Shelagh Watkins

I'm Shelagh (that's the Irish form of Sheila!) I was born in Lancashire, UK and graduated from the University of Leeds before I moved to Scotland, where I completed a course in Information Technology at the University of Glasgow. I have many interests, including artwork, computing, reading and writing. My first novel, Mr. Planemaker's Flying Machine, was published in 2005. The book, which is available from all the online bookstores, was serialised on radio during May-July (daily excerpts on Preston FM's Chat City with weekly forty minute omnibus on Sundays. Listeners who would like a copy of the book can buy an e-book on mobipocket: http://www.mobipocket.com/en/eBooks/eBookDetails.asp?BookID=78501 Paperback available at half the Amazon price here: http://www.lulu.com/content/6134857

Mr. Planemaker's Flying Machine

Mr. Planemaker's Flying Machine is a story of flight, fantasy, adventure and courage. Although Emmelisa Planemaker is a strong-willed little girl, she misses her dad, who died when she was only five years old.

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Emmelisa and her brother Dell have a happy and carefree life until their father becomes ill and is forced to retire at the age of forty-three.

After retirement, Mr. Planemaker decides to build a scaled, model airplane because he wants to build something lasting for his children but he dies before completing the task.

Three years later, Emmelisa is being seriously bullied at school by a group led by the notorious school bully, Mayja Troublemaker. When Emmelisa becomes increasingly withdrawn and unhappy, she seeks help and advice through the computer her father had used to locate specialist model aircraft companies in his quest to build a model airplane.

The computer is more than just a computer and full of surprises: Mr. A. Leon Spaceman being one of them! He guides the two children to Hardwareland, where they train to become astronauts and take on an extraordinary mission into space: to follow their father's TRAIL OF LIGHT.

Mr. Planemaker's Flying Machine was a top ten finisher in the book art category of the Preditors & Editors Readers' Poll 2005.



My second novel, The Power of Persuasion, is on the list for Wales Book of the Year, an annual prize administered by the Welsh Academy:
Yr Academi Gymreig – The Welsh Academy is the Welsh National Literature Promotion Agency and Society of Writers. The Academi runs events, courses, competitions (including the Cardiff International Poetry Competition run with the support of Cardiff Council and offering a first prize of £5000), conferences (see details of the forthcoming Belfast Meets Wales conference here), tours by authors, lectures, international exchanges, events for schools, readings, literary performances and festivals. The Academi is also responsible for Services to Writers and now offers bursaries, critical advice and administers the annual Wales Book of the Year award.

The novel is very tongue-in-cheek and full of humour and is now available on Lulu.com:
http://www.lulu.com/content/2048817

Forever Friends

In September 2008, I published an anthology of short stories and poems written by members of the Published Authors Forum: http://publishedauthors.org
The cover for the anthology finished second in the Preditors & Editors Readers' Poll 2008. final results


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