BLOG TOUR: The Jumble Sale – Q&A

I was lucky enough to be invited to take part in the blog tour for ‘The Jumble Sale’ by Lily Rose, which involves a review and a Q&A.

Thank you for letting me be part of your blog tour, I really enjoyed reading ‘The Jumble Sale’ and will definitely be recommending it to my Brownies.

Thank you, I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed reading ‘The Jumble Sale’. I had a lot of fun writing this story, and I’m looking forward to writing more adventures with the misfit monsters, especially with Zadi. I hope your Brownies enjoy the story too!

What made you come up with the idea of misfit monster? And did you have lots of fun deciding what the various mixes were going to be and what that would look like in terms of physical attributes and personality?

At the time, I was thinking about creating my own type of monster, but one who was a friendly, fun, and just a little bit scary. I was also considering what were my favourite and least favourite monsters and imaginative creatures. I love fairies. I don’t love zombies. Suddenly, it seemed a lot of fun to blend those two together, and to add a little bit of robot just to be extra quirky. That was how I came up with my first misfit monster, Zadi. From there I began creating different combinations, trying not to think too much, instead enjoy the spontaneity of the creative process. It was fun to come up with the various mixes of monsters and how this would be reflected in their personality. To me it felt natural to make Ori being the Mayor of the misfit monster community part wizard. Tamra, the opposite to Zadi, had to be a whole lot of chaotic fun, and pixies sounded just that. So yes, I did have a lot of fun creating the misfit monsters, and working out how their attributes and personalities would reflect the parts that made them who they are.

Zadi is a great role model, she’s an inventor and always tinkering. Was the impact on young girls reading this story part of your thought process or is it a secondary effect?

It was secondary, however I’m a big fan of the markers movement and recycling (because of the creativity involved, and problem solving, but also to have less of an impact on the environment). I also believe creative expression is something very important for young girls to embrace because it can lead to fantastic inventions for the future which could in turn help local communities, or be beneficial globally.

I lean more towards writing strong female characters because I’m around strong women. I’ve grown up on a farm with three younger sisters, and we did the work that needed to be done regardless of our gender. This has of course shaped who I am, and for me, it felt natural to pass this on to Zadi, along with my interest in inventing and making. So while I didn’t actively think about Zadi’s impact on young girls reading ‘The Jumble Sale’, it was there, just more from a subconscious place in my mind.

What would you invent if you were like Zadi?

I would invent wings so I could fly places. I quite like the idea of being able to fly. Once I’ve done that, I would build my own quirky airship, so I can travel the world at my leisure and explore new places.

I love the sense of community that grows over the book, how important was that for you as a writer?

It was very important, and something I was actively aiming for when writing the book. I now live in the city, and the sense of community isn’t as strong as what I’m accustomed to when growing up on a farm in a rural community. I wanted to show how the sense of community can be a powerful thing, and how it can benefit everyone, without them losing their individuality.

Zadi is patient with many of the other misfits but also refuses to back down, were these parts of her character from the beginning?

Yes they were part of her character from the beginning. I liked the idea of having her being patient amongst the chaos that the other misfit monsters created. But also I wanted her to go on her own little journey of having to stand up for what she believed in, and work out how best to do that so that not just herself, but everyone would benefit. It’s a great character trait to have, but not always easy to do. I wanted to show that it could be done.

What’s the first book you remember reading as a child?

‘The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe’ by CS Lewis. I loved that book, it captured my imagination, and it still does.

Though if I go back when I was just learning to read, the first books I remember reading were ‘Clifford the Red Dog’ by Norman Bridwell. I loved those books. So much so, I wrote the title in white chalk along Dad’s work bench, which he wasn’t so happy about at the time. I told him it would rub off. I was very proud of having been able to write what I’d learnt.

What are you currently reading?

I’m currently reading, well about to start reading, ‘Duel at Araluen’ by John Flanagen. I quite like reading adventure books, which started when I was a child, and has stayed with me ever since.

 

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PVRV5XT/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07PVRV5XT/

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45157244-the-jumble-sale?from_search=true

Author Bio

Lily Rose enjoys world building and creating characters for these unusual worlds. She enjoyed creating the misfit monsters world, and is looking forward to writing more of their adventures.