Ealing journalist lands lucrative publishing deal

AN EALING journalist is celebrating after landing a major publishing deal for a series of children's books.

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My London

00:00, 12 JUL 2010
Updated15:57, 30 SEP 2013

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AN EALING journalist is celebrating after landing a major publishing deal for a series of children's books.

Sarah Harris, 38, will launch two new children's series with Tick Tock Books, a huge achievement for the first-time author.

The freelance journalist, who is married with two sons, James, three, and Luke, 18 months, said: "I can't wait to see my books in print.

"I've been trying to get published for years so it's very exciting to finally achieve my ambition."

The first series of four books begins mid-July with Prince Jasper the Unhelpful, which is about a hapless prince who loves to help but always gets into lots of scrapes.

The books, which are written under Sarah's pen name S J Harris, are aimed at five to eight-year-olds and illustrated by Andy Catling.

Sarah, who is also a previous winner of the Scholastic/Independent Story of the Year competition said: "The idea for Prince Jasper came to me before I had my children, when a friend remarked that she ran late every morning because her son liked to 'help' her tidy the house.

"Now I have my own children I can see what she means.

"James is always keen to help out, but his ideas of helping aren't always the same as mine.

"He helps put the clean washing away by wearing it on his head while Luke helps unload the dishwasher by throwing everything on the floor and climbing inside it."

Primary school visits and appearances at bookstores are already being planned in the Ealing area.

Sarah is also speaking at Chiswick Literature Festival on September 18.

Prince Jasper the Unhelpful has already received a rave review from the Daily Mail's Sally Morris.

The second four-book series with Tick Tock Books, called Pirate Secrets, is being launched in 2011.

The books follow a band of pirate brothers - Captains Orangebeard, Yellowbeard, Redbeard and Blackbeard - who are all hiding secrets

Prince Jasper the Unhelpful is published by Tick Tock Books and priced at £4.99. It is available from bookstores including Waterstone's, WHSmith and The Owl and the Pussycat in Northfields Avenue, Ealing.

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