HOME SWEET HOME? OR MAYBE NOT...

Gemma Greening never had plans to become a published author. It wasn’t until a string of funny poems she had scribbled over birthday cards to her husband; mainly for the amusement of her two sons, Alfie and Oliver, snowballed into an idea for a children’s fiction book, and all of a sudden ‘Messy Dad’ was born.

Having always had a way with words; often writing short poems when she found the time, Gemma struck gold when she started stringing together silly and satirical rhymes about her frustration with her partner Ben’s lack of initiative when it came to housework.

Gemma says: “It all started as a joke to be honest. My eldest, Alfie, really likes getting involved. After showing the ideas of Messy Dad to some close friends, I gained the confidence, but I needed to decide to share it with an audience.”  

Messy Dad is a cheeky and brassy short rhyming story, with silly anecdotes. Illustrator Matt Prewett successfully heaps on the comedy, matching each verse to an equally wacky cartoon, tying the book together as dessert for your eyes. The story follows our leading man Messy Dad who happens to have some rather questionable hygiene habits and struggles to hold down the fort whilst his wife is at work. 

Gemma continues: “Having such a close bundle of kids in my life; with my three nephews, two nieces and of course my own two boys, I became inspired to create something that they could read and enjoy whilst at the same time pushing me out of my comfort zone. Although the idea came from a real life scenario, I was experiencing with my partner, he knows it’s quite exaggerated and has been really supportive throughout the process.”  

Gemma is already working on new material that continues to shine light on her lovable, funny family and hopes to have two new Messy Dad books out next year. Messy Dad will surely face challenges far trickier than just juggling the kids and the broken dishwasher. Will he succeed and become ‘Super Dad’ full-time, or will ‘Messy Dad’ prevail?

If you like to publish a picture book with us and take control visit www.jellybeanselfpublishing.co.uk

MEET MICHELLE MONAN

Michelle lives with her husband and two sons in the small village in Surrey where she was born. For twelve years she owned and ran two nursery schools, and her favourite part of the day was always story time. She noticed that the children always enjoyed the rhyming stories the most, and so when it came to writing her first book, Can You Hear It Too?, Michelle knew that it should be in verse.

Can You Hear It Too? is based on Michelle’s childhood memories of playing in the great outdoors with her friends.

She says: ‘We were lucky enough to grow up in an area with just a few houses and fields and woodland all around us. We used to have great fun building dens in the woods. When we heard noises from outside, we would huddle in the den wondering what it might be, but it always turned out to be friends, people we were familiar with or woodland creatures.’

These days Michelle enjoys walking, cycling, going to music concerts, holidaying with her husband and children. In between all this, Michelle works as a teaching assistant. 

Top Tips for Submissions!

If you’re thinking about submitting some work to us, we’d love to hear from you, but you might like to have a look at these guides for sending your work to us. 

1. Include a cover letter – We’d like to know a little more about you and your story. You can tell us anything you think is relevant about who you are and where your inspiration for the story came from.
2. A synopsis is always helpful – You will only be sending us a small portion of your book, so it’s helpful to us if you can send us a synopsis. Just a brief account of the plot of your book is what we need. 
3. Don’t send us too much – We love reading your work and finding new authors, but we do receive a lot of submissions. Just 2-3 chapters are enough to give us an idea of what your book is like.
4. Is your book like another you’ve read? – It’s always helpful for us to know the sort of books you think yours is like. If you’ve written the first book in a series of books about a boy who discovers he’s a wizard, and also the son of a god, you might liken your book to Harry Potter and Percy Jackson.
5. Who is going to read it? – It’s also useful to us to have an idea of who your book will appeal to. Is it a general fiction novel? Is it a children’s fantasy novel? Or a Young Adult Contemporary novel? Either way, we’d like to know.  
6. Have patience – We receive a lot of submissions, and while we try hard to get through all of them as quickly as possible it does take time, so please have patience with us while waiting for a response.

So there you have it! 6 key tips for sending in your submissions to us. For more information on where to send them, visit our website!

Lethbridge-Stewart: THE HAVOC FILES

Calling all fans of Lethbridge-Stewart! The Havoc Files are back! 

