Books by Ian Rogers
Books by Ian Rogers
Ian was academically successful at school and won a scholarship to Oxford University to study zoology. He has followed his interests in wildlife and the environment, outdoor activities and travel throughout his life as well as being a passionate and eclectic reader.
Through his uni years he took various qualifications in Mountain Leadership, caving and water sports, becoming a full time outdoor activities instructor and enjoying life in a range of beautiful places up and down the UK. On marrying Deirdre he came ‘indoors’, lecturing in sciences at several Colleges of Further Education. Sadly Deirdre contracted a long-term illness and Ian took early retirement to care for her and their son, Colin.
Ian’s Christian faith has many roots but his own, rather tentative, personal commitment was made in his last year at school and developed throughout university. He has been regularly involved with youth groups and church activities and has had a range of responsibilities at several churches.
After writing pieces for technical journals and everyday magazines, he published his first book ‘Captain Pegg-Legg’s Stowaway’ in 2013, followed by a prequel and several sequels. The four part series follows the captain through spiritual awakening, struggles of faith, through to the sad death of a friend and (in the context of sort of humpty dumpty egg characters) resurrection. The books are published in shorter, large page large print, editions for early readers (e.g. 6 -8) and as standard paperbacks for aged 8 – 10+. Young at heart adults have enjoyed them as well. Like many children’s films, there’s content and humour for the grown-ups!
Recently Ian has published the ‘Pyjama Girl’ series of fairy stories following the life of Jessica Pierce, aged 10. After discovering an injured tooth fairy (Amaryllis or ‘Lis’) Jess is given special powers by sprinkling with fairy dust. Now able to shrink to fairy size and with ten times her normal strength when she is small, Jess helps Lis with her fairy work – against fairy rules that demand fairy secrecy from humans.
Book 1 follows Jess’s coin-for-tooth delivery adventures; her gaining grudging acceptance by the Fairy King; her initial meeting with an amazing, shining, spiritual being whom she nicknames ‘Mr Bright’ and increasing reliance on him; and the finale – the dramatic rescue of her school-friends pet sheep from a slaughterhouse.
Book 2 continues Jess’s delivery adventures; her ongoing conflict with the school bully and his dastardly uncle; being given a cybernetic flying pack by a fairy inventor learning to use it; conflicts with nasty gremlins and her brave rescue of a child from a burning flat’s balcony – all intertwined with ‘Mr Bright’ and his spiritual support and advice.
Book 3 follows Jess’s attempts to persuade her parents of the reality of fairies and of her flying abilities without revealing too many of their secrets. Her parents refer her for medical assessment! Her injured fairy friend, Amaryllis, is kidnapped by the school bully’s family and Jess is captured by two traffic police when out late at night on a rescue mission. Jess gets the two policemen on her side and Jess daringly helps Amaryllis break out of her prison. Jess’s mum is waiting for Jess and Amaryllis when they fly home so she has to believe in fairies but demands Jess’s nighttime activities stop. The story comes to a climax with Mum and Jess in the Fairy Castle and Mr Bright appearing and revealing his true identity.
Ian has several other, contrasting, works in progress and hopes to continue publishing as caring and church responsibilities allow. His blog, Instagram and Facebook have lots of diverse shorter pieces. photos and reflections on his wide range of interests.
I once had a stall at a publishers’ Fair. Most people were smartly dressed, – I was in a pirate costume. Throughout the day I allowed children to fire the model cannon I’d made, hoping they’d go on to look at my pirate books.
Unexpected bangs punctuated everyone else’s conversations.
At the end of the day, one of the organisers fixed me with a beady eye and said:
You Really are Captain Pegg-Legg aren’t you? You are a complete menace.
He smiled, and we both chuckled.
Actually I’m not fully like any of my characters, though I’m particularly fond of Addled Egg, and possibly most like him.
I freely admit to being a strange mix of very logical, sometimes organised,often quirky, off-beat and odd-ball. I see a lot of humour in life and try and put all of that into my stories.
I also have a small team of people to help me with my internet presence and social media etc.
Matthew and Natasha Stoodley.
Natasha is an illustrator, and has illustrated all my later books, she is also working through the older books to bring them all up to a matching style.
Matt is a programmer, and website maker. He is primarily running this site, and keeping the blog active.
Marianne Burton, proof reader and office helper, owner of Waterfall Shires, horse breeding, schooling, massage etcetera.