I’ve been meaning to write this post for a while, but there’s so much to tell it was hard to know where to begin …

They say when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. So what to do when life gives you an opportunity? Grab it with both hands and don’t let go is my advice. The last 12 months have been jam packed with so many new projects, I’ve learnt and grown so much (still not quite an adult yet, i’m resisting that one.) but one of the most exciting projects started in July 2017.

I was invited to attend a Lord Mayors event with Yoshi the Yeti, there we were, my Yeti and I peacefully minding our own business, blending in (as you do when your out with your Yeti, i’m sure this is all very familiar to you all) When I met someone who I have had a rollercoaster of a year with.

Jessica-Wilkes Reading is the Corporate Responsibility for Wesleyan, a mutual financial company. Her role is to support and raise money for charities chosen by her company and it’s a job she does incredibly well. She has raised much needed money for several charities over the last few years, as well as raising the profile of the charities and their vital work, so when she asked if I would like to work with her on her new project ‘Look at Our Book’ I didn’t even have to contemplate my answer.

For those of you that may not be aware Jess was the driving force behind the creation of the project that led to the publication of The Unstoppable Maggie McGee written by Juliet Clare Bell and illustrated by Dave Gray, this beautifully crafted children’s book raised much needed funds for Birmingham’s Children’s Hospital.

So what was her idea this time?

To take 5 groups of year 8 students from Four Dwellings Academy in Birmingham and let them create their own stories about starting school, one of which I would be turning into a children’s book, with less than a month to write and publish, easy right?

But no adventure like this could be complete without an awesome illustrator, enter one Holly Bushnell, artist and mermaid in training. Holly has produced numerous projects with both myself and various other authors, her work includes the creation of our very own Yoshi the Yeti.

So with our mission set, I was excited to meet the story creators and find out what amazing ideas they had. I wasn’t disappointed! Over the course of several months both Jess, I and the incredible coaches from Wesleyan spent several days with the teams working on their characters and plots before the judging day, at the Lions Liar.

Our brave teams presented their ideas to a celebrity panel including celebrity chef Glynn Purnell, radio presenter Ed James Brummie Mummie reporter Zoe Chamberlain, Ahmed Farooq from Wesleyan and Wendy from Partnership for Children, the chosen charity.

Partnership for Children is a mental health charity supporting children by helping them cope with life’s stresses and anxieties. So on the 5th March the winners were announced at Wesleyans headquarters as the Whizz Writers, Great, Susan, Farhaan and Michaela. The Curse of the Nomed was born. It was then down to Holly and myself to turn their amazing idea into a full length illustrated Middle Grade book.

Thanks to the amazing ideas from the Whizz Writers, I had a fantastic idea ready to turn into an action packed adventure story, with twists at every turn. So away in a cupboard I locked myself on the 5th March ready for the challenge and I didn’t emerge until we were ready to press print, which the Whizz Writers did in great style at Pinstripe in Birmingham.

Then came launch night on the 17th May 2018 and oh does Jessica Wilkes Reading know how to launch a book in style! Hosted by the glamorous Library of Birmingham the book was launched at a charity dinner, I even put on my best shoes. And what a night it was raising over £15,000 that evening alone!

The fun hasn’t stopped there though, the book which sold over 1,000 copies in less than a week, was full display in Foyles Birmingham window and had its very own blog tour of wonderful reviews from amazing bloggers.

So what is the book about you may ask? Well imagine your first day of school, you get to assembly late and find out your first day isn’t exactly what you were expecting when your headmaster turns out to be an Egyptian God trying to take over the school and possibly the world! Follow Stef, Nora and Jacob as they face the first day of school, not only worrying about making friends and not getting lost, but also escaping from an Ancient God with power on his mind. This book aims to support child transitioning to secondary school, help children dealing with stress anxiety and change. It is there to show them that no matter the challenges they may face there are steps, choices and support there for them, every step of the way.

And remember the net profits from every book go directly to the amazing work Partnership For Children are delivering around the world.

For more information check out the website and join the adventure too!  www.curseofthenomed.co.uk