Anita Loughrey's blog. This is my journal about my experiences and thoughts on writing. As well as news about me and my books, it includes writing tips, book reviews, author interviews and blog tours.
For more information about me and my books see my website: www.anitaloughrey.com. Follow me on Twitter @amloughrey, Facebook @anitaloughrey.author and on Instagram @anitaloughrey
Following the success of The King’s Coronation and the Kohinoor Diamond, the first in the Underneath the Underground series, sisters Anthea Turner and Wendy Turner have penned the much anticipated second adventure, set among the communities of mice living busily below London’s bustling tube stops.
Their second book is called, Raining Strawberries at Wimbledon.
Blurb
It’s Wimbledon tennis fortnight and there’s much excitement as King Charles and Queen Camilla receive a special invite from Princess Kate – to watch her and Prince William play a charity match against Sir Andy Murray and Heather Watson on Centre Court. What a treat!
Off go Charles and Camilla to brush up on their own tennis skills with their faithful aide, Jenkins, on hand to whip up some royal tennis whites. Meanwhile, beneath Marble Arch Station, daring mouse Elly Archer also has her sights set on a visit to Wimbledon and is soon hatching a plan to sneak over there with her friends Billy and Bunty Bell to watch the Ladies’ Final – without the grown-ups! What could possibly go wrong?
And Harry the Hero Rat has a secret plan too… he’s heard that juicy red strawberries are eaten there by the tonne, a perfect opportunity to gather up the leftovers and make strawberry jam for all the mice on the London Underground! But things go messily wrong when Kate and William discover Harry’s stash of strawberries… and somehow, Charles and Camilla find themselves serving for the match on Centre Court. Thank heavens they practiced! The question is, will they win…?!
In Book 1, readers were introduced to a host of loveable furry characters who reside Underneath the Underground including Hounslow Mice, Shoba and Lo Mow, Harry the Hero Rat who adores strawberries and Sir Roger Russell, the Mouse Minister for Transport. Fans will be delighted to learn they return in Raining Strawberries at Wimbledon along with some new faces, all set for a brand new adventure set in…you’ve guessed it, Wimbledon.
Raining Strawberries at Wimbledon begins as King Charles and Queen Camilla are full of excitement after receiving a surprise invitation from Princess Kate; to watch her and William take on Sir Andy Murray and Heather Watson at a charity tennis match on Wimbledon’s famous Centre Court. What a treat!
Meanwhile, beneath Marble Arch Station, daring mouse Elly Archer also has her sights set on a visit to Wimbledon and is soon hatching a plan to sneak over there with her friends Billy and Bunty Bell to watch the Ladies’ Final – without the grown-ups!
Readers fell in love with ginger Harry the Hero Rat in Book 1 and will be delighted to discover he’s not lost his passion for juicy strawberries, so much so that he’s devised his very own jam-making business, the strawberry variety of course.
Naturally, as this is an adventure story, nothing goes quite to plan. Discover what happens to Elly, Billy and Bunty as they make their secret journey to Wimbledon, how Princess Kate stumbles upon Harry’s strawberry stash and why King Charles and Queen Camilla end up serving for the match…but will they win?!
“We’re so excited by this story and have loved every minute of reuniting the characters whom we’ve become so fond of,” says Wendy.
Anthea says:
“Wimbledon is such a special sporting occasion and we know young readers will love this hilarious version of what ends up happening on Centre Court. Our mice characters are endearing and full of surprises – I’m sure this adventure will leave fans wanting to know what they will get up to next!”
Bryony Pearce’s debut middle grade novel, Hannah Messenger and the Gods of Hockwood, is a crazy romp of an adventure that will keep readers turning the pages. Based on the children of the Greek gods, you may think this story is going to be a predictable demi-god story or a weak version of Percy Jakson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, but you would be wrong.
Hannah Messenger and the Gods of Hockwood is a highly original, hilariously funny and entertaining story. Eleven-year-old Hannah Messenger, the granddaughter of Hermes the messenger god and Dylan, the grandson of Demeter the god of harvest, are best friends. Hannah has recently come into her powers and her and Dylan decide to go to the marker stone on the outskirts of Hockwood to practice using them instead of going to school.
Whilst they are there they meet Amy, the granddaughter of Aphrodite and school bully who is also bunking off school as she is upset her school work is not taken seriously by the teachers, as all that is expected of her is to be pretty. They also find school loner, Alistair has missed school too for a me-day. All the characters including the antagonist have been well-developed with their own strengths, weaknesses and well-crafted character arcs.
