The Princelings of East {+ Giveaway}

It’s a pleasure today to welcome fellow blogger and author Jemima Pett to Thoughts in Progress as part of her My Family’s Heart Virtual Book tour pertaining to her recent paperback release of THE PRINCELINGS OF THE EAST.

As part of the tour, Jemima is joining us to share an excerpt from her book, as well answer some questions about her work. In addition, Jemima is offering a tour-wide giveaway. Please see the end of the post for more details on the giveaway.

TITLE – The Princelings of the East
SERIES – The Princelings of the East
AUTHOR – Jemima Pett
GENRE – MG/Fantasy/sci-fi
PUBLICATION DATE – November 2011 (paperback June 2015)
LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – 158 / 37,300
PUBLISHER – Princelings Publications
COVER ARTIST – Danielle English

Here’s a brief synopsis of THE PRINCELINGS OF THE EAST:

      The Princelings of the East is an adventure set in a world of labyrinthine castles, bustling inns, and the curious Isle of Hattan.
      Princelings George and Fred leave the security of their isolated castle to solve the problem of the Great Energy Drain, meeting the dubious businessman Hugo, the young barkeeper Victor, the impressive Prince of Buckmore, and other movers and shakers. Who should these two innocents trust? Their wits and teach other, for sure, but when something comes between them, each is left to his own devices, and some of those devices are very strange indeed – and time is of the essence.
      The Princelings of the East is the start of a saga where friendship and intelligence are rewarded, even in the face of treachery and deceit.
 
THE PRINCELINGS OF THE EAST is available at the following sites: Amazon Kindle US, Amazon Kindle CA, Amazon Kind UK, Amazon Paperback, Barnes & Noble Nook, Smashwords, iTunes, Goodreads, Shelfari, and Book Depository Paperback.

EXCERPT

      Fred sat staring at the tunnel, lost in thought. George waited. This might take a while. He could hear soft sounds of crackling flames in the fire on the other side of the wall, and in the distance the occasional pitter-patter of footsteps echoing down the corridors. He wondered what would happen if they ventured out of this castle into the tunnels. When he had been out in the marshes, he’d never gone a long way from home; the castle was always visible in the distance, light glinting on its spires. He’d never been out overnight, either. He identified a strange feeling inside him. They might be on the edge of a Great Adventure, but he wasn’t sure he wouldn’t rather be safely tucked up in bed.
      Fred stirred. “We need to go and investigate this Great Energy Drain,” he said. “We must find out whether it is a widespread phenomenon, and whether the causes are known.”
      George nodded; this was elementary procedure for an investigation. “And then?” he asked.
      “And then,” answered Fred, “we shall come up with some ideas for how to solve it.”
      “Good idea!” said George, knowing that you can never know exactly how you are going to do something until you have made the preliminary investigation and tested out a few theories. But the aim was set, and all they had to do now was decide... to go or not to go?

Please join me in giving Jemima a warm welcome to TIP. Jemima, welcome.

What inspired you to make your heroes twin brothers?

Jemima:
This is going to sound really soppy, but I based them on my guinea pigs. When I moved to my current house, I decided I would be able to have some pets at last, and after a great deal of consideration, I decided on guinea pigs, and these two ginger twins turned up in need of a new home, and I was smitten. Being a Harry Potter fan (I do have a Griffindor scarf, and I did queue all night for the seventh book, and I did go to the midnight screening of both parts of the seventh film) I had to call them Fred and George. In retrospect, it wasn't the best choice for the book heroes they became, but that's life, and I hope Ms. Rowling doesn't mind. They aren't much like her Fred and George (apart from being adorable).

In creating the Princelings of the East series, which came first the characters or the setting?

Jemima:
That's a hard one. Fred, George, Victor and Hugo (my second pair of guinea pigs) came first, speedily followed by Mariusz, Saku and Lupin-Buckmore, who belonged to my friends Dawn, Mike and Diane. The intention of them all living in castles connected by tunnels turned up in a game we were playing on the Rodents With Attitude guinea pigs forum, and that sparked something off in me that sent me off into a dream about the Castle in the Marsh, which is based on the Norfolk Broads, not far from where I live. I thought of doing a trilogy before I got the story. Then the guinea pigs turned into characters and other characters turned up to join them.

What is one thing about your characters (or the series) you wish readers would ask about more?

Jemima:
There's an underlying theme through the series which is: how are they going to deliver on the promise they made to Mariusz at the end of the first book. George is busy inventing new forms of transport, but they are rarely (except in Bravo Victor) central to the plot. On the one hand it would be nice to be able to talk about that more, but on the other hand, since I sometimes wonder if they are going to make it on time, maybe I shouldn't talk about it!

One thing I would advise all writers – don't ever have a time tunnel where a character from the future turns up in the first book. If you want time travel, always go back to the past!

