This weekend, north Nottinghamshire children’s author Stephanie Varah celebrated the national launch of her woodland themed book by hosting a family fun day at wildlife and nature reserve Idle Valley in Retford.

The Woodsman, published by JJ Moffs, went on general release on Saturday (30^th
November), the same day as Tree Charter Day. It tells the tale of Amos, Keeper of the Forest for King Charles I, who by some strange alchemy finds himself stranded in the 21^st century.

Amos must depend on a motley band of animal companions to help him get back to his own time, creating a heart-warming tale of enchantment and adventure as folklore and legend entwine, captivating the mind of the reader as the story unfolds.

The Woodsman is heavily influenced by Stephanie’s love of animals, her in-depth knowledge of 17^th
century Langhald (now known as Langold) and local folklore. She brings medieval Langhald and Letwell to life in this heart-warming, delightful and at times laugh-out-loud story.

This weekend, Stephanie hosted her national book launch at wildlife and nature reserve Idle Valley in Retford. Keen readers of all ages attended the family fun event where they could take part in creative activities and purchase copies of The Woodsman.

More than 70 copies of The Woodsman have already been purchased by book enthusiasts, and attendees of both events were able to have their books personally signed by Stephanie.

The national launch coincided with Tree Charter Day, a national movement established to protect trees and the environment. To give back to nature, Stephanie has pledged to contribute to the plantation of 200 trees.

“I think it’s very important to give back to nature what we use,” Stephanie explained, “so I and JJ Moffs will plant 200 trees with the Woodland Trust, one for each of the first 200 books sold.

“The national launch coincidently ran parallel to a Chris Packham documentary ‘Plant a Tree to Save the World’ that aired last week on Channel 5. I am delighted to think that we are contributing towards restoring our environment and the trees, like those that feature in the imagery of my story, will be here long into the future.”

Tree Hunter, Rob McBride, commented: “I like the sound of the time traveling aspect of The Woodsman story, because when you really get into the history of some of the wonderful ancient trees we have in the UK, you’ll realise some of them were actually around when Charles I was on the throne.

“It’s incredible to think what these trees have lived through, so stories like this set in woodland, really bring nature and our history to life.

“It’s tree-mendous that Stephanie and the JJ Moffs team are intending to plant 200 trees with the help of The Woodland Trust. I’m really pleased to hear they’re helping to plant the forests of the future.”

To coincide with the launch of the book, Stephanie challenged local primary school children to take part in a creative writing competition.

To enter, children up to 11 years old had to write a short story based in a woodland or forest that includes at least one enchanted character that takes the form of an animal.

Children from surrounding villages in the Bassetlaw region attended the launch to submit their entries in the hope of being awarded the overall winner’s prize – a year’s family membership for the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.

One winner from each of the four age groups will also be selected to receive a signed certificate of achievement from Stephanie when the winners are announced in the new year.

Stephanie said: “I can’t quite believe that after all these years The Woodsman is finally in print and now on sale! It’s an incredibly exciting time.”

Jane Moffett, Director of JJ Moffs, said: “The Woodsman is such a special book. It’s a heart-warming tale of how a free-spirited hound, a food-obsessed cat and his bossy, opinionated sister set out to find a window through time and send Amos back 400 years to Langhald, often with hilarious consequences.

“The author has drawn these endearing animals beautifully and their banter is so funny. If you love animals, you will adore The Woodsman.”

The winners of Stephanie’s creative writing competition will be announced on Wednesday 15^th
January 2020.

To order a copy of The Woodsman, or to see other titles, visit www.jjmoffs.co.uk/shop