Category: Uncategorized

Fox Update, Foreign Editionsโ€ฆ and a Dash of Las Vegas!

A boy and a girl running towards a lake with a boat rowing towards them. Watercolour style. Woodland around them. The front cover of the Japanese edition of The Secret Lake by Karen Inglis

November News

I hope youโ€™re keeping cosy as the colder weather closes in! Itโ€™s been a busy few weeks here, both on the Ferdinand Fox front โ€“ and with The Secret Lake travelling the globe again. ๐Ÿ˜Š

Ferdinand Fox Saves the Day โ€” early reviews + a Black Friday FREE eBook offer! ๐ŸฆŠ ๐Ÿ“š

Illustration of a fox navigating city rooftops with scenes of mischievous activity in the background, including thieves in black and a moonlit urban landscape.

Thank you so much to everyone who has already shared reviews of Ferdinand Fox Saves the Day. Iโ€™ve been bowled over by the wonderful feedback โ€” from parents, teachers, and young readers alike. Itโ€™s always nerve-racking launching a new book and your responses have been amazing! Below are just a few excerpts from Amazon and Goodreads โ€“ you’ll find more online. I have a Zoom visit in a couple of weeks with a class in Bulgaria, whose pupils all have the book and apparently love all of the stories! I’ll share photos next time. โค๏ธ

Meanwhile, in the spirit of upcoming Black Friday week, if you’d like to road test the collection with your children for free (or simply read it for your own enjoyment!), scroll down to find details of a time-limited free eBook offer! ๐Ÿ˜Š

Amazon and Goodreads early reviews

Collage of book reviews for 'Ferdinand Fox Saves the Day' featuring positive feedback and star ratings from readers, set against a fall-themed background.

Free eBook โ€” Black Friday Week (Hurry! Ends midnight 25th Nov!)

If you’re after a Christmas gift for a child in your life,ย Ferdinand Fox Saves the Dayย is a lovely option for boys and girls aged 6โ€“8 โ€” or a cosy read-aloud for ages 5+.

With that in mind, and as an early nod to Black Friday week, the Kindle/eBook edition isย FREE to download on Amazon for the next three daysย (link below โ€“ offer ends midnight your time on Tuesday 25th November). This way you can simply enjoy the digital version with your children, or sample it and buy in print as a surprise gift if you enjoy the stories. ๐Ÿ˜Š To read it on your phone or tablet, download the free Kindle App if you don’t have it already.

Cover image of the children's book 'Ferdinand Fox Saves the Day' featuring a fox and text promoting the book's rhyming stories, with a background of candles and a cozy setting.

I do hope it brings you and the children or grandchildren in your life a smile โ€“ Ferdinand is such a kind and endearing character. And always misunderstood by humans. โค๏ธ

If you do enjoy the collection, please do take a moment to leave a short review online โ€” it will help Amazon show it more widely. ๐Ÿ˜Š ๐ŸฆŠ

Thank you. And, of course, if you go on to buy it in print, that would be wonderful!

The Secret Lake โ€” new foreign editions on the way

In other news, Iโ€™m delighted to share that two more translated editions of The Secret Lake series are coming very soon:

  • ๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต The Japanese edition of The Secret Lake โ€” publishing at the end of November. Below is the front and back cover spread. I love the water colour. What do you think? I can’t wait to receive my print copies and will share photos when they arrive.
  • ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ The Simplified Chinese edition of Book 2, Return to the Secret Lake โ€” arriving in December. The cover looks absolutely wonderful but I’m not yet allowed to share it. Iโ€™ll do so next time.

The series is in 13 languages in all โ€” proving that children everywhere love escaping into traditional adventure stories with portals to other times or worlds..!

The Secret Lake โ€“ Japanese front and back cover artwork

Two children runningg along a path in a lush forest, heading towards a serene lake with a small boat in the distance. The Japanese edition cover for The Secret Lake by Karen Inglis

Meeting and hearing from my readers โ€” from Georgia to New York!

Iโ€™ve had more book club visits over the last couple of months, including another lovely mother-and-daughter group in New York.

Meanwhile, fifth-grade pupils at GRACEPOINT School in Georgia wrote to me this week to tell me how much they enjoyed The Secret Lake. Their letters, seen in the collage below, were beautifully written, and so thoughtful! This is a specialist school for pupils with dyslexia, which looks and sounds amazing.

5th Grade pupils from GRACEPOINT school in Georgia after reading The Secret Lake

A group of seven children standing in front of a world map, each holding up copies of 'The Secret Lake' book, smiling and celebrating.

Letters from 5th graders at GRACEPOINT School

A collage of handwritten letters from students expressing their thoughts about 'The Secret Lake', placed against a green background with trees.

A week in Las Vegas โ€” and a key tip for writers

We authors donโ€™t get out much (!), but at the start of November I did make it over to Las Vegas for a week-long writersโ€™ conference. The weather was fantastic (around 80ยฐF / high 20s all week!) โ€” and my husband and I took the chance to visit the West Rim of the Grand Canyon the day after we arrived. It’s been on my bucket list forever and I’m so glad I finally made it โ€“ it was truly breathtaking!

Collage of three pics. View of the Grand Canyon West Rim from a glass bridge with visitors enjoying the scenery. Hand holding a copy of The Secret Lake against a backdrop of the 'Eiffel Tower' at Paris, Las Vegas

The rest of the week was packed with fascinating sessions on writing craft, book marketing and new technologies โ€” including tools for creating personally signed eBooks (yes, really!). These are still in testing, but Iโ€™m excited to see where they lead and I have early access to the beta program.

The conference took place in a hotel on the Las Vegas Strip, just by ‘Paris’ โ€“ seen in the snap above with my handy copy of The Secret Lake, which I later donated to another author’s daughter. I had no idea that Las Vegas was made up of all of these replica European landmarks! The photo below was taken in ‘Venice’ which had waterways and gondolas on the second floor, along with fake blue sky. LOL! What fun ๐Ÿ˜† โ€” but rather an assault on the senses!

A person poses in front of a colorful display inspired by The Wizard of Oz at a shopping center in Las Vegas, while on the right, gondolas glide through a canal in a replica of Venice, showcasing ornate architecture and vibrant lights.

The conference closed with a live interview with half-billion (!) selling thriller author James Patterson, who shared his key tip for new (and all) writers: โ€œBe there.โ€

He said he has these two words written at the top of each blank manuscript before he starts writing.

By this he means, ‘be in the scene with the charactersโ€“ experience the action and emotion with them as you write.’ This is what will draw your reader in. This resonated hugely with me. When Iโ€™m deep in a story, Iโ€™m right there with the characters โ€” if my thoughts could project onto the wall youโ€™d wonder where you were! (BTW, James Patterson writes everything in longhand! Can you imagine?!)

