What Makes A Successful School Visit?

I have been doing author school visits off an on for almost ten years now. Each time I do one, I learn something new that helps improve how smoothly they run.

School visits have been fairly scarce over the last couple of years due to Covid-19 restrictions, but just last month, I had the pleasure of finally being back in a school for a half day visit. This had been much anticipated as it had been postponed several times. The original year 3 cohort that I had been invited to speak with are now in year 5. Sadly I didn’t get to have a session with them, however I was delighted to have a visit with several of them during their recess break. It was lovely to chat with theses kids not only about one of my books but all three in the Adamson series and why they enjoyed them so much. One of the young girls was quite articulate and explained that she believed they were so good because the plots were full of twists and turns and they had great character development. I thought that was great insight and high praise from an 11 year old reader.

So what have I learned that helps make school visits successful?

Plenty of Planning and Preparation.

As a former teacher I have always made sure I take the time to plan the lesson. But not all children’s authors have a teaching background. That makes it all the more important to carefully plan your day. Kids naturally can’t sit still for too long, which makes it even more important to be as engaging as you possibly can. If you do your prep, the more likely the session will run smoothly for you, the kids and the teachers.

Send a poster announcing your upcoming visit so that the kids will get excited. Send in a pre-order form with your website listed so that kids and their parents can view your books beforehand and make an informed decision.

If you are planning on a slide-show presentation, forward it via email or google docs to the teacher so that they have it on file on their computer. Also, make sure you have a thumb drive back-up just in case. I have also been known to have a printed copy just in case the techy stuff goes wrong on the day.

Author School visit St Claire of Assisi

Author visit St Claire of Assisi

Organisation and liaison with the school and teacher.

Keep an open correspondence with both the organising teacher and if possible the school administration officer. Ask the teacher what they might be hoping to gain out of the visit? Is there something they would like you to discuss that fits into the current curriculum guidelines that they are working on?

This recent visit was with a Year 2 cohort who are studying Indonesian, so the teacher was reading Secrets Hidden Below with them. I was able to give them more in-depth information on Bali along with photos I took during my last visit to Indonesia in 2019. I naturally incorporated some Bahasa Indonesia language learning as well.

At a visit to a school last year where I was asked to do sessions which each year level, K through 6, I was asked to incorporate writing activities that fitted in with core curriculum literacy skills. I was able to incorporate all my books instead of focussing on just one.

My biggest takeaway from this most recent experience was the importance of the admin officer, particularly if you plan to send a book order form in before the visit. It was this wonderful lady that suggested I add my bank transfer details to my order form so that parents could transfer electronically their payment directly to my account rather than the school and myself on the day needing to handle cash. This worked brilliantly as I then had an idea of the number of books I would need to take along with me on the day. Added to this, this amazing woman went above and beyond expectations and sent me a spreadsheet with children’s names. whether they paid via bank transfer or cash and which books they ordered. This meant I could pre-sign copies of my books and easily have them ready to hand out on the day.

Variation in activities during the session.

As mentioned earlier, variation is key to a successful school visit. Never plan to just talk for an hour or just read your book and leave it at that. Kids and teachers expect more, especially when they are paying you for your time. You are there to entertain, enlighten and engage. While activity sheets are always useful, I find kids get so much more out of a session if you get them moving. Games are fantastic for ice-breakers, those moments when kids begin to get restless or fidget in the middle and are a fabulous way to wrap up at thee end.

For this recent visit with the Indonesian classes I found a couple of Indonesian games to teach and play with them. Then added a Heads and Tails game near the end. It’s like true and false but sit with hands on heads if they think the answer is true, or stand up and put their hands on their tales if they think the answer is false. Kids have a lot of fun with this one, and you and the teacher can see who has been truly listening.

When I have done visits with Fossil Frenzy, I have also added a couple of dinosaur songs for the kids to learn and sing-a-long. Doesn’t matter if you can’t hold a tune, I certainly can’t, just be brave a go with the flow.

Author Visit Chapman PS, engage kids through movement and games

Author visit Chapman PS engage through movement and games

Make sure you allow time for Q & A somewhere towards the end, kids will ask the most incredible questions. Sometimes about your books, sometimes about you, be prepared for anything but remember you don’t have to answer everything, especially when someone asks the inevitable ‘How old are you?’

Lastly, remember to relax and have fun. Kids are always fascinated to have an author come and visit their school, they will be so excited to meet you.

Have you ever done author school visits?

Was there something you learned from your experience that I haven’t mentioned but others would find helpful?

Is there anything you still want to know that you didn’t find here?

Ask me any questions or leave a comment below. I would be happy to answer.

Researching Facts for Fiction.

I love writing middle grade fiction for readers aged 7 -12 years. There is so much potential to grip them with an adventurous story, but writing for this age group means a wide range in reading ability, not to mention their desire to read. That’s why in my Adamson Adventures series along with a great story full of tension and humour, I always like to include lots of factual information. Some readers enjoy fiction for all the fantasy and world building it entails, but others enjoy learning through reading factual texts. By combining the two, I hope to help bridge the gap between these different types of readers and encourage a love of reading in them all.

If you have read any of the three books in the Adamson Adventures series so far, you will know how extensive my research is. I take my readers on a journey from Bali, to the south coast of NSW and far out west in arid Queensland. Once I have a concept for a story, along with an idea of a location, I want to be able to write about the setting using all five senses, I need to experience that particular place myself. Photos, books and google searches can only help to a certain degree. There is nothing like immersing yourself in the scents, sights, sounds, tastes and feelings of the surroundings.

