THE BLOG
Hello world! I have been messing around with instagram the past few weeks. I’ve had an account for ages, but I never posted anything. I just used it to view the photos of friends and family. But I have changed all that! And now I have not one,[…]
Hello world! In thirty-one days Missing will be released into the wild. I am both inordinately excited and ridiculously anxious about this. Missing will be my sixteenth trade publication and my sixth novel for children and young adults. You’d think I’d be over the nerves by now, wouldn’t[…]
Hello world! I think it was my good old friend Ernest Hemingway who said “The only kind of writing is rewriting.” And ain’t that the truth? Proven to me in spectacular fashion in last weeks of 2017. Earlier in the year I blogged about writing picture books and[…]
Hello world! The other morning I woke early – well before the sun – but I didn’t mind one bit because my sleepy half-awake brain was filled with wild imaginings of my current WiP. My main character, let’s call her C.H., was chatting away merrily; I had never heard her[…]
Hello world! I have a confession to make. Sometimes (perhaps even often) when I hear of another author’s amazing success, an ugly green-eyed monster rises within me. Sad fact. (But I don’t think I’m alone here.) Take the new “sensation” Nevermoor, by Jessica Townsend. I only became aware of this “sensation” a month[…]
Hello world! “The backstory is the character’s DNA.” This quote from book coach and author Jennie Nash is one of my faves. I find it inordinately insightful and helpful when developing characters and thinking about how to handle backstory. It is simple, but genius. It just makes so much sense![…]
Hello world! Sorry I’ve been quiet lately. I’ve been taking it a bit easy as I recover and heal after some major surgery. (FYI – all good: prognosis and progress excellent.) I’d known about the impending surgery for some months prior – but it had to wait until after[…]
Hello world! It’s been a while since I last blogged. But I have a VERY good reason. August for Aussie authors is BOOK MONTH, and this is what my August looked like: visited 12 schools gave 45 presentations spoke to over 3500 kids presented at 2 night-time public library events presented at[…]
Hello world! When I was working at Walker I had a very long daily train commute. The upside of this was that it provided me with many wonderful opportunities to people watch. Three girls in particular intrigued me. They went to Newtown Performing Arts High and got on the train at[…]
Hello world! The other week I had a phone call from author and friend, Claire Saxby. She asked what I was doing. “Tearing my hair out!” was my exasperated reply, before explaining that I was working on a new picture book text and had spent the past couple of[…]
AUDIO BOOK DEAL
I am absolutely thrilled to announce that I have just signed with BOLINDA AUDIO for SIX of my middle grade novels to be made into audio books. Thank you CURTIS BROWN for brokering the deal. I am beyond excited.
NEWS FLASH
So excited that Pearly and Pig and the Lost City of Mu Savan has been shortlisted for the YABBA Awards. Woohoo!
NEWS FLASH
And doubly thrilled because Pearly and Pig and the Lost City of Mu Savan has also been shortlisted for the KOALA AWARDS! Here's cheers to Children's Choice Awards!
NEWS FLASH!
Thrilled to bits that THE WHEELBARROW EXPRESS and PEARLY AND PIG AND THE LOST CITY OF MU SAVAN have both made it onto the 2024 CBCA Book of the Year Notable list. This is such wonderful news.
NEWS FLASH
Absolutely thrilled that TILDA has been longlisted for the 2023 ARA Historical Novel Prize, CYA category. Such an honour!
NEWS FLASH
WOOHOO! The Echidna Near my Place has been shortlisted for The Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards, 5-8 years category. We are thrilled!
NEWS FLASH
THE ECHIDNA NEAR MY PLACE has been named a CBCA Notable Book in TWO categories - Early Childhood and Eve Pownall. Cate James and I are thrilled to bits! Go Echidna!