JAMES DAWSON

Posted by James Dawson on May 14, 2012

‘I wish I’d been a teen idle, wish I’d been a prom queen fighting for the title’ laments Marina Diamandis on her beautiful new album, Electra Heart. Americana is never far from the singer’s thoughts. Electra Heart is an alter-ego, a fading starlet. On earlier single Hollywood, Marina sang how Hollywood led her to expect ‘kisses in the rain’. It’s only recently, since my very own prom queen race was announced, and the subsequent awakening of my competitive streak, that I realised how much America has influenced my thought processes too.

Children born after 1970 are the children of American import television. Star Trek was first shown on BBC1 in 1969, and since then glossy US imports have filled our screens. Hollywood has been the principal manufacturer of cinema since the advent of the concept. As a child, growing up in the eighties, I was OBSESSED with anything American. I wouldn’t even watch British-made TV. I wonder to this day if young people, and more saliently, young readers, are as spellbound as I was by all things American.

British drama just felt so GRIMY and SERIOUS and WORTHY. Everything in Grange Hill and Byker Grove seemed so monochrome and gritty. At the time, I didn’t give two shits about how well written Children’s Ward or Press Gang were. I wanted the sun drenched shores of Baywatch and the whitened smiles of Saved By The Bell. As ground breaking as heroin addiction at Grange Hill was, I was much more interested in Jessie Spano’s twenty minute addiction to caffeine pills.

All-American High Schools seemed so much more glamorous than my dreary Grammar in West Yorkshire. At the time, the fact that all the ‘teens’ were being played by actors in their twenties didn’t really concern me. Beverly Hills 90210, California Dreams, Maxie’s World, Jem and the Holograms and Out of this World were my one way ticket out of reality and into a world of cheerleaders, prom queens, homecoming dances, drive-thrus and letterman jackets.

Andy from The Goonies is my earliest memory of pin-up cheerleader perfection. She’s beautiful, popular, blonde and rocks a pair of tube socks like no other. As a child the fact that she’s purely there as ‘the pretty girl’ was totally overlooked. I’m gonna put this out there – I don’t know a lot of children who worry about whether characters on TV are good feminist role-models.

My obsession continued well into my teens and beyond. Sunset Beach got me through my A-Levels. Also, if you haven’t seen Heathers, do so NOW. Just put down what you’re doing and watch it. As I got older, I was ready to dissect the culture I was craving and appreciate that all that glittered is far from gold. That said, my love for Clueless, and its bubblegum pop art colourfulness, remains to this day. I don’t care what high school is like, in my head everyone is having nose jobs and living in mansions. David LaChapelle, noted fashion photographer, seems to have the same taste for hyper-Americanism as I do. If you aren’t familiar with his portraits of Britney, Lil Kim and Dolly Parton, I’d recommend them.

The thing is, I still have no desire to watch Shameless or Eastenders. To me, they’re still grim. I’ll take Ringer and Glee thanks. Hell, I even watch the rebooted 90210. Hollow Pike is something of a hybrid. I almost took the British characters and transposed them into an American high school in Yorkshire. I suppose I wanted to represent those young people in the UK who, like me, secretly want to be cheerleaders and ‘quarterbacks’ (no, I have no idea, either). The difficulty was in creating characters who are aspirational but real to a UK readership. I think you can do both. I can hear you screaming ‘WHY SHOULD EFFING YA CHARACTERS HAVE TO BE ASPIRATIONAL?’ and my answer is, because I wanted them to be.

Being nominated for the Queen of Teen Award has brought out the Molly Ringwald in me. At my old school, had we had a prom queen, there is a very real possibility that, like Kurt in Glee, I would have been nominated as a cruel prank. I’d have gone full-tilt Carrie White, but still. Now that I’m nominated, you can’t help but picture the moment the music stops and, wide-eyed and hand on chest, you make your way through the student body and streamers to collect the crown.

I can’t help it. Hollywood infected my brain, I wanted kisses in the rain.

You can helped my DOOMED OBSESSION by voting for me HERE!

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Posted by James Dawson on April 22, 2012

By far the funnest part of the Hollow Pike book tour was the Q&A sessions – some of the questions were ‘out there’. Nothing I can come up with is as fun as reader’s questions, so this week, I’m opening up my blog to you, my lovely book-reading chums!

