Characters in a Book are like Friends

Have you ever read a book and fell in love with the story and the characters so much you didn’t want the book to end? Have you ever felt like they became familiar friends? Harry, Hermonie and Ron are the first wonderful characters that come to my mind. Need I even say what series they are from? I think we all know the answer to that one. My boys were the perfect age for those books when they were first released and we spent countless hours reading them together. Harry Potter brought reading back to boys and girls of a certain age and we all thank JK Rowling for the love of books she brought to so many readers.

What characters in your favourite book are your best friends?

Great memorable characters from pictures books, middle grade, YA and adult fiction are all around us. We carry their memories with us as we go through life.

I remember when I first received the box set of the Chronicles of Narnia. I was ten years old and immediately sat in my curved plastic green and white striped chair in the corner of my bedroom and devoured The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. It took me to a world of wonder I never knew existed. I was already an avid reader, but this series hooked me for life.

The Chronicled of Narnia form part of my favourite childhood memories.

Then along came the Trixie Beldon mysteries. I lost count how many of those I had on my bookshelf. Nancy Drew, the Famous Five, they have all influenced me over the years. My love for mystery and adventure has come out in my own writing. I would not have written The Adamson Adventures without growing up reading about these other fabulous characters.

Another book that had a major influence over my writing the first book in my Adamson Adventure series, Secrets Hidden Below, was The Indian in Cupboard. I had three sons by the time we read this story together. We sat in bed each night while on holiday in Bali to read this intriguing story. I enjoyed it so much, that after the kids fell asleep, I couldn’t stop reading, I had to read ahead to see what happened next. The book had me hooked on reading out loud to our boys as it was not only a fabulous story with great characters, it also meant we had a special bonding time with all three kids. By the time we were finished I had the idea to write an adventure story that followed my own great characters on an adventure mystery of their own. My idea took my family on a journey around Bali. An adventure with pirate treasure around this exotic setting was something that no one had done before. From there, I took them on a mysterious ghost hunt a little closer to home in A Lighthouse in Time. Their third adventure takes them to the vast dry drought-stricken outback and the land of Australian dinosaurs.

I loved reading Indian in the Cupboard out loud with my boys.

My characters, like any great characters in a series have grown and changed throughout the telling of their story. Zac is still a science nerd who thinks he knows everything, but he has learnt to listen to his sister, sometimes. Luke is still mischievous but is slowly learning to be more cautious, although I think learning to listen to advice from his siblings may need to wait for him to grow up a bit more. While Clare is moving forward from strength to strength. No longer the quiet, shy, frightened sister, Clare is learning to stand-up for herself and grow in strength and confidence. Someone once asked me which of my characters was my favourite? I had to think long and hard about that, they are like your own children, impossible to have a favourite, but I think Clare’s determination and ability to take control in a dangerous situation, makes her my stand out.

Fossil Frenzy, the Adamson Adventures 3, is coming soon. My graphic designer and I are working on the front cover now. Hopefully I will be able to reveal the cover shortly.

A hint of what is to come in Fossil Frenzy, The Adamson Adventures 3.

In the meantime, it is Book Lovers day this Sunday, 9th August 2020. Which book is first to come to your mind that you love? Is it a treasured memory? Which characters have you read about and felt they became more like good friends you couldn’t wait to read more about?

For more inspiration on Book Lovers Day, check out these awesome blogs :-

Julie Schooler Paradoxical takeaways

Carmela Dutra A Day for Bookworms

Cat Michaels A Bibliophile RAP Really Awful Poem

Auden Johnson Best Horror Trope in Books and Movies

Rosie Russell Fun Facts for Book Lovers Day

Rebecca Lyndsay Most JAWsome Time of the Year

Book Lovers Day 2020, a world of memorable characters to treasure.

Self/Indie or Traditional Publishing - The Pros and Cons.

Last month I started to discuss alternative forms of publishing. If you haven’t read that blog post and are interested you can find it here https://sandrabennettauthor.com/blog/2020/6/1/how-will-you-choose-to-be-published

This month’s post is a continuation on that topic as I look at the pros and cons of whether it is best to self publish or try to head down the traditional path.

I have experienced both and with my small independent publisher closing this year, I now face the question of how to publish the third book in my Adamson Adventures. As you know, Fossil Frenzy has already had recognition by being shortlisted through the Queensland Writers Centre Adaptable competition. I had the fantastic opportunity to pitch the manuscript to film producers. Feedback has been nothing but positive support for a story that needs to be published for kids everywhere to read and enjoy. So now where do I go?

Image thanks to https://blog.reedsy.com/self-publishing-vs-traditional-publishing/

Let’s examine the possibilities.

Traditional Publishing

Cons

You can only submit when a publishers submission window is open

It takes a long time to find a publisher, months, years of waiting for a reply that may never come, or that does come in the inevitable form of a rejection.. I have sent the manuscript to several publishers in the last six months, but so far had no reply. Fossil Frenzy was originally due for release in August 2020, It has been suggested to me that since it is third in a series, no other publisher will pick it up. I have readers anxiously waiting for the next instalment of the series and am letting them down by not publishing it. The longer I wait, the more momentum I lose.

If a publisher does agree to publish my story, I lose control. The front cover will probably be totally different as they will certainly not use the same graphic designer. My book will look different to the other two in the series. They more than likely will want editorial changes too.

I would only receive 10% royalties after making back any initial advance.

Pros

A traditional publishing house covers all the costs of publication. Instead of me paying out thousands of dollars to produce the book, I am paid an advance. They have the in-house expertise for a graphic designer to design your front cover or choose an illustrator for your picture book. They do the editing, proof reading, text layout and all the organisation before they send the book off to the printer. They see to the ISBN and all other legal requirements.

They have access to a far wider distribution of books, increasing opportunities for sales. The distributor my publisher had, managed to sell my books right around Australia into bookstores I would never have access to. Secrets Hidden Below and A Lighthouse in Time have not only paid out their advance, but are now making me royalties.

The publisher manages some of your marketing, and again has access to places as a self-published author, you don’t, including certain book review and award submissions. Publishers can even manage to book those all essential school visits that as an indie author we struggle to achieve.

Self-Publishing or Independent Publishing.

Cons

It’s expensive. Doing it all yourself adds up quickly, especially if it’s a picture book and you have to pay an illustrator. That of course depends on your arrangement with them and is another story. It is essential to pay for an editor, they are worth their weight in gold to help get your finished book the best it can be. You also need a graphic designer, type-setter, acquire an ISBN, an ABN and register for GST if you are planning to make a business out of this.

It’s hard going it alone. You can get help from a partner publisher where you pay for everything but they do most of the work. Again, this too, is very expensive and you need to be careful. There are many companies out there that will promise you the world but produce next to nothing for all you spend.

