Stikki the Squirrel: Tree Spirits features parallel stories: A squirrel and his family as they scramble to survive the brutal winter, and a young bookworm of a girl preparing for Christmas with her own family. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

Following the success of Stikki the Squirrel, book one in the series, I felt a strong desire to set pen to paper and begin another chapter in Stikki’s and Rella’s lives. The two young adult squirrels now had a family of four kits and had made many woodland friends on their first adventure together. So with that in mind, I began outlining the individual characters that had made an appearance in the first book. I chose to expand on these individuals, supporting characters I call them, to see who pushed themselves forward. So by the time I had finished the rough draft copy of the story, I was spoilt for choice, wondering who to bring to the forefront in the story of my new book, Stikki the Squirrel: Tree Spirits. New animal characters also feature in the story, and as in book one, when they began to speak, their personalities and mannerisms just slotted into place. It was a weird and wonderful time watching my characters come to life on the pages. I know that might sound daft, but that’s how it happened from my perspective as a writer and artist. In this second book, I wanted to bring in a different kind of character, a human girl, twelve-year-old Sophie, her father, Evan, and her family, counting down the days leading up to Christmas. Bringing in humans (longlegs), I thought, would bring a new dimension to the story with relatable characters for children to understand and empathise with. In book two: Stikki the Squirrel: Tree Spirits, time has moved on for the animals in Hazy Hills Wood, who now face a bitterly cold winter with very little food available to them. In the second installment, I have created an exciting action story for children and teenagers who enjoy imaginative, character-driven stories about friendship and the importance of supporting each other when times are tough. There is gentle humour that carries a subtle message about caring for our wildlife.

The book continues the enchanting tale of a grey squirrel called Stikki and his mate Rella, their four slightly scatty kits, and an array of woodland animals the squirrel family befriends. A tale of mystery, danger, and the wonders of magic found in the most unexpected places. Set in midwinter, amongst the tall trees of the magnificent Hazy Hills Wood, the story begins.

What do you enjoy most about writing children’s literature?

I suppose the answer is simple—I enjoy the genre. I must be a big kid at heart, even though I was a late bloomer to come onto the publishing scene. I’ve enjoyed reading books my entire life, so, unsurprisingly, in my retirement, all the wonderful stories I had read in the past must have inspired my imagination to have a go myself. To date, I have published four books.

My debut novel: GoldenEars: The Whispering Mountain, book one. Followed two years later by the sequel: GoldenEars: The Pale Skulls. Both books have won awards and earned themselves several lovely reviews as well. Both books are animal adventure fiction (wolves, with humans too), suitable for children aged ten years to young adults. Book two is rated a little older, for young adults to adult readers. My stories are about friendship, hope, and resilience.

I have discovered writing stories for children to be rewarding. Your young audience is usually appreciative of a good story, though they can equally be critical if you get it wrong in their eyes!

Young minds keep you on your toes. Children have no qualms about questioning the creation of your characters, or the setting, and the facts relayed about squirrels’ lives and their habitat. So I make a point of rigorously researching my subject before I begin writing anything new.

The artwork in your book is wonderful. Can you share a little about the process?

The age group for which my books are intended governs the artwork involved to a certain extent. For younger children’s books, the pictures tend to be larger and in full colour forming the main part of the book with the accompanying text larger as well. For older children of eight years and upwards, story books that have pictures or sketches are usually created in shades of grey to black on a plain white background, or in some cases, a detailed sketch is necessary depending on the scene.

When I sit down to begin creating a new character, I take out my A3 sketch pad and a hard pencil, either an HB or a 2H, using light strokes over the paper to form the outline of the body of the animal character. My characters are neither cartoonish nor lifelike but somewhere in between. They are unique to me and have become a hallmark in the Stikki the Squirrel books.

For continuity, I have kept to the same style of artwork in both Stikki books. Hand-drawn sketches created in black ink with pencil shading ranging from 3B to 8B for added depth where necessary.

What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?

I am in the process of story creation for Stikki book three. I have some exciting ideas, but first need to get these written down on a rough draft copy. From there, I can expand the plot by jotting down sections in each chapter as I go. At the moment, it’s all in my head.

When I do get in a position to begin writing in earnest, I always make a point of having my reading and writing buddy sitting beside me. His name is Big Patchy, a fifteen-inch-tall soft toy doggy pal with a cream-coloured body, black ears, nose, and tail, of whom I read aloud to as though he is a child. This may sound nuts to some people, but doing this helps me write with children in mind, so the words are appropriate for the age group intended. Reading aloud enables me to ‘hear’ the words and gauge how well these fit in with the story plot, interpretation, and fluidity.

With regards to the publication date, well, that is too far away to predict. But I will keep readers informed using my Amazon author page and also through my website.

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