Victoria Holmes

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Victoria Holmes is an English author. She is better known by the name Erin Hunter, a pseudonym under which she and others write the New York Times Bestselling [1] Warriors series.

Contents

Biography

Victoria Holmes was born in Berkshire, London. [2] She learned to ride horses at the age of two. She loved horses, and wrote many books about them. [3] As a child she enjoyed reading and writing stories of her own when she had the time. She studied English at the University of Oxford, where the ancient buildings and sense of tradition inspired an interest in history in her. She currently works in London as a children's book editor and escapes to the English countryside whenever she can, where she rides horses and walks her dog, Missy. [3]

Books

Together with several others, Holmes has worked on Warriors, Seekers , Survivors and Bravelands, all published by HarperCollins, under the pen name Erin Hunter. Holmes creates the plots for the stories, then the other authors do the writing itself, often alternating between one another. Holmes is also in charge of maintaining series continuity and making sure that a consistent "voice" is maintained across the books. [4]

Holmes is also the author of the Epic Horse series of novels: Rider in the Dark (2004), [5] The Horse from the Sea (2005), [6] and Heart of Fire (2006). [7]

Currently Holmes is the co-author of the Hope Meadows series (Animal Ark Revisited) alongside veterinary surgeon Sarah McGurk. The series is published by Hodder in the UK. [8]

Holmes stepped back from her involvement in the Warriors series after a diagnosis of cancer in 2017. [9]

Related Research Articles

<i>Warriors</i> (novel series) Series of juvenile fantasy novels

Warriors is a series of novels based on the adventures and drama of multiple Clans of feral cats. The series is primarily set in fictional forests. Published by HarperCollins, the series is written by authors Kate Cary and Cherith Baldry, as well as others, under the collective pseudonym Erin Hunter. The concept and plot of the pilot series were developed by series editor, Victoria Holmes.

Erin Hunter is a collective pseudonym used by the authors Victoria Holmes, Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, Clarissa Hutton, Inbali Iserles, Tui T. Sutherland, and Rosie Best in the writing of several juvenile fantasy novel series which focus on animals and their adventures. Notable works include the Warriors, Seekers, Survivors, Bravelands, and Bamboo Kingdom book series. For each book, Holmes creates the plot and the others take turns writing the books. Dan Jolley, though not an official Erin Hunter author, also writes the stories for manga published under the Hunter name. James L. Barry, Bettina M. Kurkoski, and Don Hudson are included under the pseudonym as the illustrators of the Warriors mangas. Natalie Riess and Sara Goetter are also included as the illustrators of the upcoming graphic novel adaptation of The Prophecies Begin.

Kate Cary is an author, most well known for her work on the Warriors series.

Cherith Baldry is a British children's fiction and fantasy fiction writer. She also publishes under the pseudonyms Adam Blade, Jenny Dale, Jack Dillon, and Erin Hunter.

<i>Into the Wild</i> (novel) 2003 novel by a team with the pseudonym Erin Hunter

Into the Wild is a fantasy novel about the lives of fictional cats, written by a team of authors using the pseudonym Erin Hunter. The novel was published by HarperCollins in Canada and the United States in January 2003, and in the United Kingdom in February 2003. It is the first novel in the Warriors series. The book has been published in paperback and e-book formats in twenty different languages. The story is about a young domestic cat named Rusty who leaves his human owners to join a group of forest-dwelling feral cats called ThunderClan, adopting a new name: Firepaw. He is trained to defend and hunt for the clan, becomes embroiled in a murder and betrayal within the clan, and, at the end of the book, receives his warrior name, Fireheart, after a battle with another clan. The novel is written from the perspective of Fireheart.

<i>Fire and Ice</i> (Hunter novel) 2003 novel by Erin Hunter

Fire and Ice is a children's fantasy novel, the second book in the Warriors series, written by Kate Cary under the pen name of Erin Hunter. The plot centers around Fireheart and Graystripe, newly promoted warriors of ThunderClan, which is one of the four groups of feral cats living in the wilderness. Fireheart learns that his best friend Graystripe has fallen in love with Silverstream, a warrior from RiverClan, even though it is against the cats' "warrior code".

<i>Forest of Secrets</i> 2003 novel by Erin Hunter

Forest of Secrets is a children's fantasy novel, the third book in the original Warriors series, written by Cherith Baldry under the pen name of Erin Hunter. The plot is about Fireheart, a ThunderClan warrior, attempting to prevent his best friend Graystripe from falling in love with Silverstream, whom Graystripe is not allowed to fall in love with. Silverstream later dies giving birth to Graystripe's kits. When RiverClan claims the kits, Graystripe makes the difficult decision to join RiverClan. Fireheart also becomes deputy after Tigerclaw, the deputy, attempts to kill the leader, Bluestar. The main theme of the book is forbidden love. Forest of Secrets takes place in a fictional forest based on many natural locations.

