A break for Christmas and a chance to reflect...

Wow... what a year! With Christmas around the corner and a New Year to look forward to, I'd like to take a few minutes to reflect on a very eventful 2012.

I finally completed the Pathylon trilogy for my Bradley Baker series of children's adventure books and sales of all three titles have surpassed our expectations.

 



And I am really pleased to be working on a fourth BB adventure, which will be published during the summer of 2013.

 

 

It's been a busy year with lots of fabulous school visits and repeat visits to showcase my Bradley Baker books and help to inspire many thousands of children that I've been privileged to meet. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all the teachers and students for allowing me to present at the following schools (listed in no particular order);

 

Combe Pafford, St Margarets, Cockington, Torre, Ilsham, Westlands, Galmpton, Brixham, Eden Park, Redhills, Sidmouth, Whipton Barton, Bowhill, Ellacombe, White Rock, Canada Hill, Teignmouth, Our Lady and St Patricks, Sherwell Valley, Kings Ash, Shiphay, Harbertonford and Torbay.





 

 

 

I'm also really proud to be associated with some tremendous organisations linked to the welfare of children in my home county of Devon. My duites included judging competition entries for short stories with the vInpired Team and helping to honour young writers in Torbay.

 

 

 

 

I'm also honoured to have been appointed Vice Chancellor for the Children's University in Torbay and I look forward to continue my work with the area representative Emma Gorman to advocate the extra-curricular activities during 2013.

 

 

It is also a privilege to be associated with ‘Families for Children’ as an ambassador. My day to day activities allow me to network and share information about the charity’s main task, which is to find and support adoptive families for children who need them.

 

‘Families for Children’ is a Voluntary Adoption Agency that believes the best place for children to grow up is within their family of origin. Where this is not possible, they endeavour to find adoptive families for children who need them and place a high value on offering these children and families on-going support. They recognise the diverse society in which we all live and seek to meet the complex needs of children, whilst valuing and respecting their culture, identity and personal history.

Details about the charity and its logo will also be featured at the front of all future print runs of the Bradley Baker series of books.
 

There is so much to reflect upon... and most of which is contained in this blog thread. For now I'll leave you with my favourite photo of the year; this one was taken at Crealy Adventure Park and pictures Callum and his oldest brother (two lovely young lads who have benefited from the love and support provided by their adoptive parents and the team at 'Families for Children').

 

Have a great Christmas everyone... and thanks for following me and my blogspot during 2012. There's already lots of events and activities booked in my diary for 2013 so I hope you all continue to follow my exploits next year.

 

 I sincerely hope you and your families have a lovely time over the festive period and I wish you a very happy New Year... where ever you are this wonderful world of ours!

 

Catch up again in 2013!

Regards DLJ





Sidmouth Success and another great interview!

What an absolutely wonderful visit to beautiful Sidmouth in Devon... the children and teachers at Sidmouth C of E Primary provided a fabulous welcome during my author visit to their school. The amazing adventures of Bradley Baker were showcased... leaving an audience of 360 students totally enthused and inspired. Whilst loading the #Bradmobile and preparing to leave the school, one of the teachers quickly ushered me back inside and into her classroom to present me with a group of 20+ children sat at their desks in free play time... and guess what??? They were avidly writing away and devising their own stories IN THEIR OWN TIME!!!

I asked the children why they were sat writing... they all answered in an excited and unified voice; "YOU'VE JUST INSPIRED US, DAVID!"

Wow... what a brilliant feeling... job done I'd say!

oooOooo

I also enjoyed an interview with Suzan Collins this week, as a guest author on her latest blog... if you missed it on Facebook, here it is again, please enjoy!

