Tuesday 30 April 2013

Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock... the new story

Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock, tick tock....

Where is the time going?  It may be yet another symptom of getting more 'mature' but if you stop for a few of those ticky tocky seconds you will realise seconds are actually a lot slower than we all think.  You only have to watch The Cube on UK tv to realise that when faced with a game estimating so many seconds the contestants always go tooooooo fast.  We are on permanent rush mode these days it seems or is it yet another reminder of my age!  I recall endless summer holidays wondering if I would ever go back to school - time seemed to drag by soooo slowly...

The passage of time is a biggie for me at the moment because I seem to have constant reminders of how quickly time is passing.  I have a big birthday coming up; my eldest daughter, Ella, is not far off starting in Year 1, her second year at school; and my youngest daughter, Amy, will begin pre-school in September.

Where did the time go?  Time clearly waits for no man, woman or child.  We must keep up! 

I have now written five Larry the Liger stories.  Yes, there is a brand new one which has just been released.  This one is a special one because it was inspired by my daughter, Ella.  When asked what I should write about in a Larry the Liger story Ella suggested 'going to school'.  What a great suggestion! 

Each Larry the Liger stories deals with issues young children face in life and starting school is such an obvious one that I wish I'd thought of it myself!  Yes, Larry finally has the experience all children do (well they should at least!) of starting at a new school.

When I write about Larry something magical happens and I actually feel like I did as a young child.  I recall how simple things were and how so many things, that are small to an adult, are great, big, massive things to a small child.  This is something every grown up should remember.  Children listen and listen very well, despite how they may demonstrate otherwise.  It is so important to remember and to empathise.

The reason I love Larry, and I am so very happy to say so many others love him too, is that he embraces life and wants to be a good, liger cub.  All children want to please and it is so important to encourage that positive, behavioural trait.

So what happens in The New School, Larry's fifth adventure?  Well Larry starts school and is so excited he ignores any comments from Chloe the cat to make him feel otherwise.  Things don't go as he expected and Larry finds himself facing unknown issues in a strange place.  There are lots of new animals and creatures to help Larry settle into school and this is a very positive story which reinforces good behaviour in children. 

This story is great for children everywhere and not just those starting school but those facing any changes in life.  It deals with facing new experiences, making new friends and supporting others, to name but a few.

I really hope you like Larry the Liger - the New School.  It is inspired by a child and will hopefully be loved by all ages everywhere.

Happy reading everyone and stop occasionally to watch those seconds: enjoy your time out :)

Larry the Liger - the New School:
www.viewbook.at/B00CL9V6I8   

Wednesday 24 April 2013

Fergus writes and responds...

I was listening to Radio Four yesterday. There was a chap speaking about Record Shops. Apparently only 2% are left due to the downloading of records. It started me thinking why Rachael and I only sell our books in ebook format. Recent figures show that 58% of books are now sold as ebooks and 42% conventionally.

I went shopping last night with Aunt Judith. I thought I would browse books in a well known High Street bookseller. I was interested in children's books and I noticed that only Picture Books for the very young were in the shelf. I asked why and was told that is what sells. Above that you buy for Kindle. Well, of course, that is the field Rachael and I roam in!

We are doing particularly well in, the Land of the Rising Liger, Japan.

The Far East is a particularly good market for us and long may it continue!

I was very pleased to see how well Rachael has done with The Easter Liger and The Lost Friend. There are now four up and running on Amazon with the fifth not too far away. Rachael has had some tremendous reviews.
 
"5.0 out of 5 stars Great Story for Children to Realize Friendship often Needs Help 20 April 2013
By loves a great read - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I enjoyed this story. Great one to share with children struggling with understanding friendship is something they need to work at. It dealt with understanding you can be a friend to someone who has not shown friendship yet to you. It also had the idea of understanding appreciation for differences. The owl, the snake and a "Liger" all have different strengths and could work together for an unappreciative friend, the cat. Larry the Liger is certainly lovable and I look forward to his next adventure."
Thank you, By loves a great read. We thrive on feedback and are most grateful for your input.
"4.0 out of 5 stars Larry the Liger - The Lost Friend (Larry the Liger Series) 19 April 2013
By A. K. - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
"Be careful what you wish for" boy how many times have I heard that in my life. This is a magnificent story to teach a lesson on the value of friendships. I highly recommend it. The only reason I gave it a 4 star is I wish there had been more illustrations but loved it just the same."
You are right of course A.K.
"5.0 out of 5 stars Super Cute With a Good Lesson 18 April 2013
By J. Paetsch - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is an adorable story for young readers about anger and forgiveness sure to warm even the coldest heart. Little Larry the liger is tired of being teased by the mean cat Chloe--who ends up missing. It is up to Larry and his friends to find her. A sweeter story was never written to teach children how to be kind. This book takes place in Prague and in the Prague Zoo, where I have recently spent the day. It's a wonderful zoo where families can have a great time, and I was surprised and pleased to find it was the setting for the story. Authors Phillips and Wilson do a great job of reflecting the happy atmosphere of the zoo. I highly recommend this book."
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
 
"5.0 out of 5 stars Charming, 21 April 2013
By S (England)
This review is from: Larry the Liger - The Lost Friend (Larry the Liger Series) (Kindle Edition)
The story of a (slightly mean) missing cat, this is a lovely introduction to eReading for little ones. I'd suggest it for age 4-6, but that is obviously dependant on the child.
This is well illustrated, simply written and ideal for bedtimes which call for exploration of zoos. Larry is a loveable main character."
Oh boy! Larry, Larry, Larry where did we find you? What a find you are! You are now world famous. And where did I find Rachael. What a find this girl is. What an asset to Children's Literature.
Keep it up Rachael!
Thank you S (of England)!

