I´d like to start my cycle on Children´s books and their authors with Julie Hatton today. There is so much available in children´s literature and I thought it would be a good idea to have authors present their work to us so we can get to know them a little bit better.
Recently I have written a few tales for a collection of short stories written by my wonderfully dedicated group of writers collectively known as Bugs2writes. The group was set up in order to write and publish books of short stories to raise funds for ACTION MEDICAL RESEARCH FOR CHILDREN. 100% of profits go to the charity. A few decades ago, I did write a children’s novel and hope to publish that very soon to raise further funds for the charity.
I don’t find older children’s stories any more difficult than other genres, in fact, I find them a little easier. This could be because I think I have read every book Enid Blyton wrote many times over. I have a huge library of her books still. With only a few rare exceptions, I read nothing BUT Blyton until I was fifteen when my older sister introduced me to Dennis Wheatley. Since then, of course, I have read most of the children’s classics many times and modern children’s authors. I still love to read books written for older children
In my, as yet unpublished novel, I created a character very close to my heart: Cindy, the pig. She was based on a piglet I raised from birth and who became my friend until she left the small-holding at eighteen-months old. In the book, Cindy has a series of exciting adventures with four children.
For the Bugs2writes’ published book, Children’s Short Stories, I created a special character called Mammy Rat who lives on an island with hundreds of other rats. Mammy Rat symbolizes all loving, hardworking mothers and with so many children she is kept very busy at all times. She features in my four stories based on children who have a magic raft which sails them across the sea to Rat Island. There they encounter the rats and help them to solve mysteries on their island. One story for instance, is entitled: ‘The Case of the Missing Jewels.’
The other writers in the group have written an eclectic mix of exciting stories for children, too, in a variety of genres. All the stories in the book are written to amuse, entertain and inform the young minds reading it.
I thoroughly enjoyed writing my novel with Cindy, the pig, as the main character. I was in my mid-twenties at the time and I finished the novel in record time. Unashamedly, it is clear my Blyton heritage runs like a river through it!
I also enjoyed writing The Magic Raft series of stories very much indeed. Reliving my childhood through the stories I write provides a tranquil escape from the rigors of daily life.
The age group for the above stories is for ages 8 – 12, though younger children would enjoy listening to them, too.
In 2018, Bugs2writes hopes to write and publish another two children’s books of short stories for charity, the first of which will be published very soon.
I also hope to publish my novel with Cindy the pig as the main character this year.
Bug2writes has also penned and published a further four books for charity in other genres suitable for teens to adult: Horror, Assorted, Autobiography and Science Fiction and Supernatural. More will be coming soon.
Please visit:
Website: Bugs2writes.co.uk
Facebook Page: Bugs2writes for Charity
Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/bugs2writes
Paperbacks can be purchased from:
Ebooks from:
Amazon.com
The photo of our mascot bear with our books symbolizes the group’s collective author name / profile.
Bravo Patricia for highlighting the books written by members of bugs2writes. I happen to be just one of those contibuting authors. As Julie Hatten indicated in your blog, 100% of the royalties for every book sale goes to our chosen charity, Action Medical Research for Children, so it’s important that we generate interest with potential readers. I like to think that our enjoyable labours of writing yet another book of short stories for publication has a positive effect on the charity’s coffers, and via its important research, helps to save children’s lives. Many thanks.
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Happy to help, I hope it opens more avenues of collaborating with your charity. Keep up the good work.
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I really enjoyed reading this interview, Patricia, and hope to get to know you better.
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I´m glad you liked it 🙂
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And what a brilliant idea to combine the stories into a series of books to be sold for charity. Thank you for taking the time to interview Ms Hatton. She is truly inspirational, and I’m sure she was excited to be in a conversation with you!
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Great interview with Julie Hatton, the fact that the Bugs2writes royalties goes to Action for Medical Reseach is wonderful. I look forward to Julie’s next book coming out. There is something comforting about reading stories to ones children/grandchildren or young family members. The childrens book is a book to be proud of. Well worth a read, and a great way to help a worthwhile charity.
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I enjoyed the interview with Julie Hatton. I have all the Bugs2writes books that have been issued to date and will buy more when they’re ready as I’ve loved all the books so far. I also look forward to reading about
Cindy the pig.
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Fantastic interview with Julie Hatton, very interesting and informative. I think it’s a great concept to write Childrens Stories for a Childrens Medical Research Charity. I hope the venture will be very profitable especially as 100% of the sales goes to the charity. Congratulations to Julie and all the talented BUGS2 writers for their commitment and hard work.
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Excellent Interview, both informative and enlightening. So nice to be able to say 100% of the profit is going to Charity, a rarity these days
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I am a member of Bugs2writes and very proud to be so ,I loved your chat with the leader of our small group ,all profits go to our chosen charity so in our small way we are helping .I would like to thankyou very much and hope that we can sell loads of books .I look forward to Julie’s book about Cindy her beloved pig xx
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I am so proud to be a member of Bugs2write. I really enjoyed the interview with Julie Hatton, don’t know what we would do without her. Really looking forward to reading about Cindy the Pig. X
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My Email address is jaudrey86@yahoo.co.uk. My name is Audrey Nye/Johnston. this seems to have been left off, Thanking you in anticipation.
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