Pademelon are cute little marsupials that belong to the wallaby and kangaroo family. They are found all over Tasmania.

Far South region of Tasmania heading towards Cockle Creek and South West National Park Wilderness area.

That’s why in order to write book four, (title to be confirmed), I recently embarked on a trip to Tasmania. I always knew this story would be set in Tasmania, so to begin my research for the ideal setting I started googling possible best locations around the island. I also knew it had to be in the wilderness and accessible via campsites and walking tracks. Once I decided on the location, my next step was to go down there and experience it for myself. I spotted platypus, pademelons, a Tassie devil and a lyre bird all in the wild. Although the last two were too quick and elusive to catch on film. I inhaled Huon pine, gentle mist and rainforest ferns. I listened to thundering waterfalls and rolling rivers while leaf litter squelched underfoot. I tasted fresh powdery snow as it swirled in the air and landed on my nose, and welcomed log fires and warming hot chocolate. I hugged trees, patted bright green mosses and marvelled at four different types of leaf patterns in ferns that mingled in the same location. I was amazed by the splendour and magnificence of tall trees and the simple majestic wonder of the wilderness. I came home inspired and refreshed to start writing again.

For those non-Australian readers who have no idea where Tasmania is, it’s a relatively small island at the bottom of mainland Australia, that is included as one of our states. Tasmania is the southern most tip of our country and the place from where scientists embark on research trips to the Antarctic. New Zealand and Argentina are the only two countries closer to the Antarctic.

Map of Australia showing the states including Tasmania.

Map of Tasmania, showing Devonport in the top middle, Hobart down south and Cockle Creek near the southern tip.

Hubby and I spent six months living in Hobart, the capital of Tasmania, back in 1986, soon after we were married. On weekends we managed to travel around to see a few places, but as you can imagine, when you are busy working in a place, you don’t have the time to explore as much as you might like.

After all these years, I was very excited to return this July, now that all our states have reopened after two years of lockdowns. We decided not to fly and rent a car on arrival because I knew I wanted to explore roads and areas off the beaten track. Therefore, the best option for us, was to drive to Melbourne and take the ship across overnight. That way, we could take our old four wheel drive car and have no restrictions as to where we went. I was pleasantly surprised that we had calm seas on both the departure and return trips. Bass Strait is known for wild weather, so I counted us very lucky, perhaps it was even a good omen.

On disembarking at Devonport, (6;30 am ), we drove straight down the middle of the island to reach Hobart by mid-afternoon. I had booked accommodation there for five days to give us plenty of time to explore the far south region. Out first full day trip was a drive through the Huon Valley, to the beachside township of Southport along with the campgrounds and wilderness walks around Cockle Creek. Imagine my delighted surprise as I read information maps to find Bennett’s Point, Adamsons Peak and Adamsons Falls! Regrettably I didn’t walk in to see these as I am not an experienced bushwalker of that calibre. The tracks are overgrown, and extremely difficult to navigate, plus they would take far too many hours to traverse than I could manage. I had to be realistic. However, I did get a good feel for the area a couple of days later when we returned to do the walks around the thermal pool at Hastings Caves, as well as the Airwalk and the Swinging Bridges walk that take you over the fast flowing Huon River. The views of the forest wilderness were spectacular.

Detailed map of the Southern Wilderness area of Tasmania with Adamson’s Peak and Adamson’s Falls circled. Bennett’s Point is highlighted in orange.

Looking across Recherche Bay to Bennett’s Pont.

Swinging Bridges walk across the Huon River, Hastings Caves and Thermal Pool.

To my delight, after a couple of hours walking, we returned to the carpark to discover a Tasmanian Devil and a Lyrebird in the wild. Sadly they were both too quick to disappear into the thick foliage to capture on film. I did manage to buy a couple of cute cuddly toy Tasmanian Devils and Tigers for the grandkids. There are many stories about the now extinct Tasmanian Tiger, and I did purchase a number of books about them. Could they still be elusively hiding out there in the wilderness somewhere?

We were lucky to see a Tasmanian Devil in the wild, if only for a fleeting moment.

Tasmanian Tigers are believed to be extinct. The last one died in captivity at a zoo in Hobart in 1936.

Surprisingly, I also watched a platypus playing in the river outside her den one afternoon. I had booked a cosy little Bed and Breakfast for the night, and on booking the owner has assured us that if we were there by 3:30 pm, we would be able to see the platypus at play. I didn’t believe the platypus would be there, but as we were served afternoon tea by the river bank, sure enough, the platypus arrived right on cue.

Our hosts also believed it would be a good night for seeing the Aurora Australis and suggested a great spot for viewing. Unfortunately as we waited, we watched the rain come across the valley and set in, spoiling any hopes of us catching a glimpse of this amazing phenomenon. I was so close to ticking this one off my bucket list, perhaps I’ll have to head to the northern hemisphere and see the Aurora Borealis instead.

Platypus in the river at Geeveston.

Aurora Australia courtesy of Wallpaper Flare

After my exploration down south was complete, we continued to discover more of the beauty of the Tasmanian wilderness through walks in Mt Fields Nation Park and Cradle Mountain. My initial plan on the day we headed to Mt Fields, was to just do the walks to the waterfalls, but hubby had other ideas. We drove up to the end of the road at the top of the mountain where we embarked on the most fabulous walk around Lake Dobson. The change in vegetation and diversity in plant life at the top compared to the rainforest and waterfalls further below was incredible. I took so many photos for my research and was inspired with lots of ideas.

Horseshoe Falls, Mt Fields National Park.

