Rose Blog Tour + Guest Post

Rose isn't like the other orphans at St Bridget's Home for Abandoned Girls. Instead of dreaming of getting adopted by loving, wealthy parents, Rose wants to get a job and be independent. She doesn't need anyone but herself. She finds her escape working as a maid for Mr. Fountain, an alchemist. Unable to ignore the magic that flows throughout the grand residence, Rose realizes that just maybe; she might have a little bit of magic in her too. This new series featuring magicians, witches, talking cats, mist-monsters, and friendships will have young readers in a trance!

Doesn't this sound pretty amazing? I thought it did too that is why I had to read it and I was so glad that I did! You can read my review here.

Holly Webb is a bestselling author in the UK with her books Lost in the Snow and Lost in the Storm. As a child growing up in London, Holly fell in love with stories from Ancient Greek myths, which led to studying Latin and Greek and eventually reading Classics at University. She worked for five years as a children's fiction editor, before deciding to become a writer. The Rose books stem from a childhood love of historical novels, and the wish that animals really could talk. She lives in Reading with her husband and three small children. 

Visit Holly at Website | Goodreads

Holly Webb talks about her Fantasy Cast for her book, Rose.

Fantasy Cast List

Rose – Chloe Moretz

This is so difficult! Rose needs to be brave, determined, but quite matter-of-fact. She’s horrified by her magic at first, as she wants to be a maid – she’s amazed that she’s been lucky enough to get a job, and she thinks the magic will spoil everything. So whoever played her would need to be able to get that determination across, but be overtaken by the excitement of the magic growing inside her.

At first I thought of Kirsten Dunst, as she was amazing as a child vampire in Interview With the Vampire, but of course that was years and years ago. Actually, if I could have any child actress from whenever, I think I would go for Mara Wilson, who played Matilda in the film. She seemed quite as I imagine Rose – pretty, but not beautiful, very sensible, but with a sly sense of humour lurking underneath. I wonder if Chloe Moretz (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Hugo) would be able to look young enough to play Rose? In the book Rose thinks she’s ten, but she’s not quite sure, and the hard life at the orphanage, and having to be grown-up very quickly, would make her look older.

Mr Fountain – Colin Firth

But only if he could grow a large, curly moustache.

Miss Sparrow – Emma Watson

Miss Sparrow needs to be very beautiful, possibly too beautiful – not to spoil the plot, but her looks are magically enhanced. I’d love to see Emma Watson play another magical character, but this time, an evil one. (Thinking about it, Emma Watson would also have been wonderful as Rose!)

Bill (Or Freddie! )– Asa Butterfield

Bill is another of the servants at Mr Fountain’s house. He’s an orphan too, and he loves being a little bit older and more used to working than Rose. But he’s actually very kind, although he does his best to hide it. He needs to sound like a Londoner, which I think is probably easier for a British actor. But then I can see Asa Butterfield as Freddie, the snotty, conceited magician’s apprentice, too! He has a magical look to him. Can I have him twice with different-coloured hair, please?!

Gus (voice) – Alan Rickman

Because he has a lovely voice!

Gus is Mr Fountain’s spoilt white cat, and one of the first magical things to happen to Rose is that she realises she can hear him talking. He’s proud, lazy and obsessed with fishpaste sandwiches.

I first saw Alan Rickman in Truly, Madly, Deeply a long time ago but he can also be fabulously nasty (as the sheriff of Nottingham and of course as Snape in the Harry Potter films).  He’s great at sounding grumpy, which is very important for Gus!

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Guest Blog Post: Author Graham J. Sharpe

This is the first Guest Blog Post that I have hosted on here and I'm super happy. I have heard great things about Graham J. Sharpe's debut novel, Purple, and I can't wait to read it....

The Writing Process

Graham J. Sharpe

I think any writer would be lying if they told you that writing is easy. For me, it was a really long process. School was never my thing. I was bullied because I’m gay, and eventually I dropped out because fellow students could not accept me for who I was. Besides being bullied, I really hated the classroom environment. It took me a while to figure out that it wasn’t writing that I disliked but rather the idea of having someone tell me what to do.

One day I was talking to a friend and I realized that I had a good idea for a story. At that point I had taken a few creative writing courses, but didn’t have a college degree. I really didn’t think I had any business writing a book, but eventually I decided to go for it.

It took me a few years to write Purple. When I’m not writing I work as a flight attendant and combine travel with writing. I completed my first novel during the sleepless, jet-lagged hours spent in hotel rooms around the world. In the early days I wrote Purple on a notebook and had a friend type it out. I would write a little, put it away and then randomly start again.

I didn’t have a plan. In the beginning I didn’t even know who I was writing for. At first I thought it might be a short story for nine-year-old kids, but then the plot developed. I quickly realized that some of the main themes in Purple - bullying, friendship, trusting our intuition and dealing with loss - would appeal to an older demographic. After about three years I started writing more seriously. After two more years I finished the book.

I started to look for a literary agent and was referred to a London-based literary consultancy called Cornerstones. I wanted some feedback and I think that’s one of the biggest things new authors have to get over. It’s very scary at first to have someone read your work, but it really is important that you have an outsider look over it. Cornerstones read the entire manuscript and told me it had potential but needed some editing. I spent a further eighteen months rewriting.

I met an artist through another friend and she had some fantastic ideas for the cover. At that point I thought, “Well, maybe I ought to just publish it on my own.” So that’s what I did. Last September I published Purple as an eBook on Amazon, and I couldn’t be happier with where the book is today.

I think the most important thing that new writers need to remember is not to get discouraged. Take a break when you need one, have fun with the writing process and don’t give yourself a deadline. Creativity has to take its own course. Take your time and the words will come. 


Purchase Purple at Amazon paperback / ebook


About the Author:

At the age of 12, author Graham Sharpe regularly danced around the lounge to Kate Bush's “Wuthering Heights.” Today, he still hasn't decided what he'll do when he grows up. So far, the East Sussex, England-based writer has worked in an ice cream shop, trained as a hairdresser, studied sociology and psychology, written for and performed with a touring theatre company, and backpacked across far-flung countries with loose change in his pocket. Graham now combines travelling with writing and he completed his first novel, Purple, during the sleepless, jet-lagged hours spent in hotel rooms around the world.

Visit the author's official website. Check out his book in my "To Be Read Books" post here.

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