The Havoc Files 2 is available to pre-order now. Check out the synopsis below:-

Ghosts in Cornwall, zombies in Australia, aliens at Wembley, trouble in Egypt, and a siege on the Kent coast. Just a few things our heroes have to face in this volume of collected short stories.

Add to that, an investigation into the strange goings on in a small house in Mevagissey, which sees Lethbridge-Stewart and Anne Travers cut down to size. And much later, the ashes from a destroyed Earth fall on Lethbridge-Stewart and his family.

Contains five short stories previously only available in digital format, two brand-new stories dealing with the fallout of two popular Doctor Who serials, and previously unpublished material from the latest Lethbridge-Stewart novels.

A collection of short stories from the classic era of Doctor Who, starring Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and Anne Travers, based on the characters and concepts created by Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln.

As always, The Havoc Files 2 is only a limited run. We have less than 75 copies left now, and they’re going fast, so head on over to our shop to pre-order your very own copy now!

This exciting short story collection includes: -

Ashes of the Inferno by Andy Frankham-Allen (brand new, print exclusive)
House of Giants by Rick Cross (brand new, print exclusive)
In His Kiss by Sue Hampton
The Lock-In by Sarah Groenewegen BEM
The Black Eggs of Khufu by Tom Dexter
The Band of Evil by Roger J Simmonds & Shaun Russell
The Playing Dead by Adrian Sherlock
and
Schädengeists Lot by Jonathan Cooper (previously unpublished interludes from The Showstoppers)
Exodus from Venus by John Peel (original prologue from The Grandfather Infestation)

Also, for a limited time, you can also order Beast of Fang Rock at the same time as The Havoc Files 2 for half price! So you can enjoy all those short stories, plus the sequel to The Horror of Fang Rock (first broadcast in 1977) all at once for only £14.48 (plus p&p).

Make sure you get your hands on all those brand new and exclusive titles by pre-ordering now!

Review: The Search For Mister Lloyd by Griff Rowland

We've received a great review from the lovely people at Love Reading for The Search for Mister Lloyd by Griff Rowland.

"A gorgeously quirky and magical story about friendship, hope and discovery, for young and older adults alike. Mostyn is a pigeon fancier, Mister Lloyd the pigeon has gone fly-about and Mostyn is determined to find him. Including emails, posters, as well as the adventure itself, Griff Rowland transports you into the lives of Mostyn and Mister Lloyd. Full of moments to make you giggle, ponder and go "ahh", 'The Search For Mister Lloyd' is a lovely and captivating tale."

A big thank you to Love Reading's Liz Robinson for taking to time to review the book, and we're so glad that she enjoyed it as much as we do! 

The Search For Mister Lloyd is out now and available for purchase as paperback and Kindle download. 

RRP: £7.99

ISBN: 9780993119170

@Candy_Jar

@GriffRowland

@LRLizRobinson

Book Worms author Jane Cohen visits local primary school

Here at Candy Jar, we are always keen to spread the literary love around - to anybody who will listen, to be honest. Luckily, we have a lovely bunch of authors who feel exactly the same way!

The fabulous Jane Cohen, writer for women's magazines and author of Book Worms, has been sharing her charming and fun children's story with a local after-school book club.

A couple of weeks ago, Jane went and met the lovely children at local primary school Albany Road Primary School for their weekly after-school "Book Worms" meeting.

After first arriving with the promise of giving the children "real worms" to taste (they were gummy worms really - we promise!) Jane got down to business to chat all things bookie.

"We talked about our favourite authors - the two favourites seemed to be Roald Dahl and J.K. Rowling!" says Jane.

Jane got to share with the children her story of how Book Worms came about, too:

"My daughter entered a school competition to paint a mural on the school wall. We came up with the idea of a very clever family of worms who had a million books, and could read a book in 25 seconds - I think the children thought that was very funny!"

"I read different parts of Book Worms, and we talked about different creepy crawlies and what the word 'metamorphosis' meant. The children were horrified when I told them that Earth Worm Soup was actually something real!"

It wasn't just the children who left the session a little bit wiser - Jane got a lesson too:

"Their lovely teacher taught me where the term 'Book Worms' originated from - apparently years ago, old books would get riddled with actual worms!"