We hadn’t planned on a visit to Cradle Mountain as we had been there all those years ago, but I was so glad we did. This time we managed the 6.5 Km ( 4 miles) around Dove Lake. It was 2 !/2 hours of enchanted rainforest, squeezing around overhanging rocks, stepping over thick vines, massive tree roots and stone stairs that climbed up a hill and back down the other side. The park ranger informed me it wasn’t called Heartbreak Hill for nothing! All the while the rain drizzled off and on, causing the track to become quite slippery in places, but it was so worth it for the striking views of the lake and the rugged mountains that occasionally peaked out from behind fog or misty clouds. On checking the weather forecast for the next few days, we learned that snow was predicted. I was so glad we decided to stay, we were rewarded with a winter wonderland of fresh powdered snow that blanketed the resort and the mountains as far as the eye could see. Naturally, I had to head out for another walk in the fresh snow before too many footsteps turned the tracks to ice and mush.

Snowfall at Cradle Mountain.

I feel like my writing has slowed somewhat over the last two years, covid and lockdowns have not been conducive to my imagination. But this research trip was the prescription I needed. I have returned home inspired, motivated and keen to put pen to paper. Hopefully the next great Adamson Adventure will flow from my hands and be ready for publication sometime next year.

Do you do research to help you write your fiction books?

How do you do your research for your fiction books?

Star Wars Day and a Reluctant Reader

May the Fourth be with you.

May the Fourth Be With You.

Today as I write, it is Star Wars Day, a day where fans around the world celebrate this iconic movie series.

What does that have to do with a reluctant reader? I hear you ask. Read this months blog dear reader and all will become clear.

Most people will tell you that the book is always better than the movie, and I would usually agree. However in this case, I beg to differ. I was in my teens when the original trilogy first hit our screens. It amazed me like nothing before it. It was full of so much imagination and fantasy that was ahead of its time for the 1970’s. So, when one of my sons grew to love it too, I embraced it. He was the reluctant reader in our house, but Star Wars helped turn that around.

Finding books that he wanted to pick up and read was almost impossible, enter stage left, the Star Wars Encyclopedias. Large, hard cover books with amazing detailed pictures of the space craft and all things Star Wars related. The Millennium Falcon was his favourite, but he read those books over and over, each time committing more facts to his memory.

Then the paperback novels arrived. We began to collect the series. Each story read until the pages were worn. I admit, he still preferred to watch the movies, but he was reading.

Another strategy to help him read was the Monopoly Star Wars edition. Each time we played, he was having fun and didn’t think about the fact that he was reading. We spent countless hours playing this over several years, imagine how many hours of reading that all added up to.

I don’t know of any other movie series that has had the same impact on lives that Star Wars has. But I would be happy to be enlightened.

If you have or had, a reluctant reader in your house, what movies that are also books have you used to help them want to read?

In most cases the book would have come first. Star Wars is an exception to the rule.

Monopoly is a great strategy for encouraging reading without your reluctant reader realising. Have you used board games in this way? What are your suggestions?

5 Ways to Distribute Your Book When You're Self Published

Being a self published author can have it’s ups and downs. One of the hardest things to do yourself is to get your book into the hands of your readers. It takes hard work and determination, but here are 5 helpful ways that I have learnt over the years since my first book was released 10 years ago. I hope they help you along your journey as a self published author too.

Your Website.

- Selling books via your website is a great way to get your books directly to your readers and let’s face it, all readers love the chance to have a signed copy of the book. Ordered through your website, you can send them a personally signed book with a little message too. This does take a little setting up, and fortunately for me, I have an IT expert who is my son, so I don’t need to handle all that techy stuff that is beyond me. Of course, listing your books for sale on your website is one thing, but leading your readers there to purchase is another topic altogether. While I do get sales dribbling in, I admit I still need to work on this myself. My Books Sale Pages on my Website

Local Bookshops.

- These can be your best supporters. As a local author, most independent bookshops are happy to sell your books for you. Build up a relationship with the manager/owner, always be considerate and attend events at their shop to help support them. If you would like to speak to them about your book, arrange a meeting time that suits them. The Book Cow -Kingston has been a wonderful supporter of local authors ever since it opened the doors in December 2020. Paperchain Bookstore have been another awesome supporter of this local author. They have happily provided the space for all my book launches and signings when a launch wasn’t possible to due covid. It’s harder to get your books into stores outside your local area, but it too, can be done. For example, last year I knew I was heading to Coffs Harbour to attend business meetings with my husband. I emailed in advance an enquiry to the local bookstore and asked if we could meet to discuss the selling of my books. They were more than happy to meet with me. Obviously, you can’t always travel interstate to distribute books yourself, but always take advantage of the opportunity if you do. Finding a distributor to do this for you, is difficult, but not impossible. I didn’t have a distributor for my first four books, however, the first two in my Adamson Adventures were published traditionally. This meant they did have a distributor and thankfully when my publisher closed and I found myself self publishing book 3, I now had the connection with a distributor who was more than happy to take on the third book in the series. They do take quite a hefty percentage of your sales, but if distribution around the country is your goal, then it’s worthwhile considering.

My Local Book shop https://bookcow.com.au/, a wonderful and supportive shop for all local authors.

My book signing of Fossil Frenzy at Paperchain when we couldn’t hold a launch.

School Visits.

- Over the last two years due to Covid, this has drastically reduced. I had many school visits cancelled but hopefully this might start looking up again this year. Some schools you will sell quite a few books, while others you may be lucky to make one sale. Always check with the school if they are happy for you to send in order forms. I have had schools in low socio-economic areas that have preferred I didn’t. In that case, just be happy to motivate the kids, read to them, discuss your writing process or inspiration and hope they enjoy the experience. School visits can be hard to book, as there are so many other wonderful authors out there trying to do the same thing and schools have very little money or time to allocate. I recommend a speakers agency to help you with bookings. Here in Canberra I use Kellie Nissan from Just Write Words and her Speakers Agency Write Angles . Kellie is wonderfully helpful, I can’t recommend her enough.