Interview with David Lawrence Jones

Welcome David…

 

Can you tell me a little about yourself?
I was born in a mining village called Ravenfield near Rotherham in South Yorkshire.
I started to pen Bradley’s adventures following the 2000 millennium celebrations and after a number of rewrites I completed the first one in 2001, which was then published in 2009. In 2011, the second book in the series was published, which is called ‘The Amulet of Silvermoor’ and takes Bradley back down the plughole on another amazing adventure (this time through a disused coal mine), which eventually leads him back into Pathylon. I have just finished writing book three in the series, which is now published and titled ‘The Pyramids of Blood’.
I am very proud of the Bradley Baker adventure series and there are scenes in the books that describe landmarks about Devon and my own birth place in Yorkshire. Silvermoor, the abandoned coal mine in the second book is actually the colliery where my father and I both worked… “Silverwood”. Also the main character in the series Bradley lives in a fictional village called Ravenswood, which is based on my own childhood village of “Ravenfield”.
I now reside in Torquay, Devon with my wife and two youngest children Benjamin and Harriette. My older children (Lindsey and Samuel) still live in and around Ravenfield. Samuel has secured a placement at Sunderland University and Lindsey has now forged a career in retail.

What was the first story you wrote?
The Bradley Baker series was originally planned as a one off story and was titled “The Amazing Adventures of Bradley Baker – Pathylon”… the first book has since been renamed and I am currently writing the fourth book in the series.

Were you inspired by someone or something?
As a youngster, I was a reluctant reader but I discover books by Enid Blyton called the ‘Secret Seven’ and read the series back-to-back… this is what inspired me most to write adventure stories for children.

What do you like about writing a story?
To have so many children enthused & inspired about my books and witness their hunger for reading increase is absolutely brilliant! And as long as my Bradley Baker adventure books continue to inspire children to read… I’ll keep on writing!”

Can you tell us about your newest book?
“Bradley Baker and the Pyramids of Blood”… The boy hero returns in another exciting adventure… this time, Bradley must confront a dear friend who holds the key to release him from the effects of the kratennuim that is transforming his body into an evil creature. We meet some new characters in the third adventure, including “The Shadow Druid” and “The Witch of Rekab”. Bradley is joined again by his two friends from Sandmouth… Musgrove and Sereny, who follow their troubled friend back into Pathylon and try to help him reverse his imminent transformation into a Werebeast. The three intrepid adventurers will also be united with an American boy called Jefferson Crabtree from New York and together they all face more daunting tasks, as they fight new strains of evil that threaten the arcane world…

How did you come up with the story?
When I was 8 years old, my parents moved across the road from number 127 to number 152 Braithwell Road (what’s the significance of this I hear you ask???). Well… 127 had three bedrooms and 152 only had two and this is where my thirst for storytelling and writing really began!
You see… the problem was, I had an older brother called Philip (not a problem really… it was more of an uncomfortable situation back then because when the we lived at 127 we had our own bedrooms… when we moved across the road we had to share one… gulp!)
Anyhow, when bedtime arrived, Philip would pester me to make up stories before we went to sleep. The children’s books I have since written and had published follow the exploits of a young Bradley Baker and his time in the parallel world of Pathylon. The idea for Bradley Baker’s character and the plots were extracted from original stories I wrote as a child and narrated to my brother.

What genre best fits for the book?
Children’s adventure/fantasy – fiction… aged 7 to 14 yrs

Are you working on something new at the moment?
I am currently writing book four… called “Bradley Baker and the Gullfather of New York” which see the main protagonist mature into a truly memorable character.”

Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?
Always keep a note pad handy to jot down any ideas that come into your head. Keep believing in your idea… no matter how many people say no to you and never give up on your dream!

What is your writing routine?
It’s fairly well organised… I tend to utilise my creative time to best effect. I write for hours when the creative bug bites and I have the perfect place to work. My writing shack (as I call it) is a small brick built building raised up onto a spacious decked area with the most delightful stone steps leading through trees and a vertical cliffside. I feel like I’m travelling into a parallel world when I go to work and this inspires me to be even more creative.

Do you have an editing process?
This is a two-way thing. I pen the manuscript and carry out the usual spell checks and grammatical corrections utilising the computer’s review tools. But the real editing begins when I start to dissect the plotlines and condense the descriptive elements of the stories.

What do you enjoy the most/least about writing?
I enjoy the way my characters take over when I’m writing and lead me to places and plotlines that I hadn’t planned. I don’t have a least… I love what I do!

How important is it for you to share your writing?
Very important… I love to meet young readers, to introduce them to the characters I have created and to champion the delights and rewards of reading. Literacy has never been a more important issue and I try to create the books that children love to read.

