R. Patricia Capitain
Psychotherapist turned Author
Books
The de la Montagne trilogy's books of suspense are for children age eight to twelve. They are ideal to be read to younger children
at bedtime while older children will read them themselves. The stories guaranty a good night's sleep,
without nightmares, while they captivate the reader from the first page to the last
and awaken the joy of reading in children.
Book One in the trilogy: The Princess on a Cloud, is the story of a lonely princess who is summoned to the Forest King's Midsummer Night's ball for lonely children, where she meets orphan Emma. Each girl believes the other's life is better. Their mysterious resemblance allows them to change places. The girls have to overcome many challenges and must become creative, self-empowered, and successful in solving problems on their own if they want to stay together. From "once upon a time" to "happily ever after," The Princess on a Cloud is a tale of friendship and discovery, of self-reliance and trust in others. Adventure and deception lead the way as Cordelia and Emma learn through trial and error that someone else’s life isn’t always better.
Non-violent heroines, or heroes, who gain self-confidence and respect for each other's lifestyles and learn to accept responsibility for their own actions, are important role models for young readers.
The book has 28.000 words (135 pages), divided into 20 chapters, with four full-page colour illustrations.
Excerpt;
The night air was cool. Princess Cordelia shivered in her thin nightdress. The willow's thin tentacles swayed in the breeze, ready to twirl around Cordelia's neck and choke her. Goosebumps covered her bare skin. When she reached the window of her former bedroom, her heart raced. What will happen if someone finds me here? she thought. There was no sign of Emma, The window was closed. Cordelia picked up a pebble and tossed it. It missed the windowpane, and so did the second pebble. But the third one was on target. Moments later, Emma opened the window and placed a finger over her lips.
"Shh ... " she whispered, "you'll wake up the dead!"
"I've got it, Emma! I know what to do so we can stay together," Cordelia shouted disregarding Emma's warning.
Reviews:
The Princess on a Cloud is a beautifully written, charming story that touches on some very important truths about life - a sort of Dorothy from Kansas meeting both the Prince and the Pauper. A most enjoyable read.
Maureen Jennings, author and producer of the CBC "Murdoch Mysteries" series
The Princess on a Cloud is a delightful read, a well-paced and engaging story of how a girl must give up everything she has before she can find out who she is. In the tradition of the oldest fairy tales, R. Patricia Capitain gives us fairies, kings, castles, and switched identities, but also a very human young princess who learns to master her own destiny.
Maggie Wheeler, author of the "Farran Mackenzie Lost Villages" mystery series
“The Princess on a Cloud “has all the earmarks of a classic story. Identity switches, class reversals, moral dilemmas, and life lessons. A must-read for girls and boys.
Eric Knight, M.D., Psychiatrist, Ottawa
Book Two in the de la Montagne trilogy: The Secret of the Golden Orb., continues with the story of Princesses Cordelia and Emma who are now sisters. The girls develop new friendships with Jason Birdwing, the son of the Royal Family's physician, and Prince Brandon of the Kingdom of the Lake. Their adventures continue, laced with mysterious flying creatures, natural disasters, threatening strangers, and defenceless children. Will the Royal Couple give in to the girls' begging and allow them to leave the castle's schoolroom to go to the public school?
The book has 200 pages which are divided into twenty chapters. It has 48.000 words and four full-page black and white illustrations.
Excerpt:
Cordelia stared at the glowing lights that blinked on and off, on and off, non-stop. She shivered with anticipation and a touch of fear. "All right, come on out," she called, as she rose from the damp cave floor. And, as if whatever was out there had understood her, the orbs came closer and closer, until they were right in front of her, shining brighter than stars.
Emma doesn't know where I am, Cordelia thought. Her heart was beating fast ... pounding against her chest. She was sure that any moment now she was going to faint. Then, a sharp pain shot up her leg. She cried out in pain and kicked at her invisible attacker. The lights stopped blinking; an eerie silence followed. When she touched the hurting spot on her leg, her fingers came back wet and sticky. Blood ...
Reviews:
In The Secret of the Golden Orb Cordelia and Emma are back and swept up in new adventures. R. Patricia Capitain's wonderful story, packed with adventures and mysteries, kept me turning the pages. What a ride!"
Terry Fallis, two-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour
R. Patricia Capitain has crafted another engaging story for the pre-teen reader. Princesses Cordelia and Emma's adventures continue, balancing royal expectations and youthful inexperiences, the girls take the reader through more lively twists and turns as they take responsibility for their actions and face the greatest adventure of all - growing up.
Maggie Wheeler, author of the "Farran Mackenzie Lost Villages" mystery series
**
In Book 3 of the de la Montagne trilogy: What Happened on Midsummer's Eve? Cordelia and Emma enter the local public school. When old and sick King Frederic abdicates, they become rulers of the Queendom, get married, and have children. The new royal children experience very different challenges from those of their parents. They face environmental changes, an epidemic, and threats of war. When the two crown princes disappear within two days of each other, and no ransom note is received, the royal family fears the worst. Why was Prince Fidelio taken to the Kingdom of the Forest? Who was behind Prince Honour's crash landing? Will the theropod egg, the one old Doctor Birdwing saved many years ago, become important? Can the promise to halt all animal testing be kept? This last book in the trilogy will answer many questions that events in the first two books initiated. It has 230 pages and is divided into 27 chapters It has 60.000 words and one full-page illustration.
Excerpts:
I don’t like the guys at school. They’re all thick in the head and total bores. I want you to be my friend like it was before,” Fidelio nudged his cousin’s arm and grinned, but his eyes threatened to spill.