Telopea Park School visit 2020. Talking about Australian dinosaurs and introducing Fossil Frenzy the Adamson Adventures 3. Years 3- 6.

My visit to Chapman Primary School last year. I ran writing workshops for all year levels, K -6.

Markets and Conferences.

- These can be a great way to interact with readers and their parents. As a children’s author our market audience is not only the kids, but their parents too. They hold the purse strings so it is beneficial to be able to talk to them directly. Markets and conferences are a great place to be able to do this. I live in a small rural community that every second year holds a Country Fair, I always have a stall at this event. There are often local markets throughout your area, it’s up to you to decide how often you want to be involved. A new night market Tuggeranong Night Markets is just starting in our area but as it’s outdoors and we are coming into our winter months, I am yet to decide whether I will hold a stall there or perhaps wait until the weather starts to warm up again. I definitely prefer indoor markets but these are hard to find. Conferences can be worthwhile, during the CBCA National conference held here in Canberra in 2019 I was able to contribute to the local author stall and get my books in front of teachers and librarians. My next opportunity is in 2 weeks time at the Goulburn Bookfest.

CBCA National Conference 2019

Royalla Country Fair, March 2020, just before we were plunged into our first Covid Lockdown.

Canberra Writers Festival 2019

Think Outside the Box.

- When I published my two Australian picture books nearly 7 years ago, I didn’t settle for just local bookshops. I thought about other places that might like my books. National Park gift shops, tourist information shops and other tourist destinations were keen to support my books. I managed to distribute them in both National Parks near Canberra and even the Big Merino in Goulburn. Then, when hubby and I did our drive across Australia, I took the books with me and spoke to tourist places from here, all the way across the Nullarbor to Perth. Even The Pinnacles north of Perth purchased copies. With Fossil Frenzy, I found the National Dinosaur Museum here in Canberra to be hugely supportive. They not only held my book launch but invited me to return for a second reading twelve months later. While in Perth last year, (yes WA did open briefly to interstate travellers) I was fortunate to be able to do a talk at the Clarke Earth Sciences Museum at UWA. I’m always on the lookout for different or unusual opportunities. Just recently I saw that the Australian Museum in Sydney were holding a Dinosaur Festival this upcoming school holidays in April. So I reached out with an email, and now have copies of my book for sale in the Australian Museum Bookshop. How roarsome is that!

My talk at the Clarke Earth Sciences Museum UWA, with paleontologist Dr Kaila Thorn.

Book launch at the National Dinosaur Museum December 2020.

As a self published author, distribution of your books does take quite a lot of work. However, even with a traditional publisher a lot of the marketing is still up to you. My goal is to get my books in the hands of as many readers as I can, especially those reluctant readers looking for something different, irresistible, and packed full of fun and action so that they learn to love reading. All the hard work it takes to distribute my books is worth every moment.

How do you share your books?

Do you have a distribution plan?

Do you have other thoughts on how to distribute books other than my suggestions?

I would love to hear your thoughts, please share in the comments below.

Every Summer Has a Story.

Summer holidays are the perfect time to relax, unwind and read a good book or two. January is that time for me where I feel no pressure to work, write or feel guilty about putting my feet up and enjoying a good book or two or three. As #australiareads celebrates Library Lovers Day on 14th February again this year, I thought I would share my choice of books that I loved and read in January in the hope that you might like to read them too.

image courtesy of @australiareads

This summer break I read three fabulous middle grade fiction books. Each so different from the next, but all equally entertaining stories.

Here are my reviews in no particular order.

Emergency Rescue Angel by Cate Whittle.

I have had this on my ‘to read’ list since it was published in 2020 and it didn’t disappoint. More upper middle-grade seeping into the young adult category, this story is definitely one for readers 12- 14 years. Mitch is having a hard time fitting in at school after everything changed when his father drowned saving a kid swimming at the local surf club. His best friend also moved away, leaving Mitch all alone and unmotivated. Enter Max, a strange new girl at school who seems to make it her mission to befriend Mitch and help get him back on track with his studies and life in general. But all is not as it seems and Max has a secret agenda. She is Mitch’s Emergency Rescue Angel, sent to help him whether he likes it or not.

I enjoyed the mystique of this story as Mitch began to unravel his new best friend’s true identity. Clues are given as Mitch slowly realises that no one else at school seems to know Max even exists. Cate Whittle is a masterful storyteller who weaves relatable characters and scenarios into magical scenes. She captures the imagination using all the senses at her disposal. Whether it’s the mouth watering piping hot meat pie with tomato sauce oozing through Mitch’s fingers and dripping onto his uniform during a conversation between the two or the chill of the incessant rain pelting down as he struggles to push his broken bicycle home from school. This story will hook the reader with intrigue, empathy and a wonder of the possibility of angels looking over our shoulder. A wonderful read for any student that is an outsider needing to come to terms with their own reality and learning to accept themselves in all their glory for who they are.

Emergency Rescue Angel by Cate Whittle

Dragon Skin by Karen Foxlee.

This was a really quick read. It only took me two days, mainly because I just couldn’t put it down. I knew it was a good story when my hubby read it too. He never reads fiction, no matter how good I tell him a story is, but he too, was captured by Karen Foxlee’s incredible story telling. Suitable for young readers 8 to 12 years this story will tug at your heart strings. Set in the Queensland outback mining town of Mount Isa, the imagery is rugged and beautiful. Dragon Skin explores a host of emotions from friendship and loss, to love and caring and the deep desire to escape the reality of ones world.

