The Scoop recently interviewed Brian Jacques and his wife Liz between book signings for their U.S. tour, although "interview" would imply that we asked the questions and he supplied the answers. In fact, Brian Jacques is such an inveterate storyteller that questions prompted stories, which led to more stories . . .

My overwhelming impression of Brian Jacques is of an author passionately involved with, concerned about, and devoted to his readers. Although touring and signing are exhausting, the contact and conversations with kids quite obviously energize and refresh him. He takes their suggestions and opinions quite seriously, sometimes incorporating them into the next Redwall novel, sometimes filing the idea away for a future story.

He takes his writing quite seriously, taking four to five months to write on Redwall book, and often writing twenty pages each day when the spell falls upon him.