Rachael Phillips's Blog, page 7

NEW RELEASE! Larry the Liger - the New Friend

I am very pleased to announce the publication of the second Larry the Liger book - The New Friend.  I am loving Larry.  The stories are a pleasure to write as I really get a sense of this little liger's personality.  He is very cute and he loves to eat.  He is a lover not a fighter and he proves himself a very useful liger in this, the second story in the Larry the Liger series.

If you haven't read the first one, The New Home, then take a look.  You can 'look inside' all of my ebooks on Amazon and decide if you fancy downloading any.  While you're there please click 'like' for the books :) 

For those who don't know, Larry is a liger: his father was a lion, his mother was a tiger!

In this new story, The New Friend, Larry meets a strange, red animal who seems to be upsetting the chickens in the garden.  You will have to read it to find out if Larry can be a brave liger.  Chloe, the cat, is still around and remains her usual, selfish self. 

Larry's adventures are well and truly underway so why not join him and share these lovely stories with your children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews or just to make you feel like a child again.

I hope you enjoy the stories and, as ever, reviews are very much welcomed.

Here's to Larry the Liger and his new story, the New Friend.

Happy reading all :)

Larry the Liger - The New Friend available to download from Amazon in all territories:
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00B9U567C
www.amazon.com/dp/B00B9U567C
www.amazon.fr/dp/B00B9U567C
www.amazon.es/dp/B00B9U567C
www.amazon.it/dp/B00B9U567C
www.amazon.de/dp/B00B9U567C
www.amazon.ca/dp/B00B9U567C
www.amazon.com.br/dp/B00B9U567C
www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00B9U567C
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00B9U567C

Fergus responds... to recent reviews and feedback

Fergus says:

"Everyone is entitled to their own view.  There is no magic formula for writing a book.  Everyone to his own.  The reviewer says (from Amazon.com when reviewing Anastasia Series III Omnibus) 'I am told that you have to start a book by putting a crisis in the middle so people will want to know what is wrong.'  I do not know who said that but I do not agree.

Ask any man who has read Anastasia Series III and they will tell you it is the best thing since sliced bread.  It is an emotional roller coaster from the start.

Rachael Phillips has my full confidence and Larry the Liger is fantastic!  I will let you into a secret, dear reader.  Larry is a series of ten but following will be Percy the Peacock - a tale of a peacock without a tail.  I have reserved this one for Rachael.

To the ladies of Austin, Texas, I thank you for your kind comments about Series III and am sorry you are using up so many tissues each time your group discusses it.

No reports of Laszlo and Zoltan yet, still Missing in Action.  Yes, Anastasia will wear a yellow ribbon every day until they return.

To the Old Green Beret who recognises so much of the story.  Yes, it is a work of fiction carefully crafted by Rachael Phillips but many of the incidents, as you immediately spotted, are based on true events.

Yes, we paused for breath while we waited for the American Presidential Election but Mr Obama was starring in the book immediately afterwards.

Fergus."

Anastasia Series III Omnibus is available to download from Amazon along with all the other Anastasia stories.  You will also find Larry the Liger waiting there for his New Home and 'Larry the Liger - the New Friend' is coming very soon. 

New Release! Launch of Series IV.

Well Series IV has officially now launched and the first story in the series, Sheer Elegance, is available to download from Amazon in two parts.  This series takes a whole new direction from Series III and will be full of mysteries for the teenage detectives to solve. 

It's great to have Anastasia and Charlotte back together and you can read a sample on Amazon for both parts by clicking on the 'look inside' icon.

I hope you all enjoy this new series and, as always, reviews very welcome.  While you are taking a look at the book if you could click on the 'like' button I would appreciate it :)

Spread the word: Anastasia is back.

The journey continues...