Marketing is entirely up to you. This can be both a positive and negative. Marketing requires a lot of time you may not have, wish to do or know how to do. Finding a distributor is difficult, you need to do most of the leg-work yourself.

Pros

You are in control. Publish what you want, when you want, to your own schedule. No need to wait months for an answer only to find out it’s a no, ‘not what we are currently looking for.’

Marketing. For every effort you put in, you receive the return. Marketing by a publisher only lasts in the initial few months of release, then it’s all up to you to continue, so why not get a jump start right from the beginning.

Profits. When you sell a book in person or online you receive 100% of the books price, (note: you still need to take into account all you have previously spent). If you manage to get your books into stores, you get to negotiate the sales percentage. Remember a distributor takes 70% of the RRP, if you do it yourself, you have negotiation control. Local book stores are always happy to support local authors, it gets harder further afield, but you can do it. I travelled across Australia from the East to West coast and managed to get my to picture books into several gift shops and tourist centres. You just have to be willing to give it a go.

Personally, I believe there are advantages to publishing whichever way you choose. It depends on your end goal. Are you looking to get your book published ASAP or are you willing to wait years? Do you want to sell locally or would you prefer a wider distribution? Do you want peer recognition or are you happy to have kids reading and enjoying your story?

I am sure there are other pros and cons for both that I haven’t touched on here, if you can think of any, please add them in the comments below.

I would love to hear your thoughts.

How Will You Choose To Be Published?

There are many pathways to take you along your journey to publication. Let’s be honest, we all dream of that fabulous contract with one of the big major publishers. A contract that will see our book being sold in books stores to millions of people worldwide. In reality, overnight success is a long and bumpy road full of ups and downs, rejections and successes, big and small. It’s how we choose to enjoy that journey that counts.

Most of us, (including me) will tell you we are in this for our readers. If I help one child enjoy reading a story, then I have succeeded. That’s why I don’t chase the big publishers, even though that would be nice, what is more important, is finding ways to get my stories published so that my words are out there for readers to find.

Building literacy and a love of reading so that children become life-long readers and learners is the most important issue to me. That, and telling a good story that they want to read over and over again.

I have been a children’s author for eight years now. In that time, I have self-published four books, had two traditionally published, one published for a non-for-profit organisation and had seven short stories published in five anthologies.

My collection of published books. Cyclone Kayla, A Lighthouse in Time, Secrets Hidden Below, Alien Shenanigans, Gingerbread Aliens, Frazzled Freya, Emma the Eager Emu.

Short stories published in Anthologies. The Dead Centre of Town in Spooktacular Stories, The Thumping in Things That Go Bump, Save it for a Rainy Day in Enchanted, A Whale of a Christmas Time and Asters Aussie Christmas in Creative Kids Tales 1, and A Renovator’s Delight in Satan’s Holiday. Note: Drop Bears Hate Vegemite is in the Ebook Deep Within the Forest.

So where do you start?

Start with writing a blog. Did you know that by writing a blog you are published? Your words are out in the public domain for all to read. You can write anything you like, maybe start with a short story or two, a poem or simply random thoughts of the day. It’s entirely up to.

Don’t feel confident sharing your work with everyone? Find a critique group. There are many online, just google critique groups in your genre. I made my start with wriitng.com then moved on to more specific children’s book critique groups. I moved around a bit until I found a good fit.

Once you build your confidence, start submitting to competitions and anthologies. I won entry into my first ebook anthology in 2015, and I’m still winning entries into print edition anthologies in 2020. These are a great way to get your name out to readers with only a minimal competition entry fee. Plus I love a fun book launch when all the authors get together to celebrate. Last year I went to four book launches in one month.

This year, I entered my story, Peek-a-Boo Echidna in the Share Your Story anthology competition, ‘Tell Em Their Dreaming- Bedtime Ballads and Tall Tales From The Australian Bush. It was one of those stories I had been trying to write as a picture book for years. It had many versions, none of which worked. When this theme was announced and I now had 1500 words to write a short story instead of a 500 word PB, the story came to life. My little echidna has found a home and a publisher. It will be published in the anthology this October. I love this theme, ‘tell em ‘es dreamin’ is such an iconic part of our Aussie language after the absolutely wonderful mid 90’s movie ‘The Castle’ was produced, the saying became commonly heard throughout our house as it is many others I’m sure.

One of the things I love about the Share Your Story anthologies is that proceeds always go to a worthy charity or cause. Last years Spooktacular story collection donated books to sick kids in hospitals all around Australia. This year, the Bush Ballads will donate sales to raising funds for the NSW Rural Fire Service. After the horrendous Summer we had and the devastating bush fires, which came very close to us losing our home, I am forever grateful to the NSW RFS and so pleased to help support them with this collection of tall tales from the Australian bush.

Being connected to the wonderful people at Share Your Story also lead me to the amazing organisation, Library For All. Early last year they put out a call for proposals to write stories for their natural disaster series. The stories would be made into graphic novels for low literacy learners in Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific islands. With this in mind I put in a proposal and was accepted to write a story on cyclones for them. I found writing to someone else’s brief much more difficult than I expected. In 1500 words I was asked to write a fiction story that included facts about cyclones and how to prepare to survive a cyclone. The language had to be simple for low literacy and contain plenty of onomatopoeia. My story came in at 1700 words. I submitted hoping for the best. The reply came back to cut 500 words! It was now to be reduced to 1200! To my determination and surprise, I did it, and the story was better for it too. I am very proud to say Cyclone Kayla has now been published and is available for free via the app store at Library For All.

Cyclone Kayla, a graphic novel written for Library For All.

Inside ‘Cyclone Kayla,’ a graphic novel written for Library For All.

Inside ‘Cyclone Kayla,’ a graphic novel written for Library For All.

You won’t make any money being published via any of these options. It’s all about branding, getting your name out there and building an audience. Then you can consider whether you want to self-publish your stories or start submitting to publishers. Either way, at least you have a profile, and a collection of work.

The choice to self-publish or traditional publish is another story. Too long for one blog post. Whichever you choose, know there are plenty of groups that will help and support you. As a member of the Story Creators Community we are here if you have any questions.

How do you want to publish?

Why do you want to publish?

What do you want to publish?

Tips on Preparing a Perfect Pitch

As many of you know I recently won the opportunity to pitch one of my manuscripts to Australian film producers, directors and screenwriters. It was an absolutely amazing experience right from the beginning to the glorious end. In this post, I thought I would share with you my tips on preparing a perfect pitch, whether that is for film producers, editors or book publishers.