These four children form the core characters are real heroes fighting to save the human world through all odds. When someone moves the and marker stone, the gods of Olympus and their descendants lose their memories so they believe they are ordinary humans with no powers. Only Hannah, Dylan, Amy and Alistair know who the gods are and they are also losing their powers fast.
They discover the god’s objects of power such as Thor’s lightning bolt and Aphrodite’s apple and Herme’s staff have gone missing so they must overcome their differences and work together to find the thief and stop them using the source of the god’s powers to destroy the world.
A great story with endearing characters and a lot of heart. Encompasses themes of hope, perseverance and combating depression.
You can buy copies of Hannah Messenger and the Gods of Hockwood by Bryony Pearce from your local bookshop, or online at uk.bookshop.org which supports local, independent bookshops.
Today, I am shining a spotlight on Marley’s Pride by Joëlle Retener and DeAnn Wiley, which was published by Barefoot Books on 2nd April 2024.
Blurb
Marley is a little nonbinary kid with big anxieties. Crowds? Pass. Loud noises? No, thanks. When their Zaza is up for an award at Pride, they want to go to the parade for the first time with their beloved grandparent. But can Marley overcome their fears?
Featuring the joyful experiences of a queer Black family finding community through identity at Pride, this story also explores how to cope with social anxiety.
Created by a queer Black author and illustrator team, central to the story is Zaza, a transgender elder who receives an award for their work helping the trans community.
Additional endnotes include the history of Pride and its origins, a glossary of LGBTQ+ terms and a list of resources.
Praise for Marley’s Pride
“This sensitive work will be a valuable teaching tool to support children with questions concerning themselves or their friends” – School Library Journal
“From its bright and colourful cover, Marley’s Pride is a whirlwind of cheer and a celebration of being trans, Black and neurodivergent” – Inis magazine
About the Author
Spelman College graduate Joëlle Retener (they/them) is a Kreyol American children’s author with a passion for sharing stories that celebrate Black pride and Queer joy.
Joelle lives in Baltimore, USA.
About the illustrator
DeAnn Wiley (she/her) is a self-taught illustrator with a Master’s degree in counselling psychology. She illustrated Sarah Rising, the Sunday Adventures series, and her author-illustrator debut, Homegrown.
She advocates for social justice from the intersection of multiple identities – Black, Woman, Queer, and disabled. DeAnn lives in Detroit, USA.
About the Publisher
Barefoot Books is an award-winning, independent, women-owned and run, children’s book publisher based in Concord, MA. Founded by two mothers in England in 1992, we are committed to creating visually captivating books that celebrate global awareness and diversity, spark curiosity and capture imaginations.
Today, our unwavering commitment to opening children’s hearts, minds and worlds feels more important than ever. Barefoot Books has been shortlisted for the Alison Morrison Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award in 2024’s IPG Awards.
I am thrilled to be kicking off the blog tour for an exciting new middle grade mystery adventure, The Legendary Mo Seto by A. Y. Chan, which was released for publication on the 4th July 2024 by Aladdin / Simon & Schuster.
The Legendary Mo Seto is a story about a 12-year-old female martial artist who auditions for a movie role opposite her favourite martial arts movie hero, only to find out she’s too small for the role.
Blurb
A fast-paced, high-kicking debut that’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon meets Stand Up, Yumi Chung as a young taekwondo artist uses an ancient book to help save her dreams – and her father.
Twelve-year-old Modesty ‘Mo’ Seto dreams of being a taekwondo champion. Even though her mom disapproves, Mo can always count on her dad, who is her number one fan and biggest supporter. Lately, Mo has been on a losing streak, and it doesn’t help that she keeps losing to her archnemesis, Dax, who’s much bigger than her. If only she were faster, stronger, not so petite. Mo can’t even lean on her dad like usual with how distracted he’s been lately.
When Mo learns about the chance to audition to star alongside her idol and legendary martial artist and movie star Cody Kwok, she knows this her chance to prove to her dad, to the world, and to herself that she can compete with anyone, no matter her size. Unfortunately, Dax is auditioning, too. As Mo and her nemesis progress to callbacks, someone attempts to sabotage the movie set and Mo’s dad disappears – and both events seem linked to a mysterious book, the Book of Joy.