Until December…

Donโ€™t forget: Ferdinand Fox Saves the Day is FREE on Kindle until Tuesday 25th November, midnight your time. ๐ŸฆŠ

Feel free to share the link with friends, and don’t forget to take a quick moment to leave a review! ๐Ÿ˜Š

Iโ€™ll be back in touch again in early December with more news, including photos from an upcoming event I have at The Notting Hill Bookshop (yes the bookshop from the film with Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts โค๏ธ โค๏ธ!).

With warm (or freezing cold, rather!) wishes from London,

Karen

0

Midsummer News

Award Win, New Fox Project, and a Tale of Two Robins

Hello from London, where midsummer is well and truly here, delivering us a 30-degree heatwave just in time for the longest day of the year. Here in the UK most of us love long, lazy evenings in the garden with a glass of rosรฉ, but there is one fly in the ointment โ€“ most of us donโ€™t have air-conditioning! Thus the initial excitement really does wear off pretty quickly thanks to the attendant restless nights โ€“ wish us luck ๐Ÿ˜Ž.

Iโ€™ve been meaning to share this post ever since returning from a trip to Costa Rica in March. I only realised the other day that I hadnโ€™t done so (I think jet lag got the better of me), so here is a long-overdue update on whatโ€™s been happening this year.

Beyond the Secret Lake wins Childrenโ€™s Book Award

Back in March, while relaxing at a beach bar in Costa Rica (appropriately called Hemingwayโ€™s!), I received an unexpected message from London Book Fair where it had been announced that Beyond the Secret Lake had won the 2025 UK Selfies Award for the best independently published children’s book of 2024! Needless to say, I was thrilled; Iโ€™ve been shortlisted a few times before, but this was my first major win.

The award came with a cash prize, PR coaching, and an interview in the magazine BookBrunch talking about my writing process and the research that went into Beyond the Secret Lake. To read the full interview click or tap here.

A huge thank you to my author friend Jane Davis โ€“ winner of the first-ever Selfies Award in 2019 โ€“ who accepted the award on my behalf. I couldnโ€™t have asked for a more stylish stand-in โ€“ her outfit even matched the book cover! Follow this link to see a video of her accepting on my behalf.

A New Fox Story Collection for Ages 6โ€“7+

In the last few months, Iโ€™ve been working with my illustrator, Andrew Smith, on creating a single illustrated rhyming storybook collection of all six of my Ferdinand Fox rhyming tales.

Fox trotting along a back alley with a smile on his face. Wall and weeds/dandelions background.

The stories will include:

  • Ferdinand Fox and the Hedgehog (already a picture book)
  • Ferdinand Fox and the Lost Boy (already a picture book)
  • Ferdinand Fox, the Kittens and the Alley Monster
  • Ferdinand Fox and the Break-in
  • Ferdinand Fox’s Close Shave
  • Ferdinand Fox’s Big Sleep (already a picture book)

The three existing picture books are all hugely popular at my school visits. But the remaining three have sat in my virtual drawer for way too long and I have decided that this needs rectifying! The change in format is partly driven by budget, but also the fact that the remaining stories have quite complex plots for ages 3โ€“5.

I tested the collection idea with a small group of ‘advance readers’ aged 6-8+ from my newsletter by sending a mock-up and text describing where the images would go, as well as asking for preferred book size and number of illustrations. They were wonderfully enthusiastic and loved all of the stories ๐Ÿ˜Š. In response to that feedback, the collection will be in standard paperback size and aimed at children aged 6โ€“7+ to read to themselves or with the help of someone older, and will include scattered colour illustrations. See a couple of samples below.

Image of a double page spread with rhyming text and images of a fox and hedgehog in different poses

While there will not be an illustration for every scene, there are certainly enough to engage young readers as they move through the action. This also means that the stories could still happily be shared with younger children by parents who love rhyme (like me!), then the children can grow into reading them themselves.

Those of you familiar with the existing picture books will see that Andrew has reworked the Ferdinand Fox and the Hedgehog images to ensure a consistent illustration style in the new collection I love them! What do you think? He will do the same for Ferdinand Fox’s Big Sleep when he gets to it.

Below is the opening extract from Ferdinand Fox, the Kittens and the Alley Monster one of the as-yet ‘never published’ stories โ€“ complete with a sketch for the next image in line! ๐ŸฆŠ

Image of a draft spread from a rhyming fox story. Two colour illustrations and one sketch. Images show cat and kittens in a carboard box and fox eating a chicken drumstick.

A key theme of the longer stories within the collection is that Ferdinand Fox is an unsung hero โ€“ going out of his way to help those in trouble (be they animal or human) but never getting the credit. ๐Ÿ˜Š

I do hope you’ll enjoy the collection when it comes out, which is likely to be in September.

Celebrating World Book Day 2025 (back in March)

Before heading off to Costa Rica, I visited five schools for World Book Day week โ€“ as ever, it was a whirlwind of assemblies, readings, and brilliant questions from enthusiastic young readers. Hereโ€™s a photo from One Degree Academy in East London, where Year 4 pupils, who had been studying The Secret Lake, came armed with the most thoughtful questions. These in-person visits where I connect with my readers are always a highlight of my year, and such an uplifting reminder of why I love what I do!

Image of Karen Inglis children's author talking to an assembly hall of school pupils. A screen on the wall shows book titles and photos relating to the stories.

The Tale of Robbie and Roberta

Back on the theme of animals… I canโ€™t write this post without introducing my latest muses: two robins, Robbie and Roberta, who have been nesting in our garden for two years now and feed directly from my hand. Their daily visits have been a true delight โ€“ and who knows, perhaps a story will come from them in time. Here they are in action! (As I write, they are moulting! Who knew that robins moult?!)

Image of robin redbreast in Karen Inglis author's hand. This is Robbie
Robbie
Two robins sitting on garden outbuilding, looking a little dishevelled as they are moulting!
Robbie and Roberta – looking a bit dishevelled as they are moulting!

Secret Lake 4…? ๐Ÿšฃโ€โ™‚๏ธ

I have been getting emails asking about Book 4 in The Secret Lake series; the ideas for this are currently tumbling around in my mind, which is what always happens. At the moment, itโ€™s a case of โ€˜watch this spaceโ€™ until Tom, Stella, Emma, Lucy, Sophie, Hannah and Jack let me know that they are ready for me to start putting pen to paper.

In the meantime, Iโ€™m excited to share that following strong sales of The Secret Lake in China, Return to the Secret Lake is soon to be released in Chinese, and the Japanese edition of The Secret Lake (Book 1) is not far behind. I canโ€™t wait to see the covers and share them with you.

And here is the text from one lovely review posted on Amazon for Beyond the Secret Lake. Please do take a moment to help your children leave reviews; it means a lot to us and helps other families discover our stories.

Image of book review of Beyond the Secret Lake with five yellow stars and text "It's the best series I've ever read! If you like mystery you will LOVE this, it's a fantastic book. My daughter aged 8 was gripped from the start, ever night she demanded more and more chapter - we just couldn't put it down. She loved the ending and can't wait for the next book!

