Henrietta Hedgekin – Launch Day

Henrietta Hedgekin flying over Gillyford.

The day is finally upon us. I am thrilled to be able to announce that The Adventures of Henrietta Hedgekin: Friendship will be available from April 28th, 2023.

I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am about this. It’s been my dream for so long, and to actually have it come to fruition is the best feeling in the world. It’s been a heck of a journey and I’ve learned so much along the way. There’s a lot more to publishing than just writing the story and getting it out there. There’s a lot of work that follows; from marketing to organising events. It’s amazing to think that every book you see on the shelf has gone through this process.

These days there is a lot of onus on social media and self-promotion. And I admit there have been times I’ve found myself muttering “Richard Scarry and Enid Blyton didn’t have to deal with this crap”. But it’s all worth it. You need to be adaptable to be in this game.

Speaking of events, I have a couple coming up. I will be hosting The Road to Gillyford on June 8th at Guille-Alles Library. Space is limited so if you want to attend in person, I have tickets available on Eventbrite.

For anyone who can’t get there in person, I will also be streaming it live on my FB page. It’s set for 7pm BST. I have it as a separate event to make things a bit easier. If you wish to attend from the comfort of home, got to The Road to Gillyford – Live event and select Going.

The Adventures of Henrietta Hedgekin will be available to buy from Amazon, Waterstones and all good book retailers. As well as direct from my publisher: Austin Macauley

I want to thank everyone who has supported me all these years and especially the last 2 years in making my dream a reality. I couldn’t have done this without you.

And before I forget. There are going to be some new additions to this website coming very soon so stay tuned!

Henrietta Hedgekin – The Countdown Begins

antique sand timer surrounded by antigue clocks counting down
Photo by Jordan Benton on Pexels.com

This is it folks! The countdown to launch has begun.

I have been notified by my publisher that The Adventures of Henrietta Hedgekin: Friendship is due this March.

I am beyond excited. As anyone who has had to put up with me for the past few months will tell you. I want to thank everyone who has helped make this possible. All of you have kept me going when I wanted to give up.

This is going to be the first of many adventures for Henrietta. The second book, Goblin in the Garden, is already written, and book three isn’t too far behind. Henrietta’s fourth adventure is starting to take shape as well. All of these will introduce us to new and exciting characters. We may even learn a few things along the way.

Thank you for joining me on this amazing journey. Stay tuned for updates and events as I get them.

Dreams Can Come True

This post is going to be a little different from the norm. Today I have some fantastic news to share. I’ve been writing for around 30 years now and my dream has always to become a published author. I’m absolutely buzzing to announce that a few weeks ago that dream finally came true: Henrietta Hedgekin is going to be published.

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

A few months ago I submitted the manuscript for the first Henrietta book to Austin MaCauley Publishing. A week ago I received an acceptance and signed with them. I cannot begin to describe the absolute joy I’m feeling. It shows that you should never give up on your dreams. Don’t let anyone tell you what you can’t do or that your dreams are stupid. I remember my last year at school (vaguely, I’m getting old). It was near the very end in one of the PSHE classes. The teacher had us think about what we would like to see ourselves doing in the next five years. Of course I said “Having my first book published”. There were snickers and laughter. I mean what 16 year old says that, right?

Well I didn’t let that laughter stop me. Okay it may have taken slightly more than five years but it’s been a hell of a journey. It may be cliche but that journey is just as important as the destination. I want to say a big thank you to all those who have supported me over the years. Who have believed in me when the imposter syndrome is kicking my ass. And of course all those I’ve subjected to numerous awful drafts.

So don’t give up. Keep reaching towards that goal. Even if the road seems to be taking you in a different direction, you’ll get there and we will raise a glass together.

Henrietta Book 1 – Free Download

Henrietta has come to say hello and offer her services to keep you and your kids entertained during this very strange time.

Pop on over to the Henrietta page where you can download the first book absolutely free. There also some ideas for some fun activities for you to do once you’ve read the first of her adventures.

Why not send in your kids drawings and fun ideas and get them featured on the Writers Stall facebook page? You can send them by messaging me on the FB page or by emailing to jbangellwriter at gmail.com

Happy reading, my friends.