Out now: Laurella Swift and the Ocean of Mystery
I’m delighted to announce that my new chapter book: Laurella Swift and the Ocean of Mystery is now on sale worldwide.
This is the third book in my Laurella Swift adventure series. This time, a delicate china pot transports the 10-year-old London schoolgirl onto an ocean liner bound for Batavia in 1930, where she befriends 7-year-old passenger Elsie and Bintang, the ship’s Bell Boy.
Laurella is determined to unravel the mystery surrounding a surly, solitary traveller – who the children nickname: The Bluebottle. But when Laurella and her friends delve deeper, she makes a horrifying discovery.
Buy my new chapter book: Laurella Swift and the Ocean of Mystery
Laurella Swift and the Ocean of Mystery is now available in paperback and eBook formats from outlets including:
Look out for copies in your local libraries and bookshops too.
Why I wrote Laurella Swift and the Ocean of Mystery
As some of you may know, Laurella Swift is very special to me because she is based on my daughters when they were younger.
She popped into my head one day several years ago after a conversation about favourite book characters. My daughters were complaining about the lack of leading characters that looked like them – especially in chapter books – so I started to build stories around her.
Each story develops in the same way. Items I’ve bought from charity shops help me to imagine where Laurella goes and when. I start by researching the origins of each object, for example, where they came from and the history associated with that area of the world, and gradually a story unfolds.
In my first book: Laurella Swift and the Keys of Time threads from a charity shop rug transport the 10-year-old back to the heart of ancient Persia, where she befriends Artafarnah and his mischievous pet lion cub, Zareen. Artafarnah is the son of Pantea, one of Persia’s greatest female warriors, but when the boy falls into the clutches of a murderous enemy, only Laurella can save him.
In the second book: Laurella Swift and the Voyage of Discovery beads in a paua shell necklace transport Laurella to New Zealand in 1769, where she meets Nick, Captain Cook’s science-mad cabin boy, and Atarangi, an equally inquisitive Māori girl with an impish sense of humour. The children have a shared fascination with the natural world, but when nature turns against them, Laurella must battle to save her friends before facing her own fight for survival.
And in my new book: Laurella Swift and the Ocean of Mystery it’s a delicate china pot that sends Laurella hurtling headlong into her third adventure back in time.
Write a review
I’d love to know what you think of my stories, so why not write a review. You can find links to several online review sites in my blog: Write a review and share your love of reading. Thank you!