Undercover Angel: Crash Landing is Lisa J Allen’s hilarious and heartfelt middle-grade debut — packed with magical mayhem, moody cats, and a trainee angel who’s more sass than saint.
Pre-order Undercover Angel: Crash Landing today from from Amazon | Waterstones | Bookshop.org
In this exclusive Q&A, Lisa shares the quirky inspirations behind her grumpy celestial heroine Phoebe Speedwell, how being a journalist and librarian shaped her writing life, and why she believes humour is the perfect way to tackle big topics like anxiety, friendship, and finding your place in a very weird world.
What first inspired you to write Undercover Angel: Crash Landing, and was there anything in particular that drew you to writing for middle-grade readers?
The character of a grumpy trainee angel just popped into my head while trying to think of a quirky idea that hadn’t been done before. I knew I wanted to throw her into the first year of high school, because my elder daughter had recently experienced all the weird and wonderful behaviour of children at that age.
I write for middle grade because that seems to be the age my sense of humour is stuck at! I laugh out loud at the Minions and Monsters Inc. and know all the words to Disney songs that are comedy gold, like Shiny and Under the Sea.
You’ve previously worked as a journalist and as a librarian — how have those roles shaped your approach to writing for children?
As a journalist, I wrote quite tedious articles about business and finance, which taught me that I can write about absolutely anything, at speed, regardless of whether I actually understand it, and make it interesting. Probably. I’m still not sure how I got away with starting an article by rambling on about star-nosed moles, but it brightened everyone’s day, and we led with a large photo of said mole. The article was probably about accountancy or management buyouts.
I briefly worked in a college library before that career plan was derailed by COVID. While rearranging books and issuing bus passes, I spent a lot of time daydreaming and concocted an excellent story about creatures called library trolls. No one wanted to publish that, but one day I’ll bring it back… Those trolls were awesome and ate a lot of cake.
Phoebe is funny, flawed, and has a heart of gold — how did you develop her voice, and did you take inspiration from anyone you know?
I couldn’t possibly say she’s anything like my daughter… Actually, I have a horrible feeling it’s my own voice! I definitely have many of the same thoughts as her about people, and my patience wears very thin. I also like cats, chocolate and comfy clothes.
Around the time of writing the book, I often listened to an excellent Sherlock Holmes drama podcast that really brings the detective’s neurodivergence to the fore and that definitely influenced Phoebe’s tone and clear confusion at certain elements of human behaviour. I’d also just finished watching the first series of Wednesday on Netflix – Phoebe shares some traits with that character – and rewatching Good Omens, which will probably be obvious to fans of that!
Have you ever found your children influencing characters or other elements of your work? Are they honest reviewers?
My youngest is my number one fan. She solemnly reads everything I write and then pronounces it excellent and very funny.
My elder daughter is my biggest critic… She thinks my work lacks ninja fights, flaming swords and murder. She will also write helpful comments in the margin, such as “This page is funny”, which she only wrote once, so watch out for that page, because it is clearly HILARIOUS!
They both help me with character names, telling me all about how their peers actually behave and assuring me that you can never have too many cats in one book.
The book mixes humour, fantasy, and some more serious topics for school-age children, like bullying and social anxiety. How difficult was it to strike a good balance between all the various elements?
I could never have written a serious book, so this was always going to be a comedy series.
I think the whole point of this first book is to highlight how ridiculous some human behaviour is and that, if you look more closely, you’ll discover there are underlying reasons for how someone is acting that have absolutely nothing to do with you.
When you learn more about child psychology and the effect of childhood trauma on behaviour in school, it’s actually incredibly sad to realise what is going on in these young brains. I hope children can learn to take a step back and understand that it’s not usually personal.
Without giving too much away, Phoebe has to choose between her mission and her morals. Why was it important for you to explore that kind of dilemma in a middle-grade book?
Because life is just one long balancing act, with your aims and ambitions on one side and the needs and wishes of those around you on the other. Apparently, it’s no different for an angel!
Phoebe doesn’t really believe in friendship, so it’s a bit of a surprise to her that she starts tolerating and even liking those closest to her. But she never totally overcomes her need to succeed. By the end of the trilogy, she’s really going to have to decide what she wants! She doesn’t know yet, so neither do I. She’ll tell me when she’s ready.
Undercover Angel: Crash Landing features quite a lot of magical mayhem! What was your favourite magical moment or scene to write?
I wouldn’t want to give too much away… but keep an eye on birds, clocks, bicycles and, of course, the cats!
At one point, Phoebe’s boss, Archangel Mikael, is so desperate to get in touch with her that he has to speak to her through one of the 13 cats, a fluffy grey called Mr Blue. Which works well, until Mr Blue decides to start washing his leg, so Mikael’s sombre voice comes out in between slurps and licks. Mr Blue is very annoyed by the indignity of being used that way.
What do you hope readers feel or take away after finishing Phoebe’s first adventure?
I mostly hope that they laughed and found it a fun read! But also that they’ve learned there are hidden reasons for most negative behaviour. Don’t immediately assume that someone who’s mean to you is inherently “bad”. There is probably a lot going on in their lives that you don’t know about.
Also, don’t take yourself too seriously, remember that being “different” is awesome and don’t underestimate cats.
Can you reveal what other mischief and magical missions Phoebe will be involved in in the future?
As an incurable “pantser” (a writer who doesn’t plot), I can’t tell you much because I need to wait for the characters to show me! I will literally write that the doorbell rings, without having a clue who’s at the door… Amazingly, I always find out when the door opens!
However, there is a huge cliffhanger at the end of the book. For once, I DO know what happens next… and I’ve actually finished writing book 2! So, I can reveal that the cats unleash their full powers, overripe pineapples are key, and Phoebe becomes even more fed up with the entire situation. Much eye-rolling and sighing, thanks to some really annoying evil beings with a penchant for Gen Z slang and a HUGE problem that drools.
Finally, what’s your ideal writing setup — and how often does it involve a cat?
I have a very old, battered sofa where I sit with my laptop, a blanket and my 13-year-old black cat, Charlie. He usually gets in the way. That sofa should be ergonomically terrible, but somehow works perfectly for me, even as a former RSI sufferer! I’ve always got tea and biscuits to hand, and am usually listening to the soothing tones of Alexander Armstrong on ClassicFM and the whirr of the washing machine.
Grab your halos, because we’re diving into the delightfully chaotic world of Undercover Angel: Crash Landing on June 19th!
Order your copy today from Amazon | Waterstones | Bookshop.org