Mhairi Ledgerwood wants to know: What advice would you give to a writer trying to keep motivated and finish their first novel?

This comes up a lot. Most authors give the same advice – read lots of books in a similar genre, don’t give up etc. I’d like to quote Irish author Colm Toibin who said at the Shoreditch House Salon ‘Go home and write your f*****g book’. Crude, but he has a point. If I had a pound for everyone who said they had a great book idea…well let me get my Pensieve out and have a look! You have to write the bloody thing! Yes, it will take months of your life, but it will be worth it. The trick is in setting small goals and rewarding yourself. Finished a chapter? Woo! Have a Wispa. Finished 20,000 words? Have a cheesecake. In writing, no-one else but you is going to reward you. ‘Getting published’ is one goal of many.

Eden Ottman says Hollow Pike is AMAZING.. my question is … did you have to reasearch a lot for the book and is there a sequel???

To the first part, the answer is yes AND no. The characters and setting are a part of my past, so I knew them instinctively. However, without wanting to give anything way, the witchcraft element did need a lot of research. I read The Crucible, The Malleus Maleficarum and lots and lots about the Pendle witch trials.

I think it’s time to talk about the sequel, because a lot of people have been asking. Before I signed my deal with Orion, I had already written most of a sequel to Hollow Pike. I won’t reveal the title, but I will say it focused on the character of Kitty Monroe. There was a whole new mystery for the gang to solve. But, these are tricky times for bookshops and publishers. A sequel is only going to happen if Hollow Pike is a huge success. The reviews have been AMAZING, which I’m thrilled about, but now I need you all to spread the word like crazy! I really hope I can share Kitty’s story with you one day soon!

For now, all I will say about the second novel from Orion is that it’s a twisty turny thriller! Watch this space!

Michael ‘King Peter’ Andrews asks Was The Crucible inspiration?

Very much so. The Crucible is a metaphor for victimisation and scapegoating. The message of that play is as relevant today as it was then. In fact, with the media becoming more and more powerful, there are all sorts of ‘witch-hunts’ happening in the world today. I think Muslims and gay people get a very tough time in the press.

Laura H wants to know: Have you seen a stranger buying or reading Hollow Pike and did you say/do anything when you noticed?

I’m still waiting for the stranger on the tube moment (although I’m SURE that’s because everyone bought the Kindle version ;)). That said, at a recent signing a reader came in to get her book signed – she’d randomly bought it because of the beautiful cover and then loved it. That was a very special feeling – to know that people are out there choosing to buy Hollow Pike is an honour.

Gavin Gunter asked: James Dawson -  in 10 years time… what do you want to have achieved?

My big fat goal is to carry on writing full-time. It’s the best job in the world. I always say my job is ‘writer’ not necessarily ‘author’. Fiction is my true-love, but I would also like to write for newspapers and magazines, non-fiction and perhaps even scripts. It would be UNREAL to see someone adapt one of my novels for the stage or screen. I would also like to have achieved a marriage (yes, a marriage, not a ‘civil partnership’) to a Hemsworth brother. I’m not particularly bothered which, which I think makes me very reasonable.

Ellie Fryer says: How did you decide on a title for your book? How did you come up with such an original idea for Hollow Pike when there are lots of books written about the same thing (for example vampires)? ♥

The title was originally ‘Bracken Hill’, but at quite a late stage I discovered that Bracken Hill is a hugely successful jam company in Yorkshire. ‘Bracken Hill – The town where jam never sleeps’ isn’t VERY scary so we changed it! A lovely teacher I used to work with called Sophie helped me choose ‘Hollow Pike’. Pike is old english for hill, plus has an unsettling tone to it, I think.

Trends in YA fiction are silly. Schedules are set years in advance, so you just have to write what you want to write about. I had no idea that witchcraft was going to be trendy this year, but it’s worked out that way. I think with things like vampires, they never ever go out of fashion. The supernatural will always fascinate us, because we can’t fully understand it, and that taps into something scary. Everyone loves a scare!

Emma Davies asks: Any tips for handling bullying in school for my pupils?

