Debut Author Interview: Ryan James Black and The Dark Times of Nimble Nottingham Giveaway

 Happy Monday Everyone! Today I’m excited to have debut author Ryan James Black here to share about his MG The Dark Times of Nimble Nottingham. I love stories that mash fantasy and historical fiction, and I’m excited to read it. 

Here’s a blurb from Ryan’s website: 

Set during World War II, a twelve-year-old orphan who accidentally unleashes a shadow monster onto the streets of London must team up with unlikely allies to hunt it down.

Surviving on the streets of World War II London alone certainly hasn’t been easy, but Nimble Nottingham has perfected the art of going it alone—and that’s just how he likes it. The only friend he needs is his beloved dog, Winnie. To pass the time between rolling blackouts and bombs falling through the air, Nim spends his days fence-climbing, roof-jumping, and gargoyle-perching…that is when he’s not scrounging for food to stave off the ever-present hunger the war has brought to London.

 

So when opportunity strikes in the form of a bomb falling onto the notoriously creepy Gravenhurst Manor, Nim knows he has to get inside and find whatever spoils he can get his hands on to sell for food. Get in. Get out. Quick as a flash. At least, that was the plan until Mouse—a member of a local street gang called the Dead End Kids—shows up and invites himself along for the heist. 

Inside, Mouse and Nim encounter far more than just crumbling walls and shattered windows. Beneath Gravenhurst Manor lies a secret room and inside that room is a locked safe. Nim, inspired by the Hardy Boys adventures he used to read at Waifs and Strays orphanage, knows that something this protected has to be valuable, and so he cracks the safe and unknowingly unleashes a monster. 

A shadow creature is now loose on the streets of London, and it’s up to Nim, Mouse, and a band of unattended children to end its reign of terror. 

Followers News 

Before I get to Ryan’s interview, I have Follower News to share.

 

Samantha Bryant released Change for the Better, the series ender for her Menopausal Superhero series, a five-book series featuring women "of a certain age" with superpowers! Here’s a blurb:

Something is off about Jessica “Flygirl” Roark. With Dr. Cindy Liu safely in custody, unable to hurt anyone with her experiments, a new husband at home, and a team of friends working to save the citizens of Springfield, it should be smooth sailing through a cloudless sky. But Jessica is being secretive, avoiding spending time with her family and teammates. Rumors of a mole, relationship drama, and injuries leave our heroes unsure of who among them can really be trusted. Is this the end of everything they’ve built? Or can they forge a new way forward? Here are a few links: Amazon series link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074CHNLQ2 Website: https://samanthabryant.com

 

Jemima Petit released The Quest For Orichalcum. Here’s a blurb: The Quest for Orichalcum tells how it all started – the revolution that transformed the galactic economy, let alone space travel. How did a postgraduate student–a refugee from an obscure planet–change galactic communications? Why did a talented software engineer take up asteroid mining? Which girls influenced their choices in life? And how did they hit it rich in asteroid mining anyway. Here’s some links: ~~Amazon~~ ~~Apple iTunes~~ ~~B&N~~ ~~Kobo~~ ~~Smashwords~~

Rebecca Douglas has a new release, Edited Out, coming on 8/25/2025. Here's a blurb: Working part-time at the local inn is fun, until everything goes sideways. When a uniformly disliked writer-in-residence turns up dead, the local police ask Seffi to use her botanical knowledge to figure out what killed her. And could she hurry up, before the inn’s business tanks, and takes the bakery down with it? And here are a few links:

https://www.rebecca-douglass.com UBL: https://books2read.com/u/bMMM58

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLB4MDN2

 

Interview With Ryan Black 

Hi Ryan! Thanks so much for joining us. 

1. Tell us about yourself and how you became a writer. 

Hi! I’m Ryan, writer and book lover, born and raised in rural Manitoba, Canada. I grew up loving stories in all forms – books, comics, movies – and after discovering Dungeons & Dragons around eleven years old, I began writing stories of my own. Fantasy and horror, mostly. The writing ebbed and flowed as I got older, but I always returned to it. 

2. It’s great how Dungeons and Dragons inspired you to write as a kid. Where did you get the idea for The Dark Times of Nimble Nottingham? 

I got the idea for The Dark Time of Nimble Nottingham after hearing a scary story about a killer who prowled the dark streets of London during the Blitz. The story stuck with me and got my wheels spinning. The idea of a ‘horror within a horror’ was something I found very compelling, and planted the seed for my book. 

Your Writing Process 

3. Many books are set in WWII. What made you decide to set your story in this time period, and what research into the war and life in London during it did you have to do?

