Plans for a new book in 2023

If you’ve read the section on Guinea Pig Fiction, you’ll see I’ve been toying with ideas for a new book. After several diversions following ideas that come up in conversations during Craft & Gift Fairs, I’ve come back to what I like most: writing about my guinea pig heros.

Step forward, Roscoe and Neville

Roscoe has a bald spot on his nose where a tick got him

As indicated in Guinea Pig Fiction, I was less than happy with the short stories I’d written about Roscoe and Neville in the early part of this year.

I’ve now worked out what the book needs to be, and therefore how to write it.

  • stars Roscoe and Neville as themselves
  • needs some female protagonists, who will be ‘the guinea pigs next door’
  • Setting – Flexford Common. This is an imaginary place, set in pre-built-up Chandlers Ford. Flexford Woods exist nearby, and Common Road is close to me, so there must have been a common at some time. I might even hunt down old maps of the area.
  • Roscoe and Neville will make use of the tunnel they excavated for the Halloween story of 2020 to venture out of the house
  • Target audience will be 7 and up, and older junior dyslexic readers. So, short sentences, easier vocabulary, and printed with good spacing on cream paper.
  • Probably four to six short stories in the volume (Messenger Misadventures has four, and is for good readers 8 and up)

And the working title is: The Cavies of Flexford Common

Just one new book?

It’s probably the only new book I’ll bring out in 2023. There is scope for a collection of Princelings short stories, but not yet.

The Messenger Misadventures – Out Now!

messenger misadventures

The Messenger Misadventures: the Dylan, Deirdre and Dougall Collection is now published. You can find it on all your favourite online retailers.

About Messenger Misadventures

Four short stories (c 5,000 words each) for 8 years and upwards, set on the Isle of Mull, and starring my guinea pigs, Dylan, Dougall and Deirdre (who looks exceedingly like Victor on the cover).

Deirdre is pure invention. The first thing I did was write her own story in the Castle Haunn world — Deirdre and the Mermaid. I couldn’t think of a title more whizzy than that, I’m afraid! Then I rewrote the other three tales to include her in key elements.

The book starts with Dylan’s Yuletide Journey, although it’s the least magical. Dylan, the castle’s Messenger discovers some people doing strange things with stolen strawberry juice, and gets himself into big trouble. Dougall is in trouble for trying to find a substitute for strawberry juice in their power system, and ‘borrowing’ various items to test his theories. Personally I think he’s justified, since they haven’t got enough power for a Yuletide hot meal!

After Deirdre saves Dylan from a fate worse than death – with the help of a mermaid, she’s with the brothers most of the time in their other adventures. In the third Dougall helps a reindeer recover his compass, even though he doesn’t know what the reindeer means. And Deirdre takes the lead when she does some things better than them in the final story, Dylan and the Lights of Ulva, which is quite mysterious!

messenger misadventures

Buy the eBook!

These stories have not been available individually on Amazon, so this book is new for Amazon fans. You can find it here.

It’s also on Apple Books, B&N for Nook, Kobobooks, and Smashwords in any format at the equivalent of $2.99.

It’s arranged as four chapter books, (4-6 chapters in each), totalling 30,000 words. Suitable for age range 8-12 (and possibly upwards for teens that like flying reindeer and mermaids).

The Paperback comes in two versions

Chapter illustrations in their original black /white or colour: available on the Blurb website here. Price £8.25 ($ 12.57)

Note the preview is in the UK store – select your preferred country in the drop-down box top right on the Blurb store page.

The budget version with all greyscale chapter illustrations, is available from your online retailer via the Ingram distribution system. Check the link from your ebook retailer. RRP £5.99.

And now… The Messenger Misadventures

messenger misadventures

The Messenger Misadventures has the subtitle ‘the Dylan, Deirdre and Dougall Collection’. So, apart from the introduction of Deirdre, fans of the Princelings of the North have seen most of these before.

Introducing Deirdre

Deidre was clearly needed to balance out the ‘boy bias’ in these stories. That crept in because I have only male guinea pigs. They are left behind for some reason, when people are adopting guinea pigs, and for obvious reasons I prefer a same sex group. So my instant characters are boys.

Deirdre is pure invention. The first thing I did was write her own story in the Castle Haunn world — Deirdre and the Mermaid. I couldn’t think of a title more whizzy than that, I’m afraid!

Then I rewrote the other three tales to include her in key elements. She’s not so obvious in Dylan’s Yuletide Journey, which remains the first in the collection, although it’s the least magical. I placed it second to give Deirdre a good introduction, and a reason for the boys to take up with her. Then she’s with the brothers most of the time in their other adventures, and takes the lead when she does some things better than them!

messenger misadventures

Buy the Book!

These stories have not been available individually on Amazon, so this book is new for Amazon fans. You can find it here.

It’s also on Apple Books, B&N for Nook, and Kobobooks, all available for pre-order at the equivalent of $2.99.

You can also get it on Smashwords in any format after the publication date on 8th April 2021.

It’s arranged as four chapter books, (4-6 chapters in each), totalling 30,000 words. Suitable for age range 8-12 (and possibly upwards for teens that like flying reindeer and mermaids).

Paperback to follow.