Five days of literary bliss!!!

The Bradley Baker road show is still moving along nicely with another non-stop week full of literary bliss. Monday and Tuesday were packed with showcases and signing events at two of the largest schools in Plymouth. I visited Montpelier and Leigham to present to over a thousand students.... and what brilliant attentive audiences they turned out to be! Two superb events with the familiar sight of more long queues full of eager Bradley Baker fans. My signing table was very busy indeed resulting in record breaking book sales at each school.

 

On Wednesday I revisited Chudleigh CE Community Primary to complete the year 5 book publication project. "Chudleigh's Big Adventure" is now available to buy online and is crammed-packed full of short stories written by the talented children. Here's a sneak preview of the front and back cover:

 

 

 

On Thursday and Friday it was time for more showcase presentations and book signing events. This time I travelled to East Devon to visit two schools either side of the Exe Estuary. First it was Kenton and then onto Sidbury near Sidmouth. The Bradmobile MKII is certainly clocking up the miles this month!!! Both schools were great and I'd like to convey a big thank you to Claire Muir at Sidbury and all the teaching staff at Kenton for organising the events, which both proved to be a great success. Here's a picture taken at Kenton... I was very happy to receive a thank you card from one of the year groups;

 

 

The academic year will be coming to a close soon but I still have plenty of events booked in the diary right up to and including the last day of term. I'll be able to tell you all about my second trip to Rotherham next week, as I'll be visiting another four schools in the Clifton area; East Dene, Coleridge, High Greave and also a school where one of my cousin's is part of the learning team... Whiston Worrygoose. I'm really looking forward to catching up with my close family and some old friends again during my four day stay in South Yorkshire.

 

That's all for now folks... thanks for popping by to catch up with my weekly activities. Life as a children's author is great fun and very rewarding, as I get to meet so many nice people!!! Hope you enjoyed reading this week's BlogSpot.

 

Best wishes for now, DLJ

Thousands of new Bradley Baker readers... and the fanbase is growing day by day!!!

This week was a week that turned a memorable corner in terms of the numbers of children joining the Bradley Baker fan-base. The queues at my signing events are growing event-by-event and recorded number of book sales has been breathtakingly fantastic. I have received so many lovely messages and met tens of thousands of children during my school visits during this very busy academic year.

 

The first three books in the series have been scooped up in their thousands from my signing table across the country and when you receive comments like the one below, it can't help but warm your insides to think that the fourth adventure will be just as (or even more) popular than the Pathylon trilogy;

 

 "Can I have details on 4th book release and signing I love the books I have the first 3 signed from Stowford school, but would love to have the 4th when out and have it signed also... and the books are amazing!" Lilli-Anne from Stowford.

 

I have been receiving hundreds of comments like this via my website contact page... so with this in mind I have been planning my writing schedule this week, which will see me confined to my writing shack throughout the summer break in order to complete "Bradley Baker and the Gullfather of New York"... I have to say I'm really enjoying the plotlines for this latest adventure and can't wait to finish it in time for the September release deadline.

 

 

Posters to promote the new book have been produced courtesy of the Exeter-based print company "Short Run Press"... and I attended my first school summer fete this week at St Michael's CE primary. The posters proved very popular indeed... especially with the boys!!

 

 

 

Another school visit proved very popular this week. I attended Whitchurch in Tavistock and the children really liked my showcase presentation. Here are some of the students with their heads in their new Bradley Baker books after the signing event.

 

I also met India, who asked if she could sing to me during my visit to Whitchurch. I of course jumped at the opportunity to listen to what turned out to be "the voice of an angel". Here she is with her year 5 teacher and me following a fantastic solo performance. I think we are looking at a future Leona Lewis in the making!!!

Another fabulous week for me and I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Stowford School in Ivybridge, Mount Street in Plymouth and Whitchurch School in Tavistock. Special thanks to Sue Williams and Jamie Green at Stowford..., Mary Jane Saunders at Mount Street and Nick Hoar at Whitchurch for preparing the children ready for my visits... all three events were a great success for everyone involved... especially the students, who were so enthused and hopefully totally inspired by my visits!!!

 

That's all for this week folks. Thanks for popping by to read my weekly blog and they'll be lots more to tell you about this time next week.

Best wishes, DLJ

The perfect "Decoy" this week!

Back in March, I received an invitation to present to all the KS2 children at Decoy Primary in Newton Abbot... and what a fantastic event it turned out to be this week! All the teaching staff and over 280 students enjoyed my showcase presentation, which resulted in a popular book signing event to follow.

One pupil came up with an idea for Bradley Baker's fifth adventure story... so I asked him to draw me a picture, which impressed me very much. Here's what he presented to me during the book signing event in the school library;

 

I returned to Chudleigh C of E Community School at the end of the week and spent the whole day with the year 5 students. We continued to work on the school's book publication project and I'll be returning in two weeks time to complete the workshops... pics to follow!

 

More events to tell you about next week, when I will be visiting a school in Ivybridge and two more primary schools in Plymouth. A very busy week ahead!!!

 

Catch up soon and best wishes, DLJ :)

Plymouth and back again!

This has to have been the most diverse week of the year so far... it was definitely a "round-robin" journey! Starting with the Children's University Graduation at Plymouth on Monday... a tour of schools in Exeter midweek... a very interesting meeting with the CEO at the Families for Children HQ in Buckfastleigh on Wednesday... and finishing with a superb visit back to Plymouth on Friday with a showcase presentation at Prince Rock Primary!!! Wowzers!!!

 

 

 I resumed my role as Chancellor for the Children's University Torbay to present certificates to 48 young students. It was a great pleasure to meet Professor Iain Stewart (Devon Chancellor - CU) and we shared the stage at the Torbay & Devon graduation award ceremony at Plymouth University.

 

 

Some more brilliant new relationships were forged during the evening at Plymouth University. My books were on display and were very well received. This resulted in an invitation to feature the Bradley Baker adventure stories as part of a BA Hons module at St Mark & St John University Plymouth next year... looking forward to working with the students in 2014.

 

On Tuesday I visited Pinhoe Primary School in Exeter where the children enjoyed my showcase presentation and book signing session. I arrived to a rapturous welcome, with banners and even a cake baked to celebrate my author visit. A big thank you to Brigid Tarrell the school's fantastic librarian for organising a brilliant event. I will be returning to Pinhoe after the summer break to work with some of the students during a series of creative workshops... so really looking forward to another great reception!

 



A visit to the head office of Families for Children on Wednesday was a great success. I met with the CEO Caroline Davis and we discussed how I could support this fantastic voluntary adoption agency. FFC help to find loving families for kids up and down the UK, who need a home which will provide them with the love and care they need. We discussed the possibility of an adoption storyline featuring in the next Bradley Baker book... so watch this space folks!!!

 

 

Thursday and Friday proved to be two great days back in Plymouth, with visits to Prince Rock Community School. Cheryl Brake Deputy Headteacher arranged everything and she was pleasantly surprised to witness so many children having their books signed following my author presentation.

I had another special delivery on Friday too... an envelope arrived with a lovely handmade thank you card inside. Here's a picture of the card, which was sent by the teaching staff and children from Wilcombe school in Tiverton following my recent visit;

So yes... a somewhat diverse week that started in Plymouth and finished in Plymouth... and there's lots more happening next week but that's all for now!

Catch up with you all again soon.
Best wishes, DLJ :)