Fossil Frenzy The Adamson Adventures 3

Queensland Writers Centre Adaptable Competition Shortlist

1. Do your research. There is no point sending your manuscript to everyone. Find the right fit. You wouldn’t send a science fiction novel to a publisher that only publishes humorous picture books. You need to know the market and who is interested in the genre you are writing. I admit I was lucky, I happened to stumble across the Adaptable Competition. I was doing research into publishers for my manuscript ‘Fossil Frenzy,’ when I came across the competition with Queensland Writers Centre.

2. Be Brave and Submit. Once you find a good fit, go for it. Read the guidelines very carefully, and answer the questions to your best ability. Take your time with it, but don’t over think it. When I found the Adaptable competition, the closing date was only two days away. I didn’t have long to submit. My initial reaction was to procrastinate but I didn’t have time for that. The guidelines stated the story had to be set in Queensland. I had such a story, but it was book three in a series and not yet published. I pondered, would I be better sending the first book in the series even though it was set in Bali? No, stick to the guidelines, I submitted ‘Fossil Frenzy,’ set in outback Queensland.

3. Celebrate the small wins. Now the hard work really begins. After waiting an eternity, you get a response. But the shortlist you were expecting has been changed to a longlist due to the enormous amount of entries. Now you are asked to submit the full manuscript and the wait begins again. Within weeks the news comes that the shortlist has been announced and your name is on it! You will be pitching to producers. Eek! You did it! Take time out to celebrate this massive achievement, it doesn’t come along every day.

4. You Got This! Time to whip that synopsis into shape and prepare your speech. Memories of that dreadful first attempt at pitching live to editors come flooding back. You begin to question yourself,. Why did you even think you could do this? Take a deep breath, chin up, small steps, have courage, your work is good.

5. Secret to a strong Synopsis. Start with a great tag/log line. A ten to fifteen word elevator pitch that will hook your reader. It must be succinct yet convey your main character’s driving goal. Mine for ‘Fossil Frenzy’ is ‘ In the drought-stricken present, the only hope is buried in the past.’ Did I intrigue you? Next, think about your main characters. Can you concisely in one paragraph for each, describe both their internal and external goal, motivation and conflict? Add the major turning points throughout the overall arc, the resolution and the conclusion. Don’t leave out any surprises or twists. The editor or producer need to know it all. The hard part is sticking to your word count or time limit, you know your work better than anyone else, remember to use your unique voice and select the most appropriate scenes from the story to demonstrate.

6. Be Inspirational. Just like the beginning of your story needs to hook your readers, so too, the beginning of your pitch needs to hook who you are pitching to. Give them a reason to want to learn more. Have them sitting on the edge of their seat eager for you to continue. I opened with the fact that my story is an action adventure with drama and suspense but also plenty of humour. Then gave them an example that made each of them laugh every time. Then I moved on to my inspiration behind my story which is also my reason for writing it, which led onto my logline and the journey to finding my setting. All the while I weaved a story that also gave them reasons why an audience would want to see my story on screen. I found my point of difference and made sure they would remember both my story and me.

7. Try to relax. The best way to do that is practice, practice, practice. For my very first pitch to editors a couple of years ago, I know I didn’t do this. I didn’t expect my name would be drawn out of a hat, but all of a sudden, there I was standing in front of a panel of editors and a room full of authors and illustrators. I felt like an impostor, I was so embarrassed, I was never going to put myself through that again. Then Adaptable came around, the difference was the Gold Coast film Festival was cancelled thanks to Covid-19. We were no longer able to pitch in person, we were now pitching via Zoom. So I embraced social media, and practised daily via Zoom with a group of author friends. This technology was not going to defeat me. Find a group of friends you trust, I will be forever grateful for my friends who saw me through my stumbling practise sessions. At first it was a complete disaster, but each day I improved a little bit more. So much so, the first producer I pitched to said I had presented her the best pitch she had heard.

8. The secret ingredient. If you need a break, take it. When the pitches were put back by a week or so, I took a week off my practising to clear my head. It was time to rest. I knew my pitch by now, no point overthinking it. Finally, when the time comes, remember deep breaths and warm-up exercises. Before going live on Zoom, I spent ten minutes in my lounge-room doing a few warm-up exercises to get the blood pumping followed by some slow deep breathing. By the time we were ready to begin I was as relaxed as I was going to be. I knew I was prepared, I had done everything I could.

9. One Final tip. I knew my pitch, I had practised it often enough. I tried to make it conversational, so it wasn’t exactly word for word every time. You want it to be conversational, it sounds more natural, but just in case you get stuck you need an occasional prompt. If you are pitching live, then palm cards are the obvious choice. As I pitched via Zoom I was able to use a slightly more subtle strategy. Post-it notes are rather handy.

10. Enjoy the experience, no matter what happens next it doesn’t matter. You have succeeded just by pitching.

Pitching Fossil Frenzy via Zoom

You Can Do This!

Now comes the waiting. I’ve heard the positive responses from the producers. Will one of them read my full manuscript, take it to their marketing team and decide to offer to option it? My fingers and toes are crossed. it’s been a rollercoaster ride of emotions to reach this end point. Is the journey over? I certainly hope not. Fossil Frenzy the Adamson Adventures 3 is yet to be published. Stay tuned, I hope to have it coming soon.

Have you ever pitched to an editor, publisher or film producer. What tips would you add to this list? Please leave your suggestions in the comments section below.

Staying Grateful in a Coronavirus World

Many authors I know choose a word to help them focus at the beginning of each year. My word this year is Gratitude.This post is about the many reason I still feel grateful, even in the midst of living in this strange new coronavirus world. It is part of our #Gr8Blogs Coping in Coronaville Blog Hop, I hope it inspires you to think about the things in your life that you too, are grateful for, and if you enjoy reading this, you will also consider reading the other inspiring posts linked at the end.

As we said goodbye to 2019 and hello to 2020 Australia was suffering from the worst bushfires in decades. We spent most of our Summer isolated, unable to go outside, swim at the beach or travel around this beautiful country as it burned. Wearing a face mask became our daily norm even then, if we stepped outside, it was our only protection from the hazardous thick smoke that engulfed our air. To need to wear a face mask now, is just a continuation of our norm for 2020. While I have previously listed my gratitude to the many men and women of the NSW Rural Fire Service for keeping our community safe during that time, what I am grateful for now, is the green pastures. The rain finally arrived, although in many cases so did the floods, I am grateful everyday to see my water tank full and the rolling hills of our beautiful valley all green again. The birds have all returned, the sound of them singing in the trees is blissful, and the kangaroos are beginning to look healthy again. Now my word for this year seems to be even more valid than ever before.

The valley is so much greener after the rain.

A stark contrast to smoke hazed brown Summer.

