Candara's Gift (Book 1 in The Kingdom of Gems Trilogy): Pt. 1 (Accounts of Candara) (Paperback)

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Product Description
Life in the Kingdom of Gems is shattered when a stranger enters the kingdom at night. He has an evil desire to conquer the kingdom and steal the magical Candara Gems. But he meets unexpected resistance in the form of Prince Seph and Princess Amalek. Together with several companions they find that they are the only ones who are still free to fight...

About the Author
* Jasper was born in Bournemouth on 20th January 1953. He grew up there. * "My sister was far more of a potential author and artist than I was. She was always writing and illustrating little story books whereas all I wanted to do was play tennis." * His father was a tennis enthusiast who ran a small club in Bournemouth. His father was 52 when he wrote and self-published the first of three editions of Cooper's Annual of Lawn Tennis. His mother played tennis for Hampshire. His grandfather made wooden tennis rackets. * He was Hampshire junior champion 3 times and senior champion 4 times. At 18 he played professional tennis for several years winning many British tournaments and was ranked 20th in GB in 1976. * "Tennis is a terrific game which is a great education for life." * He represented England as a young man in 1974 and again as a veteran in 2000 after becoming the National Veteran's Champion in singles and doubles in 1999. * In his mid twenties he became a professional coach in both tennis and squash. * At 33 he began a degree in art and religious studies as a mature student at Canterbury Christ Church University. "I really enjoyed being able to develop my art skills." * He became a teacher and during this time he began to write. "Writing stories was the natural extension of making up bedtime stories for my children. First I told them the original Kingdom of Gems story in 10 minutes. They kept asking for it and so I decided to write it down. I created and wrote one short chapter each evening and then read it to them at bed time. In this way it grew 93 chapters and 50,000 words long. Next I painted the kingdom in oils and then drew two maps of the kingdoms in the story. At this stage the idea of publishing it as a book appeared as a vague dream in my mind." * The Kingdom of Gems became a trilogy of which Candara's Gift is the first book. Jasper has illustrated the book himself with his own unique style. It reached No. 1 on the Amazon Bestseller on its release in June. Since then it has been stocked by Waterstones throughout the UK and is selling well. There has been significant film interest in the trilogy which is being handled by the Creative Artists Agency, the biggest and most powerful agency in the world. * Jasper is married to Sarah with two children, Rebecca 22 and Joseph 20. "My family have all helped in many ways with my new career as an author. They helped me immensely with their continuous support and enthusiasm. They all act as editors reading through early editions and making notes. Joseph's design skills helped create the cover of Candara's Gift. Rebecca is usually the first to hear new bits of writing. Sarah has brought inspiration in many ways and patiently accepted holes in the carpets and overdrafts so that I could spend time writing."

Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover

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17 Reviews 5 star:  (15) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:  (1) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.8 out of 5 stars (17 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   10 of 10 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A gripping story - you can't put it down, 22 Aug 2006 By  Mrs. C. Pope - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    I bought this book out of curiosity after a tip off from a friend. Although this is essentially a children's book, I could not put it down despite being in my late 50s and almost missed my bus stop on several occasions. It is descriptive without being too heavy, and on several occasions could see Disney making it into a movie, especially the comic scenes with the ravens and the albatross with it's crazy way of taking off and landing. I wouldn't be surprised to see it up among the other successful children's classics and can't wait for the next book to be published. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   10 of 10 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars I Completely Loved it!!!!!!!!!!!, 10 Aug 2006 By  Mrs. T. Thomas - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    Candara's Gift is definetly my type of book My Mother got this from amazon to support Jasper Cooper and I asked if it was a children's book. My Mother said yes and I picked it up and could not put it down!!! Jasper Cooper describes everything in a wonderful way!! The Characters are brought to life ande the suspence grows and grows. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait to the next book and trilogy!!!!!!!!! Thank-you so much Jasper Cooper and Good Luck Helena Thomas Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   9 of 9 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!, 11 Jul 2006 By  Melodie Charbonneau (Portland, OR, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    I bought this book to read to my 9 yr old brother. We can't put it down. He's never asked me to read to him so much in his whole life! we read 7 chapters in one day yesterday! the twists and turns keep you on your toes and you WANT to turn the page to see what happens next. I'm enjoying it as well as he is and I'm 22 :) I would definatly recommend this book. I know I'll be treasuring my own copy for years to come to read to my own children. Great book. Can't wait for the next one! Great job Jasper :) Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 17 customer reviews...		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent read! This was a fantastic read, my son got the book at school and I downloaded it on cd for him to listen to whilst I read it. Complaints... Read more Published 20 months ago by Janie Doe 5.0 out of 5 stars Imaganative read I sat down in the evening thinking "Ok i'll give this book a try ". The first thing i noticed is how detail his paintings are. Read more Published 24 months ago by Ross Jones 5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping read This fantastic book grasps your imagination and plunges it into a seemingly doomed world of mystery, hope and survival. Read more Published on 29 May 2007 by Diego 5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic - Hard to put down Brilliant read!! This book grips you from the beginning right through to the end. I really enjoyed the plot and didn't know what was about to happen from one page to the next... Read more Published on 29 May 2007 by Book-maniac 5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting! This is a wonderful story about a young prince and princess who have to face up to their fears and act quickly when the safety of their Kingdom becomes threatened. Read more Published on 4 May 2007 by Ms. Christine M. Bremner 5.0 out of 5 stars Be prepared to spend your weekend reading This is a fantastic book! I especially enjoyed the closeness of the prince and princess and the bonds they have with their parents. Read more Published on 3 May 2007 by David McArthur 4.0 out of 5 stars Great for Kids My husband got this book after purchasing another. I found it in his office and thought that I'd give it ago. Read more Published on 20 April 2007 by Mrs Donna Bennett 5.0 out of 5 stars We love this book! I am writing this review on behalf of Eagle class (the group of 10 and 11 year old pupils I teach). I read the book myself whilst on holiday in Canada last summer and... Read more Published on 23 Mar 2007 by Erin Moon 2.0 out of 5 stars Not a great book or not the correct demographic? Let's get this out of the way, I am far from 8-13 and I didn't enjoy this book. I am not going to end there however as there are a number of books of this genre that I have... Read more Published on 4 Sep 2006 by Chris Chalk 5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent New Fantasty Book Well written and crafted novel following the adventures of Prince Seph and Princess Amalek. There is a whole host of interesting characters and animals (good and evil), each so... Read more Published on 29 Jun 2006 by Helen Clare Doherty Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 17 customer reviews...

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