Well... you learn something new every day.

We love that all the children had such a lovely time, and that Jane could go and meet some young fans! Many thanks to the staff at Albany Primary School!

Book Worms is available to purchase from the Candy Jar website and on Amazon.

If you are interested in booking a visit or talk about all things Book Worms , contact Lauren Thomas at lauren@candyjarbooks.co.uk or call 02921 157202

@Candy_Jar
@MissBobbles101

SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER - VIDEO

Check out an interview with See You In September author Joanne Teague:

When Joanne Teague learnt that she may only have a few months to live she decided to take her three children out of school and, with her husband, spend six months travelling around Europe. See You in September is the hilarious and uplifting account of this family’s journey through Europe. From the interviews with the children’s eccentric headteacher, to the vagaries of negotiating the Paris Metro with a toddler, the joys of navigating through Italian cities and the challenge of purchasing food for a family on a remote Greek island using only sign language, the book deals with every family’s holiday dreams – and nightmares – with a wonderfully light touch.

About the Author: Joanne Teague has lived in the Vale of Glamorgan for the last 16 years. She trained as an occupational therapist and is married with three children. Joanne's life changed when she became seriously ill and was diagnosed with Vascular Ehlers-Danlos -- a rare and still incurable, life-threatening condition. Notwithstanding, she continues to work, to travel and to have lots of fun.

See You In September is available from all good retailers, Amazon.co.uk, Play.com and the Candy Jar Books website. It is also available as an e-book via Kindle and all other e-reader devices.

Visit the Candy Jar Books website (www.candyjarbooks.co.uk) to order your copy of See You In September and check out our other titles!

JUST ANOTHER MANIC MONDAY?

We interviewed author Michaela Weaver about Manic Mondays – her debut novel published by Candy Jar Books. Take a look here:

You can pre-order your copy of Manic Mondays by visiting the Candy Jar Books website.

AUTHOR TERRY COOPER TAKES HIS 10 PER CENT!

Kangazang! author Terry Cooper does more than just write. As well as being an artist, graphic designer, rapper and Captain Jack Sparrow lookalike he also puts his talents to acting. Recently, Terry starred in the short film 10 PER CENT by up and coming filmmaker Chris Bevan.

10 PER CENT is a tale of deception and double-crossing in a criminal underworld. Veteran professional thief 'Bad' Eddie Goodman (played by Terry) and his young accomplice Billy take on a dangerous job – to rob powerful ganglord Mr Zhang of £3 million and a huge stash of cocaine. But there is little loyalty among thieves and thugs and the prize is too tempting for anyone to play by the rules. Action, dark humour and tension abound in this short story of gangsters, gunplay and greed.

You can watch it here:

(PLEASE NOTE: CONTAINS STRONG VIOLENCE AND SWEARING)



www.candyjarfilms.co.uk

www.terrycooper.co.uk

SELF-PUBLISH WITH JELLY BEAN!

Candy Jar's sister imprint, Jelly Bean Books, is keen to develop new titles across a range of genres. Whether your idea is fiction, non-fiction, crime, thriller, science fiction, children's (or anything in between!) we'd love to hear from you.

Our partnership publishing package can turn your manuscript into a marketable book. This route combines the benefits of self-publishing with the advantages of traditional publishing.

We provide professional support to all titles accepted on the programme, from initial guidance on the first draft through to publicising and marketing of the final book. Our scheme is very competitive and we always work closely with our authors, respecting the time and effort that has been put into their idea.

Check out our latest video below!

www.candyjarbooks.co.uk

CANDY JAR TAKES A TRIP TO THE AIRPORT!

In September 2013 the Candy Jar team took a trip... to Cardiff airport. Unlike the others there we had different plans. Our mission? To give 400 lucky travellers a free copy of our wonderful new publication See You in September – the perfect travelling companion.

When Joanne Teague became seriously ill and was diagnosed with Vascular Ehlers-Danlos – a rare and still incurable, life-threatening condition – she decided to grab as much life as she could get. Her solution was to spend six months travelling around Europe with her husband and three young children. Their travels were restricted to one continent but we want this book to travel the world.

