LET’S GET THIS BOOK SERIES IN THE HANDS OF 1000 TWEENS AND MAKE A DENT IN BULLYING PREVENTION! 

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This is a pro-literacy, pro-history, pro-science, and pro-magical fantasynovel series with anti-bullying themes about children who use their intelligence, critical thinking, advanced reading skills and self-directed learning styles to solve problems. Through this journey, they build self-acceptance and confidence in their talent and passions, and send a message to young readers to help them do the same.

INTRODUCTION

ANNE HAWKSMOOR: TIME IN THE TOWER

London (Set in the present day and in 1548)

11 year old Anne Hawksmoor is a shy girl from Chicago with a vivid imagination. She develops a passion for reading as she finds daily refuge from girls who’ve been bullying here after school, by hiding out at a Chicago Public Library.  There she discovers her love for history, especially of the English monarchy. Every summer since Anne was 7, she would visit her Aunt Marjorie in England. Marjorie lives at Hawksmoor Cottage, their ancestral home in Greenwich, just outside of London, England. This summer trip, however, would be very different for Anne. It was the first time that her arrogant, competitive and wildly talkative 12 year old cousin Claire would be staying with Aunt Marjorie – at the same time as Anne!

Anne and Claire are forced to dress up in musty, ancient costumes from the Hawksmoor Cottage attic for their visit to the first annual ‘Elizabethan Day’ Event at the Tower of London. They sneak away from the tour group and climb up one of the remote tower stairwells, and to their absolute surprise, are mysteriously transported back in time, to 1548! There they meet 10 year old King Edward VI, the sickly, yet brave and adventurous child Monarch of England; and his 12 year old attendant James. The four embark on an epic journey to find Anne and Claire a way back home.

This novel series is fictional, yet captures the spirit of a very real girl –  my dear god-daughter, an imaginative child with a voracious appetite for reading and a true fascination with stories of the English, French and Spanish monarchy.  The novel series also delves into the rarely explored life of the real Edward VI, son of the infamous King Henry VIII. King Edward VI ascended to the throne at age nine, and reigned from 1547 – 1553. In addition, Anne’s character is thefictional descendant of the real historical character Nicholas Hawksmoor.Hawksmoor was a brilliant 17th century architect who worked on buildings including Chelsea Hospital, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Hampton Court Palace and Greenwich Hospital. For readers aged 10-16, and beyond!

This is a pro-literacy, pro-history, pro-science, and pro-magical fantasy novel series with anti-bullying themes about children who use their intelligence, critical thinking, advanced reading skills and self-directed learning styles to solve 2 imminent problems – to find out who is trying to hurt King Edward VI; and to get Anne and Claire back home. Along the way Anne, Claire, James and young King Edward encounter characters such as an ancient dragon and a woodland King, among others. The series is a truly magical historical fiction and will be a joy to read. If this is the type of book you liked reading as a child, or would like to give to your children, nieces, nephews or grandchildren, please support this project. Let’s do this together!

The Novel Series that is “Anne Hawksmoor: Time in the Tower”

BOOK ONE: Anne and Claire travel back to the year 1548 in the Tower of London and meet King Edward VI and his attendant James. They soon learn that a member of the royal family, hungry to take power from the young King, has been using a village witch to cast a spell that makes young Edward ill. Anne, Claire and James follow the initial evidence pointing to a relative, Edward’s half-sister Mary, only to realize she is an unsuspecting pawn! They work their way through a maze of clues in an attempt to find the culprit.

BOOK TWO: Missing home, and not wanting their family and Aunt Marjorie to worry about what may have happened to them, Anne and Claire get assistance from Edward and James to try to return home. The four leave the Tower of London on a journey to recover the magic button that sent them back in time.

BOOK THREE: Finally back home in the present day, Anne and Claire’s 8 year old cousin John steals the button and sneaks back in time. The two must now find another way back to the past, and scour through the attic and writing chest of their ancestor Nicholas Hawksmoor to find (or make!) a way back.