I am grateful to live in this rural valley. It’s easy and comforting to isolate out here in the fresh country air, (grateful we can breathe said country air now). Grateful that our neighbours are within sight, but there if we need them, and far enough away to make self isolation easy.

My neighbours to the south are up on the hill in the distance.

My neighbours to the west are nestled among the trees.

My neighbours to the north are over the far side of our northern paddock.

I’m grateful to have Mr B home safely from PNG. Being married to an engineer working in the oil and gas industry means we spend much of our time apart as he travels to sites. The coronavirus at least has him home for the next few months. The hardest part about his return has been self isolating from our grandson for two weeks. Even though Mr B arrived back in Australia before the notice that those returning from overseas were to isolate occurred, we made the sensible decision to do so anyway. Not only did we not want to risk infecting our grandson, but his great-grandfather who also lives with them. Making our poor little man understand why he can’t visit us up in the big house when he lives in the little house right next door on our property has been heartbreaking. Each time I walk outside I hear his cries to Nanna from a distance. I am grateful we only have four more days to go until I can give him big hugs again.

I am also grateful that not only Mr B but my sons, can all work from home. Both son no# 2 and 3, live here on our property with us, keeping family close at this time is comforting. As they both work in different parts of the IT industry, it is possible for them to continue to work away from the office. I only wish son no# 1 wasn’t so far away in Perth. That brings me to another thing to be grateful for - video chat. I couldn’t imagine the separation that isolation brings without being able to chat via messenger/face-time/ or Skype. We have a new grandchild due to be born early July and had planned to fly to Perth soon after the birth. That is looking less likely to happen at the moment, at least I will be able to see him/her over the internet. It won’t be the same as cuddling the baby in person, but at least I’ll know I will have done by bit to keep my family safe. Family is and always will be my number one priority.

Grateful to have had all my family home together for Christmas.

Talking of video chats and Skype. I am so grateful to the team at the Queensland Writers Centre for doing all they can to keep Adaptable going ahead. While events are being cancelled all around the country, including many I was booked to attend, some at least are only postponing. The great team at QWC recognise that it would be very disappointing for this years winners of the competition to miss out just because the Gold Coast Film Festival has been cancelled. Instead, they have arranged our pitches to producers to still occur via Skype. I had my first pitch practice session with a producer the other day and I must admit, doing it over a video chat made it somewhat less nerve wracking. I hope I can feel the same when it comes to the real pitch in a few weeks. I am also grateful that at least one event wasn’t cancelled. The Royalla Country Fair still went ahead before the order to avoid all outdoor gatherings with over 500 people in attendance came into place. It was a fabulous day out here. Admittedly the crowds were down from usual, at least people were able to practice social distancing. I still met and chatted to lots of friendly neighbours and read to a great group of kids.

The last event before everything was cancelled, grateful we had a wonderful day in the fresh country air at the Royalla Country Fair.

Self-isolation and social distancing doesn’t need to be that difficult or something to be afraid of. It is however important to your loved ones and the wider community. We all need to take responsibility and help slow the curve of the spread of Covid-19. As authors we tend to naturally isolate ourselves and rely on the internet to maintain connections. That key to stay connected online is more important than ever before and I am grateful for all the friends I have made. You too, can find new ways to reach out to people, join new online groups or do those online courses you always put off. But the main thing is to remember the most important people in your life, your family. Embrace them and hold them close if you can. Use this time to make memories with them, read with them, share hobbies around the house, walk and explore the garden. My daughter-in-law has even started a vegie garden, something I have been meaning to do here for years. For us, at least we have 13 acres of our own to explore and a fabulous green valley where we can walk and never see another person. Just remember to take time to breathe, relax and think of those things in life that make you grateful.

These are indeed unprecedented and distressing times. What are you doing to help you stay calm and sane? Does thoughts of gratitude help? I hope I have given you something to think about. Please share in the comment section below what you are grateful for? But before you go, click over to the other #Gr8Blogs for more inspirational advice.

Cat Michaels - I Refuse to Waste Away in Coronaville

Rebecca Lyndsey Coping in Coronaville

Rosie Russell - Ideas on How to Cope in a Coronavirus World

Julie Gorges - Ten things Baby Boomers can do if self Quarantined

Chris Gorges - 7 Ways to Cope with Coronavirus Fatigue

Carmela Dutra - How to Stay Positive in a Coronavirus World

James Milson - Coping With The Coronavirus Challenge Now

What Will You Do With An Extra Day?

Have you ever felt that you could do with just one more day in the week, the month or the year, to get things done? Do you ever hear yourself say, ‘if I only had a bit more time.?’

The good news is, this year, as in every four years, you do. It’s February and it’s a leap year. We have one whole extra day to do all those things we keep putting off for another day. How are you going to spend your extra day?

This blog post is part of a #Gr8Blogs Leap Year 2020 Blog Hop, where fellow authors and myself are suggesting ways we are spending our extra day, hoping to inspire your thoughts and actions so that you don’t waste a second of those precious moments.

Research suggests that unless your birthday happens to fall on February 29, to most people, it is just another ordinary day. No one really slows down or takes notice of the fact that it is an extra day in the year. February 29 falls on a Saturday this year, why not take advantage of that and use it wisely. Here’s a little known fact for you, did you know that on February 29 it is said that a woman is allowed to ask a proposal of marriage? Out-dated I know, but a fun fact if you want to take advantage of it.

This Summer has been a particularly long and difficult one for most of us here in Australia. The devastating bushfires have touched the lives of most of us in one way or another. We have been impacted for months by thick smoke that has prevented us from our usual summer outdoor activities, most coastal beach towns were closed to holiday makers and even a simple walk was impossible without wearing a mask. Some of us here in Royalla were impacted by evacuation prospects twice. I had neighbours who were down the South Coast when the fires burnt through there, only to face the same scare several weeks later when two fire fronts, from the west and south, threatened our own small community. When the call-out came to help feed our heroic firefighters, I knew I had to help. I couldn’t evacuate and leave our home until I had done my bit to help in whatever small way I could. Within days we were told the winds had changed, the temperature had dropped, we were finally safe to return., for now We still prayed for rain. The threat continued.

The smoke haze that engulfed our property most of the Summer.

The Orroral Fire in Namadgi National park quickly raged out of control spreading quickly depending on the wind direction. Photo taken from our back deck.

Little did we know, rain too, would bring its own destructive force. Hail hit Canberra in an unprecedented size. Many were caught unaware and 39,000 cars were destroyed. A further 31,00 cars were destroyed in Sydney and Melbourne combined, bringing the total from the storm to 70,000. My son watched from his office window, knowing there was nothing he could do as the hail pelted golf ball sized holes into every panel of his car and smashed both his front and back windows. Like so many people, his insurance company has written off his car, he is still waiting for the payout to purchase a new car. That won’t be an easy task either, with so many people now looking.

