Young Joseph books bounce into bookshops

Today I’m bouncing with happiness because the first three books in the Young Joseph series of picturebooks are being released in bookshops around the world.

It is always a very strange thing to see the character and story that just started as a little daydream take flesh and flourish. Many thanks to the fantabulous Andy Catling who turned my crazy ideas into pictures – and added some more craziness of his own! Thanks too to the wonderful team at SPCK, including our splendid editor, Tracey Messenger.

Between the three of us, we’ve had some good laughs. We hope that you will too when you read these books with the children in your life. But beyond that, that you’ll have a little glimpse of the deeper meaning of the stories.

To order your books, click here or on each of the covers in the right-hand side book column.

Joseph and the Rainbow Robe

The first in a delightful series of illustrated picture books on the life of Joseph for 3-6 year-olds.
In the first book of the Young Joseph series, we find Joseph living in Canaan with his dad, stepmothers, eleven brothers – and lots of scene-stealing cows! Joseph is his father’s favourite, which makes his brothers very cross, especially when he tells them about the dream he has had in which the sun, moon and eleven stars bow down to him. To cheer him up, Joseph’s dad gives him a beautiful coat of many colours – a ‘rainbow robe’ to remind him that God loves everyone – even his brothers.

Joseph and the Jealous Brothers

The second title in the Young Joseph series.
Joseph’s brothers grow more and more jealous of their favoured brother. They come up with a cunning plan to take Joseph down a peg or two by throwing him in a well to give him a fright. Eventually they sell him to passing slave traders but that’s not the end of his story!

Joseph and the Lying Lady

The third book in the Young Joseph series.
Joseph finds himself in Egypt and is sold to a very important man called Mr Potiphar. Mr Potiphar is very busy and his servants are very lazy – as a result his house is a mess! With the help of his ever-helpful cow companions, Joseph soon takes charge and has things spick-and-span in no time. There’s only one problem – and that is Mrs Potiphar, who is jealous of Joseph. What scrapes will Joseph get into next?

20/08/2016 0

The Kill Fee available to pre-order

If you loved reading about Poppy and her friends in The Jazz Files you will be delighted that book 2 in the series, The Kill Fee, is now available for pre-order. It will be published in September (UK) and November (USA).

“Do you know who that is, Poppy?” asked Delilah
“I do indeed.”
“So what does it feel like to be in the arms of an assassin?”

Poppy Denby’s star is on the rise. Now the Arts and Entertainment Editor at The Daily Globe, she covers a glamorous exhibition of Russian Art at the Crystal Palace. During the exhibition a shot rings out, leaving an injured guard and an empty pedestal in the place of the largest Fabergé Egg in the collection. The egg itself is valuable, but more so are the secrets contained within – secrets that could destroy the royal families of Europe.

Suspects are aplenty and Poppy, her editor Rollo, and the other staff of the Globe are delighted to be once again in the middle of a sensational story. When they are offered a ‘kill fee’ to drop the story, they know they are onto something explosive. But soon the investigation takes a dark turn when someone connected to the exhibition is murdered and an employee of the newspaper becomes a suspect. The race is on to find the egg before the killer strikes again…

Pre-order your copy here!

15/07/2016 0

The Peace Garden and the Soweto Riots 40 years on

Today is the 40th anniversary of the Soweto Uprising – 16 June 1976. That infamous point in history, when black school children demonstrated for the right to be taught in English, forms an integral part of my literary thriller The Peace Garden, about a young English girl who befriends a South African political exile. If you would like a ‘novel’ take on how that day 40 years ago impacted one family for three generations, this is the story for you. Click here to get the book The Peace Garden

Hector_pieterson — Hector Pieterson being carried by Mbuyisa Makhubo. His sister, Antoinette Sithole, runs beside them.

16/06/2016 0

Inspiring Women – Fruit and Holiness

I know it’s already more than half-way through May, but I forgot to post this at the beginning of the month! Writing pal Claire Musters and I have contributed daily readings to the May/June Inspiring Women Everyday devotional booklet, published by CWR. Claire explores the theme of holiness in May and in June, I share ideas about how to apply the fruit of the Spirit to our daily lives.

You can buy the booklet in ebook or print here Inspiring Women Everyday

20/05/2016 4

The Peace Garden

In all of the buzz around the autumn release of The Jazz Files I almost missed this lovely review of my ‘first child’ The Peace Garden. It’s a romantic thriller cum coming-of-age novel set against the backdrop of Apartheid. Although it came out in 2011 people are still buying and reading it. It’s a special book to me as – although it’s not autobiographical – it contains so much of my feelings about living in South Africa, and England. Thank you Belinda for a thoughtful review. The reviewer, Belinda Chaplin, is a South African living in Bosnia so knows a bit about being a ‘stranger in a foreign land’. Read The Peace Garden review here.

17/12/2015 0

The Jazz Files is launched!

Well it’s finally happened. The first book in my 1920s mystery series, Poppy Denby Investigates, has hit the shelves. If you’re in the Newcastle upon Tyne area on Friday the 25th at 7pm, do drop by Waterstones near the Monument for the official launch party. There will be live jazz, a free glass of bubbly and 1920s costume! Oh, and a chance to hear me read a chapter from the book. If you are in the UK, but not in the area, books are now available to order through your local bookshop or from various online retailers.

In Australia you can order through Booktopia

In New Zealand from Fishpond

In South Africa you can pre-order the paperback from Takealot.com or get the e-book today from Amazon.co.uk (at least I hope you can. If not, you will have to wait until it becomes available in the USA – see below).

In USA – I’m so sorry my darlings, but it is only being released in the USA on 28 November! However, if you really can’t wait – and who would blame you if you couldn’t? – you can order from the UK Amazon site and have it shipped over. It’ll get there long before the 28 November! Amazon.co.uk

If you would like to read more about Poppy Denby and her world, please visit www.poppydenby.com