A. B. Saddlewick is the pseudonym for Tim Collins, the author of Notes from a Totally Lame Vampire and Prince of Dorkness.
A chat with the author...
Hi! How are you? It's been raining for hours, my roof is leaking and I have a slight cold. In other words, it's a perfect day and I feel great!
Did you enjoy writing the Monstrous Maud books? Very much so. The fair treatment of monsters is an issue close to my heart.
Who is your favourite character in the book and why? My favourite character is Maud. Like me, she's a human who's prepared to dabble in the spooky side of life.
Would you have liked to go to a school like Rotwood? I'd love to have gone to a monster school. Although I was never entirely convinced that our teachers were human, so perhaps I did.
If you could be a monster, what kind of monster would you be? I would like to be a vampire so I could transform into a bat. I often spend the night wandering the forest outside my house and gazing up enviously at the passing bats.
What was your favourite event at Sports Day when you were at school? Fortunately I had a note excusing me from all physical activity that has been in my family for six generations.
What is the meal you would least like to eat in the Rotwood School canteen? There is nothing on the Rotwood menu that disagrees with me. From spider stew to fried fingernails, I like it all.
Why did you choose a rat to be Maud's pet? Rats are very loving and affectionate creatures. Although I would recommend buying one from a pet shop rather than trying to befriend the feral ones behind the bins.