Parliament House in the centre of Canberra, two photos taken just a week apart.

Alex’s car as a result of the hail damage.

Amidst all this climatic stress, I also received the devastating news of the sudden loss of a very dear friend’s son. As any mother will tell you, this is impossible to comprehend. It took me weeks to come to terms with this. Even now, I struggle to understand and feel so hopeless being unable to comfort a friend in a time when she needs me most, but we are separated by the size of this huge country of ours. My arms can’t reach across from east to west, although my heart does every day.

The final blow, the termination of my contract. I knew it was probably coming, but I was living in hope. Sadly, due to circumstances out of my control, my publisher can longer continue trading. So, while I have two amazing Adamson Adventures out in the world, I now need to find a new publisher for the third.

2020 has not been a great start for me, but I have made steps forward to change that. Out of the depths of despair comes a ray of hope. I have picked myself up, dusted myself off and am ready to face the world again. I have begun the submission process to publishers for Fossil Frenzy, the Adamson Adventures 3, and submitted two PB’s to a publisher and a short story to a competition. I have started the process of entering A Lighthouse in Time, The Adamson Adventures 2, into Award Competitions for this year and the most exciting bit of news - I entered Fossil Frenzy into the Queensland Writer’s Centre Adaptable Competition and have so far been longlisted. This was a competition I accidentally stumbled across while searching for publishers. The closing date was approaching, so I figured I had nothing to lose and entered. The shortlist of 25 is to pitch to film producers at the Gold Coast Film Festival in April. This shortlist was due to be announced on Feb 15, but due to the overwhelming amount of entries, so far they have whittled it down to a longlist of 40. I feel proud and excited to have reached the longlist, but am hoping my manuscript is strong enough to make the shortlist. Consequently just last Wednesday I attended a course on body language and public speaking to help me prepare my pitch.

The Adaptable Longlist

Kerry Malone and I at the Speakers Institute Workshop on Body Language and Effective Communication.

What does my story have to do with an extra day for leap year? I am spending Feb 29 doing another workshop. Business Skills and Marketing Prowess for Authors. I am not wasting my extra day and I implore you not to either. If there is one thing I have learnt this Summer, it is life can be all too fleeting. We need to be grateful for who we have in our lives, appreciate what we have and fulfil our dreams. Don’t put things off. Make a plan and take action today. Spend the day with your loved ones, take care of your health and rest if you need to, or start that project you always wanted to do.

By the way, for the next month, for every copy sold, I am donating a copy of A Lighthouse in Time to schools down the South Coast devastated by the fires, Have you ever walked into a room and felt there was a presence in there? I have found there is usually a logical explanation, but not always. Research has shown that 35% of Australians believe in ghosts, while over 46% of Americans do. I can tell you stories of my experiences another time. 'A Lighthouse in Time' explores this possibility as the kids investigate the old ruined lighthouse at Cape St George in Jervis Bay. I have been told by delighted readers that it is even scarier than some Harry Potter books. Buy a copy today or on Feb 29, and a school in need down the coast will receive a free copy.

You can purchase a copy here.

Update to this post: Yesterday, 25th Feb, it was announced that I have made the Adaptable shortlist. I’m off to Queensland in April to pitch Fossil Frenzy to producers. Yay, so excited!

I hope I have inspired you to stop and make a special plan for that extra day this month. How will you spend your extra day? Please leave a comment in the section below.

Before you leave, if you enjoyed this post, please consider reading the other #Gr8Blogs about how they'll celebrate a year with an extra day on 29 February..

Cat Michaels - Five Easy Things You Can Do with Your Extra 24 Hours on Leap Day

Rebecca Lyndsey - Very Superstitious...

Rosie Russell - We're Leaping and Hopping for Leap Year 2020

Julie Gorges - How Baby Boomers Can Make Leap Day Count!

Jim Milson - Happy Leap Year Day! What Will You Do With Your Extra Time?

Carmela Dutra - How to Take a Leap on Leap Day

Auden Johnson- How Will You Spend Your Extra Day This Leap Year?

https://www.audenjohnson.com/2020/02/how-will-you-spend-your-extra-day-this.html

Chris Gorges - A Rare Gift https://aslbasics.com/?p=359

Julie Schooler - https://julieschooler.com/3-easy-ways-to-make-february-29th-your-best-leap-day-ever/

December Dreaming - 5 Ways Looking Back Can Help You Look Forward

Not only is 2019 coming to a close, but so we find ourselves at the end of another decade. It’s a time to reflect on what we have achieved and consider where we want to head in the next ten years. With this in mind, My #Gr8Blogs writerly pals and I are diving deep into a special year-end blog hop, December Dreamin.’
Was 2019 a crazy roller coaster ride for you? Smooth sailing? Full of milestone events? It’s been a huge year for me creatively, I have learnt so much.

Join me as ’I remember the happy moments as well as lessons learned from challenges this past year in “My Ups, Downs, and In Betweens on the 2019 Writing Road.” Check out my personal reveals, then visit the other #Gr8Blogs linked at the end of the post for more shared recollections. We hope you'll be inspired to dive into special December Dreams of your own!

It has been an incredible year for me, I have had much writing success and travelled quite a bit due to John’s work. Along the road there have also been disappointments that natural come with submitting work to competitions and publishers. Rejections are a normal part of this writing life. We have to accept them, and move on. I like to focus on the positive aspects of life, so together let’s take a look at what I have learned this year.

Be Brave

I don’t know about you, it’s amazing how many times I ask myself, am I good enough? It doesn’t matter how far down this writing road I come, I still question whether my writing is worthy, will kids want to read my stories? That impostor syndrome seems to like to stay tucked nice and comfy in my mind.

This year was my year to be brave and send my writing out to more possibilities. By being brave to submit my work to competitions and enter a writing proposal, I had successes that I never thought possible before.

The competition was to write a scary story suitable for readers aged 8-12 years, but not too spooky that it would frighten them. I had written a spooky story once before and had it published in an adult anthology, could I write a story to fit these guideline? I had the spark of an idea, it was a combination of something my Dad used to say to us when we went on holidays and a memory of an experience I had in Scotland back in 2010. Put the two thoughts together and I arrived with my story, ‘The Dead Centre of Town.’ Once written I was brave enough to hit the send button and submit it to ‘Share Your Story.’ A couple of months later, I heard the good news, I had won a place in the Share Your Story Spooktacular Stories - Thrilling Tales for Brave Kids.

