Re: Your biggest 9-year old fan from Malta

Dear Ms. Stevens 

First of all, I am thrilled that you replied, and so happy that you answered all my questions.

Although answers lead to more questions and statements. Here are mine:

You lived in America then England so you are kind of like Alexander.

You said your favourite characters are Daisy and Lavinia, Uncle Felix and Miss Livedon, they are all mysterious yet firm and stable characters. Is this what kind of characters you prefer or do you like others as well? 

Please keep writing little peaks on their lives, it's quite pleasant.

Now thinking about it, Inspector Priestley makes sense, when I thought about your answer I thought no Uncle Felix is better but I realised he hasn't solved any cases in the books. This brings me to the question, how did you come up with him being a detective? (or at least part of the police). 

It is quite surprising that no characters are somebody you know. Where did you get the idea of Fallingford? 

I would not have imagined that someone knew what they wanted to be from such a young age and you're so good at it now! It's a good thing you keep the casebooks secret. I have been told that there are writers that just write and writers who write notes and plan. Which one are you? 

I have to agree first class murder is very very good, but what would happen if all the suspects went off the train? How would Daisy and Hazel find the pair? Worse, what if Daisy and Hazel couldn't find the murderer in time and the innocent book writer (who may have been the spy but still) looked too guilty? That's a hard question, I would say. Unless you have already found a solution. 

Kindest regards (sorry for all the questions, please write back)

Zaria 😁😎    

PS:  Please consider coming to Malta, it is only 3 hours flight from UK 

On Sat, Mar 11, 2017 at 3:47 PM, Robin Stevens <redbreastedbird@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi Zaria,

Thank you so much for your email - I'm so pleased that you love my books so much, and that you see yourself in Hazel! She was really based on both my Chinese friends and myself (I came from America to England when I was three, and found it hard to adjust).

I'm really happy to answer your questions - they are great!

My favourite character in my books (who isn't Hazel) is probably Daisy, or Lavinia. My favourite adult characters are Miss Livedon and Uncle Felix (I like sneaking little details about their lives into the books).

Inspector Priestley is sort of there because there has to be an official detective who has the power to arrest suspects when Hazel and Daisy solve the case - but I really love his character. He's the best adult detective in the series, and I'm always happy when he can turn up and help the girls out!

I'm an author who is very inspired by the places I have been and the people I know - Deepdean is really my school Cheltenham Ladies' College, for example - but I'm also inspired by the books I read, especially Agatha Christie and Enid Blyton! No one in my books is one of the people I know, exactly, but I take little bits, like names and characteristics, from my friends and family.

I have absolutely always wanted to be an author, and I wrote my first story before I could actually write (I think it was about Peter Rabbit - I scribbled it on some paper and then got very upset because my mother couldn't read what I had written). It took me until I was 12 to decide I wanted to write murder mysteries, though. That was when I read my first Agatha Christie!

I wrote the first book on my computer (that's how I write each of my books), but I made notes in a notebook that I always keep around me. There are 'casebooks' for each book I write, and I have to keep them secret because they have my notes about who the murderers are!

I love each of my books, but I think my favourite mystery has been First Class Murder, and my favourite story has been Mistletoe and Murder. My sixth book will be set in Hong Kong, and will feature a murder in a lift(!), but I really love your water idea, and think I may use it one day. Thank you!

And thank you so much for being a fan all the way in Malta. It is so special to me to know that you love my books!

All the best,

Robin

On 4 March 2017 at 17:25, Gia Janks <giajanks@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Ms. Stevens,

My name is Zaria, and I live in Malta, Europe I have read all your books and absolutely adore them! My favorite book is Arsenic for tea.  (But I do love the others as well). My favourite character is Hazel Wong because she is most like me, loves writing, eating, has lived in diffrent countries (I have lived in South Africa, Australia and currently Malta, although all the places I have lived in I haven't had to hide my differences unlike Hazel) and has a over crazy friend like the honourable Daisy Wells. 

I started reading your wonderful books 6 months after I moved to Malta, the librarian at the school recommended two series of books to me, I chose Murder Most Unladylike. I was instantly intrigued in the incredible books. From then on, you became my favourite author EVER! 

There are still a few questions I want to ask you, though. Here are some:

Who is your favourite character in your books?

Inspector Priestly is a common character that appears in your books, is there a reason for this?

Where do you get the inspiration for your books from?

Have you always wanted to be an author?

When did you write your first piece of creative writing?

Do you actually first write the story in a casebook?

When did you decide you wanted to write murder books?

Do any of your characters have an inspiration from your real life?

Which is your favourite book that you have written?

I would really appreciate if you wrote back and answered at least some of my questions that I am so eager to know! 

As I've said I adore and devour your books, but there is one suggestion for your next…. A murder in the water! Though that is just a suggestion you don't have to do it. 

Your books are incredibly fantastic, and I am counting the seconds till i can read another.

Thank you for everything you do, I appreciate it very very much.

Sincerely, 

Your biggest fan in Malta,Europe, 

Zaria