Thanks so much for reading, and for continuing to follow my journey. Iโ€™ll be back soon with more news. In the meantime, wishing you a wonderful start to the summer. Stay cool (or warm!) wherever you are

With warmest wishes,
Karen ๐Ÿšฃโ€โ™‚๏ธ ๐Ÿ“š ๐Ÿ˜Š โค๏ธ

2

Ferdinand Fox and the Lost Boy: A Heartwarming Story for Kids

Hello from London (25th November 2024), where we were battered by Storm Bert all of yesterday. If you’ve been affected in the UK I do hope you and your family are safe. โค๏ธ

It’s been a busy last few weeks but I am thrilled to let you know thatย Ferdinand Fox and the Lost Boy, the third book in my Ferdinand Fox rhyming picture book series is finally here. ๐ŸฆŠ

This fun and heartwarming tale, in which Ferdinand saves the day, is perfect to read aloud to ages 3-5, or for early readers age 6+ to read and enjoy themselves. (Adults love it too, btw!) Scroll down to find out more.

Picture book image of boy sitting at the bottom of a grassy slope with one foot stuck down a hole looking up at a friendly fox. Title says 'Ferdinand Fox and the Lost Boy.

About the story

When Ferdinand Fox hears a cry for help near the railway track, he leads rescuers to a lost little boy. The story ends happily, as the little boy and his mother are reunited, but will anyone realise who the real hero is?
โ€‹
Accompanied by Andrew Smith’s beautiful illustrations, Ferdinand Fox and the Lost Boy offers young readers simple messages about bravery, kindness and unexpected friendship. By the end, they discover that unsung heroes come in all shapes, sizes โ€“ and species..!

Picture book spread with three policemen chasing a fox up a hill. Little boy lying to the right in a separate scene with his foot stuck down a hole .

The inspiration behind the story

Ferdinand Fox and the Lost Boy was sparked by a moment near Barnes Bridge Railway Station, close to where I live on the west edge of London. Late one afternoon, I saw a beautiful fox trotting up the station steps towards the platform โ€“ probably the same fox I had seen on the far side of the bridge a few weeks earlier, and which inspired Ferdinand Fox and the Hedgehog.

Image of fox sitting beside a railway track as a red train approaches from a bridge that crosses the river. Sun and hills in the background.

The station sits beside the River Thames (which is tidal) and the trains cross the river to reach the platform. As I watched the fox disappear up the steps, I assumed he had gone to look for food, but then had one of my ‘tingly feelings’ and began wondering if there was more to his journey.

Already knowing how kind and confident Ferdinand was from my earlier two stories, something began to tell me that he might have a habit of quietly โ€˜saving the day.โ€™ And so, the idea of a lost boy began to bubble up. ๐Ÿ˜Š

Ferdinand arriving on the platform in search of a snack!

Picture book spread. Red train at platform with commuters pouring off. A fox is trotting up to a waste bin with scraps of food and newspapers sticking out.

Ferdinand hears the young boy’s cries

Picture book image of a fox perched on the edge of a wooden slatted waste bin looking for food. A second image of a fox trotting off with a slice of pizza from the bin.

Ferdinand soon finds the young boy and reassures him before going to find help… A happy ending ensues, but only the little boy knows who really saved him. ๐ŸฆŠ

A perfect gift for little ones

If you’ve children, grandchildren, nephews or nieces I hope you’ll be tempted by this magical tale. It was such fun to write and has been in the drawer for far too long! I am certain that, along with Andrew Smith’s stunning illustrations, it will delight the young (and older!) readers in your life, and they’ll want to return to it again and again. ๐Ÿ˜Š ๐ŸฆŠ ๐Ÿ“š

Where to order Ferdinand Fox and the Lost Boy

The book is currently available in paperback and eBook on Amazon. It can be read as an eBook on tablets, phones or the Kindle Fire using the free Kindle App, and is free with Kindle Unlimited. It will be available from other stores in paperback in the next few weeks.

(Disclosure: affiliate link. I will earn a small fee at no extra cost to you if you buy using my link above. Please feel free to search separately online, of course!)

Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends! ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ ๐Ÿฆƒ

Happy Thanksgiving this week to my American friends and followers โ€“ I hope you all have a wonderful celebration with your families. Having lived in the States for two years, I know what a special time it is! Enjoy!

See you in December ๐ŸŽ„

That’s it for now. With the holiday season upon us I will be in touch again in early December to remind you about my Christmas picture book  (Affiliate link) more news, and other titles!

With very best wishes,

Karen ๐ŸฆŠ ๐Ÿ“š๐Ÿ˜Š

PS: Here’s that link again View or order Ferdinand Fox and the Lost Boy on Amazon (Affiliate link)

PPS: If you buy any of my books and you or your children enjoy them, please do take a moment to leave a short review online. It really does make a difference. Thank you! โค๏ธ

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Barnes KidsLitfest, Secret Lake sequel flip-book, audiobook news, more…

Hello from London where midsummer is truly upon us. How time flies!

It’s three months since the launch of Return to the Secret Lake and I wanted to give you a quick update post-launch, along with news of my event at Barnes Children’s Literature Festival next Saturday.

I’m also including a link at the end to a free digital flip-book of the first three chapters of Return to the Secret Lake to give you/your children a flavour of the sequel if you’ve not yet read it. ๐Ÿ˜Š

Below is a picture taken last month at Still Pond in London’s Richmond Park. As you may know, this pond was the inspiration for the lake in The Secret Lake. The azalea display was one of the best in years. I hope you enjoy!

Still Pond inspired the lake in The Secret Lake books

Barnes Children’s Literature Festival โ€” bring the kids next Saturday 25th June!

Barnes, the riverside village in southwest London where I live, is host to the UK’s largest dedicated children’s literature festival. I appeared with Eeek! in the festival’s inaugural year in 2015, and am excited to be back there this year with Return to the Secret Lake. My session is next Saturday 25th June from 3.30-4.30. If you live within reach of Barnes I’d love to see you and your children! Click or tap the link for more details of my session.

You can see the full line-up of amazing authors here There are some very big names, as you will see! It really is a fabulous day out with events centred around the village pond and nearby sites in a variety of halls and marquees. The village itself is charming, with plenty of cafรฉs and other eateries for all the family, and a huge green to picnic on if you prefer.

Return to the Secret Lake โ€” your feedback

Thank you so much to all of you who have taken the time to post reviews of Return to the Secret Lake online. Readers young and old are loving how the page-turning plot mixes with historical fiction. As with book one, it’s proving as popular in the US as over here in the UK. And it’s especially lovely to hear that adults are enjoying it as much as children โ€” my latest 5-Star UK reviewer is aged 70!

Please take a moment to leave a review

If you or your children have read the sequel and not yet had time to post a review online at your preferred store, please do take a moment as it helps those sites show the book more widely. Thank you ๐Ÿ™‚ 

Return to the Secret Lake audiobook โ€” coming soon!