The book contains information on Xiaoxi Fu, a secret dance-like martial art developed by Mo’s ancestral grandmother. Armed with these secret moves and an unexpected ally, Mo embarks on a high-octane adventure to rescue her father, save the movie, and discover an unexpected joy in being small.
My stop takes the form of a book review.
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Title:The Legendary Mo Seto
Written by: A. Y. Chan
Cover illustrated by: Amber Ren
Published by: Aladdin / Simon & Schuster
The Legendary Mo Seto, is a well-paced adventure with plenty of dynamic action scenes that kept me turning the pages. One of my favourite scenes was when Mo loses focus during the tournament at the beginning of the book as her dad left in the middle of her fight. This scene was a great example of showing rather than telling the protagonist’s character.
The character arc has been artfully crafted in the way she learns to accept and even ‘love’ her short stature. It is believable and I would personally like to see Xiaoxi Fu in action. I hope it is as cool to watch as Martha’s dance fighting in the Jamanji (2017).
Written in first-person we are able to immediately identify with Mo from her love of Taekwondo to her hang-ups about her height. She is a fully-rounded character with a whole list of flaws, some of which I wish she’d learnt the hard-way that dishonesty does not pay. I enjoyed the friendship between Nacho and Mo but after it was pointed out to her how handsome he was, it made me cringe slightly that she started developing feelings for him. I would rather she felt jealousy about others showing an interest in her friends than start liking him more than a friend. Even so, the reader is able to empathise with Mo and appreciate her courage and loyalty. She most definitely has a stubborn determination to admire.
I also enjoyed the movie scenes with the vivid descriptions that immediately conjured up a realistic image of life on a movie set. It was good that the book highlighted the stress and drama behind the scenes as well as the gloss and glamour captured by the camera. The mystery around her father and what had happened to him was intriguing.
A great, excellently written middle-grade mystery with themes of identity and finding the best in yourself. Would be suitable for Key Stage Two and Three readers.
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About the Author
A. Y. Chan grew up in Canada’s Greater Toronto Area reading all the middle grade and young adult books she could get her hands on. To this day, those remain her favourite genres. After achieving her black belt in Taekwondo, she explored other martial arts, such as Wing Chun, Hapkido, and Muay Thai. These days, she continues her martial arts training some mornings, writes in the afternoons, takes long walks to muddle out plot points, and falls asleep reading.
She explained her reasons for writing The Legendary Mo Seto:
“I started training in taekwondo when I was six and, growing up, I longed to read books about kick-butt girls doing kick-butt things, but there really weren’t as many as I had hoped for. The idea for this book has been percolating in my head ever since. I wish to inspire kids not only to be brave and never give up, but also to be proud of who they are.
My inspiration for my story came from a real city-wide competition, where, like Mo, my protagonist, I faced off against a bigger, stronger boy during the final match. At that time, pairings were determined by belt-level and age, not by weight class. I ended up losing. I remember feeling so crushed by my second-place finish, and I kept replaying the fight in my head, wondering what I could have done differently.
I was also inspired by martial arts movies—especially the stunt actors and body doubles, and the thugs in the background serving as punching bags for the protagonist. As an introvert, I never wanted to be the main character…but to get beat up by the main character? That seemed awesome. After achieving my black belt in Taekwondo, I explored other types of martial arts and came away with an appreciation for the similarities and differences in the different forms, and how each has a unique philosophy linking the physical to the mental (and spiritual). Martial arts is about discipline and practice, but it’s also about respect (for oneself and for others) and integrity. And, of course, indomitable spirit, the all-encompassing light within us all that shines with determination and hope and an unshakable optimism for a brighter tomorrow.” (A.Y. Chan)
Please join me on the blog tour for The Rock by Ann Bryant and illustrated by Josephine Birch, published by Graffeg Publishing on the 23rd February 2024.
Blurb
The first in a series about twins Zane and Finola’s adventure to reunite their family.
After being forced to flee from their home planet, twins Zane and Finola find themselves on Earth. Dad is lost and Mum is no longer able to teleport, meaning that it is up to the twins to reunite their family. With such a large prize on offer for whoever is able to find the ‘aliens’, Zane and Finola can’t trust anyone and must make sure that they never break cover on their tour of planet Earth.
My stop on the tour takes the form of a book review.
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Title: The Rock
Written by: Ann Bryant
Illustrated by: Josephine Birch
Published by: Graffeg Publishing
Perfect for independent readers between the ages of 7-11, The Rock is a highly original middle grade adventure. I rarely see children’s books featuring aliens that are stranded on Earth from the alien’s point of view. I enjoyed learning about the differences between the two planets and wish there was a bit more comparing of the differences between the two worlds. The key themes are diversity and cultural awareness, empathy, family, green travel and teamwork.
