I spy kids to the rescue
As his latest book is published, Jason Rohan tells us about writing for young people, and working for Marvel
ARUN, Donna and Sam may seem like ordinary school kids but they are actually S.T.E.A.L.T.H, a crack team of young agents.
When Arun’s dad goes missing, the kids must race to save him… and the world.
S.T.E.A.L.T.H: Access Denied is the latest book from author Jason Rohan.
A former writer at Marvel in New York, Jason loves travelling and writing action-packed stories for children. Here he answers our questions.
Which of your books is your favourite?
I like them all for different reasons. You have to love what you do to see a book through from beginning to end, as writing is a huge commitment in time and energy. Each one is my favourite at the time.
Do you think travelling around the world has helped you be a writer?
Undoubtedly. When I was younger, I thought I knew everything, which is not a good place for a writer to start from.
As I grew older my world opened up and travelling was a huge part of that experience. You see different ideas and ways of doing things..
Will you write more S.T.E.A.L.T.H books?
I’m delighted to say that my lovely publisher, Nosy Crow, has asked me to write some more S.T.E.A.L.T.H adventures, which is fortunate because I had mapped out more books beyond the three I was originally asked to do.
I know how the series will end, but not when it will reach that point. You readers will decide!
If you could be a secret agent what would your code name be?
I would go with ‘Lazarus’ because it sounds cool and there are two characters called Lazarus in the Bible. The one most people remember came back from the dead, but the other was a poor beggar who died in a parable.
I can relate both to starting a new life and being broke, so it appeals to me.
Which tech could you not live without?
My laptop, because I couldn’t do my job without it, so I would struggle to pay the bills. My smartphone is very useful, too, like a mini laptop most of the time.
What was it like writing for Marvel?
I loved my time at Marvel, in the 80s. It was a very exciting time, creativity-wise, and a lot of the classic storylines which feed into the movies came from then. I got to meet my heroes, ask them about the creative process and see work before it was printed.
My favourite superhero was Iron Man because anybody could suit up and be him.
What is your advice to young writers?
Many people will say to read a lot. I’d also say to write a lot. We learn by doing. Writing is a skill and the more you do it, the better you will become.
■ S.T.E.A.L.T.H: Access Denied by Jason Rohan (Nosy Crow, £7.99)