Where can people go to read your work?
The books are available worldwide online. Most Waterstones stock the book within the UK… and if they have sold out, they can order the books within days. Many independent bookstores now hold stock and some local libraries have the books too.

Where can people find you on the internet?
There are a number of sites online where me and my books can be found. The sites I tend to recommend include my official author site; www.bradley-baker.com … I also offer links to my Facebook page; www.facebook.com/thebradleybaker and to connect with me on twitter; @DavLawJones

Is there anything else you would like to share with your readers?
I guess the best place to go is the official website to find out more information; http://www.bradley-baker.com

Thank you David x

Breaking records in Torbay... during four fantastic school visits!

Another busy few weeks has been spent visiting even more fantastic primary schools in and around Torbay... it's been really great to spend so much time closer to home lately! Especially with my latest publication being in such huge demand locally... it's been a pleasure introducing "Bradley Baker and the Pyramids of Blood" to a new legion of enthused fans in Devon.

A rapturous welcome awaited me from lots of excited children at Brixham C of E Primary. My return visit followed a very successful author presentation at the school before the summer break and I was delighted to introduce the third Bradley Baker adventure to the enthused students, who snapped the new book up during another popular signing event. I also had the opportunity to work with the year 6 children and we enjoyed an interactive character development workshop in the classroom. A big thank you to the students teacher Jason Keenan for inviting me into his class to work with the children.

Below are just a few pictures taken of the posters produced and displayed by the children at Brixham... it was such a humbling experience to see these covering the doors and windows when I arrived at the school. Brilliant stuff!!!

 

 

Two more very successful presentations were held at Cockington Community Primary and St. Margaret's Academy in Torquay this week. Big thank you to literacy co-ordinators Sharon Carter and Catherine Wooldridge for inviting me to their schools. Again many enthused students were inspired by the Bradley Baker book presentations at both schools, with the events being showcased in the respective school halls. Signing sessions followed at each event and both produced record amounts of books sold at a single school event during this current academic year.

 

 

 

 

This week was topped with a visit to Kings Ash Academy in Paignton. Emma Prince arranged for me to present to the whole school and another 400 students were inspired by the Bradley Baker showcase. There were lots of volunteers from the audience, who took part in the show and unbeknown to me I actually picked three children from the same family to play some of the book's characters in the show... Bizzare!!!

 

 

Finally found some time between school visits to work on the plotlines and characters for the fourth book in the Bradley Baker series. I'm really excited about this latest adventure and can't wait to start writing the manuscript!

 

That's all for now, catch up soon with more updates about the new book and details of events before Christmas.... I've also got some exciting news to share about a literary project in Totnes during early 2013, so watch this space!

 

Regards DLJ 



The three C's ...Canada, Crealy and CU

The past few weeks have been dominated by three C's...

The first "C"... a visit to Canada Hill Primary School in Newton Abbot resulted in the biggest book signing event I have experienced to date at any school. Parents, teachers and children were queuing out of the door... it was a good job the rain held off! This followed a storytelling showcase to the students in the school hall and everyone was inspired when the event was over. I've never seen so many children enthused about the Bradley Baker series. What a fantastic time and special thanks to Claire Pearce for organising such a fabulous event. Before the book signing session I also spent some time with the Yr 5 & 6 children in the classroom where we worked on some character profiles... this resulted in some very imaginative creatures being created (pictures to follow).

The second "C"... refers to the CU (Children's University) where I attended Shiphay Learning Academy to accept my invitation to be the Vice Chancellor for Torbay. What an honour to be entrusted with the responsibility to be the ambassador for such a worthy cause.

 

Pic 1. Collecting my CU Passport at Shiphay Learning Academy

 

The third "C"... a fantastic day and evening at Crealy Adventure Park in Devon raising awareness for Families for Children Adoption Agency. The day began with a storytelling presentation in the animal barn at noon followed by a second showcase at 3pm. Both presentations went down a storm with the audience and there wasn't an empty chair in the arena. The showcases were followed by two busy book signing sessions, which helped to raise some funds for the charity. 