The main message of Hollow Pike is, MAKE THE RIGHT FRIENDS. I think so many bullying problems stem from faulty friendships. I’m not happy about it, but I think a bit of bullying is inevitable. Schools are so crowded and competitive that social climbing is bound to happen. As sad as it seems, putting someone down is a way to get ahead. BUT – if you have the right friends, you can feel invincible.

I think teachers should work on empowering young people to be assertive and confident. If someone says ‘ha, you look stupid’, we need to get students in the position where they think ‘I actually don’t care.’ If you feel confident in yourself, your opinions and your lifestyle, it’s so much harder to be a victim.

And finally, pedantic singer/songwriter Stuart Warwick wants to know: How did Mrs Gillespie get Lis’s phone number in Hollow Pike?

With as few spoilers as possible, I think it would be reasonable to say that Mrs Gillespie has her means…she’s no ordinary old lady, is she?

Thank you so much for your questions! I really enjoyed answering them, and they were all very sensible! I’d love to do this again, so ALWAYS feel free to leave questions on Facebook and Twitter! Or even under here in the comments box!

Lots of love, James xxx

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Posted by James Dawson on April 17, 2012

A lot of authors are vying for your nominations for the Queen of Teen Award right now. Contrary to what you may have read, the QoT as I shall call it, is open to all teen authors, female OR male. For this reason, I should very much like to be short-listed! I would be the FIRST EVER male contender.

Let me explain why I’m so keen to be the queen. Number one, there is a crown involved. AN ACTUAL CROWN.

More importantly though, when I was a little boy, I used to love wrapping myself up in my mum’s gold duvet and pretending to be a character called ‘Princess Susan’ (what? I was like five!). I made my sister be my servant, Sally (sorry, Joanne). However, I was always getting told off for this because ‘it’s not what little boys do’. This sense of ‘doing things wrong’ continued well into my twenties. I thought there were certain things boys shouldn’t do or say just because they are boys.

This is obviously HORSESHIT. No-one, male or female, should ever feel limited on the basis of gender. I like to think, that if I could get anywhere near that crown it’d send out a beacon-like message to all the teenage readers that GENDER MEANS NOTHING. Everyone needs to feel like a queen now and then.

I would so appreciate your nominations. Only do so if you enjoyed Hollow Pike, though or it’s all a bit political! I know some of you have voted already and I’m so chuffed! I really hope I get shortlisted. Voting closes this week, so if you haven’t already, I’ll love you forever! You can vote here: http://www.queenofteen.co.uk/nominate.html

And if you are in ANY DOUBT that a dude can be a queen, allow me to introduce the mighty Raja…

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Posted by James Dawson on April 8, 2012

JK Rowling is what I believe is called a ‘game changer’. Prior to the domination of Potter, the concept of a ‘famous author’ wasn’t a thing, but now writing a book is another path into the fame game. JK Rowling is unique in her situation, however. If James Patterson were to walk in my flat now, I wouldn’t recognise him. Is it enough to know his name? Is Suzanne Collins happier being the anonymous ‘The Hunger Games Woman’ than newly megastared Jennifer Lawrence?

I’ve been thinking about FAME. I’m loathed to give the woman any more publicity, but Samantha Brick was the name on everyone’s lips this week. She is either famous for being THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND ALLURING WOMAN IN THE WORLD or THAT UGLY BITCH DIE DIE DIE. The problem is, she doesn’t mind either way. That’s right, a plant grows whether you water it with love or piss on it. Such is the name of the fame game. Either way, Ms Brick gets what she wanted. We ALL know her name. She’s gonna live forever, she’s gonna learn how to fly.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that Brick is working on a recipe book.

I clump Brick into the same group of Z-List celebrities such as former Big Brother contestants Imogen Thomas, who simply cannot stop telling us about her extra-marital affair with Ryan Giggs, and Nikki Graham, who is still selling stories about her battle with anorexia. Now, I’m not saying Ryan Giggs is a saint (obviously not), but at least he’s kept his mouth shut. The FAME is clearly of no interest to him. He could have had a book deal out of it, but no.