In the last couple of weeks I’ve been listening to auditions for the audiobook edition of Return to the Secret Lake and am delighted to have found a perfect match. My chosen narrator is in high demand so can’t start recording until mid August. This is a little later than I’d have liked, but the best things come to those who wait, as they say! Assuming all goes to plan it will be out in early September, and I shall of course let you know as soon as it is.

My mother-in-law, who is almost 97, is especially keen to hear it; she has dry macular degeneration (a degenerative eye disease) so can no longer read. Meanwhile my 97-and-a-half-year-old mother (!) whisked through it on Kindle as soon as it was out. They are both doing remarkably well for their age, as you will have gathered!

The Secret Lake in simplified Chinese

A couple of weeks ago, I received images of the cover design for The Secret Lake from my Chinese publisher. The book title translates as ‘The Missing Dog, The Dancing Moles and The Secret Lake’. Isn’t it adorable? What do you think? ๐Ÿ˜Š

The Secret Lake in Simplified Chinese

Virtual author visits โ€” at home and abroad

Just a quick reminder that, as well as in-person visits, I also offer virtual author visits to schools and book clubs. It’s always fun to visit online, no matter how near or far my audience is! Below are a couple of photos recent visits with elementary schools in the US who have been reading The Secret Lake in class. If you’d like to organise a virtual visit for your school โ€”wherever you are in the world โ€”please email me. You can find more details on the ‘school visits’ tab here on my website.

UK readers: I’m also now taking in person and virtual bookings for World Book Day week in 2023. Please do mention this to your child’s school if you think they may be interested. ๐Ÿ˜Š

Return to the Secret Lake โ€” free flip-book of Chapters 1-3!

With the summer holidays upon us, what better time for children (and adults) to get lost in a new book? If you’d like to get a feel for the world of The Secret Lake click or tap this link to open up Return to the Secret Lake as a flip-book and read the first three chapters. (Suitable for ages 8-80!) Or you can scan the QR code below. You don’t need to input your email address and there are no ‘buy’ links inside.

The flip-book will work on your desktop, laptop, tablet or phone. If you’ve not read The Secret Lake you will get a feel for the story without any spoilers, but I’d definitely recommend starting with book one if you enjoy this excerpt. Feel free to share this link, of course!

Scan the QR Code or use the link above to get your free flip book โ€” no email required

That’s it for now, but before I go here’s that link to my event next Saturday 25th June at Barnes Children’s Literature Festival. If you live locally and have children aged 8-12, I hope to see you there!

Otherwise, I hope you and your children have exciting plans (and books!) lined up for the summer.

Happy reading! ๐Ÿ“š ๐Ÿ˜Š

Karen

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โญ Book Launch โญ Return to the Secret Lake ๐Ÿ“š ๐Ÿšฃ

Official launch date 8th March 2022

I’m thrilled to announce that Return to the Secret Lake is now out and available to order after many many requests from readers over the years!

In this page-turning sequel to The Secret Lake we see Lucy come forward in time in search of a cure for Emma who has fallen dangerously ill. Of course, things are never straightforward where time tunnels and magical moles are concerned โ€” and so unfolds a thrilling tale of time travel, rekindled friendships and new threats that no one could have foreseen.

Today is International Women’s Day, and I’ve chosen to coincide the book’s official launch with this date as half of the story is set in early 1900s London, when the Suffragette movement was extremely active. The movement provides a gentle backdrop in a few of the scenes, which I know young advance readers have found intriguing alongside other historical contexts and events. Also resonating with the theme of strong females is the bravery and resourcefulness shown by both Stella and Hannah from the present, and Lucy and others from the past as they risk everything to help Emma .

The story is not only about the girls, however โ€” we also have Tom and Jack to root for as unexpected events unfold!

Researching Edwardian London

Below is a slide I shared at my World Book Day school visits here in the UK last week about my research into Edwardian London. Stella and Tom spend far more time in this period in Book Two โ€” including venturing out into town โ€” so I wanted to feel, see and breathe the atmosphere through their eyes.

Extract from my World Book Day week school talk

What I loved about this research was diverting off in different directions and discovering little โ€˜ahaโ€™ moments which I knew needed to be in the story in some way, such as the craze of โ€˜rinkingโ€™ in Edwardian time (rollerskating in dedicated rollerskating rinks for those who could afford it), and bylaws being demanded by some to outlaw children rollerskating on pavements. Those children tended to come from poorer backgrounds who couldnโ€™t afford to use the rinks, and I was pleased when reading Hansard reports from 1910-11 to see the young Winston Churchill standing up for them.

It’s amazing how many rabbit holes one can go down. But it was worth the many many hours โ€” and, I hope, has helped ensure that the twists and turns of the story play out in contexts authentic to that time. I shall be writing separately about this in due course when preparing teaching resources. ๐Ÿ˜Š

Early feedback

As any author will tell you, it’s always nerve-wracking launching a new book. Happily, the members of my small team of advance readers have given the story a very strong thumbs up. In the mix were children, parents (including a nurse), two teachers, two grandmothers and a couple of children’s authors.

You’ll find a few early reviews over on Amazon but here are a few more snippets sent to me directly:

โ€œThis book will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to ๏ฌnish! Each chapter brings new challenges, which the children face with determination and mastermind ideas. I loved their quick thinking and wittiness. But what stood out most was how much they cared for and looked out for each other.โ€ Mรฉabh ~ Aged 11 โญโญโญโญโญ

โ€œImmerses the reader in the early 1900s and is really thought provoking for middle-grade readers. A great ๏ฌctional adventure and an excellent choice for connecting history with reading for pleasure.โ€ ~ Michelle Gilbert, Primary teacher and Year 4 Book Club lead โญโญโญโญโญ

โ€œI loved that there were so many mysteries mixed in with real history! One of the longest books I’ve read and I finished it in 4 days!โ€ ~ Brooke, Aged 10 โญโญโญโญโญ

Read more reviews or buy Return to the Secret Lake on Amazon

Visit BookMonster.ie to watch Mรฉabh’s advance reader review

Click to watch BookMonster’s full review of Return to the Secret Lake on YouTube โ€” this is a great channel for your children to subscribe to if they love middle-grade books btw:)

Where to buy

The print book is also available to order from all other online stores or via your high street bookshop. Signed copies will be in Barnes Bookshop from next week. Delivery times to other bookshops may vary in the first couple of weeks.

My next task is to commission a narrator for the audiobook. ๐Ÿ˜Š

That’s if for now. I’m still catching up on piles of admin having caught Covid last weekend, which threw out many of my book launch plans and has left me making preparations up to the wire!

Still, such challenges pale into insignificance when compared with what is being faced by the citizens of Ukraine. I’m sure you will stand with me in hoping for a miracle and a swift resolution to this heartbreaking situation, even though that seems far off as I write.