Here are a few pics from the event;

 

 

Pic 2. A great display of Bradley Baker books in the Crealy Gift Shop

 

Pic 3. Meeting some of the children in the VIP suite at Crealy Adventure Park... this was taken just after TV Star Caroline Quentin had pushed the button to set off the amazing firework display.

 

Pic 4. Jasper (aka Bradley Baker) getting ready to journey down the plughole during the first showcase... flashing green lights and smoke filled the stage!

 

 

Pic 5. Two more volunteers from the audience take on the roles of two main characters in the Bradley Baker books... Muzzy Chilcott and Sereny Ugbrooke. Here we see them discovering the sacred gold coin that magically transports the boy hero down the plughole!

 

 

I also took the opportunity to visit the pupils at Torbay School in Paignton. We had a fantastic time acting out some scenes from the Bradley Baker books and the boys really enjoyed the event. I'd like to thank Deputy Head Helen Prince for arranging my visit. Everyone agreed how much the children were inspired by my visit to the school and as I was leaving one little boy said, "When I'm older I want to be an author like you!" Priceless and well worth all the effort.

 

I'd like to finish this week's blogspot with some breaking news... I can reveal the cover for my next Bradley Baker book. The fourth in the series will be called "Bradley Baker and the Gullfather of New York"... more about the storyline over the next few months. The new book will be published during the Summer 2013. Here is the cover...

 

 



 

It has been a fantastic couple of weeks and I'll catch up with you again soon with more updates on the Amazing Adventures of Bradley Baker.

Best wishes DLJ

 

 

 

 

Busy... Busy... Busy... !!!!

Has it really been three weeks since my last blog post? I can't believe how the time has flown by so quickly... I've been having so much fun!!! Still... that's no excuse for not updating my blogspot on a more regular basis, so I'll try to bring you up to speed on what's been going on since the third Bradley Baker book was released on 29th September!

Well... the Pathylon Trilogy has finally been completed and judging by some awesome responses from some of the children I have met at schools, the adventure books are going down a storm! The demand for Bradley Baker and the Pyramids of Blood has been high with most of the first edition paperbacks sold. A second print run has already been scheduled to meet the expected demand from my busy author visit tour planned for November and December leading up to the Christmas break.

The marketing activity for my Halloween storytelling showcase on 3rd November at Crealy Adventure Park near Exeter is gathering pace too. I was invited to attend the venue to discuss the event itinerary with a photo shoot held for the press release and brochure photo's... here are a couple of the pics taken on the day;

 



I really liked the pictures, which were taken by a professional photographer and I even used one of them for my new Facebook profile :)

Onto the schools now and more visits over the past few weeks; with two assemblies of celebration to recognise the achievements of some very talented students at two schools in Devon. The first was held at Torre Primary School in Torquay. An area literacy competition was won by Ruth Garner, who visited her old school to receive a signed copy of Bradley Baker and the Pyramids of Blood. Ruth's written work has been edited and features in some of the chapters in the book. Here is a picture with Ruth and her parents together with Sue Julyan the Area English Lead for Torbay.

My second school visit involved a return visit to Our Lady & St Patrick's Roman Catholic Primary, where I to presented certificates and prizes to some of the students. Here are the three winners of the KS2 Bradley Baker writing competition...

More fantastic school visits followed... with Eden Park Academy in Brixham hosting an author presentation (I'll be returning next week to meet the children again and sign copies of my books). Then Whipton Barton Junior School in Exeter invited me to present to the whole school and what an amazing reception I received upon arrival. The children were so enthusiastic... I was signing autographs as I entered the reception foyer. I also revisited Shiphay Learning Academy in Torquay, which resulted in more enthused children being inspired by the Bradley Baker adventures during a book signing event for Bradley Baker and the Pyramids of Blood.

I arrived home from another day of busy school visits earlier this week to receive a mind-blowing email from Shiphay Learning Academy officially inviting me to become their Vice Chancellor for the Children's University. I feel totally humbled and knocked-for-six by this invitation. Apparently since my author visit to the school before the summer break, they have been championing me from the start and they believe I am a real inspirational role model for the children. There will be a grand launch on Thursday 26th October at Shiphay from 6-8pm and I have been invited to speak at the opening to tell the children and parents a bit more about myself and to promote the importance of extra curricular activities.