More than the point of fame itself (bonking, declaring yourself the new Helen of Troy), there is now more fame to be made from media issue du jour ‘trolling’. Trolling is Extreme Internet Slagging Off, and it is a crime. But more than a crime, it is oxygen to attention/publicity seekers like Brick and Thomas. You immediately get a second source of fame: ‘CRUEL WEB MONSTERS TARGET BRICK’. Well, of course they did. She went in the Daily Mail to tell everyone how wildly beautiful she was. The act predicted the response.

So why don’t we all do this? My debut novel, Hollow Pike, has been in shops for a couple of months and is selling very well, thank you – but it could do so much better with a little self sacrifice. What part of my soul should I sell? A sex tape (Tulisa has a single out, folks)? Something scandalous from my childhood? Perhaps I could send my family or friends down the stream? Or I could hook myself a celeb boyfriend! That’d be fun.

Well, no, obviously not. For one thing, no one would care because I’ve never been on The X Factor. But here’s the thing. All of these stunts, so common in the media, are to mask a total lack of talent. I would put good money on some sort of Cheryl and Ashley Cole reunion stuff to start floating around in the next few weeks. Why? Ms Cole is back with a third album. Of course, it’ll be terrible, but the wall-to-wall PR will send it straight to the top of the charts. Similarly, although I’ve only read samples of the ‘Masters of the Universe’ Twilight fanfic it stemmed from, 50 Shades of Grey has been universally slated by reviewers. Despite these awful reviews, it will most likely be one of the best selling books of the year. This is a result of exceptionally stealthy PR based on ‘word of mouth’. But I haven’t heard anyone say it’s good – so what is this ‘word-of-mouth’? I would argue bloggers and press only starting talking about it because it was a porno version of Twilight. The publisher behind the book knew they would for this reason.

I cannot speak for all authors, but I do know this. Whether it’s any good or not, I worked bloody hard on Hollow Pike. Two years of writing went into that baby. Writing, editing, hacking, slashing and then repeat. I would be devastated if people only read it because of sniggering glimpses of ‘The Red Room of Pain’ or because I was famous for bonkers tabloid claims. I imagine most authors feel the same. We are more than happy to do PR…I have talked about bullying and sexuality, but only because I am happy to and don’t feel like I’m betraying any part of myself or my family. If anything, those pieces were embarrassing, but I thought they might be helpful to young people, so it was a write-off. However, there is a line, I call it THE DIGNITY LINE. I think any author worth their salt would rather let the books, and our writing, sell themselves.

On a final note, it’s clear to me that YOU ARE ALL JEALOUS OF MY BEAUTY. If you disagree you are a HATER.

;-)

4 comments

Posted by James Dawson on April 1, 2012

Five years ago, Chris Hemsworth was just plain old Kyle Hyde in Aussie soap opera Home and Away. He even did a stint on Dancing With the Stars. His little brother, Liam, was on the other one, Neighbours. Oh, but what a difference a few years makes. Both brothers, neither unpleasing on the eye, are now Hollywood’s hottest property. But if you had a choice (like Miley ALLEGEDLY did), which Hemsworth would you go for? Here’s a helpful guide before you buy.

	Chris – 29	Liam – 22
Massive breakout role	Thor: Who doesn’t love an arrogant Norse God expelled from Asgard?  Appears in Thor and the forthcoming Avengers Assemble. Downside – silly costume.	The Hunger Games: Oddly well-fed starving person. Appears in The Hunger Games and (presumably) the sequels.
Topless picture
Earlier odd horror film appearance	A shaven-headed Hemsworth plays ‘dumb jock’ with a twist in Joss Whedon horror film with a twist, Cabin In The Woods, out in two weeks’ time. It was filmed in 2008, however, long before Thor.	A shaven-headed Hemsworth plays ‘dumb jock’ with a twist in not-Joss Whedon horror film with a twist Triangle, which starred other Aussie done-good, Melissa George.
Where else have I seen him?	Playing Kirk’s doomed father in the JJ Abram’s version of Star Trek.	Playing Spencer in barmy Nicholas Cage sci-fi gubbins Knowing.
Unfortunate links to Miley Cyrus	Purely rumour.	They worked together on Nicholas Sparks adaptation The Last Song, and have dated since. Sad, but true. BURN HER.
Single?	No – married to Spanish actress Elsa Pataky.	No – see above.
Career Prospects	Shiny. Between The Avengers and Snow White and The Huntsman, this is so Chris’ year. He’s a less loathsome Sam Worthington – the sky’s the limit.	Less certain. A teen franchise is hard to step away from (ask Taylor Lautner). For some reason he’s in The Expendables 2 and rumoured to be in a new version of Arabian Nights.
Would you?	Yes you would.	I imagine you would.

