21 September 2010
FIRST REACTIONS TO THE YOUNG CHIEFTAIN
A book you won't want to put down.
Felicity Weitzel (Harmony)
The Young Chieftain seems to me to have the right mix of adventure, magic, secrets, and suspense and interaction between adult and young adult lives. I love the mix of the contemporary and the heritage.
(Black Book News)
A self assured , skilfully written debut with mystery, adventure, a satisfactorily nasty villain and a very likeable hero in Jamie.
(Joy Court, YLG Librarian)
A very remarkable book. I hope that it will sell well - it certainly should do so - it is unique.
(Lord Janner of Braunstone Q.C.)
A thought provoking read with a series of layers to be uncovered by the reader. In other words a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
(Margaret Pemberton, YLG Librarian)
The Young Chieftain is at heart an adventure mystery story. And a successful one, too. There's some double-dealing going on in the clan and a villain to be unmasked by a reluctant hero, and Howard obliges with a page-turning book in which the action moves along at a rollicking pace. I was quite breathless by the end! But the book has a little more about it than simple boy's own adventure. There's a fascinating conflict between tradition and modernity underlying the action and Howard also deals with racism, bereavement, personal identity, and puts forward some quite sophisticated socio-political thoughts about what makes a leader and how power corrupts.
Best of all, it's an unusual story, outside of the piles of genre fodder making its way into Bookbag's review stack, and we commend it for this.
(Bookbag)
Ken Howard is a screenwriter and it shows in this novel. The action moves quickly, never allowing for a dull moment. The story ends with a dramatic flourish that is expected and yet the exact way it works out is unexpected. The author is determined to make sure the reader gets a feel for Scotland, emphasising how old the island of Doran is, and yet it's very beautiful with its lochs, boats and Scottish Games. He doesn't tell the reader, he shows the reader.… This story does not grow tedious…it flies by, so sit back and enjoy your trip to the island of Doran, in Scotland.
(Reading in Color)
Media stuff:
http://www.hampsteadpeople.co.uk/home
20 September 2010
The publication date that has hovered ahead for so long finally arrives and with it a slight sense of anti-climax. Like landmark birthdays it is just another day, not disimilar to the ones that preceded it. No fuss or fanfares. Much more fun was the launch party at Waterstone's in Hampstead a few days later. Unlike other highly publicised recent book launches we had not beent deterred by threats of violence and the throwing of eggs and shoes. Even the attempts by Thames Water to recreate the trenches of the Somme in the road outside did not hinder a large crowd that quickly filled the upstairs of the bookshop. Tamarind had done us proud with wine and eats and its founder, Verna Wilkins, spoke movingly about her 23 year struggle to provide books for a multi-cultural society and quoted a glowing commendation for the imprint from Children's Laureate, Michael Rosen. Commissioning Editor Patsy Isles brought the company up to date with its first fiction title - THE YOUNG CHIEFTAIN - and I told the story of how it had originally been conceived as a movie with the giant Disney Corporation, but they had backed off when almost in production when they realised that the hero's father dies. It was then that I vowed I would turn it, one day, into a novel. Three teenagers stepped forward to read extracts from the story with astonishing confidence and fluency.
Suddenly it felt like the book was really published and my Young Chieftain was setting out, hopefully to survive and prosper in a tough world.
12 August 2010
Hi -
Three weeks to go until publication date for THE YOUNG CHIEFTAIN.
We now have a great poster (the artist is the very talented Fred Gambino) which has been much admired and is being taken round by the sales reps to bookshops.
Also, there is a new video up on YouTube.com (The Young Chieftain-Cliffhanger). Tamarind asked me if I would read an extract from the book, so I chose a piece from the Cliffhanger chapter, which has our young hero, Jamie, alone on the beach in Auchter Bay, cut off by the advancing tide.
I'm usually more at home behind the camera than in front of it, but I really enjoyed putting this video together with some favourite seascape shots and sound effects. Have a look and let me know what you think.
I'll keep in touch,
Best
Ken
28 July 2010
Big Day! The first advance bound copy of THE YOUNG CHIEFTAIN popped through the letterbox this morning. I have watched the book progress on my computer screen through numerous drafts, changes and corrections to reach a final typescript. It is amazing how easy it is to miss spelling mistakes and typos and I was helped along the way by the Tamarind team and Sue Cook, the eagle-eyed proof-reader. I am used, as a film director, to moving pictures around and as a songwriter to making minute changes in lyrics so they fit or sound better. I guess the process is not so different with a story,but as in all these disciplines, it is always hard to know when to stop. There comes a time - usually a deadline - when you have to finish tweaking and surrender your baby. Usually it is wrenched from your arms as you protest , "well, maybe if we just....?" Enough - let it take its chances.
We had a lot of discussion about the cover and it went through many drafts. As an author, you have certain images in your head about your story and characters. Fred Gambino has come up with a terrific panoramic cover, with Jamie standing prooudly on a crag against a lurid sky, that really stands out. I am delighted.
Now we begin the business of getting the word out, to reviewers, librarians and stores ahead of publication date on September 2nd. I had great fun making the 'trailer' which is running on this site and on YouTube where is already has got hundreds of hits in just a couple of weeks.There will be a companion video up in a week or two.
I'll keep you in the loop with the latest developments as they happen. Feel free to post any comments. It's a bit lonely here on my own!
Best
Ken
13 July 2010
Thanks for all your nice comments on the 'trailer' for THE YOUNG CHIEFTAIN, which is getting a lot of hits since it first went up a few days ago here and on YouTube and other sites. Many of you have asked where the music, particularly the Scottish theme, is taken from. No, it's not a commercial disc but Jamie's Theme is part of the original score I have written for the film version of the book, which I hope will happen quite soon.
Keep in touch
Ken
03 July 2010
Hi there.
Well it is just two months (September 2nd) until publication of my teen novel - THE YOUNG CHIEFTAIN - so I thought I would get this site up and running. I will add to it regularly in the weeks to come and would really welcome your comments or thoughts. So if you have a moment, do say hi, or ask me any questions, or anything else that pops into your head. I promise to reply.
THE YOUNG CHIEFTAIN is my first teen novel, though I have been writing and directing for TV - as well as writing loads of music - for a good while. You'll probably gather from the title that it has a young hero - a 15 year old Californian boy - and that it is also to do with Scotland and clans and chieftains. In the days to come I'll be telling you about how I came to write the book, and how the exciting story took shape.
For now, why don't you have a look at the book 'trailer' on YouTube, search under THE YOUNG CHIEFTAIN and if you can view it in 480p 'cos it is better definition. Let me know what you think and if you can spot where some of the stunning aerial and outdoor scenes were shot.
See you soon.
Ken