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Thank you for taking the time to talk to Royal
Central.
It’s a real pleasure to be asked, I’ve used your website for
research! I’m a fan.
You describe yourself as having a
‘Portfolio’ career, amongst other things you have been a model, a
TV Presenter and an actress. You are now a writer, would you say
you have now found your calling?
Probably not – is the best answer to that
question. I’m a creative person who likes to constantly be doing
something. I’m at my worst when I’m not immersed in a creative
project. The Adventures of a Royal Dog series was something I
really wanted to do because it is a hugely wonderful and exciting
world to be creative within. Life in the royal palaces is very
different through Lupo’s eyes. Right now I feel very privileged to
be allowed to share Lupo’s world with children and so this is for
now my central focus.
Our readers will know that you are the
author of The Adventures of a Royal Dog series. Can you explain a
bit more to our readers about how this all came
about?
If you can think back in time to when the Duke
and Duchess of Cambridge were getting married. Can you remember
that overwhelming sense of pride and love the world felt for them?
I was caught up in that and I remember thinking ‘if only we could
all always be caught up in this feeling of unified happiness’. It
was a very peaceful time. The Duke and Duchess’s story is such a
fun and loving one and it had the power to stop the world in its
tracks albeit for a brief few celebratory days.
I like everyone else eagerly followed their
story. When I saw that they had Lupo, who looks like a wonderful
fun and happy spirit I found myself wondering what he must see,
what life must be like for him with this happy couple as they begin
their lives together and they set up their home within the
spectacular surroundings at Kensington Palace.
My own cocker spaniel Lilly loves to explore the
palaces grounds and it’s a special time for us both so becoming
Lupo wasn’t as hard as it seems, I just found myself walking around
the grounds imagining life in Apartment 1A – asking myself
questions like “I wonder if Lupo sits under the kitchen table
waiting for the Duke to slip him some marmalade on toast whilst the
Duchess sips her tea in fluffy pink slippers?”
Can you give our readers a brief
overview of the plot of your first book The Adventures of a Royal
Dog, Lupo & The Secret of Windsor Castle?
Whilst out walking with Nanny and Prince George,
Lupo chases a squirrel to a hidden lake. Where upon he discovers a
badly injured swan. The swan Cyrus was attacked by something
vicious that had removed a lost treasure from the lake. When Lupo
is found cradling the poorly swan he is accused of the terrible
crime. It is up to him and his friends Herbert the Head of Mice
Intelligence Section Five, Holly the Queen’s corgi and Kitty the
Palace Cat to help clear his name by deciphering the clues to
reveal a very old dark secret lurking in the bowels of Windsor
Castle. Will he end up being led away to the Tower of London? Can
he save his friends from the Queen’s oldest secret? Will Prince
George cope without his loyal dog? Let a royal mystery take you and
your family on an adventure that will leave you enchanted by a very
special Cocker Spaniel.
You have your own Cocker Spaniel, Lilly.
How much did she inspire you to write this
series?
Lilly does lie in wait for marmalade on toast…
she is a huge inspiration. As I’m doing this she is under my feet
gently taking care of me, our home and overseeing everything.
Cocker spaniels like Lupo and Lilly are much loved and cared for
animals, who are as much a part of a family as a child. I should
imagine the pregnant Duchess takes great comfort from Lupo who is
no doubt looking out for her in her time of need whilst at the same
time playing with Prince George, aiding the Duke and guarding the
Palace (with the help of a few of his friends of
course).
Why was it the Duke and Duchess of
Cambridge’s dog Lupo you chose to focus on in your books and not
The Queens corgis or The Duchess of Cornwall’s two Jack Russell
terriers?
I know cocker spaniels and the trick to writing
anything is to write something you understand and are passionate
about. Her Majesty’s corgi’s are a big part of Lupo’s adventures
and they are a pretty interesting bunch – Monty, the oldest corgi always does the night shift unless
he feels Her Majesty’s husband needs special attention, in which
case Willow, the other senior royal corgi eagerly stands in.
According to Holly the youngest of the Queen’s dogs, Willow
hates being out of the loop. Often she’s found quietly
watching from the corners of Buckingham Palace. She likes to be as
close as she can to the Queen so as not to miss any opportunity to
get a treat or a pat. Candy, a dorgi, is pretty fussy: she
complains if she isn’t allowed to accompany the Queen when meeting
Heads of State or choosing dresses, hats, shoes from her vast
(often recycled) wardrobe. And of course there is Vulcan, he
choses not to work to any kind of shift. He follows the Queen
sniffing at her ankles like he’s trying to work something out.
