“potty-licks” – by David A. Llewellyn

A heart-warming tale of greed and political ambition.

“Is this about potty-licks?” asked the little girl suspiciously.

“Po-li-tics,” said Grandad. “No, not so’s you’d notice. It’s about Walter and the people he meets. It’s a comedy and an adventure.”

The tale is told to a young girl by her grandfather. She doesn’t understand all the jokes or get all the references but she’s a good listener and her questions and observations help to shape Grandad’s world and the characters who live in it.

“Why aren’t there any girls?”

“Well,” said Grandad, “there is a girl, but she doesn’t come into the story until later.”

“Oh. Then what do you think she’s doing right now?”

It is set in a world of Grandad’s own creation: a world very much like our own but without the complications of modern technology. A world without computers and smartphones and, when it comes right down to it, electricity.

It is the story of the Great Debate. The old tyrant has died and the great & the good – and the ruthless & cunning – are to decide how the nation should be governed, and who should do the governing. An unlikely hero makes his way to the capital to witness the Great Debate.

“Does he get to be king,” asked the little girl, “in the end?”

“No,” said Grandad, “definitely not. Even if he wanted to, Walter would never take the chance. You see, the winner of the competition would be the ruler of the country but the losers, well, let’s just say they are held in the dungeons for a while first.”

“Not much of a hero if you ask me,” said the little girl.

Available in paperback and Kindle from Amazon: www.amazon.co.uk/potty-licks