Next in our ‘Getting to Know’ series I had the opportunity to interview new childrens author Phil Hickes. Phil isn’t just dipping his toe in the world of Middle Grade, he is making a splash with his first novel ‘The Haunting of Aveline Jones’ which will be available in September 2020.
First off, tell us a little about yourself…
Hello, my name’s Phil Hickes and I’m the author of The Haunting of Aveline Jones, which will be published by Usborne in September.
I was born in Oldham, near Manchester, and grew up in a house that overlooked a graveyard. It explains a lot, I think, because ever since I’ve been fascinated by ghostly stuff. It was all I ever wanted to read, watch – and later write – about. The other part of my childhood was spent near Bristol. I’ve been lucky enough to live in Wales, Ireland, New Zealand and the USA, which is where I live today – in the Pacific Northwest. It’s misty, rainy and smells of pine and sometimes you hear coyotes howling at night. But I miss the UK a lot and hope to come back someday. I like reading, watching films, being outdoors, being indoors, playing the guitar and eating pizza.
What are your favourite book-spots that people should check out?
There’s a fantastic bookshop in Portland, Oregon, in the USA, if anyone ever finds themselves over here. It’s called Powell’s. It gigantic and full of every kind of book you could ever want. But in the UK, I love the bookshops in Hay-on-Wye and Glastonbury. They’re small, cozy and often full of odd books that you never knew you wanted until you set eyes on them. Other than that, I love dusty old second-hand bookshops, which is why there’s one in my upcoming book.
Tell us about your upcoming book ’The Haunting of Aveline Jones’
It’s about a young girl that has to spend half-term with her rather strict aunt in a bleak coastal town in Cornwall. All the tourists have gone home and the weather’s terrible and she doesn’t think she’s going to have a very exciting time. But then she pops into a second-hand bookshop, where she buys a book of old ghost stories. She discovers that the book used to belong to a girl called Primrose Penberthy, who disappeared, never to be seen again. After that, together with a boy called Harold, Aveline investigates what happened to Primrose and finds herself drawn into some very spooky and scary events. It’s best read by torchlight, underneath the bedclothes, on a wild and windy autumn evening.
And this won’t be the first time Aveline finds herself involved in spooky goings-on either…
Hey, why not order your copy of The Haunting of Aveline Jones…
- Read Eddy’s review
- Amazon: https://amzn.to/3kh0UGO
- Waterstones: https://tidd.ly/3e1M9ok
- Hive: bit.ly/308B8ey
- Book Depository: bit.ly/3fw4iut
- Indie Bookshop Search: https://booksaremybag.com/bookshops
What was your nickname at school? (If you had one)
I was called Hickesy. It’s a very unimaginative nickname, they just stuck a Y on the end of my surname. But I suppose I should be grateful that I wasn’t called Smelly or Stinky. (Maybe I was but they just didn’t tell me?)
Were you good at writing at school?
Not bad, maybe a little above average. I was pretty lazy though and could have been much better if I’d tried harder. But English was always my favourite subject, along with History.
What was your favourite book as a child?
There are so many it seems unfair to choose one. But if you forced me to choose I’d probably say The Weirdstone of Brisingamen by Alan Garner. It’s about two children who finds themselves caught up in magical and often quite scary events. I’d recommend it.
What was it that inspired you to become a writer?
It’s hard to say. It just sort of happened and one day I found myself typing away at a desk. I think because I enjoyed other author’s stories I wanted to create some of my own. I wanted to live I my own imaginary scary world for a while and eventually I popped out the other side with a finished book.
What are common traps for aspiring writers?
Writing is very long-winded process. You have to be prepared to stick at it and keep going. Many writers get disheartened if things don’t go well in the early stages. Also, there’s never a ‘perfect’ time to write. You often have to force yourself, even if you don’t feel in the mood. If you’re constantly waiting until you feel inspired, you’ll never get anything done.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
Just keep writing and believe in yourself. And get rid of your Xbox.
What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?
Reading books, of course, because the words in those can take you anywhere in your imagination. Into the past and future, and also into worlds you never knew existed. But another, more peculiar example, might be the midnight Christmas church services we used to go to when I was young. I would listen to the choir singing Christmas carols, and it would be cold and dark in the candlelit church, and it smelled of holly and ivy, and while it sounded very beautiful, I also found the words, melodies and whole experience very eerie and haunting. One final example might be from my childhood. “Don’t do that” and “Get down from there” and “If you don’t eat your vegetables you can’t have any ice-cream” can also be very powerful words.
What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?
I have some author friends on social media but I’ve never met them in real life. Adam Nevill is an adult horror author. Robin Spriggs writes very strange books that are hard to describe. Kat Ellis writes brilliant young adult horror. And Helena Duggan writes brilliantly eerie middle grade. Their books inspire me to try and be as good as they are.
If you weren’t a writer, what would you be doing?
Probably standing in the street shouting at the clouds.
Has a book ever made you cry? What was it?
I don’t mind admitting I had a tear in my eye at the end of both A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.
What is your writing Kryptonite?
The internet. It’s so hard to get off it sometimes. It’s like eyeball glue.
What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
Investing in an online writing course with a horror author called Jeremy C.Shipp. It taught me a lot of technical skills, but more importantly, the feedback I received gave me hope and confidence.
As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
A bat. It swoops around graveyards at night, enjoys living in crumbling church bell towers, and doesn’t have very good eyesight.
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
A lot. Many short stories. Two complete books that never went anywhere. Many opening chapters that I abandoned almost immediately. You have to accept as a writer that not everything you write will be good enough. You also have to trust your instinct sometimes; if you’re bored reading your own stuff, everyone else probably will be too. But sometimes it’s just that the time isn’t right for the particular project you’re working on. Often you can return to things later and resurrect them. And of course a lot of unpublished stuff is just practice, helping you find your own rhythm and style.
What does literary success look like to you?
Being able to write books full-time. That’s a long way off at the moment but you have to dream.
Do you Google yourself?
Since my book was picked up for publication, yes. Before that, not really.
And most importantly… What is your favourite biscuit?
The Milk Chocolate Hobnob. A king among biscuits. Just be careful dipping them in your tea as sometimes they fall in and your last mouthful of tea is all mush. I also have a soft spot for the Custard Cream.
Any fan of Chocolate Hobnobs is ok with me! I’d just like to say a huge thanks to Phil for taking time to answer some questions and chat about his upcoming book ‘The Haunting of Aveline Jones’ and about life as an author.
If you would like to know about Phil you can follow him on Twitter and/or Instagram.
*If you would like to do your own q&a to feature on the blog then send me an email…
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