Camilla Chester - Children's Author
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Scottish Book Shop Tour

22/7/2022

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With the help of my amazing friend Sarah Broadley, I am going on a tour of Scottish Book Shops to promote Call Me Lion. Sarah and I will be visiting Glasgow, Dundee, Broughty Ferry, Aberdeen, Inverness, Aviemore and Edinburgh where I'll be seeking out copies of Call Me Lion and signing them.

In addition, Sarah has worked really hard to organise specific events, which are all free to attend. All the details of this are in the image above.

I'm so excited to return to Scotland, (I was born in Aberdeen) but as a published author. If you're around do come along to one of the events as I'd love to meet you. 

You can follow our adventure on social media using the hashtags: #CallMeLion #CMLScottishBookShopTour 

​Let's go!
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What's Next?

22/7/2022

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What...Instagram Live interview with Luke Palmer not enough for you? Well, part of The Book Chain Project means I am interviewing not one, but two authors - Katharine and Elizabeth Corr. Sisters and joint writers, they have a new book - Daughter of Darkness - due for release with Hot Key Books. My interview with them will be on Instagram live on Wednesday 27 July at 7.30pm. As before just follow me on IG @camillacauthor and tap my picture at the time our interview goes live.
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What's Next?

19/7/2022

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Next in the fabulous journey of all things Call Me Lion I am to be interviewed by fellow Firefly Press author Luke Palmer. Luke wrote the Carnegie shortlisted book, Grow and will be asking me all about Call Me Lion and my writing journey on Instagram Live this Wednesday (20th July) at 7.30pm. To watch all you need to do is follow me (@camillacauthor), Luke (@lukethepalmer) and/or @TheBookChainProject and click on the 'watch live' link at the right time. If you miss it or my foolproof 'how to' instructions don't work then FEAR NOT as the interview will be recorded and made available once edited on YouTube. I will share the link widely once I have it. That's all for now folks!
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Visit to Sheet, Petersfield

19/7/2022

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I've got some wonderful pictures to share with you from my visit to Sheet village and Petersfield in Hampshire. 

I'd been invited by my good friend Suzie Wilde - author of the Book of Bera trilogy (book 3 out in the autumn with Unbound) whom I met through SCBWI. Suzie and I are both in a zoom writing group which began in lockdown and is still going strong.

Suzie kindly put me up overnight. I met her lovely husband Richard and her beautiful black lab, Rain. (I was also treated like a Goddess which I lapped up).  

The visit began with a radio recording with Shine Radio at  One Tree Books which is an Award-Winning Independent bookshop in the centre of Petersfield.
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Here I am with Suzie in One Tree Books showing off my Call Me Lion necklace which was a gift from another SCBWI friend, Debbie Edwards. The other photo is me, Tim (the owner of the bookshop) and John (the radio show producer) outside One Tree Books. Poor John has been lumbered with the big box of Call Me Lion books that Tim had ordered for both the shop and in preparation for the school visit.
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The radio recording went smoothly, so I am told, although it felt alarming to walk straight in after a fairly long drive. I was reassured that John's editing skills would ensure it would all sound fantastic. Tim was a great interviewer and if you would like to hear the radio recording then you just need to visit the Shine Radio website and click on the Talking Books programme. Or click here: Talking Books July 2022
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The next day was the chance to do my very favourite part of being a Children's Author - a school visit.

It has been the one thing that I have missed most about living through the pandemic and to do a visit all about Call Me Lion to Sheet Primary where they were due to put on their own production of The Lion King felt absolutely perfect. Especially when I saw a Lion on the wall of their library
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I did workshop work with two different classes, signed books, ate a school dinner with the Y5s and best of all I had the entire school up disco dancing! Teachers, kids, governors - even the chef came out of the kitchen to join in! It was totally magical.

Obviously it's all about the summer holidays now (which you will know is when Call Me Lion is set) so school visits are not happening again until the new term, but if you would like to get involved please do get in touch. I would love to visit your school and will if I can. Until then - keep dancing everyone!
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The magic continues to build

2/7/2022

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Sensitive to the light, here I am up and awake and ridiculous o'clock telling you all about another magical connection from the wonder that is Call Me Lion.

Regular readers will know the story of how Call Me Lion came about; how I feel that I cannot take credit for the book being out in the world because it began with a voice, the voice of Lion, who chose to speak to me. Thing is - it was only when I searched for help and found real people that the magic truly began.

Now the book is a real and beautiful thing, the magic is growing, ever stronger and more powerful. Like a lucky skimming stone, it bounces across still water, each bump creating positive ripples that span out wide. 

Yesterday I had a message through Facebook from someone I'd not met. I won't name this person as they don't know I'm writing this blog and it concerns their daughter but this a copy and paste of the message I received:
Thank you thank you thank you for writing this book my 12 yo has been sat reading it since she got home from school every few pages she says Lion is like me! And will explain how she feels about SM she has never opened up like this before! Thank you so much!

Obviously I've replied because... well how amazing?! This is the book working. This is Call Me Lion in action - doing the work it's supposed to be doing. This book can only create positivity, connections, empathy and understanding. It can only do good work. This is not about me or my ego as a writer, this is about connecting people through compassion. Please tell everyone about Call Me Lion because look what a difference it can make to real people and real lives. 

I'm left stunned and dazed after every positive ripple and feel incredibly proud to be part of something so powerful as Call Me Lion. 

That's all I have to say for now. Thanks for reading my extremely early morning, magic-related blog post!
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