Angela James author has updated her author profile photograph

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Angela James author is participating in the Frome Small Publishers’ Fair on Saturday 6th July 2019. For more details visit http://fromesmallpublishersfair.co.uk/

 

Angela James author will be at Winchester Writers’ Festival on 14th and 15th June 2019 to hear motivational speakers, take part in courses, and meet with a wide range of authors. To see the programme of events for 14/15/16 June, and to book your place for a great literary weekend, visit http://writersfestival.co.uk/

 

Angela James author is participating in the Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival on 27th April 2019. Come along and meet her in the Children’s Section from 12.00pm onwards. The festival is a fabulous chance to meet authors, children’s authors, hear poets and try out a few workshops.

Visit  https://hulitfest.com/ for more details on this amazing day.

 

Angela James author – THE MISTS OF THE SILVER CIRCLE – Book 3 in THE AMSHIR LEGACY

I am so pleased that my trilogy of The Amshir Legacy is now complete. It has been an amazing writing journey, and an experience I shall never forget. My characters feel like family and friends, and I have a bittersweet feeling because these magical adventures are concluded. But, I won’t say goodbye to my characters – instead, I’ll open one of my books and step once more into their world of magic, fantasy and adventure, and re-live the exciting times I had in bringing their stories into the world!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Angela James author – THE THEFT OF THE BLACK DIAMOND – Book 2 in The Amshir Legacy

Moments like these are wonderful!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Angela James author at St. Bartholomew’s School, Royal Wootton Bassett – World Book Day 

It was a wonderful visit and the memories that will stay with me are:

The weather – it snowed heavily and travelling to the school was quite daunting!

The children in their fancy dress costumes to celebrate world book day – they looked amazing!

The dragon food being shared around the hall with some children requesting if they could have some more and some who didn’t like it at all – it meant there was more left over for the dragons!

And finally, the memory of seeing for myself what a kind and caring school I was visiting. The teachers and staff do an excellent job of trying to bring out the best in each child and make them feel that they belong to large family, not just a school. It was a privilege to be a small part of their school day and I thank Kim Jones for suggesting I visit the school, and Natasha Eldridge for making it possible. I would love to return again in the future. Thank you!

 

Angela James author at Broad Town School – World Book Day

What a wonderful day at Broad Town School to celebrate World Book Day!

On the day, I offered a very special prize draw. All the names for classes 2 and 3 were put into my magician’s hat. Whoever was first one to have their name pulled out of the hat would have a short story written about them.  It was an exciting prize to offer, and I hope the winner enjoys something that is unique to them.

The school visit was fabulous and THANK YOU for making me so welcome!

 

Angela James author at Broad Hinton School

What a delightful author visit to Broad Hinton Primary School for a Creative Writing day. Four different sessions for Key Stages 1 & 2 were organised. Reception and Year 1 did a splendid job in helping to find the missing rhyme words to my Bit The Bat poem, and my poem on Superheroes; Years 1 & 2 made excellent Superhero profile posters; Years 3 & 4 began creating their own stories from the Story Openers they selected at random. Years 5 & 6 chose their own working Story Titles from a mixed media table – choosing a title was the easy part, the difficult part was in creating their own short story from their title, but they rose to the challenge and produced some fantastic work. Well done to all the pupils and thank you for making my visit so enjoyable. Donut the dragon loved you all!

 

Angela James author – Avebury Solstice and the Hiroshima Peace Flame

Peaceful, moving and beautiful! The Hiroshima Peace Flame came to Avebury in 2015. It was an honour to participate. Even more so, when my handmade fairy creation called Ember, sat with the Peace Flame during the three days and nights of the event. She became known as The Spirit of the Flame.

 

 

 

 

 

Angela James author in France

 

I’ve not long returned from a stunning holiday in the Lot and Dordogne. I also took along Moonshadow, my fairy creation. Before my holiday, I was busy making some friends for Moonshadow, called Willow, Peony, Viola and Pearl. I created Moonshadow because she is a character in the 3rd book of The Amshir Legacy. However, she has decided that she would like her own story, so I am currently working on that as well. It will be for younger readers, ideal for ages 6-8 years.

Why did I take a fairy on holiday? The photograph above was taken at La Roque-Gageac. This place was the inspiration for Feyngrey, the market town in The Golden Moonbeam and The Theft Of The Black Diamond. I had only seen a photograph with the chateau in the background, so I was really excited about visiting this beautiful place for real. It’s just breath-taking. Also, because Moonshadow is a fairy, she’s small enough to fit into a handbag and made a perfect travelling companion.

