COVID lockdown hasn’t been all bad. In my case, spending so much time at home allowed me to work on a dream project I’d been messing around with for a few years. That project being a children’s middle grade fantasy story called Jem and the Yumboes.
The story of Jem and her adventure with the mysterious Yumboes swirled into my head many years ago. The plot wasn’t planned out. (I’ve discovered I’m more of a “by the seat of my pants” type of writer.) Nothing wrong with that, I guess, but it does feel a little reckless at times. Perhaps a little like Jem herself!
The Main Characters
I had an idea of the kind of characters I’d like to include, though. Here’s a teeny bit more about them:
Jem
Jem, the main protagonist is curious, clever and clumsy, but is she brave? She thinks she isn’t scared of anything. Is that true? Once away from the protection of her family, Jem is thrust into situations where she is forced to find her courage.
The Yumboes
The Yumboes themselves were interesting to research. The mythology positions Yumboes as African fairies, yet the Harry Potter Wiki states they are house-elves. I based my descriptions of Yumboes on the limited material I found on the Internet.
Some of that mythology and folklore was interesting indeed. I especially liked that the Yumboes steal corn and fire from humans, being unable to make it themselves. I made sure to build that into the story. They are also known to serve guests wonderful food at special banquets. The illustration on the left by Stephen Wallace depicts this (and more, but you’ll have to read the book to find out.)
Cutenpaw
Who doesn’t love dogs? I always wanted to write a story with a flying dog in it. In my mind, having wings could only make them even cooler! I based Cutenpaw’s character on my own rescue dog, Toby, who sadly made the trip to Rainbow Bridge last year.
The Villain – Bozoneer
I can’t give too much away here, but Bozoneer’s name is derived from the word “Sneer”. Every good fantasy story deserves a good villain. Bozoneer is certainly one to be reckoned with, together with his evil henchmen: Claw-Scale and Fork-Tail.
The wyvern – Viridianux
Wyverns are dragons found in Africa, and yes, there’s one in this story. They are the largest of all dragons and only have two legs. Their European counterparts are the ones with four legs. I wanted my dragon to add a bit of a twist to the story. I’m not saying anything more…
The setting
An African forest (well, mostly). What could be more atmospheric and also pretty scary to be wandering around in at night? By using this setting, I was able to indulge my love of nature and also include some of the really cool animals found in this environment. I had such an adventure writing this book – my first middle grade story.
One of my favourite moments was seeing the cover for the first time. It was so perfect in every way. I almost couldn’t believe it!
Click here to read the newsflash about the cover reveal.
Jem and the Yumboes is available as an e-book on Amazon.
You can also view my book catalogue on this website for more information about my books.
І could not refrain from commenting. Рerfеctly written!