Interview with C.C. Cliff

C. C. Cliff is the author of the worldwide best-seller Jackel Jones and the Tower of Evil. She lives in Britain, but has come to Hong Kong to meet her fans and talk about the book. Along with four other teens, Amy has won a competition to meet Cliff and ask her a few questions.

Listen to Amy's interview with C.C. Cliff and answer the questions

1 Why didn't C.C. Cliff have to do much research for her new book?

a. because her assistant did the research for her

b. because she used to live in Japan

c. because the Japanese setting doesn't feature much in the book

2 Why did she already know much about Japanese culture?

a. she had already written a book on the subject

b. her husband is Japanese

c. she had already written some magazine articles on the topic

3 What did she think about the research process originally?

a. she was fascinated by the subject

b. it was tedious but necessary

c. she hated it

4 The legend she uses in her new book is about what sort of precious stone?

A

B

C

5 Who had the jewel belonged to?

a. a succession of Japanese princesses

b. a group of business women

c. a powerful Japanese princess

6 What is the legend surrounding the jewel?

a. it brings riches

b. it brings terribly bad luck

c. it was stolen

7 When did the jewel first disappear?

a. in 1720

b. at the end of the 16th century

c. at the start of the 17th century

8 For how long was it missing?

a. 250 years

b. 90 years

c. two centuries

9 Where was it next discovered?

a. in Kyoto

b. in the US

c. on a ship

10 Why was it sent to Britain?

a. to be sold

b. to be put in a bank vault

c. to be given to a princess

11 What are very important in a C.C. Cliff book?

a. cliffhanger endings

b. murder and crime

c. the people in the story

12 One of the characters in her latest book is based on ...

a. a dear friend

b. nobody - all her characters are fictional

c. a younger version of a close relative

13 What piece of advice does C.C. Cliff give to budding writers?

a. think out a plot first

b. read a lot

c. never base characters on real people

14 What is she writing at the moment?

a. another Jackel Jones novel

b. a science textbook

c. a futuristic adventure novel

Answers: 1. b, 2. c, 3. a, 4. c, 5. a, 6. b, 7. c, 8. a, 9. b, 10. a, 11. c, 12. c, 13. b, 14. c