Paul Myatt

MARIGOLD & THE DIAMOND THIIEVES 
          
          Countdown to Halloween with Marigold's top spooky moments:
          
          NUMBER 1: 
          
          In the cemetery at Blackmoor Hall…
          
          ‘Marigold and Bert weaved their way around the headstones. She spotted something white in the distance. It was floating on top of one of the graves.     She caught her breath and clutched Bert’s arm…’
          
          From Chapter 11: ‘Potatoes and a Daffodil’  
          
          Read the top five here: https://www.wattpad.com/user/paulmyatt
          
          Happy Halloween!

COUNTDOWN TO NEW YEAR
          
          As the clock ticks closer to a new year, a countdown to the end of the lives of Jet and Whatnot begins…  
               
          Ten… nine… eight…’, Lady Artifice croaked to begin the final countdown to their destruction. ‘Whatnot’, she broke off. ‘Now you see that you cannot put your faith in a child. They’re all completely unreliable. Four… three…’, she continued. 
          
          Whatnot took hold of Jet’s paw and gave it a squeeze. The Alsatian’s eyes were now closed. It was no good; Whatnot couldn’t look at the clock face any longer either.
          
          ‘Two…’, rasped Lady Artifice…’
          
          Can Marigold save her friends?  Find out by reading Chapter 25: ‘The Kohinoor is Required’.
          
          Happy New Year Everyone!

As you can see on my profile, Marigold, Bert and Jet have used diamonds hidden from Lady Artifice to spell out this festive word. It shines against the black that’s outside your window this winter. But what ‘s really causing so much dark?  Is ‘snow’ a warning of what will come and stay if Marigold does not stop her enemy’s meddling? 
          
          Find the answers by reading the whole novel.
          
          Happy Christmas to all Marigold readers and followers and all Wattpad readers and writers.  Thank you for your support in a very challenging 2020.  Here’s to joyful and productive reading and writing in 2021.

hello i am reading marigold and the diamond thieves how many chapters are there??

Today is ROALD DAHL DAY which is celebrated every year on his birthday. Which of his books is your favourite?  Mine are 'James and the Giant Peach' and 'The Witches'.  Marigold might pick 'Matilda'. But in the library at Blackmoor Hall, she finds uses for books which don't involve reading. Although the contents of one book there are very intriguing....
          
          'In her sleep, she had knocked off one of the books from the stacks that made up her bed. The book had been covering a large volume entitled The House of Artifice. She was now flicking through its old, yellow pages...  A family tree caught her eye... She looked closer under the heading Servants.
          
          'What's this under Daffodil's name?' asked Marigold. She showed them where black ink had crossed something out. 'Help me lift it up, Bert.' He took hold of the book. 
          
          Marigold gripped the edge of the page so it stood out from the others. From the sunlight glinting off the crystal chandelier, she read out the words the ink could no longer hide...'
          
          From Chapter 12: 'The House of Artifice'. 
          
          Just what are those words? Read on to find out.
          

May is National Share A Story Month in the UK, organised by The Federation of Children's Book Groups to bring children and stories together. Children aged 9 to 12 are invited to submit their writing  to a competition. Details are here: https://lnkd.in/eJcttcU 
          
          The closing date is 30th June 2020. So still plenty of time for young writers to be inspired.
          
          In ‘Marigold and the Diamond Thieves’, Professor Ethel Bloom is eager to share with Marigold the story of her encounter with the villainous Lady Artifice: ‘The stranger then took out a notepad and pen from her jacket pocket. Marigold studied her as she wrote something on the cover. The woman handed the pad to her. Marigold read the words aloud. ‘Awfully sorry. Chaos every time open mouth. Please read…’
          From Chapter Fifteen: ‘An Unexpected Arrival’. Read ‘Chapter Sixteen: ‘The Professor’s Story’, to find out how Ethel’s curiosity leads her into danger.

Theatres all over the world have gone dark for a period of uncertain length. As a regular attender of several venues in the UK, I'm already missing them.  It was the auditorium of the Liverpool Playhouse - where I worked for several years - that inspired Marigold's escapades in a theatre:
          
          'Bob's snout had brought them to a theatre. It wasn't the strongest scent he'd chased. But there were definitely diamonds amongst the audience inside. They'd managed to sneak backstage before the show had begun. Bert had shot up to the steel bridge high above the stage...'
          
          From Chapter Eight: 'A Happy Band of Thieves'. And their adventures on stage and front of house continue in Chapter Nine: 'Hanging Around at the Theatre'.

Happy World Book Day!
          
          In Marigold and the Diamond Thieves, our heroine puts books to a practical use as well as finding out the secrets within their pages:
          
          ‘The next morning, her investigation into Daffodil Green continued sooner than she expected. In her sleep, she had knocked off one of the books from the stacks that made up her bed. The book had been covering a large volume entitled 'The House of Artifice'. She was now flicking through its old, yellow pages. A family tree caught her eye. She gasped…’
          
          Read Chapter 12 - 'The House of Artifice’ - to share Marigold’s discovery.
          
          And apart from making a bed, she uses books for another unusual purpose. 
          Find out more in Chapter 7: ‘A Change of Clothes and A Change of Scene’.
          
          And…  my recommendation for a good read on Wattpad is ‘Matthew and the Chimney Sweeps’ by Paul Jennings

Thanks a lot for the vote :)

If you take a look at the new background image on my profile, you'll see snow has come to the cemetery at Blackmoor Hall - the spooky mansion where most of the novel is set. Is this ordinary winter weather? Or is it what will come and stay forever if Marigold does not stop her enemy's meddling? Find the answers by reading the whole novel.
          
          And to find out what happens at the cemetery, read Chapter 11: 'Potatoes and A Daffodil'.