I set my story during the Blitz because I find this time period fascinating, and I think it’s an amazing example of the power of the human spirit. So many people lost so much, yet night after blacked-out night, they refused to give up. They persevered. Also, the idea of a city that is literally lightless at night has a fantastical element I enjoyed writing about. I researched quite a bit about how children fared during the Blitz, the geography of London – including some of the city’s spookiest spots – and ancient London history. 

4. What was your writing process like? How long did writing and editing your manuscript take before you decided you were ready to query? 

I wrote this book fairly quickly after an initial lightning strike of inspiration. Re-writes however, were a different story. I applied for and was fortunate to be chosen for Author Mentor Match (an online writing program in which writers are teamed with mentors to help polish their manuscript) and had the benefit of having the wonderful Cristin Williams (her debut novel, The Whisper of Stars is coming November 6, 2025!) help me work through re-writes and edits. I took this book apart and put it back together again several times before I was finally happy with it. All in, I’d estimate it was two years or so from the initial draft before I sent out the first query letter. 

5. Congrats on winning the mentorship contest. After being alone much of his life, Nimble must learn to work with Mouse and his gang. Share a bit about Nimble’s emotional ARC since he was a loner and didn’t have any friends before meeting Mouse. 

Nim’s had a hard life. He never knew his parents. He grew up at Waifs & Strays orphanage where he never felt he fit in. When he runs away to be on his own, he tells himself he doesn’t need anyone. He armors himself against the world, convinces himself he’s better off alone. After he meets Mouse and Abby and spends some time with them, he begins to understand the power of connection, friendship, love. They give him something he’s never had before; kindness. Ultimately, Nim realizes that people need people, even loners. 

Your Journey to Publication 

6. How did Peter Knapp become your agent? What was the querying process like for you? 

I queried Pete in the typical way (query letter and sample chapters) and he offered me the opportunity for an R&R (revise and resubmit) which I happily accepted. Pete and his amazing team gave me some really insightful feedback on my book, and after another round of edits I re-submitted and Pete offered to represent me. 

7. What was going on submission for the first time like? Did anything about the process surprise you? 

Submission is stressful! Once I had a literary agent I felt like a marathon runner a just few strides from the finish line. But those last few strides are tough! I found rejections really stung because I felt like I was so close to realizing my dream. The only thing about the process that really surprised me is how many times in a day I can check my inbox! 

Promoting Your Book 

8. How are you planning to celebrate your book’s release and promote it afterward? 

I’ve been dreaming of finding my novel on bookstore shelves for well over a decade, so first thing I’m going to do is a local bookstore tour on debut day with my family just to prove its real, look at it, pick it up, and maybe even sign a few copies. In September I have an official book launch at a local bookstore where I’m looking forward to celebrating with family and friends. After that, well, I hope to visit schools and libraries and share my book with kids and book lovers. 

9. Have you learned anything about marketing your book from watching other debut authors in the Middle Grade Escapes group who have already had their books released? 

I’ve learned to not be too hard on myself when it comes to social media and specifically self-promotion. Also, to take the time to really enjoy the debut process. This is the realization of years of dreaming and hard work. 

10. That’s great advice. What are you working on now? 

I have a second book coming from Penguin/Nancy Paulsen in 2026. It’s a supernatural whodunnit about the World’s most haunted town and supernatural tourism destination, three weeks after all the ghosts inexplicably go missing. At the same time, I’m working on another middle grade historical horror adventure that I’m really excited about! 

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Ryan. You can find Ryan at ryanjamesblack.com and @ryanjamesblack on all socials! 

Giveaway Details

Ryan is generously offering a hardback of fThe Dark Times of Nimble Nottingham for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower of my blog (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment by August 30th. If I do not have your email (I can no longer get it from your Google Profile), you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address. 

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or other social media sites and/or follow me on Twitter or Bluesky or follow Ryan on his social media sites, mention this in the comments, and I'll give you an extra entry for each. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. This book giveaway is U.S. and Canada. 

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is hosted by Greg Pattridge. You can find the participating blogs on his blog. 

Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts, and Blog Hops 

Wednesday, August 20th I have an agent spotlight interview with Shelly Romero and a query critique giveaway 

Monday, August 25th I have an interview with author James Ponti and a giveaway of his MG Hurricane Heist 

Monday, September 1st I’m participating in the Glam and Glitz Giveaway Hop 

Wednesday, September 3rd I have an interview with debut author Skyla Arndt and a giveaway of her YA House of Hearts and my IWSG post 

Monday, September 8th I have an interview with author J.A. Dauber and a giveaway of his MG Press 1 for Invasion 

Wednesday, September 10th I have an agent spotlight interview with Ashlee MacCallum and a query critique giveaway 

I hope to see you on Monday!