When Pip discovers a tiny dragon almost lifeless in her favourite waterhole, she is determined to save it. But Pip needs help. First from the memories of a friend lost forever, then from two unlikely friends from school. This story draws on imagination and the desperate need to change things, even those that are beyond her control. It explores the meaning of love and loss and the heartbreak of letting go. There is so much depth in this beautiful tale my words could not do it justice. Suffice to say, this one is a must read for anyone who needs help escaping family violence or for kids who would like to understand. Learning how to care for a dragon and what Pip feeds it, is a delight too.

Dragon Skin by Karen Foxlee

The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo.

This story was not something I am used to reading. Written in the genre of a fairy tale or fable, it too, had me hooked. It is a tale about the power of words and how they are interpreted. When a monk finds a young girl hiding in the stables with only a goat for comfort, he soon takes her under his wing as her protector. Beatryce has no idea who she is or where she came from. To add to the mystery, she knows how to read and write, but it is forbidden in the kingdom for girls to be educated. Why is the king hunting her and what is the foretold prophesy that leads her on a quest to freedom and understanding? Learn the importance of words and how powerful they can be when the world of reading and writing is available to all.

An intriguing story for readers 8 to 12 years, especially those who enjoy a quest and adventure told in a unusual manner. Kate DiCamillo is an incredibly clever story weaver that will take you on a journey of discovery in a world far, far away from our reality.

The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo

With Library Lover’s Day being celebrated again this year on 14th February, why not head to your local library or school library to borrow one of these amazing books or any other amazing book that is waiting for you to choose to read. Your favourite Librarian is always there, keen to help you find that special book, the one that is a must read for you. I have fond memories of some amazing librarians over the years. They are passionate about the books and the children in their care and always know the right questions to ask to find that one special book for every individual reader.

Image thanks to #australiareads

I’ve told you what I have read, now it is your turn. What have you read over the summer break?

I’m reading two books at the moment. ‘ Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone’, book 9 in the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon and Tracey Hawkin’s new middle grade release, ‘The Riddle of Tanglewood Manner.’ What are you reading now?

What is on your ‘to read’ list?

I would love to read your book choices in the comments below.

Was the Duck of Doom a Demon?

Have you heard of the Demon Duck of Doom before?

If you have read Fossil Frenzy, the Adamson Adventures 3, then there is no doubt you already know about this fascinating creature. I have recently been researching more about this bird in an attempt to get a clearer understanding of it before I begin writing book 4. Yes, the Demon Duck of Doom will return, but you’ll find no spoilers here. You’ll have to wait until the next book is released.

In the meantime, here for kids information and as a teaching resource, is what I have discovered.

It was a giant flightless bird, an Australian megafauna, an avian dinosaur.

Also known as the Thunderbird, the Bullockornis Planei and most recently Dromornis Planei. Found in the area around Bullock Creek in northern Queensland, it was originally believed to be a separate species. After continued research it was concluded that Bullockornis did in fact belong to the Dromornithid family.

The Demon Duck of Doom was a fearsome looking bird that weighed over 225 kilos, over 5 times the size of an emu. It had two massive thick legs and two tiny wings. However, its most terrifying feature was the horse sized head with an enormous beak. This dinosaur stood about 304 cm tall. That’s almost twice the height of an average adult person.

Bullockornis Planei

Did you know that this dinosaur is closely related to birds of today?

This creature has caused much controversy among palaeontologists. These are people who study animals and plants from our past by digging up their remains that have become fossils, or imprints in the earth that have turned to rock. With it looking more like an emu, an ostrich or even a cassowary, it is easy to believe this flightless bird was an ancestor of these birds. Classified by researchers into the Dromornithid family, it is believed to be more closely aligned with ducks or geese. Some scientists have even included it in family trees that link the Demon Duck of Doom to chickens. Imagine the size of those eggs in a chicken coup. You could have scrambled eggs for a week on just one egg.

Emu

Cassowary

Goose

Duck

Was the Demon Duck of Doom a foul foe or is it a case of being a misunderstood fowl?

Could it have been…..a carnivore?

There are several theories on this subject too. With its ginormous and scarily sharp beak, the Dromornis Planei was originally presumed to be a carnivore. Those long legs would have meant it would have been able to run fast and chase its prey. Coupled with the huge snappy beak, it should have been able to easily prey upon smaller dinosaurs and rip them apart for dinner.

Was it more likely ……a herbivore?

However, upon closer inspection of the beak, scientists noted that it did not have a sharp pointed tip like other meat-eating flying predators. Birds like hawks and eagles have this feature to bite and tear into their prey. Without this pointed tip on the beak, scientists then concluded that perhaps the Demon Duck of Doom was a herbivore after all. The reason for the massive beak was more likely to be used to crush tough plants and fruit husks or break thick stalks. The avian dinosaur possibly ate plants like the Cassowaries and other birds today that feed on ancient giant plants such as Hope’s cycad with its seeds like a banksia and the Australian fan palm with its huge fronds and red fruit. These plants first appeared during the age of dinosaurs and are still found in the wet tropics of Far North Queensland today. The beast was undoubtedly tall enough to reach high branches on any plants.

Birds of prey like eagles have a sharp pointed beak.

Dromornis Planei lacked the sharp point on the tip of the beak.

Was it …….an omnivore?

