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Grey Amber
Two years ago, Matt discovered a dark secret hidden behind a door in an alleyway near his home. Now at a new school and suffering at the hands of class bully Leon Bowker, that secret comes back to haunt him. With the help of an unusual new friend, Ollie Kaminsky, Matt is lured on a hunt for some remarkable treasure which will take him across the far reaches of Pembrokeshire. But someone else is trying to get there before him.
Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
About the author
C.E. Trueman
3 books7 followersI have been writing creatively since the age of seven, particularly poetry, some of which has been successful in competitions and appeared in various mixed anthologies.
The first poems I had published were in the National Poetry Foundation's publication Pause - Churchyard Children in 1993 and She Shore in 1994.
I have since gone on to publish others and won or been commended in various competitions, including first prize in the 2005 Winchester Annual Writers' Conference Poetry competition: Reaching Out sponsored by Penguin Books for Beyond the Sense of Road.
As a child, I invented several children's storybook characters which I would love to develop as well as compiling my own anthology of poetry.
In January 2007 my first children's novel The Bone Cradle was published which has been looked at by 20th Century Fox. The sequel Grey Amber has just been published and has been available since January 2010 on both Amazon UK and Amazon US as well as other bookselling websites. The first chapter of this novel won second prize at the 2007 Winchester Writers' Conference Writing for Children competition. I am planning to write the third and final book in the trilogy shortly.
Also on the back burner is a children's book based around the Great War, the first chapter of which was Highly Commended in the 2005 Winchester Annual Writers' Conference competition for the first chapter of a children's novel for over 12's sponsored by Little Tiger Press.
I have read some of my poetry: at my local library, at The Crypt in London's Islington (which does valuable work in supporting the homeless), with an open poetry group in Bedford and in 2006 at a charity function in the area where I now live.
I have also hosted creative writing workshops including a poetry workshop for children at my village school who subsequently did me the honour of naming one of their tables after me. I have been invited back several times to give talks and book signings at a local private girls school and this year I also visited a local school for children with dyslexia and other learning difficulties to do a workshops with three classes during Book Week.
Features include the Writers Promote page in Writers Forum magazine, several times in the local newspaper: The Biggleswade Chronicle, a snippet in The Sun, book reviews in the Beds on Sunday, The Advertiser newspaper and the Chronicle, a two page spread in Discover Bedfordshire magazine and a feature in The Comet newspaper.
The first poems I had published were in the National Poetry Foundation's publication Pause - Churchyard Children in 1993 and She Shore in 1994.
I have since gone on to publish others and won or been commended in various competitions, including first prize in the 2005 Winchester Annual Writers' Conference Poetry competition: Reaching Out sponsored by Penguin Books for Beyond the Sense of Road.
As a child, I invented several children's storybook characters which I would love to develop as well as compiling my own anthology of poetry.
In January 2007 my first children's novel The Bone Cradle was published which has been looked at by 20th Century Fox. The sequel Grey Amber has just been published and has been available since January 2010 on both Amazon UK and Amazon US as well as other bookselling websites. The first chapter of this novel won second prize at the 2007 Winchester Writers' Conference Writing for Children competition. I am planning to write the third and final book in the trilogy shortly.
Also on the back burner is a children's book based around the Great War, the first chapter of which was Highly Commended in the 2005 Winchester Annual Writers' Conference competition for the first chapter of a children's novel for over 12's sponsored by Little Tiger Press.
I have read some of my poetry: at my local library, at The Crypt in London's Islington (which does valuable work in supporting the homeless), with an open poetry group in Bedford and in 2006 at a charity function in the area where I now live.
I have also hosted creative writing workshops including a poetry workshop for children at my village school who subsequently did me the honour of naming one of their tables after me. I have been invited back several times to give talks and book signings at a local private girls school and this year I also visited a local school for children with dyslexia and other learning difficulties to do a workshops with three classes during Book Week.
Features include the Writers Promote page in Writers Forum magazine, several times in the local newspaper: The Biggleswade Chronicle, a snippet in The Sun, book reviews in the Beds on Sunday, The Advertiser newspaper and the Chronicle, a two page spread in Discover Bedfordshire magazine and a feature in The Comet newspaper.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 2, 2010
This is the sequel to 'The Bone Cradle'.
Although this is a series of books aimed at children (age 8-13), I have thoroughly enjoyed the stories and would recommend the books to everyone, adults and children alike. C E Trueman is also a poet, and her prose flows with poetic style, capturing the imagination. She has a wonderful way of describing scenes so that the reader feels as though they can see the action as it happens. I always learn something new when I read one of her books.
In this second book, we join Matt two years after he met Tobias. Matt is now at a new school and is being targeted by Leon, the school bully. A new strange-looking boy joins the class, Ollie. Because of his odd looks, he is soon also picked on by the bullies. Matt and Ollie become best friends, and Ollie helps Matt to discover some clues to a 'treasure' that old Tobias's has left for him. Leon finds out about the treasure map, and soon Leon's dad wants the treasure for himself, and it seems he will stop at nothing to get it. We follow Matt and Ollie in a fast-paced and exciting adventure, as they race to find the treasure before it is stolen by Leon's dad and his cronies.
The end of the book is a nice twist, and the author has left the ending open, suggesting a possible third adventure in the series... I hope so!
Although this is a series of books aimed at children (age 8-13), I have thoroughly enjoyed the stories and would recommend the books to everyone, adults and children alike. C E Trueman is also a poet, and her prose flows with poetic style, capturing the imagination. She has a wonderful way of describing scenes so that the reader feels as though they can see the action as it happens. I always learn something new when I read one of her books.
In this second book, we join Matt two years after he met Tobias. Matt is now at a new school and is being targeted by Leon, the school bully. A new strange-looking boy joins the class, Ollie. Because of his odd looks, he is soon also picked on by the bullies. Matt and Ollie become best friends, and Ollie helps Matt to discover some clues to a 'treasure' that old Tobias's has left for him. Leon finds out about the treasure map, and soon Leon's dad wants the treasure for himself, and it seems he will stop at nothing to get it. We follow Matt and Ollie in a fast-paced and exciting adventure, as they race to find the treasure before it is stolen by Leon's dad and his cronies.
The end of the book is a nice twist, and the author has left the ending open, suggesting a possible third adventure in the series... I hope so!
March 31, 2011
“Grey Amber”, the sequel to “The Bone Cradle”, has many of the same qualities as its predecessor. Matt is the same believable and appealing main character, although now two years older. We meet his older brother and his mother again and his new friend, Ollie. We also have the pleasure of another well constructed plot, written in a flowing and lyrical style by C.E.Trueman.
Whereas “The Bone Cradle” was a mystery that involved much soul searching on Matt‘s part, I felt that “Grey Amber” had more elements of the classic adventure story. There was a code to unravel, a journey to follow clues and some very mean “baddies” involved.
I feel sure that this is a book that will appeal to C.E. Trueman’s younger readers, who will be able to identify with the young protagonists of this exciting tale. As an “older” reader, I look forward with interest to the final part of the trilogy. Will Matt fulfil the challenge set in the final part of “Grey Amber”?
Whereas “The Bone Cradle” was a mystery that involved much soul searching on Matt‘s part, I felt that “Grey Amber” had more elements of the classic adventure story. There was a code to unravel, a journey to follow clues and some very mean “baddies” involved.
I feel sure that this is a book that will appeal to C.E. Trueman’s younger readers, who will be able to identify with the young protagonists of this exciting tale. As an “older” reader, I look forward with interest to the final part of the trilogy. Will Matt fulfil the challenge set in the final part of “Grey Amber”?
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews