Shelagh Watkins
Shelagh Watkins was born in Lancashire, UK and graduated from the University of Leeds before moving to Scotland, where she completed a course in Information Technology at the University of Glasgow. Shelagh's first children's novel, Mr. Planemaker's Flying Machine was published in 2005. The same year, one of her poems was chosen for inclusion in the anthology, Stories of Strength. In 2007, Shelagh's first short story was published in the English version of the Greek science fiction and fantasy magazine, Universe Pathways.
Contents
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.
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 When Emmelisa becomes increasingly withdrawn and unhappy.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.
Stories of Strength
In October 2005, one of Shelagh's poems, Hope for a Safer Place, was chosen for inclusion in the anthology Stories of Strength, which was written in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to help raise money for Disaster Relief charities.
Universe Pathways Magazine
Leo's Daughter: Mistress of the WebShelagh's first short story was accepted by Universe Pathways Magazine in March 2007. Issue 5 of the English magazine with her story inside can be previewed on lulu.com:
Shelagh's story, Leo's Daughter: Mistress of the Web, is on page 167.
Issue 5 of the English magazine can be found here:
Universe Pathways: Issue 5
The Published Authors Network
Shelagh Watkins set up PublishedAuthors.ning.com on Ning.com
