Haiku is a Japanese form of poetry. The idea, as I understand it, is to use just a few words to capture a moment and create a picture in the reader's mind. It is like a tiny window into a scene much larger than itself. The idea is not to tell/show too much.

Ideally, two different images will spark off one another and is some way there will be a relationship between them. At least, this is how I have interpreted everything that I have read on this!

Traditionally, haiku is written in three lines, with a 5-7-5 syllable structure.

There is often an emphasis on nature or the seasons but this is not a hard and fast rule.

So, here goes...

Dew drops held captive
Morning sun unforgiving
Weary man tilts hat

A fire breathes and chokes
Beautifully destructive
Waves on sandcastle

Fragments of time lost
Cool air still on mountain ledge
The circling begins

Whispers lost somewhere
Darkness descends over land
Fragile wings flutter

Interactive Touch Books (ITB) is a very innovative company and I am excited to learn that Microsoft have offered the founders both their support and investment to continue.  ITB specialise in selling downloads of interactive touch books for young children for use on the iPad. These books offer the reader much more than standard eBooks since they contain animations, sounds and a narration option. The cost of most ITBs on the site represents excellent value for the customer too, at just £1.49 per book or less. 

I used the free software provided by this company to its authors to create ITB versions of my first two books, My Crazy Purple Pen and The Day My Teacher Came to Tea. I was delighted with the results and have been encouraged by the strong sales I have received from this relatively niche area of the marketplace.

The company have been struggling to make a profit because of the huge cost involved in running the cloud server (something technical like that anyway!) but with the backing of Microsoft will be able to invest in marketing and promotion, pay their authors on time (yippee!) and start to develop the technology to enable the books to be read on all platforms, not just iPad.

I am hopeful that this relatively new area of the children’s book market will be given a real boost and that ITB will become a more significant player. It certainly deserves to be.

Check out the ITB app on your iPad or view their website;

Links to my two books are:

My Crazy Purple Pen

The Day My Teacher Came to Tea

Crazy Purple Pen is back on my computer screen again and I am having  loads of  fun writing this sequel!

In the first book, aside from the little schoolboy, the Police Inspector was a favourite character of mine, and I just had to bring him back. Once again he is on the trail of  Crazy Purple Pen and he has a plan to put a stop to the mischievous notes.

There will be plenty of new characters in this story too; an inept bank thief, a news broadcaster and  the Town Mayor to mention but a few. I am still drafting so this could all change! Nevertheless, the story is definitely taking shape. 

 I am so happy to be writing something new once again instead of being sucked into the vast world of promotion and marketing. Enough said!

There is a full set of character illustrations (with descriptions) for the forthcoming Captain Sillyvoice series available to view on my new Author Facebook Page but for those of you who don't have Facebook, here is a group picture, and of course their pirate ship!

I am very excited about this project - the first draft pages are looking really fab!

My publisher (husband) has just informed me that he’s ordered 100 new ISBN numbers. It was a bargain apparently!

Quite ridiculous!

Now where did I put my list of story ideas?

Oh yes, here it is - a little short of the 100 mark right now but I guess it’s good to have a goal!

Very happy with the numbers of downloads, particularly from America (the strongest market) but also from Japan where downloads were even on a par with the UK for some of the week!

No reviews posted as yet but previous experience suggests that these can trickle in a little later down the line, as do any knock-on sales of other titles or formats.  For example, following my ebook promotion of My Crazy Purple Pen back in August, 3 hardback copies of the book were ordered in Ohio. I don't know anyone who lives out there so  I can only think that this order must have come about as a direct result of ebook distribution. A big thank you to my Ohio reader(s) whoever you are!

Anyway, back to the writing.  A sequel to My Crazy Purple Pen is in the making!

This is your chance to check out out my latest book for FREE through a special promotion with Amazon. All you need to do is click here and download. This offer is only running for a limited time. Please spread the word!

Autumn - the best time for a forest ramble.

I hope you enjoy my seasonal poetry offering.

Forest; unruffled

Red wellies leap, jump and kick.
Leaves stir from their slumber.
Fragrant odours of decaying mulch waft.
Bright sunshine smiles upon the delicious cold air.

Red mitts grab at low hanging branches.
Shaken leaves work loose; A few fall.
Delicately they somersault, softly they land.
Gentle winds caress the browning ferns.

Red hat catches on brambly undergrowth.
A startled squirrel reacts with agility and speed.
Birds twitter their displeasure. Swiftly they flap.
Delectable bonfire aromas infuse the forest air.

Red scarf flying, arms pumping, little legs stretching.
Soft sandy path angled in steep descent; enticing.
Joyous laughter reverberates. A dog barks.
The obliging forest; unruffled by it all.

Freddie Fiddler is, as the name suggests, rather good at playing the fiddle. He is also very good at puzzles. Any type of puzzle: crosswords, jigsaws and card tricks. He can nearly always find the solution.