The Children's University (CU) Trust is managed through a network of over 80 local children's universities in England, including the Service Children's Education Schools CU. Each one is distinctive in character, responding to the needs of the local community within the quality assurance framework of the CU Trust. In addition to a growing CU presence in the Isle of Man, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, international CU Trust development is in progress in the Netherlands, Malaysia and Australia.

The Children's University aims to promote social mobility by providing high quality, exciting and innovative learning activities and experiences outside normal school hours to children aged 7 to 14 (and 5 and 6 year olds with their families) and engaging the wider communities as learning partners in the realisation of this. At the heart of its work is the ambition to raise aspirations, boost achievement and foster a love of learning, so that young people can make the most of their abilities and interests, regardless of the background into which they were born. Although open to all, the CU aims particularly to reach children and young people facing socio-economic and educational disadvantage through the targeting of grants to, and the promotion of activities in, areas of deprivation. It is here, we believe, that the benefits of high quality provision and opportunities will be felt most.

Finally, back to Crealy and a call to all children in Devon... The tourist attraction is offering local schools the chance to take part in a writing competition that will see the winning child's entry read out by me during the Halloweek event. The competition is aimed at school children between the ages of five and 11 and the child crowned as the overall winner will receive £50 of Waterstones vouchers, and the school attended by the winner will also receive £100 worth of Waterstones vouchers too, plus a signed copy of my latest book. Here's a link to a press article that provides more information:
http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/Devon-s-Crealy-launches-Hallowe-en-story-contest/story-17089758-detail/story.html

Well I guess that brings everything up-to-date and I look forward to posting more about my author activities next week.

Take care for now... Regards DLJ

New book launched...

Bradley Baker and the Pyramids of Blood was successfully launched on Saturday 29th September and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their kind messages of support. The release of the third book in the amzing adventures series completes the Pathylon Trilogy and I will now be concentrating on the fourth book in the series, which takes the new boy hero across the pond to New York.

The new term's school events got off to a great start last week with a fantastic visit to Galmpton C of E Primary in Brixham. Margaret and Kirsty made me feel very welcome and the children thoroughly enjoyed the presentation and book signing event. It was a pleasure to meet the headteacher Stuart Ruffe during the visit and it was a very nostalgic experience being so close to the Devon base of the late and great Agatha Christie.

More school events coming up this week with visits to Teignmouth Community College, Combe Pafford School in Torquay and Bowhill Primary in Exeter. Feedback and pics to follow...

Have a great week everyone and best regards, DLJ

Book release getting closer...

It's getting ever so close folks! The third book in the Bradley Baker series will be released on Saturday 29th September and you will be able to purchase signed copies from www.bradley-baker.com as well as other mainstream online booksellers sites. Pre-orders have been coming in thick and fast for "Bradley Baker and the Pyramids of Blood" so the new book should be available to buy immediately in high street stores too.

All the hype preceding the launch has also attracted a huge amount of interest from local primary schools and I will be presenting the boy hero's adventures to children in Devon and Cornwall throughout the academic year. I have been very busy this week juggling dates in my diary to accomodate more school visits. It has been very humbling to receive invitations back to some of the schools that I presented to before the summer break. The children at Torre, Brixham, Shiphay and Our Lady & St Patrick will enjoy another book signing event and will be able to have their copies of book 3 signed on the day. The visit to Our Lady & St Patrick in Teignmouth will be especially rewarding... they are hosting an assembly of celebration and I will be presenting awards to the winners of a writing competition I set before the holidays.

Some more great news received locally from the events team at Crealy Adventure Park near Exeter. I have been invited to present and sign copies of my Bradley Baker books during their Halloween activity week. This promises to be a very spooky event and I will be reciting stories from the books inside the animal barn on Saturday 3rd November from 12 noon.

Thats all for now! Apologies for the irregularity of my recent blog posts. Been really busy with the new book launch and there will be lots to shout about over the next few weeks.
Catch up soon, DLJ

It's been a busy summer...

It's been a very busy summer... the third book in the Bradley Baker adventures was finished during the holiday period and will be released in paperback 29th September. I'm really excited about the launch of the third book, which completes the Pathylon Trilogy about the new boy hero.