What was the most fun part of writing this series so far?

Jemima:
Oh, so many fun parts! I absolutely love the way things go on in parallel with minor threads weaving back together, and I always keep a timeline going just to check that there is enough time for each thread and everything is accounted for – no-one has to 'lose a day' to get somewhere at the right time. It's great when they come together nicely, but when they did what they did in Lost City, and everyone passes through the inn on the same day but at different times, it's incredibly satisfying. Especially when it means Fred and George try to surprise each other.

Can you tell us if you're working on any projects at the moment and if so, what they are?

Jemima:
The next project to be published [due 28th September, so you may need to edit this] is a small volume of short stories as a teaser for the first in my new science fiction series The Perihelix, due out in January. That's probably for over 16s. There's not much in it that isn't seen in a soap opera, I think, but some cultures may find the liberal activities of the protagonists unsettling.

In November I'll be producing the second in the BookElves Anthologies. Seven authors of stories for middle grade (ages 8-14) readers got together last year to produce our first seasonal anthology, and we're doing another this year. I'm delighted to work with my fellow authors on this project, they're a great bunch of people.

The next (seventh) Princelings book is on the way, as well as the second in my science fiction series. They are pretty much vying for my brain at the moment. The good thing is, if I get stuck with one, I can leave it and go back to the other one!

I hope you liked my answers, and thanks very much for having me on you blog!

Jemima, thanks so much for visiting with us today and sharing this background on how your book and series came about. It’s always fun to know where a book (and a series) got its start. 

Now for those who aren’t familiar with Jemima, here’s a bit of background on her in her own words.

Author Jemima Pett

I’ve been writing since I was 8 years old. I still have a small booklet I found in my mother’s box of treasures, written in a very childish hand, entitled The Little Stream. It reads very much like the story of Smetana’s Vltava, or The Moldau as it was called when I was young, so I must have been into classical music at an early age (I blame my brothers’ influence).   

My early fiction attempts failed for want of suitable inspiration: I couldn’t get characters or plot that seemed interesting, and my first attempts were derided by a ‘friend’. I had the bug for writing, though, and wrote articles and event reports for newsletters and magazines whenever I got the opportunity. My career in business and in environmental research kept me chained to a desk for many years, but also gave me the opportunity to write manuals, reports, science papers, blogs, journals, anything and everything that kept the words flowing. Finally the characters jumped into my head with stories that needed to be told….

I now live in a village in Norfolk, UK, with my guinea pigs, the first of whom, Fred, George, Victor and Hugo, provided the inspiration for the Princelings stories. 

For more on Jemima and her writing visit her website/blog and connect with her on her Amazon Author Page, Facebook, Twitter, Google +, Pinterest, Goodreads, and Shelfari. 

Other Books In The Series

TITLE – The Princelings and the Pirates
SERIES – The Princelings of the East
AUTHOR – Jemima Pett
GENRE – MG/Fantasy/sci-fi
PUBLICATION DATE – January 2012 (paperback June 2015)
LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – 181 / 39,000
PUBLISHER – Princelings Publications
COVER ARTIST – Danielle English

BOOK SYNOPSIS

        The second book of the Princelings of the East series shows our heroes, Princelings Fred and George, enjoying life with their inventions at Castle Buckmore. Oblivious to the kidnap of a princess from Chateau Dimerie, they are despatched there by Prince Lupin to discover why the wine hasn't been delivered and solve the case of the missing messengers.
        What follows is the stuff of nightmares. Captured by pirates, sent off on different ships, Fred endures hardship and shipwreck while George has a dangerous night escape. They discover treachery at their home castle, and lead the people they have rescued to safety, only to end up fighting for their lives in the Battle of Dimerie.

BUY & TBR LINKS
 
AMAZON KINDLE US – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0074AQU08
AMAZON KINDLE CA – http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0074AQU08
AMAZON KINDLE UK – http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0074AQU08
AMAZON PAPERBACK –  http://www.amazon.com/Princelings-Pirates-Jemima-Pett/dp/1320567350/
BARNES & NOBLES NOOK – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-princelings-and-the-pirates-jemima-pett/1111300871?ean=2940033208326
SMASHWORDS – http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/157450
ITUNES – https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/princelings-pirates/id543180968?mt=11&uo=4
GOODREADS – http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13231509-the-princelings-of-the-east
SHELFARI – http://www.shelfari.com/books/27040157/The-Princelings-and-the-Pirates-(The-Princelings-of-the-East)
BOOK DEPOSITORY PAPERBACK - http://www.bookdepository.com/Princelings-Pirates-Jemima-Pett/9781320567350

