James Horsley - Family in a tree

We sat down with author James Horsley to discuss his latest book 'Family in a tree'. In our conversation we speak about his inspirations and the 'Family viewing' genre his book falls into. He also tell us what is in store for the future.

James, for those who haven't yet come across your book 'Family In A Tree', could you explain a little about what it's about, without giving too much away?

'Family in a Tree' is the story of a prince who's almost fully-grown, and his King and Queen parents and a few friends guide him through the last few difficult lessons that lie ahead.

Where did the inspiration come from to write this book?

The inspiration came from a combination of my passion for natural history and my own 'transformation' through adolescent hood.

When it came to writing the book, where did you start? What was your creative process like whilst writing 'Family In A Tree'?

Initially, I wrote 'Family in a Tree' as a fantasy sitcom, but I decided at a certain point to turn the episodes into chapters, shorten them a little, and commit the story to literature, as that would be the best way forward for a writer recognition.

You describe 'Family In A Tree' as a family book something all can enjoy from 10 Years upwards, did you set out to achieve this from the start?

I knew from the start that this was to be a light-hearted fantasy, perhaps comparable the works of Walt Disney, but less whimsical and more educational.

Whilst writing 'Family In A Tree', were there any moments you found yourself stuck? How did you overcome these situations?

I did indeed experience blockage whilst writing, but I recently found that to overcome it, I have to do some adequate writing each day.

Which type of people do you believe would enjoy reading 'Family In A Tree'?

There were two groups of people I had in mind when writing this first book: children and readers who want to learn.

When setting out to write 'Family In A Tree' what was your aim, what were you hoping to produce?

My aim when writing this particular book was to basically encourage readers to develop a factual interest in the world.

How long did it take you to write this book?

Including the early days when I pictured the story as a sitcom, it took me seven and a half years to write 'Family in a Tree'.

Do you believe the genre 'Family Viewing' will become more popular?

My anticipation of the family unit is dependent on the popularity of my first book and the number of other authors and writers who may be encouraged to take the same attitude. In other words, it's too early to tell.

If there are any budding writers reading this, what advice would you give to them?

The first piece of advice I would give to new writers is to prepare for a long journey as their story develops.

Could you tell us anything about any upcoming books you are working on?

I've written two other books which make up parts 2 and 3 of what I refer to as my fantasy literature trilogy. It's not exactly a trilogy as all three fantasies are rather different from each other, but it's the only way I can describe it.

James, Thank you for your time today.

Thank you.

'Family in a Tree' by James Horsley can be purchased from most online stores, including, Amazon, Waterstones, WHSmith and his publishers, cranthorpemillner.com