Bye for now, Karen

PS: If you decide to buy Return to the Secret Lake, please do take a moment to leave a short review if you / your children enjoy it! Thank you!

8

The Secret Lake sequel ๐Ÿ“š | Christmas gift ideas | more! ๐ŸŽ„

Hello from a cold and crisp London, where the Christmas season is upon us. I hope your holiday season plans are well underway and that you’re all staying safe.

The Secret Lake: Sequel ๐Ÿ˜Š

After much plotting and planning, and following many requests from children and adults, I’ve had my head down for the last three months writing the sequel to my bestselling middle grade novel The Secret Lake,

I’m thrilled to say that I finished editing the final draft two days ago (you can see the printout on my desk below!) and it is now with a small number of beta readers before, no doubt, further polishing, then on to my professional editor. Coming in at 50,000 words it will be approximately twice the length of the first book.

As you have guessed, writing a children’s book takes a lot of time, and effort โ€” children are always surprised when I tell them just how long! Luckily this time around I had an outline plan before I started, which made life a lot easier than first time around when I had no plan and went round in circles with the plot for many many months. I do not recommend writing this way!

The printout of The Secret Lake 2 first final draft โœ๐Ÿป ๐Ÿ“š

Why did it take so long to write The Secret Lake sequel?

Many children and adults have asked me over the last few years why I hadn’t written a sequel. The reason is that I had promised myself I would only ever do so if I thought any new story would be as magical as the first. Also, I tend to have to wait for stories to come to me… and that can take time! That apart, with so many other projects to juggle, it had been difficult to sit down and find the time and space I needed in order to let my imagination run wild, then plan and research. This summer, I finally had that time.

Going back and spending time with the original characters โ€” and meeting a couple of new ones โ€” has been an absolute joy, with scenes unfolding that I hadn’t planned, and new characters popping up unannounced, as happened the first time around!

I’m hoping for a release date in spring 2022 and, of course, will keep you updated via this newsletter. In the meantime,ย if you’d like to apply to join my advance reader teamย to help make the launch a success,ย please email me via my contact page with the subject line ‘The Secret Lake 2’ and I will send you details of how it works closer to the time.

Teachers โ€” I will be creating some interesting lesson plans to go with the book. More on this in a later newsletter! ๐Ÿ˜Š

In other Secret Lake news, I have just sold foreign rights to Romania, meaning it will soon be in translation in nine languages!

Also, I couldn’t resist the gorgeous little mole, seen sitting on the shelf in the first image above. I found him in one of the gift shops where I live in Barnes village and couldn’t leave without him! As readers of The Secret Lake know, moles are integral to the magic of the story. โค๏ธ

The Christmas Tree Wish: A heartwarming tale for ages 3-6 ๐ŸŒฒ

Back to the holiday season โ€” if you’re looking for an extra special gift for your younger children or grandchildren, please do take a look at The Christmas Tree Wish.

A heartwarming tale โ€” with links to free colouring sheets

This heartwarming tale about hope, friendship and being different was inspired by a small, bedraggled Christmas tree I saw one dark and wet Christmas Eve, unsold and looking very lonely. As is usually the case with my stories, I couldn’t get this little fellow out of my head, and knew I had to give him a happy ending!

The Christmas Tree Wish comes with links to free downloadable colouring sheets of the tree characters to keep children or grandchildren occupied in the run-up to Christmas, using Anne Swift’s stunning illustrations. Hopefully, the reviews speak or themselves! ๐Ÿ˜Š ๐ŸŒฒ

Click or tap below to watch a short video about The Christmas Tee Wish.

Tap to play ๐Ÿ™‚

If you prefer to share picture books on an iPad, the eBook is free on Kindle Unlimited worldwide. Also, Amazon UK has just reduced it to 0.99p for December.

The Tell-Me Tree โ€” continued praise from teachers and parents โค๏ธ

Thank you so much to all of you who have bought The Tell-Me Tree and shared with me how it has touched children’s lives, or how you have been using it in schools to help children open up about feelings. Below are a few examples. I’m also bowled over that a simple Facebook promotion has been shared and commented on over 1,000 times!

With the uncertainties all of our children are living with these days, The Tell-Me Tree aims to help ease worries through encouraging a habit of regularly talking about feelings, whether happy, sad or anywhere in between.

Pupils getting into the habit of sharing feelings at schools using The Tell-Me Tree

This story and activity book comes with free download templates to help children draw their own Tell-Me Trees and copies of activity sheets from inside the book to encourage them to draw or write about how they are feeling as often as they would like. Available everywhere online, or via your local bookshop or your school ‘s usual channels.

If you have used The Tell-Me Tree and found it useful please feel free to send me pictures, or tag me if you post about it and I will share.

You can read about the background to The Tell-Me Tree here


๐Ÿ“š Eeek! The Runaway Alien discounted to ยฃ3.95! โšฝ (RRP ยฃ6.99)

Finally, a quick heads-up for my UK followers looking for stocking fillers to let you know that Amazon UK has just discounted Eeek! The Runaway Alien to ยฃ3.55 (RRP is ยฃ6.99).

Eeek! is perfect for girls or boys aged 7-10 looking for a fast and fun read, and a good laugh! (It’s also available as an audiobook and eBook.)

It was voted book of the month by LoveReading4Kids UK at launch, and favourite book club read three years in a row in one London primary school, and now comes with a shiny new cover! It is also fantastic for reluctant readers, and comes with fun black and white illustrations throughout. ๐Ÿ˜Š ๐Ÿ‘ฝ

A fun, fast-paced read for ages 7-10 โ€” loved by parents too!

That’s it for now. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and I look forward to providing you with updates on The Secret Lake 2 soon ๐Ÿ˜Š .

With very best wishes,

Karen

PS: Remember,ย if you’d like to know more about joining my launch team for The Secret Lake 2, please email me via my contact page with ‘The Secret Lake 2’ as the subject line, and I will send you further details in due course.

PPS: Remember, if you like to share picture books on an iPad with little ones, The Christmas Tree Wish eBook is free on Kindle Unlimited worldwide. Also, Amazon UK has just reduced it to 0.99p for December. ๐ŸŒฒ

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November update ๐Ÿ‚ : Free audiobook codes, online author events, more…

Hello from a cold and crisp London where, like everyone, we were uplifted by news of progress on a Covid-19 vaccine yesterday. What a great end to a very eventful seven days!

Here in England we’ve just gone into lockdown again for a month although, thankfully, most children can still go to school. With socialising time for all ages cut back, one means of escape we still have is, of course, books! On a personal note, I’m now managing to catch up on 45 minutes of reading each morning while exercising, having recently invested in a fold-flat running machine that we have in our kitchen – seen below ๐Ÿ™‚

Updates at a glance…

  • Free codes for the new audiobook release of Eeek! The Runaway Alien (US and UK) – I have 20 to give away! ๐Ÿ˜Š
  • The Christmas Tree Wish – shortlisted for the UK Selfies Awards earlier this year – is currently discounted on Amazon UK. But not to be missed wherever you are! ๐ŸŒฒ
  • Record-breaking reviews for The Secret Lake – a huge thank you! โค๏ธ
  • Your chance to bid in an online auction of signed children’s books in aid of the BBC’s Children in Need charity.
  • Online author events at home – coming your way!