Around the same time I found the request from Library For All for proposals to write a story for their new ‘Disaster’ series. They were looking for stories to be made into graphic novels for young and struggling readers in remote and rural regions of Papua New Guinea. The topics included, cyclones, bushfires, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. The story had to be fiction but also had to include ways to teach how to survive these disasters in this region along with characters that were relateable to the indigenous reader. As I was travelling back and forth to PNG, I did my research and came up with an idea. My proposal was accepted, then the difficult task of completing the story in 1,500 words began. My initial story was completed at 2,000 words, a little longer than it should have been. I was asked to reduce it to 1,200, which I found quite difficult. It takes bravery to cut your words to fit a story under specific guidelines into such a tight word limit. However, I was brave enough to make the cuts, the story is better for it and ‘Cyclone Kayla’ will be released in PNG and Australia sometime soon when the graphic illustrations are completed, (not by me).

It is being brave enough to put my work out there, that I now have four self-published books, two traditionally published books and six stories in four anthologies. That’s a lot of stories being read by kids around Australia and overseas. With a bit of luck, there’s still plenty more to come.

I have entered other competitions this year without success, but that’s okay, I am still learning and still trying.

My takeaway from this - If you aren’t brave and willing to give something a go, you will never know the wonderful opportunities that are possible. Looking ahead, I will be entering more competitions and searching for further opportunities as we head into 2020 and beyond. What do you need to do to be braver next year?

Be Consistent

If you want to achieve anything, you need to be consistent, show up and do the work.

I have been extremely busy since August with the book launch of ‘A Lighthouse in Time’ the Adamson Adventures 2, and then the two anthologies, ‘Spooktacular Stories’ and the “CKT Story Collection 2.’ While all the events have been a lot of fun, they would not have been possible without the hard work first. It is consistency writing nearly every day that helps me reach my goals. That and being consistent meeting wonderful supportive author friends at the National Library of Australia nearly every Wednesday. Their support helps keep me on track, determined more than ever to show up at my desk and keep creating.

Even among the chaos and fun of book launches, school visits and author events, I still look forward to the time most days when I am consistently writing. Good habits form when you do them all the time, the brain is more creative and I am generally more satisfied. It is because of this habit forming that I can say the first draft of ‘Fossil Frenzy’ the Adamson Adventures 3, is now complete. The editing process will begin shortly after Christmas. I can’t wait to share it with you hopefully come August 2020.

The next chapter book may be drafted, but I am now in the middle of a Junior Fiction course, that is all about consistency. Showing up daily to write a quota of words, no matter how small, means each day you are one step closer to reaching your goal. Every word written today, is one more word than you had yesterday. This is a brand new story that has me all excited as it is something I have never tried writing before, the ideas and possibilities are endless, I can see the spark of a new series forming.

My takeaway from this - no matter what your goal is, show up, be consistent and you will keep moving forward. Looking ahead, I can’t wait to write and meet new characters and stories in 2020 and beyond. Are you consistent with your endeavours or a bit haphazard in your plans and goals?

Leave Your Comfort Zone Behind

Being brave this year, also meant having the courage to step outside my comfort zone and leave it behind. I am a typical Cancer, happiest when left to hide away in my little cosy shell not taking risks and putting myself out there to be judged.

This was my year to challenge that comfy couch. It all began when I agreed to attend the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) National Conference. Although I was only an attendee not a speaker, I did have the opportunity to be at a book signing table with other CBCA (ACT) members. This lead to my being invited to speak at this years ‘Romancing the Stars’ CBCA (ACT) event a month later. While I am accustomed to speaking in front of groups of kids, (as a former teacher, I have no issues there,) speaking to an audience of adults is another prospect entirely. With butterflies in my stomach, I walked to the front, holding my notes in my shaking hand. But once I started telling my story, something strange happened, I began to relax and forgot all about my notes. I can almost go so far as saying, I enjoyed myself.

After that experience, I accepted the opportunity to speak at the Canberra Writer’s Festival. My nerves were not too bad that day, my audience was both parents and children. As part of the advertising for that festival, we were asked to create a video for social media. That really was way out of my comfort zone. I am practising to improve on this, and who knows, you may see more videos from me next year.

My takeaway - Unless you are prepared to leave your comfort zone behind, you never know what you can do. Looking ahead, stay tuned for appearances and more videos, even if they are somewhat embarrassing. What will you do to leave your comfort zone behind?

Show Gratitude

I am thankful every day for the connections and friendships I have made in recent years being part of the community of children’s writers in the ACT and online in writing groups such as Share Your Story and the Duck Pond. It is through knowing and connecting in a positive way that has lead me on to opportunities and opened up possibilities. I am so grateful to be included along with Jacqueline de Rose-Ahern and Kerry Malone in founding the Story Creators Community which we hope will continue to grow in 2020 as we foster and mentor other creative people towards their goals. I know that without the support of these amazing people both on and offline I would not be as far in my writing career as I am today. I still have a long way to go, however I am mindful and grateful to everyone that shares my creative spirit.

Another note worthy of mention is my gratitude to Speech Pathology Australia for recognising the value in ‘Secrets Hidden Below,’ the Adamson Adventures 1, and shortlisting it in their Book of the Year Awards. I am honoured to have one of my stories not only considered but deemed worthy of such an important industry award.

My takeaway - Find your tribe and be grateful for them. Whether you are a children’s author like me, an illustrator, an adult fiction writer, musician or whatever your creative pursuit, there is a group out there for you, and they will help you move forward just by being there to share your wins and commiserate your losses. There is strength in sharing and connecting with like-minded friends. Looking ahead I will continue to be grateful for my tribe every day and never take them for granted. Who are you most grateful for?

Allow yourself Time For Family and Friends.

Life can get pretty busy with events, engagements and social occasions, it is hard to fit everything in. You have to learn to say no, sorry I can’t do that, (because it’s not possible to do everything for everyone). When all is said and done family come first. Relationships with those closest to you must be nurtured. I find myself in the awkward predicament where my husband is working overseas in a position that makes planning or scheduling time together quite hard. Most of my events need to be booked months in advance, his timetable changes daily. So I try to be flexible and take my laptop and fly around Australia to meet him in whatever city he happens to be in. July, he phoned me from Indonesia to say he had a four day weekend in Jakatarta, could I meet him? I met him in Bali instead. We had four beautiful relaxing days and I managed a bit of book marketing while I was there. I then agreed to fly on to Jakarta with him, then Singapore and back to Port Moresby. A four day long weekend turned into two weeks away. This was only possible because I can be flexible with my time and laptop, however, I did need to return home after that as August and September were fully booked with book launches and school visits. Hubby is home for the next four weeks over Christmas and New Year, so I will not be writing or spending much time on social media. This next four weeks is all important family time. We don’t get to spend enough time together so must cherish the time we do have.