The third and finally theory was that maybe the Demon Duck of Doom was neither carnivore nor herbivore, but instead a combination of the two, making it an omnivore. A scavenger feeding off the leftovers from megaraptorans like Australovenator and enjoying a nice side-salad of cycads and ferns. If you have ever had pet chickens, you would know they eat leftover meat, grains, and vegetables. Just maybe the theory that the Demon Duck of Doom is an avian ancestor of your chooks is correct.

Hope’s Cycad still found in the Daintree Rainforest of Far North Queensland.

Seed pod from the Hope’s Cycad.

Will we ever know?

Palaeontologists are constantly searching for more clues as to the truth behind the Demon Duck of Doom. Was he wrongly named? Was he a fearful predator or a friendly and innocent plant eater? To fully understand and know for sure, scientists need to find and examine the fossilised dinosaur poop, also known as coprolites, of a one of these amazing avian dinosaurs. Only then, will they discover the true digestive habits of the Demon Duck of Doom.

What are your thoughts? Do you believe the Duck of Doom was a Demon rampaging around the outback chasing smaller birds and animals for a meal? Or has it been a case of mistaken identity and the flightless bird was a friendly fowl?

Our contented chooks. We have ten girls, not all shown in this photo.

If you’ve read Fossil Frenzy, you know my thoughts, I’d love to know yours.

When Life Gives You Lemons....

Have you heard of that saying?

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade..

What does it mean to you?

I interpret it as, when circumstances change or don’t work out as planned, look for the positive things in life that happen instead.

This is one of those times. This post isn’t quite the one I had planned. I had so much happening this month that I was looking forward to sharing with you, but then life sent a curve ball or is that a bunch of lemons fallen from the tree, and plunged us back into lockdown. All my exciting upcoming events were suddenly cancelled. I am keeping my fingers crossed that when we reach the other side of this, everything will be rescheduled, but it’s not looking good for school visits.

So what are the positives that have arisen this month?

I did manage one school visit before lockdown. It was a fabulous day, full of exuberance and enthusiasm from year 6 students first thing in the morning right down to Kinders at the end of the day and all year levels in between. The school had asked me to run writing workshops instead of an author talk and book reading. At first I was unsure how I would tackle this, given each group numbered 80 plus students sitting on the floor in the school hall. So I mixed things up with a bit of inspiration, a dash of motivation and a sprinkling of humour. I had kids moving and laughing with a fun activity and they all left with fabulous ideas, plans and strategies to start writing great stories. I even received this roarsome testimonial from one of the teachers.

We had great pleasure having Sandra Bennett in our classrooms. The students thoroughly enjoyed meeting a local award-winning author and her authentic approach led students to ask all sorts of questions about the writing process and her experience as a writer. We have school visits from sporting heroes so why not writing heroes? Sandra Bennett gave our students a dinosaur writing challenge in which they eagerly participated. It was affirming for us as teachers of writing to have an author validate our practices and who knows, she may have even inspired a future great author in our very own classrooms.

Libby Emerson – Chapman Primary School

Author visit and writing workshop.

Fun learning activities that engaged and inspired.

So what lemonade have I made during lockdown?

It gave me time to make my video of reading my story ‘Jack and the Seven Giants,’ for the launch of this year’s Anthology Angel’s Once Upon A Whoops! Fractured Fairy Tales and Ridiculous Rhymes. The anthology is released on 1st September. You can watch all the fabulous authors reading parts of their stories on Anthology Angels Youtube Story Time The link for mine is below. I find making a video terribly time consuming. I am way too self-conscious and make so many stuff-ups! I needed a good cup of tea to relax before I was finished. The anthology is now available through Amazon and all proceeds from the sale of the book go towards the incredible Life’s Little Treasures Foundation who support families in their time of need when their babies are born too early. Update: Thanks to the incredible support of so many wonderful people, the book has already become a number 1 Amazon Best Seller on it’s first day of release.

This month I was also accepted to have the honour of becoming an Ambassador for Australia Reads. Promoting a love of reading in children has always been a passion of mine, so to be able to be included as an ambassador is unbelievably special to me. We were asked to give a quote about reading which you can see below, and yes, make another dreaded video. This one was a little easier as it only lasted 60 seconds, still took me over an hour to get it right. Just as well I have plenty of time on my hands. You will be able to see the video on my author Facebook page once Australia Reads have posted it later in September.

By now you know the lemon that life gave me when my publisher of the Adamson Adventures closed before book 3 Fossil Frenzy could be published. You also know I stepped up and made my own lemonade by successfully publishing the book myself and it has seen the best results yet. What you probably don’t know, is that I had trouble finding a national distributor. Lockdown gave me the proverbial kick I needed to pursue this. I finally contacted the distributor who had the contract for the first two books. My emails had not been getting through but disappearing into the ether somewhere. A phone call made all the difference. They were most apologetic and have agreed to promote and distribute Fossil Frenzy. I am so grateful that this dino-mite adventure will now be able to reach so many more readers around Australia.

Fossil Frenzy the Adamson Adventures 3

The Adamson Adventures, books 1, 2 & 3.

I have so much more exciting things in the works, but for now, they will stay my little secret as I hope they still come to fruition. In the meantime, I am still writing and submitting, who knows, maybe one day I will have another elusive contract. The Adamson Adventures book 4 is in the works too. Life’s lemons dumped a full bag on me here. I spent a whole day looking for my notes I had made for this book, but came up empty handed. The lemonade - I started researching, plotting and planning all over again, maybe I will solve all the plot holes and come up with an even better story.

So what about you? Are you back in lockdown too?

What lemonade have you been making? Please let me know in the comments below.