Eeek! The Runaway Alien – free audiobook codes

Scroll down to hear a sample reading on Audible

I’m delighted to say that the audiobook of Eeek! The Runaway Alien is finally live and I have 20 free promo codes to share exclusively with my blog and FB followers – 10 for the US and 10 for the UK. (Unfortunately, they don’t supply them for other territories.)

Described as “Laugh-out-loud funny” by LoveReading4KidsUK, a respected children’s book recommendation site, Eeek! is fun and fast-paced for ages 7-10 and was voted favourite book club read three years in a row by one London primary school.

To request one of the codes for your children please email me by Sunday 15th November. If there are more than 10 requests from each country I’ll ask my husband to draw names out of a hat. I’ll then reply on Monday 16th to everyone who requested a code, whether or not you’re successful. Anyone who doesn’t win – plus those who do – will get a link to free download Eeek! posters ๐Ÿ™‚

>> Click or tap to hear a sample of Eeek! on Audible US

>> Click or tap to hear a sample of Eeek! on Audible UK

The Christmas Tree Wish: don’t miss if you have little ones…

Do check out this heartwarming tale if you’re looking for an extra special Christmas gift for ages 3-5+. Shortlisted earlier this year for the Selfies Award for Best UK Independently Published Children’s Book, this gentle story introduces Little Bruce Spruce and his fir tree friends – Cedrick Cypress, Penelope Pine and Douglas Fir.

Little Bruce is excited about finding a home for Christmas Day, until he discovers he has two broken branches from the weight of the snow. Downhearted, he is sure that no one will want him. However, all is not lost as Cedrick, Penelope and Douglas rally round to help and reassure him, showing him that none of them is perfect. (Needless to say, there is a happy ending!)

Anne Swift’s stunning pen and ink illustrations make this a wonderful Christmas gift with a gentle message about friendship, kindness, and that it’s okay to be different. There are also links to free downloadable colouring sheets.

๐ŸŒฒ  Click or tap here to read reviews of The Christmas Tree Wish on Amazon

If you live in London, you’ll find signed copies in The Barnes Bookshop (operating click and collect). If you’re farther afield but prefer not to use Amazon you can order it via any other online store globally or bookshop.org which shares a percentage of each sale between the independent bookshops that are signed up with it.

Stop Press for UK readers: The Christmas Tree Wish is currently discounted on Amazon UK. I’m not sure how long the discount will last so grab it while you can. I have no control over Amazon discounting.

Please note: the book is paperback, though the image above implies it’s hardback.

Record-breaking reviews for The Secret Lake – thank you!

I’d like to say a HUGE THANK YOU to those of you who have helped your children leave reviews of my books online – and in particular for The Secret Lake, which has been breaking all sorts of sales records recently, not just here in the UK but also in the US and Canada. It has now had over 4,000 reviews globally – and has been dipping in and out of the top 200 books for the UK / US stores and even higher in Canada where it’s inside the top 20 as I write.

Reviews from children posted on The Secret Lake’s website

Your children’s feedback means a great deal to me and those who post reviews to The Secret Lake’s website (with your help) always receive a personal reply from me. Thank you also for copying so many of those reviews to Amazon or your other preferred online stores – doing so really does help authors’ books get shown more, which means that more children, parents and teachers find them.

Online charity auction: bid for a signed book or illustrated toilet roll tube!

I’m delighted to be part of the ‘Children in Read’ 2020 online charity auction of signed books and other items from authors and Illustrators from around the world. I have donated a signed copy of my latest book The Tell-Me Tree for ages 4-8, which invites children to share how they’re feeling – whether happy, sad or anywhere in between – through writing, drawing or conversation. All funds raised are going to the BBC charity Children in Need which helps disadvantaged children and young people across the UK.

Auction ends 11pm UK time this Friday 13th November

With three days to go – and over ยฃ15,000 raised at the time of writing – there are still plenty of small and large bid-price lots available. Besides signed books for children and grown-ups, other items include a range of illustrated toilet roll tubes from ex UK Children’s Laureate Chris Riddell! His work is truly stunning – see above! The auction closes this Friday 13th November at 11pm UK time and UK postage is included if your bid wins an item.

Coming your way! Online author events at home…

Covid-19 has forced all businesses and educational institutions to rethink how they operate. Of course, in-person school visits have been significantly affected, with many authors now moving online. I continue to offer school visits via Skype in the Classroom, Microsoft, Zoom or the school’s other preferred tech, visiting whole classes/year groups at a school or (more recently) a ‘virtual’ US classroom where pupils were individually logging in for the session from home as part of their weekly online classroom schedule. One of the pupils even had his pet rat running around on his lap during that session! ๐Ÿ€ The wonders of technology mean that I shall shortly be ‘visiting’ 80 Fifth Grade pupils at an elementary school just outside of Chicago. ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ

Book clubs and family audiences…

I am now looking to extend my virtual visits beyond schools to book clubs, informal reading groups and families. I’m still putting the flesh on the bones of how this might best work, staying mindful of budgets and, of course, the need to comply with the rules to protect the privacy of children. As I firm up my plans I may be in touch to get feedback on different formats and pricing options as I’m keen to make it as affordable as possible for smaller groups or family audiences. In the meantime, if your school would like a virtual visit – wherever in the world – please do ask them to email me ๐Ÿ˜Š .

Stay safe and remember to reply to me by midnight your time on Sunday 15th November if you’re in the UK or US and would like to request a promo code for Eeek!’s audiobook.

Before I go… Here’s a link again to The Christmas Tree Wish where you can read customer reviews.

You can also view sample excerpts and read more about how I came to write The Christmas Tree wish in my blog post here ๐ŸŒฒ

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The Christmas Tree Wish – Coming Soon!

Happy Autumn, all! The nights are slowly drawing in here in London and it will be Halloween before we know it, followed by the big rush up to the holiday season. As I write we’re still 85 days away from Christmas (!), however I’m still thrilled to announce that my new picture book The Christmas Tree Wish will be available to order from early to mid October 2019. UPDATE: IT’S OUT NOW HERE ON AMAZON and will be available via bookshops and other online stores from mid October.

This is a heart-warming Christmas tale for ages 3-5+ about hope, friendship and being different ๐Ÿ˜Š. The beautiful pen and ink illustrations by Anne Swift feature little Bruce Spruce, Penelope Pine, Douglas Fir and Cedrick Cypress, as well as a gorgeous Christmas robin and inquisitive squirrel.

Read on to learn more, see images and toย sign up for a release date notification.

