Author Interview: James Bartholomeusz

Hey, minions!  Today, I’m interviewing James Bartholomeusz, author of the young adult novel, The White Fox.  James is an up-and-coming, talented young adult author who recently published his debut novel with  Medallion Press.  

Please welcome James!

1. When did you start writing? 

JB:  I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. The idea for what would eventually become The White Fox goes back (at least in a very basic form!) to primary school, though I didn’t actually get round to start writing it properly until I was sixteen or seventeen.

MB:  Wow. To create an imaginative and clever concept at such a young age is truly inspirational.  Congratulations!

2. What is one aspect about writing that you absolutely love? Any part that you loath?

JB:  The most satisfying part of writing is having a moment of sudden clarity and churning out a passage or a chapter in more-or-less a finished state. I wouldn’t say I loathe anything about it, but trying to write on days when nothing’s forthcoming is quite frustrating.

3. Who are your favorite authors?

JB:  This is a very difficult question . . . I’m not sure I could pick a single favourite, but amongst them are Jonathan Coe, Neil Gaiman, Philip Pullman, Arundhati Roy, Will Self, Oscar Wilde, W. B. Yeats – and that’s only in the last hundred years or so!

MB:  I’m a Gaiman and Wilde fan as well.  Wilde was such a character himself. He has a quote that I’ve mentioned before on my blog: “The world was my oyster but I used the wrong fork."  Too funny.

4. If you could be any fictional character, who would you be and why?

JB:  Another very difficult one, but it might have to be Henry Wotton from The Picture of Dorian Gray for supreme wit and charisma.

MB:  That’s an interesting choice. Lord Henry was definitely witty and then some.

5. Who is your greatest mentor? 

JB:  Probably, collectively, my sixth form teachers – and not just the English department ones – who helped put me on solid intellectual grounding. 

Medallion's YA-YA Program

6. Can you tell us a bit about Medallion Press and their Young Adults writing for Young Adults Program? 

JB:  As far as I know, Medallion is the only publisher currently running the ‘Ya-Ya’ scheme. Apart from my obvious vested interest, I think it’s a great idea for giving young writers a bridge into the daunting world of publishing. I’d encourage any young adult writers to submit their work.

MB:  This is such an exceptional program. And the “bridge” analogy is an brilliant description. There should be more programs like these. Young adult writers have a distinct style and perspective that I find invaluable.

7. I do a segment on my blog called Creepy Classics where I review creepy classic literature.  What is your favorite Creepy Classic & why? 

JB:  Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven is one of most chilling poems I’ve ever read. I think it works so well because we’re never quite sure what we’re afraid of – is it something external, embodied in the raven? Or is it the narrator losing his grip on reality? 

MB:  Excellent choice! The Raven does shift like you suggested, leaving the reader guessing.  It is indeed creepy.  Poe is an idol of mine as well.  I recently reread and reviewed the The Fall of the House of the Usher.  Amazing.  He was such a master at suspense and the English language.

8. Can you tell us a bit about The White Fox and also about the series? Any other projects on the horizon?

JB:  The White Fox is the story of two British teenagers who are pulled into a fantastical world which reflects our own more, perhaps, than is immediately obvious. It’s planned as the first in a trilogy, of which I’m currently writing the second book, The Black Rose. Other than that, I’ve got quite a few more ideas, though nothing formed enough to discuss yet! 

Thanks for the interview, James!  Keep us posted on all your successes.  The White Fox released this month.  You can purchase a copy many places including Amazon  or Barnes and Noble.  

Check out James website too James Bartholomeusz. You can also find him on:
James on Facebook
James via Twitter
James via Redroom

Mina B.