Watch.
Click
SUPPORT
Anti-Bullying at it’s best for Middle Grade Readers
Polly’s Piralympics Series
Books that are Diverse, inclusive and stand against bullying. Written in a manner that has Pirates hosting their own Paralympics, as well as, Polly’s adventures with treasure, poachers, forever-homes, Loch Ness Monsters, Leprechauns and so, so much more…
Paralympics for Pirates and so much more!
Here is what some reviewers have had to say:
NeoMuadDib
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2020
Verified Purchase
Mark Gunning
Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2020
Verified Purchase
R Shaltiel
Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2020
In this book, Captain Hake and his shipmates find a treasure map. They get to the island and they find their wheelchairs and Treasures. Polly, the parrot had a great idea, let’s share it with the rest of the pirate ships and have a week of competitions.
This is a fun book, and it has also lots of humor in it.
This book is part of a series.
I recommend this book for ages 8-12.
This is a fun book, and it has also lots of humor in it.
This book is part of a series.
I recommend this book for ages 8-12.
Where has Polly Been?
Jann has been writing up a storm with her Middle-Grade series Polly’s Piralympics.
With six already available on Amazon, Jann is now writing the 10th book in the series. Book #7 Polly Returns to Africa will be out on Amazon before Christmas.
Polly Piralympics Series #&
Still filled with Pirates and Polly the Parrot, Polly returns to Africa in search of her lost friends led by Leo the Lion. They are trying to find a safe forever home for Richard the Rhino, where poachers cannot harm him.
Will Polly remain in Africa or will she return to the Seven Seas with Captain Hake and his crew?
Butterfly moments
Butterfly Moments
Whether creating a Tsunami
or having butterfly moments
we change the world
Polly Returns to Africa
Polly Returns to Africa
Today is my ‘author’s edit day’ for the 7th book in my Polly’s Piralympics Series. Wow!
Who would have thought then that it would have even become a series? Deborah du Plooy read it and immediately said, ‘Of course it is a series, isn’t it?’ Well Debs, thanks to you it is now.
It was 3 years ago that I first put Polly up onto Amazon and well, my cover was pathetic and I knew absolutely nothing about the book world. 4 months later I started a group called Indie Authors Networking and my world started to change. I don’t claim to know lots, but I have learnt an awful lot since those days, thanks to the help of some amazing people. Most importantly, I have built my tribe, a group of people who have helped me no matter what time of the day I have popped up in their inbox with stupid questions. They have helped me hone my writing skills and almost look like I know what I am about (ha, ha, ha).
I would like to take a moment to thank them:
Sian B Claven, Kim Hunter, Ashleigh Giannocero, Tamsyn Bester, Tammy Bradbury, Ange St Claire, Lee ay BK Publishing and of course Deborah Du Plooy – Debs if you had turned me away that first day, I think I would have given up, but you didn’t, you encouraged me, as all the people above have, and I am where I am today because of you all – THANK YOU.
Bennies Book Fayre
I will be organising the Bennies Children’s and YA book fair with my fellow authors from the Schools Reading Road Show next year.
If you are a Child Author or Children’s author and wish to participate please contact me as we are starting our selection process.
If you would like to be a SPONSOR at the event please get in contact. Sponsors have already started to sign up.
#BenniesBookFayre
ARC and Betas
ARC’s and Betas
When all of a sudden after 2 years of serious writing you suddenly start to get people to ARC and Beta for you, it is just a WOW moment.
So what is an ARC and Beta Reader?
Well, beta readers read your work whilst you are still writing it and gives you feedback from the point of view of an average reader to the author.
A beta reader is not a professional, but a keen reader who will be honest about your work, ideally someone who would form part of a writers target market. If the plot isn’t working, then it just isn’t working. The manuscript is usually in its raw state before going to edit or for proofreading, so it is more about content continuity and character formation than editorial mistakes.
An ARC reader is someone who reads an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) and gives an honest review. They usually receive an edited copy a few weeks before it is due to be published in return for an HONEST review – this is not your Mum or Auntie Sally, who lives down the road, but a reliable group of your target market readers.
They will typically review on Amazon or Goodreads and their opinions do matter. So, in the past couple of weeks, I have had a peaked interest from people willing to join my team, and I can tell you I am chuffed to meatballs about it. Getting reviews as a Children’s Author can be an uphill struggle, as your target market is the kids and they are too young to hold accounts to post to Amazon or Goodreads without adult supervision, and well, for middle-grade books that can be hard as parents often don’t have the time to support these authors. They are keen when the kids are young to share their child’s latest books, but as their parental reading involvement tails off they are less likely to post a review or rating, and only when the child is old enough to post as a young adult do the reviews seem to start to come again.
