This month started off with a bang! Chris and I headed to the Groucho Club in Soho for the Selfies Awards, sponsored by BookBrunch. When I worked in London every day, I wasn’t that excited to be there, but these days I love to see the historic buildings and lots of Adventurers and Mysterious Mansions landmarks!
The shortlist of children’s books was super strong this year, so I sat down fully expecting to cheer on one of the other excellent authors. When the host started talking about the winner of the best children’s book, she mentioned ‘middle grade must-read’ (a term for readers aged 8 and up), so I thought, OK, that narrows it down, I’m still in the running, but it probably isn’t me! All of a sudden my name was called out, and I stood up to give an ill-prepared speech that you can check out on my Facebook and Instagram pages! Shortlisted authors Claire Linney and Kirstie Watson kindly shared their videos with me.
Kringle’s Emporium is the most personal of all the books I’ve written, which feels a little odd to say since it’s a magical fantasy! Some of the school experiences are based on my own school days, and I’m delighted that families are enjoying it around the globe.