Contemplation or Procrastination

Do you feel you are taking too long contemplating your next project? Or is it a case of procrastination?

Let’s consider the difference between the two. I believe it may be a fine line.

Contemplation - is the action of looking thoughtfully at something for a long time.

Procrastination - is the act of delaying or postponing something.

The trick is not taking too long on contemplation so that it doesn’t turn into procrastination. While you are spending all that time thinking about your next project, are you actually putting it off? Creativity takes time, it doesn’t answer to a clock, you can’t schedule when you get a good idea, but you can over plan. There comes a point where you need to do the work.

We all need time to contemplate, a chance to brainstorm sparkly new ideas and think about where they might lead. Plot developments and structure don’t happen overnight, they need to marinate in our brain for a while to see if they are worth pursuing. It’s when we start avoiding the writing/editing by doing everything else, housework, ironing, scrolling the socials, that this contemplation becomes procrastination.

I feel like I’ve been at a bit of a crossroads lately, struggling with where to turn next. I have always been proud of being able to multi-task and have several projects on the go at once, but is that contemplating the possibilities or simple procrastination, avoiding making decisions?

Since my last project was completed, I keep playing with lots of sparkly new ideas but not making any headway. I wonder if it’s because I am so comfortable with my Adamson characters that I am not ready to let them go and move onto something new? Zac, Clare and Luke have become like my own children. I know them so well, yet like any parent, I am pleasantly surprised when they do or say something unexpected. I’m not sure I am ready to let them fly out the door forever.

In recent weeks, Fossil Frenzy, has won Finalist in the International Book Awards 2021, Children’s Fiction Category. I feel honoured and proud to have received this amazing recognition for my third Adamson Adventure, so should I continue the series? Or call it the end and start a fresh new adventure? I have the basic plot rummaging in my head, but not put pen to paper as I can’t make that final decision. It could easily be book 4, or should I change things up, develop a set of new characters for a brand new adventure? This option would free me up to submit to publishers, continuing the Adamson Adventures would mean continuing on my own.

With the opportunity to do more online writing courses through Zoom since covid, I also think I am procrastinating through learning overload. There is an old saying, that the more you learn, the more you realise, the less you know. That may be my problem, I am beginning to doubt whether anything I write is good enough. My inner critic has raised her stubborn head.

I’ve also been working on a couple of picture book manuscripts. I gave draft 7 or 8 ( or is that 12?) of one of them to my critique group and sent it to a few writer friends for review. I still couldn’t reach a decision whether it was good enough, so paid for a manuscript assessment. One of my friends said I was ‘overthinking it.’ She was right, and the manuscript assessment was probably the best decision I have made in months, it gave me the kick up the pants I needed to move forward and begin to submit the picture book to two publishers, one more to go.

Then there is the picture book I have planned to self-publish for a few years. I have all the illustrations complete and promised the illustrator that I would publish it this year. So what is holding me back? I adore the illustrations, but that inner critic of mine isn’t so sure that the text is perfect and ready to go out into the world. Penelope the Playful Platypus is a beautiful story and I even have it listed as ‘coming soon’ on my Books page. Perhaps it’s time to stop the procrastination, move forward, do the work and see this project to completion.

Maybe it’s a case of too many sparkly ideas. Perhaps it’s time to concentrate on one project at a time. Change routines, stop social scrolling and enrolling in writing masterclasses. Stop agreeing to do things for fear of missing out. Set goals and forge ahead.

How about you? Are you stuck in procrastination? Do you have too many sparkly ideas rummaging in your head? How do you solve the problem?

In Celebration of Dinosaurs

June 1st was International Dinosaur Day! Woohoo!

So in honour of dinosaurs and lovers of dinosaurs, let’s talk about those roarsome curious creatures.

Kids of all ages love dinosaurs. We all have our favourites from our childhood. Which one was yours? Here are a few to jog your memory. Have I missed anyone?

1. Dorothy the Dinosaur from the Wiggles

2. Barney from Barney and Friends

3. Little-foot from The Land Before Time

4. Rex frim We’re Back a Dinosaur Story

5. Rex from Toy Story

6. Earl Sinclair from Dinosaurs series

From an early age kids are naturally drawn to dinosaurs . By the time they are learning to talk they can name all the different types. By three years old they can even pronounce some of the trickiest ones that as an adult we stumble over. My three year old grandson can name most dinosaurs. Although I admit I have taught him to say ‘longneckasaurus,’ instead of Brontosaurus, Brachiosaurus or Apatosaurus. I figured there are so many different sauropods, it was easier to lump them all together in one group at this stage. He can learn each of the different names as he grows.

Brontosaurus

Brachiosaurus

Apatosaurus

Both my grandsons even have dinosaur pyjamas, and that gorgeous three year old mentioned above, even has a ‘dinosaur bed.’ His sheets and doona are covered in dinosaurs.

Many children continue to be intrigued by dinosaurs well into their childhood. Just this last month I did a book reading at the Clarke Earth Sciences Museum located in the University Western Australia, for kids from the Children’s University WA aged 7-10 years. One keen young reader said his favourite dinosaur was a Mosasaurus, an aquatic dinosaur. He was so excited when the curator of the museum, palaeontologist Dr Kailah Thorn subsequently produced a fossil fragment of a Mosasaurus for him to see and touch.

Reading and chatting about dinosaurs with Dr Kailah Thorn at the Clarke Earth Sciences Museum UWA

Having fun reading to the kids from the Children’s University at the Clarke Earth Sciences Museum UWA.

