Taking a leaf out of Madonna's book, Geri Halliwell has been penning children's tales. And her former bandmate Victoria Beckham has proved a source of inspiration for one of the characters.
The stories, which have earned the former Spice Girl a six-book deal with publishers Macmillan, are based around the adventures of nine-year-old crime-busting schoolgirl, Ugenia Lavender. They convey the message - coated, according to Geri, "in chocolate not cabbage" - that every child is capable of amazing things.
Victoria's character, Princess Posh Vatoria, is introduced arriving at a birthday bash in a limo. Other celebs who feature in the series include Gordon Ramsay - as Uncle Gordon, a chef who shouts at people while teaching them to cook - and Coleen McLoughlin. Geri started writing the books while pregnant with Bluebell, who's now 11 months old, and asked celebrity pals if they would be willing to form the basis of the characters.
The mother-of-one, who describes her new venture as "the rebirth of girl power", says: "Ugenia's got attitude."
Geri isn't sure if any of her other former bandmates will make an appearance in the stories, though. "I've only cast people in the book if it's authentic to the story," she reveals. "I don't know if the other Spice Girls will be in there."
More about the Ugenia Lavender series, of which the first book will be published in May 2008, can be discovered at www.ugenialavender.com.
Click here to see Geri talking about her latest venture and reading excerpts from the books.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
