* In 2013 One Woman’s War won the non-fiction 2012/2013 award at the People’s Book Prize.
* In 2016 and 2023 Candy Jar was shortlisted for The Cardiff Life Awards. This ceremony celebrates the best business in Cardiff, applauding what they have achieved in the past year and encouraging them to go further in the years to come, and we’ve been lucky enough to be nominated in the Creative Business category.
* In May 2016, The Search for Mister Lloyd by Griff Rowland was chosen as the winner of the Tir na n-Og English-language Award. This award is sponsored by CILIP Cymru/Wales (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals), and celebrates the best of fiction with a strong Welsh influence and background.
* David the Pizzly Bear, one of our Jelly Bean books, has been awarded a red ribbon in the Wishing Shelf Awards 2022. Well done, Molly Arbuthnott and Camilla Seddon.
* The Animal Says… has been shortlisted in the Wishing Shelf Awards 2023.
* Helyn Latimer, who published Bully Goat Griff with our sister imprint Jelly Bean Books, has been awarded “Welsh Author of the Year 2022” at Smart Education Wales.
*Jelly Bean Self-Publishing is delighted to have been awarded Self-Publishing Company of the Year at the 2020 Welsh Enterprise awards. The Welsh Enterprise awards recognise the contribution of small to medium sized businesses to the Welsh economy.
A big part of this huge success is down to our authors, readers, artists and friends. Every book sold, every review posted, every like, share and retweet on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and everything else goes a long way to spreading the Candy Jar word. So, thanks everybody!
Jelly Bean is pleased to announce Old Clothes and Porridge by author Maureen Mullally-Clarke. This wonderful memoir looks back at a bygone age, particularly focusing on the 1930s and ‘40s.
Brought up by her grandmother in Glasgow, Maureen and her little sister Oonagh only saw their parents at eighteen month intervals. Old Clothes and Porridge tells the story of a childhood spent against the backdrop of the Depression, the launch of the Queen Mary, the Jarrow march, the abdication of King Edward VIII, the coronation of George VI, WW2 and the VE Day celebrations. Maureen says: “I wrote this book for my grandchildren. I’ve always told them about my childhood, and they have often said, “Why don’t you write it all down?”, so that’s exactly what I did.”
Candy Jar Publishing Co-ordinator, Keren Williams, says: “It is important to document our lives and the lives of our families, otherwise this information becomes lost. Old Clothes and Porridge is a personal memoir that the world will enjoy, and I’m certain Maureen’s family will treasure. More people should be encouraged to write about their lives, even if it is just for their family.”
Maureen agrees and would encourage others to write down their life stories. She continues: “Yes, I would and in fact I do. I know one woman who used to be a war correspondent and one man who had a brilliant military career. People have fascinating lives and they should be documented.”
One of Candy Jar’s most popular titles is Eileen Younghusband’s One Woman’s War, which offers a vivid insight into the life of a young woman facing the grim reality of war. Shaun Russell, Head of Publishing, says: “Old Clothes and Porridge reminds me so much of One Woman’s War. As soon as I read it, I knew Maureen’s story would touch hearts across the generations. This book is attention grabbing, well-written and also extremely funny. At this time of uncertainty this book is a joyous reminder how wonderful it is to be human. ”
After being advised by her best friend’s granddaughter of the benefits of being in control of the publishing process, Maureen decided to go with Jelly Bean. Maureen says: “It was great to receive an email from Shaun on 19th January and the books arrived on 19th March! And when you hold that book in your hands it’s like having a new baby.”
Overwhelmed by the support of her family and friends, Maureen is really delighted with the end product. She concludes: “I would like to send my gratitude to everyone who has read my book and for the lovely things they have been saying about it. I am so pleased that it now available on Amazon.”
Old Clothes and Porridge is now available worldwide through Amazon. To order the book visit: https://tinyurl.com/ycybtlg3
Jelly Bean is pleased to announce its fifteenth ‘Book of the Month’, Messy Dad at Christmas by Gemma Greening and illustrated by Matthew Prewett. This slightly anarchical book is a must for lovers of all things festive.
Messy Dad at Christmas is the third Messy Dad book, following Messy Dad at the Beach, and the singularly titled Messy Dad.
Gemma is adamant that the Messy Dad series is not based on her partner, although she does admit that sometimes it does veer close to the truth. She says: “Messy Dad started in the summer of 2019, when funny poems that I had written in my partner’s birthday cards were read aloud at a friend’s barbeque. I was pleasantly surprised when my friends and children were laughing and asking for more. A neighbour was listening to these funny poems from his garden, poked his head up from the fence and said, ‘I can draw, and would love to draw some pictures of Messy Dad’. The rest is history!”
