Celebrating Emily Windsnap’s Next Adventure: An Interview with Author Liz Kessler
Our favorite half mermaid, Emily Windsnap, is back in Emily Windsnap and the Ship of Lost Souls, the sixth book in the wildly popular middle grade series, which is due out August 4. When Emily discovers a disappearing ship during a field trip to a mysterious island, she finds herself in a whirlwind adventure between land and sea, day and night, and even life and death, when she must recover the ship’s lost passengers. In celebration of Emily’s latest adventure, we chatted with New York Times bestselling author Liz Kessler, about life near the ocean, her favorite characters, and her memories as a young reader and writer.
Emily Windsnap and the Ship of Lost Souls (Emily Windsnap Series #6)
Hardcover $15.99
Emily Windsnap and the Ship of Lost Souls (Emily Windsnap Series #6)
By
Liz Kessler
Illustrator
Sarah Gibb
In Stock Online
Hardcover $15.99
The special friendships in Emily’s life are at the core of the series. How does friendship inspire you?
For me, our relationships with the people we are close to are the most important things in life. That’s why I write a lot about friendship and family. I believe it’s what life is all about!
You play a lot with this idea of being in-between in The Ship of Lost Souls. Has there ever been an experience in your life when you felt at an in-between stage?
Gosh. Interesting question! I guess that there are times in my life when I’ve felt on the verge of something that hasn’t quite happened yet. The strongest time I remember feeling this was after I left school. I was waiting for the results of my A-levels, which would determine what would happen next and which university I would go to. For the whole summer holidays, I felt in between one part of my life and the next.
Who is your favorite secondary character in the Emily Windsnap series? Why?
I love all of them! Millie is fun because she’s funny and a bit eccentric. I love writing Mr. Beeston’s story because I think he’s an interesting baddy. And of course, Shona and Aaron are almost as important to me as Emily. Oops. Sorry—that was four!
[caption id="attachment_1973" align="alignleft" width="300"] Liz Kessler[/caption]
Can you share some of your experiences living near the ocean? How does it inspire you and your work?
I work in an office that overlooks the sea, which makes me feel calm and gives me inspiration and pleasure whenever I look out of the window. I love body boarding, I love walking along the coastal path with my dog. I love kayaking, fishing—basically anything that involves being on or near the sea!
What do you remember most about being Emily’s age?
Mostly I remember having fun with my friends and maybe being a bit naughty at school.
What do you love about writing for children?
The adventures I can go on. The fact that I can have loads of fun with my writing, get into the minds of young people as I explore the world through their eyes.
What is your first memory as a young reader? And as a writer?
My first memory as a young reader was reading The Magical Adventures of the Wishing Chair by Enid Blyton and wishing I had a chair that sprouted wings and took me on adventures! My first memory as a writer was writing poems when I was about eight years old.
What book recommendations do you have for young bookworms and aspiring writers?
I try to avoid singling out specific books in general as I think that there are SO many wonderful books out there and it’s great for children to see what’s there and pick up whatever they like the look of. I am a strong believer in reading for pleasure and the starting point for that has to be the books—the covers, the stories, the characters—that appeal to each individual child.
The special friendships in Emily’s life are at the core of the series. How does friendship inspire you?
For me, our relationships with the people we are close to are the most important things in life. That’s why I write a lot about friendship and family. I believe it’s what life is all about!
You play a lot with this idea of being in-between in The Ship of Lost Souls. Has there ever been an experience in your life when you felt at an in-between stage?
Gosh. Interesting question! I guess that there are times in my life when I’ve felt on the verge of something that hasn’t quite happened yet. The strongest time I remember feeling this was after I left school. I was waiting for the results of my A-levels, which would determine what would happen next and which university I would go to. For the whole summer holidays, I felt in between one part of my life and the next.
Who is your favorite secondary character in the Emily Windsnap series? Why?
I love all of them! Millie is fun because she’s funny and a bit eccentric. I love writing Mr. Beeston’s story because I think he’s an interesting baddy. And of course, Shona and Aaron are almost as important to me as Emily. Oops. Sorry—that was four!
[caption id="attachment_1973" align="alignleft" width="300"] Liz Kessler[/caption]
Can you share some of your experiences living near the ocean? How does it inspire you and your work?
I work in an office that overlooks the sea, which makes me feel calm and gives me inspiration and pleasure whenever I look out of the window. I love body boarding, I love walking along the coastal path with my dog. I love kayaking, fishing—basically anything that involves being on or near the sea!
What do you remember most about being Emily’s age?
Mostly I remember having fun with my friends and maybe being a bit naughty at school.
What do you love about writing for children?
The adventures I can go on. The fact that I can have loads of fun with my writing, get into the minds of young people as I explore the world through their eyes.
What is your first memory as a young reader? And as a writer?
My first memory as a young reader was reading The Magical Adventures of the Wishing Chair by Enid Blyton and wishing I had a chair that sprouted wings and took me on adventures! My first memory as a writer was writing poems when I was about eight years old.
What book recommendations do you have for young bookworms and aspiring writers?
I try to avoid singling out specific books in general as I think that there are SO many wonderful books out there and it’s great for children to see what’s there and pick up whatever they like the look of. I am a strong believer in reading for pleasure and the starting point for that has to be the books—the covers, the stories, the characters—that appeal to each individual child.
Emily Windsnap: Three Swishy Mermaid Tales: Books 1-3
Paperback $17.97
Emily Windsnap: Three Swishy Mermaid Tales: Books 1-3
By Liz Kessler
Paperback $17.97
What’s next for Emily Windsnap? And for you and your books?
Emily is looking forward to getting out into the world again this summer, and I’m looking forward to people reading her sixth adventure. After that, who knows…? In the meantime, I have a new YA book which is just out in the UK and out next year in the states. I’m also working on some new early readers and my next middle grade book, which will be my third time travel story. So I’m keeping busy!
Emily Windsnap and the Ship of Lost Souls will be out August 4.
What’s next for Emily Windsnap? And for you and your books?
Emily is looking forward to getting out into the world again this summer, and I’m looking forward to people reading her sixth adventure. After that, who knows…? In the meantime, I have a new YA book which is just out in the UK and out next year in the states. I’m also working on some new early readers and my next middle grade book, which will be my third time travel story. So I’m keeping busy!
Emily Windsnap and the Ship of Lost Souls will be out August 4.