Stella Tarakson

It’s been a long time coming, but the release of my first junior novel is finally drawing near. Mike the Spike is being launched in August 🙂

There have been several highlights of the journey already. The first – and most crucial – was signing the contract with New Frontier Publishing. Promises of publication are all terribly exciting, but as a lawyer I know only too well that nothing’s definite until the contract’s done and dusted. Actually … not even then … but that’ll be the subject of another blog post!

Getting to see the manuscript laid out in book pages was the next marvellous milestone. For the first time, I saw my story as an actual product. It suddenly became something that other people will buy and sell, not just something that’s been living inside my head. It felt odd, like I was reading someone else’s book.

Large blank squares appeared throughout – spaces where the pictures would go. There were no pictures yet, just a few brief sentences to guide the illustrator. I couldn’t wait to see the drawings.

My editor passed on some preliminary sketches to keep me happy. I guess they’re used to impatient authors!

All the pictures will be in full colour. My illustrator is the talented Ben Johnston, who is also an architect. It’s so amazing to see my characters brought to life visually. It’s something I could never do myself. I’ve dabbled with drawing … and playing guitar … all I can say is, thank God I can write!