News

5th April 2025

Today sees the opening of Pre-Orders for

A delightful story about a beautiful but not-so-brave dog who needs to find enough courage to help somebody.

The Tale of Florence and the King is being printed at the publishers as we speak. Order your signed copy now.

I anticipate receiving the books towards the end of April and hope to be able to post your order to you by 30 April.

Why I Created The Magical Adventures of Florence the Border Collie

I have always loved to read and write, but I worry that nonviolent, gentle, fun children’s books might soon be a thing of the past.

From an early age, I was in awe of the children’s writer, Beatrix Potter, and her Tales of Peter Rabbit series.

In 2025, I pictured myself creating a collection of children’s stories about my Border Collie, Florence.

My first dog, Beatrix (yes, named after Miss Potter!), was a real adventurer, but Florence was not. She needed somebody to write magical stories for her, and I thought young children would be the perfect people to help me with this project.

With a plan in mind, I began visiting primary schools to talk to the children about being an author and the processes involved in publishing a book.

Following the same format as my first book, The Magical Tearoom on the Hill, which had a story and recipe in every chapter, I wanted each book in this new series to have both a magical tale and a recipe.

Taking inspiration from the multitude of notes and drawings from pupils at the different schools I visited, I created an adventure and a recipe for each book. The last book in this unique series will be a compilation of all the recipes.

I hope that children, along with their family and friends, can read the stories, recognise their words and ideas, and believe they have contributed to the writing of a book and the creation of a new recipe.