Reviews, especially for Indie writers are so important, as even brilliant books won’t sell if the marketing tools are not spot on and no-one knows about your book. Reviews are an important part of that marketing process and help the authors enormously. So if you have read a middle-grade book, or your child or school learner has, please be generous and help them by posting an HONEST review.
If anyone reading this would like to come on to my ARC or Beta team please contact me. Ever-growing, ever learning.
#PollysPiralympicsParalympicsforPirates
Here is my interview with Jann Weeratunga
Have You Ever Wondered? #1
Have You Ever Wondered…
I have often. So, I just did the things I wondered about. It wasn’t always easy because sometimes there were those in established positions who, well, just didn’t want to see change.
Here are a few things I wondered about over the years.
Why did we have a Cub Pack of 42 boys (8-10 year-olds) but a Scout Troop of only 6 lads? That thought led to me volunteering to become the first female Scout Leader in the Greenford District.
I was 23 at the time, and our cubs just didn’t stay in scouts. I became the Assistant Scout Leader (ASL) and within 6 months was the SL as he stepped into the GSL post. So, there I was, in over my head, but determined to succeed. And I think that was a turning point in my life. I had always been fairly average at pretty well everything I turned my hand to up until then, suddenly, I was thrust into a position of responsibility and well, off I went.
I had amazing support from ‘Uncle Tom’, “Come to a meeting,” he said, “and meet the other leaders.” I did just that and as I walked through the swing doors the hall fell silent and I heard, “It’s a Bl**dy woman.” That was ‘Uncle Ted’ as we called him. He became one of my greatest supporters, friends and colleagues in scouting in the Greenford District.
I visited ‘Uncle Tom’s’ Scout hut and he proudly showed me a trail of 6-inch shields which went along one wall, across the bottom and halfway back along the other wall. “They’ll be to the end in a year.” Announced ‘Uncle Tom’ proudly. I politely asked him what they were and he said they represented every trophy his troop won (there were 13 a year). “No, you won’t.” I replied. I can still remember the look on his face, “Because my troop is going to beat you.” Now Uncle Tom had arguably the best troop in the District. He laughed at me. By the way, this is not a sensible thing to do in front of me.
We won the next event 2 weeks later – The Underground Widegame, came 6th in the swimming gala out of 20 (with barely any kids who could swim, but I can tell you the rest of the troop shouted so loudly, they never stopped trying, and even if they came last we still got a point, whereas other troops wouldn’t put anyone in.
Then we started winning. By my second year, we won every competition except the Swimming Gala (our troop was the furthest from a public pool – eventually I persuaded a dad to drive our old minibus there every Thursday and I plus a friend taught our kids how to swim.) We only ever managed 3rd place as our best, but it was enough. We continued to do this for the next 8 years my lads and I.
We won: The Night Hike, Tent Pitching (holding the up and down records for 10 years until equalled and eventually beaten by mere seconds), Underground Widegame, Gate-building, Pioneering, Chess, Shooting, Fire-lighting (my kids were pyromaniacs on the quiet), and of course the jewels in the crown the Campcraft and Scoutcraft Competitions as well as the Tony Whyte Trophy and Country Trophy.
How?
Easy. I told my boys what the all-male leaders had said that first night. “You only have a female leader. And they laughed at me and said you would never beat them.” They had something to prove, and prove it they did.
I remember walking into a Night Hike Competition where we had entered 3 teams and hearing another leader saying, “The 7th’s here, so guess we’re all playing for 2nd.” We came 1st, 2nd and 4th. The boys would get to our scout hut an hour before a competition and spit and polish their boots as we as the 10-year-olds boots, iron their uniforms and comb hairs, check hands and behind ears.
I am proud to say some of these lads are fine young gentlemen that I am forever proud of: Lee Walker, Marc Thorpe, Paul Walker, Stuart Songhurst, Mark and Alex Lindsay. You were all made of true grit. There were others but I only remember first names and some faces now as that was all 30+ years ago.
I didn’t do it on my own, I built an army: Uncle Ted, Mike Parker, Jimmy Dinglebell, Robyn, Josie and Barry Cole, Stuart Parsons, and others whose names escape me but who I hope will forgive me, but were essential in their support over the years.
Vision View Sports Radio Interview
I have always loved photography, but when you are behind the camera the world is a different place, especially when they place a mike in front of you too.
Here are some pics from my recent interview with Thabang at the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club.
Here we go…
Is my hat on straight?
Reading from Polly’s Piralympics
Relaxing before we start
It was one of the best interviews I have done, as they had really done their homework and were really interested in my books. Thabang even bought a complete set for his children after the show. I sure hope they are enjoying them.
dav
Kid's Books Without Borders 