“Inspirations and Influences” is a series of articles in which we invite authors to write guest posts talking about their…well, Inspirations and Influences. The cool thing is that the writers are given free reign so they can go wild and write about anything they want. It can be about their new book, series or about their career as a whole.
Michelle Harrison is the lovely author of the 13 Treasures books, a young adult trilogy about a girl with the ability to see fairies, and her twisted family legacy. Both Smugglers read and loved 13 Treasures, and lucky UK-based Ana finished the trilogy and loved it even more. In celebration of the release of 13 Secrets, the third book in the trilogy, we have the wonderful Michelle Harrison for a guest post and a giveaway of the entire trilogy.
Please give a warm welcome to Michelle!
My two older sisters, Theresa and Janet, were a huge influence on my wish to be an author and illustrator. From an early age they read to me, and even made up stories of their own (usually starring me as the heroine)! Theresa was a gifted storyteller, and both were good at drawing, so I often got illustrations to accompany these tales. They weren’t always kind! Janet in particular was a tease, often drawing a character with a mean, warty face and presenting him as my future husband, which sometimes made me cry. But it was also Janet who came home one day and announced: ‘I’ve decided. I’m going to be an author.’ I followed the first few chapters of Down the Tomato Hole (based on some sort of game she and Theresa had played when they were small) with interest. It was never finished – she lost interest, but even so, it had sown its seeds. Being an author had not occurred to me before, but with that, it somehow became a possibility.
The books my sisters read to me were musty, yellowing hand-me-downs from the 70s, and the vast majority were by Enid Blyton. The woman gets a lot of criticism these days, and yes, her books were of her time but I remain loyal: she’s the reason I became a reader. Naughty Amelia Jane, Mallory Towers, and especially the Famous Five – I read them all. I loved the independence of the characters and the excitement of their adventures, which will be obvious to anyone who reads my work. Secret passages, anyone?
The next author to have an impact on me was Christopher Pike. I’d been through my Point Horror phase and was already writing derivative short stories. I discovered Pike at my local library. I fell in love. I was inspired. I wanted to write those kinds of stories; with killer twist endings, and a knack of making the fantastical believable. I carried on writing, attempted a novel I didn’t finish. It didn’t matter. It was practise. When I left school, I knew I wanted to be an author and illustrator, but if someone had told me I’d be writing about fairies in ten years’ time I’d have laughed in their face.
I kept diaries which, thankfully, I destroyed, and at the start of art college wrote lots of TERRIBLE poetry. The introduction to fairies came from my tutor, Iain Lowe, himself a talented artist whose work I pored over. He presented me with a book called Faeries by Brian Froud and Alan Lee. I was immediately taken with how beautiful it was, and how removed these creatures were from the glittery, sweet things we’re brought up believing in. These fairies were wild and sinister, and the accompanying folklore wove a spell of its own. My artwork instantly took on a new direction, and I began to want to write about fairies.
The idea for my main character came from my niece, Tanya. When she was two, her mother (Janet) went to see a medium who said Tanya would grow up to be psychic. Remembering this, it occurred to me that I could use it in a story, and that her ability could be to see fairies that no one else could. Those were the beginnings of The 13 Treasures.
I’m constantly inspired by what’s around me: people, places, objects. For me, the fantastical becomes possible when it’s melded with reality. Hangman’s Wood, mentioned in the 13 Treasures books, is a real place that I grew up near to, and the deneholes in the woods exist as well, though my renaming of them as ‘catacombs’ is my own. Similarly, the servants’ staircase at Elvesden Manor is inspired by an identical one in an Essex pub, which was blocked off just as it is in the story.
By now you’ve probably gathered that I’m a bit of a magpie. I think of these snippets of places and people as trinkets that I can hide away until the time comes to weave it into a story. In my personal life I’m no different; I’ve always been a knick-knacky person who would rather spend money in a flea market on an 18th century key or a jewelled frog than clothes.
My study room is just the same, crammed with ornaments and pictures, anything I find inspiring. The problem I have now it dusting it all, but sometimes I just tell myself that a bit of dust doesn’t matter. An ancient key or charm bracelet swathed in cobwebs is so much more mysterious, don’t you think?
Thank you, Michelle!
Giveaway Details:
We are giving away a full set of the 13 Treasures trilogy: 13 Treasures, 13 Curses, and 13 Secrets, to ONE lucky winner. This giveaway is open to everyone, and will be open until Saturday, February 5 at 11:59PM (PST). In order to enter, leave a comment here letting us know what is your favorite fairy story (short story, novel, series, film, whatever). Good luck!