 

Angela James author – Fairies have arrived!

In addition to working on the final book in The Amshir Legacy I have also been designing and creating Fairies. I am pleased to introduce you to Moonshadow, a new character in the next book. However, there is a problem – I’ve discovered the magic of creating fairies is rather addictive; I really must get back to writing the next book, but the power and magic of the fairies is very strong, how will I resist? To see the full image of this gorgeous fairy, just click on the picture. She is sitting on my bookshelf, just above my computer where I write. Talk about make her presence known!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Angela James author at Avebury Solstice Craft Fair 

The weather for this year’s Solstice was perfect. With three days of exhibiting in St. James’ Church at Avebury, it was the ideal opportunity to meet people from all over the world. It was a very successful event and lovely to meet up with familiar faces from last year as well as making new friends and meeting new visitors. Many thanks to Maria for organising the event and here’s looking forward to next year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Angela James author at Longleaze Primary School

I was invited to visit Longleaze Primary School in May to talk about my books, The Golden Moonbeam and The Theft Of The Black Diamond. We discussed some of the features in the novels. It was great fun talking about what life would be like having a family dragon as a pet and all the things we would have to think about, such as, what would they eat, where would they sleep, what kind of things could you do with them or what would your mum and dad say when you took a pet dragon home? There was also a tasting session of Aunt Foggerty’s famous Peppermint and Parsley Patties, the dragons favourite food that gives them emerald-green flames as well as a 3D paper dragon making session. Thank you to all the children for making it such a fun-filled visit and also to the staff for looking after me. I hope you enjoy reading the books!

 

Angela James author at Malmesbury Library

 

This workshop of creating stories within a matchbox took place at Malmesbury Library during the February half-term. It was a splendid turn out of children who thoroughly enjoyed creating and decorating their own fictional stories. My thanks to the library staff for their contribution in helping with the ‘glue’ bits and special thanks to Carolyn Kennedy for making me so welcome at another Wiltshire Library.

 

 

Angela James author and The Theft Of The Black Diamond

 

Seeing this felt amazing – to have The Theft Of The Black Diamond, my second book title, in Amazon’s top 100 bestsellers in Swords and Sorcery within the same month that my first title The Golden Moonbeam also reached the top 100. Thank you to everyone for your continued support.

 

 

 

 

 

Angela James author and The Golden Moonbeam

I had a lovely surprise on seeing my first title in ‘The Amshir Legacy’ – ‘The Golden Moonbeam’ reach #30 in Amazon’s top 100 Best Sellers in Swords and Sorcery. Thank you so much to those readers who have supported and helped me during the writing process – it’s truly appreciated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Angela James author – article in The Western Daily Press

I’m pleased to share an article I wrote for the Western Daily Press that was published in their weekend colour supplement. I addressed a question I am frequently asked on ‘How can I encourage my children to read’. The magazine is also full of other interesting ‘good read’ items and I hope you enjoy the variety and quality of each one. My article includes a little brief on my first two titles ‘The Golden Moonbeam’ and ‘The Theft Of The Black Diamond’ and can be found on page 20 of the magazine.

http://issuu.com/localworld-wdp/docs/westcountrylife-wdp-14dec13

 

This photograph shows the children who participated in my Matchbox Minis Creative Writing Workshop at Royal Wootton Bassett Library. The standard of work was exceptional and it was a pleasure to see the final decorated boxes and imaginative magical stories inside. Well done to all! My thanks to Carolyn Kennedy at the library for hosting the event.

 

I’m delighted to post a link to Helen Neale’s blog at Kiddycharts about her recent interview with me on ‘Why is reading so important?’ – She asked me some really great questions! I hope you find it an enjoyable and helpful read…

http://www.kiddycharts.com/activities/angela-james-reading-advice/

This very interesting article from the BBC and comments from the National Literacy Trust has made me even more determined to inspire children to read and write…

 

Angela James author visits BBC Wiltshire Radio 

 

Angela James author’s Ten Tips For Encouraging Children To Read

My thanks to Beingamummy for not only giving The Theft Of The Black Diamond a very helpful review, but also for posting my Ten Tips For Encouraging Children To Read to their blog website.

http://www.beingamummy.co.uk/2013/11/encouraging-children-to-read-by-author.html

I hope you enjoy the article and find some ideas useful.