By now you probably know that I still have a fascination with dinosaurs, which is why I wrote Fossil Frenzy the Adamson Adventures 3. I not only wanted to write another fun adventure, I wanted to take kids on a journey back in time and help them learn about the dino-mite creatures that have been discovered here in Australia.

Fossils can tell us a lot about dinosaurs, but they don’t tell us everything. That is a writer’s dream, as it leaves many options open for interpretation and the development of our imagination.

One of my favourite dinosaurs is the Demon Duck of Doom, also known as the Thunderbird or Bullockornis Planei. It is a flightless bird like the emu or cassowary and belongs to the Dromornithids family, sharing its ancestry with ducks and geese. To find out more about this dino-rrific dinosaur see my previous post

https://sandrabennettauthor.com/blog/2020/9/30/a-couple-of-curious-creatures

Knowing the fabulous vibrant colours on the head and neck of a cassowary, I decided I wanted to make my Demon Duck of Doom in Fossil Frenzy covered in bright feathers too.

The Cassowary is a flightless bird found in northern Australia and Papua New Guinea. Imagine a Demon Duck of Doom with these coloured feathers all over his body.

Fossils usually can’t tell us the colouring of the feathers on a dinosaur, even if a few feather fossils are found, they usually lack any pigmentation. Here is how I imagined and describe the Demon Duck of Doom when Zac, Clare and Luke first encounter it. -

“There were mottled hues of green that camouflaged into the rainforest all over the back., yet the head and front feathers were red and orange. The underbelly and legs were a deep purple combined with shades of blue. The beak and feet were yellow. It was quite a rainbow of colours.“ - Extract from Fossil Frenzy the Adamson Adventures 3.

I have also added a short video clip of me reading an extract from Fossil Frenzy when Zac, Clare and Luke encounter the Demon Duck of Doom for the second time. Have a listen and tell me whether you think I made my Demon Duck of Doom a friend or foe?

Thanks for coming along on this journey back in time.

Now it’s your turn.

Don’t forget to let me know your favourite dinosaur in the comments below. It’s always fun to see.

Life is Full of Moments to Treasure

We have a big green shipping container out the back packed full of all sorts of stuff. When we moved out here to our property nearly fourteen years ago we planned to only have our things in storage for six months. Little did we know all these years later it would still be there, untouched like a time capsule.

Yesterday two of our sons and I finally opened that container to start cleaning it out. It brought me to consider the cliché, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. Among the piles of boxes I discovered a treasure trove of so many wonderful memories from our boys childhood, (and other boxes full of junk that we easily chose to throw away). Mind you, so far after an afternoon of sorting, we have barely scratched the surface.

As we sorted boxes one by one, we laughed at the treasures and memories that each box uncovered. My middle son was never an enthusiastic reader as a child, but much to his delight we came across his treasured Deltora Quest book series. by Emily Rodda . These were one set of the few books I managed to get him to read back then. He was quick to say they were definitely keepers for when his son is old enough to read them too. They are now safely on my bookshelf to be treasured by the next generation.

Matt’s copies of Deltora Quest by Emily Rodda, now kept safely on my bookshelf.

To my surprise I also came across a couple of packets of old photos from the 90’s when my boys were little. They brought back wonderful treasured memories of son no 3’s christening, the 4th and seventh birthdays of my other two sons and life in general from those years. We talked about people in the photos, including my dad and uncle who are no longer with us, and the boys were amazed at how young their dad and I looked. Not only do I treasure these memories from the past, but I will treasure these moments of discovery together too. An afternoon that was meant to be a chore that we have put off for years was a fun and enjoyable experience.

This lead me to thinking about the other treasured moments from recent weeks. Celebrating my mum’s 80th birthday, the book reading of Fossil Frenzy at the Book Cow in Kingston and my invitation to the Gold Coast Film Festival that arose from the Queensland Writers Centre Adaptable Competition. Meeting the incredibly talented international award winning children’s author Adam Wallace and the co-ordinators of Adaptable, Lori-Jay Ellis and Craig Couchi, will be special moments that I will always treasure.

Hubby and I had the opportunity to see a wonderful aunt one last time before she passed. As sad as that moment was, we will treasure the memory always. We will be forever grateful we had the chance to say goodbye.

While in Brisbane, we drove up to Mount Tamborine in the ranges behind the Gold Coast where we enjoyed several rainforest walks and I found an irresistible fairy tree house that I just had to bring home. The sheer delight on my grandson’s face when I turned on the fairy lights was a moment captured that I will treasure forever. My fairy bookshelf now also includes a wizard and dragon statue that we found among the treasures from the container.

I visited the Queensland Museum and also bought a dinosaur egg that when submerged in water for 24 -48 hours, hatches and continues to grow. Watching my little cherub grab my hand and pull me over to show me the longneckasaurus (as he calls it) that hatched was a moment of excitement that made all the tears and tantrums the day before all worth it. One thing I did learn, you can’t expect a 3 year old child to wait for delayed gratification! I do think he will treasure that dinosaur for some time to come.

While some of these things are material mementos that bring back memories, others are experiences that will we always treasure. This lead me to think about Secrets Hidden Below the Adamson Adventures 1. While the story evolves around a pirate treasure hunt through Bali, the true treasure that the three siblings come to value is each other and their family. As this book is now out of stock, I am proud to be able to announce it is now available as a print on demand book or ebook via Amazon. You can find the book Here

Yesterday was also my middle son’s 30th birthday and Mothers Day. It was full of wonderful moments to treasure, not all to do with that big old shipping container. Moments that are special to a family full of love, laughter and lots of cuddles. It is my sincerest wishes that you too, had a Mother's Day to remember.

What are some treasured moments that you might like to share in the comments below?