If you are reading this with a copy in your hand please do read and enjoy it. All we ask is that you leave it somewhere (a train, hotel, coffee shop...) or pass it on to someone once you’re finished so that its adventure can continue.

Please share your experience with friends and keep us updated on its journey via Twitter #SYIS and like See You in September on Facebook.

 http://seeyouinseptember.wordpress.com/

VISIT MARC READ'S NEW WEBSITE

To celebrate the release of Marc’s debut title, New Stars For Old: Stories from the History of Astronomy, Candy Jar Books have created a brand new website for the book.

Learn about this fascinating new author by browsing through the interviews, links and updates we have on offer. Not only that, but we’ve also created a blog for you to follow so you can learn the latest from science’s most promising new author. Aren’t we good?

To access the website, simply visit www.candy-jar.co.uk/marcread.html For the blog, go to marcreadauthor.blogspot.co.uk.

CANDY JAR AUTHOR TALKS TO NEWCASTLE RADIO

Marc Read, author of Candy Jar's latest title New Stars For Old, talks to Newcastle Radio about his book. Listen here:



www.candyjarbooks.co.uk

CANDY JAR BOOKS - READ ABOUT OUR CURRENT TITLES!

Summer is drawing to a close, and now is the perfect time to get your autumn reading list ready for the cooler days and longer nights. Candy Jar Books have a wide and diverse range to keep all ages entertained and enthralled as the seasons change, whether you fancy fact or fiction, short stories or novels. Check out our selection of available titles, and be sure to keep your eyes peeled for our eagerly anticipated upcoming releases over the coming months.

Click any of the book covers to find out more.

Beware of the Mirror Man - Benjamin Burford-Jones

When 12 year old Sophie befriends the strange ‘mimics’ living in a TV set, she is horrified to discover a dark power lurking at the edge of the mirrors, threatening to destroy them. She embarks on the trail of an evil curse, but things takes an even darker turn when she discovers a note left for her… BEWARE THE MIRROR MAN!

The first book from Benjamin Burford-Jones, Beware of the Mirror Man is a captivating tale of curses, friends and formidable forces for children aged 9-12.

Silent Mountain - Michelle Briscombe

Jack Jupiter has an unremarkable life – except for his Gran. Following her prophecy of ‘the freeze’, Jack finds more than he could ever have imagined at the frozen lake. Jack needs all his courage and strength to face fantastical creatures and enemies, in order to reveal the secrets of Silent Mountain and discover the truth about his father.

Silent Mountain is the first novel in the series of Jack Jupiter books, written by first time novelist Michelle Briscombe, for children aged 9-12.

Men I Have Known - Eileen Younghusband

Eileen Younghusband’s latest book is an autobiographical account of the friendships and rapport with men, both famous and unknown, that she has cultivated in her life, and the impact they have had on her. Including detailed and personal accounts of meeting men such as Rex Harrison, Dylan Thomas and John Barrowman, Men I Have Known recounts an enthralling 92 years of intrigue, adventure and tragedy.

Companions: Fifty Years of Doctor Who Assistants - Andy Frankham-Allen

Doctor Who has captivated fans with eleven incarnations of the iconic Doctor – but what about the people who helped shape him? Companions provides in-depth accounts of 50 years of assistants, documenting the trials and triumphs, and delving into the men and women who changed the Doctor throughout his adventures.

New Stars for Old - Marc Read

From Aristotle to Newton, Marc Read charts the development of ideas about our solar system by blending together the historical fact of astronomy and its discoveries, with the charming fictional account of those involved. New Stars for Old gives a unique and informative perspective on some of the key ideas that have helped shape our world.

See you in September - Joanne Teague (Sept, 2013)

When Joanne Teague was diagnosed with Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, she took the decision to make the absolute best of her time left with her family, and embarked on a six month adventure around Europe. See you in September tells the uplifting, hilarious and moving story of the Teague family’s journey, as they negotiate Europe and each other.

Megan Williams

CANDY JAR DISTRIBUTION

Candy Jar has recently signed up with book distributors Marston Book Services PLC. Marston is one of the UKs leading book distributors, providing a comprehensive and impressively high-quality range of fulfilment and print services.