My takeaway - Make time for yourself, your friends and most of all your loved ones. Time is precious and time with family is the most precious of all. Looking forward I will continue to do my best to maintain a healthy balance between my writerly life and my family. How do you manage to fit it all in?

Before you go , some of my writing friends are remembering seasonal family traditions in their December Dreaming. Why not stop by their blogs and see their recollections too. To get you started, here’s the link to one of my past memories, then visit my other #Gr8tblog friends too.

I wish you all the best for the Christmas and holiday season, no matter how you chose to celebrate.

Tis The Season for Holiday Traditions

Cat Michaels

Rebecca Lyndsey

Julie Gorges

Rosie Russell

Julie Schooler

James Milson

How Do You Find Your Summertime Bliss?

In this months post you will find 5 things I have currently been involved in or done this Spring. It’s been another busy writerly month full of inspiration and wonder. However as the Summer months approach I look forward to some quieter time to myself, to write and spend time with family and look forward to the breezy, lazy Summer days to come. Below are things I am currently loving, reading. watching, that are making me happy or I have seen through my camera lens as I make the most of this beautiful season.

Please join me as I reflect on the past month, then visit the other #Gr8Blogs at the end of this post for even more inspiration and smiles.

Loving

October has been another month of celebrations and book launches. As we prepare for Halloween, I was lucky to have stories included in not one, but two anthologies released in time to spread a little spooky fun to kids around Australia.

I loved flying up to Brisbane to attend the launch of the Share Your Story Spooktacular Anthology - Thrilling Tales for Brave Kids. This is one very special book and it fills my heart with joy to know that for every copy of the book sold, another copy is gifted to sick kids in hospitals around Australia. I loved attending the launch at the Queensland Children’s Hospital and the Mad Hatters Book shop. I have brought home special memories from both events.

The book is available from Amazon AU and US.

Spooktacular Stories - Amazon Australia

Spooktacular Stories - Amazon United States

The spooky fun continued in Sydney with the launch of Creative Kids Tales Story Collection 2. I loved three things about this event.

1. Meeting other incredible authors that have stories in the collection, including the wonderful author/illustrator who manages our critique group.

2. Meeting a little girl who was so excited to meet a witchy author and have her book signed by that particular witch.

3. Seeing the delight on my nephew’s face as he listened to my story being read to him after the event.

After Halloween there was one more launch to go. Two author friends and I launched the CKT Story Collection in our home town of Canberra. While I loved dressing up as a witch for all these previous events, it was time to brighten things up a little. So instead of dressing for the Things That go Bump theme, I decided to dress for the Enchanted theme instead. I loved being a PInk Book Fairy for a change and seeing the smiles on kids faces when I spoke to them or simply smiled as I walked passed.

Reading

Obviously with the launch of these two anthologies, I have been busy reading all the amazing stories from so many wonderful Aussie authors.

Sppoktacular Stories -Thrilling Tales for Brave Kids has a collection of 39 stories and poems that are not too scary but will thrill and delight kids who love a touch of spookiness. There was fierce competition to win a place in this collection, and I am proud to have one of my stories included among these awesome contributions by so many talented Aussie authors.

Creative Kids Tales Story Collection 2 - Things that Go Bump/Enchanted, is a little different. A collection of 74 short stories and poems under two themes. This book is designed to read with two front covers. Choose to read all the stories in Things That Go Bump then flip it over and read all the Enchanted stories. This is a clever idea and works well to keep the young reader intrigued and entertained. I have contributed a story to both themes, and am again delighted to be included among so many talented emerging Aussie Authors.

Watching

During my evenings when the day is done, I can no longer concentrate to write, I settle down to binge watch a bit of Netflix. Currently my ‘go to’ is Heartland. This series set on a horse Stud ranch in Canada is full of beautiful scenery, majestic horses and some wonderful story lines. With twelve seasons in total to watch, I’ll be visiting Heartland for sometime to come yet, I’m only in season 4.

I’m also watching my water tank level drop. Winter and Spring have not brought much rain. Not only do we need rain here, but all over Australia. The drought is effecting even the most unexpected places Hubby and I were in far north Queensland earlier this month. We were shocked to see even the tropical north is not as green as it should be. Barren Falls, certainly were barren. When we showed friends and family the trickle of water that spilled over the top, they were all surprised.

Making Me Happy

The best part of attending events like book launches is is seeing the delight on kids faces. Putting smiles on faces of sick kids and their parents at the Children’s Hospital made me happiest of all. It made the trip to Brisbane so worthwhile. People often ask why I write for children? It’s those simple smiles when they read my stories that says it all. That’s all I need. I don’t need awards or peer praise, I am happy if I have made a child happy and they want to read. Due to privacy reasons, there are no photos of the kids or their parents at the hospital.

Seeing in my Lens

Springtime in Canberra is Tulip time and among all the business and fun of book launches, I found time for a walk among the tulips too. Most years we walk around Floriade in the heart of Canberra. Floriade is a magnificent display of tulips on show around the foreshore of Lake Burley-Griffin. This year, we decided it was time to visit Tulip Top Gardens on the outskirts of Canberra for a change. As you can see through my camera lens they did not disappoint.

I always find time to walk, whether it’s around our beautiful bush property or through the city on my way to the National Library of Australia on a Wednesday to meet my writers group. Spring is in full bloom as a stroll through the Rose Gardens at Old Parliament House.

As you can see, it’s been another crazy month preparing for book launches and Halloween. I’ve not had a great deal of time to think about the upcoming Summer months ahead or begin any Christmas plans. I am looking forward to slowing down and concentrating on finishing writing book 3 in my Adamson Adventures. I am having a lot of fun writing Fossil Frenzy, there is plenty of fun and adventure ahead.

Thanks for stopping by! How are you CURRENTLY jumping into winter/ summer? Making big plans? Ticking off books on your to-read list? Please share in the comment section.

Books By Rose

Carmela Dutra https://carmeladutra.com/blog/f/finding-your-winter-bliss-blog-hop?fbclid=IwAR3e62zDk1QrdkpxHx5cHEHtac37_0_VXvTeOXq274TreLPTwYOrgBJf15Y

Rebecca Lyndsey

The Importance of Self Care

Let’s face it, life can get pretty hectic. Kids, grandkids, work, even husbands can be demanding of our time. Some days I have a ‘to do’ list a mile long long. It’s no wonder there isn’t much time left to take care of ourselves. However, self-care is fundamental to our well-being, physically, mentally and spiritually. That’s why when #MichelleWorthington of #ShareYourStory suggested #SelfCareSeptember, I was on board straight away. My calendar for September seemed reasonably clear after a full August with my book launch of ‘A Lighthouse in Time’ and all the events associated with that. So I was looking forward to a quieter September. Time to relax, unwind, breathe. It is too easy to be on the go and run ourselves into the ground. By the end of August, I was mentally and physically exhausted and I had finally succumbed to a winter cold. I’m not complaining, I enjoyed every minute of the month and I would do it all again, but I need to learn to pace myself.

