I am honored to have on my blog today
Kate Hughes
and her book Mr Brown’s Suitcase
About the Author
Hi, I’m Kate Hughes and this is a little bit of information about me!
I was born in Worcester in the UK, but as my dad was a soldier, I spent the first few years of my life travelling to various places such as Germany and Malta. Finally my family settled down in Derbyshire, and apart from a few years away at college, this is where I have stayed!
As well as being a primary school teacher for over 20 years, I am a mum of three girls which keeps me pretty busy. My poor husband is completely outnumbered by females in our house, so it was good news when we found out that our cat wasn’t a ‘Maisy’, but in actual fact was a ‘Toby’!
My writing started years ago when I first started teaching; I used to produce scripts for the school drama club to perform. However, it is only recently that I have decided to take it seriously. I recently had a couple of stories printed in my local paper which was fabulous! Up until then I had never seen my words published!
When I’m not tapping away on my netbook, I quite like to ignore the housework and do something more interesting! I enjoy cycling whilst listening to various 80’s and 90’s tunes and I love baking cakes. My cherry scones are a particular favourite in our house.
‘Mr Brown’s Suitcase’ was my debut novel. When I started writing it I intended it as an older children’s book, but I have been pleasantly surprised that adults enjoy it too! I think mums, anyone involved in education or working with children find it an emotional read as the protagonist really takes you on a journey!
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About the Book
Mr Brown’s Suitcase
by Kate Hughes
Kindle Edition, 142 pages
Published June 6th 2014
Jez, a troubled young boy,finds both school and home life pretty challenging. His mum is struggling to cope, his unpleasant stepdad is often drunk, and it is always left to Jez to take care of his two younger brothers. Life is tough.
Little does he know that when Mr Brown, a supply teacher assigned to his chaotic class strolls in, his difficult life is about to change.
What exactly is in the battered old suitcase this enigmatic teacher has brought with him? Will Jez ever get to find out?
Both children and adults alike are invited to join Jez on the emotional journey he is about to embark on, right from his first encounter with the inspirational Mr Brown.
You can purchase this book on Amazon
Interview
What made you want to write a book?
I always loved writing but I only ever wrote short stories or play scripts because I imagined that actually completing a novel was completely beyond me. Anyway, as I started to write more and more, I began to think why not give it a go? It became a personal challenge!
The idea for ‘Mr Brown’s Suitcase’ came from my days as a student teacher. I used the suitcase idea to motivate the more challenging children in the class. Years later, I thought it would make a good plot for a story about a troubled boy and of course I have brought in a lot of my own experiences of working with difficult children!
Can you tell us a little about the characters in the book?
The central character is a boy called Jez who is having a difficult time at home with an unhappy mum and horrible stepfather. He is being forced to grow up too quickly; looking after his younger brothers, doing the shopping etc and is very unhappy. This troubled home life severely affects his behaviour at school. Jez has given up.
Mr Brown is the caring, inspirational supply teacher which comes in to the school and manages to influence and help Jez. He creates a buzz when he enters the class room on the first morning with a huge suitcase! He won’t tell any of the children what’s in it, sparking a great deal of interest in all the children, even Jez! This mysterious Mr Brown has his own sad story and immediately recognises that Jez is a boy in trouble. Mr Brown is the sort of teacher that we teachers would all like to be!
How do you come up with the characters’ names?
I often pick names of people I know! ‘Jez ‘on the other hand was a little bit different. I wanted to choose a name that would be shortened by an eleven year old boy to make himself seem tougher! However I wanted to choose something that wasn’t too common-‘Jez’ seemed to fit the bill!
How long does it take for you to write a book?
Well it took about 6 months altogether. I had to fit in writing where I could between working and looking after my daughters!
Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
Keep going! I think a lot of people have great ideas and can write fairly well; the challenge is to get it all down and complete it!
Also, don’t leave your writing at a place where you are having a few difficulties! It will take longer for you to get back to it.
Do you have a specific time during the day that you find better to write?
For me the best time is in the morning before anyone else is up. The house is quiet and I can get lost in my ideas. I can also read out sentences aloud to myself without anyone laughing!
What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I like cycling and where we live there are lots of cycle paths around that I can use. I’ve got a little gadget that tells me how far I have gone, so I love to try and increase my distance each time! I enjoy reading (of course!) and my favourite books are usually psychological thrillers-something that keeps me guessing. I like to bake cakes; there’s a great feeling of satisfaction when I lift a delicious smelling cake from the oven! Finally, I love a good film-again thrillers are probably my favourite-though something that makes me laugh is good too!
Can you share a little of your current work with my readers?
I’ve just published two comical books for younger readers on Amazon about two cat friends-Toby and Red. At the moment though, I am working on an idea for a novel for adults-thought it would be good to try something different! It is based on my sister’s experience with her autistic daughter and will probably be another
Thank you for stopping by my blog today to check out this amazing author and her book!
Hope you all have a great day and Happy Reading 
If you are interested in being a part of the Author’s Spotlight ~ Please check out all the details HERE