The reflection on human nature was believable and realistic. There was only one thing that niggled me we know the mother and children are there to find their dad but we are not told why the dad came to Earth in the first place.
I liked the fact they could communicate telepathically and also teleport themselves by thinking of an image of a place. The teleporting symbol added each time they did this throughout the book was a nice touch. The way they tried to solve the picture image clues that had been transferred into their minds by their dad added mystery and suspense that kept me turning the pages. Although, the story did not end and left a lot of unanswered questions to be continued in the sequel.
On the whole, an exciting middle grade adventure with a unique mystery that will intrigue science fiction fans.
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About the Author
Ann Bryant trained at the Royal College of Music and began her writing career when her daughters were little. She has published around 125 books, roughly 75% children’s fiction including many series, the rest, music resources for primary school teachers. Ann narrated her latest picture book Peter and the Timber Wolf at 48 concerts in 2019 whilst Kidenza orchestra played the famous Peter and the Wolf music.
Reading from her book Code Breaker at the Gibraltar literary festival in November 2022, a year 6 class was inspired to take it on as their class reader. Ann regularly gives author presentations in international schools as well as the UK, and also leads music workshops for teachers.
She says:
“I’m often asked what you need to be an author – well, I think it boils down to imagination and discipline, or put another way, a telescope and a microscope, OR a heart and a head.”
You can purchase a copy of The Rock by Ann Bryant from Amazon.
To follow the rest of the tour please take a look at the schedule below:
I would like to thank Kelly from Love Book Tours for inviting me on this tour. Thank you.
It is with great pleasure I join The Write Reads blog tour for another fabulous middle grade adventure published by Neem Tree Press.
Terra Electrica: The Guardians of the North by Antonia Maxwell, is an exciting new dystopian series released on Thursday July 4th 2024 .
My stop on the tour takes the form of a spotlight of the book.
About the Book:
Blurb
Book 1 in an action-packed dystopian adventure series set in the near-future post-melt Arctic.
The last ice cap has melted, and the world is on the brink of collapse. A deadly force—Terra Electrica—has been unleashed. It feeds on electricity. It is infecting civilization.
In this chaotic, rapidly changing reality, 12-year-old Mani has lost her family and community to the Terra Electrica. Armed only with some ancestral wisdom and a powerful, ancient wooden mask she was never meant to inherit so soon, she suddenly finds herself responsible for the fate of the world.
Can Mani piece everything together and harness her newfound powers in time to save humanity?
You can read reviews of Terra Electrica: The Guardians of the North here:
Antonia Maxwell is a writer and editor based in North Essex and Cambridge, UK.
With a degree in Modern Languages and a long-standing career as a book editor, she has a lifelong curiosity for language and words, and a growing fascination in the power of story – the way it shapes our lives and frames our experience.
I would like to thank The Write Reads for inviting me to take part in this tour. Thank you.
To follow the rest of the tour please see the schedule below:
I am taking part today in the blog tour for Felix’s Favourite Day by Fiona Lowry and illustrated by Johanna Bruyer.
My stop on this tour is a book review.
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Title: Felix’s Favourite Day
Written by: Fiona Lowry
Illustrated by: Johanna Bruyer
Published by: Three Geese & A Gander
A cute self-published picture book that was awarded the Golden Wizard Book Prize in 2022.
It is about a young boy called Felix who dreams of owning a pet but the pets he asks for do not physically exist. His parents finally agree to get him a pet and his final choice suits him perfectly. It is written in free verse with no set meter or rhythm but has a loose rhyme.
Felix’s Favourite Day is a very short with an underlying message of using your imagination and believing in your dreams.
I felt the plot could have been developed further giving the picture book more depth and a more satisfying conclusion.
Suitable to read to children from birth.
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Fiona Lowry is a Scottish children’s author based in Perthshire, where she lives with her family. Having grown up in the idyllic, peaceful, and secluded countryside, her childhood was full of freedom and adventure.
Pic credit Steve MacDougall / DC Thomson & Co Ltd
Fiona shares her power of positive thinking through children’s stories of encouragement, self-growth, and belief.
A lovely multi-lingual picture book about a young girl meeting her Japanese Grandpa for the first time since she was a baby. Despite the fact they do not speak each other’s language they play happily together for hours every day during his visit.