The first of the new month arrived faster than expected, I logged onto Facebook and immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Michelle’s first self care task was easy, Read! Take time out during your day to read. No problem. As an author, I always do that. Day 2, Nap, perfect, any excuse for a Nanna nap in the middle of the day. Day 3, Visit a friend. I did that too, even though it was included in a visit to Shellharbour City Library for an author talk. This was going great so far. Then it all started to unravel. I missed day 4, managed day 5, Meditate, well, I justified that one with my daily walk listening to all the sounds in the bush. I enjoy my walks with Snowy and sometimes when my grandson comes along , even better. It is time to slow down, breathe the fresh country air, relax and listen to the birds high in the gum trees and watch out for kangaroos and echidnas.

After that, forget it, I meant well, but just didn’t seem to get around to it. I glimpsed Michelle’s posts each day, liked them, even laughed at some of them, but did I take heed, no, life was too busy as usual. I try to walk our dog everyday or simply stop and watch the kangaroos grazing in our yard. I consider myself lucky to live in this beautiful country region.

That’s the problem, we always have good intentions, we always say we will look after ourselves, then we find excuses. I’m too busy, the kids need me, I just need to finish this bit of housework, the bills need to be paid, I have to shop, someone is waiting on this email reply, I promised to write this review, the list goes on. I have come to realise, I have to learn to say ‘no’, I can’t do everything and that’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with having some self care time.

As most of you know, hubby is working overseas in PNG for a couple of years. We do our best to make this work with home visits as often as possible. During September he realised at the last minute that he had a long weekend and asked me to book him a flight home. Naturally, the flights out of Port Moresby to Brisbane were all full. I told him I could book him on a flight to Cairns then on a connecting flight home to Canberra, but instead he suggested I meet him in Cairns. This turned out to be the best result for his self care possible. After 4 days in tropical far north Queensland, walking trails through the rainforests, he returned to PNG looking more relaxed than I had seen him in a long time. It did both his mental and physical health the world of good.

So, I am going to make a promise to myself, and I urge you to too. Find and do at least one thing each day for yourself. Whether it’s reading a book for half an hour, taking a nap, binge watching your favourite show on Netflix, taking the dog for a walk, doing a gym or yoga class, cooking something special, or simply relaxing and watching the sunset, just remember to breathe and take a few moments in the day for you. It’s really that simple, you will be happy and healthy and everyone around you will be too.

What do you do each day to take care of yourself? Share it in the comments below.

The Fun of Book Launches and School Visits.

One of the best things about being a children’s author, is being able to take kids along on an adventure with you through story time fun. Over the past month I have launched the second book in my Adamson Adventures, A Lighthouse in Time. This has given me the opportunity to do just that.

During the official book launch at Paperchain bookstore in Manuka and throughout the many school visits I did, kids were enthralled with my story telling as I took them on a journey from my inspiration behind writing the book to decisions I made by asking those constant what if questions. Every time I began my cutting out story, you could hear a proverbial pin drop in the room as every pair of eyes gazed in wonder and amazement at what I was saying and doing. Their faces lit up with awe when the final shape was revealed. I had them not only intrigued with the story but hooked on reading.

Kids ask the best questions and I always answer them as best I can. Here are a few samples along with my answers.

1. Who is your favourite character? My characters are like my children, I love them all equally and individually for their own unique personalities.

2. How do you make your books so realistic and interesting? I like to set my stories in real places. That means I can do lots of research about the area, explore and take plenty of photos and add little bits of information into the story to make it more real. Kind of like adding non-fiction to a fiction story but then expanding on it and having a bit of fun with it. Naturally the caves at Caves beach don’t go back as near as far as I take them in the book, but it adds to the mystery and intrigue by creating a sense of drama and wonder. By the time we finish talking about the Jervis Bay area, Cape St George Lighthouse, Caves Beach, and Wreck Bay, they all want to go down the coast for a visit.

3. When did you start writing the book? When I explain to the kids just how long a book can take from the initial idea, to writing the first draft, then re-writing and editing many, many times before I am happy with a final draft, they are amazed. I have been showing them the original handwritten manuscript where they can see all the scribbles and changes. This brings more astonishment as they realise even authors make a mess when they are starting out planning their story. Kids learn from this that it is ok to make a mess. Ideas and creativity flows better when you are not concentrating on grammar, spelling and neatness. That can all come later.

Sometimes great questions come from parents, teachers and other authors too. During my story time session at the Canberra Writers Festival and my South Coast book launch with the Shellharbour Writer’s & Illustrators group I had to stop and think quickly when asked these two.

1. Are you concerned with the lack of girls as main characters in children’s books? And do you feel you have a responsibility towards including them? My initial manuscript for Secrets Hidden Below contained three brothers as the characters. It wasn’t until my publisher pointed this out that I had to rethink it. As my characters were based on my own three sons, it seemed natural and fine to me. However, my publisher pointed out, and rightly so, that the books would appeal to a wider audience if one of my characters was a girl. I had to agree. That being said, I feel there are plenty of books coming out these days with great strong female lead characters, let’s not forget our boys still need to want to read too. It’s a fine balance to get right.

2. What is your favourite scene in your newest book, A Lighthouse in Time? I had to think long and hard about this one. Then I remembered the feeling I had when I re-read the manuscript after leaving it to rest for a few months. When I reached a certain part in the story I had tingles. I sat and thought, ‘wow, did I really write that?’ I’m not going to give the scene away, you’ll have to read the book and decide for yourself which scene you think I might be talking about.

I loved being swamped by kids asking for my autograph. I felt special and was honoured by how excited they all were to meet me. I was even stopped on the stairs outside the National Library of Australia as I left after my session at the Canberra Writer’s Festival. A young fan who had just bought A Lighthouse in Time raced over to greet me, show me she had the book and eagerly pulled a pen from her bag for me to sign her copy. It made my day.

Do you attend book launches and events? What are some of your most memorable experiences? Let’s chat in the comment section below.

A Lighthouse in Time is now available here on my website along with Secrets Hidden Below. https://sandrabennettauthor.com/books#the-adamson-adventures

Or through Elephant Tree Publishing.

https://elephanttreepublishing.com.au/current-titles/

Both books are also available through your local bookstore. If they don’t have either of them, simply ask them to order through Peribo Distributors.