<i>Moonrise</i> (novel) 2005 novel by Erin Hunter

Moonrise is a children's fantasy novel, the second book in the Warriors: The New Prophecy series. The book, which illustrates the adventures of four groups of wild cats, was written by Erin Hunter, with cover art by Wayne McLoughlin. Moonrise follows six cats, Brambleclaw, Squirrelpaw, Crowpaw, Feathertail, Stormfur, and Tawnypelt, as they return to their forest home from a journey to the ocean. They travel through the mountains, where they meet the Tribe of Rushing Water, a new group of cats first introduced in this novel. The Tribe cats are being attacked by a savage mountain lion called Sharptooth. The Clan cats eventually agree to help the Tribe get rid of Sharptooth. Series editor Victoria Holmes drew inspiration from locations such as the New Forest and the Scottish Highlands.

<i>Dawn</i> (Hunter novel) 2005 novel by Erin Hunter

Dawn is a children's fantasy novel, the third book in the Warriors: The New Prophecy series. Dawn was written by Kate Cary under the pen name of Erin Hunter. It was published on 27 December 2005 by HarperCollins. The book follows the adventures of the four warrior cat Clans after five questing cats return to the forest with a grave message to find a new home. Together, the Clans cross a mountain range and meet another group of cats, the Tribe of Rushing Water. At the end, a new territory is found beside a lake.

<i>Warriors: Power of Three</i> Third arc in the Warriors series

Warriors: Power of Three is the third arc in the Warriors juvenile fantasy novel series about anthropomorphic feral cats. The arc comprises six novels which were published from 2007 to 2009: The Sight, Dark River, Outcast, Eclipse, Long Shadows, and Sunrise. The novels are published by HarperCollins under the pseudonym Erin Hunter, which refers to authors Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, Tui Sutherland and plot developer/editor Victoria Holmes. Power of Three details the experiences of protagonist of the first series Firestar's three grandchildren, initially known as Jaykit, Hollykit, and Lionkit, whom a prophecy foretells will have "the power of the stars in their paws". The arc's major themes deal with forbidden love, the concept of nature versus nurture, and characters being a mix of good and bad. Though the novels have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List and have been nominated for several awards, none of the novels in Warriors: Power of Three have won a significant literary award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tui T. Sutherland</span> Venezuelan-American childrens book author

Tui Tamara Sutherland is an American children's book author who has written more than 60 books under her own name and under several pen names. In 2009, she won $46,200 over three games on Jeopardy! She is best known for writing the Wings of Fire series of epic dragon fantasy novels. Sutherland's books have sold over 15 million copies.

<i>Seekers</i> (novel series) Book series by Erin Hunter

Seekers is a children's novel series written by Tui T. Sutherland and Cherith Baldry under the pseudonym Erin Hunter, who also wrote the Warriors series. Seekers follows the adventures of four bear cubs: Kallik, Lusa, Ujurak, and Toklo. Led by Ujurak, the four bears search for a place where they can live in peace without human interference and harassment. The first book of the first series, The Quest Begins, was released on 27 May 2008 and was followed by five other books, ending with the last book of the first series, Spirits in the Stars, which was released on 8 February 2011. A second series of novels subtitled Return to the Wild, also six books in length, began publication with Island of Shadows, released on 7 February 2012. The series has been well received, with critics praising the realistic behavior of the characters, the world building, and the book's themes surrounding environmentalism.

<i>Firestars Quest</i> 2007 novel by Erin Hunter

Firestar's Quest is a volume in the Warriors novel series by Erin Hunter.

<i>The Quest Begins</i> Book by Erin Hunter

The Quest Begins is the first novel in the Seekers series. It was written by Erin Hunter, which is a collective pseudonym used by authors Cherith Baldry, Kate Cary, and Tui Sutherland and editor Victoria Holmes. The novel details the adventures of four bears, Toklo, Kallik, Lusa and Ujurak, who are stranded together in the wild and must learn to survive. The declining environment around the bears is a theme explored throughout the novel. The development of the Seekers series began as a result of a request from HarperCollins for another series about animals to the authors who wrote the Warriors series about feral cats under the name of Erin Hunter. The novel was published on 27 May 2008. The book sold well and had generally positive critical reception with reviewers suggesting the series would appeal to fans of Warriors.