2 comments

Posted by James Dawson on March 25, 2012

Something wicked this way comes…VAMPIRES! Nah, I’m just messing with ya mind! Last week saw the annual Bologna Children’s Book Fair, and the big story this year, without doubt, was witches. If dystopian was the new vampires, witches are, we are told, are the new dystopian.

Therefore, UK readers, you should be proud that two homegrown authors – myself and Ruth Warburton (author of A Witch in Winter) pre-empted this new craze. Hollow Pike and A Witch in Winter are OUT NOW and although wildly different in tone, make fantastic and sexy bookshelf companions (even I do say so myself).

But how is it that haggard, warty, green wenches of Satan became beautiful, doe-eyed, misunderstood outsiders? It could be, that like vampires, as a defence mechanism, we needed to make frightening concepts more cuddly – we metaphorically castrate our monsters. I prefer the idea that where something is EVIL, it becomes intrinsically tempting, seductive and a little bit sexay. The idea of a gorgeous young thing using the dark arts to spellbind their victim is, well, let’s face it, kinky.

With this in mind I present my TOP TEN SEXIEST WITCHES! In reverse order…

10. Samantha Stephens in Bewitched (Elizabeth Montgomery): In the film version, Nicole Kidman was frostier than a penguin’s bottom, but the original witch housewife was quite the suburban minx. In the classic witch-marries-a-human sitcom, Montgomery practiced a strong line in feminist career magic, as Samantha essentially kept her husband in advertising ideas with a well-timed (not to mention cute) wiggle of her nose. Try as I might, I can’t get my nose to do that.

9. Lafayette Reynolds in True Blood (Nelson Ellis): That’s right, men can be witches too. In season three of True Blood, Lafayette and his boyfriend Jesus begin to explore the dark arts, and by season 4 it’s clear Lafayette is a badass wicca – channeling the dead is his forte. On a more superficial level, those arms are so impressive, I’ll overlook the guyliner and funny little mohawk.

8. Faye Chamberlain/Jake Armstrong in The Secret Circle (Phoebe Tonkin and Chris Zylka): I’m going to be very honest. I haven’t warmed to Secret Circle in the way I hoped I would. Why? The main characters are so insipid – you’re witches! Do some scary stuff! Luckily town scamps Faye and Jake are MUCH naughtier and hence much sexier. Power hungry and unpredictable – my kinda guys.

7. Paige Matthews in Charmed (Rose McGowan): Shannon Doherty’s sour-faced Prue Halliwell was never in danger of making the list, so when she quit Charmed after three years, Scream siren McGowan was hastily drafted in as the Halliwell’s long-lost half sister. Convenient. Paige is telekenetic, not to mention half white-lighter, but more importantly was a lot less emo than her half sisters and a lot more fun. As an ex girlfriend of Marilyn Manson and a fan of drastic plastic surgery, she’s great tabloid fodder too!

6. Sukie Ridgemont in The Witches of Eastwick (Michelle Pheiffer): Pheiffer was at the height of her eighties fame when she starred as one of three housewives lured into the dark arts by Satan (Jack Nicholson). Pheiffer is gorgeously pouty as journalist mum-of-six Sukie. Her witchcraft street cred was further consolidated by another star turn as witch queen Lamia in 2007′s Stardust.

5. Bellatrix Lestrange in Harry Potter (Helena Bonham Carter): Yes, Bellatrix is sexy. Don’t fight it. Things that make Bellatrix sexy: 1. She’s insane. 2. She’s incredibly powerful. 3. She’s deadly. 4. There’s no safety word. Helena Bonham Carter serves rockstar realness, and in many ways is far scarier than Voldemort, who at least seems to have a plan. With Bellatrix, anything goes.

4. Pogue Parry in The Covenant (Taylor Kitsch): Proving that there’s no shit he won’t lend his name to, the ‘John Carter’ and ‘Battleships’ star plays one of a coven of sexy teenage warlocks in this truly awful film. That said, just because the film is drivel doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate the aesthetic value of Kitsch alongside Gossip Girl hunks Chase Crawford and Sebastian Stan.