Christmas tree images

From the back page

robin in snowy scene sitting on a star

The story behind the story

This is a story that had been going around in my head for years after I saw a small bedraggled Christmas tree left unsold one dark evening a few days before Christmas. My heart went out to the little fellow and I knew I had to write about him.

From the outset I was certain that I wanted hand-drawn illustrations rather than digital, so it was a question of finding the right person. Anne, who is a great friend whom I’ve know for 25 years, is an architect by day, but has always been incredibly creative in other ways – I can’t believe it never occurred to me to ask her to try her hand at childrenโ€™s illustrations! It was a chance image she drew for her son that made the penny drop!

A sample page spread for fun!

christmas tree characters

 

Sign up to be notified on release dateย 

The Christmas Tree Wish will be available to order from early to mid October. Sign up here to join my occasional mailing list to be notified on the release date. You’ll also receive the first three chapters from my Amazon UK/USA bestseller The Secret Lake, a time travel adventure for ages 8-11. ๐Ÿ˜Šย I don’t email often and you can unsubscribe at any time.

  • Alternatively, search your favourite online store from mid October.
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The rhyme and the reason: confessions of a picture book author

It’s a well-known fact that we authors spend a lot of time alone, dreaming up and crafting our stories, discarding some and holding on to a golden few. If the idea takes off, we then spend many more hours, days โ€“ and often weeks or months โ€“ drafting, rewriting, testing, editing and polishing before finally having the courage to put the story out into the big wide world.

It’s a long (long) process โ€“ no matter how short the book. Don’t believe anyone who tells you that writing children’s books is the easy option!

The above holds true for middle grade novels (aimed at ages 8-12), for early reader chapter books โ€“ and for picture books whose word count is typically around 500 but might range from zero to 1,000. (Less is best. Less is harder! And it goes without saying that the illustrations are crucial.)

Ferdinand Fox picture books side by side
Ferdinand Fox rhyming picture books

The rhyming game

Trying to squeeze a satisfying and entertaining tale into a picture book’s 26 or 28 pages (this is what’s left after the title and copyright pages etc are used up) is hard enough at the best of times as we toil away on our own. Add in rhyme and you’re into a whole new layer of complexity. Getting the story and the rhyme and theย rhythm to cooperate along with the illustrations over a limited page count is one huge challenge!

‘Why on earth would anyone want to write in rhyme?’ you might ask yourself. I’d agree with you there. Except that’s how it came out when I began composing my Ferdinand Fox stories after seeing a beautiful fox trot past me in the mist one November evening. I simply couldn’t express the story in any other way!

Happily, rhyme, it seems, is still what little children love best โ€“ or most consistently at least.

Speaking as a parent, I also know that the rhyming stories I shared with my children, such asย Hairy MaClary from Donaldson’s Dairy and the others from Lynley Dodd’s wonderful series were firm favourites for me and my husband!

Kids know best

Another well-known fact is that children are the most discerning and honest audience out there โ€“ and generally the younger, the more discerning! If they don’t like your story they will let you (or their parents or teachers) know in no uncertain terms ๐Ÿ™‚

This brings me on to the flip side of all of those hours spent alone getting things just right โ€“ namely the rewards for authors of getting out and sharing our stories with young readers at school visits and other live events.

Children's Author Karen Inglis reading Ferdinand Fox and the Hedgehog to the pupils of Barnes Montessori
The pupils of Barnes Montessori eagerly listening to Ferdinand Fox and the Hedgehog

With my rhyming picture books I often see Reception year children as part of a wider primary school visit with my other titles. However, just as rewarding โ€“ and with an extra special place in my heart โ€“ are my visits to nursery schools, where I have the opportunity to introduce the magic of books and stories to such young, receptive, (and brutally honest!) minds.

The pictures above and below from my recent visit to Barnes Montessori, a stone’s throw from where I live, offer a glimpse of how meeting my readers brings such joy both to me as an author and to the children. These three to five year-olds were hooked from the get-go and highly engaged for each of the 30-40 minute sessions I offered. That’s quite a tall order from children of that age โ€“ especially the three-year-olds!

Keeping picture book listeners engaged

I always warm things up with a rhyming game and by asking children about foxes they may have seen. This sets the scene well for what’s to follow and ensures they feel relaxed and invested from the outset.

Karen Inglis at front of class holding up rhyming game images for pupils who are out of shot
Rhyming game warm-up before I introduce the rhyming stories

Whether as an author or parent/carer the key, of course, to engaging children with books and reading is the enthusiasm you show yourself โ€“ it’s infectious and little ones quickly pick up on it. It’s reflected not just in the energy and variety you bring to delivering the story, but also in using opportunities to involve the children with the characters and storyline as you go.

Have you seen a fox in your garden? Where did you see one? What did it look like? Was it a beautiful fox or did it look sad and hungry? What might you call your fox? How do you think Ferdinand feels in this picture? How does baby Ed feel here? Do you think he’s scared? Have you ever seen a hedgehog? Did you touch it? How did it feel?ย  What colour is the mouse in this picture?

In Ferdinand Fox’s Big Sleep, as Ferdinand sleeps (and snores) through the story we are introduced through his dream bubbles to his favourite food. This provides ample opportunity to talk with the children about their favourite food โ€“ as well as hear whose mum or dad snores!ย  There’s also a clock that chimes from one to five as the hours pass. As the story moves forward I pause at the clock chimes and count the numbers with the children. Needless to say they get lots of praise for their counting skills!

 

Image of interior page of Ferdinand Fox's Big Sleep - colour image of fox sleeping and rhyming text
From Ferdinand Fox’s Big Sleep: lots of opportunity to discuss food likes and dislikes ๐Ÿ™‚

In Ferdinand Fox and the Hedgehogย there’s a section at the end dedicated to fun facts about foxes and hedgehogs, such as where they live, how long they live and what they eat. We always have great fun discussing whether the children would like spiders for breakfast, caterpillar sandwiches for lunch, or worms on toast for supper! This part of the book also shows how we can all help hedgehogs find food by cutting holes in the bottom of garden fences, and help them hibernate by building up safe areas in our gardens.

Karen Inglis at front of class with nursery pupils at Barnes Montessori
Discussing what hedgehogs like to eat – caterpillar sandwiches anyone? ๐Ÿ™‚

Live video

As time has gone on I’ve added videos to my sessions. One is of a fox that fell asleep in an author friend’s garden and looks remarkably like Ferdinand Fox. The children all ‘ooh’ and gasp when he finally starts to wake up!

The other is a video of a hedgehog running down the side of my family home in Hertfordshire โ€“ captured by chance by my brother. As with the fox video, it has the children entranced and goes just one step further to enhancing their experience of sharing stories and books.

Karen Inglis author pointing to hedgehog video with nursery pupils in front
The children loved the video of the hedgehog running up the side of my family home!

