Emma Right: The Princesses of Chadwick

Guest Post by Emma Right

Some of you may already know me (Emma Right), but for those new to my series, I’ll provide a brief recap of myself and the children’s and young adult books I write.

First, I’m a homeschool mother. I have been doing it for about two decades now. Started when my son, now happily married and working, was only three. I still have four more under our roof, and our youngest is ten years old. So, probably another eight more years to go before the homeschool journey ends. Phew! It’s been a long road (but with many happy memories).

Why did I start writing? We did a lot of read-alouds throughout the school years, and I found that my children not only enjoyed this time together, but I, too, looked forward to the discussions and the moments we talked about some of the characters and plots of the books I’d read to them. Sometimes I’d read the whole book to the children. Other times, I’d ask them to read parts. It was fun and gave them a chance to put on different voices as they pretended to be the characters they were reading about.

I actually wrote two of my series as read-alouds—the Keeper of Reign Series and now the Princesses of Chadwick Castle Series.

Why a read-aloud series?

After about a decade of reading aloud, we ran out of good books to read. Don’t get me wrong, there are thousands still available, but most were not written for young adults (10-17), and some were just too “heavy”. Also, even though I enjoyed the classics, not all children, especially those living in a different era from us and accustomed to fast-paced stories, can bear to listen to pages of Dickens’ descriptions of fog in Bleak House, for instance.

So I thought of writing stories for our kids. They enjoyed them, and so I wrote more. Just kiddie stuff –ones I wouldn’t even dream of publishing. But this gave the fruit to my first series, Keeper of Reign (free now on Amazon as a download), and the rest, as they say, is history.

How did the Princesses of Chadwick Castle come to be?

Fast forward six years (last year), and suddenly, “Princess” themes became popular. I’m a bit partial to princess-type stories myself. I’d also been hooked on the Downton Abbey Series—not recommended for children, but interesting for adults. Thus, my writing is a princess tale about two royal sisters living in a 19th-century castle in England. It’s a sort of Downton Abbey for girls, minus all the R-rated drama.

But there’s still drama in it, of course. And adventure. But still, at the back of my mind, I wanted this to be a book a mother or father could read to their children (ages 6-12) and have all the listening kids enjoy the fast-paced mystery.

But as a historical adventure, is “a princess” tale enough? Even with all the mystery and intrigue?

I didn’t want to just write a chapter book. I wanted it so moms and their kids could look at pictures as the story unfolded—sort of like a cross between a chapter book (novella for kids) and a picture book, so both the eleven-year-old and the seven-year-old could enjoy the reading at the same time.

I’d always loved the artwork, pieces from master artists that graced the walls of museums. We have several of those Art books lying around the house. Some of the images, though, were inappropriate for children. Also, I wanted the kids to have exposure to good art, not just splashes of oil paint people throw on a canvas.

So I started scouring Google images for art that had entered the public domain. And I mean hundreds of hours of scouring! I pinned them on Pinterest, and when I was ready, I combed through the pinned artwork and picked those that could be interwoven into my princess stories. Then I reworked the tale so the pictures could make sense and gel with the words on the pages. But I didn’t just use the art pieces whole, although I did for some of them.

Most of the paintings were cropped, and I’d capture the details of a sleeve, the hem of a brocade gown, finger-pointing, or a fallen tiara. Do you get the picture? (Pun, intended). I wanted the readers to see the pain and attentiveness the artists had gone through to give them the art.

Truly, I hope that young readers and their parents, teachers, or caregivers, who are reading to them, can appreciate the art pieces. At the end of each book, I also feature an artist.

It was a painstaking process to procure the right images and get the image sizes correct, and so forth. But perhaps, long after the story may have lost its charm—through over-reading, hopefully—the artwork could still hold appeal, and inspire the children.

However, because I’ve grown to love the characters of the two princesses, Elle and Belle, I’ve started on a second series that will hold its own set of mystery and intrigue. While the Princess Castle Series explores art and introduces readers to a particular artist at the end of each book, the second series will feature write-ups on ballet stories, such as Giselle and Swan Lake, among others.

Additionally, I recognize that as a relatively new author, readers may be hesitant to invest in the Princess Castle Books. So I’ve made it easy for everyone. The first book, While Princesses Sleep, is available for download in three formats (Kindle, Nook, and pdf) if you go to the emmaright.com site; the second book, Beaded Dresses Mystery, is free for three days in April on Amazon, and the third book, Lady With the Circlet, will be gifted to all entrants in the Kindle Fire HD Giveaway I am hosting this month. (Check the giveaway link below to win a Kindle Fire HD.)

In case you don’t have time to read aloud, consider this free alternative.

I am excited about the audiobook for the first book, While Princesses Sleep. A British voiceover artist professionally read it. The story, after all, is set in a 19th-century English castle. For those who write a review, please email me, and I will send you the MP3 recording for free! I hope the children will enjoy this feature. They can listen and follow the story with their book—ebook or paperback. There are eight books in all. It’d only take thirty minutes for moms to read each one. Perhaps a bit longer if they linger over the pictures.

Synopsis of While Princesses Sleep, Book 1 of The Princesses of Chadwick Castle Series

While Princesses Sleep: Princesses of Chadwick Castle Adventure, Book 1 (Princess Castle Adventure Mystery Series) is a tale of two royal sisters who are princesses.

The Princesses of Chadwick Castle Adventure is an eight-book series set in 19th-century England. The adventure revolves around the sisters, Elle, age 12, and Belle, 10. It’s great for readers who love Cinderella-type fairy tales and European princess stories.

While Princesses Sleep opens with Princess Elle discovering a strange sound in the night, she becomes curious. She determines the reason for these mysterious noises, starting an adventure with her sister, Belle. Something is afoot at the castle, and they must find out what this is. However, finding the truth behind the secrets they stumble upon leads them to strange answers. What sort of trouble will the princesses get themselves into?

Titles in The Princesses of Chadwick Castle Adventure Mystery Series:

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