3. Willow Rosenberg in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Alyson Hannigan): Willow became the unlikely pin-up of Buffy. By the time her character had come out and turned to the dark arts, Hannigan surpassed Buffy herself in FHM’s sexiest women poll. Willow was always ‘cute’ but her slide into ‘magic addiction’ revealed a more adult side, not to mention a goddess of evil makeover.

2. Nancy Downs in The Craft (Fairuza Balk): Before Bellatrix there was Nancy, schoolgirl harlot/raving psycho. Now, if, like me, you’re a child of the nineties, you were in one of two camps – Team Nancy or Team Sarah. Good girl Sarah (played by Robin Tunney) has an appeal, but is about as vanilla as it gets. The scene in which Nancy glamours poor old Skeet Ulrich into a snog before launching him out of a window is MUCH more my style.

1. Serafina Pekkala in The Golden Compass (Eva Green): Taking our top spot with high-fashion, Vogue poise is the stunning Eva Green in the shoddy adaptation of Philip Pullman’s masterpiece ‘Northern Lights’. Pekkala is the witch queen of the Inari, Finland. If true sex appeal derives from oneness with self, then wise and serene Pekkala has had 300 years to perfect her cool. In Pullman’s universe the witches take human lovers on the basis of their bravery, intelligence and beauty, only to watch them grow old and die, while they remain as youthful and lovely as Eva Green. Gutted.

Who did I miss? Did I get the order wrong? Be sure to tell me about your favourite witches in the handy box below!

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Posted by James Dawson on March 18, 2012

In terrifying news that will make any TV viewer of a certain age realise their own mortality, 90′s TV cult phenomenon (and my personal favourite) Buffy the Vampire Slayer turned 15 years old last week. Yes, FIFTEEN years since Sarah Michelle Gellar’s body double back-flipped into our hearts with a quick pun before turning the undead minions to dust.

For those who don’t know (and if you don’t you must), BtVS was the creation of Joss Whedon, the writer/director also responsible for Firefly, Serenity, Dollhouse and the soon-to-be-massive Avengers movie. It told the simple tale of a perfectly normal all-American cheerleader called Buffy Summers who discovers her destiny is to battle vampires and demons. She was only girl in the world who could do it, but had to do so while balancing her day-job as daughter, friend and schoolgirl. It was YA before YA was a thing. It was smart, moving, funny, heart-breaking and (in places) musical.

The series concluded in 2003 with the feminist masterstroke of finally allowing Buffy to decide if she WANTED to be the Slayer, and saw the hero and her surviving chums leaving the town of Sunnydale as rubble. But what was the true destiny of The Slayer and her Slayerettes? The last decade has been kinder to some than others…

Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers: The post-Buffy future initially seemed bright for SMG. On the back of her starring role she landed high profile parts in Scream 2, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Cruel Intentions and Scooby Doo. However, once the show ended, Gellar’s star waned and after lacklustre horror spots in The Grudge and The Return, Gellar focused on her baby daughter, Charlotte. In 2011, Gellar, now 34, returned to television in the ludicrous but addictive evil twin drama Ringer.

Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg: Arguably the most consistent post-Buffy alum. Canny career moves saw Hannigan (37) position herself as a comic actor – securing a popular franchise in the American Pie movies and a starring role in the hugely successful sitcom How I Met Your Mother (currently in its 7th season, matching Buffy‘s run). In real life, Hannigan is still married to Buffy co-star Alexis Denisof (Wesley Wyndham-Pryce) and the couple are expecting their second child.

Nicholas Brendon as Xander Harris: Life after Buffy hasn’t been easy for Buffy’s stalwart friend. Brendon, now 40, has fought a very public battle with alcohol and sleeping pill addiction. This sad state of affairs culminated with his tasering and arrest for battery of a police officer in 2010. Shortly after he received a suspended jail sentence he voluntarily entered rehab. On a personal note, this breaks my tiny heart. Professionally, Brendon’s post Buffy resume contains theatre and a recurring role on Private Practice.

