James Hywel Books
Welcome to the little world of Albert Mouse
The Magical Misadventures of Mr Milliner
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James
From academic writer ...... to humble children's author
James describes himself as a Children’s Wordsmith, Word-pecker, Word Wizard, Imaginator, Dragon Tamer - oh, and he writes the occasional book.
James is a prolific writer, with over thirty children's books to his name. Yet he remains reluctant to take praise or compliments and always shuns the limelight.
James often says ...
'It's the story that matters, not the author.'
He lives in Oxfordshire and writes full-time.
'Isn’t it wonderful when you see your child reading a book? It’s even more amazing when you pick the book up after they have gone to bed, and love it just as much! For me, that’s the joy of writing - to offer a story that appeals to all age groups.
Reading a book will do many different things to many different people because we are all different.
As a writer, my aim is to keep readers entertained, educated, and - most of all - emotionally moved. I often get emotional as I write a story, either for the character or the storyline, and then I know that a few of my readers will do too. That keeps them turning the pages.'
James Hywel
To try and tell you where his stories come from would be impossible, and not even James can explain it. His writing process is as unorthodox and as quirky as his books are magical and mind-transporting.
He admits to being a 'Pantser' writer, just allowing the stories to come to him and writing them straight from his head. There is no plan or storyboard.
James doesn't watch the news, read newspapers or stay up-to-date with current affairs. Instead, he tries to put himself into the mind of a child, where there is an innocence with days filled with imagination and adventure.
'Children are certainly not bothered by who the current Prime Minister is or if mortgage rates are on the rise.'
'I need to be in a happy place when I write my children's stories. The last thing I need is my mind filled with doom and gloom, global disasters or celebrity gossip.'
The observant of you will know that James always leaves the same acknowledgement at the end of his books -
'As always, I am grateful to ‘Walter’ for sending me the breeze that moves the willows.'
Who Walter is, no one knows, but it may have something to do with James's reluctance to take credit for the stories he writes.
"Time is something that was invented to stop everything happening at once," said Mr Milliner.
- from The Musings of the Milliner
The Musings of the Milliner...
... is still very dear to James
James's very first children's book bursts with magic, telling the tale of two children and their quirky friendship with Mr Milliner, an enchanting figure who resides in an oak tree!
The twist is that only they can see him, which makes their mother believe they’re spinning tall tales. But when peculiar events unfold at the family home, Mrs Berwick can’t help but wonder if it's time to investigate this mysterious Mr Milliner...
There are now six books in
The Magical Misadventures of Mr Milliner
series for you to enjoy
James is currently working on two new books ...
The first story follows a Water Shrew who wakes up to discover his riverbank home has been flooded! Not only has his small wooden rowing boat vanished, but more worrying for Walter, one of his slippers appears to have gone on an adventure too - definitely not the ideal beginning to his morning!
In the second story written by James, we meet a little girl called Amèlia, who makes an unexpected discovery on the shore near her house.... a dead body!
“I wrote this story for you, but…..you are already too old for fairy tales.
But someday you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.
You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it.
I shall probably be too deaf to hear, and too old to understand.”
C. S. Lewis
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