Sometimes Holly finds the Queen abandoned because Vulcan is off
doing something he considers far more ‘important’.
The Duchess of Cornwall’s Jacks are a pair of
naughty twins – NONE of the royal dogs have escaped my attention,
all of them play a big role in the monarchy and it’s
future!
Knowing that The Adventures of a Royal
Dog: Lupo & The Secret of Windsor Castle was a book for
children, when I read it I was surprised at how enticed I became by
the whole thing. Was it always your intention to mesmerise adults
with your storytelling as well as children?
No! That was a surprise to me. A dear friend of
my families is a horse trainer who has worked with the royal family
for many years. He read it and he called me straight away to ask
for the next one. He’s in his 70’s! I think it’s a fantasy world,
which is real at the same time. We all know what Windsor Castle
looks like, only none of us have had a chance to really explore it
and I think it’s this that adults are drawn too. That and it’s a
chance for us to experience what happens behind those big stone
walls -a glimpse within a very mysterious and special world we all
know and love but rarely get to experience or share in.
The focus of this series is mainly on
the animals, though Royal Family members do make fleeting
appearances. Were you always 100% certain
that the animals would be the main
attraction?
Yes absolutely. When the Duchess of Cambridge
visited The Art Room she revealed the name of her spaniel to the
children, it was their reaction that excited me. Children
everywhere immediately responded to the name Lupo. I initially
wrote a series aimed at a much younger age group but in truth
children under the age of 6 aren’t as aware of the royal family as
children of the age of 8. I am a very big fan of the royal family
and everything that they do, so it is very important to me that I
write about them in a respectful way hence they are fleetingly
mentioned, Lupo’s adventures are of course children’s books and not
unscrupulous revelations – children are far more interested in
animal antics then a princes!
You say that you were inspired by Enid
Blyton. Are there any more authors or just anyone else who
inspires you?
When was the last time you read Buckingham
Palace by AA Milne? I have a copy of it by my desk. I love his
poems. To this day I buy and re-buy children’s classics. They are
gentle stories that inspire children to dream and have an
imagination. I’m a traditionalist. I have tried to read modern
children’s ‘celebrity’ authors but find myself throwing them across
rooms annoyed at the contents or the lack of educational
content!
Are you a fan of the entire Royal Family
or is it just the animals?
One day the royal family is the center of all
that is good about England and the next they are ridiculed and
undone. The attitude towards our beloved royal family is
continually in flux. Which I personally think is very
disappointing. Without them I think England would be lost. They
give us more than they take, they help so many without a voice and
their homes give us a rich history that is the envy of the world. I
am a person who is greatly proud to be British and all the pomp and
circumstance that comes with it. If I can educate children on the
wonders of our monarchy through the use of story telling through
the eyes of Lupo, then perhaps in some way I am giving a bit back
to those that have done so much for us.
I believe you are planning some
more adventures for Lupo and his animal friends. Can
you give us a few clues as to just what Lupo will be getting
up to in his next quest?
Lupo & The Curse at Buckingham Palace will be
out in June 2015. It will be the second book in the series. There
are currently four books planned and three penned!
In the second book Lupo and his friends have to
hurry to save Buckingham Palace from an ancient curse. I really
enjoyed writing it and I very much hope children and adults will
enjoy reading it and the other books I produce in the series. I
will confess though it wasn’t easy having to predict the timings of
pregnancies, marriages and coronations!
Could a Lupo film be on the
cards?
We have had interest but I am holding back on
agreeing to anything at the moment. I want to give children a
chance to read the books and imagine things for themselves. Films
and animated series are not off the cards, perhaps in the future
and only if it’s presented in the right way. I’m very keen to
protect what has become a very big part of my own
family.
And finally, The Duke and Duchess of
Cambridge recently announced they were expecting their second
child. Boy or Girl?
A few weeks before the announcement I was
putting my finishing touches to Lupo & The Curse at Buckingham
Palace and i can reveal that the Duchess is juggling two boys and
not much sleep!
With special thanks to Aby King for taking the time to talk to
Royal Central. Lupo and the Secret of Windsor Castle is available
for download as well as in hardcover format.
Photo Credit: Jessica Dobbs Photography and Aby King.]]>