Grandpa Kuma is portrayed as a bear throughout the book as Kuma is Japanese for bear and he looked cuddly in his photo. I particularly like how Grandpa Kuma’s words are written in both Japanese and also has the Japanese pronunciation. There is also an English translation at the back of the book to satisfy curious minds.
By the end of the story the little girl has learnt how to say ‘bird in Japanese and was able to use the word in conversation, even teaching it to her friend. There is also scope for readers to learn to speak a few Japanese words using the text, illustrations and translation glossary at the back of the picture book, which is a fantastic educational device for learning a new language in a fun way.
A very satisfying story with a lovely premise. I would like to see more bilingual picture books like this.
Today I will shine a spotlight on the middle grade novel, The Nine Night Mystery by Sharna Jackson, which was published by Puffin Books on the 6th June 2024.
Blurb
A page-turning, fast-paced, twisty murder mystery packed with epic reveals, red herrings and sharp, real, funny teen dialogue, perfect for fans of Robin Stevens and the Lizzie and Belle Mysteries, from the award winning author of High-Rise Mystery and The Good Turn.
Last night Wesley and his friends Josephine and Margot threw their neighbour Rachel a surprise birthday party.
This morning, Rachel is dead. And Wesley is the one who finds her body.
Rachel’s friends throw a traditional Caribbean Nine Night celebration to help guide her soul to the next world. But Wesley, Margot and Josephine don’t have time to mourn Rachel. They are determined to find out who did this – and find out what secrets Rachel was keeping…
About the Author
Sharna Jackson is an award-winning author and curator who specialises in developing socially-engaged initiatives for children across culture, publishing and entertainment. She was recently the Artistic Director at Site Gallery in Sheffield, and was formerly the editor of the Tate Kids website.
Sharna’s debut novel High-Rise Mystery received numerous awards and accolades including the Waterstones Book Prize for the Best Book for Younger Readers. Sharna lives on a ship in Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
It is my pleasure to be taking part in the blog tour for Justin Somper’s incredible new pirate series, Pirate Academy.
About the Author
Justin Somper is a creative talent in children’s book publishing. Beginning his career as a writer/editor for Usborne, he joined Puffin Books as a publicist in 1992 and moved to Random House as Children’s Publicity Director in 1996. In 1998, Justin became one of the UK’s first specialist children’s book publicists. He has since worked with Anthony Horowitz, Louise Rennison, the Roald Dahl literary estate and the Narnia literary estate amongst others.
Justin made the transition from leading book publicist to bestselling author, with a roaring success with Vampirates. He has recently released the second book in his new Pirate Academy series, Missing at Sea.
My stop on the tour takes the form of an author interview about the writing of Pirate Academy: Missing at Sea.
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Ahoy Justin. Ye be welcome to me blog.
JS: Thank ye!
When I was invited on the tour I was excited, as I loved your first book in the Pirate Academy series, New Kid on Deck. I am currently reading the second book Missing at Sea and finding it just as good as the first.
JS: Thank ye again! (Just to be clear, I never talk like this!)
Tell us about yourself and the inspiration for the Pirate Academy series.
I’m a British author (mostly middle-grade) currently living in Perth, Western Australia with my Aussie husband. I’m probably best known for my Vampirates books, which have been published in 35 countries to date and are currently being developed for TV.
Pirate Academy has its beginnings in my other MG series, Vampirates. The Pirate Academy (Coral Sea Province) first appeared in Vampirates 2: Tide of Terror, as did several key characters, including Headcaptain Commodore John Kuo, Jacoby Blunt and Jasmine Peacock.
I know there’s a lot of affection for Pirate Academy from longstanding Vampirates readers. Also, during visits to schools over the years, I’ve been asked for pirate stories for younger readers that still retain my typical edge as a writer. For these reasons, I’ve been keen to return to the idea of Pirate Academy for a while and break it out into its own series. When UCLan Publishing released their fab new editions of Vampirates in 2020 and 2021 and I started going back into schools after the pandemic, the strong response I received to my stories from new readers encouraged me to get moving with Pirate Academy. Pleasingly, it came together quite quickly.
If you were a pirate, what would your pirate name be and where would you hide your treasure?
I’d be Captain Swashbuckle Somper, I guess. Keep it simple, right? I’d hide my treasure in a complex underwater safe, protected by various mechanisms and a good deal of seawater above it.