Gemma went on to release Messy Dad to critical and financial success. She continues: “I really should be a sales person. I can’t believe how many books I have sold. People really seem to enjoy my stories and, in particular, the character of Messy Dad. I think everybody knows someone like him. He might not necessarily be a dad; he maybe someone’s brother, uncle, grandfather, but the idleness combined with a heart of gold seems to resonate with my readers.”
With the holiday season fast approaching, Gemma is excited that Santa will not be the only bearded man that children will look forward to. Head of Publishing at Candy Jar Books, Shaun Russell, is also thrilled to see the third book released. He says: “I knew straight away that Gemma would be a fantastic advocate for Messy Dad. Her book really touched a nerve, and I’m not surprised that so many people loved the characters and situations. Her insightful humour plays well with children and adults alike. No wonder it was so popular! So when she delivered the sequel Messy Dad at the Beach I read it with some trepidation, but, of course, once again it was excellent. And thankfully Messy Dad at Christmas also delivers the goods, or perhaps I should say presents?”
2020 has been a difficult year and Messy Dad at Christmas serves up a welcome dose of laughter and pathos. Gemma concludes: “Christmas is definitely my favourite holiday and I just had to write a book on our family fun. But, as much as I love Christmas, I always feel stressed and worry about everything that needs to be done. However, last year I put my foot down and wrote Messy Dad instead.”
Will Messy Dad save the holidays? That’s for you to find out! One thing for certain, the book will certainly make you laugh (and groan) as our hero attempts to save Christmas!
Messy Dad at Christmas cost £7.99 (+ p&p) and can be ordered here.
Jelly Bean is pleased to announce their new feature entitled ‘Book of the Month’, which aims to showcase new talent on a monthly basis. We will be publishing several categories. The first is children’s 7-12.
Kickstarting ‘Book of the Month’ is Rory and Harlow’s Time Travelling Taxi by Rob Willsher. In his children’s book two dogs, Rory and Harlow, find a magical Taxi which transports them back in time and into a historical adventure of a lifetime.
In a recent interview, Rob explains how the idea for Rory and Harlow’s Time Travelling Taxi was, in fact, more of a collaboration. He explained: “Many years ago I was a London cab driver. At the time we had some rescue dogs and on a few occasions I took one of the dogs, Toto, to work with me in the front of the taxi. That’s when my wife Fiona came up with the idea of us doing a book about a dog that travels to historical places in London, or even all around the world!”
The book’s target audience is four to eight and adheres to the National Curriculum for this age group. In the book, Rory and Harlow travel back in time and meet Alfred the Great, who defeated the Danes by sending messages to his officers, thus highlighting the importance of being able to read and write.
Rob states: “One of the greatest skills in life is the ability to read. Even if all you are reading is a tin of beans, it can take you so far in life. I hope I’m helping to encourage a new generation of readers.”
Rob is currently working on the second book in the series entitled The Woman with the Long Red Hair, which focuses on Boadicea, who was bullied by the Romans over how much land she was entitled to after her husband’s death, and is a topic that children can relate to.
Rob continues: “They are books that you can read to your child, or that your child can read to themselves. I gave Rory and Harlow’s Time Travelling Taxi to a twelve to thirteen year old to read and he couldn’t put it down, saying it was nice and easy to read, especially with the pictures. Even adults have said they’ve learned something from the book!”
Head of Publishing at sister company Candy Jar Books, Shaun Russell, says: “This book has a lot of potential and I can see lots of children and parents really taking an interest. The text is a mixture of fact and fiction and, paired with beautiful illustrations by artist Patrick Coombes, it is perfect for those who are just getting into reading. Once the Candy Jar schedule has cleared up, we are hoping to bring this book out as one of our own.”
With the promise of becoming a Candy Jar publication in the near future Rory and Harlow’s Time Travelling Taxi is sure to be a hit. Both entertaining and educational, the book will make a great addition to any bookshelf and is sure to give young eyes a workout!
For now Rory and Harlow’s Time Travelling Taxi can be bought and enjoyed straight from the author. To order the book visit https://roryandharlows.co.uk/
Until further notice, Jelly Bean has relocated to a number of different properties across the Cardiff area!
I know I speak for all of us – Will, Keren, Andy and myself – when I say that I sincerely hope you are safe and well in these difficult and uncertain times.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve all heard a lot of ideas about how best to keep ourselves occupied in the months to come: whether online classes, box sets – even Joe Wicks workout videos on YouTube!