<i>SkyClans Destiny</i> 2010 novel by Erin Hunter

SkyClan's Destiny is a children's fantasy novel, the third super edition in the Warriors series. It was written by Cherith Baldry under the pen name of Erin Hunter. Victoria Holmes revealed in an AuthorTracker email that she had developed the general idea for the book quickly, but it took a while to find the right ending. The book follows SkyClan six months after Firestar and Sandstorm left the gorge. The Clan experiences internal conflict regarding house cats who train in SkyClan during the day, but leave at night to return to their human owners. Later, four loners, Stick, Cora, Coal and Shorty, cats that Firestar met on his quest also become a topic of debate in the Clan. The major themes in the book are rebellion and the fact that SkyClan has to figure its destiny without the help of other Clans or their warriors ancestors.

Epic Horse is a historical fiction series by author Victoria Holmes. There are three books in the series each following a new heroine and setting. The idea was first thought of when Holmes worked for Working Partners and came up of a historical fiction story. Each book has separate inspirations and influences on the time period and characters.

<i>Survivors</i> (novel series) Childrens book series

Survivors is a novel series written by a team of authors under the pseudonym Erin Hunter. Survivors follows the adventures of a group of former domestic dogs who form a pack with the help of protagonist Lucky, after an earthquake separates them from their owners. The first book, The Empty City, was released on 21 August 2012, and was followed by eleven more books written between 2013 and 2019.

<i>Warriors: The New Prophecy</i> Second arc in the Warriors series

Warriors: The New Prophecy is the second arc in the Warriors juvenile fantasy novel series about cats, who live in four established clans and follow a code to keep the peace between them from breaking apart completely. The arc comprises six novels which were published from 2005 to 2006: Midnight, Moonrise, Dawn, Starlight, Twilight, and Sunset. The novels are published by HarperCollins under the pseudonym Erin Hunter, which refers to authors Kate Cary and Cherith Baldry and plot developer/editor Victoria Holmes. The New Prophecy details the Clans' journey to a new home when humans destroy their original territories. The arc's major themes deal with forbidden love, the concept of nature versus nurture, and characters being a mix of good and bad. Though the novels have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List and have been nominated for several awards, none of the novels in Warriors: The New Prophecy has won a significant literary award.

<i>Warriors: Omen of the Stars</i> Fourth arc in the Warriors series

Warriors: Omen of the Stars is the fourth arc in the Warriors juvenile fantasy novel series about feral cats who live in Clans. It is made up of six novels published by HarperCollins from 2009 to 2012: The Fourth Apprentice, Fading Echoes, Night Whispers, Sign of the Moon, The Forgotten Warrior, and The Last Hope. The novels were written by Erin Hunter, a pseudonym that refers to authors Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, and Tui Sutherland, as well as plot developer and editor Victoria Holmes. Omen of the Stars details the experiences of Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and Dovewing, who, as part of a prophecy, have special powers. The arc's themes deal with forbidden love and the effect that being different can have on relationships. Though the Warriors series has appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list, none of the novels in Warriors: Omen of the Stars have won a significant literary award.

Warriors: The Prophecies Begin is the first story arc in the Warriors juvenile fantasy novel series about feral cats. The arc comprises six novels which were published from 2003 to 2004: Into the Wild, Fire and Ice, Forest of Secrets, Rising Storm, A Dangerous Path, and The Darkest Hour. The novels are published by HarperCollins under the pseudonym Erin Hunter, which refers to authors Kate Cary and Cherith Baldry and plot developer/editor Victoria Holmes. The sub-series details the adventures of the housecat Rusty, who joins ThunderClan, one of four Clans of feral cats living in a forest which adjoins the human town in which he originally lives. The arc's major themes deal with forbidden love, the concept of nature versus nurture, and characters being a mix of good and evil. Though the novels have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List and have been nominated for several awards, none of the novels in the Warriors sub-series have won a significant literary award.

References

  1. "Best-Seller Lists: Children's Books". The New York Times. 15 January 2006. Archived from the original on 2 November 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2007.
  2. Bolton, Kathleen (28 July 2006). "AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Victoria Holmes". Writer Unboxed. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  3. 1 2 "Biography: Victoria Holmes". Archived from the original on 15 September 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  4. Bolton, Kathleen (21 April 2006). "INTERVIEW: Erin Hunter". Writer Unboxed. Retrieved 22 October 2007.
  5. "Rider in the Dark". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  6. The Horse from the Sea - Amazon. 8 August 2006. Retrieved 31 March 2021.{{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  7. "Heart of Fire". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  8. "Lucy Daniels". Hachette UK. 24 April 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  9. Holmes, Victoria. "Author Profile: Vicky Holmes". Warrior Cats. Retrieved 29 October 2022.