Asking for a mate – Can ye send a map?
I’m afraid not. But maybe a coded clue?
How did you develop your characters and their voices so children can identify with them?
I do try to give the characters distinctive voices and points of view and work hard not to “duplicate” characters. Depicting the fifteen members of Barracuda Class has been a next-level challenge in this regard. I hope that I’m getting it right most of the time and that Jasmine, Neo, Jacoby, Leif, Shay and co all have distinct voices. There were points in the second book where I worried that Ocean was sounding too like Jasmine and Cosmo too much like Jacoby, so I went back and thought further about the nuances of their different mindsets. I’m writing Book 3 at the moment and I’ve done a chapter where all fifteen Barracudas have a line of speech. This was very fun and satisfying to do. I enjoy writing dialogue and I like listening to how people talk to each other in real-life, so I can carry some of that onto the page.
What was your favourite children’s book and why?
My favourite book series as a child was Helen Cresswell’s The Bagthorpe Saga, so it would be one of those books – maybe Absolute Zero. I think I really identified with the big, noisy family life it depicted. (I am one of four kids.) I was lucky enough to meet Helen Cresswell and tell her how much those books mean to me.
As a teen, I adored The Outsiders and Catcher in the Rye.
Talk us through your world building for Pirate Academy.
How much time do you have?! There are so many different aspects to world-building for these books – and again, I’m enjoying the challenge. I’m on a schools tour in the UK at the moment and one aspect of world-building I am talking to young audiences about is the lessons at Pirate Academy. I think it is central to the success of this series that the lessons need to be believable but also fun and also full of jeopardy. My starting point was borrowing my nephew Matt’s school timetable and swapping out his weekly lessons for more piratical ones. Once I’ve devised the lessons themselves, then I like to take things to the next level once we are “in” the class. So in Knots Class, we see Captain Quivers getting as excited as her students with “attack knots”. And in Swords Class, we find that the floor tilts to mirror conditions on the deck of a ship.
Another key aspect of world-building is thinking about the kids’ pirate families and their ships. I’ll build up extra back-story in my head to deploy when the time is right. For instance, from the beginning, I’ve had the thought that the Lermentov and Corsini families are deadly rivals and wouldn’t tolerate Ocean and Cosmo being friends. And, of course, Cosmo and Ocean ARE great friends, but it’s only in Book 3 that we will become aware of the pressure from their families. It’s good to have these reserves of extra story to plug into as and when.
Tell us about your Pirate Academy school tour and upcoming events planned for this summer.
Ha! I’m about halfway through the schools side of it and I’m having a wonderful time. In just over a week, I’ve visited 14 schools, several of which have invited other schools to join the sessions. I’ve been working with students across KS2 and I’m excited that Pirate Academy seems to be hitting the mark for Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 – which is broader than I anticipated. I have more visits scheduled for the next week and my final one is really special because it’s the school in East London that my two great-nephews go to!
After that, I’ve got two days of public events on The Golden Hinde (August 3rd) and the Cutty Sark (August 9th). Tickets are (I think) still available for both of these via their websites.
What writing advice would you give to people aspiring to be a children’s book writer?
Read often and widely
Write often but in realistic chunks – say 90 mins or two hours at a time
Don’t give up!
If you’re an adult, don’t talk down to your audience
Is there anything else you would like to tell readers about your books and writing for children?
I think we’ve covered a lot, thank you! Oh you could check out my lesser-known “duology” for young teens, Allies & Assassins and its sequel A Conspiracy of Princes.
What are your social media links where can people find out more about you and your books?
I’m easily found as I’m @JustinSomper on Insta, X and Facebook. I’m most active these days on Insta. I dabble with TikTok but I suspect I’m not going to become a BookTokker.
Where is the best place for people to buy your book?
You can find multiple links in my linktree on my socials. But why not just pop into your local bookshop – be it an indie or a chain bookstore – and ask for it. Even if they don’t have it right there, they can speedily order it in for you. As I’m based in Australia for the forseeable, I am exploring a relationship with one or two indie booksellers through whom we can always offer signed and personalised copies of my books. Check my insta for more news on this as it develops!
You can purchase copies of both books in the Pirate Academy series by Justin Somper from your local bookshop, or online at uk.bookshop.org which supports local, independent bookshops.
I would like to thank Graeme Williams for inviting me to take part in this tour. Thank you.
To follow the rest of the tour take a look at the schedule:
Much To Do About Writing 