The idea of the Knick-Knack Tree Adventures began a decade before a novel had even been thought about.  A bedtime story was needed one night, in a holiday cottage in Port Isaac, Cornwall, England – and with no books around there was only one thing to do: make one up.

The Knick-Knack Tree Adventures were born, and there was no turning back.  Ideas were created, characters emerged, models were made and my imagination went into overdrive.

However, every attempt to succeed was met by apparent failure.  “What is it all about?” everyone asked.  Try answering a question like that in 30 seconds before your audience begins to get bored!  So I decided to write down the story so that everyone could read all about it.

In December 2010, in front of a fire in a draughty living room, in the Worcestershire village of Badsey, the story began.  The many ideas in my head began forming themselves on my laptop.  However, I very soon realised I had no real story at all.  Just cameos of excitement: a Million Wiggle Fish Pond; a cockerel called Brown Bottom; a circus; Old Man Moon; an adventurer called Willey What’Nott; The Pie-Rat Gang; Knicky-Knacky and the Knick-Knack Tree; and numerous other characters and places.

The story evolved by creating pictures in my mind; and then moving the characters through them.  There were many problems to solve.  Where could the adventure take place? Who were these characters and how had they got there? I kept a note pad next to my bed, went for walks up Bredon Hill, and bounced ideas off anyone who would listen.  After moving to Beckford, I asked friends and family for advice and support.  The task seemed endless; in fact, it took almost two years and then I decided to illustrate it.  Eventually the story was finally complete.  The first Knick-Knack Tree Adventure had arrived: Trouble in Trickletown.

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