Links: 
Sheer Elegance - Part One
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00B5E7RH4 UK
www.amazon.com/dp/B00B5E7RH4 US/India
www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00B5E7RH4 Japan
www.amazon.es/dp/B00B5E7RH4 Spain
www.amazon.it/dp/B00B5E7RH4 Italy
www.amazon.fr/dp/B00B5E7RH4 France
www.amazon.de/dp/B00B5E7RH4 Germany
www.amazon.ca/dp/B00B5E7RH4 Canada
www.amazon.com.br/dp/B00B5E7RH4 Brazil

Sheer Elegance - Part Two
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00B5E87DC UK
www.amazon.com/dp/B00B5E87DC US/India
www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00B5E87DC Japan
www.amazon.es/dp/B00B5E87DC Spain
www.amazon.it/dp/B00B5E87DC Italy
www.amazon.fr/dp/B00B5E87DC France
www.amazon.de/dp/B00B5E87DC Germany
www.amazon.ca/dp/B00B5E87DC Canada
www.amazon.com.br/dp/B00B5E87DC Brazil

January Sales - an offer not to be missed!

'Anastasia - Sheer Elegance' will be available to download by the weekend so to mark the release of Anastasia Series IV and her new Fashion House, House of Anastasia, I am slashing the prices on Anastasia Series I, II and III Omnibus editions (links below). 

I have knocked 65% off the usual retail price so make sure you download your copies, if you haven't already got the three series.  Series I and II are aimed at 9-12 year olds and Series III is aimed at 13 years plus, teenagers/young adults.  All of these books can also be enjoyed by children as old as 105! 

Follow Anastasia's journey from the start when Anastasia and her friend, Charlotte, establish Kent's own, mounted, junior police force when they realise there are unsolved crimes and mysteries in the Kent countryside.  The stories lead on to further adventures and bigger mysteries in Series II where we learn about the young Anastasia's destiny.  Series III takes a whole new direction when a teenage Anastasia decides to go all out to stop some of the world's worst crimes such as human and baby trafficking.

Series IV will find Anastasia returning as a Civilian to pursue her dreams and ambitions without the need of a weapon.  Surely, nothing can go wrong in the world of fashion; can it?

All of the Anastasia Omnibus' are available as Kindle ebooks which can be downloaded to your smartphone, pc, tablet, Kindle.  No Kindle, no problem as there is a free Kindle reader to download for almost all platforms in the Kindle Store on Amazon.

Make sure you take advantage of the price reductions before the offer ends.  I hope you enjoy Anastasia's journey and please feel free to spread the word.  The sales can't last forever (this isn't DFS you know!)

The journey has begun...


Anastasia Series I Omnibus
UK -             www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008KMEHPY
US & India - www.amazon.com/dp/B008KMEHPY
France -        www.amazon.fr/dp/B008KMEHPY
Japan -          www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B008KMEHPY
Italy -            www.amazon.it/dp/B008KMEHPY
Germany -    www.amazon.de/dp/B008KMEHPY
Spain -          www.amazon.es/dp/B008KMEHPY
Canada -       www.amazon.ca/dp/B008KMEHPY
Brazil -         www.amazon.com.br/dp/B008KMEHPY

Anastasia Series II Omnibus
UK - www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0090P1K5U
US & India - www.amazon.com/dp/B0090P1K5U
France - www.amazon.fr/dp/B0090P1K5U
Japan - www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0090P1K5U
Italy - www.amazon.it/dp/B0090P1K5U
Germany - www.amazon.de/dp/B0090P1K5U
Spain - www.amazon.es/dp/B0090P1K5U
Canada - www.amazon.ca/dp/B0090P1K5U
Brazil - www.amazon.com.br/dp/B0090P1K5U

Anastasia Series III Omnibus
UK - www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00A823NJA
US & India - www.amazon.com/dp/B00A823NJA
France - www.amazon.fr/dp/B00A823NJA
Japan - www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00A823NJA
Italy - www.amazon.it/dp/B00A823NJA
Germany - www.amazon.de/dp/B00A823NJA
Spain - www.amazon.es/dp/B00A823NJA
Canada - www.amazon.ca/dp/B00A823NJA
Brazil - www.amazon.com.br/dp/B00A823NJA

Coming soon - Anastasia Sheer Elegance, Anastasia Series IV

Well it's been a long time coming but I have been working on it for a few months and have finally completed the first story in Anastasia Series IV - Sheer Elegance.

It became clear as I was writing that it was going to take more than a short story to introduce new characters and reintroduce characters from previous series so this first story will actually be two; Anastasia Sheer Elegance, Part One and Anastasia Sheer Elegance, Part Two.