“That’s exactly why you don’t have friends: you criticize too much. You never have anything nice to say about the boys in the class. Why should they try to be your friends? They don’t need a snooty prince,” Honour said.
Not long after take-off, while flying over Lake Goldenrod, Honour had difficulty controlling the craft. It made scary dips and swoops before it straightened out once more. He vacillated between excitement and worry, while he tried to stay on course toward the hospital. But the craft seemed to have a mind of its own. An unidentified force pulled it in the opposite direction. Honour’s arms ached from using every bit of strength he had to keep the rudder pointing to where he wanted to go, but it was to no use.
When Queen Volmar saw the stranded Space Hamburger, she threw her head back, let out a hoarse laugh, then reined in her horse. What a ridiculous machine, she thought and jumped off without using the stirrups. A sudden wind blew her long hair over her eyes. A roaring noise made her cover her ears. There, not far from where she had dismounted, a giant wave rose up, gained height while rolling toward shore, and created a deafening sound.
“Stop it! Stop that noise,” she shouted, but nobody heard her. It was too late!
Reviews:
I really, really enjoyed R. Patricia Capitain’s book What Happened on Midsummer’s Eve? which I read to my niece. I love how the author intertwined the traditional fairy tale with modern-day issues and conditions. It's a nice way to make the younger audience aware of what's at stake and how important it is to make informed and responsible life choices! Love it!
Sandra Grace Neil, M.A., Montreal, Quebec
Bio
My godmother gave me my first journal when I was 12 years old. The same year, I won the first prize - a beautifully bound collection of Grimm's Fairy Tales - for a short story submitted to a writing contest. The book had black and white illustrations, which my mother allowed me to colour. I salute her for letting me do it, as it set the norm I have chosen to live by: to go beyond "Z" and not let anyone, or anything, stop me from expanding my horizon.
After writing essays, professional articles, and short stories, I graduated to full-length children's chapter books. I have written my first adult novel and hope to publish it in 2021.
I had a happy early childhood in Germany. We lived at the very end of a small town, where fields and forests stretched as far as one could see. Part of my family emigrated to Canada. Life in the new country was exciting and filled with new experiences. I have the advantage of knowing and loving three cultures: German, English, and French-Canadian, although I knew to be a true Canadian when I cheered the Canucks, not the Krauts, during the Olympics!
I received my undergraduate degree in Canada and my graduate degree in the USA, specializing in clinical family psychotherapy.
I now live in the Thousand Islands of Ontario, where my husband and I enjoy activities on the St. Lawrence River. We have many four-legged, wild pets who dine in five-star restaurants: our gardens!
About me
In the Press
This was my first TV interview at COGECO. Shortly after the interview aired I was stopped by total strangers and complimented for writing books for the middle reader. Schools and libraries asked me to speak and read to students. Great! It was exactly what I wanted: to get the pre-teens away from electronics!
My article "Easy-go Parenting" was published by Sun Media in their Backpack magazine.
A morning visit to Embrun Elementary School was a delightful experience. I was scheduled to read and talk to grades three to six for one hour in the gym. At the end of my allotted time, the principal asked me to continue, as the students were completely involved in the process. I used the extra time to invite them to write a short story. They were reluctant at first until I gave them a headstart: "write down five of your favourite things, then add your least favourite. Now form sentences using the words you have written down that will tell a story. They took their pens and paper and started writing. Ten minutes later, the teachers and I heard a large variety of delightful stories which the students read out loud. I rewarded them with a copy of my first book, The Princess on a Cloud.
At a visit to the Brockville Public Library, Elementary school students came to hear me read from my second book, The Mystery of the Golden Orbs. We had a Q & A period during which the children surprised me with excellent questions. One boy asked about how a story becomes a book. They wanted to know where my ideas come from and what happens once I finish writing the story. I told them that it goes to an editor first. When I asked them if they knew the difference between a critique and criticism, one boy answered. "Criticism makes me feel bad and critique makes my English homework better!" The older kids asked about how much money I made with my books. I did my best not to sound too negative! Unfortunately, the photographer who took this photo only included the top of the students' head!
These are winners of the annual Young Authors Short Story Writing Contest which is offered by Writers' Ink - a group of writers I chair. The contest is open to writers between the age of ten to twenty-one years. This event is one of my favourites, followed by the Thousand Islands Writers' Festival. I was on the board of five festival. The more recent ones are highly original, offering living room sessions with visiting authors.
These are the winners of the 65+ Short Story Writing Contest offered by Chartwell Senior Residence and conducted by me. It was an incredibly uplifting event to see so many senior citizens, some coping with visual and other physical challenges, putting their pen to paper to reveal true talent in creating fascinating fictional and non-fictional stories.
These are the co-authors of a murder mystery written by members of Writers' Ink. The book was based on Bunty Loucks' earlier book In a Rosedale Garden. It was a great learning experience, as each of us wrote one chapter ... always building on the previous one. It took almost a year. Unfortunately, Through a Glass Darkly is no longer in print, but it was a big success that taught us to trust each other.
News & Events
Contact
Tel: 613 659 2683 or email: rpcapitain@gmail.com
The de la Montagne trilogy is available directly from the author or from Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, and from Amazon.de.
Book 1, The Princess on a Cloud, will be available for free Kindle downloading during the Easter holiday from April 9 to 13, 2020.
Book 2, The Secret of the Golden Orbs, will be available for free Kindle downloading in May 2020
Book 3, What Happened on Midsummer's Eve? is now available as Kindle and print version.
For more information, for media inquiries, and for ordering books from the author directly please call: