The secrets and super powers of Father Christmas the World Greatest Super Hero!
Written and illustrated by Ian Garside.
What better gift to give at Christmas time for the little ones, other than a book about how Father Christmas manages to deliver all of those presents!
Ian lives and works locally in Ibstock. You can find signed copies of Ian’s book for sale at Coalville CAN. You can contact him at Ibstock Business Centre as he runs a business called ‘Healing Hands’ and you can message him at Iangarside39@gmail.com
1. When did you first start writing?(what motivated you to write and self publish your book?)A few years ago I was asked to stand in as Father Christmas at a local Christmas fair, which I gladly did. Word got around and I was approached by a number of local organisations to be Father Christmas at their various events. During this time I would regularly get the third degree from some of the older children asking how I as Father Christmas could deliver all the presents all around the world in one day also how could I get into their homes when there was no chimney? So I had to become very inventive in my answers. This got me to write them down and having an artistic bent I started to make sketches showing how Father Christmas did all these things. During lock down I found that I had the time to do the illustrations and write the words to go with them.
2. Tell us about your book(
My book is ‘The secrets and super powers of Father Christmas the World Greatest Super Hero! And it is essential reading for parents and grandparents. It answers with illustration all those awkward questions that children ask when they get to an age when they question things like I have already alluded to. It also tells of other super powers that children might not have realised Father Christmas possesses like being able to fly and having X-ray vision.
3. To be a good writer you have to be a reader – who are your favourite authors and why?I have always been interested in history therefore I like to read fictional novels based on actual historical events. I also enjoy reading the Harry Potter books
4. What’s been the biggest challenge in getting your book onto the bookshelf for sale?
Luckily in the business centre where I work I noticed books written by Mandy Ward and she works for a company called ‘The Book Writers’ Resource Ltd’ and therefore having contacted Mandy getting published was reasonably straight forwards, it is selling them that is far more difficult.
5. What aspects of writing a book should you get help with?
It’s good advice to get an editor and a proof-reader, and I also sent out draft copies to people I knew who had children or worked with children in the age range of my target audience for them to critique it for me.
6 . What advice would you give to any other aspiring author in our community?
Go for it! Write the story as it comes into your head and then re-read it and as point 5 above - this is good advice
7. Where can they go for additional support in writing / getting their book published?
8, How does an author go about finding an illustrator for their work (e.g. if it’s a book for children and/or illustrations are part of the book?)
9. Where can people buy your book(s) and how much are they?
Currently they are on sale on Etsy my shop name is GArtisticShop. You might also see it when you are out and about on Ibstock High street and around Coalville as various shopkeepers have very kindly offered to support getting the message out about Father Christmas and his super-powers.
10. Are you writing another and if so, what’s it about and when will it be due out?
Not at the moment.
You can see more of how Coalville CAN is supporting local authors at the Coalville Author Zone here - coalvilleccp.uk
If you’d like to join a supportive, local writers group, join Debbie who hosts a writing group - they meet at Coalville Can every Monday evening –here’s the link to the We Can Write group at Coalville CAN,