The first book will lead into the teenage detectives' first crime to solve in this new Anastasia series.  Anastasia teams back up with her old friend Charlotte and it's like they've never been apart.  I didn't realise how much I missed the crime fighting duo and the way they interact with one another; great friends for life.

Anastasia leaves behind the gun toting of Series III to pursue her other ambitions in life.  She will still be looking out for trafficked babies, fear not, but not in such an active capacity.  In this series Anastasia has a whole new team around her and whole new set of crimes and mysteries to solve. 

I have loved introducing new characters and each one has their own distinctive personality that you will both love and love to hate.  I also learned a lot while researching for this story; all about fashion, designers and being on the receiving end of the press.  It's been quite a journey, as it should be, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

It's great that writing still provides me with some magic and I hope to share some of that with you in every book I write.  If you fancy sharing your thoughts by way of reviews then I would very much welcome that too :)

The journey continues...

Fergus writes... about Larry the Liger

Larry the Liger seems to be a big hit in Japan, China and India.

A Japanese lady writes to me and asks how it all started.  Well let us not forget it is all about getting children reading.  Children must be literate and numerate.

If you are learning English from a foreign country then I can see Larry the Liger would be a big hit.

For those who have read the Anastasia books (number 30 is on its way) you may remember Anastasia saying she was a Liger - half lion and half tiger.  You may remember the helicopter conversations of Liger Cub to Papa Liger.

We are now doing a Larry the Liger series of ten.  They are aimed at children worldwide.

It is so important for parents to give children language skills.  Get them reading and encourage them to write their own stories.

Remember Larry the Liger is a children's story.  That is for children up to 90 years old!

Fergus Wilson

Goodbye 2012 - Hello 2013 and new journeys

I spent yesterday writing the most enormous blog post about my year but realised it was not entirely appropriate.  It was very therapeutic to write though so I'm glad I did but it went into too much detail about things that had happened during 2012.  I slept on it and decided that it is a New Year and I am going to be as positive as possible.

The year did end badly as I lost my Dad in December.  He had been diagnosed earlier in the year with Mesothelioma which is a rare cancer caused by asbestos.  It has been a difficult few months and I am going to get back to work as a writer.  My Dad would have wanted me to get back into it and things are piling up too much for me not to!  I hope wherever you are Dad you are behind me all the way and I would appreciate your hand behind me pushing me onwards and upwards please.

When I look back on 2012 I am actually quite surprised just how much happened in those 12 months.  I began my writing proper in January with Fergus and the Anastasia stories began.  We self published them in March and continued to add more and more.  I spent hours writing and, after Dad's diagnosis, found it a positive way to escape reality.  It is hard to imagine that I wrote twenty nine Anastasia stories, self published them all, created Omnibus' for each series and also managed to write a story about a brand new character called Larry the Liger!

Obviously that is a simplified version of events because it doesn't take into account the hours of research, proofreading, editing, formatting, sourcing of illustrators, creating book covers, marketing the stories, running promotions, keeping a track of downloads, and meetings about websites and future stories etc.  Phew!

I see 2012 as a milestone year for reasons beyond the obvious with losing my Dad.  I became a self published author, my first born started school and I made my debut with a local drama group.  Looking back I wonder if I crammed so much in because I wanted to show my Dad I could do it.  I know he was proud and he loved hearing about the downloads, etc.and he got to see me in my debut prancing around the stage in a fluffy bra! 

In June we had a family holiday to Majorca which didn't quite go to plan after all our cases were left off the plane!  Not the best way to start a holiday.  Then my youngest got very ill which was a worry.  It was really nice to get home!  2013 will probably find us holidaying in the UK so we can drive I imagine.

The New Year has brought a new addition to the Anastasia stories and that is the website!  It is now live and so I would like to introduce you to it.  www.anastasiabyrachaelphillips.co.uk or www.anastasiabyrachaelphillips.com  It is brand new so will have more added as time goes on.   