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154 Responses to Guest Author (& Giveaway): Michelle Harrison on Inspirations & Influences
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I’m so thankful to Michelle for sharing her inspirations! Please enter me in the giveaway. My favorite fairy story is the movie FairyTale about 2 English girls who believed they photographed a fairy in 1917. It’s based on a true story & is SO good.
I’d love a chance to win this series. I tend to prefer malevolent faeries, and I really enjoyed the dark and manipulative faeries of “Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.”
X3 oh man! I’ve been checking this book and its awesome cover at the bookstore for quite some time! I have to say, it was Holly Black’s Valiant that first hooked me into the Faerie world and I would LOVE to read this and add to my collection too!
Oooh, these books sound intriguing!
My favourite fairy story? Hmm…there are too many! Although I am a Melissa Marr fan.
My favorite fairytale is The Seven Swans (beautifully retold by Juliet Marillier in Daughter of the Forest).
Enid Blyton’s books were favorites when I was a child.
My current favorite fairy story is The Replacement by Brenna Yavanoff.
My favorite fairy movie is Pan’s Labyrinth. I really really love the story and I watched it many times.
Thank you for posting and for this awesome giveaway!
Giada M.
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My favorite fairy series would be Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely series- it’s superbly written and so unique.
Enid Blyton is still a favorite. =]
I would love to win these books- thanks for the giveaway! =]
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I loved reading Christopher Pike books when I was in my teens, sadly I gave them all away when we moved house when I was 18.
I wish I still had them, I’d love to reread them now.
The fairy stories that first spring into my mind are Cicely Mary Barkers Flower Fairies. My favourite was sweet pea and lavender, we had those flowers at the bottom of our garden and I was convinced I would find a fairy there one day.
These sound amazing!
My favorite fairy story is either the recently released The Replacement, as it shows the darker, sinister side of fey, and comes from a boys point of view, or Ash by Malinda Lo as it is LGBT literature, something we seriously lack in young adult lit.
I think one of my favorites is the Wings series by Aprillynne Pike.
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book about fairies! but after hearing about this book, I really want to change this! the books look so amazing!
awsome giveaway! 
My favorite fairytale is Just Ella my Margaret Peterson Haddix.
Thanks for the giveaway!
Ah, yes, I too remember reading Enid Blyton. I only recently heard about the criticisms, which colors those good memories. :\
Anyway. For favorite fairy story, I’m going to go with one of the first UFs I ever read: Emma Bull’s WAR FOR THE OAKS.
Oh, I’m definitely entering the giveaway–these books sound fantastic!
It occurs to me I actually haven’t read many fairy stories–I do remember loving “War for the Oaks,” though, so I’ll go with that as my favorite.
(And Christopher Pike was one of my absolute favorite authors as a kid/teen. “The Starlight Crystal” still sticks with me.)
My Fav faerie story is Wings By Aprilynne Pike!! Its amazingly good.
I adore them in all forms, but if I had to pick just one, it’d be Andersen’s The Snow Queen. It’s breathtaking; and I later on learned it was my mother’s favourite as well.
EXTRAORDINARY (by N. Werlin)
My favorite is the Wondrous Strange trilogy.
My favorite is The Iron King by J. Kagawa.
Looking forward to this giveaway! Thanks!
The whole series?? Omgosh, I’d love to win thata!! My favorite story with fairies would have to be The Spiderwich Chronicles.
My favourite fairy story is Artemis Fowl, a bit more fun than your average fairies
Your enthusiasm for this series is absolutely infectious! I have moved it to the top of my reading list and hope to get to it before the end of March. Not sure if I qualify for the contest (being in Toronto, CA) but I also wanted to share my discovery/new love of faerie-fiction. It actually started with Maggie Stiefvater’s ‘Shiver’. I read the first and second, started following her blog and the Merry Sisters of Fate…I simply couldn’t get enough of her…and I stumbled upon Ballad and Lament, which became instant favourites for someone who didn’t even know they were a fantasy reader, much less wolves and faeries. I followed that up with Holly Black’s Modern Faerie Tales trilogy and more recently Brenna Yovanoff’s The Replacement. So far, Maggie Stiefvater’s duet is still my favourite, but I also found The Replacement to be quite a brooding, eerily beautiful and memorable read.
My favorite faerie book is Jonathan STrange and Mr. Norrell – what an intricate, dark world!
I would love to win this set! Thanks so much.
My favorite fairy series is Karen Moning’s Fever series…But I haven’t read very many.
This sounds like such a terrific series! My favorite fairy stories are Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones and The Perilous Gardby Elizabeth Marie Pope!
Thanks for the great giveaway!
