Author hide-outs

Debi Gliori

Debi Gliori stands on flat rocks at the edge of the brown pool made by a stream. Behind her is the mouth of a cave, gaping black and full of shadows. Overhanging the cave mouth are green bushes and moss. Debi is facing to the left, looking ahead of her, and carrying a large brown basket with a lid. The basket looks heavy. Debi leans forward against its weight, trudging over the rocks. Her face is difficult to see as the light is patchy and she is a little way off. She has jet black hair pulled into a bun at the back of her neck. Her jade green t-shirt is baggy and long, half-covering her black skirt. She wears long black boots and round her shoulders is a plaid shawl in jade green and dark blue. Look about for the first two Hotspots close by, but take care not to disturb any witches that might be about.

In the first Hotspot, Debi looks out at you from deep dark eyes set in a slender, sun-tanned face. She is wearing a black top with a short, soft cardigan in coral red. The studio around her is cluttered with painting and drawing things and on a shelf to one side is a bright yellow teapot. Debi lifts two large black and white drawings on to the table in front of you, pictures of the baby bug with his huge eyes from her book 'No Matter What'. She then shows you the coloured version, with lots of greens and yellows, with baby bug curled up looking rather shy.

There is another Hotspot close by. At this Hotspot just the side of Debi's cheek shows from behind as she reads to you from her book 'Mr Bear's Picnic'. There is a picture of Mr Bear and his two bear cubs sitting on a wood opening a picnic basket that looks like the basket Debi was carrying when you met her, except that this one is blue. While she reads, purple cartoon notes of music dance across the picture.

Move on but not too fast as there is another Hotspot very near at hand. You will find Debi in her workroom at this Hotspot. There are books, a computer and two stuffed toys of her fox characters Small and Large on the table. Through the window behind Debi's head is a view of a lake with a dark green hillside in the distance. Leaning on the windowsill is a witch's broom, its twigs sticking up towards the sky.

Move on to a place where misty green light filters down from high above through trees on a mountainside. A waterfall tumbles into a pool surrounded by rocks and pebbles. In front of a dark, looming cave mouth stands a black clad figure with a cloak sweeping the floor. She stares at you holding up a book as if urging you to come close and read. Is it Debi or is it a witch? It's difficult to tell.

Search about for a Hotspot in this magic place. This Hotspot is lit by soft, gold candlelight. Debi sits behind a table looking out at you, candles all around her. She wears a skinny black dress, her long hair around her bare shoulders, lacy black fingerless mittens on her hands.

Move on along the rocky path of the stream to the foot of a big, moss-covered tree. The knobbly roots thread their way through the rocks and stones. Two tiny figures struggle up a mossy rock like a miniature cliff. They are one above the other, with a minute rope ladder between them, like money-spiders on a wall. You will find a Hotspot somewhere about, but take care not to knock these tiny creatures off their precarious perch.

At this Hotspot you will find Debi standing in a doorway in her red cardigan looking at you. The door and the wall inside to the left are black and covered with white chalk drawings. On the inside wall is a toilet roll holder. Debi chalks a cartoon of a cat on the door.

You may like to know that, after the flush pulled, the arm that held out the toilet roll to Debi was long, black and furry with a bright green hand. It belonged to Knot, a character from her book 'Pure Dead Wicked.'

Move on through the forest. There are big rocks close to you and higher up to the left is the bottom of a cliff, where a clump of large brown toadstools grows. To the right there are bushes and above them the hillside rises up towards a grey sky with skeleton trees outlined against it. There are more of those tiny creatures peeking out here and there from among the rocks, but they are so small that it's impossible to tell who or what they are. See if you can find three Hotspots hereabouts.

In the first of these two Hotspots, Debi sits leaning one elbow on her worktable, smiling at you. The broomstick is still behind her on the windowsill, looking as if it is anxious to be sailing off up into the sky. The purple notes of music are back, skipping along full of glee.

The next Hotspot is very close indeed. In this Hotspot, Debi talks to you from her worktable once again

Just a little way off is the third of the Hotspots in this place. Debi reads to you from 'No Matter What' at this Hotspot. She shows you picture of 'Large', the mother fox, cuddling her baby 'Small', keeping him warm and safe as they look out together at a starry sky.

Move on through the rocks and pools and you will find the rock pool where Debi is coming to meet you carrying her heavy basket, ready to set off through the forest again.