 

 

Angela James author’s 5 Time Saving Tips To Keep Children Reading At Home For Pleasure

I’m delighted that Friendly Working Family have posted my article onto their informative and helpful website –

http://www.familyfriendlyworking.co.uk/2013/11/15/five-tips-for-busy-parents-to-encourage-children-to-read-and-write-for-pleasure-at-home/

 

 

Angela James author’s tips for boosting children’s reading

I’m very pleased that my tips for boosting children’s literacy are posted on this great blog for working mums

http://www.workingmums.co.uk/working-mums-magazine/blog/guest-blogger/7479157/how-to-boost-your-childand39s-literacy-while-working-from-home.thtml

 

Angela James author and her new book The Theft Of The Black Diamond

 

I was so excited about my first book title The Golden Moonbeam when it was released, but now that my second title in The Amshir Legacy series is now released, I’m just as excited as the first time around!

 

 

 

 

 

Angela James author at Swindon 105.5fm – and what happened to Liz?

 

I had a great visit to Swindon 105.5fm with Liz Brackenbury and Shirley Ludford. But talk about set me some challenges – could I make a 3D paper dragon in one minute? YES! Could I write a poem starting out with the words to the song Shirley was about to play on air ‘Boogie, oogie, oogie’ within the four minutes the song would play for? Okay, so my poem was short and funny, but it wasn’t bad for achieving my goal in one minute not four – so another YES! My challenge to Swindon 105.5fm was to see if Liz Brackenbury would eat Aunt Foggerty’s famous peppermint and parsley patties so we could find out if she was a dragon in disguise. See the ‘after’ photograph below and I’ll let you make your own mind up… In the meantime, many many thanks to Liz and Shirley for such a fun session.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Angela James author at Liden Primary School

I visited Liden Primary School for a mini-careers session. The interesting thing about situations like this is that you’re never quite sure what will you be asked – having said that, there were some brilliant questions. The one I had to think about most was, ‘If you weren’t a writer, and you had to choose another career, what would you be?’ It put me on the spot, but it really made me think. I finally decided that if I really had to choose to be something else, then I would be a botanist. So if I ever decide to have a career change, at least now I know what I will do! Thank you Liden Primary for inviting me in – it was an enjoyable and educating experience!

 

Angela James author at Broad Town Pre-school

 

I visited Broad Town pre-school on  to read a story linked in to their theme of holidays – ready for their summer holiday break. It was such fun to watch them packing and unpacking a suitcase of clothes or clamber in and out of the pop-up tent provided by the staff. It was  a delight being in this excellent pre-school and watching how the children were learning through role-play and many thanks go to Jenni White for inviting me along.

 

 

Angela James author at the UNESCO Heritage Site Avebury Summer Solstice Exhibition

Three days of exhibiting at St James’ Church, Avebury, Wiltshire, was the longest event I have participated in so far. What was really thrilling was to find that on Summer Solstice night, there was the most beautiful moon that was almost, but not quite a full moon. How exciting for me to see the moon very much as I had imagined it would be on the Summer Solstice in The Golden Moonbeam! Thank you to Maria, our local vicar, for inviting me to participate, and all the other members of the team who made all this possible. It was a huge success and many people have asked if I will return next year. All I can say is ‘I hope I’m invited back!’

 

Angela James author in Mums The Word  Magazine

I am delighted to share details of a brilliant mums’ writing group in Swindon called Mums The Word (MTWord). It is run by mums for mums and they have now produced their second magazine. In the current issue I was invited to contribute an article called ‘Tea-break Chat with Angela James’. The printed magazine is of excellent quality and the mums of the group have gone one step further and the e-magazine can be found on this link http://issuu.com/mtword/docs/mtw_mag_2013_web .

The writing group can also be found on Facebook www.facebook.com/groups/MumsTheWordSwindon

 

Angela James author meets P D James author

 

Crime writer, P D James came to the 20th Swindon Festival of Literature. This amazing and inspirational lady told the audience how from a child that she didn’t want to be a writer, but felt that she was a writer.  At the grand age of 92, this doyenne of crime fiction is still writing and is proof that you don’t have to retire at 65!

