The July edition of Dogpigeon Post (my email newsletter) has landed with a day to spare!  This edition includes, among other things, an (unexpectedly) topical children’s poem, written exclusively for newsletter readers, and an exclusive sneaky peek at my new book, which I plan to publish in the Autumn.

These are a few of the comments I received in response to the June newsletter…

‘Loved the poem!’

‘I thoroughly enjoyed your first edition. It made me chuckle over lunch – putting my dodgy homemade sandwich in jeopardy!’

‘I absolutely LOVE the rockpool poem… Could be an illustrated book in itself, really good!’

… and I didn’t even have to bribe them!.

If you haven’t already signed up for it and would like to see what I keep banging on about, please send me your email address via the comment form below (don’t worry, your details won’t be published on the website!), or email me at petarainford@gmail.com.

I am just putting together my latest newsletter, Dogpigeon Post, ready to email out next week. It includes my latest news and views (I’m sure you just can’t wait to hear them) as well as an exclusive sneak peek at my next book and an exclusive new seasidey poem for the summer hols.

If you would like to be added to the mailing list, please send your email address using the comment form below (don’t worry, your details won’t appear on the website!) or by emailing me at petarainford@gmail.com.

I hope you enjoy Dogpigeon Post!

I am very pleased to announce the three winners of my Letter Picture Challenge, for which children were asked to draw a picture out of letters, like I did in my book, Isabella, Rotten Speller.

The winners were, in no particular order (as they say in the X Factor):Grace, Age 5

Annabel, Age 5

Connor, Age 7

Well done to all three of them. They will each receive a copy of Hairy Fairy or Isabella, Rotten Speller, or my new book, which will be published later this year.

Next week I will be launching my new monthly email newsletter. It’s basically for people who like my books and want to know more about them. I’m also going to be writing and illustrating new poems and serialised stories exclusively for newsletter subscribers.

I don’t want to give too much away, but the first edition will feature this handsome chap (his name is Archie).

And a grumpy crab (his name is Crab).

At the moment I’m planning to publish the newsletter monthly, though I’m fairly open-minded about frequency, format, and pretty much everything else about it.

If you would like to receive my email newsletter, please email ‘newsletter please’ to petarainford@gmail.com.

Many thanks – I hope you enjoy it!

We had a fun day on Bank Holiday Monday at Bembridge Street Fair: sold a few copies of Hairy Fairy and Isabella, Rotten Speller;  got to meet a lot of nice people and to catch up with old friends.

Quite a few children entered my letter picture challenge on the day, but if you’re under 11 years of age it’s not too late for you to enter too (you’ve got until 1 July). Click here for more details.

I realise I’ve been a bit lacking in terms of website posts this month. That’s not because I’ve not been busy working on my books, but rather because I am the middle of two (potentially three) projects, but haven’t hit a significant milestone – for example, completion of first draft; completion of illustrations; completion of layout; signing of a six-figure publishing deal – for either (or, indeed, any) of them.

But as none of those milestones is in sight at the moment, I thought I’d just give you an update of where I’m at:

Project number one: this is my first attempt at a picture book without rhyme.

Avid readers of this blog (and they are legion) will remember I introduced the prototype illustrations for the three main characters – Jamie, Billy and Grandad – back in March.

Well I have now done 16 of the 29 pages of illustration and as soon as I finish this blog, will be cracking on with the 17th. My plan is to focus on this book now so that it is ready for publication and, (who knows?) possibly even published, before the start of the school hols.

Once I have completed the illustrations, I will need to take another close look at the words. I am finding it far harder to write in prose than rhyme: when you write a rhyming couplet, you instantly know whether it works or not; with prose, it’s far more subjective. And I keep changing my mind.

Project number two: this is my sequel to Isabella, Rotten Speller.

I am at the early stages of writing the first draft at the moment. Having just said that rhyming text is easier, I must say that the couplets aren’t exactly flying out the end of my pencil at the moment. (Yes, I am a Luddite. Yes, I do like to write with a pencil.)

My plan is to give this project a bit of quality time over the next few weeks, with a view  to having the first draft completed by the summer hols. I have some decisions to make about the way I’m going to illustrate this one – if I follow the same process I used for Isabella, you can eagerly anticipate publication some time in 2018.

Project number three: Mmmm. This is the first book I wrote and illustrated, back in 2011, and I still can’t decide whether or not to publish it. If I do, some of the illustrations may need reworking – not to mention the title: The Boy Who Snatched His Friend’s Balloon… ? Decisions, decisions.

Well that, as promised, is where I’m at. I’ll try not to leave it so long next time.

If you are on the Isle of Wight this Bank Holiday Monday, I do hope you’ll come and visit me on my stall at Bembridge Street Fair, 12 noon til four.

I will be selling copies of my rhyming picture books, Hairy Fairy and Isabella, Rotten Speller, which I am happy to sign for you (if you prefer your books defaced!) I will also be running an under-11s drawing competition with – you’ve guessed it – copies of Hairy Fairy and Isabella, Rotten Speller as prizes.

In the unlikely event that you’re not in the market for a couple of rhyming picture books, I hope you’ll still pop by the stand and say hello.