Ondine: The Summer of Shambles

FAQ for Ondine: The Summer of Shambles

How do you pronounce Ondine?
on-deen.

Is Ondine: The Summer of Shambles the first book in a series?
Yes. Whilst the first book works completely as a stand alone novel, there are more to come. The sequel is called Ondine: The Autumn Palace and was released February 2011.

What age is Ondine suitable for?
It has a suggested reading level of 12+. This refers to the ability of the reader, not the content. The tone of this series of books is charming and fun, with moments of intrigue and drama.

Is this book affiliated with Neil Jordan's movie 'Ondine'?
No. In fact it began life many years before that film was announced. Except for the title character name, it has no similarities.

Is Ondine your first book?
Ondine is my debut teen novel, but I wrote many books beforehand, which were never published.

Is Brugel a real place?
No. The country Ondine is set in is a completely fictional place.

Why does your book have footnotes?
Just one of those bizarre instances of kismet. With Shambles' thick Scottish brogue and strange way of speaking, there had to be a way to explain what he was really saying. I also had to find a way to explain the idiosyncrasies of Brugel without launching into travel-guide exposition. The footnotes seemed to fit, and then they took on a life of their own. It was also a way for me to 'cheat' and reveal my research, without having to find a cleverer way of blending facts into the story.

You did research? But it's all made up?
Of course! I've visited Scotland - Shambles' country of origin - many times. I know a few Scottish sayings and have some friends with links to places north of Hadrian's Wall. Having said that, clearly many of Shambles' phrases are made up. Inspiration also came from the internet and books - and watching Doctor Who's David Tennant speak in his real scottish accent. Watching him is really good research! ;-) Thank you to all the Scots contributing to websites about your colourful language. You banjaxed my brain.

When did you first get your ideas for Ondine?
In 2006, I was walking to pick up my toddler son from daycare. It wasn't so much an idea as a brief image of a gypsy girl with an animal on her shoulder which then became a real man. In the image, it was dark but there were fireflies or bright stars in the sky. I think the small animal was a rat at first, but then a few seconds later I realised a ferret would be a bit different. Then he spoke with a Scottish accent and I laughed at myself. (It was a long walk, by the way).

How long did it take you to write Ondine?
It took six months to write the first draft, then I left it for a while, took an early chapter to my writers' group for critiquing and then got back to revisions. All up it took about a year. I also started other novels during that time and had a part time job and family to look after. I landed an agent, Suzy Jenvey at PFD in late 2007 and she secured me a contract with Egmont in 2008 for an April 2010 release.

Why such a long time between signing a contract and publishing?
It is a long time, I agree. But in the months that followed, I had to revise Ondine with the Egmont editors, and write a second book. That second book is in the revision stage now. It also took about nine months to write.