Anthony Stewart Head as Rupert Giles: As long as TV and films need silver British villains, Head (58) will be able to find work. Buffy’s former watcher has notched up numerous screen appearances since 2003 in such gems as Little Britain, The Iron lady, The Imbetweeners Movie, Doctor Who, Merlin and Ghost Rider 2. Head’s eldest daughter, Emily, is also making a name for herself as Carly D’Amato in the massive Imbetweeners franchise.

David Boreanaz as Angel: Early Cullen prototype Boreanaz, now 42, has aged spectacularly well and retained his heartthrob credentials. After Buffy, the spin-off Angel ran for five (slightly patchy) seasons before Boreanaz went straight into a lead role on dreary police procedural Bones – now in its seventh year. On a personal front, Boreanaz has been no angel (LOLOLOL), admitting to numerous extra marital affairs and being sued for sexual harrassment by an extra on Bones.

Michelle Trachtenberg as Dawn Summers: Buffy’s ball of energy sister was only 18 when the show finished, the role marking the start of a promising career. Since Buffy ended, Trachtenberg (now 26) is better known as the coniving Georgina Sparks on Gossip Girl as well as roles in 17 Again, Black Christmas and Weeds. Miss Trachtenberg is also a lad’s mag regular and friend of very pale makeup.

James Marsters as William ‘Spike’ Pratt: Marsters (49) capitalised cleverly on his cult status. After stretching out the role of Spike from 1997 – 2004 (even his death in the last episode of Buffy didn’t stop him becoming a series regular in the last series of Angel), Marsters was airlifted into various cult TV shows as ‘the guy who used to be Spike’. Canny. Marsters has popped up as a guest on Torchwood, Smallville, Supernatural and Caprica.

Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase: Carpenter (41) graduated from Buffy into Angel, where she was the female lead for the first four seasons before bizarrely vanishing without much explanation. Since then, Carpenter hasn’t been off our screens even if she has failed to attain star status. Keen eyed viewers may have spotted her on Charmed, Veronica Mars, Greek, Supernatural and now in the YAtastic The Lying Game as MILFy Aunt Rebecca.

Emma Caulfield as Anya/Anyanka/Aud Jenkins: Caulfield, now 39, was spectacular as hilarious vengeance demon Anya, so it’s a little disappointing that her post-Buffy career stalled. Although she was the lead in ‘evil tooth fairy’ horror Darkness Falls, her only noteable effort since was a mockumentary about herself called Bandwagon which failed to be distributed. Recently, Caulfield appeared as ‘Blind Witch’ on fairy-tale drama series Once Upon A Time.

Seth Green as Daniel ‘Oz’ Osbourne: Back when Willow ‘drove stick’ (thanks, Faith), her boyfriend was Seth Green’s werewolf, now 38. Green left Buffy midway through season four to focus on his blooming Austin Powers film career. Since the early 2000s, however, things have been quieter. Green is now better known, perhaps, as the writer/creator of cult favourite Robot Chicken and for his voice work on Family Guy and American Dad.

Eliza Dushku as Faith Lehane: Dushku (31) can turn gay men straight. Fact. It was all meant to go so well for Dushku. After her recurring role as the rogue slayer on both Buffy and Angel, her career got off to a flying start with turns in Bring It On, Wrong Turn and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Rumour was that Joss Whedon had envisaged a Faith spin-off with the anti-hero fighting vampires on the road. Dushku declined, opting for the dreadful Tru Calling before returning to Whedon for the uneven Dollhouse, which was cancelled after two seasons.

Marc Blucas as Riley Finn: All-American beefcake Blucas, 40, was meant to be Buffy’s perfect boyfriend. Sadly fans disagreed. LOUDLY. Since being packed off to Peru (!), Blucas has, like Charisma Carpenter, worked solidly, but not in anything you’d give a tiny rat’s ass about. Last year he popped up in awful Tom Cruise/Cameron Diaz vehicle Knight and Day.

Amber Benson as Tara Maclay: Last, but by no means least, it was important to include Willow’s dearly departed lover, as Benson (35) appeared in easily the best/worst post Buffy CV entry. Allow me introduce One Eyed Monster, in which poor Benson is terrorised by the possessed and severed member of legendary porn star Ron Jeremy. I’m seriously not making this up. Possibly even weirder is that Benson, who recently popped up with old chum Gellar in Ringer, is dating Adam Busch. The same Adam Busch who played Warren – killer of her character on Buffy!

