Saturday 16 January 2021

Blog Tour- Morgana Mage in the Robotic Age

 

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Morgana Mage in the Robotic Age by Amy Bond! The book is about a young witch named Morgana who after visiting the city with her father discovers a fantastic new world full of technology and robots. The book perfectly combines magic and robots, something that I've honestly never seen done before. I'll be posting a full review on the book in a few days but today I have a guest post from Amy herself!


Story behind the Photo



  There is moment in my book, Morgana Mage in the Robotic Age, when Morgana finally gets to visit the city she has been gazing down on from her woodland home. She is excited to be in this place she has been dreaming of for so long, but is also overwhelmed by the people, the strangeness, and the chaos of the city. I think I probably drew on my experiences of visiting London when writing these scenes.

 I live in the centre of Dublin city but, while technically a city, Dublin feels like a town. This is always most obvious when you find yourself in another metropolis. For me it is usually packed into the crowded Tube, trying not to take up too much space with your carry-on from the plane, and internally screaming the whole time, “I AM ON A TRAIN UNDER THE GROUND!” Morgana’s friend Jonathan tells her of the importance of not taking technology for granted. I know I would probably feel differently if I had to use it for my daily commute, but the Underground seems astounding to me.

 The trip where this photo was taken was an even more exciting one, even beyond the use of public transport. Not only was I in the big city, but like many before me I was here to follow my dream. I had made the shortlist of the Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition. This could mean that I might really get my book published. I tried to keep the nerves at bay the day before by exploring some of the sights, but as I wandered the British Library and British Museum, even the wonders they held couldn’t quite distract from the bubbling anticipation in my brain. It flowed over completely when it was announced that Chris Riddell was part of the judging panel. 

 I gave myself about an hour and a half more than necessary to get to the announcement the next day, so had to wander around trying to kill time that just refused to die. Eventually it was a reasonable hour to arrive. The minute I stepped in, time seemed to speed up again and everything becomes a bit of a blur. Of course, some stupid bits of conversation from myself will never be forgotten, but also some very kind words from people I hugely admire. Seeing the same nervous excitement reflected back from the other finalists was a great comfort. 

 Then came the announcement, and I didn’t win. That honour went to the wonderful Trudi Tweedie (looking fab in blue) and her gorgeous book The Pure Heart. I thought I would feel more disappointed, I was worried about how I would arrange my face, but how can you feel anything but pure joy when Chris Riddell is sketching out a cover for your book, which I am clutching very proudly in the photo. 

 I think why I am really beaming so broadly in that picture though, is because while I might not have left with the publishing deal I had been hoping for, I did have a new confidence in what I was capable of as a writer, and knew I was going to keep chasing that dream.


Morgana Mage in the Robotic Age is now available to purchase! 

Follow Amy on twitter! @amylouisebond





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