Worthing author continues the adventures of Stikki the Squirrel

Jane, aged 75, said: “Stikki the Squirrel: Tree Spirits is book two in the Stikki the Squirrel Series. The book continues the enchanting tale of a grey squirrel called Stikki, his mate Rella, and their four slightly-scatty kits, and the woodland animals the squirrel family befriends.”

It is aimed at a reading age eight to 12.

Jane promises a “tale of mystery, danger, and the wonders of magic found in the most unexpected places. Set in midwinter, among the trees of the magnificent Hazy Hills Wood, the exciting story begins. The imaginative descriptive content with its intriguing easy to follow plot, enchanting surprises, relatable animal characters, subtle humour, and of course friendships, are sure to appeal to children of all ages as you peek into my enchanting world of animal adventures.

“Like all new writing projects, planning and careful structuring of your plot is key to a successful beautifully-flowing story and memorable world-building. My unique illustrated animal characters, hand-drawn in pen and ink will help young children to visualise the scene, sparking delight and enthusiasm to join in and read aloud with a parent or grandparent. Which in turn, may help to foster a love of reading.

“My story is about nature, our countryside and its woodlands and carries a gentle message about caring and protecting our wildlife and the habitat in which the animals strive to live.

“Following the success of Stikki the Squirrel, book one, I felt Stikki had more exciting adventures to experience, which inspired me to write another heartfelt story about Stikki, his mate Rella, their four growing kits and all their woodland friends.

“Stikki the Squirrel: Tree Spirits, book two, continues from Stikki the Squirrel, book one. Except the season has moved on and winter with all its challenges has settled in Hazy Hills Wood. I enjoyed writing this story immensely, the creation of each of my little characters, and to witness their evolving personalities was a sheer joy.

“Stikki the Squirrel: Tree Spirits is book two in the series though it can be read as a standalone but for continuity I believe it would be more enjoyable to read the books in sequence. You will get to know the characters and see the young squirrels grow up as they experience life away from home and forge a new life for themselves.

“I have written four books, two for young adults to adult readers and two illustrated children’s books.

“Stikki the Squirrel, book one, is my first children’s book, for children aged seven-11. Having said that, many older readers have commented how much they have enjoyed reading the book. I always enjoy engaging with my readers and receiving their comments.

“I didn’t start writing until I was in my sixties. I’ve been an avid reader all my life so in retrospect my life-long love of all the incredible books I have read eventually challenged me to create my own thrilling, heartfelt stories, and here they are. I hope you all enjoy my wonderful animal adventure stories for all ages.”

The book has received a five-star editorial review and the coveted Gold Book Award from The Literary Titan.