The Princelings Books: Jemima Pett

10 November, 202210 November, 2022

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.

20 August, 202228 July, 2022

Hampshire Open Studios 22-24 August

During 22nd to 24th August I’ll be at Chandlers Ford Methodist Church Hall with the Chandlers Ford Art Group, creating our own ‘pop-up’ Open Studio.

Do come along and see how I do my illustrations–and maybe buy a copy of your favourite!

11 August, 202228 July, 2022

More Craft and Gift fairs in Southern England

I’m doing more craft and gift fairs during the rest of the year. You’ll remember from my January post that I’m doing the Mynt Image Craft and Gift Fairs in the Hampshire/Wiltshire area.

Here’s a selection of stalls during the first half of the year:

I tend to put my banners back to back, with the one for the ‘Meet the Author’ short story volumes and for White Water Landings facing the way people are walking around the room. I’ve sold a good number of Princelings books, mainly the first one, not surprisingly. White Water Landings goes extremely well in this area, as many people remember the Sunderland base at Calshot from after the war until the sixties. Many people tell me what their own fathers or grandfathers did in the war as a result of chatting about my father’s memoirs.

Book sales itinerary for autumn 2022

For the rest of the year I’ll be visiting as follows:

20 August: Lyndhurst Community Centre
26 August (Friday): Lymington (Masonic Hall)
17 September: Lyndhurst Community Centre
1 October: Romsey Town Hall
5 November: Lyndhurst Community Centre
19 November: Romsey Town Hall
3 December: Lyndhurst Community Centre
I may get a late entry to Salisbury in December or late November, also.

All the fairs are free entry, and run from 10 am to 4 pm.

If you’re in the area, maybe visiting the New Forest, or the Isle of Wight, or Salisbury’s Cathedral (or Winchester’s for that matter), or even Stonehenge, why not divert to one of the events and meet me in person!

I’ll have all the Princelings books (and Messenger Misadventures) with me – unless I’ve sold out!

Talent Seekers country

This is all Talent Seekers country. Castle White Horse would be located among the chalk downs beyond Salisbury; Castle Forest is sort of in the New Forest, and Castle Deeping is roughly where the Queen Elizabeth Country Park is, north of Fareham (on the A3). But I took a great deal of liberty with the geography of this area–best to say it’s fictitious, but inspired by certain landforms!

28 July, 202228 July, 2022

Illustrations at Hampshire Open Studios August 22-24

If you’ve wondered how I do my chapter illustrations, you can find out at Hampshire Open Studios, August 22-24 at Chandlers Ford.

The Chandlers Ford Art Group is cleverly using the Methodist Church Hall as a members’ studio space. As I’m a member, I’m there!

My pop-up studio

I have a table to work on, or at, a display space behind me, and I’ll be showing illustrations from the Princelings series. I’ll also have some of the illustrations printed at A5 (roughly half letter-size), which will fit in an envelope if anybody wants to buy them. I’ll take a box of Princelings paperback books, which do after all, contain around 25 illustrations in each, plus a great story!

In the spirit of the ‘studio’ I’ll be working on an illustration in front of your very eyes! I have no idea what, at present, but as I draw them on my iPad now, I can always rework something I think needs improvement.

I’d quite like to do some illustrations for other books, though. I just don’t know what, yet!

How to find us

Here’s the link to the Chandler’s Ford Art Group.

The Methodist Church Hall is to the right of the church as you enter from the road (car park behind).

Nearest main road is the M3 (London-Southampton). Exit at junction 12, follow the signs to Chandler’s Ford, and pass the Nuffield Health Centre on your left. About a mile further is a mini-roundabout among a small shopping area, and straight on after about 200 yards is the Church on the left.

The Number 1 bus between Southampton and Winchester passes the door. Nearest train station is Eastleigh (or Southampton Parkway/Airport), but it might be easier to get the bus from Winchester or Southampton rail stations.