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Posted by James Dawson on March 12, 2012

The first time I went to see Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball tour, it bordered on a religious experience. Her interaction with the crowd, the pithy one-liners, her casual piano-stool chats. I was in awe. Only then I made the mistake of returning to the ball nine months later. Every ad-lib, every pun was repeated. The whole show was scripted. You can imagine my disappointment.

Having spent the last two weeks visiting a new school every day, I should like to extend a formal apology to Ms Gaga. I now get it. What I had failed to understand is that, although I’d seen it all before, all the other Little Monsters had not, and they were as rapt as I’d been the first time. This, I have learned, is the trick to the tour . You have to pretty much do the same thing time and after time, but each visit has to be unique, fresh and exciting for the audience – because they deserve nothing less. This, it transpires, is fun and challenging in equal measure.

In my case, the audiences could not have been better. I visited London, Brighton, Kent, Keighley, Bingley and Leeds and I can honestly say that every group of pupils were polite, friendly and charming! Whether you were in an assembly or a writing workshop, I hope you got something out of the visit (even if it was an hour off from normal lessons!).

For me, this was entirely different to my old teaching role. There is much more showmanship involved with promotion – plus the aim when teaching is to talk as little as possible, leaving the kids to do the thinking. As I write the day after the tour finished, I have NO voice left at all!

The bonus I have over Gaga (as well as my sanity) is that I was able to talk to my Monsters directly. The highlight of every session was the Q&A at the end. This is where every session was truly one-of-a-kind. Of course there were insightful questions about the creative process and the publishing world, but much more exciting were ‘have you seen The Human Centipede?’, ‘what’s your favourite bit in Mean Girls?’, ‘do the lesbians kiss and stuff?’ and ‘was your Biology teacher obsessed with Bigfoot?’. (The answers, incidentally, are yes, ‘You Go Glen Coco’, yes, and no).

Visiting Brighton and Bingley was especially exciting. I taught in Brighton, and seeing some of my old Year 6s who are now SIXTEEN was mental. It’s interesting, because although they have aged I remain twenty-six with each passing year. It’s odd, right? I will absolutely plan in some more visits to Brighton – it was like a reunion. A much scarier episode was the trip to Bingley Grammar. For anyone who has read Hollow Pike, it should be pretty clear that I didn’t have the best time at school. The trip to Bingley was a chance to exorcise some old ghosts, and I’m pleased to say it worked. The Year 9s were hilarious and made me feel right at home – I hope you enjoy all the little nods to your school!

Although I’m knackered, I can’t wait to do more! Writing, as a career, can be isolated, but the tour reminded me what it’s all about – writing books for young adults. Thank you so much to all those schools, teachers and librarians who hosted me, hopefully I’ll see you all again in the not-too-distant future.

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Posted by James Dawson on March 3, 2012

As you’re not allowed to run comps straight off Facebook, I’ll have to do it from here! Thank you so much for ‘liking’ me, it’s the best way of knowing where I am and what’s going on with Hollow Pike.

Up for grabs is a rare hardback edition of Hollow Pike, signed by yours truly. To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is leave your real name in the comments section below. A name will be randomly selected from all the entrants and the winner contacted direct. I will do the draw next Saturday, giving you a week to enter. Good luck!

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Posted by James Dawson on February 22, 2012

First off, a giant thank you to all the bloggers who hosted my witterings over the last three weeks. I hope it’s been interesting and entertaining! What I thought I’d do is collate all of the offerings are plop them in one place in case you missed any, or in case you’re just discovering Hollow Pike now and want to enjoy the ‘special features’ as it were!!!

The one with my book shelves: The Overflowing Library
The one about bullying: Wondrous Reads
The one about the ‘girl next door’: A Dream of Books
The one with the soundtrack: The Pewter Wolf
The one with the fantasy cast-list: Empire of Books
The one with the witches: Book Angel Booktopia
The about how hot Danny is: Sister Spooky
The one about the power of cover art: Mostly Reading YA
The one with the interview with me: Serendipity Reviews
The one about the writing process: Writing from the Tub

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