easy, but it involves a lot of brain-numbing questions and 'what if' scenarios.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1478172002
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1478172002

As for the editing process, after reading and re-reading I pass the manuscript to my copy-editor for the final scrutinizing.

Jennifer: What do you do to market your books? What ideas have offered the most success?

Ngaire Elder: The big marketing question ... the bane of my life!  I tend to do a lot of 'networking' in the hope that one day it'll pay-off.  I have a blog, website, Facebook page. I tweet ... jings, what else ... ? Oh, yes, I'm on Jacket Flap, it's a great site for children's writers, publishers, illustrators and fans www.jacketflap.com
I enjoy giving interviews, it gets me out of my wee cubby-hole to socialise with the world! Marketing is not my forte, I try to maintain a constant presence on the social media sites. I get involved in giveaways and I have my website  regularly updated and I've produced 2 book trailers, I'm a big fan of book trailers.

Jennifer: When you were a child, what were your favorite books?

Ngaire Elder: My favourite books as a child were: The Blown Away Rabbit by Enid Blyton, Winnie the Pooh, The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley, and The Broons and Oor Wullie books.

Jennifer: How do you feel about the self-publishing process? Has it been what you expected? Please describe.

Ngaire Elder: I launched myself into self-publishing with my eyes closed, I didn't know what to expect. However, I have to say, on the whole, my experience so far has been a positive one. It's been hard work, there's no denying that, but it's been worth it. I think it's important to have a good circle of people who you can tap in to for advice, help and support and thankfully I have that; I've met some wonderful people. I certainly would not have been able to publish my books as an ebook or a paperback without the help of a good friend, Andrew, or indeed tackle any of the info tech side of things.

Jennifer: What inspired you to write this series?

Ngaire Elder: Everyday sights and sounds inspire my writing. Things my children say could trigger a thought or a memory and send me into a writing frenzy. I'm well known for having 'post-it-pillow-moments', getting up at the early hours of the morning to write a thought down.

Jennifer: Do you have any other books planned besides this series?

Ngaire Elder: Yes, I have. I'm working on a  rhyming picture book for the younger reader with my daughter; she's illustrating it. It could perhaps be seen as an introduction to Cecilia Spark's adventures.

Jennifer: Thank you for your time today, Ngaire. Before you go, where can readers connect with you online?

Ngaire Elder: I direct readers to my website because all of my links are there: http://www.ceciliaspark.com/

Thank you for hosting me today on your blog, Jennifer!

Ngaire Elder was born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland. She spent most of her childhood playing outside with her brother and her imaginary friends and feasting on her grannies’ homecooking.

After leaving school, she went to college and university (part-time) and embarked on a career in the health and safety sector, qualifying in 1993.She met her husband through her work and has 4 children.

Now, she spends her time looking after her family, taking care of their collection of animals (2 dogs, 1 cat, 2 horses, 2 pigs, 3 ferrets and a budgie), nurturing the kitchen garden, learning Spanish, speaking Spanish and writing. She currently lives in Spain. Please connect with Ngaire Elder at her website listed here:

http://www.ceciliaspark.com/