News and Events
Here you will find information about all that is new and upcoming
Greencoats receives astonishing accolade
Greencoats is my first children's book, so it was amazing to see this endorsement from a talented writer, David Southall creator of Hookland.
If you want a children's book that will remind you of Joan Aiken's masterworks and live with you after the reading, try 'Greencoats'. It has profound enchantment throughout.
Greencoats was shortlisted for the Rubery Book Award 2022 - Children's Category
This is what the judges said: 'The novel is set during the Second World War, when Gwen is sent away to stay with her aunt in the countryside after a bomb falls on their Birmingham street. Aunt Eglantine (Tiny) is a delightfully unusual character with a slightly mysterious past, but she willingly invites Gwen into her life and creates a happy escape for her. The mysteries continue when Gwen ventures into the woodlands. A magical element is introduced through spirits within the trees and skilfully woven with the realistic human stories to create a wonderful world which Gwen delights in exploring.'
Greencoats is set in the West Midlands in 1940, during the Birmingham Blitz. It's suitable for readers aged 8+ and is being used in schools for KS2 & early KS3 English and History, with cross curricular links to Art and Science. Author visits can be booked through the contact page, and the FREE KS2 Scheme of Work can be downloaded from here: Greencoats
You can order a copy on the Shop page of the website.
Author Events 2024:
16 March, 11am - Wrekin Writers in Wellington - Creative Writing Workshop on Fairytales
15 April, 7:30pm - Llansylin History Society - Talk on Researching a Historical Novel
26 April, 7.00pm - Historical Fiction Night at Wrexham Carnival of Words - Battle of the Eras (I'm promoting The Minoans!) Tickets £10
9 May, 7:30pm - Shrewsbury Poetry at St Nicholas Bar & Grill, Shrewsbury. Performing a short set of original poems
11 May - 10-3pm - Chester Castle Medieval Living History Event (Free Entry)
20 June, 6pm - Talk in the Castle Bookshop Secret Garden - Ludlow Festival Fringe. Reanimating the Creator of the Mappa Mundi. Tickets £7.50
Talks about my historical fiction, poetry readings, medieval research, and being an indie author are available for public or private venues. Book Clubs, U3A's, Women's Institutes, Bookshops, Libraries, Historical Societies and many other groups have enjoyed these presentations. Talks range from 30 min to 1 hour in length. Creative writing workshops can also be tailored to the needs of large or small groups. Get in touch to discuss
The Errant Hours - the book that travels the world! It has galloped through Morocco, Japan, Portugal, Cuba, Belize and Florida. Last seen being read by the Grad Students in the Celtic Studies Department at Harvard University.
Where will you read your copy?
