November 2025

Book Week Scotland is always one of my favourite times of the year, and this week I had the absolute pleasure of visiting Lochfield Primary and Spittal Primary for two brilliant days of storytelling, creativity and Christmas magic.

For Lower Primary, I brought along one of my most loved festive friends — Nutmeg the Elf — for a lively reading of Nutmeg Joins the Circus. The children were full of energy, imagination and giggles as we explored Nutmeg’s world of circus fun, friendship and festive mischief.

At Spittal Primary, we were also joined by Wee Jingle, another cheeky wee elf who helped me bring the story to life. The excitement in the room was infectious — there’s something so special about seeing children light up when a character steps off the page and into the classroom.

For Upper Primary, we switched gears with my Fiction Fusion workshop:

✨ Design Your Own Book Cover

✨ Create-a-Character prompts

✨ Mini writing workshop

The pupils absolutely rose to the challenge. Their creativity blew me away — bold colours, brilliant characters, inventive plots, and some future authors in the making! I loved seeing how confidently they shared ideas and developed their own stories. It’s exactly why I love these workshops: giving young people the space to express themselves and realise just how imaginative they already are.

Across both schools, the staff were welcoming, the pupils were fantastic, and the atmosphere was nothing short of magical. A huge thank-you to everyone who took part, asked questions, designed covers, created new worlds and let their imaginations run wild.

I can’t wait to see where your stories take you next.

Until then — keep reading, keep dreaming, and keep creating!

J.L Givens

Remembering the Accused Witches of Scotland- A day I won't forget

Saturday 8th November 2025

As a writer, I’m often invited to speak at schools, community gatherings or storytelling events — and I’m always deeply grateful for every single invitation. But today felt different. Today, I had the honour of speaking at the “Forgotten Voices of the Accused” Conference, hosted by Remembering the Accused Witches of Scotland (Charity SC051010).

I went in with open eyes and little idea of what to expect - and left feeling profoundly moved.

The event was exceptionally well attended. I couldn’t believe the size and enthusiasm of the audience! It was inspiring to see both men and women showing such genuine curiosity about the Scottish Witch Trials, coming together to learn, discuss, and unearth stories long forgotten.

J.L Givens on the Q&A panel with the key note speakers of the day

Some of the evaluation sheets had beautiful remarks about me 

“Jenna Givens – Absolutely bewitched by her.”

“Speakers were great. Fantastic variety and a wealth of knowledge. J.L. Givens stole the show.”

“Star of the Day: J.L. Givens.”

After a long six-hour day of presentations, those words meant the world. Writers don’t often feel “seen”, but moments like this remind me that our words do reach people, sometimes in ways we can’t quite measure.

To the incredible team at Remembering the Accused Witches of Scotland, my heartfelt thanks. You created a space for dialogue, curiosity and compassion. Thank you for letting me spill over into your world today - and for keeping me inspired to keep telling Scotland’s stories, both the magical and the meaningful.

With love and gratitude,

J.L Givens

2nd November 2025

One year since Finding Twinkle’s Gift 🎁 

It’s hard to believe that a whole year has passed since the official launch of Finding Twinkle’s Gift.

On that chilly autumn morning at the Glynhill Hotel in Renfrew, I watched something truly magical unfold. Over a hundred copies of my debut book flew off the tables, and more than £500 worth of merchandise sold before the day was through — not including the books themselves!

That weekend was more than I could have ever hoped for. I made back every penny I’d invested in illustrations and printing, with just enough left to commission my second illustrator to begin work on My Little Rainbow. 🌈

Illustrator Aisha Haider even travelled all the way to Scotland for our double launch weekend between the Glynhill and The Capelrig Hotel. Together, we signed over 100 copies and spent two unforgettable days surrounded by families, friends, and little ones clutching their very first Twinkle books. ✍️

It was, at that point, the furthest I had ever come on my own — but I was far from alone. My Christmas family, my friends, their children, and the wonderful community that came out to support me made it all sparkle.

That same week, I decided to celebrate in my own way: by planting five “random acts of Twinkle” around Paisley and Renfrew — leaving copies hidden in the Piazza, Aldi, Tesco, and the park. By the end of the launch, Finding Twinkle’s Gift was proudly stocked across Renfrewshire Libraries. 📚

Back then, I was a completely new writer. No one had ever heard of me. Yet somehow, Finding Twinkle’s Gift went on to sell more than 450 copies — a milestone I’ll never forget.

So today, I’m celebrating one year since the day that changed everything for me as an author.

Happy Book-Launch-Versary, Finding Twinkle’s Gift! 🎉

And thank you once again to Aisha for her stunning illustrations — both in this story and now, in the sequel Nutmeg Joins the Circus.

With Love 

J.L

Halloween 🎃 Events Part 1

31st October 

Happy Halloween 

What a spellbinding Halloween season it’s been so far!

Last weekend, I had the absolute pleasure of spending the day at Barshaw Park in the beautiful Peace Garden (also known as the Walled Garden) with the wonderful Friends of Barshaw SCIO charity. They put on a truly fantastic community event that brought together over 160 families for an afternoon filled with laughter, autumn magic, and just the right amount of spooky fun.

I held three storytelling sessions of The Witch & the Snitch - my Scottish rhyming picture book inspired by the Paisley Witch Trials -and it was such a joy to see so many little faces completely captivated by the story. After each session, I signed copies of the book and loved chatting with everyone who came along. There’s something so special about reading outdoors surrounded by the rustle of leaves, the smell of autumn in the air, and the sound of giggling children dressed as witches and wizards.

After a long (and slightly chilly!) day, I treated myself to a wee trip to itison GlasGLOW -and what a spectacular show it was! The lights, the atmosphere, the creativity - it was the perfect way to unwind and soak up the Halloween spirit. Sometimes even storytellers need to step into the magic rather than create it!

This weekend, I’m looking forward to keeping the Halloween celebrations going with my next event - a special storytelling and signing at Waterstones Braehead. I’ll be back to share all about that soon, so check back here for part two of my Halloween round-up!

Until then — keep your broomsticks polished, your pumpkins glowing, and your imaginations wide open.

With Love 

J.L 

Welcome to my Blog 

30/10/2025

Welcome! What a year it has been !

If you had told me a few years ago that I’d be writing and publishing children’s books based on my own little world of elves, I’d probably have laughed — or jingled a bell or two! But here we are. And what a magical journey it’s been.

I published my very first book, Finding Twinkle’s Gift, in October 2024 — though the story itself began much earlier, back in 2021. At that time, I was running my own Christmas business, creating and performing as my very own elf characters. Each December, “Twinkle” and her team of elves would visit families across Glasgow, bringing laughter, sparkle, and storytelling to children’s homes and community events.

Fun fact: Twinkle is actually me!

The cheeky little elf with the big heart is the same one you might have seen at an event — rosy cheeks, jingling bells, glitter everywhere. Over the years, Twinkle has visited thousands of children, spreading Christmas cheer and kindness. So when it came time to write her story, it only made sense that she should carry a piece of my heart too.

Finding Twinkle’s Gift isn’t just a Christmas story — it’s a tale about belonging, about finding your place in the world and realising that what makes you different is often what makes you special. It mirrors a little of my own journey and the feeling that I, too, was searching for where I fit.