My favorite old fairy tales were the banshee tales. Banshees were ghost women either from your own clan, sobbing and wailing, or from an enemy clan, screaming in hateful triumph. You could only hear them when someone was about to die. Guess which variety were my favorite stories to hear.
My favorite modern fairy tale is Ash by Malinda Lo.
My favourite fairy stories is, I think, Holly Black’s Tithe and Ironside.They have that lovely sinister feeling about them.
Any version of Cinderella is my favorite
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Perilous Gard, or Wicked Lovely.
They both started me into reading YA, but different veins.
i have serious want for this series! it looks uh-MAZE-ing.
i looooooove fairy tales. retold fairy tales too. for some reason, i’ve always felt drawn to rapunzel. i especially loved a caribbean picture book version i found by patricia storace called “sugar cane.”
My favorite fairy story of all time is Stardust by Neil Gaiman. He is a genius in general and this story is engaging and magical with just a touch of darkness. I have 13 Treasures on its way to me in the mail. Unfortunately in the US 13 Curses will not be available until June and who knows when we might get 13 Secrets. I would love to have all three here before they are available most especially because though I intend to read them I really want them for the school where I am the librarian. My kids love fantasy/sci. fi.
My favorite fairy tale is Beauty and the Beast. I seek out any redition of it, and enjoy the unusual, beautiful, twisted and odd. McKinley has two excellent ones, and I read a short story once (can’t remember collection or author) where the beast was female. Exceptional!
I love the idea on their twist of faery. Looks fantastic I would love to read them. I bet they might be great for a bedtime read also for my tweenetts
Thanks for the opportunity.
My favorite is the Iron King series by Julie Kagawa.
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My favorite fairy tale retellings are Beauty by Robin McKinley and Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier.
I also love the fun take on fairies and elves in the Artemis Fowl series
My favorite is the Fablehaven series of books by Brandon Mull.
Oh, goodness I can’t wait to get my grimy hands on these books!
Favorite faerie story? well, i have to say Artemis Fowl was really good… for a kid. I like it because it fit what i was looking for in a book at that time: adventure, intelligence, and thrill! haha, well theres my comment…
I also liked Elfland by Freda Warrington although I’m not sure if that can be considered faerie… also,sry for commenting twice… *sheepish grin*
The October Daye series by Seanan Mcguire
My favourite fairy story is the Wicked Lovely series
Thank you for the giveaway
My favorite fairy tale is Beauty and the Beast.
Thanks!
What a great giveaway!
My favourite books about faeries are probably the Wicked Lovely series, and also Seanan McGuire’s October Daye books.
I also remember an episode of Goosebumps when I must have been about 13 I think, where a little girl finds faries and keeps them as pets, feeding them. At the end they kill her and it freaked me out for weeks afterwards. I prefer there to be darkness in faerie stories.
Thanks!
:o)
That’s a tough question – I like A LOT of different fairie stories. I have to say I’m really loving the Fever series by KMM. I just started them and am really hooked.
As for a movie, I really like the version of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” with Michelle Pfeiffer. That was a fun fairie romp!
I have been hearing wonderful things about Michelle’s series (and I love the covers). I can’t wait to get started on it now!
Thanks for the giveaway and great post.
What a generous giveaway! Thanks for the chance. I think both my teens and I would love to read these books.
I’ve been reading a lot of ‘fairy’ books lately… my favorite, huh? Hmmmm… I think I will go with Except the Queen by Jane Yolen & Midori Snyder.
Oh my! I’ve had the Thirteen Treasures books on my to-read list for quite some time now. What a great giveaway!
Favorite fairy stories… hmm… ya know, I’ve always adored Tinkerbell’s feisty and even jealous personality from Peter Pan. Oh, and Labyrinth! Hoggle, the fairy exterminator! (It’s okay – they’re the tricky, bitey variety.)
this trilogy looks excellent! thanks for the chance to win a set..
mm, favorite fairy tale? i love tam lin and east of the sun & west of the moon. favorite re-tellings? i love love donna jo napoli’s writing generally – maybe zel is my favorite. also shannon hale’s first book and robin mckinley of course. everything by her, not just the fairy tale ones.
I love Brandon Mull’s Fablehaven series. The series also features fairies and he pretty much gave them a interesting twist. Fablehaven itself as a series is an awesome one. One that is so easy to get lost into. Love every page of it.
Apart from the Andrew Lang books, I suppose Terry Pratchett’s “The Wee Free Men” and “A Hatful of Sky” would qualify as the most fun I’ve encountered in the last few years.
I loved Enid Blyton so much when I was a kid!
My daughter keeps telling I should read the 13 series because they are so good – maybe this is my chance!
Favourite fairytale? The Wilds Swans