The photos of Kent were kindly provided by Steve Payne, a friend I have made since I began writing about Anastasia.  He takes wonderful shots of Hawkhurst and surrounding villages and countryside.  Very appropriate as Series I and II of the Anastasia stories are set mostly in Kent.  Many thanks Steve :)

There are also photos of some of the Boughton Lodge horses which is very exciting to see them in the flesh, so to speak.  More will be added in the future too. 

So what will 2013 hold?  Well, I am taking things mostly one day at a time because it is still early days in many respects with things.  I will go with the flow.  Imagination allowing, I have Anastasia Series IV to write.  This Series, like Series III, will be aimed at teenagers/young adults but will move away from the world of trafficking as Anastasia heads in pursuit of her ambition of starting up her own fashion label.  She is yearning to be a teenager with more usual pursuits but I have no doubt she will end up with her fair share of mysteries to solve.  We shall see how she gets on in the near future.  I also have more Larry the Liger stories to write.  If you haven't met him yet then you should know that his father was a lion and his mother was a tiger!  He has proved a big hit and I can't wait to see how his future goes.  I want to thank all those in the US and India as there were lots of sales in December from across the pond and some from UK.  Many thanks :)  Check out all the books on Amazon www.tinyurl.com/7pgubvz (UK) or www.tinyurl.com/bwu7rtz (US)

Well, I had better get to work I guess.  I hope you all enjoyed the stories so far and please consider leaving a review.  I'm back in the saddle and am going to work as hard as I can to realise my dreams. 

Happy New Year everyone.  I wish you all good health, peace, success and happiness.  Onto the next chapter of the journey...

Fergus responds... and recent reviews of Larry the Liger

There have been two reviews so far for Larry the Liger - The New Home and both are very much appreciated.  They are both great reviews.  One is a 5 star and, one, a 3 star.  Some of the points raised in the 3 star review are responded to below by Fergus to explain for others who may have wondered the same things :)

"Peggy A writes: 'This story is cute.  It is about a Liger (a hybrid mix between a tiger and a lion) that is trying to fit in.  The underlying message is good and the cover illustration is nice too.  The story was translated into English, and it needs some minor editorial corrections as well as some corrections for verb tenses.  I would expect a children's book to have illustrations so I've deducted one star from the rating.'

I am glad you enjoyed the story.  It was actually written in English Language by Rachael and myself.  I take your point about illustrations but we were keen to get it on sale quickly.  Illustrations can always be added later.

There are nine further ebooks in the Series.  We aim to get children writing stories, not necessarily about Ligers.  Numeracy and Literacy are still the basics of a sound education.

Children all over the world are learning English as a second language and we just hope and pray the stories will help them develop their English Language skills.

When William Blake wrote The Tiger I doubt whether any mad Maharaja had conceived a Liger or Hilaire Belloc had conceived Ponto in his poem Jim.

Tiger, tiger burning bright
In the forests of the night

Jim
Who ran away from his Nurse and was eaten by a Lion.

Fergus"

The following review is from Wee:
"5.0 out of 5 stars A great read that children will enjoy 11 Dec 2012 Format:Kindle Edition

I downloaded this free book after it was recommended to me by a friend to read when I next visit my niece. The book is an enjoyable read regardless of your age. The writer has created a phrase regarding the liger not being a lion or a tiger, cheetah or a panther which stays jn your mind long after you have finished reading the book. A great read that children wills enjoy." Please add your reviews when you get the chance.  They are a pleasure to read and really help potential buyers know if it is the book for them to download for their children.   Many thanks for the huge support with the recent free promotion.  Larry is being read worldwide and I am sure each and every reader will love him as much as I do :)
Rachael  

Larry the Liger

It's exciting to finally introduce you all to Larry the Liger: his father was a lion, his mother was a tiger!  This is the new project I am working on with Fergus.  Larry makes his debut in the first story in the Larry the Liger Series called The New Home.  This story is free until the end of today so get it downloaded and spread the word! 

In The New Home, Larry drinks too much of his mother's milk, leaving little for his brothers and sisters, and ends up abandoned outside a zoo where he is fortunate enough to be taken in by a zookeeper.  Larry's adventures begin and we meet some other characters along the way.

