Joy to the World

Book 0: Frogmorton Farm Series

by Jodi Taylor

Genres: Humorous Fantasy

Synopsis

A Frogmorton Farm short story from the bestselling author of the Chronicles of St Mary's. Perfect for fans of Sarah Addison Allen, Kristen Ashley and Genevieve Cogman.

It's Christmas time again and all is not well at Frogmorton Farm.

Jenny and Russell's daughter, Joy, is growing up. Not quickly enough as far as she's concerned but far too quickly according to Russell.

Father and daughter are at odds and suddenly the outlook is very dark indeed. That is until Thomas comes to the rescue.

(P)2020 Headline Publishing Group Ltd

Release date: November 12, 2020

Publisher: Headline

Print pages: 400

Sample

My name is Joy Rebecca Checkland and I am nearly fourteen years old. Which was what I tried to tell my dad when he grounded me and it so totally wasn’t my fault but he wouldn’t listen. He never listens to me. Mum says he never listens to anyone. Uncle Andrew says it’s because he’s a famous artist and lives in a different world to other people. Auntie Tanya says it’s because he’s an idiot. Auntie Franny says don’t bother me now and what do I think of these shoes?

Nobody ever listens to me.

Except for my friend Tommy. The bright light in the dark hell of my life. Tommy always listens because she totally understands weird parents and how to deal with them although no one’s got worse parents than me. My dad drives me spare and Mum’s so weak. She never stands up to him and he’s always shouting and we live in this stupid big house right in the middle of nowhere so there’s never anyone to talk to and it’s the last stop on the school bus route so I’m all alone at the end of the day and it’s too far for my friends to come and visit. It’s all so unfair.

And Rushford is such a dump. And it’s miles away. And there’s nothing to do when you get there anyway. Dad said that was good because it wouldn’t matter that I was grounded until the end of time then, would it, and I said he couldn’t do that because it wasn’t my fault and Dad said anyone stupid enough to be caught holding the cigarette after everyone else had the sense to run away deserved to be grounded and Mum said no, that wasn’t what your father meant at all and what he meant to say was that smoking was wrong and bad for your health and against school rules and I said it was a stupid school anyway and I wasn’t going back there after Christmas and Dad said I’d do as I was told and Mum said we’d all talk about this when we were calmer and Dad said what was the point, Jenny, we’ve raised an idiot and Mum said he didn’t mean that and he said yes, he did and I said it took one to know one which I thought was pretty clever actually but he just slammed into his studio and I slammed the door into my bedroom and he opened his door and shouted to stop slamming the door because I’d have the roof down if I wasn’t careful and he hadn’t paid for it yet. Then he slammed his own door again – much harder than me – and everything went very quiet after that.

I thought Mum might bring me up a biscuit and a glass of milk before bed because she usually does and she didn’t so then I knew I was in trouble and it was so totally callus of her to abandon me. And anyway, as I had told her, it wasn’t a real suspension because it was only two days to the Christmas holidays anyway and Mum had said a suspension was a suspension no matter how long – or short – and it was probably a subject I should avoid when Dad was around.

So everyone was being so totally unsy. . .