Josefine Ottesen (English site)

K.I.C.K.S.

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Extract from K.I.C.K.S. Strike Back:

A workman had already started repairing the door and there were several children standing on the stairs waiting to come into the fitness centre. Isabella went to the back of the queue. There were around 15 children waiting, some of whom were accompanied by adults.
"Yes, this class is just right for Cindy. She's been dancing ballet for many years, but, no matter what I do, she stays fat." The lady who spoke was slim, fashionably dressed and wore a lot of make-up. "It's dreadful when we go to buy clothes," she continued in a loud voice. "She could be so lovely but she simply can't get into any of the new, smart designs." The girl she was talking about looked grumpily at the floor. She had curly, golden hair and a pretty face, but her body shape was square and muscular.
"Yes, my Karmen isn't fat, but she doesn't want to do anything except sit in front of a computer all day long. She needs to get a few muscles. You have to be fit to be a singer."
"Oh, is she going to be in the children's song contest?" asked the woman with the make-up. The man with the hanging belly who had just spoken, replied furiously, "No, she's going to sing opera! She has a wonderful voice." The slight girl with the glasses, who stood totally absorbed in one of the games on her mobile, didn't even raise her head when she was being spoken about.
On the third step down stood a thin boy. He didn't seem to have anyone with him. His front teeth were as big as a rabbit's and both his ears stuck comically out from his head, as if he should have been a sugar bowl, not a boy.
There was no-one standing in front of him or right behind him either and, when Isabella started to go up the outside of the waiting group to get into the middle, she understood why. He simply stank so much that it was almost impossible to stand close to him.
At that moment, her mother came out on the stairs.
"A very warm welcome to you all," she chirped and invited the children in. "Here is the changing room." She waved her arms to show the way. Except for the boy who smelled, all were girls and they hurried over towards the door Helle Boch had indicated. Only Isabella stayed where she was, because she already had her training gear on.
Unfortunately, she happened to get in the way of the light-haired girl in the narrow corridor leading to the changing room.
"Move yourself," said Cindy.
"Make me, doll-face!"
Pow! The girl placed a right hook on her jaw. Isabella staggered backwards a little as she collected herself. That little brat! Who did she think she was? With a powerful pirouette, Isabella spun round and landed with an elegant flamenco stamp on the girl's right foot.
"Ow!" screeched the light-haired girl, but simultaneously gave her dark-haired opponent an uppercut which put her on the floor.
All the other girls had already disappeared into the changing room along with the trainer. Only the thin bespectacled Karmen remained to follow the fight with curiosity. Cindy, who was the undisputed victor, glanced down at her defeated opponent and turned to go.
"Er, shouldn't you just tidy up a bit after you," asked Karmen, carefully staying out of reach of the charming girl's effective fists
Cindy shrugged her shoulders, then bent down and gave Isabella a shake. Karmen knelt hurriedly down by her side and said eagerly: "I found this site on first-aid on the net. It says it's important that the unconscious person is lying in the recovery position."
"And how do we do that?" Cindy narrowed her eyes and Karmen moved back a bit.
"We just turn her over on her side, it says here." Karmen tried but didn't have the strength to do it. She held out her videophone to Cindy so she could see the picture and the other girl turned Isabella over without a problem.
At that moment, she came round, a little confused. Seeing Cindy bending over her, she threw up her arm in front of face to protect herself.
"Relax." said the blonde girl.

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Author's comments:

During the last two years, I have written two books in the Disney series on the five girls in W.I.T.C.H. It's great fun to write such a concept-story, where one has to go in and take over both the characters and their universe and write one's own story from that situation, but there are of course a number of restrictions. When it's a question of the five girls and their lives in the W.I.T.C.H. series, it's really important that the books can be sold the world over. But in many places in the world, it is the custom that children who appear in books should be ideal-children - they may not fall out with each other for too long at a time, they should be good at cooperating with each other and they may not tell lies or behave badly or have bad manners. It can sometimes be rather difficult to write a book about children in such a 12-14 years range, who always behave nicely J……. So after I was finished with the first W.I.T.C.H. book, I had a really strong desire to write a book for the same age group - ca. 8-12 years old - about some children who weren't quite so successful - some who were ugly, fat, nerdy, smelly - all those things which none of us are allowed to be if we want to be "stars", but how very many of us in fact are.
I simply wanted to write a funny book about how, even if one doesn't quite fit the part for the next Eurovision Song Contest or "Star for a Night" show, one can still be good at something which is useful.
I talked the ideas through with my daughter, who at that time was 15. In fact, we had a very entertaining train journey to North Jutland while we sat and expanded on this story. I told the story and she drew the pictures - something she's rather good at!
When we were ready with the book, we agreed that she was the only one who could create the right pictures for the book, so that's why it's her who has drawn all the illustrations and the cover.
We ourselves think that the book has succeeded very well from the point of view of creating a slightly screw-ball and rather different "anti-hero hero story".