Don't forget that the competition finishes on April 1st at midnight. Get your last minute entries in QUICK!
​Find out more here: Competition

With just a few more days to go until the competition closes (Midnight on April 1st) I thought I would just write a quick update.

[If you have no idea what I am talking about, please go to my competition page]

Below are the entries I have received. If your suggestion is not here then I haven't got it and you need to enter again.
Wishbone, Fergus, Jasper, Buddy, Reggie, Popcorn, Lucky, Rusty, Oliver, Ollie, Dudley, Timmy, Claud, Dizzy, Buster, Dreamcatcher, Catcher, Miracle, Hero, Basil, Herby, Harvey, Dirty, Flexy, Duke, Boris, Tumble, Tufty, Cooper, Chester, Russell, Bristle, Crumpet, Chip, Freddie, Fred, Kye, Bentley, Rocky, Roary, Charlie, Destiny, Jake, Teddy, Ted, Warrior, Mr Perkins, Orlando, Wilfred, Clover, Rosie, Ebony, Molly, Monty, Florence, Rumplefus, Russel, Timothy, Gold, Eddie, Fuzzles, Mischief, Ketchup.

Please remember that the dog is male so it is unlikely I will pick a female name. Also I am very impressed that I have had no entries beginning with S. I won't be picking a name starting with S because the dog's owner is called Sally.

I am loving the names you have all suggested. Every time I get a new entry my phone pings. It is very exciting and I love reading them and your comments too.

I do have a few favourite names, but I am not telling you which ones! If I can't decide then I will put my favourites into a hat and pull one out. I promise not to decide until the competition closes so keep your entries coming.

Good luck!

...to vote for Jarred Dreams in The People's Book Prize:

www.peoplesbookprize.com/book.php?id=1510

Thank you!

I am entering a competition running with the National Literacy Trust to rewrite a fairy tale, giving it a modern twist.

I have picked The Snow Queen as I love the story, especially the bit about the mirror and how if a fragment gets into your heart it can turn it to ice. I'm a sucker for anything that has a strong friendship at the heart of it.

As I am re-telling the story I wanted to make sure I remembered it properly. I have found that there are lots of different versions already, which is probably why I remembered some of the story but not all of it. 

A friend of mine lent me a her copy which looks like it has survived being read many times. 

I'm finding it quite a hard task, but for those of you who have heard my talk, you will know that means I am hopefully on the right lines. Lots of redrafting and editing to come!

I'm getting some fabulous name suggestions for the dog.
You have until April 1st to enter. (Competition closes at midnight.) Keep your suggestions coming. I'll be making my decision during April so if you haven't heard anything by May 1st I'm sorry to say you've not won this time.

Good luck 🍀

It's a beautiful sunny day today.

I've finished walking the dogs, I've pegged out the washing, had a shower and I have just started to read Molly and the Cat Café which was  skilfully written by my friend, Melissa.

I'm enjoying it immensely - Stan even features (although he sounds like a very different version of my dog - but the barking at cats and being ever so slightly stupid (don't tell him I said that) seems to fit with the real deal).

There are a couple of grown-up topics and some of the words might need a PG or a 12 rating, but otherwise fine for you kids to read....if you like cats that is!

I get emails  like this:

Hi Camilla,
Thank you so much for your email - the children thoroughly enjoyed your visit and my Year 6 class that bought your book have been entranced by it - one even read it in a couple of days and can't stop talking about it!
I will definitely let the children know how impressed you are with them! The Year 6 class read out some of their extracts in our Sharing Assembly last week, when we invite the parents to come in - they were very proud!
If you visit our website, you will also see that you are on it -very exciting
It was lovely to meet you and it would be good to see you again for EATS signings
Kind Regards
Kate Harvey
Deputy Headteacher
Beech Hyde Primary School and Nursery

Click on the link below to see me at my recent visit to Beech Hyde Primary School:
Beech Hyde Visit

If you would like me to post up a link to your school newsletter and/or website just contact me!

The rotary club have updated The Grand Appeal section of their website to show pictures of my STAG visit.

It looks pretty cool.

Take a look by clicking on the link: The Rotary Club

Where to start?

I have had such a busy World Book Day week, it has been incredible. Big shout out to all the amazing kids and schools I have visited this week:
STAGS (where my visit was featured in the newspaper)
High Beeches (where the giant inflatable dice got a puncture)
Beech Hyde (a school with the most wonderful atmosphere)
St Helen's (where the giant dice gasped its last breath)
Margaret Wix (where year 6 listened harder than ever before)
St Dominics (where I saw the most amazing costumes)
Aboyne Lodge (with wonderful children and staff)

I was asked some great questions this week like:
'If you could meet any other author alive or dead, who would it be and why?'
'What breed is your dog?'
'If you weren't a dog walking children's author what would you be?'
'Would you rather put your bare feet in baked beans or jelly?'

I got to write some wonderful messages (thought of by the children themselves to help inspire them) to children with unusual names whilst signing books. For example, 'Keep on dreaming...forever.'

I met some brilliant teachers, librarians, teaching assistants, heads, deputy heads, midday supervisors, office staff, but most of all KIDS! Entertaining, brilliant, creative, talented kids. 

We created wonderful story ideas in workshops with hilarious heroes and angry antagonists and the sound effects during the assemblies raised the roof.

Now? Well now I sit back, and read all the wonderful competition entries that are streaming in, keep my fingers crossed that the readers of Jarred Dreams are enjoying the story (and not getting too scared) and look forward to any writing that might come my way.

Oh, and hope that everyone will vote for my book in the People's Book Prize!

Thanks everyone - keep the dog names coming...you have until 1.4.17

Good luck!