Jimmy Crikey's Adventures
Jimmy Crikey is the orphaned alien who chose to live on Earth, even though the means existed to get back to Attalia in a starship.
Once bullied beyond endurance, Jimmy developed his abilities to protect his new home from the dangers that threatened.
He overcame every hurdel in his path by thinking of how to defeat whatever lay in his path using his intelligence. He rarely used violence, only as a last resort.
Jimmy's adventures have continued over a series of four books and the fifth, possibly the last, is in early stages but targetted to be published before year end.
I do hope the kids enjoy the stories and try to emulate JImmy's characteristics which first and foremost include 'do no harm' if at all possible.
Jimmy is the boy who just does not fit in. He is bullied by the school children because he looks different. His head is crowned with a bright red shock of hair with big blue eyes, a small snub nose and pointed ears. But his feet - they were simply enormous. Jimmy runs away to escape the taunts.
Gemma is also different. She is the little lady Jimmy rescued from the bottom of the well in Roombelow but didn't know how she got there. She was marooned in the well when Matilda the witch cast the sleeping spell over the town. Gemma and Jimmy become great friends.
JADE
Jimmy's adventures have grown even as Jimmy matured into the hero he became as he grew up. His confidence in his own abilities was matched by his increasing circle of friends many of whom have elements of magic at their disposal.
Gemma has been reunited with her family in Lithnia in their cave-world habitat.
Matilda the head witch detected a trace of mystical abilities in Gemma's niece, Jade. Jade's mother Zeea, wife of Max Xander, is persuaded that Jade should be allowed to fulfill her dreams of becoming a fully fledged witch. As a result Jade left home to live with Matilda in Roombelow, while she studied the intricasies of witchcraft under Matilda's tutelage.
The initial downside is that Jade's youthful exhuberance was often responsible for her many mis-spells and Jimmy was the one most frequently at the wrong end of the wand. Jade loved Jimmy with all her heart and he was adopted into the Xander family as Jade's honorary Uncle. Jimmy always forgave Jade's errors and in the fifth book in the series, possibley the last, Jade takes centre stage as she strives to complete her induction into the sisterhood of the witch guardians of Earth.
As an author of children’s books it is necessary to get into the mind of your characters to have conversations that allow the character to come alive. But, I was totally taken by surprise when one of my characters initiated the conversation. It went something like this:
"Dear Mr Writer, am I dying?"
Dear Jade, whatever made you ask that?
"Because you haven't written a single word about me for ages and ages."
That’s because I have just finished my fourth Jimmy Crikey story and if I don’t advertise it and promote it no one will know about your story. Writing the story is the ‘easy’ part, relatively. It’s what comes next that determines how many people read your story. It takes a lot of time and my funds to promote are limited.
"But if you don’t write another story boys and girls will forget about me and that’s worse than being dead."
Jade, you and Jimmy and Matilda and Gemma will never die. Your names are written in a story book that will always be available and when someone is looking for a bedtime story for their child, they could find your story and tell it all over again.
"What if no one ever finds my story?"
Once your story was born it will live forever. New ideas never die. They are just waiting for someone to come along and pick up your story and excite the imagination of the next boy or girl. It may even be that another writer will stumble across your story, floating around in the ether, and he or she may think they have created a new character. But that character will always be you, Jade. So, stop your worrying, even if I cannot find the time or the patience to write more stories Jade the apprentice witch will never die.
"Where will my next adventure take me?"
Oh, Jade! If I only knew.
"Well, I don’t want to be an apprentice witch for much longer."
That is one thing I do know. You will graduate with honours and be even more powerful than Matilda.
"Really?"
Really, God be willing, and protect us all.
An author has to take to his characters, in order to get to know them but I earlier this year I was floored when one of my characters initiated the conversation. It was Jade, the young niece of Gemma, was concerned that because I wasn’t writing about her, she would die. Long story – short. I was moved by the normally ebullient Jade to begin writing the next adventure story in the Jimmy Crikey series.
To satisfy the young witch acolyte I was persuaded to start writing the next chapter of her life. It’s not coming easily but Jade keeps pushing.
“What is the title of my book, Mr Writer?”
I don’t have a title yet, Jade. I have hardly written two chapters but it’s not just about you.
“But you will write more. Won’t you?”
How can I not?
“You have to give it a title.”
That’s true, Jade. But let me write it first. Please
And a little more of the story took shape. Apparently not fast enough to satisfy Jade.
Jade! Be patient. I can hardly squeeze a recognisably literary sentence out of my 'pen' today. I am melting in the heat, even with three fans blowing the air around in the lounge, across the faces of the three occupants. I am surprised that anything legible is making its way onto the page, but I am still trying to add to the account of your task in the Sky Islands. I am a little surprised that Matilda has enough confidence in your abilities to entrust the safety of the Sky Islanders into your inexperienced hands. The winds have risen to tornado strength. The six islands are in danger of tearing apart and if they do everyone will be lost.
And this is only the second hurdle that will test Jade before she can be accepted into the coven as a full blown witch. Will she fail so soon at this early stage?
The more you like her efforts the more likely it is that she may succeed. Show Jade some support.
Apprentice witch, Jade, is starting to get out of hand.
"Why are you not writing today?" She demands.
She, Gemma and Jimmy are the loves of my life, after my wife, but there are more demands on my time than she seems able to imagine. Life continues to throw me several curve balls simultaneously and it takes an age to find the answers.
Jade, I haven't forgotten how important it is for you to gain your permanent wand, this year if possible. All I can do is promise that I will do everything in my power to get your story out before year end. Be patient and stop muttering spells under your breath. If you put a hex on me your book might never get written.
That's better. Now smile. You don't look good wearing a frown.