Of course, you may have your own ideas: maybe working through that to-read pile , putting the final touches on a new manuscript, or starting something else creative.
Sadly, we know that the next three months are not to be ones of leisure. Every one of us will have our own difficulties to face: from setting up a workplace from our bedrooms, providing for vulnerable friends and family, or simply keeping ourselves healthy in body and mind during our suddenly constricted day to day lives.
And of course, the greatest pressures will fall on those of you who are key workers, to whom we can only extend our gratitude and admiration.
To say a big thank you to our clients and customers we will be giving free books away on Kindle every Friday until isolation is over. The first freebie is the Lucy Wilson book, Avatars of the Intelligence (available from 9am Friday morning).
We are also creating a Jelly Bean ‘Book of the Month/Week’ page on our Candy Jar website. If you like your book to be considered for this please get in touch. We will be sending this information out on Twitter, Facebook and via our subscriber list.
On the flipside, if you have any work you need doing such as editing, proofreading, website design, audiobooks or illustration work please do get in touch. If not, please pass this email on to your friends.
We are just a phone call away, and would love to discuss any new projects you may have, with no commitment on your behalf. Although for the foreseeable future, individually we are all holed away in our respective homes, we offer the same personal service as ever. In short, everything to take your work from draft to print and into the hands of readers.
The wheels keep on turning, albeit through a strange new landscape, and soon, I am sure, we will return to familiar ground.
From all of us here at Jelly Bean, stay safe.
Shaun Russell Head of Publishing Jelly Bean / Candy Jar Books
Mary Edith Pechey and Marie Curie were two of the most influential women of their times. Marie Curie conducted significant research on radioactivity as well as being the only person to win a Nobel prize in two different sciences. Edith Pechey was one of the first female doctors in the United Kingdom and a promoter of women’s rights. Both women were contrapuntal to the development of the human race, but what would happen if their lives were thrown off track?
Paul Robinson takes a small hiatus
from his Charlie Holmes series to write Time Split, a new novel
following the adventures of Jenny Johnson. Jenny finds herself launched into
the bodies of two teenage girls in the past. She must ensure that they are set
back onto the correct paths to secure their future influences, and the success
of humanity!
Inspired by a writing
exercise, Paul created Time Split after receiving the prompt “One day
she woke up…”. He combined this with his expansive knowledge of famous women
throughout history -– of which he has a list -– in order to raise more awareness
of their achievements.
Paul explains: “I am a strong believer in
writing about important female characters. I want to readdress the balance
between the genders while teaching younger girls about amazing, influential
women.”
Having taught young people
for the past 40 years, including working with those hard of hearing, Paul’s
main aspiration is to develop new role models in order to inspire his students.
He aims to create more relatable and exceptional characters; Charlie Holmes is
based on one of his deaf students, Charlotte.
Time Split encapsulates
adolescence in a realistic way, with a generous serving
of miscommunication, humour, love and heartbreak.
Jelly Bean Self Publishing’s London-based author Molly Arbuthnott has been nominated as a finalist for the 2018 People’s Book Prize for her heart-warming children’s book Oscar the Ferry Cat.
Inspired by Molly Arbuthnott’s own family cat going missing back in 2014, who, curiously, managed to open the family car’s window by stepping on the controls before the lock took full effect. The family returned to their car in Oban to find paw prints on the bonnet, but no cat.
The story immortalises the author’s beloved cat, who was sadly never found. The pages follow his experiences as he navigates coming to terms with loss and forging new friendships with different creatures and learning to cope with the new environments he unexpectedly finds himself in.
Molly Arbuthnott is one of Jelly Bean’s biggest successes, with Molly selling books to school’s around the country, children falling in love with Oscar’s loveable character and relatable story.
Beautifully illustrated by Agnes Treherne, a Sussex based illustrator who studied Fine Art at the University of Edinburgh, this book appeals to children aged 5 – 8 years as it explores Oscar searching for his new home.
A primary school teacher from London, on discovering her position as a finalist, Molly stated: ‘They say if you find a job you love you will not do a day’s work in your life. Every day for the last 6 months has felt like a holiday! It has been very humbling to witness the warm reception Oscar has received. I hope he will continue to touch the hearts of children – he’s against stiff competition but where there’s a will (and a cat!) there’s a way!’
Molly has always loved writing and is thrilled to have been nominated as a finalist for Oscar the Ferry Cat. The People’s Book Prize is the only national literature award decided upon entirely by the general public – therefore carries the additional credibility of being selected by the book’s own readers. Being a country wide competition, Oscar the Ferry Cat faced off stiff competition with hundreds of book being nominated by their publishers.
