Miss Ruby Heart is a golden red King Charles spaniel, who is sadly a little ghost puppy. Her guardian is the magical longcase clock Grandfather Time. Together this unusual pair like to tell stories in rhythm and rhyme. They love reading and wish to share their joy with children, young readers and those simply young at heart.
During a recent blog interview I was asked about what inspires me to write, and I gave the example of ‘The Magic of Grandfather Time’ which came about after I won 1st prize in a seasonal short story competition with my entry ‘The Magic of Grandfather Christmas’.
Original Inspiration
I was originally inspired to write this story when I became interested in how the ‘Grandfather Clock’ got its name.
In my local library I found a wonderful book and the quote that stands out for me is this:
‘A grandfather clock has a face and a voice. As its name suggests, it is more than a piece of furniture; it is a member of the family’
Richard C.R. Barder 1983
(The book was ‘English Country Grandfather Clocks’)
After a great deal more research both through books and websites I discovered a fascinating song. ‘Grandfather’s Clock’ written by Henry Clay Work…
This little teaser is shared by Miss Ruby Heart. We are so excited to be working on our first Picture Book the story of course already existed as ‘Young Ebenezer ~ A New Christmas Carol’ by Rose English.
Young Ebenezer is not very caring and he really hates sharing, can a magical clock ~ Grandfather Time. Plus a ghost puppy ~ Miss Ruby Heart help the boy to mend his ways?
We recently discovered a talented illustrator on Fiverr and we loved his style. Pablo from Venezuela is currently working on some of our characters, about half the images have been paid for already. However, we are looking to try a Kickstarter campaign to raise the funds to complete the pictures and get the book formatted so we can publish in time for Christmas (yes you did read that correctly CHRISTMAS).
When self~publishing it takes a great deal of time and effort to get a book out into the world. Watch this space more news coming soon. Thank you for visiting.
So here is the original short story that won 1st prize in an online short story competition back in 2014 all this lead to the character of Grandfather Time. Happy Reading Book Lovers
As you can see I’ve been playing once again, throwing sparkles at my original book cover for ‘The Magic of Grandfather Christmas’ .
I have however managed to complete my final edit (hopefully) its with a few of my author friends having a final check over.
Here is a little taster
The Magic of Grandfather Christmas
”Bo-ing”
Christmas Eve 1880, Grandfather, with an air of solemnity, begins to chime out the hour of midnight. Even at a majestic height of 8ft, he is currently hidden in a blackened corner of the parlour; his presence felt through the day only by his sad, mournful ticking. Grandfather has always had an air of magic surrounding him, bestowed upon him by Old Father Time himself, but until now there has never been a need to use it.
The fire is dwindling, its embers barely bright enough to…
Hello Book Lovers, it has been a while (work and the real world getting in the way). So as I am meeting lots of new people, especially over on Instagram and from the Writing Community in general I thought it about time to do a little introduction.
I am Rose English first and foremost a Read~a~holic 📚📖📚📖
Reading across many different genre I feel like I am returning to my childhood with a great passion for Children’s Books especially Picture Books. I literally swoon over the illustrations. There are so many wonderful artists out there in the world.
I am an aspiring Indie Author dabbling in short stories poetry (or poems which rhyme, I struggle reading freeverse ) and stories for children. You can check out my eclectic collection over on my Amazon Page Rose English.
#WIP ‘A Christmas Carol with Grandfather Time’
My #WIP is a picture book of ‘A Christmas Carol with Grandfather Time’ a re-telling of the Charles Dickens classic but for little ones. Young Ebenezer is not very caring and he hates sharing can a magical clock and a ghost puppy help the boy to mend his ways?
I am looking to do a #kickstarter event in the coming months to raise funds to get a larger print run on paperback and hardback versions. Perhaps some of you lovely readers might like to Pre-Order copies to help me reach my target once the page goes live (currently not set as I have to work out costs of posting around the globe). Watch this space or check out my other social media platforms I tend to post more about children’s books on instagram @MissRubyHeart1. Please drop by and say hi.
More About Rose
My real name is Susan but as a child I had a mini library in the garden shed (library tickets included and removed from kids not returning books on time. Or it does not bear thinking about returning a book with damage!) I imagined being a writer named Rose English with books shelved under ‘E for English Rose‘ (no one can pronounce my surname S’ari – Shari of Hungarian origin). So that is where my pen name came from.
🥼🧬🔬🧪 I love Science and attained a BSc Honours Degree in Biomedical Science which focuses on how cells, organs and systems function in the human body. Along with lots of genetics and many new technologies and advancements in the medical industry in general.
📖 📚My favourite job was School Librarian in a secondary school in Ludlow South Shropshire (a beautiful part of the country). However, life is like a book and with a turn of the page one chapter ended and a new one began📚📖
💊🩹🩺🚑 I now work in a very different library one in my local NHS hospital checking medical equipment in and out (it pays the bills). Wye Valley NHS Trust Herefordshire.
📖 📚 Reading is my passion and I have a little sidekick named Miss Ruby Heart a character from my first published story ‘The Magic of Grandfather Christmas ‘ (it won 1st Prize in an online competition around 2014). It was published in a small anthology ‘Seasonal, Sweet, and Suspenseful’ This short story was then turned into the begining of a series called ‘The Magic of Grandfather Time’ for older readers.
To celebrate Halloween Young Ebenezer ~ Confronts the School Bully by Rose English will be on a special Kindle Countdown Promo. Commencing Friday 28th October until Monday 31st October 2022. Only 99c/99p
Blurb
A Halloween treat, much better than sweets.
A time for candy and costumes, pumpkins and ‘Trick or Treat’. But beware of the bully lurking just down the street.
Ebenezer is really excited! It’s his first Halloween to go out ‘Trick or Treating’. Jacob Marley is excited too, but this school bully plans to steal all the kids’ sweets.Can Eb and his friends, along with the magical clock Grandfather Time teach Jacob the error of his ways? Or is the boy doomed to a life of crime, just like his wicked father?
The story of ‘Ebenezer and the Bully’ is a magical rhyming tale of behaviour matters, and the importance of being kind. It’s a treat for families to share or for reading alone, aimed at children aged 8-12 years old. With characters loosely based around the Charles Dickens classic ‘A Christmas Carol’, you’ll meet the Ghost of Christmas Past – a golden red puppy named Miss Ruby Heart – along with the Grim Reaper who will surprise Jacob by revealing his future self.
Book Teaser for ‘Young Ebenezer’
Check out more books by Rose English via link below.
Read~a~holic 