Saturday 20 April 2013

The musings of a maturing, manic mum

I have been to the opticians today and am told that there is a slight improvement in my eyesight.  The younger man in the opticians advised me that this is due to... maturing.  Excellent news!  No, it doesn't mean that I am finally acting like a grown adult but it does mean that my eyes are showing signs of age.  It's a catch-22 situation: great to have improved vision but not so great because I have middle-aged eyes. 

Before anyone says it... I did go to Specsavers and I have to say they are very good although last time the optician asked me, when looking through the eye checking machine, if I had done my makeup in a hurry that morning!

As if accepting advancing years wasn't avoidable enough with a landmark birthday approaching I now have parts of my body making sure I don't forget the upcoming birthday that won't go unmissed! 

The younger man and I proceeded to choose some new frames that he described as 'youthful'.  When did this all begin to change?  One minute I was on the right side of a decade and now I am sliding off the other end. 

Since having children I have definitely aged outwardly.  Unavoidable with all those months of sleepless nights and the stresses and worries that come as part of the 'becoming a mum' package I guess.  But I wonder at what point did it all change.  It's like my body is on a timer to ensure it accurately reflects the age it is.

A strange end to my week which has been an up and down sort.  It's been 4 months since we lost Dad and that's hard.  I spent yesterday feeling very irritable and couldn't figure out why then I realised it was 19th April and 4 months have passed in a blink it seems.  Small steps...

I began the potty training deed that all parents must endure and after having a difficult time with my first daughter I braced myself for a very stressful week.  To my amazement and total pleasure my youngest took to the potty like a duck to water.  She essentially does it all herself and I clean up - and what's great is that she does it all in the right place!  As all parents who have had nightmarish, potty training experiences will know, that is a total bonus.

I ran a free promotion of the latest Larry the Liger story for three days and marketed it around childcare including emptying potties, swimming lessons, playgroups and school runs.  I somehow ended up in twitter jail... twice... while tweeting on laptop, kindle fire and smart phone.  I got in a right muddle at times, I must admit, in my attempts to keep up while on the move.

So how did it go?  Well it depends on how you look at things.  I have three, new, great reviews so that is good news indeed.  They are all on Amazon.com so will await reviews from other Amazon territories.  I had the highest number of Japanese downloads than I ever have for one of my books; clearly more children with ereaders over there which makes sense as they are the technology leaders.  The best thing to come out of it is the increased awareness of Larry the Liger.  I adore writing about him and love to share him with you all.

I will add the reviews below as they are worth the share.  I'd best be off now to take my maturing eyes to watch the next generation having fun in the spring sunshine.  Happy sunny weekend everyone :)

 
"5.0 out of 5 stars Great Story for Children to Realize Friendship often Needs Help 20 April 2013
By loves a great read -
I enjoyed this story. Great one to share with children struggling with understanding friendship is something they need to work at. It dealt with understanding you can be a friend to someone who has not shown friendship yet to you. It also had the idea of understanding appreciation for differences. The owl, the snake and a "Liger" all have different strengths and could work together for an unappreciative friend, the cat. Larry the Liger is certainly lovable and I look forward to his next adventure."

 
"4.0 out of 5 stars Larry the Liger - The Lost Friend (Larry the Liger Series) 19 April 2013
By A. K. -
"Be careful what you wish for" boy how many times have I heard that in my life. This is a magnificent story to teach a lesson on the value of friendships. I highly recommend it. The only reason I gave it a 4 star is I wish there had been more illustrations but loved it just the same."

 
"5.0 out of 5 stars Super Cute With a Good Lesson 18 April 2013
By J. Paetsch -
This is an adorable story for young readers about anger and forgiveness sure to warm even the coldest heart. Little Larry the liger is tired of being teased by the mean cat Chloe--who ends up missing. It is up to Larry and his friends to find her. A sweeter story was never written to teach children how to be kind. This book takes place in Prague and in the Prague Zoo, where I have recently spent the day. It's a wonderful zoo where families can have a great time, and I was surprised and pleased to find it was the setting for the story. Authors Phillips and Wilson do a great job of reflecting the happy atmosphere of the zoo. I highly recommend this book."






         

Monday 15 April 2013

Spring has sprung!

Finally, some sunshine to brighten up the days!  Ella is back at school after the two week Easter break and Amy is asleep so all is quiet.