BEYOND BOOK THREE… more to come!

Why I’ve come to Kickstarter for Funding 

Over the last three years, I’ve spent countless hours writing about Anne Hawksmoor, as her adventures with King Edward VI played out and evolved in my mind’s eye. I’ve completed Book 1 in the series, and have all the detailed character descriptions and narrative descriptions for the first three books. I’m looking for Kickstarter funding to complete the novel series, for the professional support services of an editor and illustrator, and to publish, distribute and promote, so these books can be a worldwide success.

I’ve received the following estimates (these were the lowest quotes) to get the 3-novel series to the international market the right way:

• Illustrations and cover art (and usage/merchandising rights) –  $7,500
• Editing and copyrighting services – $9,000
• Production (first 1000 soft-cover copies and e-book files) – $11,000+
• Distribution, marketing and promotion services – $11,000+
• Total (minimum cost) - $38,500.00

I have about $19,000 of my own savings to put towards this writing project,  soI’m looking for $19,500 in Kickstarter funds to produce and promote the first 1000 copies of a high quality end product – the three-volume novel series.  The more you support this project beyond this minimum goal, the more I can add to marketing, promotions and even more illustrations in the final books. The reward packages go from $1 right up to $5,000, so please support at a level that works for you. If you’re unable to support this project, please help by spreading the word via Facebook, Twitter or by emailing the project link to your friends and family. And for those of you who are insanely rich (*smiles*), if you can envision the power, historical significance and true potential of this series, and if you feel compelled to help me beyond the $5,000 level, I would be most appreciative.

I’m so excited, and so humbled, to have this opportunity to finally share Anne Hawksmoor with the world. With your help. Thank you Kickstarters!

About the Author

My name is KC Harry. I grew up in a Christian home, and was raised in a family and culture where a solid education and a secure, respectable job was most valued. My father was a policeman, and my mom was a homemaker with a talent for clothing design and dressmaking, which she did in her spare time as we were growing up. Each of my siblings have had careers in the public or non-profit sector (e.g. US Armed Forces, DMV, Canadian provincial government). As a child, my teachers felt I was gifted, and so I was always encouraged and pushed (positively) to reach my goals, yet I had no idea what those goals were. So I went along with our family values. I received scholarships at University, and completed an Honors Bachelors in Science, and an MBA, specializing in Information Systems, with a minor in Human Resources. I worked in public sector, and later decided to keep on the education track and start my doctorate. I completed my doctoral seminars, wrote and passed my comprehensive exams, published several academic works with my professors, and presented at various Canadian and UK conferences. (I’d be happy to share links to my published works and conference proceedings. They are great for bed-time reading).

But… something was missing for me. Somewhere along the line, I realized I was just blindly taking the path I felt that others wanted me to take because I had the ability/intelligence. Don’t get me wrong. I love my family and our core values, the work I do, and the contributions I make in public service. I realized, however, that I was more than a solid career or a good education. Deep inside me was a fiction author in embyro, begging to be born. So I left my doctorate program, continued working in public sector, continued providing career coaching part time, and started writing. In private. And now, that writer in embryo is ready to reveal its first baby: Anne Hawksmoor. I hope you enjoy getting to know Anne once this series is published.

Debts of Gratitude go to:

• Aidana WillowRaven for supplying a beautiful existing watercolour drawing which I truly feel depicts my Anne; and for creating an original sketch portrait of Anne.
• Tim Harry at NowTime Productions for producing and editing the excellent video!

And ‘thank you’ just isn’t enough to express the gratitude to those of you who inspired, motivated and supported us via:

• Facebook facebook.com/kandkharry  and
•  Twitter twitter.com/#!/kandkharry .

I will absolutely be kicking it forward when our project is successful!

Thank you all for your review, comments and support for this exciting writing project! Let’s make this happen Kickstarters!

kickstarter.com