Share your writing success stories. If you subscribe to Writing Magazine and would like to feature here, email Tina Jackson, tjackson@warnersgroup.co.uk

Hospital hero

‘My first picture book The Hospital Hoppities was published earlier this year by Eyrie Press after a Kickstarter campaign encouraging people to pledge to donate copies to their local hospital, or hospice,’ writes subscriber Charlotte Hartley-Jones.

‘The Hospital Hoppities is about a young boy called Ollie and his adventure with magic rabbits who work in hospitals and help keep the cogs of the hospital greased and working well! I wanted to make sure a range of medical “kit” was shown in the illustrations to help children feel “seen” in the pages of the book. Even though the text doesn’t mention nasal-gastric tubes, central lines, drip stands, IV medication, wheelchairs or prosthetic limbs, all are shown in the illustrations. The illustrator Anjalee Burrows did a fantastic job showing Ollie with a nasal-gastric tube and a central line as the hero of the story in a helping role rather than a dependent one.

‘The book is for any child as the story is one of magic and adventure but as it is set in hospital it is especially good for children who have to spend time in hospital, or those who know children who have to go to hospital. I wrote the book because one of my children spent his first five months in hospital and ever since then we’ve been in and out a lot. During our time spent on the wards I was struck by how much of a community the hospital is and when we spend time there we have contact with people working in the shops, cafe, car park, and the volunteers and cleaners as well as the nurses, doctors, surgeons, anaesthetists and play workers and I wanted to write a book that captured all of this community as well as reflecting some of my son’s medical issues.

‘So far there are some lovely reviews on Amazon and Goodreads and I’m hoping to see more soon. I love it when people send me pictures of their children reading it in hospital. Some organisations have asked if they can buy copies in bulk for children and families and I’d encourage anyone interested in doing this to contact the publishers directly about how to do this for discount options (www.eyriepress.co.uk/books/the-hospitalhoppities/). It would be great to get more copies to as many children who could benefit from it as possible.’

Website: www.charlottehartleyjones.com

A thrilling flatshare

‘I’m delighted to announce the publication of The Roommates, my third novel with HarperCollins,’ writes subscriber Rachel Sargeant.