 

 

 

Angela James author is given a priceless gift for her treasure chest

 

How would I define treasure? For me it is something like this handmade booklet that was given to me by pupils of Lyneham Primary School after my visit on creative writing. I felt proud of their efforts and for taking the time and trouble to create something so special for me. Thank you all so much!

 

 

 

Angela James author breaks her creative writing sessions record at Lyneham Primary School

 

Six creative writing sessions in one school day! That’s my personal best! Thank you Lyneham Primary School for asking me to the school and helping me to stay on schedule for the ‘Magic Carpet Journey’. It was another wonderful experience and fantastic work. Well done to all the children!

 

 

Angela James author opens Lyneham Primary School’s Library

 

I was invited by Lyneham Primary School to open their newly refurbished library. The school, along with the children’s parents, had worked extremly hard to make a very comfortable and enticing area for children to go and read. They area now had a woodland theme and it’s just the place to choose a book and find a comfortable spot to embark on a literary journey! Perfect!

 

 

 

A reader’s review of The Golden Moonbeam

 

I am delighted to have been given permission by Claire to publish this lovely review written by Emily Eades-Scott. It is wonderful to know that Emily took the time and trouble to write her comments on my work and it is very much appreciated. Thank you so much Emily.

 

 

 

 

 

Angela James author at Broad Hinton C of E School

 

As part of their Book Week, Broad Hinton Primary School invited me to give five creative writing sessions for Key Stage 2 pupils. It was a pleasure to meet so many children in this charming village school and I would like to thank the Head Teacher, Mrs E Floyd, and Mrs Weston for taking care of me during my visit.

 

 

Angela James author meets Cornelia Funke

 

Even adults have dreams about meeting their favourite authors and meeting Cornelia Funke was one of mine! Cornelia was visiting Salisbury Cathedral in Wiltshire, to promote her new children’s book ‘Ghost Knight’, which is set in and around a local school and the cathedral.  I was fortunate to be able to attend the short creative writing session given by the author inside the beautiful cathedral.

 

 

 

 

Angela James author at The Big Up Words Book Fair, Andover

 

I attended the Big Up Words Book Fair being held at The Lights, near Andover College. Inside The Lights, it was a delight to find everything well organised.  I gave a Powerpoint presentation on ‘Bringing The Golden Moonbeam into the 3D World’. My thanks to you all!

 

 

Angela James author at Royal Wootton Bassett Library

My amazing day at Royal Wootton Bassett Library. Everyone was so friendly and helpful and the children were just brilliant! My thanks to all for making me feel very welcome and for the gift of flowers from the staff.

 

Angela James author at Swindon Waterstones

 

Thank you Waterstones, Swindon, for such a lovely visit and book signing. I met many people and we had great fun making 3D paper dragons and tasting Aunt Foggerty’s famous recipe for Peppermint and Parsley Patties!

 

 

 

 

Angela James author at Big Arts Day, Swindon

 

 

Congratulations to all the organisers for the Big Arts Day to ensure such a great event.

 

 

 

 

Angela James author visits Lainesmead School, Swindon

 

I was invited into this lovely school  to take Key Stage 2 Assembly and then three Creative Writing workshops tailored to three different age groups within Key Stage 2. It was great to be a part of something that fired up the children’s imagination within each workshop. It was such a pleasure to meet you all.

 

 

Angela James author and The Swindon Festival of Literature

The Family Day at Lower Shaw Farm was such an amazing day for me.The weather was sunny and warm, and so welcome after so much rain and I took the opportunity of taking this photograph – it is my favourite from this year’s festival!

 

 

 

 

Angela James author – telling stories to children

This is what makes it so worth while being an author – telling stories to children and having a great time. If this helps children to grow up with a love of books, then I believe they will have received a priceless gift!

 

 

 

Angela James author’s Radio Interview at Swindon 105.5fm

 

 

Me with Des Morgan and Dingle the dragon, taken just before the radio interview on Swindon 105.5fm.

 

 

 

 

Angela James author’s Golden Moonbeam Dragon

 

I am pleased to share a photograph of Dingle the dragon from the cover of my debut book called The Golden Moonbeam. This dragon was hand-crafted especially for me by my local pre-school and now goes with me to local events, window displays and book signings in his very own gold velvet lined travel basket!

 

 

Angela James author and The White Horse Bookshop Marlborough, Wiltshire

Me outside the White Horse Bookshop with the window display I created for The Golden Moonbeam for my first book signing event.