JELLY BEAN SELF-PUBLISHING RECOGNISED AS LEADING WELSH SELF-PUBLISHER

Candy Jar imprint, Jelly Bean Self-Publishing is delighted to have been awarded Self-Publishing Company of the Year at the 2020 Welsh Enterprise awards.

The Welsh Enterprise awards recognise the contribution of small to medium sized businesses to the Welsh economy.

Since its inception in 2013, Jelly Bean Self-Publishing has provided a range of publishing services to independent authors all around the world. Head of Publishing Shaun Russell is delighted to have received the commendation:

“Self-publishing has grown enormously as an industry over recent years. Thanks to the Internet, the rise of eBooks, and the refinement of Print on Demand technology, it is now viable both economically and practically for independent authors to find engaged readerships in an incredible variety of ways.”

“It’s this flexibility that is at the heart of self-publishing’s ever-increasing success, and it is something that we have always put at the heart of what we do. We never try to pigeonhole our authors or force them into a one-size fits arrangements. We tailor our work to an author’s needs, budgets and ambitions.”

“And whatever the services they require, we provide them to the same standards as we do for our award-winning traditional imprint Candy Jar Books. Not only is this, of course, only fair to the author, it’s an investment in the long-term viability of self-publishing as an industry.”

“We are delighted SME News has recognised our efforts to provide a quality self-publishing service. We see it not only as recognition for ourselves, but a testament to the many companies around the country that are working so hard to establish self-publishing as a viable route to readership for independent authors, as part of the wider publishing environment.”

“Mark my words, thanks to these efforts, in the coming years you will read more and more about authors finding success through self-publishing.”

If you want to publish your book click here.

LAUNCHING LETHBRIDGE-STEWART

Lethbridge-Stewart is expanding, and not just with more books. We’re launching you deeper into the universe of Doctor Who with a website dedicated to the UNIT.

The website commemorates the life of our beloved Brigadier, his comrades, along with the release of the fifth Lethbridge-Stewart season.

Expect to see interviews, forums, never-before-seen material, the chance to sign up to a newsletter, and downloadable free stories. There will be constant updates providing information on upcoming releases and information about the Lucy Wilson Mysteries, a spin-off series featuring the Brigadier’s granddaughter.

We want you to make your journey through The Lethbridge-Stewart collection. This website is a portal for the next experience in your reading.

The website can be accessed here.

THE LETHBRIDGE-STEWART QUIZ BOOK - out now!

Now, everyone loves a quiz, especially a Doctor Who one.

Buckle up for 750 questions on the UNIT era of Doctor Who. We bring you The Lethbridge-Stewart Quiz Book - an exciting spin off from the Doctor Who Quiz Book – containing trivia spanning from all fifty years of the Brigadier’s on-screen life. It is packed with questions from the television series, the Target novels, the Big Finish and BBC audio stories, comic strips and The Lethbridge-Stewart novels.

Prepare yourselves for hours of entertainment and competition.

You’re not a true Doctor Who fan unless you can answer them all.

The Lethbridge-Stewart Quiz Book can be purchased from Candy Jar Books.

What's the Matter With Slithers?

Snakes – ew! Cold-blooded, poison-fanged, slithering about the place…  They’re creepy, right?

Well, not according to Barbara Michaels, whose first book, What’s the Matter with Slithers?, provides a rather different picture of these oft-maligned creatures.

Not that she always felt so warmly towards our no-legged friends. When her grandson first decided to get a pet snake, Barbara was wary. But the newly christened Mr Slithers soon won her round.

Barbara says: ‘You might not think so, but snakes have personalities. A snake is as much an individual as a cat or a dog. And just like a cat or dog, once you get to know one, it becomes part of the family.’

And so, hoping to show this seldom seen side of snakes, Barbara was inspired to write What’s the Matter with Slithers?, a charming tale of a corn snake with an itch he just can’t scratch. Adorably illustrated by up-and-coming artist Sian Bowman, it is a tale that manages what to many might seem the impossible: making a snake not only sympathetic, but cute!

The conclusion is gently educational, revolving around Slithers shedding his skin. While What’s the Matter with Slithers might be Barbara’s first book, it draws on her wealth of writing experience.

Barbara Michaels

Barbara has had several short stories published, contributed to the award winning Laughing not Laughing, and has worked for many years as a journalist and a freelance writer; she is also part of the editorial board of Bimah, the magazine for the Jewish community of mid and south Wales. But most importantly, for many years Barbara has played the role of storyteller to her family. Barbara continues: ‘As a mother and a grandmother – soon to be great-grandmother. This isn’t the first time I’ve had to spin a tale to dispel a child’s fears, or to teach them something without them even realising it. I thought about this a lot while writing my book. I wanted to capture the feeling of a good old fashioned bedtime story: something cosy and comforting which leaves you having learned something, but most of all, with a smile.’

So Slithers might just dispel the phobias of children and parents alike. The launch of the book on 26th November was a great success.  

What's the Matter With Slithers? launch. From left to right: Matt, Holly, Barbara, Verity, Liberty, Holly.

Candy Jar’s Editorial Coordinator Will Rees says: ‘What’s the Matter with Slithers? is a truly endearing tale. The illustrations alone are enough for you to want a Slithers of your own, and combined with Barbara’s sweetly traditional storytelling, the book is an irresistible package.’