CHARACTER INTERVIEW: Delilah Dusticle from the Delilah Dusticle middle-grade fantasy series

Tell me a little about yourself (where you live, who you are, what you look like, what you hope to achieve, etc.)

My name is Delilah Dusticle and I live in London. I run a cleaning company, called Dustbusters with my best friend Abi. We are based in an old music hall theatre, because all the other buildings around us are just rubble. The war ended a few years ago and there is still a lot to clean up. 

I would describe myself as plain. I have short black hair and I am quite petite. I do not really want to stand out. You see, I am a bit peculiar. I have this special skill, where I can completely eradicate dust. That is, of course, top secret. Dust eradication comes in very handy when cleaning, but it has caused me a bit of trouble. I have never met anyone else who can do what I can do. What I want most in the world is to meet someone else who is a bit different, like me. In the meantime, I have some great friends and my special skill has taken us on some amazing adventures. I have met some very strange people, but not quite like me.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

We are so busy that I do not get much spare time. I really love hanging out with the Dustbusters, we have a lot of fun. We have recently just got back from India.

What is your favorite color and why?

Blue is my favourite colour, it reminds me of the sea.  I grew up in a seaside town.

What is your favorite food? Why is it your favorite?

Cream cakes! Especially chocolate éclairs. Food is still rationed, so we do not get to eat cakes often. We clean a house for a French lady who has very little money. We get paid in homemade chocolate éclairs. She is one of my favourite clients.

What would you say is your biggest quirk?

Did I mention that I make dust too? Here is another secret, I am a Dust Fairy. My kind has been written about in folk tales for centuries. Do you know any tales about magical beings that help out about the house? A household spirit known as a Brownie? That’s me.

What is it about your antagonist that irks you the most, and why? Share a line in the book where this irk is manifested.

My antagonist is called Boring Noreen. She bores everyone by talking about herself and how wonderful she is. She is fixated with being famous and has very little talent. She keeps trying to kidnap me, so she can use my powers to make her a famous celebrity. What irks me is that she is so self-obsessed.

Excerpt from Delilah Dusticle’s Transylvanian Adventure

Boring Noreen’s dress, which she had discarded, was sinking like a ghost into the deep. The heaviness of the cloth had been dragging her down. Treading water in a white slip with her teeth chattering, she screamed, “What is that? It is a shark, isn’t it? Take them first. I am too important!”

What or who means the most to you in your life? What, if anything, would you do to keep him/her/it in your life?

I have recently been given a snow globe and inside is a girl in a blue cloak. She stands still, but her shadow keeps marching round the globe and banging on the glass. I think this globe has something to do with somebody who is just like me. You see, there is a snow globe with a little figure of me inside. It is being looked after by a friend. He uses it to see if I am okay or not.  I would do anything to trace the girl in the blue cloak.

What one thing would you like readers to know about you that may not be spelled out in the book in which you inhabit?

I live in post-war London, but all is not what it seems. When I go on adventures, different eras may collide and anything could happen.

If you could tell your writer (creator) anything about yourself that might turn the direction of the plot, what would it be?

At the moment I seem to be exploring who I am and the things I can do. Eventually I will have to face my darker side. I do not think my creator has thought of this.

Ask me any question. I've always wanted to know what a character thinks about writers like myself. I'll answer the question at the end of this interview.

For your next story, if you had to create a new planet, what would you call it? What would it look like and what would live there?

Oh, boy! Now we're in the realm of fantasy, and I'm not sure I do fantasy well. But I am always up for a challenge. Let's see, the planet's name would be Charmed - I'm sure. Everything would be charming, and perfect, and quite magnificent. That is, until the day a new girl is born and everything, I mean, EVERYTHING about her is less than charming. She picks her nose and never washes her clothes, and..doesn't keep secrets, so no one likes being around her. What do you think?

You know what? I think this might make a cute picture book. Thanks for the nudge.

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Website: wwwajyork.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/delilahdusticle

Twitter: @delilahdusticle

About the Author 

 

A. J. York is the author of the middle grade fantasy series called The Delilah Dusticle Adventures. Born in Gothenburg, Sweden and raised in the UK, A.J. York's first love was telling stories through drama.

"I have always enjoyed making up characters and their life stories, therefore I jumped at the chance to study theatre at the University of Brighton.  I later trained as a drama teacher and I have a Master's degree from Goldsmiths. I have gone back to my roots and I now live in Gothenburg. People have told me they love reading my stories and I hope you have fun reading them too!" A.J.

Delilah Dusticle

Delilah Dusticle has special powers. She can completely eradicate dust. With her quiver pouch of special dusters, Delilah can run up walls, reaching places others just can’t. As a maid in the Fenchurch-Whittington house, Delilah’s unusual skills soon lead to her being promoted to Chief Dust Eradicator and Remover. Until one day, when a broken heart leads to her powers taking an expected turn. 

This is the first book in a quirky middle grade fantasy series. The story entices the reader into a new and magical world that appeals to both kids and adults. The reader can explore how the ordinary in life can be extraordinarily overlooked, how friendship can help you overcome life’s difficulties and how accepting yourself is the biggest challenge of all. 

Reading this book is a truly magical and uplifting experience that should not be missed. Read it today!