I love the story of The New Home and I hope you all do too.  Downloads are going amazingly well and clearly Larry is making his mark in the world.  Feedback has been excellent so far and I look forward to reading lots and lots of reviews ;)

I would have posted this blog a lot sooner however family circumstances have delayed it somewhat.  I don't want you all to miss out though so am doing it now.  Hopefully you'll have a read of this blog post before the free promotion finishes at the end of Tuesday 11th December 2012.  If you don't read this in time then consider buying Larry for a child you love or a friend who has young children.  The whole family can enjoy this story and there will be more to come.

I found a fantastic illustrator called Des Campbell through Peopleperhour.com.  That is where I got my first paid writing job with Fergus so was happy to use it to get myself an illustrator.  If anyone needs an illustrator for any project they are working on then I can highly recommend Des.  He was efficient, both in time and cost, and captured Larry's personality brilliantly. 

Thanks for reading and I hope you all love Larry.  Please leave a review once you have read the story and/or click on the 'like' button on the book page for Larry the Liger on Amazon. 

If you have children and they enjoy the story then ask them to draw Larry or a scene from the story and send it to me via my Facebook page www.facebook.com/rachaelphillipsauthor.  I will publish the best ones on my page and on my blog.

I hope you all have a good week :)

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00AHJEFWS UK
www.amazon.com/dp/B00AHJEFWS US and India
www.amazon.jp/dp/B00AHJEFWS Japan
www.amazon.fr/dp/B00AHJEFWS France
and all other Amazon territories.

Fergus responds... to a reader. Plus recent 5 star reviews..

Fergus' response to a recent communication from an Anastasia fan:

"Hannah from Ohio writes to ask where all the ideas come from and to say how much she enjoyed Anastasia-The Epic, the last story of Series III and why did it stop there?

Well it has not stopped but has taken a different direction as you will see in the first book of Series IV.

I think I am right, Hannah, in saying you are of the Amish faith and speak Pennsylvania Dutch which is really old German!

She asks of Joe and John, and whether they return to live out their days with German speakers in Kansas.  Well you will have to read Series IV.

Hannah also asks about Laszlo and Zoltan and says there was no mention at the end of The Epic.  I am sorry to report they were MIA (Missing in Action).  We are hopeful they will surface once more.

Why did it stop after The Epic?  Well to me Anastasia was very real.  I used to live every moment of it but it was emotionally draining.  What this young girl was achieving was mind blowing.  She stops baby trafficking and lady trafficking and enlists the combined services of the major powers.

You ask about the cyanide capsule.  You know your stuff Hannah.  Yes, Anastasia would have carried a cyanide pill to avoid capture and torture.  However, thankfully she is back for Series IV."

A recent review for Anastasia and the Yellow Riband which is the first story in Series III:
"5 out of 5 stars A role model for teenage girls.  
This review is from: Anastasia and the Yellow Riband (Anastasia Series III) (Kindle Edition)
Anastasia and the Yellow Riband by Rachael Phillips and Fergus Wilson does what every teenager wants ... turns ambitious dreams into reality. Most 15-year-old boys want to be James Bond ... licensed to kill. Every fifteen-year-old girl is full of dreams, and in Anastasia Romanov, despite the problems created by haemophilia, Rachael and Fergus have created a brave, dynamic, confident and effective 15-year-old who takes on the world and wins. In this episode, which opens the third series, she tackles human traffickers. They are no match for our heroine. Well worth a read for young adults looking for a commanding role model." A recent review for Anastasia Series I Omnibus: "5.0 out of 5 stars. A great read for children.I have just finished reading this series with my niece and we both really enjoyed the whole series. Anastasia along with her friend take their horses and go on lots of different crime busting adventures. Each story Anastasia rides a different horse with its own character and preferences to jumping, galloping etc.
I have now purchased series two and my niece is looking forward to seeing more adventures of Anastasia."  A recent review for Anastasia Series II Omnibus"5 out of 5 stars A series that all girls will love reading.I really enjoyed reading this series with my niece who has a new found love for horses and a continued love for adventure. This book is fun to read and really has increased my niece's thirst for knowledge where horses are concerned. Looking forward to reading the next series." Excellent reviews and so nice to receive questions from readers about Anastasia.  Please leave a review if you have read any of the stories.  Series IV is coming soon.  The journey continues...