Pre-orders for Bradley Baker and the Pyramids of Blood are continuing to increase and the initial planned print run looks like selling out before the books even hit the high street stores. Online sales through Amazon.co.uk are also increasing as the launch date for book three approaches, which is great news because this is having a knock-on effect for sales of the first two books too!

Signed copies available from "Bradley's Shop" on the website; www.bradley-baker.com

The addition of the third book couldn't have come at a better time, with lots of school events being booked into the diary for September, October and November... and I'm really looking forward to continuing where I left off before the summer break.

A new vehicle will be taking me on my travels throughout Devon and Somerset leading up to Christmas. I hope all the children and teachers enjoy seeing the new #Bradmobile arrive at their schools!

 

Thats all for now folks... more regular blog updates to follow over the next few weeks.

Thanks for checking in this time... Regards DLJ

 

 

Pre-orders for Pyramids of Blood...

With the schools now on holiday it's time to concentrate on the finishing touches to Bradley's third adventure... the Pyramids of Blood. Pre-orders are coming in thick and fast through the distributors and the initial print run will have ro be increased to meet the demand. Publication date is still on schedule for 29th September and an air of anticipation is swelling via the Bradley Baker website from readers eager to sample the next thrilling installment of the Pathylon trilogy. Looking forward to working on the book over the coming weeks and I'll keep you updated as it progresses through the painstaking editing process to print. You can pre-order signed copies via http://www.bradley-baker.com/bradleysshop or order from Amazon or Waterstones online in readiness for the release in Sept. Thats all for now. Catch you next week. Best wishes, DLJ

Torbay "Bradley Baker" Literacy Competition Winners announced...

Apologies for the delay in posting this weeks blog... finally got round to collating all the information and pictures so I can officially announce the Torbay "Bradley Baker" Literacy Competition Winners!

Let me remind you about the competition. All schools in Torbay were invited to take part and the literacy exercises were split into two catagories - KS2 and KS1.

KS2
Six children were then shortlisted for the main prize - the chance to have their work edited and inserted into the third Bradley Baker adventure book, which is to be released on 29th September 2012;
The shortlisted literacy work was from the following schools;
Ilsham Academy (Torquay) - represented by Gabriel Ross
Torre Primary (Torquay) - represented by Ruth Garner
Brixham Primary (Brixham) - represented by Hannah Neal
Shiphay Learning Academy (Torquay) - represented by Samuel Jones
Sherwell Valley Primary (Torquay) - represented by Leo Donaghue
White Rock Primary (Paignton) - represented by Max Bowden

I spent four days reading the children's work over and over before I finally came to a decision... the overall winner of the Torbay "Bradley Baker" Literacy KS2 Competition is RUTH GARNER (Torre Primary)

I visited Torre Primary to meet the Winner - Ruth Garner

The remaining five entries were of such a high standard that each pupil was awarded a "Highly Commended Award"...

I visited Brixham Primary to award Hannah Neal with her Certificate and a Waterstones Gift Card

I also managed to visit Shiphay Learning Academy and met with Samuel Jones (no relation)

The remaining Highly Commended Awards were delivered to the schools but unfortunately I was unable to meet the remaining children personally... Gabriel Ross (off school poorly), Leo Donaghue was in a Year 6 leavers assembly and Max Bowden had already finished for the summer break. However, all six short listed children received certificates and Waterstones Gift Cards for their tremendous efforts.

KS1

The second category was entered by KS1 students at selected schools and there were three "Highly Commended Awards" issued... theses went to Jack Camplin (Brixham Primary), Billy Harker (Torre Primary) and Toby Paul Leaver (Sherwell Valley Primary).

Here is Jack Camplin posing for a picture with me

...and here is Billy Harker at Torre School

Unfortunately we don't have a picture of Toby Paul Leaver, but I was invited by the Headteacher to join him at Sherwell Valley School and Toby was really brave and read out his work in front of the KS1 assembly.

oooOooo

Finally, I have to mention something that really blew me away when I visited Brixham Primary School. I was escorted to the school library and this is what was presented to me...

... a Bradley Baker display... Brilliant stuff!!!

Catch you all next week folks and thanks for looking.

Regards DLJ