Bootle Times News

My name is Julia Edwards, and I am the author of The Scar Gatherer series (http://www.scargatherer.co.uk), a sequence of time-travel novels for children aged 8 to 12. I've just finished the seventh and final book in the series, called The Ring from the Ruins, which is set in Bootle in November and December 1940, and I am looking for someone who would be willing to read through a draft and point out any errors in setting, domestic details or wartime elements in the book. I've done a lot of research while working on the book, and browsed this website several times, but the devil is always in the detail. Since the book is written for children, it's not especially long (about 55,000 words). I can provide either a print copy or pdf for review.

Is there anyone on this forum who might be willing and able to do this for me? If you'd like to know more about the series, there is a lot of information on the series website: http://www.scargatherer.co.uk. The six other books in the series range across British history from Roman Britain, through the Viking age, Tudor England, the Great Fire, the Slave Trade, and Victorian times, arriving finally at the Second World War, each set in a different location. With each book in the series, I've made every effort to ensure that the historical information is as accurate as possible, initially because it was important to me, but now all the more so since they are starting to be used in schools to teach KS2 history - there's a wealth of factual information hidden inside each adventure, so that children learn about a period without realising.

If there's anyone on here who would be willing to have a look at The Ring from the Ruins for me, please drop me an email on thescargathereratgmail.com. If you have any questions, do let me know. I've attached the jacket to give a flavour of the book.

Thanks!

Julia Edwards

Welcome to the forum, Julia. Any of our members will be able to help you. Our own resident author, Ernie, might be best suited to your needs, it just depends if he has the time. As an octogenarian, he might be too busy running his own business and going on cruises.

I think I'd like to be an octogenarian, if that's what it involves!

Hi Julia. I've sent you a personal message on the forum as your email wouldn't work for me. I did change the at to @

Just a quick update about Julia's book, she has finished it and it's been published. Ernie and I assisted her with the authenticity, well Ernie mostly, having lived through the period and actually living in the next street to the hero of the book. My input was more to do with Bootle traits and customs. Anyway, it was a good yarn and I'd recommend it to our member's grandchildren, up to the age of fourteen.

Julia kindly sent me a signed copy of her book and thanked Ernie and I in the acknowledgements. My name is forever immortalised in a book, unlike Ernie, who's an old hand. I'm hoping Julia becomes as famous as JK Rowling and my book becomes collectible. . Thanks again to Julia.
Here are a few pictures.

Just Googled your books Julia, they are on Kindle. Had a short read and quite hooked! Will be ordering them starting from number one. I don't know about the books being for 8 to 12 year olds! obviously I must have a very young mind!!! Can hardly wait to read them!

Loretta

Lovely interesting post, Julia so pleased ‘The Ring From The Ruins’ has been completed, and all with a little help from Bootle Bucks, Phil and Ernie
Looking forward to reading the children’s book, anything local and historic, always of great interest!

Shelagh

Well Julie will be ordering that right now.

Regards Bobby.

For interest are you from the area


I have a great interest in football in the area Bootle JOC

It was a pleasure to assist in the factual side of this well written book which is just one of an excellent and extremely educational series. I have loaned my cherished signed copy to my great granddaughter (aged 10) and am delighted she has asked me to consider doing a presentation to her class at school, my being one of the few still living who 'was there' when it happened. It will be very interesting to see their reactions as in the past my audiences have never contained folk under 60.

I have decided to include inviting them to offer their ideas on the difference in lifestyle from 1941 up to the present day. That should take up most of the talk time.

Well done Phil and Ernie! Good luck with your school presentation Ernie. You will have to tell us all about it. My Mum used to keep me entertained with stories of WW2. Her two brothers were in the army and navy so she got a lot of information from them. I should have added these memories to Patricia`s memory thread. I will definitely buy Julie`s book

I have done many organised talks about my book and my life but today I honoured an invitation from my great granddaughters school to talk about my experience of the blitz.

I think I the teachers learned as much as any of the forty odd ten year olds, just a little older than I during the May blitz when I lived on Miranda Road. I was inundated with questions and we were all engrossed for about an hour and a half which contradicted my initial concern that I couldn't entertain them for more than a half hour. I was even surrounded by curious, inquisitive children later, outside the classroom.

Some their questions brought back so many memories of things I had long forgotten.

The success of this venture has made me think seriously of repeating this talk at other schools.

I hadn't realised that WW2 is a subject in modern schools curriculum and the talk was just part of the whole agenda.

Such a pleasure and a great, memorable day.

That's a fantastic idea, Ernie, we cant let it bd forgotten. We need it to remain in the psyche of the kids of today. How far are you prepared to travel? My nephew's wife is an assistant head in a Maghull primary school, I could ask her if she would like you to visit.

Phil..
Your nephews wife would know at once if this would be beneficial for the children and I think it probably would be if WW2 is included in their curriculum.

Another point is that any children brought up in the Merseyside area will surely have 'heard it all' many times from their family elders.

Travel would not be a problem if teachers thought my memories could be of any educational benefit.



.