I had a fantastic weekend with my Mum and younger sister Lisa staying.  They came to stay so they could watch me perform as Emma in Smalls Talk at the Assembly Halls in West Wickham.  It was a great play and very funny; if only it could go on...

The weekend before, we all went to Gloucester to watch my younger sister, Lisa, in her Glos Gang Show that she also produced.  A fantastic show with lots of talent on display.  It seems theatre is in both our blood.  My daughters are already showing signs of being good actresses ;)

I am back to more writing time now which is great and to celebrate the belated arrival of spring, and my new release of Larry the Liger - The Lost Friend, I am running a free promotion from Wednesday 17th to Friday 19th April.  The Lost Friend is the fourth Larry the Liger eBook and a lovely story: my husband's favourite Larry story so far.  It therefore comes highly recommended; he he.

In The Lost Friend, Larry finally gets fed up with Chloe the cat teasing him.  Larry loses his temper and makes a hasty wish that he quickly regrets.  As he goes off on his new adventure he meets some new creatures and some of my favourite aspects of writing these chapter books are using descriptive text to portray the new creatures that Larry meets.  There's some good ones introduced in The Lost Friend.

So spread the word and download it while it's free.  There is a like button on the book page on Amazon and a click of that would be very much appreciated.  Reviews are always welcome too and as you're getting it for free why not repay the gift with a review?  Reviews don't have to be lengthy affairs - even a one line review is appreciated :)

Happy springtime everyone and enjoy your free read.  I will be back to let you know how the promotion went.

The journey is getting sunnier :)



Friday 12 April 2013

The next installment...

It's been a very busy few weeks as it's been school holidays for the last two weeks in this part of Kent so I have been busy entertaining my 5 and 2 year olds.  I have managed to get some writing done and there are now more Larry the Liger stories ready to go. 

Writing does take up a lot of my time but I can usually get some done each day when my youngest has her nap and also evenings and weekends.  This last two weeks have disrupted my routine but I've found a way because I don't want to stop writing and lose my flow with Larry.  I have neglected the marketing side as I simply haven't had the time to do it but I will get back to it as soon as I am able.

Easter was lovely with my family of four together for four days.  It was fun with Easter egg hunts and a visit to an animal rescue farm to see some bunnies.  It tied in well with The Easter Liger story and Rory the rabbit who fled the Easter Market Farmyard.  The rabbits were so cute and we learned that in a year one rabbit can assist in the production of over a million more rabbits!  A scary thought of one rabbit producing more who each produce more who each produce more, etc. etc.  I was almost tempted to consider some pet rabbits but at the moment that's a time commitment I can't afford!  Imagine all those millions of bunnies in the world!

The free promotion of the Easter Liger went well and have resulted in two great reviews so far.  The other stories have got great reviews too, mostly on Amazon.com. 

If you have read any of the Larry the Liger stories then please write a review when you get the chance.  I appreciate all feedback and each review helps Larry the Liger reach more readers.

I have a new book coming out soon so look out for it.  It's called Larry the Liger - The Lost Friend.  Larry gets cross and makes a wish in anger that results in his next adventure in search of a missing friend.  It has a positive message for children and adults too!  I hope you love it and I look forward to reading more great reviews like the ones below! 

I am performing tonight in Smalls Talk with the New Wickham Court Players.  The play runs 12th and 13th April and I play Emma.  It's a very funny play and I love the chance to act a bit!  Writing and reading are great forms of escapism as is amateur dramatics - I get to be someone different every time I do them!  For those coming to see the play - have fun and for those who are too far away grab yourselves a Larry the Liger book and smile your way through the weekend.

Enjoy your weekends everyone!  :)

"5.0 out of 5 stars Charming 8 April 2013
By E.L.S.
Format:Kindle Edition
Charming, charming, charming, charming! Even now, I'm smiling just thinking about this sweet story. It's absolutely adorable!

Told in a very English voice, the adventure begins with Larry meeting an unusual animal with long ears and a white fluffy tail that he had spied hiding in a hedge. He learns that his new friend, Rory, is called a rabbit and is an escapee from the Easter Market Farmyard, where loud children covered in sticky chocolate pick him up and pet him, dirtying with his beautiful, soft fur. Larry is justly horrified. When Rory is captured and returned to the dreadful Easter Market Farmyard, Larry plots a rescue.

This is a perfect book to read with a young child, as I'm sure the other Larry the Liger books are, too. In fact, as I was reading this story-- wearing that big smile-- I'd stop periodically to share funny excerpts with my family. Though it is a charming tale (did I mention it's charming?), like any quality children's literature, there is a lesson. In this particular story, the lesson is tolerance and appreciating the differences between us all.

Goes without saying, I highly recommend Larry the Liger. This series will be a great addition to your child's bookshelf."
 
 
"5.0 out of 5 stars Larry the Liger - The Easter Liger 7 April 2013
By Mrs M
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Another fab Larry the Liger story.
 
I purchased this story to read to my grandchildren but have read it alone and thoroughly enjoyed it even at my age! I can't wait for the next one."