The People’s Book Prize winner will be announced in May 2019 at the Stationers Hall in London, with patron of the foundation Frederick Forsyth CBE presenting the awards.
From all of us here at Jelly Bean Self Publishing – we wish Molly (and Oscar) the best of luck and are so lucky to be able to bring Oscar’s story to children everywhere.
Since the London Marathon started in 1981, thousands of competitors have taken part. Going for a run is as much about your mind forcing your body out the door as it is about physical fitness. Overcoming these psychological barriers can make a difference between finishing the event or not.
Philippa Cates is no stranger to the mental and physical challenges of running, and has written a book about this wonderfully exhausting pastime. The Marathon celebrates this fantastic achievement, but also highlights in a comedic way the potential pitfalls of taking part.
Philippa feels that runners can become very single-minded during their training, even turning down social events because “I’ve got a long run in the morning.” But sometimes temptation can get in the way. She says: “A couple of years ago, I was given one of the comedy grown-up I-Spy books and I thought that I could apply this humour to marathon running. So, while I was training for the Virgin London Marathon in 2017, and struggling to keep myself going, I thought: what if a runner was presented with a number of temptations along the way. How would they overcome them?”
Philippa was emboldened to continue when she misplaced her MP3 player. She continues: “I was bereft! Often music can be a lifeline to a marathon runner, so for a while I felt like a boat without a paddle, and then I realised that the silence was a golden opportunity. That’s when I started drafting The Marathon in my head.”
The Marathon is a cheeky, but family-friendly satirical short rhyming story accompanied by playful illustrations from the hugely talented artist come Jack Sparrow impersonator, Terry Cooper. The story follows our hero, Runner, as he takes on the gruelling business of training for and running a marathon. Not a natural athlete, and with a weakness for cake and socialising, Runner faces many distractions along the way. But will he complete his challenge?
The book has been endorsed by Leanne Davies, founder of Run Mummy Run. She says: “This book is great fun! It is what training for a marathon is really like. The Marathon strikes a chord with the Run Mummy Run community.”
Echoing the spirit of some of the most popular twenty-first century children’s picture books, this satirical spoof book is a clever hybrid between adult and children’s book, and you don’t need to be a runner to enjoy it. It’s a fun book for all the family with a slight anarchic twist.
The Marathon is available to purchase now at https://philippa-cates.my-online.store/ or via Philippa’s website at www.philippacates.com.
Here at Jelly Bean Self-Publishing, we want to start a reading revolution. Here are just a few reasons to put down your phone, turn off the TV, and for a few hours an evening enjoy an actual book…
In the modern world, where much of our interaction with words takes place on screens (mobile phones, tablets, computers, etc.), it is certainly worth reiterating the health and lifestyle benefits of reading a good book.
Not that reading off a screen is so bad – after all, it’s led you here! But it is estimated we spend up to a whopping ten hours (!) staring at screens every day.
Reading brings to life neural pathways in the brain. This in turn leads to the creation of new memories, and as such creates new synapses that strengthen our brains. So basically, reading is like taking your brain to the gym!
Reading can reduce anxiety and alleviate stress. Amidst the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, reading offers us the magic of escapism. It frees our minds, which in turn lightens the pressures of day-to-day life.
Reading asks you to consider abstract concepts, developing critical thinking skills.
Has a friend ever bolstered you to participate in an activity you were apprehensive about? It has been proven that readers who admire a fictional character’s courage to partake in physical challenges that scare them (g. riding a horse, climbing a mountain, sailing a boat, etc.), are themselves better able to muster the bravery to try new activities in their own life.
It goes without saying that reading improves your vocabulary and communicative ability. If anyone’s going to impress their peers with a quick-witted remark, it’s an avid reader.
Reading gives us a sense of self-accomplishment, boosting self-esteem.
If you’re the sort of person to fall for fictional characters (aren’t we all?), then studies show you are a more empathetic person for it. In imagining life from another’s perspective, you yourself become a more caring, understanding person (go you!).
Reading a book in bed helps you sleep better. Conversely, the glare of a TV screen or a smart-phone makes it more difficult to drop off.
Do you know of any positive impacts of reading we’ve missed? If so, please feel free to get in touch. Thanks for reading, and keep up the good work!
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Compared to other publishers that I approached, Jelly Bean always listened, gave advice and were interested in the book itself. Self-publishing can be daunting but Jelly Bean guide you all the way.
★★★★★
Ingrid Stow
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Jelly Bean Self Publishing’s London-based author Molly Arbuthnott has been nominated as a finalist for the 2018 People’s Book Prize for her heart-warming children’s book Oscar the Ferry Cat.