The company handles a huge cross-section of books, journals and electronic products from publishers throughout the world, straddling the trade, academic, STM, arts, religion, educational and professional sectors.

Marston is owned and managed by John Holloran (Chairman) and Ross Clayton (Managing Director) and there are 150 staff employed in the offices and warehouses near Abingdon, Oxfordshire.

We are excited about this new development which will enable us to reach a wider audience of readers, and we look forward to working with Marston and the team over the coming years.

EILEEN ON THE ONE SHOW!

Author Eileen Younghusband recently appeared on BBC's The One Show, talking about how she helped track Hitler's V2 rockets during World War Two.



www.candyjarbooks.co.uk
www.onewomanswar.co.uk

EILEEN APPEARS IN THE TIMES!

Author Eileen Younghusband appeared in the Times newspaper today in an article that talks about her time as a WW2 WAAF officer as well as her upcoming book 'Men I Have Known' which gives an account of the numerous interesting men she's met over the course of her life.

Eileen is no stranger to publicity having previously appeared on BBC Breakfast and BBC Radio Wales. She will also soon be featuring on BBC's The One Show where she will be demonstrating how she used her keen maths skills to track Hitler's deadly V2 rockets.

You can read the full article online (via subscription) here.

www.candyjarbooks.co.uk

ANDY FRANKHAM-ALLEN TALKS COMPANIONS

Candy Jar has a new book coming out soon, Companions: Fifty Years of Doctor Who Assistants, and author Andy Frankham-Allen has filmed a series of videos about some of the more well-known companions.

You can watch the first one (where Andy talks about Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright) here:



 www.candyjarbooks.co.uk

MERLYS - COMING SOON FROM JELLY BEAN BOOKS!

Candy Jar Books is pleased to announce its forthcoming title, MERLYS.

Produced through Jelly Bean Books – Candy Jar's Self-Publishing Imprint – this is the début novel of octogenarian Barbara Pontin.

The book is the story of a fiery and headstrong young girl who embarks on a journey of adventure and discovery across South Wales in the sixteenth century.

Merlys and her older brother Jeremy run away from their comfortable and secure home in a Welsh valley after disagreeing with their father over his plans for their future.

They head to the coast, seeking help from their aunt, only to find their lives in danger when Merlys overhears two men talking. One of them – a packman selling buttons, lace and ribbons to farmer’s wives and daughters – is the leader of a gang of thieves, murderers and wreckers.

Merlys learns of their next crime, inspired by information gleaned from idle gossip about wealthy travellers and well-laden ships. When the criminals discover she knows of their intentions, they attempt to silence Merlys – but each time they try, she and her brother manage to escape.

Arriving at the relative safety of their aunt’s home, Merlys and Jeremy soon learn that danger continues to stalk them.

As the criminal underworld of a sleepy coastal town closes in, only time will tell if they both will find peace and – ultimately – happiness.

Merlys will be available from Candy Jar books soon. If you wish to reserve an advance copy via the Candy Jar store, please go here.

EILEEN YOUNGHUSBAND AT WELSH FIELD OF REMEMBRANCE

Eillen Younghusband, war veteran and author of 'One Woman's War', published by Candy Jar, was a guest of honour at the official opening of the Welsh Field of Remembrance at Cardiff Castle yesterday.

During the service, which was also attended by Carwyn Jones, First Minister of Wales, Eileen was invited to lay a cross in memory of those who have lost their lives whilst serving in the defence of our country in the armed forces.

90-year-old Eileen said: "I feel that remembrance services are vital for all ages. For the veterans it takes them back to probably the bravest time of their life, and helps them to remember the sacrifices of those they knew. For younger generations, it helps people to realise how the safety they enjoy was secured through sacrifices of their families. This allows us all to appreciate how important times of peace really are."

The service, along with an interview with Eileen, was featured on ITV Wales Tonight, and is available to view at http://www.itv.com/wales/welsh-field-of-remembrance-opens-at-cardiff-castle88405/

After the service Eileen gave a talk about her wartime experiences, which was held at the Firing Line exhibit and was a great success, with seats running out and the event becoming standing room only.