EXCERPT

      “Right, you lubbers!” said the black guy. “My name’s Frankie and if you know what’s good for you you’ll listen hard, work hard and keep your mouths shut.”
      He passed round eight bits of stale biscuit and a bucket of fairly clean water and a scoop. They each took a drink, and some of them nibbled the biscuit. George found his stomach settled down a bit, and tried to see whether Fred and Victor were among the party in the darkness. He rather thought they weren’t, and frowned. The haughty guy refused the biscuit, saying it was disgusting, and one of the other guys took it off him, and wolfed it down.
      Frankie waited for them to recover their senses a bit more, then started talking again.
      “You are now aboard the Golden Guinea, the prettiest barque that ever sailed the seven seas. You will do as you are told, you will work hard, and if you don’t, you will walk the plank. That means you will find yourself swimming, possibly in shark infested waters, a thousand miles from the nearest land. You won’t last long.” And he laughed again. It was not a pleasant laugh.

TITLE – The Princelings and the Lost City
SERIES – The Princelings of the East
AUTHOR – Jemima Pett
GENRE – MG/Fantasy/sci-fi
PUBLICATION DATE – May 2012 (paperback June 2015)
LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – 270 / 58.600
PUBLISHER – Princelings Publications
COVER ARTIST – Danielle English

BOOK SYNOPSIS

      Book 3 in the Princelings of the East series is the completion of the trilogy. A mystery is uncovered in the Prologue (which is unraveled in Book 5), then the story moves to more familiar territory as our heroes, Princelings Fred and George, wait at Castle Buckmore for the arrival of Princess Kira from Dimerie in a flying machine. George's power plant invention is overtaken by his enthusiasm for flying, but Fred is upset by Kira's strange behavious after the visit a legendary 'lost' castle in the middle of a forest.
       What is the secret of the Lost City? Are the old wives' tales, of a civilisation ruled by females where no male dare set foot, true after all? Will Fred and his friend escape with their lives? How many times can Princess Kira be kidnapped in one story? The path of true love runs anything but smoothly in this tale of love, bravery, cruelty and loss.

BUY & TBR LINKS
 
AMAZON KINDLE US – http://www.amazon.com/Princelings-Lost-City-East-ebook/dp/B008NXEP5C
AMAZON KINDLE CA – http://www.amazon.ca/Princelings-Lost-City-East-ebook/dp/B008NXEP5C
AMAZON KINDLE UK – http://www.amazon.co.uk/Princelings-Lost-City-East-ebook/dp/B008NXEP5C
AMAZON PAPERBACK – http://www.amazon.com/Princelings-Lost-City-Jemima-Pett/dp/1320567088/
BARNES & NOBLES NOOK – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-princelings-and-the-lost-city-jemima-pett/1113744716?ean=2940045039314
SMASHWORDS – http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/247194
ITUNES – https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/princelings-lost-city/id574816587?mt=11&uo=4
GOODREADS – http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13231509-the-princelings-of-the-east
SHELFARI – http://www.shelfari.com/books/30252557/The-Princelings-and-the-Lost-City-(The-Princelings-of-the-East)
BOOK DEPOSITORY PAPERBACK - http://www.bookdepository.com/Princelings-Lost-City-Jemima-Pett/9781320567084

EXCERPT

      A strange noise crept into their consciousness, a sort of buzzing. It changed tone, skipped a beat and sometimes stopped altogether. The princelings looked out, straining to see what was making the noise. Fred stared down the road as far as the bridge; George gazed up into the sky as if he was dreaming.
      “There ….there..they..ther….” he stuttered and pointed for Fred to locate. “What?” said Fred, following the direction and wondering why he was pointing into the sky. There was some sort of bird flying towards them.
      “I w-wond-ered … a ffly-ing ma-ma-sheen.” In his excitement, George was having trouble getting any words out at all. He slipped off the window seat and went over to a pile of papers beside his bed. He selected one near the top of the pile and brought it back to Fred.
      “M. Bleriot demonstrates flying machine at Fortune,” read the headline. Underneath was a picture of a very dashing French person with a helmet and goggles standing next to a funny tube with two boards sticking out of it on either side.
      Fred glanced at it, held it close to look at the machine in more detail and dropped the paper to look at the sky. A very similar machine was now approaching the last stretch of road before it turned to come into the castle itself. “Oh my goodness,” said Fred, his eyes wide in panic. “She’ll be killed!”

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

This giveaway is for the following items:
1 x $25 gift card/PayPal cash (PayPal cash is much easier for me to deliver)
1 x set of the six Princelings of the East paperbacks
5 x 1 signed print of a chapter illustration of the winner's choice (approx. half letter-sized/A5, unmounted)

To enter, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load so please be patient.

Thanks so much for stopping by today during Jemima’s visit. What are your thoughts on having twin brothers as the heroes in a story? Any questions for Jemima?

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