Thank you to everyone who participated in the creation of a collaborative story at the Future Takeover event at the Art and Soul cafe, St Neots, yesterday. The story took exciting turns from parking to pubs, and finally into the future:
The Future of St Neots
It was an exciting day for the people of St Neots.
I found a car parking space. £3 for 24 hours . . . I could be here for a while.
I looked around me, taking in the hustle and bustle of the busy people in the car park. Where is he going? What is he doing?
I made my way to Art and Soul. Would I get some cake and coffee . . . or maybe something more.
Whilst at the cafe, I checked my mobile phone. I had received a mysterious text message inviting me to meet someone at the Pig and Falcon.
Should I go? Was it a wrong number? I decided to take a risk and check it out.
I was within a few yards of the pub when my nerves got the better of me. What am I doing? What would my mum say?
Unfortunately for me my mum is quite a wild child so asking myself this question often leads me towards adventure not away from it! So, I looked around me and stepped towards the door to the pub. I pushed it tentatively and peered inside.
I was completely shocked by what I saw.
Standing at the bar, holding a glass of white wine was a lady dressed as a Jedi or maybe she was, in fact, a Jedi. She spotted me and said, “Fancy going on a bit of a journey? I’m going to show you what St Neots looks like in the future.”
Before I knew it I was off to Priory Park, which was now a Wookie settlement. I was greeted by a creature who claimed to be Chewbacca’s brother.
He said, “St Neots is far more interesting than the Millennium Falcon. This is really what the future will look like.”
And then he took me on a tour of St Neots, through the parks and along the river and into some pubs. We ended up at the Market Square where hundreds of people gathered and held aloft their light sabres to mark the anniversary of the day the Jedi lady came to town.
Contributors:
Louise Sboui
Emma Charter
Jan Sandrell
John Taylor
Daniel Billing
Marion Bull
Laura Melling
Claire Knox
Emma Clark
Christian Payne
Michelle (from Collusion)
Tevin Muendo
Oliver Morley
Anonymous
Thanks to all the contributors as well as Collusion and Neotists for providing a great event to consider and shape the future of the town.
Charlie’s World of Glittering Powers is to be showcased in the forthcoming Winter 2015/16 Collection for The People’s Book Prize. It can be voted for between 1st December 2015 and 28th February 2016. Please visit their website: http://www.peoplesbookprize.com/
Charlie’s World of Glittering Powers
Back cover blurb:
Charlie – A Snuffle-Buzzer whose sneezes are glittered with adventure!
A French pine forest is home to Charlie, an allergy-prone Snuffle-Buzzer. Longing for adventure-filled travel and desperate to outwit those pesky sneezes, Charlie is in need of glittering powers.
Fascinated by an old violet book, a nature-loving Cornish girl called Sevi is determined to unravel its secrets. A connection to Charlie’s pine forest sets in motion a mystical journey of adventure from pinecones to pasties!
Will the Mistral wind blow glittering powers your way?
Overview:
Charlie’s World of Glittering Powers is split between the forests and vineyards of Provence and a bustling Cornish fishing village. The tale follows Charlie, a rare breed allergy-prone cigale (aka a Snuffle-Buzzer). Charlie is talkative, inquisitive, and daydreams of adventure-filled travel.
Sevi, a nature-loving Cornish girl yearns to unravel the mystery that is hidden within the pages of an old winegrower’s violet book. While on holiday with her parents in Provence, she soon finds that the forest and its inhabitants aren’t as quiet as she initially thought…
Before long, one single golden sparkle sets in motion a mystical turn of events, which lead Charlie and Sevi to embark upon a thrilling adventure.
Readership:
The perfect book for children aged 8 and over, Charlie’s World of Glittering Powers evokes the innocence and wonder of childhood. The story explores nature through a magical storyline.
Book Info:
PUBLISHED 28th November 2015 – Matador Books (Troubador Publishing)
£7.99 (paperback) ISBN 9781784624736
£1.99 (ebook) EISBN 9781784626327
BIC subject category: Fantasy & magical realism (Children’s/YA)
Book length: 144 pages
#childrensbooks #CharliesWorldofGlitteringPowers
Cover:
Charlie’s World of Glittering Powers
The cover illustration is by Leo Hartas, illustrator of the Tweeniesbooks for BBC Worldwide, Haunted Castle and The Apartment Book, to name a few.
Author Bio:
Tracy Rawles – Author
After thirty years in challenging and rewarding careers in administration, education and pathology, Tracy now expresses her passion for wildlife and the countryside through her writing and photography.
Now living in Provence and having adored Cornwall since her first visit to relatives as a young child, Tracy decided to incorporate both locations in Charlie’s World of Glittering Powers, thereby forming the perfect backdrop for this mystical children’s tale.
Media: Tracy has a pre-record interview with Talk Radio Europe in December
Reviews:
Books Monthly:
A beautiful front cover illustration heralds a story of some standing, and you won’t be disappointed. I would hazard a guess that lovers of H Potter Esq., might be particularly interested in this one…
NetGalley review by Angie Blackstone
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
An adorable tale that I didn’t want to end. Full of magic and whimsy, this would fit right in in any child’s bookshelf. I would love to read more of Charlie and his world!
Troubador customer review by Christine
Charlie’s World of Glittering Powers is a magical book that is beautifully written and literally transports you to both Cornwall and France. Full of magical adventure. Strongly recommend!
Charlie’s World of Glittering Powers by Tracy Rawles is a fantastic must have stocking filler of a book that is going to go down a real treat with young children of eight and over, their parents and their grandparents, too!
There are powers to be discovered, mysteries to be solved and joys to be had for both Sevi and Charlie in this charming and exciting book.
Purchase Links:
Charlie’s World of Glittering Powers is available for purchase worldwide. Trade orders are available through Orca Book Services, Bertrams Books and Gardners. In addition to the chain retailers listed below please don’t forget your local independent bookshops.
The Charm is due for release on 26th December 2014 with Musa Publishing.
About The Charm:
Fifteen year old Luca has the charm, a gift he inherited from his mum. Charmers can control minds, but they abide by a code—to only use the power for good, and only with the person’s permission. Luca knows breaking the code is wrong, and his mum would kill him if he tried!
But when a rogue charmer uses the power for criminal means, the Restorative government jumps in. Luca’s mum is imprisoned and the Register for Charmers is announced. The media creates a frenzy of fear and suspicion against charmers.
Believing the family is in peril, and wishing to keep Luca’s gift a secret, Luca’s dad takes them to stay with a friend in the country. Here, Luca meets Fee, a computer genius who can hack into anything. Fee introduces Luca to an underground rebellion group of internet hackers who have their own issues with the Restoratives and their own way of protesting.
Fearful of how the Restoratives are treating his mum in prison and concerned about their motives for creating the Register of Charmers, Luca must make an impossible choice—break the rules and use his gift or stand by and watch as the power is abused.
Sunflowers and Stories 