The pictures here mean a lot to me and encapsulate the double sided joy of being writer. From sitting alone in a quiet world where stories tumble, mature and develop as they try to get out โ€“ to seeing the delight on children’s faces as they lap up your characters and the journey you have taken them on.

Author and teacher with pupils - picture book reading
Reading Ferdinand Fox’s Big Sleep

Writing children’s books is a journey I wouldn’t give up for the world!

Rhyming or no rhyming ๐Ÿ™‚

With thanks to Barnes Montessori for inviting me and for taking these lovely photos.

If you think your child’s school would like a visit, please do get in touch via my school visits page (opens in new tab).

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Festivals, book offers, hedgehogs and more – why I love May!

We’re at the start of the first of two Bank Holiday long weekends this month in the UKย  โ€” guaranteed to make the nation smile, come rain or shine! However, there are a couple of other reasons why I especially love May. I’ll start with those before sharing other news.

Barnes Childrenโ€™s Literature Festival โ€“ May 11th/12th

May is the month in which we haveย The Barnes Childrenโ€™s Literature Festival, conveniently held down the road from where I live in southwest London. Itโ€™s in its fifth year and is now London’s largest dedicated children’s book festival.

Screen Shot 2019-05-03 at 08.51.37
Barnes now has London’s largest dedicated children’s literature festival – don’t miss!

As well as the many big names this year (Lauren Child, Judith Kerr, David Almond, Jeremy Strong to name but a fewโ€ฆ), thereโ€™s also a fabulous free events programme. So if you have kids and live within reach of London, do look at the programmes and come along. Iโ€™m already looking forward to hearing Judith Kerr and Emma Carroll. Oh and I must book for Hillary McKay too!

Do you have a children’s story in you?

I’ve had great fun running children’s events at Barnes over the years. However, this year for the second year in a row I’ll be running an event for new and aspiring children’s authors onย ย Children’s Book Self-Publishing and Marketing.ย If you think you have a children’s story in you, or are just curious about how it all works, do come alongย to find out more about this exciting world. Ages 16-66+ welcome! ๐Ÿ™‚ (We had a packed tent last year.) Click here to learn more or book.

The Secret Lake – the magical journey continues

As many of you will know, another reason May has a special place in my heart is that it’s the time that Isabella Plantation, a stunning woodland in London’s Richmond Park, comes into bloom. The woodlands and ‘Still Pond’ (seen below during a 14k walk last Sunday!) were a strong part of the inspiration for my UK bestselling time travel adventure The Secret Lake, which is also nowย climbing the charts in the US and Canada.

Karen Inglis standing in front of Still Pond lake with pin azaleis
Still Pond last Sunday 28th April – The Inspiration for The Secret Lake

Unbelievably, over 20,000 copies of The Secret Lake have sold in print in the last year and I’ve just signed two foreign rights deals. If you don’t yet know the story and are curious, do visit Amazon UKย to read over 100 reviews ๐Ÿ™‚ You’ll also find 35 more onย Amazon.com.

It’s now almost 20 years since I wrote the first draft, after watching some friends’ children playing in the vast communal gardens of London’s Notting Hill. As I looked all around at the grand houses I couldn’t help wondering what would happen if the children playing there that day could meet the children who had lived and played there 100 years earlier. If you want to know more, or to download a free sample, follow the links below. The reading age is 8-11, but it’s also perfect to read aloud to ages 6 upwards.

The Secret Lake on offer in the UK and Canada

For those of you who live in the UK,ย The Secret Lake is currently on offer on Amazon at ยฃ5.29 down from ยฃ6.99.ย It’s also discounted on Amazon inย Canada from $10.70 to $9.71.ย I don’t control the offers I’m afraid, so don’t know how long they will last. If you have a young bookworm at home, I’d sayย grab it while you can. And, of course, you can also order it from your local bookshop.

Reader fan mail – making me smile!

image of a book and two cards
This beautiful hand-drawn postcard is from a Secret Lake fan in Richmond, Texas

We authors love hearing from our readers. Above is a lovely hand-drawn postcard I received from a nine-year-old pupil, Grace, from Richmond, Texas, USA. I was travelling in Vietnam when her card arrived and my son sent a photo on Whatsapp โ€” I was thrilled and have since written back with the ‘head in the clouds’ (that’s me!) giraffe card you can see. I’ve also just received an envelope full of letters from school children in Wiltshire, UK โ€” most asking for a sequel after they read The Secret Lake in class! This was a wonderful surprise, especially as I’ve not visited that school.

hand written letters arranged with a copy of The Secret Lake children's book
Wonderful handwriting – and lots of requests for a sequel to The Secret Lake!

Eeek! The Runaway Alien cover makeover

In more news, Eeek! The Runaway Alienย (my fun illustrated story about a soccer-mad who runs away to Earth for the World Cup) has a had a minor cover update, with a football added. Goodness knows why we didn’t have one before! To mark the occasion, my illustrator created this animation. I hope you enjoy!

Eeek!ย is ‘laugh-out-loud funny’ย and great for boys and girls aged 7-10 who love soccer and/or aliens.ย Read Amazon reviews or grab a Kindle sample here.

Hedgehog Awareness Week: May 5th – 11th

Last, but not least, it’sย Hedgehog Awareness Weekย here in the UK next week. All year round we’re doing what we can to look out for them as they are now an endangered species.

We’re lucky to have quite a few hedgehogs in my local London village of Barnes, and there’s a huge campaign to encourage homeowners to create holes at the foot of garden fences, to allow the hedgehogs to travel to find food. This creates a ‘hedgehog highway’. The video below of a hedgehog running up the side of my family home last summer demonstrates just how far they like to go in search of food!

Click below to view a video of a hedgehog out looking for food – my brother kindly captured this for me last summer ๐Ÿ™‚

Hedgehogs and foxes – early learning

If you have a toddler in the house, or children/grandchildren up to age 6 my gentle rhyming picture bookย Ferdinand Fox and the Hedgehog, about a baby hedgehog that meets a fox one night, ends with eight fun pages of photos and facts about foxes and hedgehogsย including how to build nests and safe places for hedgehogs to hibernate in your garden. It’s always a huge hit at my school visits — not least when they come to learn what foxes and hedgehogs like to eat for breakfast and supper!

View Ferdinand Fox and the Hedgehog on Amazon here.

You can find out more about helping hedgehogs on theย Hedgehog Preservation Society website.

FFHH Global print link Affiliate

Do you have hedgehogs where you live? I’d love to hear about them or see some photos if you do!

That’s it for now. I hope you have a relaxing May bank holiday weekend if you’ll be getting time off where you are. And, for those of you in the US, I hope the children have been getting stuck into reading more than ever over the last week!

With very best wishes,

Karen

PS If you or your children have read any of my books already, it would mean a lot to me if you could help themย leave an honest review on Amazonย or your other preferred store. Doing so means that Amazon and other stores will show it to more people. Every little really does help!ย Thank you!

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